Harlen Houghton

The Rochester maker is the first featured artist in Randolph artisans gallery Art of Vermont’s newly established series. Houghton has dubbed his creations “Rusticks”; they are made from sticks and branches framed behind pieces of frosted glass. He has essentially turned the views from many Vermont windows into transportable works of art. In the process (and despite his choice of title), Houghton somehow avoids a country-kitsch aesthetic. A quick perusal of his website reveals an art historical sense of humor: One of his unframed “JuSticks” works is titled “Newts Descending a Staircase.”