California

Using everything from cornstarch to coconut shells, Foley artists have been creating the invisible landscapes of cinema since the “talkies” were first invented.

When Joe Cunningham started making quilts, in 1979, it was an unusual occupation for a man—a fact that set him free as a fabric artist.

Willy Wonka meets herbology? Craftsmanship’s contributing editor gets a hands-on lesson in making plant medicine, with sweet results.

Inside the Berkeley Herbal Center, traditional plant knowledge is thriving—not as a museum relic, but as a living practice focused on holistic healing.

Nate Dube’s passion is exploring the aesthetic possibilities of manipulating microscopic, single-cell algae called diatoms. Welcome to the world of diatom arranging, an obscure craft that’s been obsessing a small subculture of the ultra-meticulous for nearly two centuries.

For nearly 30 years, woodworking has provided Miles Boudreaux with purpose, connection, and a creative “fix.” Now, science is catching up to what he’s learned from experience.

With specialized training, professional glassblowers, like those of the West Berkeley co-op Adams & Chittenden, can also make scientific glass, turning out precise, customized tools for advancing research and discovery—tools that machine-made glass cannot match.

When Joe Cunningham started making quilts, in 1979, it was an unusual occupation for a man—a fact that set him free as a fabric artist.

For Beatrice Thornton, an artist, photographer, and archivist based in Oakland, CA, nature is more than a muse: It’s also the source of the sustainable materials she uses for developing analog film.