Sculpture at Amherst Chamber Thursday

I have a sculpture show at Amherst Chamber of Commerce for the month of March. Opens at Amherst Artwalk on Thursday, March 3, from 5-8pm. Galleries will be open across town. Take an artistic evening stroll... ?

Beadmaking Demo at ETTA Studio Thursday, and Valentine Shopping at Handmade with Love, February 12

I'll be doing a glass beadmaking demo at the ETTA Studio in Amherst tomorrow night (February 3) as part of a bigger event showcasing local Youth Art and ETTA's instructor work. There will be a live band and other festivities. I'll be lighting up the torch around 6pm to get folks excited to make some glass beads in my class which starts next week! Still accepting sign ups for this class- limit 5 people. Try something new, and warm, this winter!

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Thursday Feb. 3rd, ART WALK AMHERST 5pm-7pm.
*ETTA Art Gallery located at 534 Main Street in Amherst is proud to
Exhibit the work of our teachers and students.

Come and delight in the wonderful Art Works that will be on display made by children and teens of all ages. Paintings, mini-environments, collages, drawings, paper-mache and clay sculptures can be viewed during the month of February.

*A special DEMO during this month's Art Walk: GLASS BEAD-MAKING
by artist Katie Richardson
Thursday 5-7pm FEB.3rd during ART WALK
with Live Music with local Teen Band "Who'da Funk It".

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Try Something New! Glass Beadmaking

Happy New Year!

Just letting you know that I have 3 upcoming glass beadmaking classes for those of you who have been wanting to give it a try.

Option 1: ETTA Art Studio
EMPOWERMENT THROUGH THE ARTS
534 Main street
Amherst, MA 01002
413-230-3272 or etta.arts@yahoo.com
Introduction to Glass Beadmaking

This fun class will introduce students to the art of flameworking by learning to melt glass over a small torch to make
stunning glass beads. Basic techniques such as using stringers, cane, dots, layering, and raking will be covered,
and students will leave with a variety of beautiful handmade beads.

4 Tuesday sessions, 6-8pm: 2/8, 2/15, 3/1, 3/8
Class cost-$140. $15 material fee per class
Instructor will bring materials and provide all tools and equipment.

1/2 price deposit to hold your spot. Limit 5 students.




Option 2:
Bisque Beads and Beyond
141 North Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 442-9300


Glass Beadmaking Workshop, 2 sessions on January 22nd, 9am-noon, or 1-4pm

Come hang out for a morning or afternoon and see what its like to melt glass over a torch to make colorful beads. Basic techniques will be demonstrated and you'll leave having made a few of your own beads. Truly unlike anything else you've tried- this incredible craft is sure to have you mesmerized!

$75 for the workshop plus $10 materials fee


Option 3:
Bridgewater Art
232 Broad St
Bridgewater, MA 02324
(508) 279-0707

March 5th, 3 hour workshops, 9-noon or 1-4. More details to come.

Call Bridgewater Art or let me know if you're interested in this one and we'll be sure to get you all the info.

Last Minute Holiday Treats- Friday

Here's your last chance before the holidays to grab some great handmade goodies. Come to the Winter Warmtimes- a festive gathering featuring 5 local artisans' work, the Connotation singing and fun times together in a relaxed home atmosphere. 5-9pm this Friday, December 17th, at 22 Aldrich St Northampton.

Also, I'm having a sale in my etsy shop. 10% off all items Wednesday and Thursday this week (12/15-16). Just type in 'HolidaySale' when you are asked for a coupon code. I will be offering free shipping on Friday as part of a national Free Shipping Day.

As always, check out artisansofwmass.com for more great local gift ideas.

Happy Holidays!

Weekend Events!

This weekend you can find me at two great events- both great opportunities to wrap up that holiday shopping with local, handmade goodies. Saturday is the Crafty Rumpus put on by the Greenfield Center School. The Rumpus you say? Yes, its called the Rumpus! I mean its gotta be work a visit. You can browse the list of artists and get more info here .

Then on Sunday I'll be at one of Boston most exciting handmade events of the season- The Boston Bizarre Bazaar! This one features a great big selection of handmade art, craft, functional and decorative wonders. The info is all here http://bazaarbizarre.org/boston/.

