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About Harry & Karon Keller and Western Woodworks
A brief background of the Keller's arts, both in Decorative Painting and lathe turning.
Harry & Karon Keller
Harry & Karon Keller have done Decorative Painting and Wood Working as a hobby for a number of
years. In 1995, they were pressed into selling some of their work and as
such named their business Western Woodworks They provide
unique wood surfaces for the decorative painter, many of which are produced by
hand on a wood lathe.
Both Kellers have always been involved in wood
projects. Karon has scroll sawed items for her decorative painting classes
while Harry worked in remodeling (even building a home studio for Karon.)
Harry also made wood toys and, later, developed pen and pencil sets made
from exotic woods.
The spark that started the business rolling for
the Kellers came while attending a painting convention in 1994. While Karon attended
decorative painting classes, Harry spent time visiting with exhibitors. During
a visit with an artist, he spotted a candle stick painted with a skinny Santa
Clause. Then it hit; the pens and pencils he made would make an ideal and creative
decorative painting surface.
On the last day of the show Harry created
interest in the surfaces among several designers. Soon after, Karon started painting
designs for the pen and pencil sets and Harry designed a perfume applicator and
three styles of decorative bottle stoppers to expand the product line.
Attending HIA in 1995, the Kellers found that the artists mentioned above had
included their pen designs in a new book by
Susan Sheewe. By the end of the HIA show Suzanne McNeill had discussed a new
book called "Painted Pens."
Harry
and Karon now exhibit at HIA, and the regular decorative painting conventions.
Their product line has expanded again to include glass and metal surfaces.
Karon has had several projects published in major magazines. Their products are
distributed throughout the US and Canada as well as in Japan, England , and other
over-seas countries.
