8 Months in the Making

My latest piece began early in 2009. It's not a burning bush (although the lighting makes it look like one)... it's "illuminated" from above, with light, grace, and abundance encircling the earth. This project took awhile to come together mostly because of its larger size. I couldn't cure the original in one piece and therefore had to bake it in several pieces and several stages. There were many trials and tribulations along the way... including spillage of liquid silicone rubber on my garage floor while making the mould. Nevertheless, it should be a main attraction at my booth.

Summer Sally - Commission

Just finished casting and framing my "Summer Sally" design (Butterfly Bobbi and Autumn Annie are her 2 older siblings.) My impetus for completing this design is the retirement of a co-worker who already owns the first two in the series. She will be the lucky recipient of this purple and golden beauty! Pictures never do justice to the intricacies of the carved relief... but here's a glimpse.

Featured artist in article

I should google my name once in awhile...

Today I wanted to contact the organizers of my next art show -- the Firefly Art Festival sponsored by the Wauwatosa Historical Society -- and the first link in my Google search mentioned me in the first sentence! http://www.brookfieldnow.com/userstoriessubmitted/50016302.html

Brookfield mixed media artist Cheryl Watt and painter Elaine Zale are among the 91 juried artists who will show and sell a wide variety of art Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 and 2, at the 23rd Annual Firefly Art Fair in Wauwatosa.

Art Show Observations

It's been well over a year since I've actually been inspired by the work of fellow artists at a quality fine art show. Today I took the train down to Chicago to the Magnificent Mile art show sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. Show quality was top-notch and left me inspired and satisfied.

Mediocrity in Milwaukee

All the shows that I've attended here in Wisconsin this year have left me yearning for something fresh, new, and different. Because of the economy, the quality of fine art has been missing or minimal. Juried art shows that attracted top talent in the past have compromised to "fine crafts" instead. (This includes things like soaps, candles, baskets, kitchen towels, placemats, spoon rests, cheap jewelry, etc.) Just in the past month, I've attended 2 local shows that, in past years, energized me to try new things and get back in the studio. Not this year, I'm afraid. Today in Chicago, I talked to a fine artist from Milwaukee who whose show schedule is 95% centered in the Chicago metro area because Milwaukee's market has been "compromised" with crafters who produce low-quality, low-cost items. Even the ones in the nicer areas of town seem to be cluttered with mediocrity and low-end offerings. My average piece is in the $200 range, so I cannot afford to attract "flea market" types of crowds.

I didn't see a lot of people buying today, but the show was definitely crowded and I overheard potential buyers asking lots of questions. Artists I met traveled from Seattle, Sacramento, San Diego, Kansas City, New York, and Florida, to name a few. They truly offered something unique, that I hadn't really seen before. The quantity and quality of the fine art painters were amazing. I collected at least 20 business cards and brochures. I'm eager to view and bookmark their websites.

This leaves me conflicted. I assumed if I got into this business, I would be able to "keep things local" doing the medium- to high-end shows in Wisconsin. I didn't consider that I might need to travel elsewhere to reach my target market (those willing to pay several hundred dollars for a piece of fine wall art). Thankfully, Chicago is less than 2 hours away, but getting around is always a hassle. And, more honestly, I'm not sure my husband wants to go out of his way to help me set up my booth. If a show is local, he helps me set up, but the rest of the day is his (until teardown). Anyway, a bright sunny day observing beautiful art with other artists and collectors... what could be better? Oh yeah, free lunch. Did I mention that M&M company was handing out free M&M ice cream sandwiches all day? Did I also mention that my ultra-healthy Chicken Teriyaki, brown rice, and hummus chips was also free at a restaurant that was giving away free meals? What a day!

Award Winner - National Contest!

Tonight I found out that I won first-place in Polymer Cafe Magazine's texture contest (a.k.a. the "touchy feely texture challenge.") My Leafy Leah (a.k.a. Autumn Annie) entry merited a full-page photo (page 20) in the August 2009 issue. I went to my local Barnes & Noble bookstore tonight to buy up all 7 copies of the magazine. I plan to go to Michael's and Joann craft stores to buy up any copies they have. It'll be awesome to have this on display in my booth at upcoming shows. The editors quoted the description I submitted word-for-word (misspellings and typos are theirs, not mine); the wording is very silly, but good "catchy" alliteration.

