About Us

Camino (2020)

We are two people who love trees and our life in the forest.

We are an award-winning collage artist, Aleta Stone, and an American Master Craftsman (award-winning woodworker, furnituremaker, woodturner and luthier), Michaeljon Flores. Together, we design and create unique art, home furnishings and Appalachian instruments.

Aleta Stone

I made my first collage in sixth grade and it was fun!  From that moment until now, I’ve always been drawn to modern art and collage. The art of collage - of bringing together materials and objects in a way that unifies them in artistic composition - makes me bubble with bliss.

I have no preconceived notions about my art because it is completely unique.  It is art that is multidimensional and tactile.  It is simple and complex and organized and chaotic all at once.  

My pieces are made from recycled and repurposed domestic and exotic woods and wood products collected over many years.  When I begin a piece, I let the woods speak to me.  I endeavor to highlight the unique characteristics in the wood - to showcase the diversity of colors and grain patterns in each tree. My art becomes whole as the individual components come together, flowing into and around each other until complete harmony is achieved.

It is my hope that my art draws you in and brings you a sense of wonder and surprise.  It is a lasting gift from the trees and a celebration of the magic hiding beneath the bark and the branches.

Dulcimers

Appalachian Mountain Dulcimers

Michaeljon Flores - American Master Craftsman

As a nationally recognized professional woodworker from California, I have been designing and creating custom furniture, home accessories and musical instruments for more than fifty years.

My works have been shown in galleries and private collections throughout the United States and internationally. For almost thirty years, I created commissioned one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture for my clients from my shop in the Gold Country of California.

On a trip to Kentucky about twenty years ago, I experienced my first taste of a mountain dulcimer when visiting various craftsmen in Berea. I decided at that moment that Kentucky was the place to be. The artisans there were welcoming and creative and I felt a kindred spirit with them. I relocated to Wood Creek, Kentucky to pursue construction of mountain dulcimers full time. Dulcimer acquisition syndrome is a real thing!

Mountain Dulcimers

  • Dulcimers in progress

    All of these dulcimers are awaiting finishing. The hand-rubbed oil finish I use takes an average of two weeks to complete. When that is done, I hang the instruments up to “rest” for six weeks to climatize them and enhance their tonal quality. The final step is to string them and deliver them to my customers.

  • Hummingbird Dulcimer

    This hummingbird dulcimer is made from 200-year old vertical grain fir. The wood was removed from an old warehouse in Alameda, California. It has a sweet tone and a historical significance. It features a Galax back, cherry sides for volume and Honduras mahogany on the back and head.

  • Little Bourbon Cabinet

    This small cabinet is made from cherry and ambrosia maple. I put African wenge banding on the doors and the inside drawers for a little surprise and delight.