Mucky Boots? Spring Treats!

It's been a long winter, and I'm thrilled about all things spring beginning! Beyond enjoying the warm weather for hiking, biking and not freezing in my studio, this means new projects, events, and a spring sale.  Read on...

I'm working with the Royal Frog Ballet crew again to put on a new show called the Muck Boot Banquet on April 17 and 26.  Performers, chefs, musicians, sculptors, dancers and farmers will converge to stage an outdoor performance and eating event at Park Hill Orchard in Easthampton, MA.  Part spring celebration, part dance theater, part kinetic sculpture installation and part feast, the piece is a celebration of season and place. Vibrant, vivid, sharp, comic and tasty, it takes the audience through a walking feast of sensations. Song, scrumptious spring victuals, flowers, extravagant hats, lusty stories, and frolicking nonsense are all on the menu!

My theme is frivolity and I'll be making a maze of sorts, speckled with opportunities to play and enjoy each other's spring energy as the show wraps up. For tickets, visit the fancy shmancy ticket reservation page NOW! Tickets are selling out quickly.

I'm excited to share that I'll be teaching a Women's Welding Workshop on May 17/18 at my home studio. If you've ever wanted to experiment with steel fabrication, here's your chance!

I mentioned Local ARTery: Arts and Crafts Demonstration Day in my last post, but want to make sure you remember because its going to be fabulous!  Artisans of WMASS is putting on Local ARTery at Yankee Candle on May 3, and it promises to be a really fabulous event.  Over 30 artisans will be there demonstrating how they make their work, including jewelry,  glass, ceramics, weaving, knits, painting, tie dye, shoe making and more. Come learn and support the many talented local artists!

Other quick notes:

• "Spawn", the large piece that I built for last month's show at APE Gallery, will now reside at Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton. So... if you didn't get a chance to check it out, go sample a beer from Easthampton's first microbrewery and look it over. 
  
• To share my spring enthusiasm,  I'm offering 20% off my steel spiral mobiles between April 14- 20, and 20% off vegetable earrings and pendants between April 21- 28.  Order through etsy and use the coupon code SPRING20. 
  
• Save the date, May 31, for Hadley Creates, an afternoon of craft workshops with local artisans Heather Beck Designs, Lou's Upcycles, 230am Studio, and Katie Ray Arts. This will be an affordable opportunity to try your hand at various crafts. More info coming soon. 
• I'm painting a mural with my students at SMK Elementary School in Ware over our spring vacation.  I'm so excited to see the childrens' energetic and colorful drawings take over the entrance to our school! Here's a bit of the design in progress. 
  

• An interesting event you might want to check out (I know I will) is the new Alchemy Fair in Holyoke on April 26/27. Craft, Food, Workshops and Entertainment all brought together at by AWM member Malea Rhodes Pottery at Gateway City Arts Complex, Holyoke, MA.  

Beneath the Surface

It's March already and I've been out in the cold welding, melting and constructing a new piece for my show Beneath the Surface at APE Gallery that opens next week.  There's still a lot to do, but it is coming along and getting exciting!  The show opens next Friday, March 7, but the reception will be on March 14 from 5-8pm during Northampton Arts Night Out.

Carolyn, Scout and I have been meeting regularly to help each other think through our different pieces. Each of us is doing something very new within our practice, and though we make very different work, the similarities of layering, encapsulating and submerging are a common thread. 

Here are a few glimpses of my process and what's to come...

 

I hope you'll come see the show.  I think you'll enjoy it.

On another note, I'm hosting a beadmaking marathon day at the Yellow House in Palmer on April 5. This is an all day class where you can immerse yourself in melting glass!

Also, save the date for Local ARTery : Artisan Demonstration Day on May 3rd.  

Artisans of Western Mass is creating a large scale educational and fun environment to connect you to the handmade products you buy. Spend the day with us and learn how artisans create and produce their work. Come see over 30 artists and crafters with demonstrations on weaving, pottery, fused glass, metal working, silver clay, fused plastic, quilting, tie dye, upcycling, photography, and many more! AWM is taking over the Yankee Candle Fitness Center on Rte. 5 & 10 in South Deerfield and filling it with all kinds of interactively creative activities including make and take stations, demonstrations, and hands on learning. Admission is Free, all ages welcome. http://www.artisansofwmass.com/local-artery/

Local ARTery and other spring things

This Saturday, May 19th, promises to be an exciting handmade filled day for me and many others. I'm hoping you can join to! Local ARtery, Artisans of WMASS's signature show, will be held at the Pushkin Gallery in Greenfield, MA from 10-5. This locally handmade event will feature over 30 artists and artisans from all over Western Mass, including the Pioneer Valley, Berkshires and North Quabbin Region. Local ARTery promises a fun, diverse and kid friendly shopping experience.  The Greenfield Farmer's Market will also be happening across the street in the morning so you can get your tasty local produce and beautiful artisan work all together. 

Also on Saturday is the 3rd Spark! Art Share pick up at Food for Thought books, this time featuring work by Taylor Ceramics. Taylor Ceramics make fantastic forms in clay with incredible organic and whimsical detail.  You can still sign up for a share, or check out her display on Saturday even if you don't have a share. 

I'll be teaching a glass beadmaking class at Northampton Beadery on Sunday, May 20th. I'm not sure if this class is full, but call if you are interested because there is another one coming up in August.  And as always, contact me for private parties or lessons at my home studio in Hadley. 

My line of veggie earrings, pendants and bottle stoppers has recently been added to the collection at Nash Gallery in Easthampton, MA and will be coming soon to Pete's Produce in PA.  I'm always looking to expand the stores and galleries I work with, so if you have suggestions, send them my way. 

If you didn't get to see my sculpture show at the Burnett Gallery, you can see some of the work at Tip Top Country Store where I'm the featured artist for May/June. The rest of the work is with me now, but will be heading to NAACO Gallery in North Adams soon, which is a fabulous gallery to visit. (It's also in the beautiful Berkshires and right next to MASS MoCA which adds to the package.) There are some images from that show on facebook here.  

That's all for now. Enjoy the amazing weather!

Sculpture Show Opens!

My big news this month- I say with a sigh of relief since its all done- is my sculpture show at the Burnett Gallery. The finishing touches just went up today and its ready for the opening reception on Thursday, April 5 from 5-8pm. Please come join us! The show is filled with almost all new work made in 2012 and is on display with beautiful photography by Bill Rowley. I've tried a few new techniques and components this time around that I'm pretty excited about. Here's a sneak peek...


In other news, save the date for May 19th, when Artisans of WMASS will be hosting its signature show, Local ARTery, at the Pushkin Gallery in Greenfield. Come out to see a great mix of artist and artisan work, handmade goodies and great creative energy.



Also, the Spark! Art Share is up and running. Our first month pick up with Mischa's Collages and Steve from Little Birch Soap was a great success. We continue to add new members and next month's share will be provided by Dan Gilbert of Warm Glow. Sign up for a share or stop by Food for Thought on April 21 to see what he's been making- likely a variety of stylish modern lamps.