3/14/10

Dos & Don'ts Delayed......again... + freebie photo

I should be working as hard as this vintage lady!

Yet another delay - so sorry.

My tendency to over-commit & then forget has taken its toll this weekend.I will have the Art Fair Etiquette responses posted tomorrow....really!

In the meantime, feel free to snag this diligent worker for your projects. This is another of the old photos I picked up at Vintage Bohemian a couple of weeks ago. If you need a higher resolution, just let me know & I'll send it in an email.

Thanks again for your patience!
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3/13/10

Dos & Don'ts Delayed

Time has gotten away from me today!

Tomorrow I'll post all of your Art Fair Etiquette suggestions
Sorry about the delay.

If you missed yesterdays favorite finds, click here for art & links.

See you tomorrow & thanks for your patience
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3/12/10

More Art Fair Faves

From The Swimmers Series by Laurie Coppedge
(sorry,I don't remember the title)


Monday's post was about a wonderful show, The Gasparilla Festival of The Arts & a few pieces I enjoyed (to visit that post, click here).

Tuesday I shared the art that came home with me & promised more fave finds today.

Tonight while looking through cards & notes from the show, I'm feeling a wee bit overwhelmed. And behind schedule. So here's the new plan: Today I'll share some faves & links. Other pieces will be showcased every few days. (I am also pursuing interviews with a handful of these fantastic artists & will keep you posted) So On With The Show - click on photos to visit the artists' websites.

close up of Wild Thing by Nancy Cervenka

Nancy Cervenka is Florida artist whose work I am always happy to see. Her sculptures have a wonderful organic-meets-sci-fi feel. The unusual material she uses to create these pieces adds a touch of whimsy as well as pattern & color. All of her sculptures are made out of film. Yes, film. These pieces have a unique presence - they boldly carve their space and yet a magnifying glass will show you a universe of details. I strongly urge you to visit her website - both the artist statement & the sculptures are fascinating.


I purchased The Difficult Kiss from the artist Grant Silverstein several festivals ago. While one of the smallest pieces on my walls (measuring 1" x 2" before framing), it has a strong presence. Inevitably visitors lean in for a closer look & smile at the whimsy. The Difficult Kiss continues to be one of my favorites & I was thrilled to find myself in Mr. Silverstein's booth again this year. When I mentioned owning T.D.K. he pointed out his latest variation, Another Difficult Kiss. Click the image below for a larger view on his website.

You'll see the lovers now surrounded by all sorts of characters & elements. This imaginative piece measures 16" x 20". I so enjoy the delicate linework and the details in Mr. Silversteins art. With his flexible figures, dreamy landscapes, and reoccurring mythological references this artist weaves a story that leaves me wanting to read the whole book.

(By the way, on Mr. Silverstein's website you will find The Ambitious Mouse - a tragedy an unpublished book with an unusual tale & elaborate illustrations)

Winemaking by Lorri Honeycutt

Big World Photo's booth always has a huge crowd. Everyone wants to get a closer look at the little people. Lorri Honeycutt's fun photography is almost guaranteed to bring a smile to even the grumpiest person's face.

Kitchen Crime by Lorri Honeycutt

These photographs are amusing on their own, yet the entertaining titles make viewers' smiles stretch even wider. And there were many viewers. This booth always attracts a jolly crowd. Which is really impressive considering the large number of grumbly browsers you overhear while passing through a crowded art fair.

Well, that is enough rambling from me tonight. I hope you enjoy these pieces and please be sure to click the pics to visit the artists' websites. Most have pieces for sale & their show schedules posted.

I'll be back tomorrow with a list of the Art Fair Dos & Don'ts based on ideas that many of you have shared with me this week. Thanks to all browsers, buyers & vendors who offered up their suggestions or pet peeves. This call is still open: if you have any thoughts on shows you've attended feel free to add a comment (or send an email to the address in my profile).

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Final note: Would you like to win a Mini Travel Art Kit? Wind & Honey Creations is sponsoring a random drawing. 1 lucky winner on 3/25 will take home this little art kit. How do you enter? Click here for details.


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3/11/10

Enter to win a Mini Traveling Art Kit from Wind And Honey Creations


2 months ago artist J. Elizabeth Johnson showed us around her creative space in Studio Tour # 19. (If you missed it, click the link to check out her studio & artwork. But then come back so you don't miss this great giveaway).


