World Collage Day, May 12, 2018

The first ever World Collage Day will be held Saturday, May 12, 2018. You know that’s right up my alley!

Uncommon ART will have artists doing collage demos and a make-and-take project for visitors. The Learned Owl Book Store will host Gretchen Bierbaum signing copies of her book, Collage in All Dimensions. Gretchen, as you may know, is President and Founder of The National Collage Society.

Activities at Uncommon ART will run from 11am-3pm. The book signing will take place from 11am-1pm.

Come join in the fun!

Kolaj Magazine, an international publication dedicated to the art of contemporary collage, is organizing the event.

For more information about World Collage Day, search for the hashtag #WorldCollageDay or visit:

National Collage Society: www.nationalcollage.com

Kolaj Magazine: www.kolajmagazine.com/worldcollageday/

Learned Owl Bookstore: www.learnedowl.com

Uncommon ART: http://www.artstudioinhudson.com/2018/04/29/celebrate-world-collage-day-on-saturday-may-12th/

Kickin' It With Kenny

Kenny Crumpton of Fox 8’s Kickin’ It With Kenny came to visit our studios last week. We gave him a quick tour of the place, then we he interviewed us LIVE on air!

It was a really enjoyable experience - he's easy to talk to and is gifted at making us introverts sound good on camera.

He visted 4 places in Hudson: the Fire Museum at Town Hall, Peachtree Southern Kitchen, and Gwendolyn Elizabeth, and us at Uncommon Art.

Watch our interview here:
http://www.artstudioinhudson.com/2016/11/12/kickin-it-with-kenny-comes-to-uncommon-art/

All the videos from his Hudson visit are here:
http://fox8.com/2016/11/10/kickin-it-with-kenny-hudsons-own/

Uncommon Art is an art studio, gallery, and classroom in the heart of historic Hudson Ohio. Visit our website at:
http://www.artstudioinhudson.com/news/

Discover Hudson 2016

Imagine my surprise when I opened my Hudson Hub Times recently and found the Discover Hudson 2016 magazine inside – with my artwork on the cover!

The magazine has a well-written and beautifully designed article titled “Art On The Green” about the artists in town. Check it out on page 26.

The image on the cover is my painting of the Hudson Clock Tower in the style of “The Scream” by Edvard Munch. It’s part of my series that depicts the clock tower in the style of famous artists, a lighthearted take on our beloved icon.

Here's more about my clocktower series:
http://www.lifeneedsart.com/blog/what-if-famous-artists-were-inspired-by-our-clock-tower/

Read the article in Discover Hudson 2016 at https://issuu.com/dixcom/docs/discover_hudson_2016_export

Wine Tasting and Art Show, Nov. 3

For one night only, join us at Viva Bene Gourmet for a wine tasting and art show!

Thursday, November 3rd, from 6-8pm, sample a lovely selection of wines while you browse my art along with Dana Giel-Ray and Mary McKee Distefano.

Be sure to RSVP for the wine tasting, if you want to participate, by TUESDAY, November 1, to 330-653-9800 or erin@vivabenegourmet.com .

The art show has no admission fee.

Viva Bene Gourmet is located at 219 N. Main Street (behind All Brides Beautiful). It’s a wonderful shop with an irresistible selection of wines and gourmet foods.

http://vivabenegourmet.com/

Trees I Have Known, And A Few Shrubs

One of the joys of sharing a studio with other artists is having the opportunity to work together. As we have come to know each other’s styles and inspiration, we discovered that we have a common love of nature, and that inspiration takes many forms in our work.

With that common ground, plus a nod to the 100th anniversary of our national parks, we have collaborated on an exhibit called “Trees I Have Known, And A Few Shrubs”.

Several of my Roots and Roads series will be on display, plus I have made some new tree-themed collage pieces. Dana has been working on tree-inspired jewelry with designs of acorns, leaves, and branches. Shannon’s paintings and drawings of local trees round out the exhibit.

The exhibit runs October 21 - November 12.

The exhibit is on display at Uncommon Art, in Hudson.



Also visit www.uncommonarthudson.com or www.facebook.com/uncommonarthudson.

