by Arlene Wright-Correll

This weekís Kentucky artist is Joanne Hobbs

This isnít about Horse Feathers! This is about Goose Feathers! Did you know that only the goose feathers from the tails and wings of a goose can produce a feather to work into a Christmas tree? The rest of the goose only produces down feathers. I did not know this either until I interviewed Joanne Hobbs of Bardstown, KY.

Joanne is a native of Dodge City, Kansas, and was raised in San Antonio, TX. She lived off and on in KY until she finally settled in Bardstown in 1980 where she has the Homestead Bed and Breakfast.

Joanne is a self-taught and has been crafting German Reproduction Goose Feather Christmas Trees, Ornaments, and Feather Fences for over twenty years. She belongs to the Kentucky Craft Marketing Program and was a featured artist at “Kentucky Spirit – Naive Exhibition” at the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, as well as, at the Appalachian Arts Council’s “American Log House” exhibition at the 2006 Home and Gardens Show in London, England. Her trees can be found in historic homes and galleries across the country and have been shipped throughout Europe. A five-foot version of her tree was selected to stand center stage at the Santa Fe Opera House during their run of a German opera. You can reach Joanne at 502 349 1777 to order one of these trees.

It is no piece of cake making one of these trees. The quill feathers, which she buys commercially, are stripped of their feathers by Joanne and then washed, dried, trimmed, dyed and then wound onto the tree limbs and trunk and then the tree is assembled by Joanne. A 19″ tree takes Joanne about a day and a half to make, provided there are no interruptions. The trees are made in various sizes and costs. 12″ $52.50, 19″ $82.50, 28″ $127.50, the most popular is the 36″ at $187.50. A 4 ft. tree is $400.00, the 5 ft. tree is $500.00 and the 7 ft tree is $1,200.00 and takes a lot of time and effort to make it!

She also makes goose feather ornaments that are sold for $15.00 each and she has just started making goose feather fences to put around the trees and they go from $50.00 to $135.00. The ornaments shown on the tree in these pictures are made by her friend Ornaments by Lewis Newman of David, KY.

Joanne does workshops/Retreats, Festivals/Trade shows and she demonstrates workshops both at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea, KY and the Kentucky State Fair. Photo credits: Gwen Heffner/Kentucky Artisan Center

To view all upcoming arts and crafts workshops in your area of KY please go to http://www.learn-america.com/?page_id=1740

(Contact Arlene Wright-Correll at 270 524 9567 or email her at askarlene@scrtc.com  if you want to be next weekís column of Whoís Who in KY Artís and Crafts©)