You may remember Elizabeth, she was the one cuddling a lion. Click here to read about Elizabeth & Daniel.

Elizabeth is one busy artist, teacher & business person! She has 3 online shops where she sells her artwork.


JEJohnson Portraits on Etsy is full of her animal drawings and painting. She also creates custom pet portraits.


Wind and Honey Creations, also on Etsy, is Elizabeth's mixed media art shop. There you will find all sorts of colorful collages, fun ACEOs and other altered pieces.

Mini Moleskin Journal - Fairytales By You by J. Elizabeth Johnson

And windandhoney.1000Markets.com carries a large number of her artworks in a variety of mediums and styles.


This versatile artist also teaches classes both in person and online. For more info visit her website windandhoneycreations.com. Soon she will be teaching online classes through the new website Craft.edu.com. (You can find out more about Craft.edu .com on facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/CraftEducom)

As I said, Elizabeth is one busy lady. She carries art supplies and a mini portfolio full of blank ACEO cards so that she can create even while waiting for appointments. Last fall she blogged about the inspiration behind this idea in the post Mini Traveling Art Kit. Just click to visit.


And that brings us to the latest Thursday Giveaway Prize. On March 25th one random winner will receive this hand embellished mini portfolio case from J. Elizabeth Johnson. It measures 4" x 5" and includes 3 blank ACEO cards. Two cards are cut from bristol board vellum and one is bristol board smooth; all are ready for your use.


(ACEO stands for Art Card Editions & Originals. Basically an ACEO is a piece of art that measures 2.5" x 3.5" and can be done in any medium. Also known as ATCs or Art Trading Cards. Click here for more info)


You know what, I'm going to sweeten this prize even more. Elizabeth will send the winner this fantastic mini portfolio with papers. And I will send them a travel sized collection of supplies. I don't have a photo since I only just thought of this. It will definitely contain some colored pencils, a mini sharpener, a micron pen & what ever else I can come up with.

To Enter This Random Drawing leave a comment on this blog before 1 a.m. (EST) on 3/25. Prizes ship free & contest is open worldwide.
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And The Winner Of The Elle Moss Random Drawing Is....


Jus and Kat! Congratulations!
Jus and Kat, I'll contact you today with directions for claiming your fantastic prize

Many thanks to the incredibly talented Elle Moss for sponsoring this random drawing! Jus & Kat will receive 1 set of postcards PLUS their choice of one 5" sq. format fine art photograph from ElleMoss.etsy.com. (Those lucky winners! I wish I could have entered this giveaway). To visit this wonderful shop just click the banner.


Also thank you to all who left a comment and entered this drawing! It is your continued interest in these artist features & giveaways that keeps them coming. Pop back later - I will announce the newest Thursday Giveaway prize this afternoon. Till then, wishing you a fantastic day!
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3/10/10

Business Cards, Giveaways, Caravaggio & Taxidermy

Yep, I'm all over the place today.

I was going to share more faves from The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. Sorry, that post will have to wait until Friday.

Silly me - my head is so full of other people's art that I almost forgot to pick a winner for the Uprinting.com giveaway! So with help from random.org, today's winner of 500 custom business cards is....


cjmommy! Congratulations!
I will contact you today with instructions for claiming your prize

Thanks to all who entered this random drawing; it is your interest that keeps them coming. And many thanks to Uprinting.com for sponsoring this great giveaway!
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Last Chance To Enter The Elle Moss Random Drawing:

assorted photographs from Elle Moss

Tomorrow 1 very lucky winner will receive a set of art postcards & winner's choice of one 5" x 5" square format fine art photograph from ElleMoss.etsy.com. To enter this fantastic giveaway simply leave a comment on this blog before 1 a.m. (EST) on 3/11. To see original post announcing giveaway and more photos, click here.
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Caravaggio in Ascendance: A Bad Boy Artist's Time To Shine - On the front page of today's NY Times. This headline made me very happy. Call me frivolous, but I'd much rather start my day with this than an article about the latest celebrity or political scandal.


I have been a chiaroscuro & Caravaggio fan for a very long time. If we hope into the wayback machine my 1st artistic interest was in sculpture. The paintings of Caravaggio helped me see the 3-d in the 2-d (if that makes any sense). When I took an art class at 16 we were required to draw. Line & color gave me a great deal of trouble. Drawing was a struggle for me until I used light and shadow to form the shapes of the model or still life.


