AOM Alumni Exhibition

3 of my mixed media ladies are at the AOM Gallery

for an Alumni Invitational Show

Featuring all new work from Art On Main's current & past alumni.

 

The show opened on July 1st and runs until August 31

with a reception this coming Friday, July 17th.

So if your in the neighborhood, do drop by and have a look...my works are in some great company.



Art On Main Rearranged...

I am popping in today to show you my latest rearrange of my Art On Main space...

I have to figure out a better way to display my necklaces, but this is how they are at the time being...

I brought in abunch of new framed prints, I am really happy with the quality and how they look and also to toot my own horn, I don't think you can beat the price ($45.00).

I took most of my beloved 'Nubbins' back to my studio but I left 4 or 5 at the store even though North Bay doesn't quite seem to 'get them'!  The few I've sold thus far have been to tourists living in bigger cities like Ottawa...

I separated my "Beautiful Birds" series abit,  I was hearing that people thought they needed the whole series to 'make an impact', so I thought if I separated them into 2's and 4's people would see they are lovely as singular purchases or as small groupings...

I also brought in my 2 little owl originals, they have been mounted on pine blocks and I am sure someone out there is just going to have to have them...

So that is my most recent AOM display, rearranged and best yet I think.

I am so pleased also to show you this...

...which is my AOM display featured on The Swirl Marketing site, It is a site all about creative merchandise displays from around the world and I am so happy for the inclusion and I also like what Becky wrote about my section as well...Thanks Becky.  Click here to visit the feature.

That's about it for today...join me here again this Friday for some shots from a recent adventure and some sweet greenies.  Have a great day everyone...Happy Creating and Many Furry Snuggles Wished to Yous.  XO. Mandy and The Buns (who are so sick of these hot hot days)

Jana Brogan "The Forest Speaks"

As mentioned a couple days ago my pal, the lovely Jana Brogan is having a solo exhibition of recent works at our arts collective Art On Main.

..."Jana Brogan has always felt a special connection to the life and energy of forests. She is known for her beautiful silver and copper jewelry inspired by trees and organic shapes. However, while preparing for this exhibition, she began to ponder the question, “When the forest speaks… what does the forest say?” The answer took her in a new and exciting direction, and she began an exploration of non-traditional materials which were, in her words, “kinder to the earth… in an attempt to create without destroying. In the spirit of environmental protection, preservation, and sustainability, Jana’s makes use of organic, recycled material such as sawdust, wood ash, and coffee grinds, and combines them with found forest detritus such as bark and branches. The results are quiet and haunting works that truly capture the essence and magic of the forest".

I had fun photographing the pieces in Jana's show...here's a sampling...

Jana's opening is tonight and will be great fun...come on out to celebrate Jana's exhibition and her exciting divergence into sculptural work and join us for some hot cocoa and other wholesome and healthful nibblies and treats.

Nubbins In The Window....

As most of you already know I am part of an artists collective which runs a gallery/store called Art On Main...each month our member Rachael designs and sets up the windows and I love taking photos of them and documenting them...here is February's small window...

...and lookie 3 of my Nubbins are in the window, again:D ha ha...I admittedly just LOVE seeing my work in the street front windows, it makes me proud and excited....

On the top is "Lovely Lalita" than lower down below is "Avril May Aviva" and the one holding the bunny is "Lillie Fionn Lapradie".

...and the larger window is a group showing....my coloured pencil "Conjure One" is included again(the colourful birds on the wall in the pine frame:D)...

I love the little arts collective I am a part of and I am so glad I decided to give it a try....I joined in June so I guess we're rounding up on my first year of joining...I do hope I can stay on another year...Espeacially when we get to spend our shifts in the gallery/store with great company like Coco, one of our members doggie:D....

Well, that's all for today....time for a cup of something warm and sweet and some bunnies snuggles before getting back to my coloured pencils....Hugs everyone.

p.s. This week is looking like it'll be posts on AOM stuff. If your interested to see an exhibit my friend Jana is having, join me here this Friday. We had fun hanging the show together last week and it's a kind-to-the-earth solo show with some interesting and playful forest fellows. Next week we'll get back to bunnies and artwork:D!

New Things At The Gallery...

Did I ever show you all my newest Nubbin? I don't think I ever did...well here she is, my sweet yet serious keeper and care taker of all the oceans starfish "Ellie Ebben Gray", isn't she cool? I brought her into the gallery this week and I am hoping she's adopted into a new home soon.

I also brought in some of my hand stitched felt stars...

...and some of my nubbin bird decorative ornaments....

Here's a shot of the new goods in my gallery section...I brought in tons more cards as well...

....AND also these Nubbin bird versions on stands with funky little twig crowns...

...and now everything has sweet little tags with clear and inviting info etc...even these took me a few hours to do, every little bit of having a handmade indie business takes time I suppose...

I was thinking of making new batches of all these items and putting them into my etsy shop, what do you think?

Some Art On Main Business...

A couple weeks ago some of the collective members from Art On Main gave their time, energy, supplies and knowledge to teach local dignitaries abit about their crafts. The results were some wonderful art pieces made by the AOMer teachers and the dignitaries together, which now will be auctioned off at the store...if your local and an art lover come on out in support....50% goes to us, AOM and the other half to the dignitaries favourite charity.

