Leonie Lacouette discovered her passion could become a profitable enterprise.
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Leonie Lacouette glanced up at the sign on the workshop”™s front window: “”˜Yes”™ means the UPS truck should come up the driveway,” said the clock maker. “When it says ”˜No,”™ it means I have no pickups.” Fortunately for Lacouette, UPS sees the sign turned toward “Yes” most of the time.
The Hell”™s Kitchen native never dreamed during her days at Manhattan”™s Art & Design High School and four-year stint at SUNY New Paltz that she would remain in Ulster County and eventually be working in her own studio on what she described as “two acres of paradise.” She”™s made the Hudson Valley her home since her initial introduction 25 years ago and, as time goes by, she is constantly working on perfecting her craft.
“I originally began with ceramics, but found that most people were only interested in my ceramic clocks,” said Lacouette, assembling her latest piece in her Gardiner workshop. “Since clocks were the most popular and I was determined to make a living by doing what I loved, I turned my attention to clock making.” Comparing an original ceramic piece she sculpted with the current metallic and wood creations she makes, she says she keeps her old work as a reminder of how far she”™s come ”“ and how much further she can go with her craft.
Lacouette and her husband bought land in Gardiner in 2001, building a house and eventually a separate studio for the clock maker in 2005. “Like the house, work in the studio is always an ongoing work in progress. We have developed rooms specifically for painting, working with metal, storage space and I have my main workroom, which is bright and where I spend most of my time.” Lacouette doesn”™t have to travel far to get to her job ”“crossing road from house to studio takes all of five seconds.
Lacouette has two assistants to help her in the time-consuming process of producing the colorful metallic and wood pieces eventually incorporated into the finished products she designs and assembles.
The artist says her clocks are truly made in America and parts come primarily from the work of other Hudson Valley crafters. “The wood is stained in Kingston; the water-jet cutting of the copper I use is done in Poughkeepsie; the gears and the wood I use are pre-cut farther north in the town of Peru.”
The pre-cut copper comes from Gallup, N.M., while Traverse City, Mich., supplies the circles used in the design mix.
All the raw materials come together and are brought to life in Lacouette”™s workshop where they are cleaned, colored, sanded, painted, designed and assembled. While she does some custom work, “Most of my customers pick from my many styles on my web site: leonietime.com.”
Lacouette”™s work can be found in boutiques and galleries in 39 states. Locally, Sweetheart Gallery in Woodstock, Mark Guber Gallery in New Paltz and Offerings in Katonah feature her work.
“I”™ve always been a mixed-media artist; I started introducing copper into my work, and my clients love it,” she said. “My newest creation is the ”˜gear”™ clocks, which are very popular.” Clocks range in price from $100 to $600, which Lacouette considers reasonably priced, considering the material, time and effort that go into making each one.
Getting clocks to work both aesthetically and practically can sometimes present a challenge. “I designed a clock that had a great face but the pendulum was too big ”“ so I had to re-think the size and made it fit the work without taking away from the look. And of course, the obvious: It has to be able to keep accurate time.”
Lacouette says her customers are encouraged to come back if they have any questions or run into a glitch: “I”™ll fix it or replace the parts at no charge. If they live in another state, I will send them the parts and walk them through it if they don”™t want to mail it back. I think that”™s what makes my customers comfortable, the fact that when they call, 9 times out of 10 they will get the artist on the phone and be able to talk directly to me rather than go through a chain of people. I think it”™s a big plus.”
Lacouette has an endless array of “time” jokes and anecdotes. “I”™ve been in this business for 25 years, so you hear them all.” But she says the best came from her 13-year-old grandson, who told her she is “pretty cool and doesn”™t seem to getting old at all. I do feel like time is standing still when it comes to getting older. I still feel like I”™m 20 inside; after hearing that, perhaps time is standing still, after all.”
