KENTUCK FINE ART FESTIVAL 2019

ALABAMA....HERE I COME.....AGAIN!!

I'm very excited to be heading south in two week to participate once again in the

KENTUCK FINE ART FESTIVAL 2019

Located in the heart of Historic Downtown Northport, Alabama, the KENTUCK Art Center and Festival has cultivated a rich 47-year history as a nationally known crossroads of creativity and community. Having roots in folk art, KENTUCK provides year-round programming with the mission to perpetuate the arts, engage the community, and empower artists.

The KENTUCK Festival of the Arts was voted as the #5 Art Festival in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine! I was honored to be one of the 270 artists from 29 states juried into the show both last year and again this year! The most exciting part of my experience in 2019 was being selected as 1 of 12 Award of Merit Winners from that group.

Below are a few of the new pieces I've recently finished for Kentuck.

Pepsi cans (on the left) were woven with a blue and white fabric. The stitching is with navy thread in an arrangement of leaves and stems.  The blue La Croix cans (on the right) were woven with watercolor paper and stitched with a variety of blue threads.

This third piece was created with two different metals: Pepsi and a generic can spray painted with yellow. The fabric is a red and rose batik with hints of yellow. Yellow thread was used to stitch the outline of city skyscrapers.

Summer Sunshine was created with Coke cans woven with a red, orange and yellow batik. Stitching was completed in a plaid pattern with red, yellow and orange thread.

CUT SEW CREATE STUDIO

SMALL ART REVIEW FOR 2019

In honor of the final arrival of Spring, I'm posting a review of some of my small works of art for those who may not be familiar with my work. Enjoy!! And happy Spring.

Add Box004-17 in frame

Box004-17 Sprite w
Hexagon Bar Codes

MW0081-18 Monster I
(1of 3 in this color/can

MX0026 Recycled
Affordable Housing
(Diet Coke on Book Page)

MW0034 Hexagon Cross Roads
Coke (w Olympic Rings) and
black/white fabric (in Black 3D frame)

Box013-18 and Box014-18
Both are in 3D Black Frames
Varsity Seltzer (Generic)

MX0016-17 Recycled Affordable Housing
(Coke - Coke Zero on Book Page)

MW0066 Universe of Circles
(Cream Soda - Olive Fabric)
Gold-Orange-White Circles

MW0048 Recycling the Past
(Detail 2 of 4 Vintage Buttons)

MW0048 Recycling the Past
(Unknown soda flavor)

MW0044 Quilted Flowers
(3 Embossed Rectangles)

                

        MX009 Recycle Affordable Housing (Mtn Dew - Seltzer)

  

          

MX0018-17 Recycled Affordable
Housing (Sprite-Pepsi-Mtn Dew)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MW0055 Seltzer Time II
(Generic seltzer in Grape
and Lemon Flavors)

Add MW0049 Circuit Breaker
Coke Caffeine Free
(Red fabric w embossed circles)

MW0087 Stars Are Bright
Diet Coke w 3D dots

MOVING ON AFTER THE FIVE YEAR PLAN

From Retirement to KENTUCK Festival of Arts
It's hard to believe my last post was in 2016 when I wrote about my 5 year plan towards  becoming an artist. Most of 2017 was spent moving "stuff" from Virginia to my newly purchased retirement home in North Carolina. Then all of 2018 was spent as an official retiree working on retirement issues, which included the actual move to NC, unpacking, remodeling, making some great new friends and reconnecting with other friends and family.

Cut Sew Create Studio Kentuck 2018

Along the way I did attend a few Fine Art Shows, made some new art and getting some much needed rest. 
In 2017 I attended the Frederick, MD FINE ART FAIR and the Howard Alan July 4th ASHEVILLE PACK SQUARE. Both were very good events.

But 2018 brought an exciting new opportunity when I was juried into the KENTUCK Festival of the Arts in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  

The Kentuck Festival of the Arts is recognized by the Alabama Dept of Tourism as a top-ten event in Alabama and by Alabama Magazine as a “Best of Bama” event. 

Kentuck has been featured in Smithsonian, Southern Living, American Style, and National Geographic Traveler magazines. In 2018, it was named 5th in the nation by Sunshine Artists Magazine its Category.

Alison White, BB's Sales Asst.

The show was exciting for me because it gave me a chance 
to visit with family members Walt and Alison White who lived close by.

And it also gave me an exciting boost of artistic confidence. Kentuck has a wonderful Award of Merit Program which gives artist cash awards based on a review by a Professional Panel.

And I received the Award of Merit for the FIBER Category!!! 

FALL FESTIVAL OF ARTS - ASHEVILLE, NC

To wrap up 2018 I participated in the Hot Works Fall Art Festival in downtown Ashville during the last weekend of October. The weather was a bit cold and damp on Saturday. But the sky cleared Sunday and the crowd was strong for this promoters first event in Asheville.

It's always fun when the Steel Magnolias show up!

Cut Sew Create Studio Booth
Hot Works Show
Asheville, NC 2018

The Five Year Plan

MY ROAD TO THE
2016 SOUTHERN SPRING HOME & GARDEN SHOW
CHARLOTTE, NC

In April 2010 I exhibited my first 2 pieces of art at the Del Ray Artisan (DRA) Gallery here in Northern Virginia. My only goal was to see the word “artist” behind my name.  I set a new goal at the start of 2011, to see if I could sell my art by participating in the DRA Summer Market and then the October community Art on the Avenue Festival.  

Thanks to the support and encouragement of friends, family and new patrons, I set a new goal at the end of the year.

At that point, I decided I would give myself 5 years to see if this artful adventure was going to be just a hobby, or if it was something that I would enjoy doing through my retirement years as a small business venture.

