Friday, May 20, 2011

Happy Crafters!

It is here! Today is the first day of the Spring Craftacular! 14 artists in all, we are all set and ready to go and can"t wait to see you this weekend. The show officially opens today at 4 at Open Space. We will all be there from 4-8 today (the 20th) and 10-5 tomorrow (the 21st).
Open Space is located at 455 Second Street SE, next to ACAC in downtown C'Ville.

We will be holding a raffle again this weekend so please be sure to look for the raffle table and enter to win!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Featured Artist - Meg Runion


Each frame is individually handcrafted and created to be a unique addition to your home or the perfect gift for someone special.

Made to be displayed with or without a photo, they are so much fun to make and in the end each frame takes on a unique character of its own.

http://www.megrunionstudios.com/

Featured Artist - Pottery Studio Karenmatsu

My name is Ken Nagakui. Although my main interest has been in painting, once I learned pottery, I wanted to so something about it. It was as if some sleeping Jomon (Japan's prehistoric earthenware and its culture) spirit somehow activated in my. My work is hand built and wood-fired.
http://www.potterynagakui.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Featured Artist - Zapata Designs




My name is Andres and i grew up in La Virginia and Santa Marta, Colombia. i first started making jewelry when I was very young as a part of a family of artisans. In 2006, I moved with my wife, Gini, to Charlottesville, Va, where we now live with our daughter, Isa. I frequently travel to Colombia where I make much of my jewelry using techniques I learned from my family growing up. I use a wide variety of materials in my jewelry, but as you browse through my work you will see that I really enjoy working with silver, emeralds, fresh water pearls, shells, and seeds from Colombia and the Amazon of South America. I hope you enjoy my work inspired by the beauty of the tropics.


http://www.zapatadesigns.com/

Featured Artist - Annaesthetic

Annaesthetic was founded by fiber artist and designer Anna Shapiro. Anna received a BFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2001. She now lives and works in Providence as an independent artist and designer. Her textile collection can be found at galleries and juried art festivals across the country.
Artist Statement
I individually hand loom each piece in my textile collection. My love of form, fabric, and texture is a natural extension of my background in sculpture. I enjoy creating original patterns that feature many unconventional approaches to knitting. My favorite fiber to work with is Bamboo because of its incredibly soft texture and eco-friendly attributes. I also have been exploring innovative ways to knit and felt merino wool in a new line of sculptural scarves. I strive to create work that is highly functional, elegant, and contemporary. When it comes to the art of adornment, I believe there is beauty in function and function in beauty.

Featured Artist - Sew Seamless


All of my items are on of a kind treasures that are created in my little sewing room in Charlottesville, Va. Sew Seamless was featured in the "Made by Southern Hands" section of the September issue of Southern Living!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Featured Artist - Paradise Dreamin'




Our Mission at Paradise Dreamin' is to make a positive social and environmental impact by creating clothing that is comfortable,healthy & eco friendly. We have partnered with some of the most respected eco friendly USA manufactures that offer organic clothing with responsible manufacturing,environmental stewardship & fair labor practices.Join our network of socially & environmentally responsible consumers.TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO LIVE MINDFUL OF THE PRESENT AND PLAN FOR OUR CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN'S FUTURE. PEACE & GOOD HEALTH TO US ALL!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Featured Artist - Victoria Horner



I'm a handbag designer based in Charlottesville, VA. My bag business began in 1997, but I've been sewing since I was 13.Before bags, I was a dress designer in New York. Each bag is individually designed and crafted in my home studio. I am the sole proprietor of my business, and I take great pride in the quality and workmanship of everything I produce.


My larger bags are structured and very durable. The smaller shapes don't require as much stability but are still interfaced. Each bag has a surprise lining color, carefully chosen to best accentuate the outer fabric.

Shelter for Help in Emergency




We are happy to announce that we have chosen SHE, Shelter for Help in Emergency, to donate a portion of our proceeds from this years Spring Craftacular. This amazing organization provides a variety of services designed to empower victims of domestic violence and to create a community of support. If you are interested in learning more about SHE or see if there are ways you can help visit their site at http://www.shelterforhelpinemergency.org/

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Featured Artist - Lotta Helleberg











Lotta Helleberg is a textile artist with a background in graphic design and print making. She works primarily with linen and utilizes a technique in which leaves and other plant material are coated with paint and pressed onto fabric. She is also exploring natural dyes and eco-printing, where the plants themselves release color pigments which bond with the fabric. The resulting impressions are incorporated into quilts, fabric collages, and a variety of functional and decorative objects.
The beauty of nature is a constant inspiration and a common theme in Lotta’s work. She is also committed to environmentally sound production methods, including the use of water based, non-toxic inks and dyes, and natural, or reclaimed fabric. Lotta was born in Sweden and now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her work has been exhibited at several regional galleries.


