Inspiration in Abundance!

Meet Lea Jordan from Inspired By Me...

My name is Lea Jordan. I grew up in Solon and I am a 2007 Solon High school graduate. I went to Ohio State ATI for about 2 1/2 years and I loved it. I majored in Greenhouse Management and Greenhouse Production. I am currently working on an organic vegetable farm and I love every minute of it. As the farm is only seasonal, I needed to do something on the months I was not working. Thus, my crafting took off and I had a very large inventory. 

I have always done some sort of crafting growing up. As for attending craft shows, this is my first go at it this year. This will be my very first time attending the Avant- Garde Arts and Crafts Show. I am very excited to be a part of it!

 Anything and everything inspires me. I love to make something out of nothing and make things that people will love. It is my way of relaxing and showing my creativity through my work.

I discovered my talent at a very young age drawing pictures. I then got into sculpting animals out of clay and working with lanyard. After hearing everyone tell me how talented i was, nothing could stop me. I was always interested in trying new things. I love working with my hands.

My process varies. Sometimes I am able to think of something to make, or how I want to make it right away, and other times it takes a few days or even months to get inspired on how to finish it. I am very particular and very symmetrical with my work. I forget that sometimes not everything has to be totally perfect, I'm working on it!

I would love to be still attending craft shows in 5 years, and getting my online website out there to more people. I just want to keep doing what I love. Just growing my business and meeting more people along the way.

I haven't really thought about having a "message behind my work". I just really hope that people take the time to notice the details and precision that I have put into each one of my crafts to make them special, and the very best that they can be. 

My website is lajinspired.weebly.com

I have many pictures on it and more to come!

Meet Adrienne Wasserman from A Piece of Time ...

I am a retired early childhood music specialist, and before that, a pre-school teacher.  I love music and performing, having done some little theater and being part of the cast on a children’s T.V. show for a few years, before it was cancelled.  I now enjoy volunteering with a musical entertainment group, working with children at a transitional housing facility and Make a Wish Foundation. 

I have been creating jewelry for about five years now and am looking forward to being part of my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show.

   

Inspiration for creating my jewelry comes in many forms.  Sometimes I buy a piece of jewelry and take it apart because I can imagine the beads or stones in a different context.  Even the lines or colors in a painting, or something in nature can be inspiring.

My father was a jeweler and watchmaker.  After he passed away, I was left with his vintage watch movements and parts.  They sat for many years, until I had an idea that I might be able to put them to use by creating something new.

Starting by taking classes, I began to incorporate some of his pieces into my own designs.  It was a liberating feeling to create something new with his pieces, while adding other materials.

Although I plan out my beaded pieces, I usually use a ‘free style’ to create my wire wrap necklaces and watch part pieces.  That sounds a bit risky, but I love the freedom of creating as I go along. 

There is still so much more to learn and experience, as in all parts of life.  I hope to continue to be inspired and constantly find new ways to create.  I greatly enjoy what I am doing and hope that in five years, I will make many new discoveries.

If there is a message behind my work, it is to not hesitate to be different and stand out.  For me it’s a nice feeling when I create something that I know I won’t see anywhere else.

Meet Shari Wolf from handmade13...

My name is Shari Wolf. I grew up in Beachwood, Ohio, and I reside there now.

I live with my second husband Mike and my two sons. Noah is a sophomore at OSU, and Ian is a senior at Beachwood high school. I have two stepdaughters Jessica (28) and Emily (25) who live in Boston, and a stepson, Mark (25) who lives in Cleveland. We have two dogs, Pedro and Dot, and a cat Henry.

 I have been an artist since high school. My original business was called Shar13, and I did that from 1993-2001. I just started my new business handmade13 two months ago. This will be my first Avant-Garde show.

My creative inspirations come from the wonderful whimsical world around me. I was a professional illustrator for years, and I just took my drawing skills a step further. I have been doing artwork since junior high, and went on to art school for college.

My creative process comes from my head. I just get ideas and test them out. I hope in five years I can be doing the same thing with lots of new products. Always keeping things fresh. My message is whimsical with a little hint of humor. I use fun sayings and there is always a surprise.

Meet Mary Novak... 

I have always had a passion for sewing; from when my daughters were little I made their clothes; to now where it has developed into a hobby.

About 15 years ago, I retired from the work force and was able to concentrate on the two things I love to do the most; gardening in the summer and sewing for the craft shows in the winter. I am currently making handmade tote bags, purses, table runners and a few miscellaneous items. All my products are quilted with felt lining and cotton-poly interlining.  

The products I make, come from my own personal needs. A few years back, as the economy was pushing towards a “greener” environment, I felt it was important to do my part, so I made tote bags to use when I went shopping.  From that time, my customers had requested different sizes they could also use for work and now for their tablets. The purses also started out the same way. I have several different styles and looking to add more kinds based on my customers, needs/wants.

