The scenic beauty of the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas has drawn a wealth of talented artisans to the Natural State. Their galleries, offering the perfect art pieces to add a touch of wildness to your sunroom, patio, or backyard, are just a short drive away.
DENNIS (HETE) HETER
STAINED GLASS ART
Dennis Heter, of Wizard Stained Glass, began his glasswork journey in the mid-seventies after a class in Fort Lauderdale. Post-move from the Sunshine State and after various adventures, including Thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, Dennis put his glasswork on pause. It wasn’t until he and his wife, Linda, built their log home in the War Eagle area, complete with a basement workshop, that he resumed his beloved craft.
Dennis has found great success on Etsy, but he prefers selling locally. “In person, I can interact with a client and truly understand what they want,” Dennis explains. “It’s just more rewarding than selling my work online to someone I will never meet.”
I own one of his pieces—a collage of multi-colored glass that catches the sunrise beautifully from my porch. Dennis also crafts exquisite stained-glass lampshades and vibrant garden decorations with live-edge wooden planks embedded with stained glass. Visit Wizard Stained Glass on Facebook to view more of Dennis’ work, or to commission a piece, email wizard_sg@aol.com.
MIKE PARKS
MASTER WOODCARVER
Travel further east along the Arkansas River to find master woodcarver Mike Parks. Under the tutelage of his Uncle Dick, a craftsman of teakwood sailboats and detailed rifle stocks, Mike embraced carving from a young age. Inheriting his uncle’s vintage tools sparked even more joy in his craft. “These special tools made carving even more fun,” Mike explained. “I began taking my pieces to craft shows, and they took off.”
Mike, preferring hardwoods like black walnut and fruit trees, is always on the lookout for hardwood to collect for his carvings. His current stash includes varieties aged for over thirty years.
While Mike is available for commissioned carvings, he describes his work as “a style just my own.” In the early phase of creation, he has an image in mind about what he plans to create, but often, as he begins chipping away, a hidden natural pattern is uncovered, such as a vein or knot, which Mike works into the finished product. Mike sees himself as the instrument that helps the wood become what it was meant to be. Explore Mike’s unique carvings at Mike Parks Woodwizard on Facebook.
TOM FLYNN
METAL SCULPTURE
Tom Flynn describes his creations as “found object metal sculptures.” His journey into metal sculpture began two decades ago with a welding class his wife suggested, despite Tom’s initial memory of ever expressing such an interest.
He has since grown to love the craft, especially the thrill of peering through the darkened glass of the helmet and striking the arc to create the tiny weld puddle for the perfect bonding of metal. He even likes the smell.
His art often incorporates found objects, like more than five hundred trampoline springs salvaged post-tornado, which he and fellow artist Michel Pantzer transformed into a monumental nine-foot-tall tornado sculpture, the springs collected after a tornado ripped through his hometown of Rogers. Discover more of Tom’s inventive metalwork at t-happyman.art.
STEPHEN DRIVER & LOUISE HALSEY
POTTERY & WEAVING
Located near the scenic banks of the Mulberry River in the Ozark Mountains, Little Mulberry Gallery is a haven for pottery and weaving enthusiasts.
Stephen Driver, a potter recognized as the 2024 Individual Artist of the Year by the Arkansas Arts Council, shares this space with his wife, Louise Halsey, a 2017 Arkansas Living Treasure for her weaving. Stephen’s passion for pottery began in his high school ceramics class and was further developed through his time at Florida State University, despite not being an art major.
Louise’s parents were visual artists. Her weaving passion, which started in childhood, was profoundly influenced by a trip with her father to a weaving village in Mexico. Her recent works, focusing on simplified house shapes, invite viewers into a woven narrative of home and structure. Four of her tapestries were shown in the High Fiber: Women to Watch 2012 exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
Both artists showcase their lifelong dedication to their crafts through vibrant, thoughtful creations. Their works are displayed at Little Mulberry Gallery and on their Facebook page, Little Mulberry Gallery / Louise Halsey and Stephen Driver.