If you like your art history mixed with drama, Caravaggio is the man for you. One of my favorite books is Peter Robb's M The Man Who Became Caravaggio. It is a riveting tale assembled from court documents and full of speculation. Though the tabloid quality is derided by some, I found it a fun read & also used it as a Caravagigo guide book while visiting Italy years ago. Back then I'd have a the paintings to myself or at best share with a couple strangers. Reading today's article it sounds like it might be getting a bit crowded in front of his paintings nowadays.

If you don't mind some dramatics, I also recommend Simon Schama's hour long video about the painter from his Power of Art series. I'm going to try & embed it here. But you can also click here for google video and either watch it there or download.
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I've been wanting to read this since I first hear about it a while back. The Times review today just reinforced it. I've always been fascinated by taxidermy animals. Not in a Norman Bates creepy kind of way; more of a turn-of-the-century-collector type of thing. I used to live down the street from a natural history museum & spent many hours in the animal display areas. Sometimes drawing, other times trying to take in the vibe of a lost era...ahh, I'm rambling again aren't I? One of the side-effects of using the wayback machine I am afraid.

I just love this cover! It is perfect for weeding out potential readers. (Yes, book covers should do this but not all succeed). There is a line at the end of today's review by Dwight Garner about weeding out readers: " You put 'Still Life' down with a line from Mr. Hirst ringing in your ears — a line that will draw you instantly to this book, or make you stand 10 paces away: 'I just,' he once said, 'like rotting.' "

And on that note - thanks for your patience with today's ravings. Tomorrow back to our regularly scheduled program (though I can't believe it is almost Thursday already). I'll announce the winner of the prizes from ElleMoss.etsy.com plus introduce a new giveaway sponsor and prize. Have a great day & hope to see you there
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3/9/10

On My Walls - Treasures from Gasparilla Arts Festival


Sunday I escaped responsibilities & enjoyed the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. There was a fantastic variety of artwork to choose from. & this week I'm sharing some of my favorites. To see yesterday's picks click here.

Several items tried to come home with me. Here are the ones I could not resist. My apologies for any blemishes or whatnot as I've used my old scanner to capture all but the top image.

The first piece to jump into my arms was Kreg Yingst's framed blockprint The Who. Click the pic to visit his website. Make sure you have a few minutes - that place is overflowing with exciting blockprints, linocuts and paintings. You'll find colorful galleries with names like Magic & Circus, Music Blockprints and Matt: A Visual Gospel.

The Who by Kreg Yingst

This is a scan of the framed blockprint. The frame measures 12" sq, so you are just seeing a crop here. I wanted to show you the unique mat and fun treatment on the frame. This piece just reached out and yanked me into the booth. I found myself sucked into this fantastic world of line & color. I had a hard time deciding which piece to take home - good thing some of the others are for sale on his website kregyingst.com.

On the other side of the show I was soon captivated by the large black & white photographs of Laurie Coppedge. She has a gorgeous series of swimmers with a lovely ethereal quality. You can see this set on her website lauriecoppedge.com. Some of her other series are listed but not yet uploaded, so I've scanned in the pieces I purchased. Again, any flaws are due to my scanner & I apologize.

Jen Peeking by Laurie Coppedge


Galenski House by Laurie Coppedge

Don't you just love these? This gentleman (the artist's neighbor) has such an interesting face and all 3 photos have a timeless quality that really appeals to me. Jen Peeking reminds me of a dream I had a few times. It always gave me fright & I'd wake up as soon as I saw the woman looking at me. While this photograph is haunting to me it is also playful and feels like a good counterpoint to the Galenski House pieces. I will hang the 3 together with Jen Peeking in the middle. Matted they measure 11" x 14".

By the way, you can catch these talented artists at other art festivals. They both have show schedules on their websites.

Thanks for stopping in today. I will share some more of my faves from the show tomorrow.

Also, if you have a moment please visit Monday's post. Toward the bottom I suggest some "dos & don'ts" for art fairs. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. I'm asking everyone to leave some advice based on what they have observed at art festivals. Have you ever been a browser, buyer, or vendor at a fair? Please share your business suggestions, faux pas, or common sense advice. I will collect all suggestions together in a post this Saturday.

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Please note, everyone who leaves a comment on this blog before 1 a.m. (EST) on 3/11 will be entered in a random drawing sponsored by ElleMoss.etsy.com. 1 lucky winner takes home a set of postcards and their choice of one 5" sq fine art photograph. CLICK HERE for details
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