I am a Design Nerd, and Proud of It!

 

Hello Friends! You may have noticed that things have been a little quiet for me on the art front.  Instead of focusing on new work,  I've been spending my art time on branding and design.

I've got 2, and possibly 3 holiday shows on the horizon and I've been spiffing up all my packaging for these events. As I tell my students, a good package can sell a product and I've been trying to create some cohesion in the way I present myself and my work. 

All of my card sets are now the same standard size and have a little enclosure that shows what's inside. I'm using the same set of fonts on each package and include this little logo on the back of each card.

My card-making has become much more professional over the years. I used to purchase pre-made card backs from the craft store and mount Kinko's colored copies of my work on the front. Now, all of my cards are printed with archival inks on matte paper using my prized Epson printer.  I'm proud of how far I've come and hope to keep growing in my design skills. 

So fellow artsy ones, I have some questions for you. How much of your time do you spend on packaging and design? Did you come up with your "look" on your own, or did you have professional help? I'd love to hear from you.

Have a great week pals. Be sure to check out some of my new card sets available on etsy.

Next up on the blog agenda: Wedding design.

Calling All Rockford Area Artsy Types

We're in the last week of accepting applications for the first ever Rockford Handmade Market. This event is the brain child of my pal Danielle Kelley,  proprietor of Burlap Works.  Last year, she participated in the Renegade Holiday Craft Fair in Chicago and wanted to bring the idea of the indie handmade craft show to Rockford.

We're looking for artisans of all types who make high quality and locally crafted handmade goods. It is our intention to bring together a diverse group of artists and crafters that create art, home decor items, jewelry, stationary, toys, candles, soaps, bags, posters, clothing and more.

Rockford Handmade Market will take place on Thursday, December 2nd, from  4-10 pm at the Prairie Street Brewhouse.  If you haven't been to the Brewhouse, its a beautiful old space, located right on the river, off of Madison Street, in downtown Rockford. This is going to be a great event!

Vendor applications will be accepted until Friday, October 8th. If you're interested, get a move on it! The application is short and easy and is available here. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Matt's at Artscene!

This weekend, Matt (my husband-to-be) has his very first solo art show!  Featuring 9 new pieces,  "Suburban Still-Life" opens Friday, October 1st at JR Kortman Gallery.

This weekend Matt and I took all the work over to Kortman's and helped gallery director Doc Slafkosky hang the show.  Matt's hard work over the last few months has paid off, as the art looks fabulous in the space.

Now, this is not your grandmother's art show. Some of the pieces are provocative and in your face but not vulgar or graphic. If you can handle "Victor", whom Matt is posing next to, you can handle the rest of the show.

The opening of this show corresponds with the city wide Fall Artscene event. There will be art on display and for purchase at 41 venues around town.  This is a totally free event!

As many of you know, Matt and I met at Artscene last year, when we were both exhibiting art at WallBlank Gallery. We're hoping to have as much fun this year as we did last!

All of the Artscene venues will be open on Friday, October 1st from 5-9 pm and on Saturday, October 2nd from 3-9 pm. If you can't make it out this weekend, "Suburban Still Life" will be on display during regular Kortman's store hours (M-Sat 10-6) until November 15th.

Kortman's is located in downtown Rockford at 107 N Main St, just across the street from Octane.

Hope to see you there!

What a Great Weekend!

The rain came just as I had finished setting up my tent at the Greenwich Village Art Fair.   I zipped myself into the tent and held on for dear life so that the tent and I wouldn't be picked up by the fierce wind. (OK, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but the tent did move!) I feared that my bad art show karma, that made a mess of my last two outdoor events was again rearing its ugly head.  I was on the verge of a meltdown when the rain stopped, the winds died down and the sun tried to break through the clouds. Thank goodness! The weather behaved throughout the weekend, and the cloud cover actually kept things comfortable.

Aside from its blustery start, this show was nothing but fabulous. I made some good contacts, got great feedback from the fair goers,  and made some serious moola! I sold 12 original pieces, as well as a boatload of prints and card sets. I've never sold so much in a weekend. What a great feeling! It's so vindicating when others buy things that you've made. Thanks to all who came out to support me.

If you have ever considered doing the Greenwich Village show, I highly recommend it. It's very well organized, the staff is superb and they treat their artists very well.  I'll surely be back next year.

I'm now gearing up for my next gig, Frost and Friends on November 5th and 6th. More info will be forthcoming.

I'll leave you with some of the pieces I had to say goodbye to this weekend. I was a little sad to see them go, but know they are going to good homes and will be well loved.

Ta-Ta!

Greenwich Village

Today was a beautiful Indian Summer day, and I'm praying that this weather continues until the weekend.  I'll be spending all weekend outdoors at the Greenwich Village Art Fair, and I'd prefer not to have a repeat of my last outdoor art fair! 

The Greenwich Village Art Fair takes place on Saturday, September 18th and 19th on the grounds of the Rockford Art Museum. This is a really fun show! Besides 100 plus artists, there will be gourmet food vendors who always serve yummy samples, live music, a Sunday morning champagne and omelet brunch, and a wide variety of leaded and unleaded drinks.


You can find me at booth 35. I don't know exactly where that is yet, but there will be maps available at the fair entrance. I will have several brand originals, prints and card sets, much of which has yet to make an appearance on Etsy.

The fair runs from 10 am - 6 pm on Saturday and 10 am - 5 pm on Sunday.  Hope to see you there!

New Art from the New Studio

Happy Labor Day weekend friends. Doesn't Sunday feel so much more relaxing when you know you don't have to work on Monday?

I survived my first week of school pretty much unscathed.  It's nice to just teach Juniors and Seniors who are interested in what we are doing. I know I'm spoiled teaching at a Catholic school. The problems I deal with are minuscule in comparison to my public school counterparts. I even had a student bake me a cake in the shape of a paint palette and two others bake cupcakes for my birthday this week! 

I managed to get some artwork done this week.  Meet "Let it Be." This is the first piece I've created in my new studio space. Matt has turned his basement into a great art studio and we both have room to spread out without getting in each others way. We both spent the afternoon yesterday working away. Its nice to have someone to talk to while I work.

"Let it Be" measures 7.5" x 9.5" and was created on an eggplant cardstock. This is a new color for me. I like the way the white ink pops on this deep color. This piece was designed to fit in a  11 3/4" x 15 3/4" Ikea Ribba frame. "Let it Be" is available for sale unframed in my Etsy shop, or find it framed September 18th and 19th at the Greenwich Village Art Fair.

Loose Ends and Lost Friends

 

I ran a giveaway a few weeks back and failed to announce the winner.  (Sorry!) Danielle, the talented owner of Burlap Works, was the lucky recipient of the "Meant to Be" print. She creates beautiful bags and accessories fashioned from burlap coffee sacs. If you're a local, you can meet Danielle and see her beautiful bags at the City Market,  downtown on Friday evenings. She also offers her wares on Etsy.  I  am hoping to get one of her creations for my upcoming September birthday. (Hint, Hint Matt)

On a much more sober note, I lost one of my very dearest and oldest friends today. Lynn's one and a half year battle with breast cancer came to an end this morning. Just 2 weeks ago I had a great visit with Lynn, who was one of my college roommates. We made dinner, drank wine, and talked until the wee hours of the morning. I am so grateful for this time with her and so grateful for my friendship with this wonderful woman. She will be missed by so many.