Featured Artist - ByCary




I am a cardmaker, photographer, coastermaker, artist who loves dabbling in lots of different media. I love polaroids, paper, watercolors, waste not paper colors, good design, cards, textiles.



"Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art"
- Leonardo Da Vinci




http://www.etsy.com/shop/caryoliva

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Featured Artist - Martha Keith

Martha McLeod Keith began metalsmithing in 1993 in James Madison University's Metal & Jewelry Program where she knew instantly she'd discovered a passion. Her metals education and experience has continued through workshops at places like Penland School of Crafts and Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, and through employment goldsmithing and blacksmithing. Today the full-time studio jeweler makes one of a kind and limited edition pieces that are sold in galleries and by commission. Her award winning pieces are exhibited nationally. O n w a t e r . . ."Growing up by the Rappahannock River where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay, water had a huge impact on my life. Today, I relate life's fluidity to that of water. My work embodies a spirit of that smooth flow that I relish. I design and create all of my jewelry in my studio in Charlottesville, Virginia."

Featured Artist - Silver Muse Studio

My name is Nancy and I'm the sole owner, jewelry designer and maker at Silver Muse Studio. I am the mother of two active boys - ages 7 and 19. Because of their age difference, it is like having two only children. They keep me busy in their own ways. Making jewelry is a great creative outlet for me and helps keep me sane!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have enjoyed making things - whether it was a poster for a school project or jewelry out of brightly colored telephone wires my father brought home one night. I used to love to watch my father use his power tools in his workshop. I was amazed at what he could create with his hands and few tools. Today, I really look forward to going to my studio and using my own power tools to create wonderful jewelry. Using my hands to create something has always been a great...

Friday, May 13, 2011

Featured Artist - Tavia Metal



My jewelry is both industrial and delicate, it is edge and sweet. Inspired by the dichotomy of life, my style of elegance with an edge connects me to this duality that exists within my life. Being a mother and an artist is a constant balancing act of two things that at times seem extreme opposites, yet at other times appear to be born of the same seed. my inspirations come directly from life experiences, namely family and memories, but they are also derived directly from the material which I am working, the tactility of textures and the awe I have for nature.

Featured Artist - 2nd Chance Studio

Hi, my name is Kim, and I have an accumulation problem. I've been collecting since I was a little girl, though I've never really understood the magnetism of old things as related to me until recently. It's now much easier for me to let go of something that the world views as precious - my delightful duty is to take those things lost, forgotten, broken, and in a state of decay, and show the world how incredible they are. truly.

Most artifacts and most people deserve at least a second chance... just as people tend to grow older and wiser, so do the things of this world - true beauty emerges the more storied the item becomes.


Often, the bits of broken are the most beautiful bits of all. Cracks, patina, crazing (most any evidence of again) make my heart melt and my mind race. The decaying border of an ancient box. The miniature landscapes created by peeling paint. The fantastic, organic patina of oxidizing copper. the beauty of a hole that remains after a nail was driven eighty-one years prior. These are the things that inspire me. I attempt to reuse as much as possible of every old item that I dismantle and reconstruct, down to the rust screws and bent nails.




http://www.etsy.com/shop/secondchancestudio

Just a week away!

Countdown is on and we are all so excited about this years spring show. We have an amazing group of artists including:

bycary
Lotta Helleberg
Victoria Horner
Jarvis Ceramics
Paradise Dreamin'
Sew Seamless
Annaesthetic
Meg Runion
Patty Wallens
2nd Change Studio
Silver Muse Studio
taviametal
Zapata Designs
Pottery Studio Karematsu

Stay tuned for more info on each artist.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

You could win!

Each artist at this years show has donated a beautiful piece of work that you could win! Be sure to look for our raffle table on Friday and Saturday and enter to win!


See you soon!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Save the Date for shopping at Spring Craftacular!

15 local designers, one beautiful space.
Find the familiar and explore what's new!

OpenSpace, next to ACAC in downtown C'ville
455 Second Street SE

more details to come...