Tag Archives: Artists

Mother Daughter Tile

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perhaps you recall that i am a gushing fan of the swedish artist camilla engman. she examples someone who has made herself very accessible via the web, I feel often artists are so elusive and mysterious. I fell for Camilla’s authenticity and her very unique expression.

when she posted that she was working on another collaboration with ceramicist karin ericksson,  an artist I also have admired, thanks to her work with Camilla, I went to peek at the items they were clearing out to make room for their newer pieces.

I was quite taken with this particular piece

i thought, wow – this tile says mother/daughter to me, how totally cool.

on a whim, i ordered it.

and so here it is – just in time for Mothers Day!!

i had to take a close up of the signature. LOOK…both of them signed it!!

when it arrived… I emailed both of them.  i shared that the tile was here, safe and intact and that i was delighted and grateful.

both artists entertained a few forth and back emails with me.

oh my goodness more gush.

perhaps my photography will someday have an adoring following.

yes, i have artist envy.

by the way, my daughter and I?

we are just like the ladies in this tile.

very happening!!

Meeting Artist/Author Franke James

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Just got back from a much needed and wonderful road trip to Toronto.

Artist /Author Franke James, whom I admire tremendously,  lives there and had agreed to meet me.

One can’t even begin to imagine my “pinch me” delight at this opportunity!  I say pinch me because Franke’s an inspiration to me.

Prior to my leaving, Franke shared some very alarming news about the canadian government blacklisting her pending european art show. Her post sharing this news was written the night before I left.  All I could do with the time I had was share a tweet about it pointing to her post. Her headline spoke to being silenced.

WOW — I found myself wondering how that would feel?

Imagine having your voice or your art completely squelched!

In today’s day of free speech and expression that just doesn’t seem possible, yet we ALL know censorship happens all the time.

On her blog post I wrote this comment:

Franke James examples creative brilliance, powerful voice and female gumption. Blacklisting her or any artist just isn’t right. Governments rearing their ugly heads like this show who and what they really are. I agree social media will have a field day with this, to your advantage I hope Franke – you deserve better.

Just watch social media will take this ugliness and story to a level not possible in traditional mediums. It will be interesting to see what happens as the situation continues to unfold.

Our time together was amusing.

My getting way lost in Toronto ( ugh ) delayed my arrival terribly.  She, in the mean time, found herself in between a conversation with Huffington Post and a radio interview.

I had all kinds of questions prepared in my head, yet with my late arrival, her flurry of activity, her returning from being out of town the days prior, and everything else. I found myself unfocused and I have to admit a bit star struck.

She told me I looked exactly like she imagined.  I felt the same way  – her big warm smile, giggly personality, cute as a button outfit and her trying to just go with the flow and make it all work was positively endearing. She, her home, her husband, her daughter just arriving for a visit and again the absolute flurry of her life all still had me feel welcomed, treasured and exactly what I might expect from Franke James.

I spoke to her about being famous and what that might be like and she just said …you mean that we might be normal despite being famous??   Uh – I had to agree!!

Franke James green journey captured my attention in 2007.  I was a brand new and very naive blogger.  I left a way too gushy “fan” comment on her post about her giving up her SUV. The truth was I had never been exposed to such original expression or voice.  She impressed me.  Her visual essays exampled the amazing potential and unique opportunity blogging offers.  She also examples a very human and accessible person.   Not often found in fame.

Since, and purely because of the blogosphere I have felt an integral part of her green evolvement and fame!   This speaks over and over to why I love the connecting and power of blogging.

Thanks to social media her recent turn events will not go unnoticed.

I look forward to continuing to be part of the story.

P.S.  Thank you Franke for the signed copy of your book, My Green Conscious!!

Images below taken by karen hanrahan 

 

 

Images below taken by Franke and Bill James 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends Of The Arts

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A scholarship organization knows as Friends Of The Arts is hosting a Postcard Art event this evening. Hundreds of artists submit postcard size pieces in support of students of the arts in need.  Artists range from very high profile, to artists like me who are just starting out to college student art.  I attended the opening reception a few days ago and just adored the 4X6 format.  I wish the event tremendous success!

These are the two pieces I submitted:

Photographer: Karen Hanrahan ~ scapes: stills, nature, nudes etc

 

Artist Jason Mack

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In the community I live there is a young man who blows glass.

Mack Glass Factory is housed in this amazing turn of the century warehouse that leaks water. Actually the building doesn’t leak or drip,  it sortof pours. Puddles are part of the decor.  Jason Mack’s studio includes his furnace, his kilns and remnants of creations he’s made in the past. There is glass everywhere. The community, partly a large state college campus contributes beer bottles. This is part of his medium, recycled beer bottles from the students nearby. Very way cool. 

Jason is a remarkable and innovative artist.  One if his unique presentations includes windings.  He spins very thin threads of glass into a form. One of those forms is a Christmas tree.  Last year, near his studio, he demonstrated a winding while the community watched.  The more glass the community contributed the higher the tree!   LIVE art. The result was this amazing sculpture.


photo courtesy of Jason Mack – I adore this photograph!

This year Jason will be winding at a more prominent community location, the Performing Center For The Arts.  The first two weekends of December, Bloomington folks can contribute glass and come watch this holiday glass tree become.  Let it wind – Let it wind!  This years goal is a 16ft  tree! 

$50 $100 and $500 sponsorship tiers are available. Mack Glass Factory will also be selling special handmade glass items, including ornaments and goblets at the Performing Center For The Arts


drawing by Jason Mack

By the way, the windings are on wheels. He can do them in just about any community! Perhaps your community wants one!

I met Jason this past June. He gave me “his version” or tour of this town as well as shared the name of his best friends realtor.  The rest is history. I moved here in July!

Timothy Kent Gallery And Framing hosted an opening of Jason’s glass drawings in August.  Much of what was shown were these stunning panels of woven threads of glass. All were heated in a kiln that Jason actually built himself. To me they appeared as fabric. He experimented with hue, shape and width of threads. He even created  tables! The results are absolutely breathtaking



above photos courtesy of Jason Mack

Over the summer Jason entered a live art competition. ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan hosted over 1200 artists. Each artist had to be accepted and affiliate w/ a business in town.  The works were created on site live and spanned over several weekends. Votes were gathered as the artists created. The goal was to make the top ten and the prizes were big cash!!  Jason made a tidal wave completely out of threads of glass. In the end Jason Mack was voted in the Top 25.  An amazing accomplishment!!


photo source unknown – sorry
Jason Mack’s Glass Tidal Wave