ARTISANworks

I've been wanting to visit ARTISANworks; http://www.artisanworks.net/home.php for years. I've lived in the Rochester area for about 11 years and I've heard a lot of great things about this place. I've also lived around the corner from it for many years, but just finally managed to visit it last weekend. I purchased a Groupon over a month ago and then a Meetup group I'm a part of announced an outing to ARTISANworks so I jumped on the opportunity to go. I invited a friend and we met others there on a cold Saturday afternoon.

Here's the skinny on ARTISANworks:

ARTISANworks is a self-funded 501(c)3 not-for profit art space that exists without government aide. We rely on the generous support from both personal and corporate members, and donations of artworks and memorabilia.

Our 40,000 square foot renovated factory building integrates arts of all kinds, events, and entertainment.

We support regional artists through our art incubator program and our collection includes more than half a million items. We take a multidisciplinary approach to the creation, presentation, interpretation, and collection of art, focusing on the visual, performing, and culinary arts.

It was very neat to go with 3 other people who had also never been there before. We took the tour and then went around the entire warehouse again as a group.  We dreamed for 3 hours about the next party or event we would host there. It's an amazing concept. While we were there they were preparing for hosting 2 weddings that evening in different spaces. There are over 20 spaces/rooms each with a special theme that you can rent out for whatever theme you are going for. You will be in sensory overload by all of the artwork. It is on the floors, walls, hanging from the ceilings and every little space. There are well known artist pieces such as Picasso and Warhol but also many local artist artwork. I even found out yesterday that my friend Karen Pelc has a couple of pieces in the gallery from her "artist days".  Makes me want to go back and see if I can find her artwork! 

Another neat aspect to this place is that there are artist studios throughout the warehouse. The day we went there were two artist in residence working and they let us visit, watch them work, ask questions about their art and so on.

I would recommend catching the tour because you get many interesting facts that you wouldn't know if you didn't go on the tour. Such as; it cost 14,000 dollars a month to heat this space!

Hope you enjoy a few of the pics I took.

Stampin' Up

While at my neighborhood art festival this September I won a free $20 gift card to this Stampin' Up card making class. The classes are held on one Tues. and one Thurs. night a month. It's taken me up until now to find a free day to go but I made it.  I took the Creative Tuesday class but really want to and plan to try out the Technique Geek Thursday class (in Dec.).  Here's the class information: http://stampinwithnicole.com/.  The classes are held in a large room in a local church right in my neighborhood so that was convenient.  Believe it or not there are a ton of women (maybe men too but not the night I went) who go to these classes each month. There are regulars!

It wasn't quite what I thought. I made two different types of cards and you basically get the supplies in a bag when you get there, go to a table where there are instructions and a sample of the first card design your making and then you just make it at your own pace.  There were a lot of instructors around to ask for help if you needed it or I found a great way to interact and meet people was to ask them for help.  Boy, stampin' up is a whole other world.  They have pressing machines and cutters, special glue dots, puffy adhesive, and the list goes on. There is also apparently an entire stampin' up lingo that kept throwing me off.

Needless to say I enjoyed creating and trying something new. Plus I made something I will get to use over the holidays and winter.  Now I want to try the technique thursday class because you learn all kinds of techniques for card making but I believe I can apply it all to mixed media work also.  I'm scheduled for December and will keep you posted!  Below are my creations!

DIY Storage Dresser

I was looking for a simple cube style unit to put storage bins in for my spare room. I couldn't find any on craigslist or that were new and in my price range. I did however find this cheap $5 laminate bookcase on craigslist and got the idea to build it up to make it taller. So I went to Home Depot and purchased four of the top decorations for fence posts ($3 each). I then used drywall screws to drill and attach the post tops to the bottom of the bookcase, turned it upside down to paint the "now legs of the bookcase" and whalah...magnifico! Total project time about 1.5-2 hrs.  My mom had gotten the bins for me previously on sale for $3 each.  I think it turned out pretty good and will work for what I want it for.

Sorry I was bad about before and after pics. But here is the pic with the raw legs attached.

I'm also considering taking off the backer board on the bookcase so that I'm able to push the bins in a little further.

A Monster Alphabet!

