Meet the Artists at MERA January 17th:
Timothy Booth, Barry Russell, Keith Johnson and Gloria Shoebridge

MERA welcomes lovers of wood design and craftsmanship to “Wood Creations” a unique exhibit by MERA members. We invite you to the show opening at our Meet the Artist Event in Dean Hall, Sunday January 17th from 12 pm to 2 pm. This exhibit features the functional, handcrafted pieces by Timothy Booth, Barry Russell, Keith Johnson and Gloria Shoebridge.

Tim Booth is deeply dedicated to the arts and the environment, and his love of nature is expressed in his woodworking process. He believes the wood should speak for itself. He is passionate about using local natural and reclaimed materials in his works. Tim’s adept designs and choice of wood selections create aesthetically pleasing and durable furniture and crafts.

Barry Russell is a retired teacher who took up woodworking over 10 years ago. He started with refinishing and repurposing antique furniture. Then he became interested in using slabwood and mill rejected wood that often has character because of the defects. He likes to work with material that is locally sourced and tries to create unique pieces.

Keith Johnson became interested in woodworking in his late 20’s. He spent 35 years building kitchens, custom cabinets and fireplace mantels in his shop in McDonalds Corners. In retirement he has taken up woodturning. He is particularly interested in figured woods such as burls and spalted wood. All of his bowls are from the forests of Lanark County.

Gloria Lee-Shoebridge began her life in the beautiful river valley in Saskatchewan. Her art practice is like a meditation and her work focuses on the energy that nature provides for her artistic inspiration, using acrylic, water colour and mixed media. Her work in this exhibit showcases found pieces of wood she has used to create sculptures. She calls her collection ‘About Hope’.
You can view the exhibit for the entire month January. In fact, why not swing by during MERA’s Saturday Café from 10 am to 2 pm? To arrange to see the exhibition at times other than this, please contact Tim Booth at timothybooth9@gmail.com.