The Craftsman & Apprentice

The Craftsman & Apprentice began as a conversation between husband and wife, Jonathan Fessler & Delanie Holton-Fessler.

Jonathan is a master stone mason and Delanie is an artist and former elementary school art teacher. They talked at length about the life they wanted for their two young sons. They knew they wanted their boys to know the satisfaction of a job well done, of making something from nothing and above all living a life of creativity. At the Craftsman & Apprentice we honor the workshop as a space to connect, share, and discover the good life, at any age.

Jonathan first began his career as a stone mason in Pennsylvania almost 20 years ago. After moving to Colorado permanently in 2001, Jonathan apprentice under a master stone mason for 5 years. Since that time he's run Fessler Masonry and honed his craft, building fireplaces and stone hardscapes throughout the front range. He was featured in 5280 magazine in 2012. While he's not breaking stones, Jonathan is busy teaching our boys the way of the craftsman.

Delanie just wrapped up a ten year teaching career. She was an art teacher & content integration specialist in highly impacted schools throughout the Denver area. She has lectured and published research on the effects of art education with at-risk youth.  Delanie has a BFA in Sculpture from Metro State where she helped run the sculpture lab. She also holds a Master's in Education from Regis University. She is currently acting as the shop's program director and teaches many of our workshops. 

Over the years she has observed the impact that the act of creating has on children. When a child is allowed to try and fail in a supportive environment, they develop lifelong skills of problem solving and self efficacy.