"[Crouse] has sort of his own process where he combines different types of wood and makes a mold with them and turns a bowl," Messenheimer said. "Brian's are all hand carved so he's just starting with a raw piece of wood and using carving tools to cut the shape."
Crouse live in Wolcott, N.Y., and operates a workshop there, in which he creates cabinetry, furniture, turned bowls and accessories.
"There's a meat carving platter that has been one of my best items. It's hand turned," Crouse said. "I have made up some pieces and I'm going to be entering my gallery show during [the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts] this summer.
The process he uses is called woodturning.
"I guess you would call it a unique process," Crouse said. "As far as I know there's maybe a few people that are doing this type of work and this construction. I've been at it a long time. I've done bowls for the professional craft circuit for a number of years and then went into cabinetwork for twenty years."
Galas brings something different to the table.
"I'm the spoon maker. I'm the guy that makes the spoons whose finishes feel like they're really smooth and slick," Galas said. "A lot of them end up being collected for aesthetic value. They usually end up as a conversation piece more than anything else."
Galas said that the best compliment he receives is when people say that they only put his spoons on display, instead of using them for everyday purposes.
"Handling is everything," he said. "I had blind people come in to [the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts] and watched their faces as they handled my work. When someone handles it they know it's one of a kind, and they might not touch something like this again."
When creating a wooden masterpiece, the type of wood is extremely influential, he said. It should be mutually appealing to both the eye and the hand.
"Woods have different kinds of things to offer. Mother Nature provides the best shapes. If your eye and your hand haven't fallen in love with it, it's pointless to carry on the courtship. If it does its work well, they'll end up with something that fits their needs," he said.
He said that since wood is everywhere, people often take it for granted. Galas has spent a great portion of his life making aesthetic creations out of the everyday element. He said he hopes that people will take notice of the craftsmanship involved in his pieces.
"After thirty years of doing this, I'm so comfortable standing behind the work instead of in front of it," he said. "I hope people show up and just look at my work. The wood should do all the talking."
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