Please check out this great art tour that a number of my friends are participating in this weekend. If you have never been to Mentone, Alabama you are missing out on one of the greatest art atmospheres anywhere. Mentone’s atmosphere oozes with inspiration for the arts. Thank you for stopping by Boyd Greene Fine Art for a browse! Have fun!!!
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Welcome to the Mentone Arts Council’s 2009 Artists Gallery and Home Tour. We are grateful to the wonderful people who have opened up their homes for this special occasion and to all the artists for participating in our Tour. These are private homes and a rare opportunity to visit so we ask that you respect their property and privacy. You are on your own with which you visit and we know you will enjoy not only the homes and the art but also our beautiful area in the prime color season of the year.
Let the Tour Begin
1. Mentone Fire Station - The beginning of our tour, information, maps, refreshments and a taste of the art available on the tour with a silent auction of art donated by the artists.
2. Mentone Realty - Featuring the ongoing Alabama Rivers Photographic Exhibit sponsored by Mentone Area Arts Council featuring photography by numerous artists capturing the rivers of Alabama
3. Mentone Market - 5 2 7 8 Al H y w 1 1 7, M e n t o n e, Al 256-635-8698 or 256-634-3061 Art from the Market is an adjunct to Mentone Market which is owned by Joanís daughter Christen and her husband Tom.
Artist Featured:
Joan Byrum - Joan works with acrylic mixed media using oil pastels and fabric application. Most of her work is inspired by the mountain in the form of landscapes and sky capes. This year she will also be showing some applied decorative art furniture pieces. 256-634–3061.
4. Chimney Corners - Hank and Susan Van Apeldoorn, 95 Huron Street
Home: 256-634-4466 Susan’s cell: 404-218-6070
In 1935, Fred Huron, for whom Huron Street in Mentone is named, owned a large parcel of property in Mentone on the west side of the river, including the Riverside Hotel, now a part of Camp Skyline.
At that time, he built an inn to serve lunch and named it Chimney Corners, referring to the two stone fireplaces that he placed on the south east and northwest corners of the house. He employed local men who had been part of the CCC projects on the mountain to build the luncheon inn of native stone and wood. The large central room housed the dining tables.
In 1952 Hal and Nelda Howe, who owned the Desoto Hotel, now the Mentone Inn, sold the hotel and purchased Chimney Corners as their residence. Aunt Neddo furnished it with antiques and fine furnishings.
In 1987, Susan Van Apeldoorn, a niece of Nelda Howe’s, and her husband purchased Chimney Corners from the surviving family. She and Hal have retained the original furniture, and have added a beautiful guest house to the property on Huron Street. Thus Chimney Corners has been in the family for fifty years.
Directions: From the fire station, go east. Turn left at the Little River Hardware. Go one block and turn left on Huron Street. It is the first house on the right.
Artists Featured:
Randy Cochran - Randy builds rockers, chairs, stools, porch swings and other furniture in a style we call Southern Contemporary. We also build, custom furniture and cabinets to fit the clients aesthetic and functional needs, as well as smaller accoutrements. 256-845-1930 or 205-544-5181
Carol Janna Ballinger Paintings 356-254-8469
Andrea Brandon Paintings 256 - 845 – 1930
5. Hollycrest – Heather and Lyle Nicely, 5064 East River Road 256-634-4124
Lyle and Heather Nicely are the visionaries behind the art of Enchanted Gardens and Ecological Designs.
For 30 years Lyle & Heather have collaborated in designing ecologically friendly “green” homes, gardens and water features. Their collaborations include garden design for all seasons, fountains, solar garden features, dry creeks, stone mosaic benches, planters and hand sculpted bonsai. Lyle designs and builds custom homes with ecological concepts.
The Nicely’s restored historic home “Holly Crest” features some of Lyle’s wood craftsmanship. Their home also display’s Heather’s paintings, pastels, prints, pen and ink, faux finish, mosaics and hand sculpted metal casting.
The Enchanted Gardens surrounding Lyle and Heather’s home are a living work of art. The gardens and forest contain winding pathways of color through all seasons with a clever balance of conifers, hardwoods, maples, grasses, shrubs, perennials and handcrafted designs.
