Lara Lillibridge ~ Author
Lara Lillibridge lives in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds an MFA from West Virginia Wesleyan College and in 2016, won Slippery Elm Literary Jornal’s Prose Contest, and The American Literary Review’s Contest in Nonfiction.
“When she’s not writing, Lillibridge can be found shivering in a hockey arena or getting sunburned at the baseball field. She still doesn’t vacuum very often, but luckily she’s nearsighted enough not to notice”.
Gere Flick ~ Wood Turning
Gere Flick is a resident of Linwood Park in Vermilion, having moved here after retiring as an insurance executive for forty years. He has been married to his wife, Carol for over 55 years and they have three children and 5 grandchildren.
Gere has always enjoyed woodworking and took up wood turning after retirement.
He became interested in exotic woods while serving in Vietnam, where the local craftsmen turned wood goblets and other objects from amboyna wood.
He mainly turns small pieces such as pens, bowls, and, his favorite ~ kaleidoscopes, in which he uses beach glass he and Carol find on the Linwood Beach, and they’re turned from Lake Erie driftwood!
Bryan Kelly ~ Woodworking
Bryan grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio area where he still lives with his wife, Penny. He was always interested in woodworking and in furniture making. “In my teens and through college I worked with my brother-in-law who was a home construction contractor. I learned much of this trade through this hands-on experience. During this time, I continually read and developed my wood working knowledge and skills”.
Bryan attended Baldwin Wallace University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Sociology. After several years of teaching, he changed careers and entered the business field as a computer analyst and then opened an office in Cleveland for a software company.
While traveling those career paths, he never lost his love of wood working and 21 years ago opened his own business, building heirloom quality furniture and wood pieces in various styles from traditional to contemporary. He enjoys working with customers to make their vision into a functional work of art.
Bryan uses unique woods and finishes to create one-of-a kind pieces. He also offers instruction on a variety of wood topics.
His work has been featured in the Tauton Press Fine Wood Working Magazine
and in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Magazine.
and in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Magazine.
Beverly Anderson ~ Painter
While originally from Wellington, Ohio, Beverly has lived in Australia and has been there 16 times!
She studied at Miami U, San Diego State University, and Kent State and was an art teacher with The Keystone Schools for 12 years and Berlin-Milan for 16 years.
Bev has done painting workshops throughout the United States and Australia.
In addition to having her paintings for sale at Burning River Boutique, Beverly is currently displaying at Sarasota Art Center and at the Manatee Art Center in Bradenton, FL.
Don Hilton ~ Author
Don Hilton was raised in a small town in northwest Pennsylvania by a family of “unapologetic storytellers” and was never quite sure if the tales he heard were true.
His life has been a broad mix of experiences; boat pilot, lab technicia
n, sweetheart, husband, post-graduate research fellow, geologist, statistician, teacher, stand-up comedian, computer support analyst, father, martial arts instructor, freelance writer, and author.
According to Don, he’s done lots of dumb things that should have “killed him dead”.
The constant in Don’s life has been his storytelling. He claims that he’s still not as good as the old folks he used to listen to, but that he’s getting there.
Follow Don on Face Book and visit his website .
Carol McDonald ~ Mixed Media and Beach Glass Art
Carol McDonald is a retired enterostomal therapy nurse. She and her husband moved to Vermilion three years ago from Minnesota. Growing up in Ohio, they came home to retire.
With a life long love for the arts, it didn’t take long for Carol and her husband, Jim to combine their two joys: His, the love of the outdoors and hers, creativity.
Jim began bringing home handfuls of beach glass, interesting pieces of driftwood, and other beach finds. It didn’t take long for Carol’s creative juices to start flowing.
From driftwood and beach glass lamps to small desktop canvases (like this one), the fun began! Soon, Carol began getting requests for custom pieces.
“I get to do what I love, and make others happy”.
Suz Priestas ~ Jewelry Designer
Hi, I am Suz, local jewelry artist and owner of Evolving Design Jewelry.
Throughout my journey of becoming a self taught artistic jewelry designer, I discovered my passion for creating jewelry. Adoring many different styles, I find my pieces to be a very personal statement.
Working with the belief that a “voice of intention” is at the heart of each piece;
my goal is to listen to that voice, and bring it to light through my designs.
my goal is to listen to that voice, and bring it to light through my designs.
As an artist, I aim to reach an audience that my creations will resonate with.
My pieces are one-of-a-kind, handmade, original designs which I create using various techniques and mediums.
~Suz 
Follow Suz on facebook!
Emily Kuzmick ~ Photographer
Emily Kuzmick is a full-time environmental coordinator, part-time yoga instructor, and creative photographer/mixed media artist. She has her Master of Science in Environmental Studies, a Bachelor’s in Environmental Biology, and a Minor in Studio Art.
Ohio raised with desert roots, Emily has had the blessing and opportunity to travel for research and recreation to tropical, arid, and temperate locations.
Her prints, calendars, post-cards, photo books, and other creative works feature film and digital macro shots of wildlife and landscapes with an emphasis on her love for the Great Lakes region.
To see more of Emily’s work, please visit her at https://www.emilykuzmickphoto.com/
Follow Emily on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/emkuzphoto/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emkuzphoto/?hl=en
Eric Defibaugh ~ Writer
Eric Defibaugh is a life-long resident of Lorain County and the father of three boys. An avid student of history and a passionate explorer of both natural and supernatural wonders, he has traveled extensively throughout North and Central America seeking adventure, wisdom and spiritual fulfillment.
Growing up listening to Art Bell’s Coast to Coast radio program, Eric has kept an open mind about the supernatural and has dedicated a significant amount of time to researching the stories and legends of his home state.
He and his wife,Judy own Scarlet Transportation & Adventure Tours, a tour bus company that focuses on local history and attractions in Lorain County and all of Ohio. Eric’s first book, Haunted Lorain County is a culmination of research for their Ghost Tours, which are available every October.
Follow Haunted Lorain County and Scarlet Transportation & Adventure Tours
Burning River Boutique 