Bryan Patterson is a Vermont artist and designer.

Bryan is directly descended from Johannes Lapp, a founder of the Amish community in America. Among his relatives is Henry Lapp of the late 1800's. Henry was an amazing deaf mute carpenter/craftsman and has his work displayed in The Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Bryan says, �I've always had a love of wood and began creating with it before learning of my Lapp ancestors.� Bryan started woodworking professionally in 1977 and has had his work featured in several publications over the years.

Concretions have added the newest development to Bryan�s work. He and his family harvest these treasures while swimming in the gorgeous rivers of Vermont. The real enjoyment comes from their display of as many wonderful pictures they make in the mind's eye like those you see in the clouds.

Mythology of the Abenaki Indian says that "Wana-games-ak, reckless creatures or those who have lost their minds, are little people of another genus, who inhabit rivers. They have narrow faces 'like the blade of a hatchet', so only the profile has an outline. Their noses are high and aquiline, 'so large as to be all over the face,' says one mention. They are very friendly to the Indians and in the past warned them of approaching danger such as the coming of hostile Mohawk. Ordinarily, however, they keep aloof from human contact. They are noted for their habit of shaping varied figures out of clay overnight and leaving them on the river shores. These clay concretions are thought by the Indians to be representations of men, women, birds, animals, turtles, and what not, molded simply in play. Some consider it lucky to find a few of these objects. The little people are fond of inhabiting deep pools in the smaller streams, and like jolly elves are continually dancing and singing in the old Indian fashion. It is common belief that a hunter will hear them if he will remain quiet for a couple of hours in some lonely spot near a stream. The sound they make is 'hoi hoi!' "




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