This will be my first time selling at the Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show and look forward to meeting new friends and customers.  I am also in the process of putting my products on sale on the internet by the end of the year.

I love spending the time in creating each item and hope the recipient will enjoy them as much as I do.

Meet Brenda Mattox from Metals, Inc. ...

Metals, Inc. has  been in business since 1978 and is located in Oakwood Village.  Our Fabricator/Creator has been in this occupation for over 30 years.  

While outside enjoying horseshoes and corn hole, there was a need to find a secure place to set a beverage so there is no spillage. That's when the idea came, then the design, and then the need to customize.

Our cup holders are durable, sturdy, and powder coated to help endure a long life.

This is the first show we have entered and are excited to show case our product.  Reasonably priced, they would make great gifts for outdoor social events.

2014 Heights Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday December 14, 2014, 10:00am-4:00pm

Park Synagogue Main (Kangesser Ballroom)

3300 Mayfield Rd.

Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

Art With Inspiration. Making and Impact.

Meet Lindsay Roth from Designs by Lindsay Marie...
My name is Lindsay Roth and I have lived in Ohio my entire life. I am married to a very supportive and patient (!) husband and we have three children.  I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t doing some kind of art or writing.  At the age of 10 I started private lessons with the incomparable and forever missed Judi Hertzi.  I had the pleasure and opportunity to study with her until I was 18. Since then, I have explored so many mediums, just recently I was obsessively using markers to create patterns, and suddenly I’m making paper jewelry!   I’ve been at this craft for less than a year, and the passion I have for it is stunning.  I cannot get enough information about techniques and I love when I learn something new. This will be my first Avant-Garde show and I so excited and humbled to be among such amazing artisans. 

I think the list of what doesn’t inspire me to create would be shorter than the list of what does!  The seasons, my children, my emotions, memories, smells, the texture of something all inspire me.  Everything is a catalyst for me to open myself up and let the ideas flow. 


What got me into paper jewelry making was vacation!  We were in North Carolina at a small market and a woman had a booth with a few pieces of paper jewelry.  I was transfixed. 

How I discovered my talent.. I don’t know if it was a discovery, it was more of a journey.  First the thought, then the YouTube videos, then the stabbing myself with toothpicks when I tried to roll my first few beads…and then suddenly I had a perfectly rolled bead. 

My creative process... I want to make this sound very professional and mysterious but mostly it’s me sitting at my work table surrounded by paper, beads, baubles, markers, glue, coffee, my cat, paper, paper, paper that needs rolled, paper that needs glazed, ideas that I’m writing down, wire, paper, me staring into space, and then suddenly there is a necklace.  I adore every minute of it. 


In five years my plan is for my business, my techniques, and my ideas to be thriving and successful.  I also hope I have built solid relationships with business partners, clients, and friends in this enterprise. For more information visit:
www.facebook.com/designsbylindsaymarie or drop me an email at: designs.lmr@gmail.com. 

Meet Cristen Magree from Rusty Bear Studio...

I was born and grew up here in Northeast Ohio while spending summers in Western NY state, immersed in the beautiful country life. After attending Kent State University for Earth Sciences, I settled in Northeast Ohio with my husband, Mark, and started my art business, Rusty Bear Studio. I have been fortunate enough to have both my artwork and jewelry accepted into galleries in Ohio, NYC and Chautauqua, NY as well as producing commissions for people across the country.

I've been an artist since I was able to hold a crayon. My mother has been a prominent local artist since long before I was born so I began to create artwork from a very young age. I continued to challenge myself with new techniques after my academic career and, at the age of 25, began to develop my business. Now, at 30, I continue to push myself with new techniques, mediums and I enjoy every minute of it.

I have been participating in Avant-Garde shows since 2013. Although I have lost count of how many shows I have done with this company, I have enjoyed every single one and plan on continuing to show with Avant-Garde for as long as possible!

I have a passion for science, geology and the outdoors, which I try to convey through each piece of artwork I create. I am constantly inspired by the colors, movement and history I see in the parks and countryside that we are lucky enough to have right outside our door here in Ohio.

I first got in the art and craft show circuits when I did a show with my mother a few years ago. I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere and the comradery of the vendors. I felt like I had found a niche for my artwork and have been participating in many shows since. Living in the age of information and technology, I have the ability to go online to research and study the many new techniques that artists are coming up with at the touch of a fingertip. Without these sources I would not have learned about fluid pour or alcohol ink painting. I am always pushed by advancements in the art world to try new things and evolve my style.

I found my talent for art as a child, drawing and painting for fun along side my mother. I continued to hone my skills throughout high school and college, focusing on animation and Special FX make up. Throughout college and after, I worked with pop culture subjects and eventually made the leap to abstract paintings with the acrylic pour and alcohol ink pieces I do today. I found my talent in jewelry making through my obsession with geology, especially the native features we have here in Ohio. Finding fossils and minerals along the Lake Erie Shoreline down to the Chagrin Valley fed my desire to show others what I had been finding and to try to teach them about our state's beautiful prehistory.

