Mother-daughter duo bring their artistic passion to Franklin Gallery exhibit

Vohnny Weyrick is a wood carver who specializes in birds. (Courtesy image)

ROCHESTER - The Franklin Gallery at RiverStones Custom Framing, will host an exhibit called Two Hearts Art: in Wood and Wool during the month of November. This exhibit will feature mother and daughter artists: Vohnny Weyrick and Kris Weyrick Scott.

The Gallery will host an Artist's Reception for the exhibit on Friday, Nov. 2, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to come and see the exhibit and meet the artists. Light refreshments will be served.

Vohnny Weyrick is a wood carver and turner. She carved her first bird out of pine in 1969 with a jackknife while camping. "It was fun," says Vohnny, "but life was busy with little kids and a career and I didn't try again until retirement provided the time."

She started carving in earnest in 2007 when her husband gave her a carving knife for Christmas. A few years later, she received a mini lathe and now she has a basement full of tools and wood.

"I spend every minute I can find down in my own little wood 'cave'. The majority of my work is of small birds and animals in a smooth, stylized manner. I delight in finding the wood's inner beauty and hesitate to cover it with paint." She also does spindle turning of small household items and ornaments.

Her daughter, Kris, is a fiber artist. "I've been a 'maker' all my life," says Kris. "I started sewing when I was six, did macramé with my mom in junior high and pottery was my love in high school." As an adult, she has worked with metals, wood, and glass, but when she discovered the sculptural qualities of wool, she was hooked. "Although my husband might use the word addicted," she adds. "I adore the versatility, textures, even the smell. I really enjoy mixing mediums and pushing the boundaries of wool work. I love to share what I've learned with others and have been fortunate to teach and show in some amazing venues during the past 6 years." Kris lives in Nottingham and teaches at wool gatherings throughout New England and in the studio she shares with her mother in Lee.

The Franklin Gallery and RiverStones Custom Framing at 33 N. Main Street, Rochester, are open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Unless otherwise indicated, all exhibited Franklin Gallery artworks are available for purchase. For information about Two Hearts Art: in Wood and Wool and future Franklin Gallery exhibits, contact Kris Ebbeson at kebbeson@metrocast.net or 603-812-1488.