Ripe for the Picking

While searching for the most glamorous and gorgeous pieces to feature in our “Market Fresh” feature in the August 2008 issue, I came across Jen Violette, a rural Vermont artist who makes stunningly beautiful things in her converted-barn studio. I wasn’t able to use Jen’s artwork in the magazine, but I just had to share her “three-dimensional still-life paintings” that bring a sense of humor to traditional Venetian glass techniques. Strikingly realistic vegetable sculptures are mounted on squares of sandpaper-rubbed stainless steel, for a warm, earthy, yet definitively modern final product. Look for a sampling of her works, including “Three Carrots,” $1,800, at Grand Hand Gallery, 619 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-312-1122, www.thegrandhand.com.