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/

Art Hops, Painting Parties, and Other Artsy Goodness

Creativity in Bloom!

Spring has sprung, and creativity is blooming right along with it! I'm seeing more and more people wanting to freshen up their decor and add a little color to their homes.

Here are some ideas how you can brighten your home and flex your creative muscles:

2nd Friday Art Hops Begin May 12

The 4th season of Art Hops begin Friday, May 12 from 5-8pm. The guest artists this month will be a mix of talented professional artists and selected Hudson art students.

Our studios at Uncommon Art will host students from Seton Catholic School. We hosted them last year, and they're the most delightful kids: so nice and wonderfully enthusiastic about art.

Hope you can stop by and meet them!

Other Art Hops this year will be:

• June 9 
• July 14
• August 11, “Living Art”
• December 8, “Holiday Hop”

Get info about locations and other guest artists at: www.hudsonarthop.com

Painting Parties

If we've done painting parties together, you know how much fun they are.

If you haven't, well what are you waiting for?! They're tons of fun, and so simple. I walk you through it, step-by-step, show you how to do each brushstroke, and help you along the way. Anyone can do it - YOU can do it!

Two parties are open for registration. Grab a friend and a bottle of wine and let's get painting!

May 5 at 7pm – Eiffel Tower
May 19 at 7pm – Monet's Waterlilies

Cost is $35 per person. Register here:
https://squareup.com/store/uncommon-art-llc/

If these dates don't work for you, give me a call at 216-789-2751 and let's set up something just for you.

Friday Morning Sketching

If you want to brush up on your drawing skills, come join us on Friday mornings. These are free sessions, so pop in whenever you can.

Bring your own drawing materials (sketchbook, paper, pencil, pen). We usually begin with a few quick sketches as a group to get us warmed up, then work independently on views that interest us.

When the weather is nice, we'll sketch outside, so throw a folding chair in your car.

Here's where we're meeting for the next few weeks. Check the Events Calendar for more locations.

• May 5: Quaker Square, Akron
• May 12: Stow City Center (park by the playground), 3760 Darrow Road
• May 19: Seiberling Nature Realm

Thank You!

As always, I appreciate your interest in my art. I look forward to sharing some creative time with you soon.

Many thanks,
Karen Koch

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

More Art Classes And Events For Fall

This fall, I’m offering several classes as well as plenty of events.

Collage Class, Session 2: Begins Tuesday, Nov. 15th and runs 4 weeks. We’ll work in a series and learn more collage techniques. Attending session 1 is helpful but not mandatory. You won’t be lost if you start with this session.

Limited to 6 students. Register at
https://squareup.com/store/uncommon-art-llc/item/collage-class


Night of Unfinished Projects: Thursday, Nov. 10th, 7-9pm. We all have unfinished projects at home that we WANT to finish, but can never quite find the time for. Well, this is the time! Bring your project – anything from knitting to painting to scrapbooking to writing  to whatever – and work on it that evening. We’ll have a creative, relaxing atmosphere to inspire you. It will be fun; come give it a try!

Register at https://squareup.com/store/uncommon-art-llc/item/night-of-unfinished-projects

Sunday Art Parties: Sundays at 1pm. Skip the Sunday football game and come on out to the studio! We’ll make a different mixed-media project each week. Cost is $20 and all supplies are included.

Register at https://squareup.com/store/uncommon-art-llc/item/art-class-for-football-widows-sunday-pm

Painting Parties: Call me to schedule a painting party for you and your friends! I have lots of fun holiday-themed projects we can do. We can hold them at the studio, at your house, or at a restaurant. Your choice! Cost is $33 per person.

The full schedule of classes is online here http://www.artstudioinhudson.com/events/


All classes are held at Uncommon Art, 178 1/2 N. Main Street, Hudson, OH 44236. (We are on the 2nd floor.)

www.uncommonarthudson.com

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.

Fall Art Classes

This fall, I’m offering a collage class as well as a couple of open studio events. For a change, I’m posting all of my classes over on the Uncommon Art website: http://www.artstudioinhudson.com/events/ . It’s a place to put all of my classes, plus Shannon’s and Dana’s, too.

Beginning September 27, I am offering a 4-week collage class that will cover the basics, altering and transferring images, using text, and maybe even a scavenger hunt (weather permitting).