Directions: Turn off 117 at the church and school. Take a right onto East River Road
Artists Featured:
Heather Nicely and Lyle Nicely - Heather does bonsai, does cast metal, paintings and prints, while Lyle creates stone basins for water sculptures. 256-634-4124
Joan Fischer - 256-634-4124
Lyn McCary - Lynn has a master’s degree in printmaking. His passion is monoprints, large scale print done with a painterly way of printmaking 205-879-9598
6. Gauldin 256-634-003 - This past spring we moved in to our new home on Little River. After six years of waiting and longing for available river property, we found our dream. Our home is named “Smokerise” for the existing stone chimney left from a small cabin built here in the 30’s.
We engaged a local architect, Don David, to design a “Mentone house” that was unpretentious and blended with the natural beauty of the mountain.
In clearing the building site, our builder Antony Patterson suggested we salvage the harvested pine trees for our flooring. This is one of our favorite features.
A large screened porch overlooks the river and provides a favorite gathering place for family and friends. One of our greatest joys is sharing our home and the serenity of this very special place with those we love.
Artist Attending:
Balpha Noojin – Byzantine Iconographer, Balpha Noojin, paints or “writes” icons in the traditional Byzantine style. Some of his prototypes date back to the 15th century. Balpha says his icons are prayers and meditation.
Arlene McGowan - Arlene weaves hand woven baskets in many different styles. Some are decorative and some quite useful. Also, she paints, using inks and dyes on gourds and finishes with pine needles, paper rush, feathers and other things she finds on her travels. 256-228-6210 or 256-599-1374
Jane Smith - painter 256-634–0039
Freda Rylee – Freda does jewelry made of fused Glass as well as bowls, plates, & ornaments 256-643-5385 cell 256-630-3300
7. Mama Bear’s Cabin - Neal and Melinda Whitt, Hwy 89, south of Mentone 205 969 5530- B’ham 205 410 5598
Nestled in the woods atop Lookout Mountain sits Mama Bear’s Cabin, presided over proudly by Mama Bear herself, dressed as a witch, the cabin decked out for Halloween.
Melinda and Neal Whitt’s cabin hosts many pieces of artwork by both local and other Southeastern artists. Upon entering, please note the special multi-story stone fireplace, rocks carefully placed by a very tiny female artisan mason.
Also to be enjoyed is an outdoor patio on the bluff with a spectacular view of Wills Valley below. Sounds abound in Mama Bear’s Cabin-the precious train below that in early years brought visitors to Mentone, birds galore, and an occasional moo from the cows in the pasture below.
Directions: We are 5.3 miles south from the blinking light on 89, brow side.
Artists Attending:
Melinda Whitt - Reflecting a love of color and contrast, Melinda fuses glass pieces at high temperature to create unique pieces of jewelry: earrings, pendants and necklaces. The daughter of an engineer and an artist, she satisfies a lifelong fascination with creativity blended with precision and order. Her work is filled with detail and punctuated with light and vivid color. 356-635–6803
Paul Shoffner - Color Photographs of local flora and fauna, many of elusive or rare wildflowers seldom seen by most folks. Paul was a painter who now paints with light, and captures images of birds, landscapes, cityscapes and performing musicians, the latter because of his great interest in American music, particularly of the Southern Roots variety. 256-717–3212
8. Miracle Pottery - Valinda Miracle began painting in oils and making pottery 20 years ago as therapy after a traumatic accident, a head injury and near death experience. From these humble beginnings Miracle Pottery has grown exponentially into a thriving pottery shop with a beautiful new showroom offering over 5,000 pieces and employing a team of three potters and four other workers by Valinda’s design and direction. Thousands of visitors each year tour the shop and see pottery being made on a daily basis. Bus tours are welcome. 705-862–2814
Directions: From the caution light in Mentone follow Hwy 117 north toward Valley Head for 1.7 miles. Miracle Pottery is clearly marked on the left.
Artists Attending:
Valinda Miracle - Miracle Pottery produces a full line of functional and artistic stoneware in a wide range of brilliant colors and unique designs. 705 - 862 - 2814
9. Stoneridge on the Brow - Liz and Jerome Stephens, 21595 Scenic Road, Mentone, Al Phone: 256-634-9031
The Stephens have two houses on the brow property. Stoneridge Cottage was
built from local materials and by local craftsmen in the 1940’s by Jacob Salie, Jerome‘s grandfather, who was a well known Birmingham architect. The cottage is stunning, with rock walls and floors, handmade brick and beautiful old wood floors and beams. Following in his grandfather’s footprints, Jerome did all of the cabin renovation and modernization himself. It is now being used by the Stephens as a vacation rental. In 1999, Liz and Jerome built another house next to the cottage and retired to live there in 2003. The mountain and valley view from both houses are breathtaking.
