River Colors Studion is presenting a weekend of activities focusing on color, January 9 - 11, 2009. I'm teaching two of the sessions.
Friday, January 9, 6pm - 8pm: Magic Ball Social.
The magic ball is back by popular demand! I taught this workshop at River Colors five or six years ago, and it's a ton of fun. We'll lead you in a fun night of creating a unique ball of mixed yarns. You'll use a postcard, picture, or varigated yarn with your favorite colors as inspiration. You'll then pick yarns in those colors (either from your stash or from others in the class who will share) and create your own unique magic ball.
Saturday, January 10, 9am - noon: Scarf Confections.
This knitting workshop will help you mix and match colors, textures, and weight to design a one of a kind scarf. We'll use a free pattern by Jane Thornely as a starting point for the freeform technique she developed.
Friday, November 21, 2008
December shows - save the dates
Artist Review Today is planning some shows during December.
On December 11 - 12 we'll have a wearables show in the Galleria. It will feature handknit wearable items (shawls, scarves, purses, coats, etc.) as well as jewelry.
On December 18 you'll find us in the Rotunda at City Hall. This show includes a cross section of Artist Review Today artists.
More details to follow.
On December 11 - 12 we'll have a wearables show in the Galleria. It will feature handknit wearable items (shawls, scarves, purses, coats, etc.) as well as jewelry.
On December 18 you'll find us in the Rotunda at City Hall. This show includes a cross section of Artist Review Today artists.
More details to follow.
Erika & Friends Show on November 23
River Colors Studio is presenting the second annual Erika & Friends Jewelry and Accessory Trunk Show on Sunday, November 23. I'm please to be a part of it again this year, as well as Erika Gadomski, Elise Anderson, Heidi Massingill, and Maureen Michaels. The event is from noon - 4pm.
I'll have some my jewelry and selected handknit scarves and purses, including some of my new freeform scarf/necklaces.
I'll have some my jewelry and selected handknit scarves and purses, including some of my new freeform scarf/necklaces.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Babette Blanket
Well, after many years, I started a crochet project! It's the Babette Blanket, a pattern available for download from Knitting Daily. It's a simple granny square, knit in different sizes. Heidi at Stitch Cleveland in Lakewood taught a two-day workshop and I've been crocheting squares ever since. What fun!
I decided to use up some stash so I'm using Koigu, Jitterbug, some 4-ply Rowan, and Silky Wool, in about twenty different colors, including a bunch of varigateds. Each square is a color study -- you use about two to six colors in each square.
I'm totally hooked (no pun intended), these squares are totally addicting.
I may put my squares together in a wrap or large scarf, instead of a blanket. We'll see. I think I may be making a few of these.
Washing your woolens - Eucalan
I'm now offering Eucalan for sale at Artist Review Today.
It's a wonderful natural, biodegradable, no rinse wool wash. I knit with wool, mohair, ribbon, silk, cashmere, and other natual fibers and use Eucalan to wash all my handknits and anything else I care about.
As many of you may have discovered, wool shrinks if you wash it in hot water or if you agitate it when you wash it. With Eucalan, you just fill your tub with warm water, soak the item for 30 - 45 minutes, and then spin. No need to rinse.
It's available in four scents: Eucalyptus, Grapefruit, Lavendar, and Natural Unscented. I love them all, but Eucalyptus is my favorite.
Color Magic
On Thursday and Friday I attended a color workshop with Lois Bryant, a terrific teacher and weaver from Ann Arbor. The workshop was wonderful. It was independent of technique, so it was just fun to relax and play with crayons, colored pencils and paper. While I've studied much of the material before, she presented traditional color concepts in a fresh, inviting, fun way.
Lois is a great teacher -- talented, supportive, helpful, attentive. In addition, she's a down-to-earth, fun person. The workshop was structured so that there was a good mix of presentation and hands-on exercises. Her PowerPoint presentations are wonderful -- the examples are set to music and simply are awesome. I especially enjoyed the examples of everyday things (the sidewalk, an oil slick, lettuce, etc) -- a real eye-opener. Then she re-enforced and expanded on many of these examples.
The exercises were meant to be fun -- non-threatening but quite instructive. I thought the music CDs added another dimension to the workshop. It's always great to have music. She put a lot of thought into the music accompanying the presentations, and she played music with colors in the lyrics, which added a nice touch as background while we worked on the exercises.
Lois is a great teacher -- talented, supportive, helpful, attentive. In addition, she's a down-to-earth, fun person. The workshop was structured so that there was a good mix of presentation and hands-on exercises. Her PowerPoint presentations are wonderful -- the examples are set to music and simply are awesome. I especially enjoyed the examples of everyday things (the sidewalk, an oil slick, lettuce, etc) -- a real eye-opener. Then she re-enforced and expanded on many of these examples.