Click the scanned image to see larger size.

However, I went to the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival today and discovered I did not win the T-shirt design contest. (The winner was a Cedarburg high school student.) Below was my entry for that, as well as a photo of the winning one.

Commission - Botanical Hearts

I was recently asked to create framed art as a retirement gift for a manager/director who has been at the company for 35 years. We wanted the piece to match her home decor and a mix of florals and "hearts" in honor of her last name (Hart). I made 2 versions with different coloring. Here's what I came up with. (Click images for more detail.) A 'Congratulations' and the 20+ names of her co-workers have been etched on the backside.

Irony of "Hand-Carved"

In preparing to put up my display at the "Crafter's Den" of the Antique Mall, I want to communicate to customers that my stuff is brand new -- not used, not "pre-owned," not an antique. I also wanted to communicate that that each-and-every piece is "hand-crafted" -- not mechanically reproduced by the hundreds or thousands. (Yes, I use my laser to help with mold-making/templates, but truly the design concepts are mine, I lovingly "shape" the clay original with my own 2 hands, paint every nook-and-cranny, and frame it myself.)

My husband pointed out the irony in the above wood "tag" sign -- that I used Adobe Illustrator to design and my laser to carve the lettering even though I'm saying "hand-crafted" for the rest of my stuff. Well, technically it's true.

====

The Eagle Has Landed....

I finished framing my most "masculine" Harley-Davidson-esque design to date. Red, blue, silver, and gold. (I know, I know... I mixed silver and gold...a decorator's no-no). Anywhoo, I learned the hard way that I need to take photos without the glass, before sealing up the frame, to avoid glare. This was my first time using my new V-groover to cut a white line in the matte board. I had no idea what to call this piece... I ended up with "The Likes of Liberty -- Forget Not Freedom." I had wanted to include a quote by Abraham Lincoln ("If you deny freedom to others, you don't deserve it for yourself") but, in the end, just want the detail of the design to speak for itself.

Grand Opening (Virtually and Physically)

Not only does this week mark the debut of this blog, but this week marks the Grand Opening of my first retail gallery space! A dream come true. I will finally have a permanent location where I can showcase my handcrafted "carvings, castings, and cuttings" for display/purchase by the general public. The Fox Riverwalk Crafter's Den is a retail shop on Main Street in downtown Waukesha and my "space" will be on both floors -- in the stairwell and both 8-foot landing pads on each end, and next to the register on the lower level. All visitors will have to stroll by my artwork to get downstairs to see the other 50 artists/crafters.

The Crafter's Den is the lower level of the Fox Riverwalk Antique Mall, which has been in business for 7 years. Downtown Waukesha has experienced quite a "renaissance" in the arts since the revitalization project by the Business Improvement District. I'm very excited that my hometown is now considered an art destination (in addition to being the home of gold medal gymnast Paul Hamm, guitar legend Les Paul, and the BoDeans). The Antique Mall/Crafter's Den is centrally located next to the Waukesha Civic Theater (they share a wall). The place is huge (22,000 sq. feet) and has storefronts, entrances, parking, and registers in both the front and back of the store. The great thing is that it's open 7 days a week and I don't need to be there, except to update and maintain my display. The employees handle all the transactions and I just go online to check which items of mine have sold and replace them. (I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic, but I will be bouncing off the walls after my first items sells!)

===

Logo Design

I've been working with the shop owner over the past few weeks to come up with a suitable logo for his new enterprise (the crafter's den). We bargained that I would help him with graphic design and signs, and he would give me a reduced rental rate on my space. Deal! The only "logo" he used for the Antique Mall portion of his business was the head of a fox. So I took that concept (since it's called the Fox Riverwalk Crafter's Den) and came up with a fox next to a flowing river. The owner loved the swirly effect of the water and the circular design that looks like an official seal.

The first item on the marketing agenda was to come up with this large banner (2.5 ft. x 4 ft.), which is being printed and should be up by next Monday, June 15 for the official opening. Do you like the cool summer colors? I'm not normally a fan of blue, green, and brown -- but somehow the design seemed to fit the purpose and the owner's tastes.

I had come up with a few other possibilities for flyers and other advertising, which I've posted below.