Directions: Turn north at the blinking light in Mentone on Highway 89. Pass the brow park. The house is the first one on the left past the park.
Artists Attending:
Mickey Luck - Mickey will be showing handmade boxes constructed from exotic woods. Each box is a one of a kind and all are an original design. He will also display wooden letter openers and table trivets.
Ginger Lowry- Ginger’s work, whether the traditional pastels, or the impressionist oils, depict the color and intensity of horses in flight. She has a large following of customers and admirers.
Debbie & Doug Hawkins - Opal and Stone Place Jewelry -They do custom carved opals, rare agates and jaspers as well as wire wrapping. PHONE 706-936-6799 or 706-857-3568 E-MAIL jdhawkins@windstream.net
10. Chambliss Farm - Russ and Ann Chambliss 256 - 599 – 1374
Russ and Ann Chambliss noticed the beauty of the land that is now their farm long before it was for sale. It was purchased from Joe Owen and his family in 1996. A large great room and porch were added to the existing house in 2002, taken from a sketch Russ made on the back of a napkin. This space provides a wonderful place to rest after hours in the garden or on horseback. With three of the four children married, two grandchildren and lots of dogs, the porch is always full.
Directions: From Hwy 117 at Mentone Springs Hotel, go north on County Road 89 for 3 miles. Follow the long wooden fence on the right to the stone entrance. Enter and turn right and follow the driveway to the house.
Artists Attending:
Ann Chambliss - Mary Margaret Chambliss - Mary Margaret Chambliss is a photographer who began her career with a six and a half year stint with Southern Living where she traveled the country for the travels and living sections. Now on her own, she does commercial work and wedding photography as well as portraits of babies and children. 256-599-1374
Gail Jones Gail does acrylic paintings including landscapes, children’s portraits and some animal paintings. 256–597-4344 or 423–653-2126
Chris Hale Chris makes Appalachian style furniture, using hickory, white oak spline seating and old wood. 256–996-3470
11. Cloudome - Cloudland Farm - Chuck Peters 7709 Old State Road, Cloudland,
GA 30731 706-398-0078
Located 7 miles north of Mentone on Scenic Hwy 89, just off the beautiful brow road. This structure is known as a Monolithic Dome. FEMA has declared this type of building technique near absolute protection. During hurricane Ivan, Mr. Peters was attending the Monolithic Institute in Italy, Texas to learn about the construction of the dome and to determine if he wanted to build one. Reports from Pensacola Beach in Florida indicated it was the only structure FEMA allowed anyone to stay in, including the MSNBC news crews and was the only surviving structure left on the beach.
Sold on the concept and with his talents as a designer and builder, he created one of the most unique homes in the area. His knowledge of sacred geometry has been applied throughout the modern concrete reinforced shell, encasing his farmhouse style post and beam interior which incorporates salvaged wood siding, bamboo flooring, windows and doors. Nestled in the middle of his 55 acre organic farm, this design is one of the most energy efficient, extreme weather, fire resistant, unique homes in the area.
His latest commissioned stained glass sculpture and stained glass panels will be on display along with his work as a producer of DVD films on Native American culture and beliefs.
Directions: Take Scenic Hwy 89, north, the flashing light next to Mentone Springs Hotel. Approximately 3 miles, you reach the Ponderosa Bible Camp sign, in which Hwy 89 turns to dirt, bear left along the brow. Keep going approximately another 3 miles until the pavement starts again, then it will be the 3rd driveway on the right, approximately 3/1 0 of a mile, with 3 mailboxes and 2 white newspaper boxes. A sign will say Cloudland Farms, turn right. Once on the driveway go straight passing a large metal building on your left. Keep going straight about 3/10 of a mile and on your left you will see a green lattice metal fence with a large hot house and beautiful gardens full of flowers and herbs, turn left through the green gate. Keep going straight, past the gardens, and just after the pasture you will see a sign that says Dome, turn right. (MapQuest does not locate accurately)
Artist Attending:
Carl McClusky and Betsy Scott - We are a husband & wife team specializing in both figurative and wildlife bronze sculpture, ranging in dimension from small tabletop-size to monumental. We have recently created life-size works for the Toledo zoo, Riverbanks zoo, and a Greg Norman golf course in FL, works for private homes in TN & FL as well as a figurative piece for the Wirt library in Bay City, Mich.
