Last weekend, the family and I spent the holidays in northern California, near Gualala. As we’re inveterate art nuts, we couldn’t resist the Fine Arts Fair that was taking place at the Gualala Art Center. We found a cool black walnut bowl to compliment the Kauri bowl we picked up last year in New Zealand. Alice made a beaded necklace and we generally had a nice time looking at art among the redwoods. But perhaps the most interesting thing we stumbled upon was the “Bottles Galore” recycled art of Pamela Wheatley, who makes “usable objects from beer, wine and fruit juice bottles.”
The main display showing her candle holders and drinking glasses made from recycled beer bottles.
Candle holders from brown bottles with cork bottoms.
A design for tapered candles using green glass. The middle was cut out, and the bottom and top sections glued back together.
Glass tumblers and tea light candle holders (I bought a pair of them in brown).
And a tall vase using a 22 oz. beer bottle (I bought one of these, too.) They’re very inexpensive and when I remarked about that as I was paying for my purchases, Ms. Wheatley remarked that she was “just selling fun.” What a great attitude. She told us that she only uses bottles she finds or that friends give her, which she says happens more and more once they see what she’s doing with them. She lives in Manchester, California, which is a little farther north from Gualala along the Pacific coast but still about 40 miles south of Fort Bragg, where North Coast Brewing is located. She doesn’t seem to have a website, but if you want to know where she’ll be selling her wares, you could probably ask her via e-mail, which is pam4mom (@) hotmail (.) com.
That’s what I call recycling. I might need to visit when I move out to Cali.
Very well done and ecologically-minded. Nice attitude from the young lady, as well.
So pleased you enjoyed our Fine Arts Fair and Pam Wheatley’s booth,Bottles Galore.
Lagunitas has been one of our main sponsors for many of our festivals over the years.
http://www.gualalaarts.org/sponsor/Lagunitas.html
An upcoming event some of your members might enjoy at Gualala Arts is our Auto Show competition on July 18 as a complement to the exhibit “Rex Burnett Invitational” which will open July 11 and run through August 2.
The Rex Burnett Invitational art exhibit combines the three-dimensional appeal of creatively designed cars with the two-dimensional art that depicts them in a memorial tribute to Rex Burnett, an internationally recognized pioneer of cut away drawings featured in “Hot Rod” magazine.
More information about both exhibits at http://gualalaarts.org/Exhibits/Gallery/2009-07RexBurnettInvitational.html
Next April, please drop by for our beer and wine tasting, along with chowder competition as part of the Whale and Jazz Festival.
……barbara pratt, publicity coordinator for Gualala Arts
Hello J
I want to thank you profusely for the wonderful article about my bottles and the end result of my efforts. I do hope your kind words will spark others to join me in the hobby. If anyone wishes to learn this art form, please email me. I will happily tell you all the details, including where to purchase a cutting kit.(no, I get nothing for recommending this seller) and the subtle things I have learned along the way to improve my results.
I have to say that, there is nothing more satisfying than to hear the crackling sound as ice is applied and the bottle seperates like magic!!
Thank you very much
Pam Wheatley