Dateline: Spring 2002

Last year while looking for one product line, we stumbled on another line that we just loved -- Williraye Studios, a division of Coyne's & Company. So this year, it was one of our "must-visits" at the Dallas Trade Market. And we were not disappointed . . .

Since our last showroom visit, the husband and wife team of Bobbe and Jeff Punzel- Schuknecht have added more whimsical designs to their primitive line of carvings and decorative folk art. The Spring 2002 collection has several Americana pieces that were designed last summer and turned out to be particularly timely. Particularly eye catching was the ceramic Americana piggy bank, the Limited Edition Miss Liberty and the Uncle Sam cookie jar. Yes, several more of their designs have been made into cookie jars for 2002.

This past week I had a conversation with Bobbe. "I love the personal touch of the phone call" was her response when asking if she was on the Internet or used email very much. As an artist, the computer can take too much of her time and she prefers to devote the time to her art.

When I mentioned how striking and different their cookie jars were, Bobbe was quick to point out that they were not originally designed as cookie jars, but they were adapted from their artwork. The first jars - tabby cat jar and bunny jar are disproportionate to the original carvings that were made as lamps. Basically, the carvings that were turned into jars had to be a bit "puffed up" to make them useable. The transformation done via computer generation.

When it comes to the actual creation of the artwork, Bobbe does the initial design and drawing of the piece. Next, Jeff carves the design out of wood. When he is finished carving, Bobbe gets the piece back to add the final steps of painting and staining. As mentioned above -- it's a perfect partnership.

For many years the couple sold their after original carvings at Folk Art Shows. The pieces sold as quickly as the couple could make them. Eventually they would sell out the first day of a show and have to stay with an empty booth for the rest of the show. Several years ago they were discovered by a "creative person", joined Coyne's & Company in 1996 and their art has just blossomed since then.

Right now their serene lifestyle on the 60 acre farm in Wisconsin has been upended, as the couple has been temporarily living in their (small) studio during renovation on the farm house. It's been more of challenge, but not enough to stop them from working on a new interim line. It just means 18 - 20 hour days of finishing up the products and designs.

• They are branching out into holiday items, including some Halloween art later this year.
• More utilitarian pieces. Coffee and tea cups, small plates, etc. (Cookie jars are a perfect fit here).
• The drawing board also includes Noah's Ark designs (even a cookie jar).
• And although it's not in the immediate future, keep an eye out for possible paper products and perhaps some hooked rugs.

Next >> One of my favorite jar picks for 2002, the Williraye Studios Uncle Sam.

~Barbara Crews