Jolene Joyner

Jolene Joyner is an oil/pastel painter. She has lived in Indiana County most of her life and currently lives in Clymer, PA. Her studio is in her home. She works from photographs that have been taken locally and from her travels to France & Italy. Her artwork is representational because she enjoys the challenge.

Jolene Joyner’s “Fox Hunt” and “Trail Ride” are oil on canvas paintings that display equestrians on horseback riding through a forest during autumn. The equestrians serve as a focal point for the piece; as your eye meets the center of the piece, you are able to follow the directional light sources. Her use of light and dark tones and hues of brown help to separate the horse riders from their surroundings; while her tints of green and red give an opaque look for the scenery surrounding the focal point. These aspects give the pieces depth. Jolene Joyner’s work is very popular at The Artist Hand. She has a talent of capturing a moment in time with her oil paintings. 

Janice Selkirk

"My Passion is photography and capturing those moments in time that will take us back to a familiar place, or a place that breathes an air of calmness and serenity. Beauty can be found just about anywhere, we just have to slow down, look, and take the time to see it before it's gone. Capturing those images, the ones that will awaken our other senses allowing us to hear the sounds of nature, feel the gentle breeze, and smell the scents of the scene is my goal. When I look at my pictures, a smile always comes to my face, and a feeling of peace and tranquility melt away the stresses that everyday life can sometimes bring us." - Janice Selkirk. 

She is an Indiana County native who, after graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, moved away to pursue her career in Medical Technology. In 1991, she married her husband John, and moved to Philadelphia. Their family was complete with the addition of two sons. They spent much of their lives in Berks County, Pennsylvania, where she discovered a love for photography. Through the years, she has developed a talent for capturing moments in time with her camera. She loves to shoot nature, historical points of interest, her sons sporting events and whatever catches her eye. She recently moved back to Indiana County and with the encouragement of friends and family, has chosen to share these moments in time." 

Janice Selkirk’s photographs have a balance to them. Each one of her photographs gives a sense of you being in the exact spot were the photograph was captured. Her work shows off both aspects of her life, from the rural to the cities structures. Her work is very crisp, the contrast of the images are high so her ranges of lights and darks are very dramatic. Her compositions draw you in. Your eye follows the contour lines through out her photographs. The cast shadows of her pieces give dimension and stability to the overall composition. 

Ken Vinton

Ken was born, raised, and educated (high school, BS, MA in Printmaking) in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he still resides. He has been an art teacher (retired), a contractor (retired), an accountant (big mistake), racquetball pro (not-so-good), an author (three books), an illustrator (13 books), a national speaker on creativity and the gifted (15 years), an antique dealer (30 years), and now, as always, a full time artist! A studio in the third floor of the family home is where watercolors and drawings evolve. Work time is mostly at night. (All night sometimes if the passion blocks reality and time!) "I create because the stories in my head won't allow for anything else."

Ken's work is very vibrant. He is very versatile and works in different mediums. Many of his pieces have a flow to them that allows the viewer to follow his line work or brush strokes. Ken's work is quite spectacular to me. I find that his history in the art world has really pushed his work to another level of fascination. I do not believe Ken Vinton has reached the apex of his work nor talent. As time moves forward and progresses so does his his work as it is assimilated into modern day culture.

J. R. Sherburne

His formal background in ceramics began in 1974 in the apprenticeship program at Berea College in Kentucky, culminating with a B.A. degree. Following graduation, J.R. was a studio potter in Florida, California, and Kentucky. While in Kentucky he was very active in the Kentucky Department of Humanities Artist-in-Residence program, working primarily in rural districts presenting residencies ranging from two weeks to nine months, as well providing teacher in-service seminars, facilitating visiting artist workshops, and advocating for the arts to community groups. He earned an M.F.A. in Ceramics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the spring of 2008. 

JR's work can be seen in many places around Indiana county. His signature mugs and bowls are a wonderful edition to anyones kitchen. As the intern this semester I had the opportunity to sit one-on-one with the artist himself. As we discussed art history, I watched him wedge and form bowls with his coarse hands and as the potters wheel turned I watched his process in motion. It was quite spectacular to be in the presence of a master artist while he worked. I myself purchased one of his 12oz mugs that we use everyday here in The Artist Hand for 16$. Many of the customers that have coffee here at the gallery, have a refreshing drink out of one of JR Sherburne's exquisite pieces of art. 

Janet Runyan

Janet has a degree in fine arts from IUP where she studied ceramics with Frank Ross. She has taken a number of graduate classes from Donn Hedman, who has greatly influenced and encouraged her sculptural work. For the past 18 years Janet has taught art in the Marion Center Area School District; her young students have inspired an imaginative spirit in her work. She enjoys using clay to relate subtle commentary to issues that defy resolution. Most of her favorite pieces are hand-built sculptures, she also creates functional ware. Her sculptures are a combination of commentary and whimsy. Her evolving "Rabbit Wars Series" makes no direct statement, but asks you to consider the absurdity of war. Janet uses a comedic approach when coming up with new work. She uses social issues as inspiration for her sculptures. The subject matter of her work helps with the raw feel of the sculptures. She uses a glaze to give the pieces an abstracted 3 dimensional texture. You can catch Janet in our upcoming Potters Tour and she will be in our upcoming show on October 10th here at The Artist Hand.

Tracy Hibsman

Tracy Hibsman

Although she has lived in Indiana for a short time, it has quickly become her home. She loves the people and the pace of life. The plants and animals in the surrounding woods provide her with a beautiful source of inspiration. Her goal is to design jewelry that touches the soul and encourages the wearer to explore life's deeper meanings. She uses symbolism and Bible verses to make her work deeply meaningful.

Her work has a unique continuity that gives a very simplistic feel to even more complex designs. Her Bangles have a rough yet organic form that flows well across the pieces. Much of her work is in a very free-flowing organic form that can be seen as a continuation of her devotion to her work. Based on Bible verse and including a bit of heart and soul in each piece, you can almost feel the amount of love incorporated in each piece when you wear it. 

Barb Kubala

Barb is a retiree of the Indiana Area School District and has been active in the community for many years. As a fiber artist Barb has practiced many different forms of woven techniques, all of which are a stunning display of her talents. Much of her work is done as pin weaving which gives her the flexibility to weave any shape that she draws. Her use of simple non-organic shape is a constant in all of her work, whether it is a wall hanging, a neck piece, or a jacket. 

As a current student of Fiber Arts, I am enthralled by the piece to the left. The piece on the left uses a multitude of processes that include weaving, felting and knitting. The work Barb Kubala does is that of sheer imagination. One of the more enticing aspects of her pieces are the small finite weavings that come together to create a primordial texture. Many of her pieces come out of the picture plane to create 3 dimensional texture. The 3 dimensional appeal attracts your eyes in such a way that, you can observe the image from many different angles and see something new every time. The random placement of materials gives her pieces unity and balance. I am greatly inspired by her work and cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next. 

Barb is one of 56 exceptional artists who showcase their work here at the Artists Hand. Stop by the Artists Hand on 732 Philadelphia Street, Indiana PA Tuesday through Saturday for coffee and a great time.