"Found" at The Art League, Torpedo Factory

Actually Beth kept saying "Of course, you'll get in, it's what you do" I actually did!  Get into this month's Art League show "Found" - art featuring found objects.  Actually I got TWO pieces in (see March 17th post for part of the other entry http://stifelandcapra.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-weeks-challenge-found-objects-part.html

But, ahem, one is not ALLOWED to have two pieces in so I spoke to the director and picked the wall piece as it is larger (2x4 feet) and more graphic.  The bummer is that had I juried in for the "found" show AND the all members show I would have been qualified to show in the Bin Gallery next year.  For that privelege you have to juriy into three shows throughout the course of the year.   As I am on a mini-roll you might think I was home free but the League's fiscal year ends in June.  Now there is an incentive to actually submit every month!  Stay tuned!  

Happy Birthday, Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

Downloaded my camera last night and realized a lot of time has elapsed since my last post. Eek. Nothing like the kiddies being out of school to throw off one's inadequate routine. April's FIRSTfriday was a lot of fun, between it being a school holiday and Good Friday I wasn't sure who would be there but my daughter's Girl Scout posse was there en force to wish her a Happy Birthday! The young ladies also modeled some of Ashleigh's lastest vintage fashins. Cute, eh?

Not as cute as Cathy in her bunny ears! The tradional Stifel and Capra sale is "wear your Easter bonnet or bunny ears and get a discount" and there were those awesome clients Charlotte, Jane, Stephanie, Margie and more parading in their bonnets and working the (mostly bling!) discount!

Beth Loftis and I went down to the Art League at the Torpedo Factory on Tuesday to drop off art and ran into a mini-Stifel and Capra meeting - artists Jane McElvany Coonce, Sandi Douglas Parker, Elizabeth Hudgens & Bud Hensgen were all there either submitting pieces or volunteering behind the counter. Fun. More fun because both Beth & I got in! Those photos tomorrow!

If you can't go to the beach...

Our beach weekend got curtailed because my husband's employer got a Friday afternoon Request for Proposal from a client. This is a good thing UNLESS you had plans to take the kiddies to the beach for spring break... So as a condolence prize we decided to bomb up to Baltimore for the day and go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. We had a great, goofy time. I was enamored of the new Jellyfish exhibit. I won't bore you with all of the photos I took but I love this one!

The harbor "chessie monsters" were not running but the "4-D" nature movie was playing at the Aquarium so we got to rock out the 3d glasses! The kids had fun eating up at the bar in the Hard Rock Cafe'. Signature Munchies and souvenir glasses later we headed home and made it back to Virginia in an hour! Woo hoo, my traffic juju holds!

Is it craft, is it art?

One of the conversations I hear debated at the shop is the difference between craft and art, Craft and Art, or just plain crafty art!  To distill it down to basics it seems to be to be less a matter of craftsmanship sometimes and more a matter of price points and marketing!  I have started to write 4 different "next sentances" to this paragraph and I am laughing because anything I can think to say is sure to offend SOMEone! About their own art or craft.   
Take sewing for example- right now I have hanging in the store custom made and sewn vintage ladies dresses from the 50's and baby clothes and christening gowns that are even older than mid century.  The craftsmanship and care that have gone into the pieces scream "work of art" to me but they are simply regarded as apparel to most people.  I will confess most of my sewing is more of the crafty variety- here are two items I recently finished for clients.  The first is a wedding gift for a couple that was combining households (including kids!).  Instead of doing the traditional wedding invitation application I used a family candid from the wedding.

Charlotte's family has a big family farm way out in the country.  This wool blanket is a family treasure that normally hangs out at the end of her bed but it was getting REALLY threadbare. Charlotte has seem my photo transfer work so she came up with the clever concept of using old photgraphs of the farm and her family to restore, mend, and patch the aforementioned fuzzy blanket!  I loved the idea but I especially loved the bottom-most shot of  Young Charlotte with her goat.  Priceless!

This Week's challenge: Found Objects, Part 1

This month's Alexandria Art League Challenge involves creating art out of found objects.  My personal chaellenge was not to buy ANYthing to put the pieces together; to work completely out of my studio.  I am working on two projects, one small, one large.  The first project is this unnamed doll.  I think she looks snappier in person than on camera, but she was fun to configure.  The second piece is the largest canvas I have worked so far a 2 by 4 foot canvas that has parts that look like they were unearthed from storage spaces.  I have titled the collage "Alma's Attic" in honor of a client estate sale buy.  Part of the goodies really are from Alma's house!  The rest uh, ALL from my studio, including the rusty square head nails.  I really will pick up anything...