We also do botanical photography, drawings and stone engravings (portraiture and nature subjects). We sell primarily from our studio on Lookout Mountain & welcome visits. Our web-site is: http://wildlifebronzeinc.com, E-mail: mccscott@hughes.net. 706-862-2184
Steve and Harriet O’Rear - Handcrafted fire screens, chandeliers, sconces, and other furnishings illustrate iron silhouettes in light: horses galloping across a field, turkeys strutting in the tall grass, fawns nursing beneath long leaf pines…Harriet designs while Steve welds and constructs functional art pieces. They have received awards at the Southeastern Wildlife Show in Charleston, the Blue Ridge Wildlife Art Show and at the New Salem Fall Festival. 706-398-0858
Harry Kripp - Metal Sculpture - As a Ferrier for show horses most of his career; Harry took his craft one step further and utilized his impressive collection of old horse shoes into stunning sculptures. His main subject of course, horse head sculptures
Chuck Peters - Custom Stained Glass Windows and Sculpture. Designing and building stained glass windows for residences, commercial and religious applications for 30 years Mr. Peters unique style now incorporates three dimensional sculptural stained glass.
His most recent commission, an 11 ft. high metal and glass sculpture of wings called “Enduring Trust”, from Walker County Georgia and The Georgia Council for the Arts will be on display for the first time at this location. 706-398-0078 cloudland@mindspring.com and www.cloudlandstainedglass.com
12. Briar Patch - Betty and Frank Mason, End of County Road 646, Phone 256–634-4802
Briar Patch, the Mentone home of Betty and Frank Mason of Birmingham, is amid a large forested area on the outskirts of Mentone. The Masons were among the first in Alabama to have their land designated at a Treasure Forest. They have spent many years trying to improve the land for the conservation of wildlife: turkey, deer and quail.
In addition they are part of a program to reintroduce American Chestnut trees to this area. Wildlife abounds up and down the drive, so keep your eyes open.
The house, built a few years ago, is clad with stone gathered from the property. Local stone masons did the walls and decks while local carpenters built the house. The fire place features a handsome stone lintel garnered from a hundred year old cabin on the property. A beautiful still life of flowers in the living room was painted by Betty Mason.
Directions: From the Fire Station, go .1 mile. Turn left on Hwy 631, which goes through Camp Skyline. Go 3.5 miles and turn left on to Highway 646 just past Cove Road Baptist Church (blue roof). Go to the end of the road. Watch for deer and cars on the one lane road.
Artists Attending:
Katy Bird Cobble and Will Cobble – Singing Tree Studio - Wil Henry Cobble, a woodworker and maker of beautiful Windsor Chairs and Katie Bird Cobble, a potter and creator of “lichen ware”. You can see the inspiration of the natural beauty of the Alabama mountains they call home reflected in the work of both artists. Wil Henry searches for wood with grains and tones that add natures own color palette to a timeless and graceful design. The trees and wildlife inspire the design of Katie’s pottery. The color is drawn from the mosses that grow in the surrounding woods and critters like frogs and lizards can often be found perched along the rim of a plate or cup like they are the ones choosing who will purchase them and take them home. 256-845-7287
Walter Howell - Walter’s Forge is home for artist Blacksmith Walter Howell. Hand forged ironwork is an asset to your home and an investment that will last a lifetime. An artist eye combined with the skill of a gifted craftsman results in an heirloom quality piece that is both durable and beautiful. Please visit us at www.waltersforge,com 256-254-8469
We recommend these fine establishments and thank them for supporting our Tour.
Little River Hardware - Stan Lawton 256-634-4757 - Local Crafts and Cafe (Closed Saturday)
Mentone Inn - Cynthia Stinson 256-634-4836 - Lodging and breakfast
Mentone Springs Hotel - Marq Elaqua 256-634-4040 - Lodging, Lunch and Dinner
“October 31 Saturday night “Tenth Moon Ball”, an extravaganza of costumes, foods, beverages’ open to the public.
Inca Connection - Catherina Collings 256-634-3076 - Incan arts and crafts
Mentone Realty - Charlotte Gentry 256-634-4767 - Alabama Rivers Photo Exhibit
Wildflower Café - Moon and Ben 256-634-0066 - Restaurant
“Recently featured in Southern Living Magazine”
Windwood Restaurant - Toni and Cathy 256-634-0055 - Restaurant
“Featuring fresh seafood and bourbon marinated steaks”
The Settlement at Monk’s Cove - vacation rental 256-634-4006
Orbix Hot Glass - Cal Breed 256-523-3188
Friday, June 17, 2011 at 6:38PM 
