Small Works 2008

Stand Up Strait

The Duplex

Pretty Small Cage

Here are three works I entered in the Small Works Exhibition at SCAD's Red Gallery.

They measure 10 x 16" and are stretched on brick molding frames I built myself. I enjoy working with a more elaborate cage structure and can see them becoming more and more intricate. "The Duplex" also presents the opportunity to address living arrangements and architecture that either inhance those arrangements or work against them.

Spy Pigeon

I am in the library doing some research and I thought I might share a picture or two.
David and I along with our good friend Jeremy took a trip up to Bethesda for the Small Press Expo. While we were there we took in some sites, among them and by far the most interesting was the new International Spy Museum. I was completely inspired by this picture of a WWII Spy Pigeon. It not only makes me want a pigeon of my very own but it also makes me wonder what this pigeon might take pictures of on his off days.

A Few more commissions.

The Handmade Market

Months ago David and I traveled up to Raleigh NC for my first Handmade Market. It was right before Mother's Day and the crowd was almost non stop so it made it hard to shop for my own gifts, I was very happy to see a familiar face at the table next to me.

SewOno! We met at Ice in June 2007 and I was so excited to see her again. You should check out her blog at http://sewono.blogspot.com/ and her Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5156498

After the show we loaded up the car and hit a few thrift stores on the way out. where I purchased what would be the basis for my first piece featuring the birds in cages. I took a picture of the fabric while i was in line at the store as a part of my embellishment class I was taking at the time.

Reincarnated

I was asked to participate in an art show sponsored by the City of Savannah put together to promote the new recycling program and center. Anne Robinson coordinated everything so well and really made it a great show. I use mostly fabric that I find at rummage sales and thrift shops in my work and she saw some of my work at Mutation and Loop Link and Tangle last year. I wish I had got more pictures of the artwork there was a lot of clever artist using resources in a way that promotes reuse.

You can read more here. http://www.ci.savannah.ga.us/cityweb/savannahgagov.nsf/47b9dd27b9097a5485257296007391cc/b5538b0deb1c952d852574360050d7d4?OpenDocument

Buswater 2008

The end of June was my second time to be a part of a West Virginia show called Buswater. Here is a look at the work I sent to them.

Yeah, they are all birds in cages.

Here is an artical from last November's Buswater. I don't think I included it in the blog from last year.

http://www.dailymail.com/Entertainment/200712060235

Here is this years Charleston Daily Mail:
http://dailymail.com/Entertainment/200806190221

Some Commissions

I remember showing a drawing a while back for a commission I did for a nursery. Well, three months later here is the finished product (the work has been sent and received long ago I am just late as usual with posting). The picture is not so good on this photo but it gives you the idea. Kat, the woman who contacted me as a result of The Handmade Market in Raleigh, wanted these specific animals. It is always fun working with guidelines like this it forces me to work with characters that I probably would not otherwise.

As a result of that one of her friends had me create this one. Speaking of working with characters I would not normally. These are both done in three panels and I was excited to use the octopus in that format.

The sketch.

The Fabric

Caged Birds

I have started a new series of Illustrations. Birds in cages. They involve free motion embroidery on a sewing machine, hand stitching, and a dash of imagination. Here are some of the smaller ones.

Shadow Box Birdie

Wings and Things

I was in the winter Society of Illustrators show here at scad a while back ("Things with Wings")this was the piece.

Ice Atlanta

It is that time of year again. I will be traveling to Atlanta on June 7th for Ice Atlanta. So many fantastic artist all in one place. Click on the title to go to their website. And come see me if you are in the area.

Ps. the website is back up and running.

I made this a graduation present for a family member that just lost their cat Shiloh.

Sketches I am working on for a commission. I have to make a few adjustments to the owl.

I am just finishing up a fibers class and cant wait to post some of that work. I am also working on two gallery shows for west virginia. Things have been busy lately.

I just wanted to get a few pictures up because I haven't been keeping up with the blog like i should.

The website is down.

Not forever. I let the time laps on the domain and they took all the fun down. Until I can find the disk that the website is on or find time to make a new one (my prefered choice) we will just have to live without it. I still have this blog, and etsy (thefamilychicken.etsy.com). I need to do better keeping up with both. I am still making things and going places, but i feel i can't do them justice right now. I will be back later with lots and lots to look at.

The Handmade Market

http://www.thehandmademarket.com


I signed up for The Handmade Market on Monday.

I was on the fence about driving, but as I feel asleep on Sunday night I felt a little disappointed when I thought I had missed the deadline. Thinking a little harder I remembered my Little Twin Stars planner, David bought me while he was in Japan, starts it’s weeks of on Monday and not Sunday. It wasn’t too late after all.

So that is where I will be Saturday May 3rd.

Fabric Paintings @ ShopSCAD

These are just a few of them. Small Space Bird (sorry it is such a bad picture)

Hedgehog with bird balloon

http://shopscadonline.com/

Geets at ShopSCAD

Four of each color. I don't know if they got them up on the website yet.

http:shopscadonline.com

New website drawings.

A lot has happened since the beginning of the year. Shop SCAD is carrying some of my fabric paintings and geets. I am involved in an art show sponsored by the City of Savannah. One of my fabric paintings was in the SCAD Society of Illistratosr winter show called "Things with Wings". And I have set off on an adventure through the vast art of cake decorating. But I don’t have pictures of any of that right now so you will have to settle for a drawing of this bird I would like to animate for my new and improved, flash driven website. I have high hopes but I don’t know if it will ever happen but I like the sketches.