Once something inspires me to create a painting, I begin the process of finding color and movement that follows that inspiration. I use alcohol inks and 91% Ethyl alcohol to create abstract, vivid images of the natural world around me. However, I do not base any one piece on a specific natural scene as I very much want each viewer to see their own setting and find what THEY love in each piece.

For my jewelry, I look for pieces that explain the geologic history of Ohio in a beautiful way, whether it be rare fossils, uniquely formed minerals or other specimens local to the Ohio region. I take a very simplistic wrapping approach to my necklaces, rings and earrings. I very much want the stone I use to speak for itself and have every beautiful color, fossil or iridescence visible when wearing them.

In five years I see myself as continuing to have a regular presence at both local and regional shows. I hope to have a larger regular customer base and to have educated as many people as I can about the geologic history of Ohio as well as have inspired people to see their own passions and desires in my work. When I first started with Avant-Garde, I had the hope that five years from that point, I would have at least one person who would attend shows just to see my work or become a reoccurring buyer. I have met both of those goals within a little more than a year of starting out, with much thanks to Becki and her team as well as networking with other vendors. I hope that I am able to achieve my new five year goals as quickly as I have my past ones.

The message in my art is two fold. For my paintings the message is that there is no intrinsic message. I want each viewer to see what they want to see in each piece. I want them to have their own experience and make their own world out of what they see. I love when no two people see the same thing in a single piece. And for my jewelry, I hope to promote a message of education and passion about science and nature. If I can get one more person looking for a fossil on the beach as they walk along, I will have gotten my message across.

Be sure to check us out at: rustybearstudio.weebly.com and facebook.com/rustybearstudio.

Meet Ken Tomaro from Good Day Moon Gallery...

I am a self taught artist who works mainly with acrylic paint, although I do occasionally work with watercolor, oils and have recently started playing around with pottery. I don't believe you need an art degree to be a successful artist and I also believe that everyone has some sort of artistic talent ingrained in them.

I originally started out in photography about 6 years ago but through a series of technical failures (camera's and laptops that stopped working) I decided to pick up a paint brush and see what I could do with that. After opening the Good Day Moon Gallery and seeing the amazing pottery from a couple of my artists I decided to see where I could go with pottery as well.

This is my first Avant-Garde show but I'm looking forward to becoming a vendor in future shows as well.

What inspires me to create... It can be any number of things on any given day. Sometimes I find inspiration in other peoples work. Sometimes I want to see what comes out of my head from a good mood or bad mood. Sometimes I like to go into it without a plan and experiment with different techniques and tools just to see where it goes.

How I got into my craft... I recognized long ago that there is a value to art as a therapy. I suffer from depression and realized by creating art it takes my mind off of some of the negative things that go along with depression. I decided to open the Good Day Moon Gallery to not only showcase local emerging artists (those artists who haven't had a lot of exposure with shows and galleries) but to also help support people with mental illness in the process. I also wanted to create some events that were affordable to these artists. Many of them, although they are resourceful in their creation process, lack the funds to get themselves off the ground. I wanted to create events that wouldn't "break the bank" so they would have the opportunity for their work to be seen.

How I began.. I started out with a very inexpensive camera that took some really bad pictures. The camera came with a very simple program that would allow me to manipulate some basic things like contrast and shading. What I came up with was some photography with a noticeable dark, grainy feel to it. When you live with depression life sometimes has a dark, grainy feel to it as well.

My creative process is purely experimental. Having no formal art background, most times I have only a vague idea of what I want to put on a canvas. Sometimes it translates and sometimes it doesn't. There is a bit of frustration when something doesn't turn out as you expected but the therapy usually comes in the end after I've worked and reworked something that I can be happy with. Ultimately that is what counts because if I don't sell a piece I'm the one who has to look at it on a regular basis.

Where do I see myself in 5 years? I could never answer that question in a job interview and this case is just as difficult. Because there has been a lack of foot traffic at our physical location I have decided to open an online gallery. It seems more people now want to shop from their couch so that is the option we will give them. Theoretically we should be able to reach a broader audience by doing so. I hope to continue to get into more shows like Avant-Garde as well as creating some more of our own.

The message behind my work... To any artist: Keep doing what you're doing. Although at times we have to create certain pieces we think the public wants, ultimately, we need to create the art we want to. Pay attention to the therapeutic benefits of creating art. From someone like me who suffers from depression and doesn't always see the sunny side of things, there is still beauty in even the darkest artwork. To the public: Artwork with a high price tag doesn't always mean it is the best or worth the high price. Pay attention to the emerging artist. They have the drive and the soul to create incredible work and it should be accessible and affordable to everyone.

2014 Heights Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday December 14, 2014, 10:00am-4:00pm

Park Synagogue Main (Kangesser Ballroom)

3300 Mayfield Rd.

Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN