Haymarket artist to exhibit at crafts festival

"Celtic Art is a constantly evolving art form and has greatly influenced modern art, particularly Nouveau and Art Deco styles," says Robert Piland of Haymarket. And he intends to show some of that art at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in Chantilly this weekend.

Inspired by a jeweler in Japan and by an apprenticeship with a German goldsmith, Piland combines these two distinctive artistic styles in his line of Celtic jewelry. He reinterprets traditional symbols of Celtic culture through original gold and silver accessories.

"My own Scottish ancestry has always been a strong part of my subconscious," Piland said, "and Celtic art gives me a wide variety of motifs to draw inspiration from when creating my jewelry."

Piland also said that "most people associate Celtic art only with Ireland, but it is really far older and covers all of Europe from one time or another."

Rated as one of the top craft experiences in the country, the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival will feature an eclectic mix of artists whose work is exhibited in galleries and museum shows. Craftspeople will display affordable, innovative, functional and decorative pottery, sculpture, glass, home décor, furniture, home accessories, leather, wearables, photography and more.

The festival is enhanced by a variety of family entertainment and continual demonstrations of ceramic making, metal spinning, woodturning and gourmet cooking. Visitors will also enjoy live musical performances, including acoustic guitar, jazz and classic piano. Children can experience the adventure of time travel with a special puppet show from Middle Earth Studios.

While the festival will showcase the works of more than 250 distinguished artists from across the country, it will highlight talent from many Virginia artists.

Among those artists will be Elizabeth Ash of Middletown. Channeling her passion for nature, Ash creates terracotta masks embellished with tufts of mosses and lichen, stray twigs, gourds, pinecones and other woodland elements.

George Carrigan of Lovettsville creates bowls, vases and sculptural accessories.

Sherry Chaples of Springfield crafts jewelry with precious metal clay.

Splicing together images of ancient and classical artwork, metallic paper and modern computer graphics, John Teal Crutchfield of Richmond makes home décor and jewelry.

Susan Loy of Moneta combines calligraphy with fine art, while Daniel Nie (Ashburn), a native of Shanghai, China, uses calligraphy to create hieroglyphic designs inspired by ancient oriental art.

Mary Louise Ravese of Waterford focuses on global wildlife, landscapes and unique architecture in her photos.

What brings these artists together is their passion for creating.

"I enjoy being an artist because it allows freedom of personal expression in a world where that is increasingly difficult," said Piland. "I create beautiful things that people fall in love with and admire. I also appreciate that I can set my own schedule and spend more time with my family."

The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival will be at the Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Place Center, Chantilly, on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To see more of Piland's art, visit http://www.repi land.com/about.shtml

To learn more about Sugarloaf, visit www.Sugar loafCrafts.com.