The feint drizzle and grey skies art not going to stop 40 professional artists from showing their wares on the sidewalks of West Portal this weekend. And that’s a good thing. On my way into Zephyr this morning and I was blown away by one ceramics designer in particular, but that’s only because I had to get to work and couldn’t browse the other stalls quite yet.
From hand thrown porcelain bowls to hammered metal jewelry to a blown glass squid that brightened up the whole block, the 28th Annual West Portal Arts and Crafts Fair is kicking off the weekend right now and it’s a great time for a little treasure hunt.
So as I was saying, just South of Shaw’s you’ll find Saltcellers ceramic designs by local artist Eileen Goldenberg. You might think I’m featuring her because she lives within 5 minutes of the avenue (which is kinda also true), but it’s really the unique glazes and craftsmanship that she delivers that swept me away. Her crinkly “ice glaze” looks like the top of a Dutch crunch roll, but comes in just the right hues to make it super stylish and unique. Not only does she throw her own pottery, but she actually prepares this glaze from scratch. Who knew you could even do that?
Sure there are the requisite fleece hat stands, silk scarves and beaded jewelry that seems to permeate many street fairs, but make no mistake that there are vendors like Eileen that are stepping it up even further. So why let a couple of drops rain on their parade? Get out and support your local artists this weekend.
Eileen Goldenberg (epgoldenberg3344@gmail.com)
West Portal Arts and Crafts Fair, West Portal Avenue
westportalish 
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