With a nod to the upcoming Super Bowl, this week’s finds include a custom bottle opener, cypress serving trays and peppery sauces for your game-day gathering.
Man of Steel
Call him Atlanta’s Iron Man or Man of Steel. Andrew T. Crawford probably won’t object. The 41-year-old artist isn’t a comic-book or big-screen hero. But Crawford, who grew up in Sandy Springs and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, has had notable roles as a creator of functional objects, ornamental ironwork and striking sculpture for public spaces. For homeowners, Crawford has made custom gates, railings, furniture, lighting and garden sculpture in his Westside Atlanta studio. He also has received some unusual requests. Recently, Crawford was commissioned to create a Librorum Prohibitorum (a locking grate for a bookcase for “prohibited books”) for a private library in Alabama. His public art includes the "Lift" at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the gates at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and “Split” (one of his favorite pieces) at the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens. But now Crawford is offering a new line of gift and home accessories, including a steel belt buckle ($125), fire poker ($175) and six-inch bottle opener. The hand-forged steel opener ($75) features a hammered texture and a custom-cut initial. Check www.americanforgesouth.com or place an order by calling 404-351-8324. To see Crawford’s other work, visit www.ironisking.com
P.S. Don’t miss the spring exhibit of Crawford’s “Garden Gates” at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in March and April. For details, check www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org
Tray chic
After he retired as school psychologist, Louisiana’s Kenny Greig started as second career as a craftsman. The New Iberia native started in 1975 with stained glass. In the 1990s, the largely self-taught artist expanded his work to include metal, stone and wood. While Greig prefers various exotic woods for his cutting boards and driftwood for his popular fish ($25 and up), he uses “sinker” cypress wood for his handsome serving trays. Sinker cypress wood comes from massive cypress logs that were harvested between 50 and 150 years ago. Some of the logs that were cut during those harvests sank and were left behind by loggers. Now, with new equipment, many of those sinker logs have been discovered and pulled from lake and river bottoms. Artists like Greig use them to make various wood products. Greig’s hand-cut and hand-made trays are roughly 13 inches by 20 inches. No two trays are the same thanks to the color variations and imperfections in the wood. The trays are $75 and $95 (with a natural edge) at www.louisianaliving.com
Pass the peppers
Dapper Dan Mullis, also known as The Southern Haberdasher, is dedicated to the art of dressing and eating well. In his day job, the Kennesaw man wears a vested suit. But after work, Mullis slips on gloves for de-seeding habanero peppers and mixing up batches of his all-natural sauces, salsas and marinades. The Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Marinade is a best seller. Other word-of-mouth favorites include Pickled Jalapenos (try them on grilled cheese or in your game-day enchiladas) and “Grandad’s Salsa Verde.” Trip out your Bloody Mary with a snappy garnish like Fancy Pickled Okra. Individual pint jars are $10 each. Or try all seven products, including the Hot ‘n’ Sweet Pepper Sauce, for $55. To order, visit www.thesouthernhaberdasher.com
Southern favorites
Do you have favorite finds from across the South that you give as gifts, buy for your home or rave about to friends? If so, please share them with us. Send your suggestions to: ljerkins@bellsouth.net.
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