September/October 2001

Art with Legs

Creativity on the table

Tables are usually used to serve or display other items, but sometimes the table itself can be the item on display. That’s true for these imaginative creations by talented artists and furniture makers. We found them at island galleries and shops.

Making a Statement
Island Style Gallery visitors from as far away as England and Germany have shipped home fanciful wooden tables with a tropical touch, made by Sticks of Des Moines, Iowa. Sticks’ tables are, naturally, made of wood and come in many sizes, with no two identical. Designs include palm trees, the moon, sun, and stars, all in a variety of greens, oranges, purples, reds, and blues. Catchy little phrases are often painted around the edges, such as ones urging you to “Dream Big Dreams” or “Tell Your Story.” Unit #210, Chadwick’s Square, Captiva, 941/472-4343; Unit #16, Periwinkle Place, 2075 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/472-6657; or 620 Duval St., Key West, 305/292-7800.

Local Color
Fun combinations of bright tropical colors adorn this Òisland sofa table,Ó painted by Ft. Myers-based furniture artist Teri Causey and built of wood by her husband, Lou Garofalo. A black-and-white border surrounds the two cottages and sailboat on the tableÕs top; its lower level shows two fish hungrily going after an anglerÕs fly. Causey uses three coats of polyurethane on her furniture to make them Òsuitable for covered porches and verandahs.Ó In addition, she says, ÒIf you see the piece you love, you better grab itÑthere will never be another just like it!Ó Available at the Tower Gallery of Fine Art, 751 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel, 941/472-4557, or the Seaweed Gallery, 2055 Periwinkle Way, Suite 3, Sanibel, 941/472-2585.

Benchmark in Design
Check out Ft. Myers artist “Apple Annie” Rothwell’s renowned wooden benches at Tuttle’s Sea Shell Shop, which has carried them for several years. They come in different sizes and designs. Her “Caribbean Collection” features painted fish and palm trees; other favorite designs include sandpipers on the beach or the Sanibel lighthouse. Also at Tuttle’s are Sanibel furniture artist Dave Terlep’s handmade wooden seahorse tables and crab benches. His glossy painted tables come in varying heights, in such colors as seafoam green and purple, perhaps decorated with a shell design on top. 342 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/472-0707.

Art and Elegance
This striking, 24-inch occasional table comes from Brazil and is available at Pandora’s Box. It is inlaid with what look like beautiful gold and brown slices of wood, but are actually vines. A sister store, Pandora’s Kloset, currently showcases this elegant wrought iron table and chairs, made by a Tampa-based husband and wife. He creates the cutouts, which resemble primitive figures, and she adds the lustrous glass insets and knobs. Pandora’s Box, Periwinkle Place, 2075 Periwinkle Way, 941/472-6263 or Pandora’s Kloset, 455 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/395-2400.

Stylish Tile Tops
Sanibel photographer and design artist Deborah Rees is gaining growing recognition for her skills as a mosaicist. Painted wooden end tables, topped with eye-catching tiles of many colors, are featured at the Seaweed Gallery. Equally popular are her mosaic mirrors, which the gallery also carries. And if you don’t find exactly what you are hoping for, Rees is happy to do commissioned pieces. 2055 Periwinkle Way, Suite 3, Sanibel, 941/472-2585.