Plus, check out our procrastination busting evening on October 7th. The idea is that we all have unfinished projects at home that we WANT to finish, but can never quite find the time for. Well, this is the time! Bring your project – anything from knitting to painting to scrapbooking to writing to whatever as long as it fits up the stairs – and work on it that evening. We’ll give you time and space, plus a creative atmosphere and occasional friendly nudge to get you going. It will be fun, relaxing, and productive. Come give it a try.

Painting parties are always fun. Just give me a call or email and we'll find a time that fits your schedule.

Keep an eye on the calendar for the most up-to-date info: http://www.artstudioinhudson.com/events/. Our schedule is filling up and changing pretty quickly, so the calendar is the best place to know what’s happening.

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...

Spring Art Classes in Hudson Ohio

Spring showers bring April art classes – or something like that! If the snow and cold has you down, get out and flex your creativity to warm up.

My Spring classes are held either at my new studio (Uncommon Art, 178 1/2 N. Main Street in Hudson) while others are held elsewhere. If you have any questions, just give me a call or send an email.

Please note that space is limited for all classes so pre-registration is suggested.

Collage and Acrylic Techniques
Tuesday mornings, 9:30am-noon
5 weeks, begins May 17
Held at Cuyahoga Valley Art Center in Cuyahoga Falls. Call 330-928-8092 to register.http://cvartcenter.org/classesworkshops.html
Beginning students as well as experienced artists will enjoy this class. Try new textures, media, and materials plus combine collage and painting techniques. Learn to about these media and express yourself in your own unique way.

Painting Parties
$33 per person
Gather your friends and have some creative fun!
No art skill needed – we make it easy and guide you step by step.
We provide paint, canvas, brushes – you provide the refreshments.

April 14, 7-9pm: Vino! – FULL
Register online: https://squareup.com/store/life-needs-art/item/painting-party-vino

April 21, 7-9pm: Monet’s Garden
Register online: https://squareup.com/store/life-needs-art/item/painting-party-monet-s-garden

May 12, 7-9pm: Vino!Register online: https://squareup.com/store/life-needs-art/item/painting-party-vino

Want to schedule a painting party on another date? Just call me at 216 789 2751!

Meander JournalsTuesday, April 19, 2-4pm
$25.
A meander journal is made from a single piece of paper that is cut and folded so that the pages twist and turn (“meander”) inside the book. We’ll decorate the pages and create colorful covers. Meander journals are wonderful travel journals and are lovely as gifts.
Register online: https://squareup.com/store/life-needs-art/item/meander-journal-class

Handmade Paper Bowls
Friday, April 22, 6-8pm
Held at The Red Twig in Hudson. Call (330) 842-1849 to register.
$35 per person, or $60 per couple
Celebrate Earth Day with a clever art project that makes the most of recycled and reused materials! Spend a fun evening making handcrafted bowls that can be used to hold jewelry, trinkets, ornaments, candy, keys, or other small objects. No experience needed, and all ages are welcome.

UNCOMMON ART
Main St., Hudson, OH 44236
www.uncommonarthudson.com

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/

2016 Art Shows, Exhibits, Classes

I am looking forward to sharing my art with you in 2016! The year promises to bring a mix of gallery shows, outdoor art fairs, events, and classes. Keep an eye on my website, as I will add to it all year long as my schedule evolves. http://www.lifeneedsart.com/events/2016-shows-exhibits-classes/

April 1 – May 7
Regional Juried Show, Group Ten Gallery, Kent, OH

April 2
Grand Opening of Uncommon Art, noon – 5pm

April 2-30
Ohio Collage Society Members Show, ART WALLS at 43 Furnace St., Akron OH

April 8
2nd Friday Art Hop, 5-8pm, Hudson, OH

May 13
2nd Friday Art Hop, 5-8pm, Hudson, OH

June 10
2nd Friday Art Hop, 5-8pm, Hudson, OH

June 11-12
Art by the Falls, Chagrin Falls, OH

June 18-19
Shaker Heights Arts & Music Festival, Shaker Hts, OH

July 8
2nd Friday Art Hop, 5-8pm, Hudson, OH

August 12
2nd Friday Art Hop, 5-8pm, Hudson, OH

August 27-28
Art on the Green, Hudson, OH

December 9
2nd Friday Art Hop, 5-8pm, Hudson, OH