Have tons of new things in the shop this week.  Lots of cute easter bunnies, pretty spring floral corsages, and lovely light apparell.  The sun is shining and we are all SO ready for spring.  It was quite exciting to go have coffee today & sit outside!  Enjoy-

Spring has Sprung!

We had a lovely FIRSTfriday night last week with DJ Gaskin (that's us surrounded by all of her glorious paper art!). There is still time to sign up for her workshop. Just contact me if you have any questions.

There WERE flowers coming up under that three foot snow bank. Hooray! Nothing like a couple of sixty degree days to beat back winter. Here are my first crocuses. The other chore that got accomplished this week was my beloved family cleaned off the debris of winter and fluffed the front porch for spring. Give me a couple of weeks ad I will have the vintage pillows and the big libation pitcher out there as well.

Come meet the Crazy Cats and the Lioness Poet!

My husband NEVER buys me "make-up" flowers but one of my artists that missed an appointment did. Thanks Bud! Certainly added a little sunshine to the desk during the yucky weather. They lasted a full two weeks, make that a lot of sunshine!

I found the craziest lamp the other day. Do you remember those huge console tv's in the 60's? Well it was all the rage to dim the lights to get the best view on your humoungous tv. The only light in the room should be the discrete glow from a small lamp on top of the television. Hipsters might have one like this cool cat lamp. Made by Kron, it has a bulb in its cutout back so the kitties cast an aura around their perimeter as well as through their funky eyes. Groovy!

Tomorrow is FIRSTfriday in Falls Church and I am featuring the work of Lioness Press founder DJ Gaskin. Dj is a poet, journaler, art book creater, card artist and beautiful person! Come meet her and all of our resident artists, have some snacks and see what is new from 5 to 8 tomorrow, Friday,March 5th. I REALLY missed everyone last month because of the snow cancellation so I sure hope you can come out and paly on Friday!

LOTS going on...

One of the things I grump about is the county where I live's obsession with "being busy". Actually felt like we joined the ranks last weekend. Belated Mardi Gras party on Saturday-

Blew up TWO HUNDRED balloons for the Cub Scout's 100th Anniversary Blue & Gold dinner. Worked,worked,worked and then neglected to make the basket I promised for the Marshall High School all night grad party Fund Raiser . OOPS! Luckily Tatiana was patient and I am happy with was we donated. Give it a bid!

need a DC Souvenir?

As requested, here are some examples of Washington DC area pillows I make from vintage postcards.

Had a great time at the Falls Church Arts opening last Friday. My blue haired girl collage titled "It's not just a Phase was one of the first pieces sold. Hooray!

The Ladies make their debut!

The Ladies are making their debut this evening at the Annual All Member Falls Church Arts Show. The opening is this evening if you care to join me! For details go to www.fallschurcharts.org . I had a blast treasure hunting earlier in the week. But I. Must. Stop. I have GOT to get through the intimidating MOUNTAIN of paperwork I have been accumulating. My resolution for next week is to just systematically go through all of the papers, requests, forms, etc. and take care of each one as I touch it as opposed to just shifting piles back and forth, dragging them back and forth from home to studio to shop. Wish me luck. And if you have any hints, do let me know!

A sense of accomplishment!

This go round we didn't so much shovel snow as chisel it! Good neighbors Phil, Sheila and Bill came out yesterday and helped me pry (literally) packed-into-ice chunks of snow but with a little help from the snow we got the bulk of the sidewalk clear, Whew! I am glad I don't have to be concerned about pedestrians being impaled by our monster icicle installation. The shop is set back far enough from the street that we can just enjoy them.

As most of us are in cabin fever mode it amused me to make this "nesting" oriented collage. Hope you like it!

Here it comes again!

Thank you to all of the brave souls that ventured into the shop in the last couple of days. ALMOST made the shoveling worthwhile. These icicles are out of Angela's studio window. Energy efficient, no but beautiful, yes!

The weatherman says we are due for another 10 to 20 inches between tonight and tomorrow. As you look at this pile under Jane & Sandy's studio window I am not sure WHERE we are going to put the snow. *Sigh* Please check in here for the latest shop info. Be safe.

More Re-Birthday Photos