SCULPTURE SHOW

Finally, I will have a sculpture show opening in Northampton next Friday night, December 10, during Northampton Arts Night Out in the Living Arts Studio, 5-8pm. This will be a sweet little show of sculpture, with some new and some old work included. You can see all the participating galleries by going to the Arts Night Out site here. http://artsnightout.wordpress.com/

And as always, please try to keep you dollars local by shopping through Artisans of WMASS! Many of our Etsy shops will be holding promotions in December, including free shipping day on the 17th, or other discounts. Search "wmass team" on Etsy to find all these great local artisans.

Artisans of WMASS + Artspace Holiday Sale, Twist and Craftopia

UPDATES from ARTISANS of WMASS

Our fabulous group of local artists and artisans is expanding rapidly (now over 50 members!) to include a fabulous selection of handmade art and good. Please remember to check us out as you start to think about your holiday shopping, and tell your friends too. Shopping with us is a great way to support local artists and the creative culture of the region as well as keep money in your own community. Check out our website to see all the fabulous things we have to offer. Look on the blog for the various shows we'll attending. Grab a bumper sticker from us at a show, plop in on your car to help spread the word. And stay tuned for a special AWM online holiday sale! www.artisansofwmass.com

NOVEMBER SHOWS

This Friday and Saturday you will find me in Greenfield among a variety of handmade treasures. Artspace in Greenfield, MA is sponsoring a Holiday Gift Sale at Greenfield High School on Friday, Nov. 5, 6 – 9 pm and Saturday, Nov. 6, 10 – 4 pm. Admission and parking are free. Thirty artists will participate, showcasing works in fiber, pottery, glass, jewelry, painted furniture, wooden bowls, holiday ornaments, paintings, photography, dolls, doll clothes and more will be available at the sale. The sale is located at Greenfield High School on Lenox Ave., Greenfield MA.



Next weekend, come on out for TWIST, the valley's favorite indie craft show. Twist is a fresh kind of fair, showcasing original goods and art from 60+ talented vendors. It's always a lot of fun, with music and drinks on Friday night, continuing all day Saturday for lots of holiday shopping. As usual I'll be in the East Gallery next to my friend Ben Westbrook of BMW Ironworks and Donnabelle of Donabelle Designs. Get some veggie glasswork for your friends and family, or order that something special you've been thinking about.



The vibe of this show is just awesome and the selection and ingenuity is outstanding. I really recommend a visit. It's held in the Northampton Center for the Arts beginning on Friday November 12 with VIP entrance from 4-6pm. If you come then you have to pay more, but you get a swag bag ad first peek at all the goodies! Then the show opens for the regular admission price from 6-9pm and continues on Saturday from 10-6pm.



Finally, on Sunday the 14th, I'll be at another sweet show for any of you who are farther south or feel like taking a drive. Craftopia, a great indie fair run by Rhody Craft, is in it's second season. It's located in Pawtucket Rhode Island, just outside Providence and will be open from 10-5pm.

'Complementary Contrast' opens this week!

The work in this show is about complementary contrast, between Joshua Primmer's work and that of Katie Richardson's. "We make diverse forms through very different approaches, yet the works seem to formally complement each other and start a conversation," states Richardson. She continues: "The show is so named also for the binary elements in each of our individual work. For me, the material contrast is the combination of glass and metal. Glass is seen as a delicate, beautiful, fragile material, while steel is associated with structure, rigidity, and strength. These materials complement each other and create a delicate balance while the forms defy the traditional characteristics associated with the materials...The thematic contrast in my work is safety/ danger, fear/ comfort, belonging / exclusion"

Primmer adds: "The elements that I contrast in my work are surface and form. This is an abstraction of the relationship between medium and process and the relationship between nature and man/technology. Medium and nature are represented by surface and process and man/technology are represented by form."

Hope you get a chance to see it! I know it's far away for those of you down here in the valley, but a trip up to North Adams at this time of the year is gorgeous, so its a good excuse. Take a drive, see some art, go hiking among the fall colors and enjoy!