Art On the Lawn

A week from today, I will be out at Rockford College, participating in Art on the Lawn. Slowly but surely, all the preparation for this show is being completed.

If you've been following things on Facebook or Twitter this week, you will have heard about my tent trauma! I ordered an EZ-Up tent on Ebay a few weeks back and was impatiently awaiting its arrival. (Yes I meant "impatient"......I am a terrible waiter!!) When the massive package finally appeared on my porch this week I was relieved for about a minute. I opened it up to realize that the side panels were missing! I immediately contacted the seller about the whereabouts of the tent sides, and never heard back. Tomorrow I start the process of getting some sort of refund via Ebay if I don't hear from the seller or receive the panels. Grrr. Luckily, a local twitter pal saw my crabby tweets and offered up her sides for the weekend.

My next goal is figuring out how I will hang my work on the panels that Matt and I constructed this weekend. I don't want a repeat of my last show!!!!

So, if you are in the Rockford area next weekend, come out to see me and my art. There are 63 other artists in the event as well, so I guess you could come and see them too.

The Details:

Art On the Lawn

Sunday, June 13th from 10 am to 5 pm

Rockford College Burpee Commons

5050 E State Street

$3.00 Admission

The Sibylline Still Life: Art Opening this Weekend

My friend and former teaching partner Jeanne Ludeke is having a solo show at JR Kortman Gallery, in Rockford. The exhibition titled “The Sibylline Still Life: A Return to Painting” opens Friday, June 4th.

After a long absence from painting, Jeanne wanted to polish up her painting skills. She spent the last nine months challenging herself to create a painting a day and blogging about it.

Preferring to work from life, she sets up and paints from small still lifes in her studio, that often feature delicious looking food! Every painting just gets better and better. Her eye for detail, design and color makes each piece so alive and inviting.

Inspired by Jeanne’s art, locally made gourmet cupcakes will be available at the opening. Caked is a brand new company that makes all sorts of exotic and delicious cupcakes like Red Velvet, Horchata and Smores! Recently I was able to taste the Almond Twist, an almond cake filled with pudding. Heavenly!!!

Jeanne's opening reception will be from 5:30 to 9:00pm on Friday, June 4th, upstairs in the Kortman Gallery at J.R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street, Downtown Rockford.

Admission is free!

The show runs through July 15th.

For more information call 815/968-0123 or visit their website.

Lockets!

Happy Memorial Day weekend friends! Today (Sunday) feels so much more relaxing when I know that there's no work on Monday.

For quite some time, I have been collaborating with Cat of Polarity on Etsy. She produces clever little lockets from a recycled car part and offers a set featuring my art. The "Take Time To Breathe" collection is now available in my Etsy shop. Yahoo! The locket has 3 magnetic interchangeable lids - two with my designs and one with the definition of the word BREATHE; hopefully something this collection encourages us to do!

I'm also hoping to put together another set to sell in the shop and at art fairs this summer. Which of my pieces would you like to see on a locket? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Sending hope, grace and contentment your way!

Busy Bee

I was quite prolific this past weekend, and managed to create four new ACEO's. I'm on a kick with yellow right now. Yellow feels warm and summery, and reminds me that I will soon be on summer vacation!!!!

My first big show of the summer is right around the corner. Art on the Lawn takes place Sunday, June 13th on the Rockford College campus. I've got a new tent on the way and with the help of my trusty manfriend Matthew, will be putting the finishing touches this weekend on some panels to hang my work on. This outdoor show thing is certainly a lot of work! I am praying for a beautiful summer day and lots of eager art collectors to come my way. Mama needs some Italy spending money!!!

I found out today that I was accepted into the Greenwich Village art show at the Rockford Art Museum in September. I'm psyched and am looking forward to having another reason to use my tent.

Ta-ta for now!

Little Luxuries

To many, art is a luxury.

To me, art is a necessity.

I hope that someone out there is willing to indulge in this "Little Luxury."

This original mixed media ACEO, measuring just 2.5" x 3.5" is available in my Etsy shop.

School will be out shortly, so expect a new crop of originals in the shoppe soon.

Ciao.

Its Not Always Sunny in Sterling

"Windy Pods" by Annie of DwellinStyle on Etsy

May weather in the Midwest is unpredictable to say the least. Snow is not uncommon......Either is an 85 degree turn on the A/C kind of day.

I spent most of last week in flip-flops, enjoying the warmth of the spring days and dreaming of my soon to come summer vacation. But, Mother Nature does not like Midwesterners to get too complacent or too comfortable, so by the weekend, things turned downright nasty.......Just in time for my outdoor show!

I was awakened on Saturday morning by the howling of the wind. I looked out the window to see drizzle and gloomy, gray skies. Awesome! Despite the awful weather and frigid temps, Matt and I made the hour long trek down to Sterling to set up for May Fest.

Nothing about setting up my booth went smoothly. Even though the I had zip-tied sand bags to each leg of the EZ-UP tent, the gale-force winds were knocking it around. I put up the tent sides to block the wind, which did seem to help for a time. Every time I got part of a table set up, a gust of wind would push against the tent side and knock it all down. I was frustrated, but determined, so I would try again. Eventually I just tried setting things up on the side of the tent opposite the direction of the wind. The last straw was the overturning of an entire table, busting 2 frames and denting several others!!!

My booth neighbor Rebecca, of Rebeccabags on Etsy was nice enough to help me pick up the pieces of what once was my booth. (She's got adorable floral themed wristlets and bags in her shop. Check her out!) I didn't foresee the weather getting any better or having much of a crowd showing up, so without as much as one customer, the day was over for me! Matt and I repacked and were on the road just minutes after the show was supposed to start.

I was pretty disappointed, but have to admit, it was a learning experience. I will be wary about signing up to do an early May event again, unless its in Arizona or somewhere else warm. For my next show, (Art on the Lawn, June 13th) I will have everything securely hung up on some sort of wall and not deal with easels. I also know that I have to find a heavy-duty method to weight down my tent. Any veteran outdoor vendors have any tried and true suggestions?

Have a good week friends!

First Art Show of the Season

On Saturday, I will be peddling my wares at May Fest in Sterling, Illinois. Main Street May Fest is a celebration of spring flowers, the garden and Mother's day. There will be flowers, garden art, food, music, and family activities. I will be selling original works, giclee prints and handmade cards.

Last Sunday, I did at test run of setting up my booth. This is the first time I've done an outdoor show, so I wanted practice my set up before the event. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I think I'm ready for Saturday.

One of the only things I purchased for the tent was the cute little banner, made by fellow Etsyian Amanda of Funkyshique. She made me the most adorable custom pennant bunting with my name. (I'll have to take a better picture of the bunting at the show.) Amanda was nothing but a pleasure to work with. The sharp burlap banner was made, sent and on my door step in just about one weeks time! Patronize her fab shop!!!

May Fest happens from 10 AM to 2PM on Saturday, May 8th at 4th and Light Streets, in the heart of downtown Sterling. Check out the map below for further directions. Hope to see you there!

Ciao! Ciao!


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