Sunny skies greeted visitors Sunday, June 5, at the Village Art Fair. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — Sometimes the stories behind the art – or artist – can be as interesting as the work itself.

Seventy artists enjoyed steady traffic under an abundance of sunshine on Saturday and Sunday at the Village Art Fair and were more than happy to spend time chatting with visitors who had a chance to browse a range of mediums and styles.

Diane reader Dorn, who teaches at the South Bend Museum of Art, is a watercolor artist whose work is always built on grids.

The grids serve as a structure.

“I have the stability of the (orderly) grids – that is the way we want life to go … and then we have chaos where the water and the colors do their own things,” she said.

One of her favorite paintings, called “Escape,” used only three colors – yellow, turquoise green and a rusty color. Together, they provide a huge palette to work from, she said.

In this one, the grid looks like prison bars holding somebody back, with images surrounding the main subject. Dorn said the painting came from a personal experience in her family. The faces in the painting could be part of the people in their lives or represent different stages of life. 

Woodworker Ricc Havens, 56, of Elkhart, has no vision in one eye and tunnel vision in the other, making him legally blind.

The degenerative eye disease was diagnosed when he was five, but he didn’t let it hold him back as a woodworker.

Using a lathe, Havens creates an assortment of wooden bowls and other smaller more whimsical decorative pieces.

The lathe, it turns out, is easier to use with limited eyesight, he said.

“A lot of what I do is a little bit by feel,” Havens said. “I have to pay more attention.”

“When I’m turning a piece of wood into a bowl, if I make a mistake, I can just make the bowl a little smaller,” he said. “It’s a design opportunity.”

The festival, which dates back 22 years, included live music Saturday and Sunday, and a youth activities tent run by Lakeland Art Association on Saturday.

For Dorn, this was her first time participating at the Winona Lake show. She said she plans to return.

“It’s a beautiful show and a beautiful setting and the weather today has been absolutely delightful.”

She and numerous other artists mentioned that organizers provided water, lunch and doughnuts.

“They’ve really gone overboard to make us comfortable with very precise instructions of what they expect,” Dorn said.

Nick Hauck, managing director of The Village At Winona, said they work hard to make sure the artists are happy.

“Sometimes the amenities and things you give the artists go a long way in making sure they’re comfortable and enjoy the show,” he said.