Art on the Green 2016

This year's Art on the Green was another lovely event. The weather was hot and sunny, and brought out the crowds.

I love this show (it's around the corner from my studio, after all) but it's a bit bittersweet. Because it's held on the last weekend before Labor Day, it's a signal that summer is coming to an end.

This year's show was held:

Saturday, August 27: 10am – 5pm
Sunday, August 28: 11am – 5pm

Art On The Green attracts 150 local and regional artists, showing art, woodcarving, glass, metal, sculpture, fiber, jewelry, enamel, and more. It is consistently one of the nicest shows around.

The show is presented by Hudson Society of Artists. Be sure to visit their page and give them a like: https://www.facebook.com/groups/148018308548353/

Also visit: http://www.lifeneedsart.com/events/art-on-the-green-2016/

Insufficiently Wrapped, a collage

“Insufficiently Wrapped” plays on the envelope theme with an image that couldn’t be contained.

I liked the idea of a neat and tidy envelope spilling messy contents all over the place.

Envelopes are meant to contain, but sometimes they just can’t hold it in anymore.

The envelope is made from a magazine image that I altered with solvent, then painted with transparent gold paint. The button is not real – it’s a sticker.

http://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/insufficiently-wrapped/

Too Much To Contain

“Too Much To Contain” looks at what happens when the envelope is too full and the contents are released.

I love the mix of modern and vintage bits here: graphs from a 1950s physics book, vintage elements from the 1880s, mixed with modern snapshots and maps. It’s a wonderful, complex mix of items.

The envelope is made from a piece of paper that I painted, along with a vintage stamp. An odd view of it from the side is below, taken while I was holding a mat on it to check the progress.

http://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/too-much-to-contain/

Remembrance, a collage

“Remembrance” uses a modern envelope paired with a vintage greeting card. I wanted to echo the greeting card with the other elements in the piece, so looked for papers with a similar feel.

As I have tried to do in other recent pieces, I tried to be somewhat spontaneous in my approach and not over analyze the selection and placement of elements. I wanted the overall effect to be loose and energetic, full of life, though the style of the vintage card hints at having been used to remember a life.

http://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/remembrance/

Going Forth, a collage

Remember the excitement of finding a real envelope in the mail, one with a card or letter?

Envelopes are more than paper: their purpose lies equally in being able to wrap, contain, and conceal, as well as open and release. They are the messenger, so rarely (never?) are they the reason for the missive.

Yet being wrapped and opened, sent and delivered conjure up all kinds of emotions for us. In the Envelop/e series, I’ll explore those emotions.

http://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/going-forth/

Walk In The Woods, a collage

“Walk In The Woods” continues my exploration with a collage process that is more free and intuitive.

No carefully analyzed plan, no agonizing over each piece. Instead, I tried to put pieces together because they felt like they belonged together.

Do vintage buttons, corrugated cardboard, and French knots really belong together? Who knows, but they seemed to belong together.

http://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/walk-in-the-woods/

Waterfall, a collage

“Waterfall” began, as so many of my abstract paintings do, with quick and instinctive swatches of paint on paper. Quick and energetic, applied in an intuitive, physical way.

After the paint dried, I enhanced the paint with some machine stitching to draw attention to it and add texture, then added the puff of shredded black paper.

http://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/waterfall/

The Dunes, a collage

“The Dunes” was an enjoyable collage to put together. Rather than raiding only my stash of papers and yarn, I took a walk outside and picked up plant materials (grasses, leaves, petals) that I included in the artwork.

So is it an exact place? No, it’s meant to just suggest seashore, dunes, beach grasses, rocks. I was going for a sunny, breezy feel that could be anywhere along a coastline.

more...

Roots and Roads #2

“Roots and Roads #2” is a continuation of a series of artwork that explores roots (where do we come from) and roads (where are we going).

Inspired by the idea that we need to be grounded in our past helps us grow toward our future, I made “Roots and Roads #2” from old book pages, maps, and printed images. No thread or yarn in this one; it didn’t need it.

More...

2nd Friday Art Hop on April 8, 2016

The 2nd Friday Art Hops in Hudson kick off with an Arty Scavenger Hunt on April 8th.

