ARTS&LIFE
ART
G
eorgia Hetherington
grew up in a family
whose work experi-
ences centered on creativity,
and she entered that creative
world to showcase projects
eventually featured at various
summer art fairs.
This year will be the fourth
showing of her wooden proj-
ects at the Orchard Lake Fine
Art Fair being held July 27-28.
Later in Michigan, she also
will be at Milford Memories
Summer Festival Aug. 9-11
and Funky Ferndale Sept.
20-22.
“I used to do about 20 art
shows a year, but this summer,
I’m only doing 13 because of
an injury,” Hetherington said.
“I’ve done the Ann Arbor
State Street Fair and Palmer
Park Art Fair.”
Hetherington makes all
kinds of home décor products
that reach from charcuterie
boards to tables. She features
Judaica designs on some piec-
es to go along with religious
holidays, and plates are among
the objects that have these
symbols.
Binah is Hetherington’s
Hebrew name, and her work
is done using the title House
of Binah’s Collection. She par-
ticipates in Sabbath and High
Holiday activities at Oak Park
Temple in Illinois.
“I wanted to use my reli-
gious name for my website
because that’s who I am,” she
said. “I’m a person who’s not
afraid to be me, and if who I
am frightens a couple of peo-
ple, then so be it. I’m a very
open, transparent person.”
Hetherington, 44 and living
in Illinois, began her art work
in elementary school, as a
teacher suggested projects to
complete after the student’s
classwork was finished. Art
attention was given to her,
showing characteristics of
what has been considered
high-functioning autism.
“I’m a very nature type of
person, and nature has its
own beauty,” said the artist,
who works in a studio outside
her home. “I take the natu-
ral beauty of nature and just
highlight it.
“Everything I do is always
different. I start with a slab
of wood or a wood burl and
use epoxy with the burls. I use
flatteners, planers and band
saws. A lot of power tools
have to be used. There is a lot
involved in it.”
Working with her materials
and tools was learned in part
from her dad, whose carpen-
try skills impressed her. She
is also proud of the freehand
drawing skills shown by her
brother and the vocalizing
skills shown by her mother,
who is retired from the stage.
Artist’s wooden home décor
products show an affinity for nature.
Not Afraid to
be Herself
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
38 | JULY 18 • 2024
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