Annual festival showcases artists, craftspeople’s work
Berl Tiskus
Jewelry by watercolorist Joanne Simpson is displayed at the art festival.
Berl Tiskus
John Kosel paints what he knows: horses and the ranch country around his Red Lodge home..
Berl Tiskus
The Polson Paddle Wheelers square dance group do-si-do and swing their partners as they perform in front of the Lake County Courthouse during the Sandpiper Lake County Art Festival on Aug. 11.
Berl Tiskus
Joan Kosel displays wildlife carvings she creates. Kosel has been carving for 16 years.
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POLSON — Three talented siblings, one a painter, one a woodcarver and one a leatherworker, brought their art to the 41st annual Sandpiper Lake County Art Festival Aug. 11.
Joan, John and Martin Kosel, from ranch country near Red Lodge, set up their booths on the far-east side of the courthouse lawn. Martin displayed chinks, which are knee-length chaps popular with cowboys, holsters and a saddle. Sister Joan showcased wooden carvings, mostly wildlife, such as buffalo, moose, elk and bear, and some western scenes.
“My dad got me started,” Joan said, and now she’s been carving for 16 years.
She uses a flex-shaft grinder to create the intricate carvings from blocks of curly maple, canary, cherry, black walnut and other woods. The larger pieces take her about a week to complete, working full-time.
Although he’s been painting for 15 years, John, 25, has been showing his work for only five years. A self-taught artist, John paints scenes from ranch life.
The Kosels travel most weekends during the summer to art fairs around the state and were enjoying the Sandpiper Art Festival for its cool shady setting and abundant crowds.
Paula Craft, chair of the event for the Sandpiper Gallery, agreed with the Kosels about the good crowds. She said the festival had 82 booths, with at least three first-time vendors and food booths serving fresh-squeezed lemonade, ice cream, popcorn, hamburgers and hot dogs.
The festival runs in conjunction with Cruisen by the Bay car show on Main Street, and many people visit both venues.
Entertainment at center court included the Great Scots Pipes and Drums, the Polson Paddle Wheelers square dance group, singer/guitarist Glenn Gardner, Ladies of the Lake belly dancers, the Flathead Flute Choir, mandolinist Nick Palmieri, vocalists/guitar/flutist JD and Margery and country and folk singers Lynn Marie and Dustin Farnum.
