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American Artisans

American Artisans—craftsmen and artists—create, restore or preserve a unique American skill or craft.
Ray Sorensen stands by the granite boulder near Menlo, Iowa, that he paints each May to honor U.S. military veterans.Barn quilt on Marcella Epperson's barn.A Sunflower quilt square brightens a barn in Alcona County, Mich.Natalie Irish creates unique celebrity portraits using hundreds of lipstick kisses carefully planted on an artist's canvas.
The inaugural Freedom Rock mural in 1999 depicted U.S. Marines raising the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima.

Photos: Freedom Rock Through the Years

Iowa artist Ray Sorensen paints Memorial Day tributes to military

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Heidi Karasch, one of the nation’s few female coopers, is the president of Black Swan Cooperage in Park Rapids, Minn.

Making Wooden Barrels

Young, hard-working Minnesota woman embraces age-old barrel-making trade

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Playing one of music’s most difficult and physically demanding instruments

Jori Chisholm: Bagpipe Virtuoso

Gold medal piper shares his passion for pipes

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The molten mass eventually reaches 2,150 degrees.

Making Marbles

Kansas craftsman creates spherical works of art

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Byers' Choice figurines on display at the Byers' Choice museum gallery.

Byers Choice: Crafting Christmas Carolers

Pennsylvania company carves niche in Christmas ornament market

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Katsina dolls represent benevolent katsina spirits, each with its own name and purpose, and are part of the culture of the Hopi American Indian tribe.

Hopi ‘Katsina’ or Kachina Dolls

Indian artist carves dolls from cottonwood tree roots

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Leonard Olson handcrafts kaleidoscopes in his Pomeroy, Iowa, workshop.

The Kaleidoscope Maker

Iowa woodworker carves wooden kaleidoscopes, puzzles, gavels, buttons and kitchen tools

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cheese-derby-parade

Artists Decorate Town with Vintage Advertisements

Mad Men-style murals illustrate Wisconsin town history on brick walls

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Master calligrapher Harvest Crittenden uses pen, ink and paper to create handwritten works of art in her home studio in Howell, Mich.

Master Calligrapher: Harvest Crittenden

Michigan calligrapher masters the art of perfect penmanship

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Dan Robbins with Abstract No. 1, his original paint-by-numbers creation

Paint by Numbers Creator Dan Robbins

Michigan man inspired budding artists and started 1950s craze

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Kettles, buckets, bowls and utensils are among the shiny items produced by the company.

Making Copper Kettles

Ohio craftsmen produce hand-hammered pots, drums

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