On My Studio Table Now: The Nighttime Tree

This afternoon someone contacted me and asked if I had any trees ready to go, and as luck would have it....my fingers are currently flecked with tiny shards of glass from the tree I am working on today (truth be told, I've been working on this for many, many yesterdays as well....trees take for-e-ver).  Once I set the final tiles and grout it, everything will really pop.

There's a good amount of black iridescent glass to make the nighttime sky pop. the turquoise stars are fun, but my favorite bit here is the flower line, highlighted with some very 3-dimensional turquoise rosebuds.  I like the effect of the added dimension here, will definitely try this again.

I am hoping it will be ready for my big show this weekend, the Lake Norman Fine Arts Fair in Huntersville, NC (in Birkdale Village).  Fingers crossed! 

Spring 2013 Show Schedule

At last here it is, still waiting on a few show decisions, but for now:

April 13th-14th: DURHAM ART WALK, Durham, NC.  Sat: 10am-5pm, Sun: 1pm-5pm. Come see my newest mosaics at the Durham Art Walk's SITE 17, 604 W. Morgan St (West Village Loft Apartments).  There are 33 separate Art Walk sites across downtown Durham, all within a 5-10 minute walk of each other; along with 25 other artists, I will be at SITE 17, 604 W. Morgan St. (there are 2 Art Walk sites at West Village, and I will be in the former leasing office), Click HERE for a link to the Art Walk Site Map.

April 20th-21st, LAKE NORMAN FINE ARTS FESTIVAL, Huntersville, NC (Birkdale Village),  

April 27th, SPRINGFEST, Southern Pines, NC.  Saturday only.

April 28th, ART ON THE SQUARE (50th Anniversary), Williamsburg VA, Sunday only: 10am-5pm.

May 4th, PEAKFEST, Apex, NC. Historic Downtown Apex, Saturday only: 9am-5pm.

May 18th-19th, ARTSPLOSURE, Raleigh, NC

June 1st-2nd, 57th STREET ART FAIR, Chicago, IL

What Are Your "Real Things"?

Small Mosaic, 2012; 6" by 6" ... love that little frog

If you've ever tinkered with writing and the books and workshops of the writing community (especially that Reference/Writing shelf at Barnes and Noble's, where all the how-to-be-a-writer books rest), you've probably come across the name Natalie Goldberg. She's a well-known writing coach and is best known for her book Writing Down the Bones. If you have an aspiring writer in your life (or in your mirror), this is a practice-changing book.

But outside the book, Ms. Goldberg offers the following wisdom, featured in the mosaic above:

“Our task is to say a holy yes to the real things in our life.”

— Natalie Goldberg

So what are the "real things" in our life?  Are they branded within us, always there?  Or are they always evolving?  Are people "real things", or are "real things" independent of relationships?  Is art one of my real things?  If so, was it one of my real things 2 years ago when I wasn't making any art at all?

If I had to name three real things in my life, they would be:

• art: visual and writing
• desire to always find a new way
• core relationships

Do you know what your real things are? Are you saying a holy yes to some of them? On the flip side, are you living a life where you regularly say a holy yes to the not-real things in your life? Why, really?  Would love it if you'd share in the Comments.

Perfect Right Now

Clementines...Chapel Hill, Trader Joe's...Go There

If you're in Chapel Hill bike or drive or walk to Trader Joe's right now to grab a box of the most perfectly sweet/tart, picture worthy clementines.  Best ones we've ever had in this house -- actually, best ones we've had ever -- ate them right alongside dinner last night.  And what a nice centerpiece they make, too.

Big box of netted clementines...Trader Joe's, $6.99. Cool pottery leaf "bowl": Orange County PTA Thrift Shop, $3.00  How can you not love that?  Cheaper than a bouquet of flowers.

Fabulous pottery finds are a fringe benefit of scouring local thrift shops for china, beads, and jewelry for my mosaics.

Everyday Inspiration #1: Cutlery

Little by little, I've been trying to encourage an artful life by inviting little punches of art into everyday surroundings here and there.  Not big wall art, but more the everyday things I touch and use daily.  And my absolute favorite piece everyday art is my,,,cutlery.

Each piece features it's own unique design, front and back

Cutlery.  Flatware.  Silverware.  Whatever you call it, this funky, mirror-shiny, heavyweight, mismatched set by Sasaki makes me smile every day.  It's called Village of Sienna, the pieces weigh more than my mother's sterling silver, these spoons do not bend when you scoop ice cream (I know, you're not supposed to do that...but we do), and the art/design is identical on the front and back, gorgeous any which way.  It is bold, it is loud, it grabs attention, and it is the reason I have plain, white dinnerware.  Don't want to distract from this shiny happiness.

In all honesty, it's like eating off a piece of art.

For a long time, this was an insanely expensive pattern, retailing for $80 a 5-piece place setting.  No, not for a whole set, for a single 5-place place setting.  Yikes.  I found a great deal a year ago from a store that was liquidating, and was thrilled to find it for $20 a place setting.  Well, today it is even better...I just saw that Costco.com has a set of four 5-piece place settings of Village of Sienna (20 pieces all together) for $64.99.  I don't even know how this is possible, but here it is.  I don't need any more myself, but if you are looking for some bold, unique flatware, this is it.

Evocative of classic Italian, mountainside architecture

I know that it might become a whole lot less unique now that Costco.com is selling it, but I like the idea of more people making deliberate choices to include artful and inspirational items in their everyday lives.  I think Martha would say that was a good thing, and I agree.

Note: Please know that I don't get paid anything if you click on the links, buy the silverware, I get nothing.  Just sharing this gorgeous artistic pattern and the crazy good deal, hoping to encourage bold, unique choices.  Enjoy if you are so inclined.  

This Jersey Girl's Art Is Hanging in a Real Mall

Artfully Out Loud display at Southern Charm, Cary Town Center Mall, Cary, NC

Malls are near and dear to my heart, as I grew up in New Jersey (shout out to The Mall at Short Hills, where I couldn't afford to buy anything besides an Orange Julius....and to the Livingston Mall, where all the regular people like me actually did shop).  So it's especially exciting that I can now walk through a real mall -- complete with marble floors  and sunlights and public spaces -- and see my work hanging up, for sale.

My work is now available at Southern Charm, at the Cary Town Center Mall, in Cary, NC  (announced here on their Facebook page) Come check out my mosaics in the right, front window, on the black=painted and burlap-draped wall.  This photo was taken by Southern Charm maven Laura (of BeDazzled) before the black burlap was up, so it looks even cooler and more earthy now.  

I currently have all my available inventory hanging at Southern Charm, every single piece that is ready for sale.  I am busy at work on some new pieces for Southern Charm: a large mirror, some loooong narrow pieces (7" by 28",,,,very cool), magnet sets, and some 10" by 10" mirrors.  Not to mention a new gift line that will be ready for 2013 Mother's Day, Father's Day, and graduations.

If you stop by Southern Charm, let me know what you think, and what you'd like to see more of.  Product ideas, quotations, anything.  Because if I know what you'd like, I will make it.  It's that whole Field of Dreams idea.