The exercises were meant to be fun -- non-threatening but quite instructive. I thought the music CDs added another dimension to the workshop. It's always great to have music. She put a lot of thought into the music accompanying the presentations, and she played music with colors in the lyrics, which added a nice touch as background while we worked on the exercises.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
TAA Wearable Art Fashion Show publicity
The TAA Wearable Art Fashion Show & Boutique was featured live on television today (October 14) on Channel 3 on at 5:45 am and 6:45 am with Maureen Kyle. Maureen and guests were wearing runway fashions. One of my purses was included on the runway.
Other planned publicity on live TV includes the following dates:
* Channel 8 on Friday morning, October 17th at 8:15 am on “Kickin’ It with Kenny.” The fashion class from J F Kennedy High School will be modeling for us.
* Channel 3 will do two live shots at the fashion show itself at 9:20 am and 9:50 am as a tickler for the event for us.
Other planned publicity on live TV includes the following dates:
* Channel 8 on Friday morning, October 17th at 8:15 am on “Kickin’ It with Kenny.” The fashion class from J F Kennedy High School will be modeling for us.
* Channel 3 will do two live shots at the fashion show itself at 9:20 am and 9:50 am as a tickler for the event for us.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Knitalong at River Colors Studio
Join me for a Knit Along at River Colors Studio in Lakewood. We're working on the “Learn to Knit afghan” by Barbara Walker.
You’ll need Barbara Walker’s book, worsted weight yarn, and your needles. You have a wide choice of yarns. I’m using Malabrigo and love it. It’s so soft, and the colors are beautiful. However, you could use Cascade, Encore, Mission Falls, Lamb’s Pride. River Colors will put together kits for you including the book and yarn. Call them or stop in to discuss yarn and color selections.
The book is very well-written and the stitch patterns are easy to follow. The squares are great travel knitting, one or two balls of yarn and your needles. Stop in to see some of the completed squares.
We’ll get together two ways:
We’ll meet on Saturday mornings at 10am at River Colors.
If you can’t make it to the shop on Saturdays or if you live too far away, participate online by posting to this Ravelry group.
You may participate in either one or both ways.
This Knit Along is intended to be a group of people all knitting the same thing at the same time, talking, sharing ideas, helping each other.
So, get your needles ready and join us for this ongoing project.
So, get your needles ready and join us for this ongoing project.
more changes - where to find our products
I said last year that change in good, and I've been thinking about how to better manage my products and sales. So I decided to continue to sell my fiber and jewelry at Artist Review Today Gallery in the Galleria and at BayArts in Bay Village. In an attempt to simplify and consolidate my efforts, I've removed my products from Mitchell Sotka Gallery in Rocky River and from Fundack's Art corner in Elyria; and also from the online store, Etsy. I've also decided not to process online sales from the Fra Angelica website.
Artist Review Today is in the process of redesigning their website to allow online sales from the gallery. So our products will be available online from them. I plan to add more photographs to my site but you'll be able to link to their site to process the order.
My challenges now remain to photograph the jewelry and fiber art to the best effect. Not an easy task because the art is all about color and texture -- both in the fiber art and the jewelry. I hope you'll be patient with me as I slowly get more photographs up on the site.
Artist Review Today is in the process of redesigning their website to allow online sales from the gallery. So our products will be available online from them. I plan to add more photographs to my site but you'll be able to link to their site to process the order.
My challenges now remain to photograph the jewelry and fiber art to the best effect. Not an easy task because the art is all about color and texture -- both in the fiber art and the jewelry. I hope you'll be patient with me as I slowly get more photographs up on the site.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Textile Art Alliance Wearable Art Fashion Show & Boutique
The fifth annual Textile Art Alliance Wearable Art Fashion Show & Boutique is this Sunday, October 19, 11:00am–5:00pm at LaMalfa, 5783 Heisley Road, Mentor (Route 2, Heisley Road exit south). I have several pieces in the runway show and for sale at the event. It's a fun event -- great wearable art professionally presented in a runway show. Also wonderful fiber art by local artists for sale in the boutique. Following is information about the event:
11:00 Boutique Shopping
1:00 Fashion Show & Lunch
3:00–5:00 Boutique open to the public, $5 at the door
Preview one-of-a-kind wearable art clothing and accessories and then enjoy lunch and a runway fashion show. Tickets $45; includes morning boutique shopping, fashion show, lunch, runway sales. For advance reservations contact John Coyne at 216 707-6819; Chris at 440–816–0967; or taafashionshow@windstream.net. Additional information available at www.taacleveland.org.