Small Works @ Red Gallery

I have five works from "The Great Heart War" in this upcoming show.

Nov. 28, 2007-Jan. 1, 2008 "Small Works" - An Annual Exhibition For the Holiday Season Featuring Unique Art by SCAD Students, Faculty, Alumni and Staff Priced at $500 or LessRed Gallery, 201 E. Broughton St., Savannah, Ga. The Savannah College of Art and Design presents the 2008 "Small Works" annual juried exhibition for the holiday season featuring works on sale for $500 or less and measuring 18 inches or smaller. The exhibition highlights an exceptional range of media including photography, painting, ceramics, collage and mixed media by SCAD students, faculty, alumni and staff. This exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, contact SCAD exhibitions.

Bus Water Show

Trapped and Confused

Take-out Tonight


Rabbit Ears

Possum Finds Heart

Paratrooper

Nut Hunting

No!

LuLu Hedgehog

Bird Hearts Deer

Acorns

These are the Fabric Paintings I sent up to an invitational show in West Virginia called Bus Water. I cant attend the reception, but I know it will be a blast. I can't wait to see pictures of all the other artwork.

Mutation Craft Fair Fall 2007

I had alot of fun this year. I met a lot of nice new friends that are full of talent. I have more pictures, but I will have to post them later.

Here is an artical featured in the Savannah Morning News. They wrote a little about me. (you can click on the title of this post to go to the website and see more pictures.

Call 'em mutation misfit crafts

This one was in the paper.

French crepes, organic tomatoes and fiddle music mixed with created creatures with crazed countenances.
The season's final Starland Farmers Market shared the midtown parking lot with Mutation: The Venue for Misfit Crafts on Saturday. The craft fair, minus the tomatoes, herbs and a few other vendors, continues today.
At the time of year when craft fairs abound, these tables hold the unusual.
Julie Lake's jewelry invited a hands-on approach, where touching "warms the art." Some of her pieces incorporated foam insulation for an exhibit coming up at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Ore.
At the table with artwork from the community gallery Indigo Sky, Asa Chibás invited people to their opening reception Dec. 1. Jerome Meadows, Judy Mooney and Luther Vann are a few of the well-known names among the 16 listed who will be a part of the afternoon holiday fundraiser exhibition at 915 Waters Ave.
Chibás said they hope to raise money to support programs for children and the exhibition of their work alongside that of the professionals.
Business names under the craft fair tent reflect the nature of their owners, such as Pandora's Button Box and Landgoats Junkyard, with "all the junk you've always wanted."
Other names are fairly straightforward: Danielle Demasi sells bags. Betsy VanderVeen Rutz sells her handmade books and papers. Karin Soderholm designs quilts.
Leslie Geer stood behind the table of little potted succulents from Greenware Design. She's the planter, and Irene McCollam's the potter. Geer, a graphic artist, has a familiar story: "I moved away and came back."
Kristie Carlisle Duncan tells her story on TheFamilyChicken.net. Her logo came from a bird her great grandfather drew. Her little sachet sacks of lavender- and honey-scented rice developed faces with button eyes. Originally called drawer monsters, they have grown into "Geets."
She also sews free-motion designs on cards for holidays. She liked the back better than the front, "a happy accident," and turned them backside out.
A crew from HGTV's show "That's Clever!" filmed her in April working on her ceramic pieces formed from balloons dipped in slip, then popped. She hopes to be on a segment next spring.
Mary Singleton Curley was part of the Saturday Farmers Market with her herbs, jewelry and fabric painting. The 1957 graduate of Beach High School left for Seattle for 20 years, then came back home to be with family.
Aunt Alice brought her Homemade Soaps.
Margie's Gone to Pot is the functional pottery of Margie Thompson. She had a new, bright, greenish-blue that "feels good in your hands."
Maria Fernanda Castro was handing out information about recycling Saturday. Green Lifespace consults about recycling and picks up material from 10 restaurants. They pick up recyclables from the Telfair Art Museum and some public events for free.
Yvonne Jouffrault was working behind a mobile yellow stand turning out crepes, "the French hot dog." She was working behind the hot plate where husband, Olivier, can usually be found. The Nutella crepes were usually the best seller, but Saturday, lemon reigned supreme.
Joe Nelson, alternating on fiddle and banjo, played with James Pittman on guitar. They had my attention when they played one of my favorite shape-note songs, "Angel Band."
Meghan Shannon and Amy Nieto are the organizers of the mutation craft fairs. Shannon said this was their sixth seasonal fair.
"We all work," she said, so craft fairs are created in the in-between moments. The fair continues today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between 40th and 41st off Whitaker or Bull streets.
Adam Levine donated a couple of his quirky stuffed dolls called Adimals to raise money for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization. The Adimals will be adopted by the highest bidders in a silent auction.
After all of that creative fantasy, it was good to stop by Nita Dixon's restaurant for ribs, squash casserole, beans and rice.
That's a Savannah day at its best.

Find Rexanna at rexannalester@ comcast.net, or by calling 912-897-0641, or write to her at 201 Battery Way; Savannah, GA 31410. Columns are posted at http://new.savannahnow.com/in_print/column/rexanna_savannah/