Since 2010 I’ve worked to stretch my skills and creativity at cutting and sewing fabric and recycled aluminum from soda cans. At the same time I also explored larger and larger venues for exhibiting.  Last year I attended two new events.   

I was accepted to attend the Taubman Museum of Art’s Spring Art Sale which was an excellent event. Then in October I attended The Crozet Fall Festival, a lovely event near Charlottesville, VA. As a result of attending the Crozet event, I received a very unexpected invitation in December to participate in my largest event to date.  

Along with 400 other vendors I will be exhibiting my art in Booth #3611 at the Spring Southern Home & Garden Show in Charlotte, NC over two weekends: Feb 26 to 28 and March 4 to 8.  

My booth is in Independence Hall at the Park Expo and Conference Center. Show exhibitors include all manner of builders, contractors, interior and exterior designers and decorators, landscapers and home furnishing companies. The Independence Hall exhibitors are largely focused on interior goods, services, art, design and "green" products plus the artists and craftsmen.

Below are just a few samples of my art. Right now I’m busy creating several new pieces which I will preview here as we get closer to the show. In the mean time you can always follow my most recent efforts on my Facebook page Cut Sew Create Studio.   

 

Fresca with gold fabric

Blue Circles (MONSTER soda)

   

You can follow my artful  

adventures as 

Cut Sew Create Studio on:

Facebook

and 

Pinterest

and

Silver and Gold (Coke can only; no fabric)

Instagram

 

Recycled Patriotism (Pepsi and Coke cans)

   

Dew on the Mountain (Mt. Dew Cans)

Why aluminum cans?

I’ve been sewing since I was about 12 years old which would be over 55 years now.  I made clothing and a few traditional quilts as my children were growing up. I was an art major in college but I never made time to create art other than through sewing.   

Then about 7 years ago I met Judy Gula, at a Sewing Expo. Judy is an artist and the owner of Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria. As soon as I visited her store, I knew I wanted to create mixed media art. 

I started taking classes and one day we were stitching paper, then I was stitching paper and fabric together. And at some point……..I decided to cut apart an aluminum soda can to 

Recycled Affordable Housing (Blue)

see if I could sew it along with the 

paper and fabric. And I’ve been doing it ever since; saving the planet 1 colorful soda can at a time. And I’ve been doing it ever since; saving the planet 1 colorful soda can at a time. 

Recycled Affordable Housing (Red)

TAUBMAN MUSEUM OF ART - SPRING ART FESTIVAL
MAY 2015 ROANOKE, VA

Thanks to the encouragement of my cousins who live in Roanoke, I applied and was accepted this past May to participate in the Taubman Museum of Art Spring Art Festival. It was a big step up for me in the world of exhibiting and selling and only my second venture outside NOVA.
All in all it was a very good weekend!

The museum is ultra modern, the event is held on the streets between the Taubman and the famous Roanoke Outdoor Farmer's Market. The weather was great (well most of the time) and the crowd was large and very friendly. The set up for exhibitors and volunteer support was super

One of several new small pieces

I created just for Roanoke.

The background is quilted

fabric with scraps of metal

weaving laid on top; each is

embellished with metal dots.

I changed the booth and added a table to accommodate the "smalls"

 To see more of the Taubman visit their website: http://www.taubmanmuseum.org/main/

GROWN UP ART CAMP

This July I'm excited to be offering two workshops at the Del Ray Artisan Gallery for their GUAC or Grown Up Art Camp. The Gallery has offered art camps for kids for several years. But last year we decided that adults needed a little time for artistic fun as well. This year, I'm offering two workshops. Both only 1/2 day and both involve the creative us of recycled aluminum soda cans.

To sign up for my workshops or any of the other outstanding options, go to the Del Ray Artisan Gallery website at this link: Del Ray Artisan Art Camp Calendar 2015


Come join me and let's have some fun.....let's be creative with recycling. Come join me and let's work together to save the planet; one soda can at a time!!!



WORKSHOP #1: RECYCLED BLING

DATE: Friday, July 10; 10 am to 12:30
WORKSHOP FEE: 
$45 DRA (Del Ray Artisan) Members

$55 non-DRA Members
$10 Supply fee
CLASS SIZE: 5-15 Participants

Want to make a fashion statement this summer?                                 
Then join the fun and make your own unique 
earrings from your favorite aluminum beverage
can. Participants will use scrapbook punches to
cut earring shapes, which will be embossed 
with a Cutterbug Machine. These light weigh 
accessories are so much fun you'll want to
make them for all your friends. 




All supplies and some tools provided. Instructor (that's me) will have 100's of pre-cut cans. But if you want a specific color, flavor, or brand, bring 2 clean (un-cut) soda cans for each pair of earrings you want to make. Tools list is sent at registration.

WORKSHOP #2: 

CHRISTMAS IN JULY - RECYCLED HOLIDAY POSTCARD

DATE: Friday, July 10; 2 TO 6:00 PM

$65 DRA (Del Ray Artisan) Members

$75 non-DRA Members

$10 Supply fee

CLASS SIZE: 5-10 Participants

Want It's never too early to start working on your holiday greeting cards! Join this workshop
and learn a quick 3-step process to turn junk mail postcards into recycled seasonal fun.
participant will collage the front of postcards with mixed papers. Pine trees pre-cut from
recycled aluminum soda cans will then be machine stitched over the collage. 

In step 3 participants complete each card by machine stitching a finishing paper to the back. These completed postcards can be mailed without an envelope. All supplies provided, except
sewing machine, thread and needles. Complete supply list will be sent after registration.