(Photo above: art by Larissa Spafford | by Krystal Marie Collins)
The Workhouse is a Bend location where you are sure to find quality handmade goods. Larissa Spafford and Lisa Marie Sipe are among the eight artisans currently producing there.
Spafford handcrafts glass beads and other jewelry. Spafford enjoyed presenting her work at bead shows from Washington to Baltimore and local farmers markets for 16 years. Though, since her move to Bend in 2009, she is happier showcasing her work locally, especially at The Workhouse.
“Making a product in Central Oregon (CO) means a lot to me. I want to add to the diversity of unique products that come from CO. We have a lot of visitors who like to find special handmade things that are unique to the area.”
Sipe explains her work saying it is a mix of “acrylic and encaustic (pigmented wax) paintings that combine a variety of media including photography and found objects such as pine cones and driftwood. Nature and forest fire are common themes.”
Getting her start as a graphic designer in Arizona, Sipe decided to forge a career in fine art after a casual submission was accepted into a show at the Tucson Museum of Art. She recalls, “Acceptance into that show made me decide to take my fine art seriously…CO inspires my work so it’s incredibly meaningful for me to make my art and be part of the thriving creative community here.”
Sipe has just released an exclusive set of prints only available at The Work House. Her work is also at City Hall in Bend as part of the City Walls at City Hall program and Sunny Yoga Kitchen in NorthWest Crossing.
To see more of both Spafford and Sipe’s creations, attend Small Business Saturday, November 28, 9-5pm presented by The Workhouse and Stuarts of Bend. Artisans will showcase creations priced at $10. Cari Brown, director of the Workhouse, explains the purpose of Small Business Saturday as “a reminder to shop local throughout the holiday season.”
The monthly Last Saturday celebration which takes place in The Old Iron Works district, including The Workhouse, follows Small Business Saturday, 6-10pm. This month artist Kaycee Anseth’s intricately detailed colleges will be displayed along with food and beverages by the Root Cellar and Backdrop Distilling and musical performances by B Side Brass Band and Black Flower Black Sun.
