Feeling Like an Artist at Hands On

Gordon and Sally Slattery show off mosaics created at Hands On Art Studio.

“How you feeling over there?” I ask my father (aka Gordon Slattery), sifting through a jar of blue mosaic tiles with a muffin tin in hand while I stare at a plethora of tile options – pebbles, glass, and ceramic, all in a rainbow of colors. We are first-timers to Hands On Art Studio in Fish Creek, first-timers to mosaics as well.

“I’m feeling like an artist,” he answers, scooping up a handful of red glass tiles.

After filling our muffin tins, grabbing a Diet Pepsi and bag of sea salt potato chips, we settle in the Art Barn and begin laying out our tiles, one by one, hesitantly at first and then with more confidence.

“It’s like when the stained-glass artists made windows at the Sistine Chapel,” laughs Dad.

“Oh yeah, that’s exactly what I feel like right now,” I say, adorning a frame with pastel tiles, wondering, “Are there even stained-glass windows at the Sistine Chapel?”

Dad, an engineer for Polaris Industries, utilizes the various glass cutting tools to create a plaque representing one of his greatest passions: airplanes. (He has four homebuilt experimental airplanes).

We settled on mosaics after exploring the complex – a creative haven for beginner and experienced artists alike.

“I’m not really a jewelry kind-of-a-guy,” said Dad as we entered the Jewelry Café, then sifted through trays full of assorted pendants and beads as well as stones collected along the shore of Lake Michigan.

I bit my lower lip and shook my head when we entered the Metal Studio. Dad examined the tools and pieces. “I work with this stuff everyday,” he said. “You should learn how to use these tools.”

“Yeah, that’s okay,” I smiled. We peered in the Glass Studio, where visitors can create fused glass pieces such as lamps, platters, and tiles; the Ceramic Studio, where premade ceramic figurines and objects line shelves awaiting a coat of colorful glaze.

We are amazed by all the options, all the space and colors and processes the owners, husband and wife Cy Turnbladh and Karon Ohm, offer to teach visitors.

An array of mosaic tile options line the shelves.

“Art should be a fun experience,” says Turnbladh while Dad and I glue our tiles. “It shouldn’t be a serious endeavor.”

Turnbladh, who began his artistic career as a studio potter, bought the 65-acre abandoned farm where Hands On is now located in 1998. “I added on buildings, remodeled.” Originally from Stillwater, Minn., he moved to Door County in 1991 “because I thought it was an interesting arts community,” he explains.

Hands On began by offering ceramics and glass fusing – and has now grown to accommodate as many as 700 people on a busy summer day.

“It’s great to be busy,” says Turnbladh. “Both Karon and I feel it’s important to find something you’re passionate about. I like doing different art forms and have experience in all the forms offered. Hands On is dedicated to people having fun with art.”

That mindset is what brought Turnbladh and Ohm together.

“She came in a customer,” says Turnbladh. “I could point to the chair where she was sitting. It was one of those things where we just looked at each other, longer than was socially acceptable.” The two met in 2003, eventually Ohm became an employee and they were married in 2010.

With a degree in Consumer Science and lifetime interest in art, Ohm is a perfect match for running Hands On. “I’m command central,” laughs Ohm. Originally from the Milwaukee area, she came to Door County as a tourist with her four children. “I painted a piggy bank,” she laughs. “And thought the owner was giving me a lot of attention.”

A laidback atmosphere and promise of friendly conversation makes Hands On an ideal place to spend a lazy Saturday or Sunday, even for the intimidated artist.

“We find that adults can feel very challenged,” says Turnbladh. (I can attest to that.) “We break the process down – make it fun and accessible.”

The complex not only houses an array of art supplies, but 12 rescue cats, two horses, six goats, five ducks, a llama, and an ever-changing number of chickens. Turnbladh and Ohm, obvious animal-lovers, host an “Art Days for Animals” in October to benefit the Door County Humane Society and donate all proceeds from their Silo Project to the organization.

“Key points: we are pet friendly, family friendly – though we have adult nights on Friday nights because adults need time away from the kids,” explains Turnbladh. “We don’t take reservations, just walk right in.”

The mosaics at their completed state.

Looking ahead, the couple plans to add an outdoor painting pergola on the foundation of the farm’s milk shed. “We’ll put in gardens,” says Turnbladh, “and make this place more beautiful.”

Successfully, Dad and I complete our mosaics, give one another a high five and leave with a feeling of pride.

Yep, we’re artists.

Hands On Art Studio is located at 3655 Peninsula Players Road in Fish Creek. The studio is currently open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am – 5 pm; Adults Night takes place from 6:30 – 10 pm. For more information call 920.868.9311 or visit http://www.handsonartstudio.com.

The studio will be open daily for Spring Break, mid-March to mid-April.