Hello Hard Frost

 Change is in the air.  All around the season in giving way to Mother Nature.  I am giving way to a little change here with this piece.

Cool Colors

Sometimes the only words are pictures.

The Block Street Holiday Art Sale

It has been far too long since I last posted, but my life is crazy busy it seems.  I have spent the last 6 weeks working on a new website for the Block Street Holiday Art Sale Group I am a part of here in my town of Fayetteville, Arkansas.  The group has a long and rich tradition of having the most wonderful art sale every year the first weekend in December.  I feel honored to have been made a part of it just 5 years ago.  Here is a bit about the history of the sale written by our fearless leader, Marie Demeroukas.

Photographer Don House had the holiday blues back in 2001.  To shake them off and create a sense of community for himself, he hosted an open house at his studio in Elkins, inviting a handful of friends to display their work.  The group had so much fun that they repeated the show the following year.  A tradition was born.

With the show’s success came more artists and a move to a larger venue at the Fayetteville home of Mike Shirkey’s GoodFolk Productions.  Taking a cue from its street address, the group eventually began calling itself the Block Street Art Sale.  

Although the roster of artists has changed over the years, the quality of artwork and the enthusiasm of the artists and their guests have remained high.  For many the show feels like a great, weekend-long party.  This year the group will make its new home in Parker Hall at the Mt. Sequoyah Retreat and Conference Center.  Expect a few more artists, a roomier exhibition space, easier parking, and even more amazing art.

What began modestly with a pitcher of eggnog, a handful of artists, and several dozen guests has today blossomed into a much-anticipated community event.  If you haven’t done so already, we hope you will become part of a Fayetteville tradition.

theholidayartsale.com

So that is our story and I am sticking to it.  Here are some shots of our group and our offerings.  Please check us out and remember to shop locally and support your local artists and craftspersons.

It Has Been A Long Time

Sometimes life just gets away from us. That is how this past month has felt to me. I had barely gotten home form our New Mexico vacation when whoosh!!! life just went off and running and I felt like I was just hanging on. I found myself getting ready in a big way for my next show coming up in December, The Block Street Art Sale at Mount Sequoyah, by dyeing loopers outside. What I did not realize is how exhausting dyeing in 99 degree weather outside was... here are some shots of the process and the resulting colors.

Another thing that kept me really busy was creating the new website for my weaving guild in New Mexico, Art Through The Loom. The site turned out great and I think that all involved are pretty happy with it. Check us out, www.artthroughtheloom.com and check us out on FaceBook, too.

Busy is good, but sometimes you just have to slow it down a bit as I learned this week. Take one day at a time and don't get your plate too full. Blue skies and tailwinds...

The Last One

This has been an unusual runner for me. I cannot seem to get the pictures right on this one. The runner looks so much better in person than it does in the photograph. I guess I will have to wait and see if someone can give me a tip. I have tried cloudy day, no direct sun, etc and they all aren't quite right. it is a learning experience...as is life.

Tiger Lily Is Done

A Little Bit of Progress on Tiger Lily

I have been playing with various iphone apps after my friend Audra told me how cool they were.  My fave right now is hipstamatic.  It has taken me a while to "get" it and I don't know much about it at this point other than I like the old-timey feeling it imparts to a photo.