Fair Oak Workshops Purchases Helen Foster Stencils

John Armstrong, founder and owner of Fair Oak Workshops (http://www.FairOak.com), a retail website representing a growing number of talented craftspeople working in the Arts & Crafts tradition, has announced the acquisition of the complete collection of Helen Foster Stencils.

After opening her stencil business in 1992, Helen Foster became a regular exhibitor at the annual Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference. In addition to demonstrating the art of stenciling in her booth, Helen also taught stenciling workshops and in 1996 was asked to present a history of the Arts & Crafts stencil before the Grove Park Inn seminar audience. In the years since then Helen has developed a loyal and dedicated following of Arts & Crafts homeowners.

As John remarked, "Helen attended the Grove Park Inn Conference in 1991 and immediately sensed the opportunity to provide stencils for the new crowd of Arts & Crafts aficionados. She was back in 1992 with her newly designed collection of stencils and a booth in the Contemporary Craftsfirms show. Helen's stenciling demonstrations made her an instant hit among conference attendees!"

When John Armstrong opened Fair Oak Workshops in 1995, Helen Foster Stencils was among the first craftspeople whom John selected to represent. Launching its retail website in 1999, Fair Oak Workshops is now enjoying its 16th year of offering the best of contemporary Arts & Crafts focusing on American craftsmanship.

The art of stenciling played a major role in the development of the Arts & Crafts movement and the Arts & Crafts home. Just as Arts & Crafts furniture represented a rebellion against the over-ornate furniture of the Victorian era, stenciling offered homeowners an alternative to wallpaper. At a time when wallpapers were far more difficult to apply than they are today, stenciling appealed to homeowners looking for a simple way to decorate a room with Arts & Crafts motifs.

Among the popular Helen Foster stencil designs which Fair Oak Workshops is offering are her newly-redesigned Landscape Frieze (lower photo), the Pine Frieze, the Prairie Frieze and the Spirit of the Woods (top photo). Each stencil kit contains complete instructions, making it possible for even the novice do-it-yourselfer to add a stencil border to any room of the house. "While our immediate goal is to continue Helen's business using our website," John explained, "we will slowly review the entire collection and reintroduce some of Helen's previous best designs. Watch our website for details!"

Besides Helen Foster, notable craftspersons featured by Fair Oak Workshops include Scott Draves, Dan Cooper, Dard Hunter, Laura Wilder, Yoshiko Yamamoto and the craftsmen and craftswomen at the Mica Lamp Company and Motawi Tile. Also featured at Fair Oak Workshops are the Teco Art Pottery Collection and select items exclusive to Fair Oak Workshops.

For more information, please go to http://www.FairOak.com.

- Bruce Johnson