Visit galleries, studios, and shops for clues about art. Pick up an Art Hop Trading Card at each location, solve the artsy clue, and get the trading card stamped. The more clues you solve, the more entries you have for raffle prizes.

Uncommon Art will be one of the locations on the hop, and all 3 of our studios will be have clues ready for solving.

It will be a fun night, so gather your friends and get ready to search!

For more information and a map, visit http://www.hudsonarthop.com/blog/april-8th-is-a-scavenger-hunt/

One-of-a-Kind Paper Bowls

Before I begin a new collage, I will often paint papers in bright colorful patterns, so that I can tear them up into pieces to use in the collage. I also hoard collect other interesting papers: old maps, books, handmade papers, and the like.

These papers are really fascinating! Sometimes I am hesitant to cover them up inside a large artwork because they are so interesting. Plus, they seem to multiply: no matter how much I use, my paper stash never seems to diminish.

Recently, I got to thinking about how I could use the papers in a way that would still keep them visible so they could be enjoyed. That led to experimenting with making paper mache bowls from them. Wouldn’t you know – they are so cool!

The bowls have decorative papers inside and out. Some are 12 inches across, while others are 2-3 inches. Some are rustic looking while others are more polished.

Holden Arboretum is offering them in  their Gifts from the Heart of Nature shop. Plenty more are in my studio.

The bowls are lovely decorative accessories and are good for holding jewelry, trinkets, ornaments, candy, and such.

Stop on out and take a look!

Holiday Hours

During December, we’ll keep the studio open for a few extra days and hours. Here’s our schedule for the month:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 10am – 5pm
Thursday, Friday: 10am – 7pm
Saturday: 10am – 6pm
Sunday, Dec. 20th: noon – 5pm

CLOSED: Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day.

In January, we’ll return to our usual hours of Tuesday-Saturday, 11am – 5pm.

Please come see us for all your gift-giving needs! We carry chain maille jewelry, handpainted silk scarves, original paintings and mixed media art, Hudson gifts, decorative bowls, and greeting cards. Plus, we do BYOB painting parties! They are super fun and can be given as gifts.

220 N. Main Street, Hudson, OH 44236

Hope you enjoy the holidays with your family!

Hudson Art Hop on September 11

September 11th is last monthly Art Hop this year. I can hardly believe it! This year has flown by…just flown!

To end the season, the focus this month will be on art education and learning something new. I will be offering materials to make your own postcard-sized collages. If you haven’t done much collage, then this is a quick and fun way to try it out.

Other locations will have projects to make, demos to watch, or artists to learn from. As always, it will be a fun time.

Download the Art Hop flyer to plan your visit.  Hope you can stop by on September 11th, 5-8pm.

p.s. The Holiday Hop will be Saturday, November 28, from noon – 6pm.

Art Break Day 2015

Friday, September 4th is Art Break Day, a day when everyone is encouraged to sit down for a few minutes and make art.

Yes, everyone! You will be pleasantly surprised at how good you feel after only a few minutes of drawing or painting.

Stop by my studio that day: I’ll have lots of art supplies to use and some projects to give you inspiration.

If you can’t make it to Hudson that day, do something artsy for 5 minutes. Keep it simple – grab a couple of markers and doodle, or dig out that old set of watercolors and splash some paint around.

This year, I am fortunate enough to be able to give away “Art In Your Pocket” boxes, a pocket-sized assortment of art supplies. All you have to do is stop by and pick one up.

For more info, visit http://www.lifeneedsart.com/events/art-break-day-2015/

Art On The Green 2015, Hudson, Ohio

Art On The Green, my favorite show of the summer, is coming up soon!

Show dates and times are:

Saturday, August 29: 10am – 5pm
Sunday, August 30: 11am – 5pm

Held on the South Green in Hudson, Ohio, it has 150 artists from around the region. I will be in Booth #92, near the food court. Hope you can stop by and say hi!

Download the show map: http://ojs.biz/files/events/46/Map_2015.pdf

http://www.lifeneedsart.com/events/art-on-the-green-2015/