Also on December 4th, at the same time as the auction is another event I am getting work ready for...this one is a member show, sale and fundraiser in the store's gallery space (where I recently had my solo exhibition). Each member will be showing 2-4 pieces at a time and all pieces will be $100, no more, no less (well except tax of course!). We all hope it goes well and for anyone local reading this post again...please do come out to support the great talent at AOM and in your little Northern town.

Also, I have been meaning to post these photos for awhile....but better late than never right! This past summer, a group of fellow AOMer's got together, for a fundraiser for our beautiful little store/gallery and held a children's t-shirt printmaking session at our local festival. It was a great ideal, deemed a success and lots of fun. I know some of you out there are indeed teachers of your own art classes as well so I thought I'd share these photos and pass the ideal along to you all as well.

That's all for today....See you's tomorrow hopefully...we'll see how my little noggin's holding out!

A Woman's Work Opening Reception Was A Great Success...

My solo exhibition "A Woman's Work" opened this past Saturday night and I am so so pleased with how it went. Oodles of people couldn't be there to help me celebrate but oodles of people were there with bells on and I was so so so filled with love and happiness and felt so so so supported by all who came, thank you thank you thank you...and this will be somewhat of an indulgent post but here we go... I do wish someone had told me my top buttons were popping open, ha ha...they were just fine before I spent the night hugging everyone honest:D!....

Here is me with my sweetie-pie niece Karly (on the right!:D) I am so glad she got to see her auntie in action...

My lovely friends Becca and Darren promised to be there and they were...

Here's my mom taking a look at my work...

I was so so happy to have my friend and inspiration and mentor and high school art teacher Dave Carlin there...he's a big reason why I became an artist, he was my original inspiration on this artistic journey of mine and one of my original nurturer's, he brought me a bouquet of flowers too, wow:D.....the night wouldn't have been quite the same without my dear old Dave there...

I was happy that my brother, Steph was able to make it out, he misses alot of my art stuff cause he's just so busy with his own stuff but this was a biggie for me and I was honoured to have my talented big brother there in support.

Here's moi with Dave being silly as always, that's my dad in the back and my brother on the right.

I made my brother lift his pant legs to show off his tattoo work.

The Gallery AOMer's put out a nice spread for me, thank you Pat, Edna, Rosemary and Michelle...and Jonathan and my mom for added in some goodies as well...

I love this shot of our dear friends Kirk and Jessie, their enthusiasm is always contagious.

Here's me and pal Leslie, and I was so grateful that she took time to come out and drive abit of ways too before she had to leave to here her dad play a gig that night...

And I was so so touched that some dear friends like Judith here zoomed all the way down from Toronto just in time to be able to support and celebrate with me, wow:D thanks guys...

Here's me and my mom in front of my members display (which I am so anxious to completely change very soon).

This is mousy little me, ha ha with my beautiful friend Jana, I blogged about Jana before, she's a jeweler and fellow AOMer and also made a long trek in for my show which was touching.

Hugs, Hugs and more hugs, ha ha....here's me with my dear Shelley, she was out for my last solo exhibition years ago and I was so happy to have her with me again...

Jonathan's aunt Lynn completely lifted my heart but showing up and being a lovely support....

Here is my dear friend Michelle and also fellow AOMer, we've spent alot of time together in the past weeks, she helped me alot and I was so happy to have her there to share the night and to be my date for the after party.

I was blown away to have Keith Campbell there, he's a dear, a friend, and I really wish I had a tape recorder to record his incredible comments and insight into my work, wow, ha ha...he made my night special as well.

Here's me with Kirk and Jessie again....they were patient and good enough to stick around the whole evening.

I was happy to have another fellow AOMer there and insanely talented wood carver Michael Mathieu there with his beautiful partner, thanks for coming guys:D...

And I love this shot of me with Terri Campbell and my new lovely kindred spirit Tracey Walsh, ohhhh you two added so much to the evening, thank you thank you thank you..

Here is Tracey and her partner whom I hope to meet again soon, signing my guestbook, I can't wait to see what everyone wrote, yay!....

The kids of course gorged on the sweet treats:D

I love this shot of my mom laughing with Jessie and Shell, my mom never misses one of my art openings, never....

and of course the evening wouldn't have been complete without having my dear adopted grandpa Arlie there as well.

My buddy John Weiss was a sweetheart to come out and he got some emotional, it made me emotional, ha ha, he was so proud of me and thinks of me as one of his babies having been my kick-ass junior high school arts teacher. I was touched by John's words, reaction and presence.

An artist often wonders if they've made certain people proud and with John I have no doubts, thank you for that John.

My pal, the lovely Kelley Allen came of course, I was hoping she would:D

Here's moi with my extended family, Shelley and Dean. Dean is Jonathan's best friend and 'brother from another mother' ha ha and they amazingly but not surprisingly:D stayed right to the very very end and even helped clean up, thanks guys.

That's me! giddy to finally be able to have a cup of sangria towards the end of the night!

The only thing missing is the most important person, the amazing guy who was behind the camera all night long, my Jonathan....the opening photos are not complete without of shot of me with him:C we were just so busy and pooped by the end we just forgot to get a shot of us. But Jonathan knows he is the biggest, most important, most amazing and complete support this little artist could possibly ask for....so thanks baby....thanks everyone, I know I am missing photos of alot of people, but I was fully aware of who was there and I am just so very very touched and feeling very full and blissful in the good company I am surrounded by in this little city of ours. Thanks again everyone.