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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