Raffle donors announced for St. Peter’s Art Show July 4

St. Peter’s Art Show Committee has announced this year’s donors to the show’s featured artists’ raffle. William Dec, Mike Cruz and Regina Ewer have each made a unique piece for the show, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, July 4, on St. Peter’s Square at Second and Market streets in Lewes.

William Dec, an acclaimed artist from Lewes, is donating an original watercolor painting, framed size 21-by-17-inches. It was rendered on Archers 140-lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper and painted with Grumbacher artist colors that will not fade. “The Old Fishing Shack” could serve as the perfect hideaway to escape the worries of everyday life. The tremendous appeal of this artist’s paintings is due to their authenticity and the honest emotion he captures so well.

Dec attended Oberlin College and the University of Michigan and studied at the Art Students League of New York and Pratt Institute. He has been an art instructor at New York University, Parsons School of Design and Adelphi University. He has held drawing and watercolor classes in Camden, and he taught at the Rehoboth Art League in the spring. He is the former owner of William’s Gallery in Chesapeake City, Md.

Dec’s paintings have received numerous awards and are part of many private collections. In 2013, he did portraits of eight homes for the annual Rehoboth Art League Cottage Tour. Since then, he has done house portraits for homeowners in Washington, Baltimore and Newark, as well as the Rehoboth Beach area.

Mike Cruz is donating a spalted curly-maple bowl measuring 14 ½-by-4-inches. It features an undercut rim, making it easier to pick up and carry. The finish is food safe, so the bowl can be used for any foods except those of hot or liquid form. Cruz’s interest in woodworking began in childhood. While attending college, he enrolled in a woodworking course that increased his passion for the craft. He continued working with wood as a hobby until 1999, when he got a job with a woodworker who he says taught him more than any class.

Today, in his Knotty by Nature wood shop near Boonsville, Md., Cruz has a lathe for turning pens, finials and other small items, as well as a lathe for bowls and platters up to 28 inches in diameter. His handcrafted putters are not just functional on the golf course, but stunning pieces of art.

Most of Cruz’s turning is done with local woods such as walnut, cherry and ash. Regardless of the wood, each piece has its own identity. This woodworker doesn’t cut down live trees; he uses trees that have fallen, salvages them and creates beautiful works of art.

Regina Ewer, an accomplished designer and creator of sterling silver, copper, brass and bronze jewelry, works from her studio, Regina Marie Designs, in Schwenksville, Pa. She is donating a necklace made of sterling silver and bronze. The necklace is on an 18-inch leather cord with sterling silver clasp. This contemporary piece has a baked-on coating to prevent tarnishing and is highlighted with a Pinky Stone Jasper.

Ewer has over 25 years of experience as a jeweler. Through books, workshops, employment and experimentation, she discovered the techniques of silversmithing, fabricating, bending, forming and texturing. She loves the process of taking a piece from a conceptual drawing and bringing it into three- dimensional form. While creating her jewelry, she finds many more designs evolve along the way. Her designs and the process of creating them are an ongoing circle of inspiration.

Raffle tickets are $2 each or a book of six for $10. There will be separate drawings for each item at 2:30 p.m. July 4, and ticket holders do not need to be present to win.

The three artists will be part of 140 fine artists and artisans exhibiting at the 49th Annual Art Show sponsored by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes on July 4. Admission is free, and the event will be held rain or shine. Proceeds from the art show benefit those in need in the Cape Henlopen School District area. For more information call 302-645-8479 or go to www.stpeterslewes.org.