Artisan Market Ready for This Saturday in Los Fresnos

by Tony Vindell/LFN

Ask Milton Moon what has made him continue working after he retired from the work force and he will respond right away.

“My wife,” he said. “She said I needed a hobby to do something, so I started doing this.”

He works on wooden pieces of arts using ash, red ash, walnut and other materials he gets from lumber yards.

The Arlington man, who retired in 1993 but never hung up the gloves for good, said he uses a special piece of equipment to produce the items he sells and which he has been bringing during Los Fresnos Artisan Market usually held the last Saturday of the month.

Most of the things he makes have religious motifs like crosses, confirmations, Nativity scenes and Noah’s arks.

“It usually takes me about eight hours to make each thing,” he said during a recent Artisan Market afternoon. “It takes time.”

Moon works in what is known as fretwork, which is a form of carving using a scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design and the materials most commonly used are wood and metal.

He said he has been fretworking for about five years.

Moon, who lives in Pharr, said he started participating in the Artisans Market because he enjoys the crowds here even though he travels farther than most other folks.

His wooden pieces of art will be available this Saturday, July 28 at the market event.

There will also be dozens of other vendors, food booths and games at the event sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce.