Rome Doherty from Camp Robber Beads...
I’m a retired guy, moved to Ohio to be with family after living in Seattle for most of my life .I once had a lover who beaded. During Covid, I was on a trip to Seattle and was looking for something to do ‘unsocially’. I went back to the bead store she liked. (Beadworld - Seattle's Bead Store – located on Roosevelt Ave.), looked at a You Tube video and got started.
I started making things with little tiny beads and liked it. I realized after some time that I would need to fund this hobby and started selling in local shows. I originally started following along with You Tube videos, and and since have started adapting other patterns and making my own.
I most enjoy making things with little tiny beads, but I also enjoy beads of all types, from Czech fire-polished beads, to crystals , to semi-precious stones, to trade beads. Most of my pieces are made with glass beads or crystals, some with semi-precious stones. I use non-allergenic findings.
Since I started selling, I’ve been to a number of different craft shows, and have been accepted in number of juried shows including Avant-Garde shows, Made in Ohio, FAVA, and the Bath Art Show. I’ve been asked where I see my business in five years, and my response is that, at my age, I hope to still be on the green side of the lawn.
Meet Tyler Scales from Busaneer Bakehouse...
Originating from Tampa Bay, FL, I have resided in Ohio for nearly three years. Holding a culinary degree and over 18 years of experience, I decided to branch out and start my own businesses in the culinary field in 2025.
This is my second year as a business owner. This will be my first Avant-Garde show.
What inspires me to create.. providing exceptional dining experiences that create smiles and lasting memories. I learned from my mother and began cooking around the age of 13 and began work in the industry at the age of 15.
My creative process is very calculated and scientific with a focus on crafting exquisite flavors.
My five year plan is to hopefully expanded and with a bigger footprint on the industry.
The message behind my work is premium flavor experiences can be readily accessible and affordable.
Meet Lin Wilson from LINspirational Fine Art Prints...
My name is Lin Wilson, and I’m the artist behind LINspirational Fine Art Prints. I’ve had a deep love for nature and art for as long as I can remember and spent much of my early life exploring many creative mediums—charcoal, pastel, watercolor, sculpting, mosaics, and anything artistic I could get my hands on.
For many years, however, I had never ventured into oil painting. Wanting to learn that medium is what eventually led me to study with portrait artist Bill Kufahl of Westlake, Ohio. When I first met Bill, I thought I was simply going to learn oil painting, but he encouraged me to explore portraiture as well.
Through his classes I progressed step by step through charcoal portraits, then pastel portraits, and eventually oil portraits. His instruction helped train my eye to see and capture the fine details that bring a portrait to life, and the discipline of his classes kept me moving forward and growing as an artist. That attention to detail eventually carried over into my nature paintings as well.
Today my work focuses primarily on original oil paintings inspired by nature and meaningful life moments, along with archival-quality giclée reproductions of those works.
Art has been part of my life since childhood, but I have been working seriously in oil painting for approximately twenty years. Over time my work has continued to evolve as I’ve learned more about light, depth, and especially the beauty and richness of color that oil paints can achieve.
This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show, and I’m excited to be part of such a creative community of artists and makers.
Nature, memories, and meaningful life moments inspire me most. Many of my paintings have been created as personal gifts for family members to celebrate milestones or special occasions. Through those pieces I’m able to capture a moment and give something lasting and meaningful.
One of my best-known works is my Marblehead Lighthouse four-season series, inspired by my time living near Lake Erie in Ohio. I struggled to choose just one season to paint because each season of the lighthouse holds special meaning to me, which ultimately led me to create a series representing all four.
Each painting carries its own story. In the summer lighthouse, a small boat heading out represents our boat leaving for a day of fishing on Lake Erie. In the autumn sunset painting, a boat is returning toward shore after what we used to call a “hard day of fishing.”
The winter lighthouse became what I often think of as a “lesson in whites,” as creating depth and perspective in a snow-covered landscape required careful layering and many revisions.