11:00 Boutique Shopping
1:00 Fashion Show & Lunch
3:00–5:00 Boutique open to the public, $5 at the door
Preview one-of-a-kind wearable art clothing and accessories and then enjoy lunch and a runway fashion show. Tickets $45; includes morning boutique shopping, fashion show, lunch, runway sales. For advance reservations contact John Coyne at 216 707-6819; Chris at 440–816–0967; or taafashionshow@windstream.net. Additional information available at www.taacleveland.org.
Echo of the Dreamer jewelry
I'm very excited to report that we've established a relationship with jewelry-makers Echo of the Dreamer. They're a mother/daughter team from New York who create exquisite, one-of-a-kind jewerly. Their jewelry is unique and contemporary, incorporating a variety of stunning natural gems, pearls, and other treasures of the earth. You'll find their work displayed with mine at Artist Review Today. We're offering some wonderful bracelets, rings, and earrings. I'll get some photos up on the website soon.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
JAR Show - June 2008
Artist Review Today is sponsoring the JAR Art Show this month. The work of over 100 artists is on display in the Occasions Room in the Galleria, just a few doors from the Artist Review Today gallery. Stop by to see some of the best art by local Cleveland artists! For more information, go to http://www.artistreviewtoday.com/.
I have two pieces in the show -- a multi strand necklace using some beautiful taupe Swarovski pearls. And a freeform wrap, pictured above, knitted in the colors of summer.
St. Demetrios Greek Festival - June 2008
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church's festival is this coming week -- June 19 - 22. Great food, pastries, music, dancing, and Greek culture. Good fun!
I'll have a booth at the festival, selling our jewelry and wearables. Several artist friends are also selling their beautiful art in my booth -- Mary Hegarty's gourd purses, Margie Pappas's oil paintings of Greece, and Jen Ryndrandt's oil paintings.
The church is located at 22909 Center Ridge Road in Rocky River (just east of Clague Road). Free parking and free admission.
I'll have a booth at the festival, selling our jewelry and wearables. Several artist friends are also selling their beautiful art in my booth -- Mary Hegarty's gourd purses, Margie Pappas's oil paintings of Greece, and Jen Ryndrandt's oil paintings.
The church is located at 22909 Center Ridge Road in Rocky River (just east of Clague Road). Free parking and free admission.
Monday, January 7, 2008
New Directions for Fra Angelica
Welcome to the new year. I hope everyone had a great holiday season. We are looking forward to a great 2008!
Although the retail store closed last June, Fra Angelica is evolving and growing as a business. I spent the summer looking at galleries and deciding where to sell my work. Our handknits and jewelry are availagle at two local galleries: Artist Review Today in the Galleria and BAYarts in Bay Village. We also sell our jewelry at Mitchell Sotka Gallery in Rocky River. Please check out these galleries -- each is unique and offers wonderful art by a variety of local artists.
We are looking at a few other galleries and are deciding whether to do any shows this year. Also, we are considering selling a few selected pieces through Etsy, the online gallery for artists. We have a link to Etsy on the website and may add some pieces later this spring.
With regard to our art, in my handknitting, I am focusing on one-of-a-kind purses and shawls. Also, I am collaborating with another artist to make some unique jewelry. We have wonderful necklaces, bracelets, and rings made entirely of Swarovski crystals. We also have beautiful necklaces made using semi-preciouse stones. Not your average bling! We are expanding the jewelry line in 2008 and have some great ideas for new and different pieces.
We are very excited to report that two of our pieces were selected for inclusion in the COSE Sketchbook, published by the COSE Arts Network last December. This sketchbook features the work of a number of local artists. Contact me or COSE if you'd like a free copy. Copies also are available at Artist Review Today and at Mitchell Sotka Gallery.
Although the retail store closed last June, Fra Angelica is evolving and growing as a business. I spent the summer looking at galleries and deciding where to sell my work. Our handknits and jewelry are availagle at two local galleries: Artist Review Today in the Galleria and BAYarts in Bay Village. We also sell our jewelry at Mitchell Sotka Gallery in Rocky River. Please check out these galleries -- each is unique and offers wonderful art by a variety of local artists.
We are looking at a few other galleries and are deciding whether to do any shows this year. Also, we are considering selling a few selected pieces through Etsy, the online gallery for artists. We have a link to Etsy on the website and may add some pieces later this spring.
With regard to our art, in my handknitting, I am focusing on one-of-a-kind purses and shawls. Also, I am collaborating with another artist to make some unique jewelry. We have wonderful necklaces, bracelets, and rings made entirely of Swarovski crystals. We also have beautiful necklaces made using semi-preciouse stones. Not your average bling! We are expanding the jewelry line in 2008 and have some great ideas for new and different pieces.
We are very excited to report that two of our pieces were selected for inclusion in the COSE Sketchbook, published by the COSE Arts Network last December. This sketchbook features the work of a number of local artists. Contact me or COSE if you'd like a free copy. Copies also are available at Artist Review Today and at Mitchell Sotka Gallery.
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