I was given this wonderful book by the author. She heard me mentioning that my 5y/o nephew loves everything Halloween and monsters and she very thoughtfully gave me a print. Jozen created the written portion of this wonderful book and Sophie created the amazing illustrations. They bounded the books themselves and self published.  I can't wait to see what book they create next.

  I just sent it off to my nephew and can't wait to see what he thinks!

Friday Fling! Mud & Merlot

I finally made it to this Friday night mud and merlot workshop at Genesee Pottery; http://www.geneseearts.org/Genesee-Center/Genesee-Pottery-Single-Class.php?refno=2985.  There was wine and appetizers and you received a brief lesson on throwing on the wheel. I've been intimidated to throw on the wheel since an undergrad ceramics course where we were on the wheel for only an hour and it was tragic how untalented I was at it.

However my mom and I have enjoyed taking art classes when she visits so on this trip up we tried our hand at making pottery and we had a blast going to this workshop.  My mom flung her clay at people a few times and kept throwing her sponge all over but eventually she managed to make a couple of awesome bowls.  I was uber excited because on my first try I made a cool bowl. It then took me 3 more tries before I made another awesome bowl and they even let me make one more in which I was daring and tried quite a few of the techniques they taught me throughout the evening.  It's a pretty awesome workshop that'd I'd recommend to anyone. When you are done you pick out glazes for your pieces, the instructors will fire the pieces and glaze them for you and then you go back in a bout 2 weeks to pick up your pieces.   I would definitely try working on the wheel more in the future. Maybe mugs and a vase next time. :) Check out our adventure below.

This was my first attempt and it was successful!

The Wrap Them In Love Project

I'm continuing on with my goal of at least one art creation donation project a month. I actually participated in two projects during September but the Dress A Girl project will be an ongoing monthly project.  This month was actually a goal I set to create four quilts for children by Thanksgiving. I finished before my goal date, but with my schedule being very hectic I had wanted to give myself plenty of time on this one. All in all it took me about a month to create the four quilts. I made a baby quilt, 2 children quilts and an older child/early teen quilt. I have to give props and credit to my co-workers Megan, Sandy and Emily who all donate a lunch break to help me cut the tiny squares for the baby blanket and to my mother who helped me layout the pattern for the baby blanket. This was a group effort!

These quilts will be donated to the Wrap Them In Love project; http://www.wraptheminlove.org/.  Below is info. on their purpose and mission:

Wrap Them in Love Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt organization
created to help needy children of the world.
Our Mission is to collect donated quilts and distribute them to children around the world, so they can be wrapped in love and comfort. As we all know, a quilt is a very special thing. It isn't just a blanket; it has been lovingly created by a real person. A quilter leaves a part of themselves in every quilt they make. The child who receives it will be able to snuggle up in all the love that comes in that quilt.


I was able to purchase all of the material at Craft Bits and Pieces for a fraction of the cost it would have been at a large art store. That's why I LOVE CBP!  I estimate that I spent about $15-20 on the materials to create all four quilts. On the two children's quilt I embroidered on some off white plain squares to match the other quilt pieces. The main cost will most likely be the mailing of the quilts.  Below are pics of each quilt. Enjoy!

Children's Quilt

 Children's Quilt

                                                                                                

                                                                 Baby Quilt

  Older Child/Young Teen Quilt

                     

Created By Us Pottery

I have always wanted to go to one of those paint your own pottery places but I've heard they are pretty expensive. It just so happened that recently I received a Groupon online and it was for a paint your own pottery deal. I immediately purchased it $15 for 2  to go to Created By Us Pottery; https://www.facebook.com/createdbyus?v=info.  I saved the Groupon until I found someone to go with and this happened to be a date. It was a really fun date idea and we both created hot cocoa mugs for each other. It was an interesting way to get to know someone because you had to ask them what colors they like and what style they like and try to create something that might turn out neat to give to them.  We had a great time and I would recommend this for a creative date night activity or simply a fun night out with friends.

This was mine for him. He wanted a relaxing kind of Asian look.

I did this bubble technique on the inside and on the spoon. It was silly and a lot of fun to do. (kind of looks like hot cocoa).

This was his for me. The drip effect turned out really awesome and there was a little heart on the spoon too. I love the colors and I have a preference to artwork with circles.