The spring sunrise lighthouse is especially meaningful to me. I painted it after receiving a life-changing cancer diagnosis, and to me it represents the promising beauty of a brand-new day—something that becomes more precious with every sunrise.
As a child I would completely lose myself drawing and coloring. My parents and family were always very encouraging of my creativity and supported my love of art by buying me mosaic kits, paint-by-number sets, pottery projects, sculpting clay—anything creative they could find. Making art always felt natural to me, and that love has stayed with me throughout my life.
Encouragement from teachers, my parents, and family members, along with early art show recognition, helped me realize that what came naturally to me was something others connected with as well. My portrait training further strengthened my attention to detail and realism, skills that continue to influence my work today.
My work focuses on realism, light, and atmosphere. Each painting usually begins with something that inspires me—often a memory, a moment in nature, or something meaningful in my life.
My original oil paintings are professionally reproduced as archival-quality giclée prints so others can enjoy them as well.
I also created a line of miniature framed pieces called “LINnie’s Minis.” These are small replicas of my original artwork mounted on miniature easels with magnets and can be personalized with the title of the piece or a dedication. They have been used as wedding favors, thank-you gifts, and keepsakes.
I love the idea that instead of something temporary, people can take home a small piece of art to display and enjoy.
As someone who has been living with stage 4 lung cancer for more than ten years, I’ve learned not to measure my life in long timelines but in meaningful opportunities.
My hope is simply to continue creating and sharing my work for as long as I’m able—meeting people at shows, expanding my online presence, and placing my artwork in homes where it can be enjoyed every day.
Many of my paintings carry personal meaning. My butterfly painting “Spread Your Wings and Fly” was created for my daughter when she graduated from The Ohio State University.
Another piece titled “Your Forever Rose” was painted for my sister’s milestone birthday so she would always have a rose that never fades.
Another painting in my nature collection is the yellow hibiscus titled “Peace in Unity,” which I painted for my son and daughter-in-law when they were married. I believe the message behind that painting is something we could all use a little more of today—peace and unity.
Butterflies appear often in my work because they symbolize growth and transformation. One of my paintings is titled “If Nothing Ever Changed, There Would Be No Butterflies,” a message that has become deeply meaningful in my own life.
Website: www.LINspirational.com
Living with stage 4 lung cancer for more than a decade has certainly shaped my journey, but I have never allowed it to stop my creativity. While I no longer accept portrait commissions—simply because I would never want to begin something I might not be able to finish—I continue to paint the pieces that inspire me whenever I can.
Every painting begins with something meaningful: a memory, a moment in nature, or an experience that touched my life.
That spirit of inspiration is also the reason I named my business LINspirational Fine Art. My hope is that through my artwork and my story, I might inspire others in some small way.
If my work can bring a little beauty, reflection, or joy into someone’s life, then I feel I’ve accomplished exactly what I set out to do.
Meet Alexis Gilan from Looped Paw Studio...
Hi! I’m Alexis, the creator behind Looped Paw Studio. I make handmade crochet plushies and accessories inspired by animals, nature, and cozy comfort. I love creating pieces that make people smile and feel a little bit of joy when they see them.
I’ve been crocheting for a few years, but recently started turning it into a small business and selling my handmade creations. This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show, and I’m really excited to be part of it!
Like most hobbies, it started with practice. Over time I realized I really enjoyed designing and making plushies, and seeing others enjoy them encouraged me to keep going.
In five years, I hope to grow Looped Paw Studio into a recognizable handmade brand, attend more craft shows, and continue expanding my collection of plushies and designs.
My goal is simple—to create handmade pieces that bring comfort, joy, and a little bit of whimsy into people’s lives.
Our process is simple and personal. We help each guest choose a chain that fits their style, custom-fit it to them, and weld it in place. Each piece becomes a small but meaningful reminder of a special moment.
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