Ann Arbor Art Fair Day One: Old Friends, New Friends, Bears and Down Pours

"I am READY for my SHOWER!" said the 4 year old, appearing naked and in her helpful guise*, as I attempted to wrench my head from my pillow. I primed her last night that we would be doing things a bit differently today: no lollygagging, but straight from bed to shower, to breakfast table**, and off to an early start at her preschool.

"I AM GOING TO BE AWAY FROM YOU ALL DAY TODAY," she announced experimentally. I agreed, glancing at her through the rear view mirror: was the veiled tone was one of pride or worry? "So. WHY am I going in the MORNING, when you always...APPRECIATE the afternoons?" I often love the feeling of active translation occurring in conversations with her. It was true, she normally goes in the afternoon, but what lead her to choose and emphasize appreciate? I told her I would be going to see the Art Fair all day and I would be walking A LOT and it would be hot; and that I was going to meet my friend Stephen's twin Kevin, so we could enjoy the art fair, while thinking about Stephen (see my last blog post, if confused).

With Kevin Kerr,  before the crowds descend

Meeting at Ignatius Hats was perfect, as Stephen has brought literally hundreds of friends to meet the Virginian millinery team of Joseph Ignatius Creegan and Rod Givens. My Ignatius purchases predate my friendship with Stephen, but I have several mutual friends who own their hats at least partially due to his encouragement. If you like hats at all, it's pretty difficult to not just try a couple on, and then of course, take some incriminating photos. "You'll buy one, though right," urges Darcy, as if it's the only decent course of action. "You know, in honor~~"*** She wears her vintage Ignatius hat, and it feels more organic, less cartoony on her, as it melds with her personality. I make no promises, as there is much to see in the next few days, and really, Stephen would approve of any art purchase I had really committed to. Which is not to say that he would agree with my taste, but yes, supporting fellow artists and surrounding one's self with visual fuel.

with ceramicist & printmaker Darcy Bowden

Now 20% more fascinating!...Ahem.

What you *hope* to look like in their creations, from their Insta, see below

...but you may look happier and goofier.

Kevin & I in front of Groover's booth

Other mutual artist friends arrive and mill around a bit before we go off to explore other booths. We visit some of Stephen's favorite artists, including ceramicist Nancy Gardner,  printmaker Nick Wroblewski, and painter Debo Groover. They all greet Kevin warmly, express condolences, and we look at new work. "How many years ago were you featured artist?" he asks Wroblewski, who sighs and murmurs: "Maybe 4 years ago?...Your fame really PEAKS...and then just declines~~" He hangs up a "Keep Your Wits" sticker at one edge of his booth. I have the privilege of meeting more Kerr family members and other retired teachers who taught with Stephen decades ago, and who have gone to the Art Fair with him every year. Kevin speaks of collectors who are at sea, having broadened their collections under Stephen's guidance.


In between arting, I get little glimpses into Kevin. We have met three times max, but never with an opportunity for substantial exchange. I remember from Stephen that he ran a Dairy Queen for many many years, but otherwise? Hmmmmm. I just hadn't seen him very much. 

And no wonder: he spends 7 months out of every year in the Anna Maria Island, just off the Florida panhandle. "Oh, you'll enjoy this. The cafe I always go to says 'open at 7,' which really means it opens...whenever. Well I complained enough that they eventually just gave me my own key and said fine, you go when you went to. And so I did, and I open it up, I make coffee, people come in, and I know everything that goes on in the Island. Everything. But only coffee, I don't do the food. Just the coffee." He clearly shares his brother's love of good stories and droll asides. 

And what about Kevin and art creation? He has talent, but not the patience. "If I can do it in 5 minutes or less, I'm good." His next anecdote points to a flow state: he speaks of an old log cabin up north, and being sent out to mow the lawn...and then being called out for not having finished it, much later. "...But look at these beautiful stars I made out of twigs and branches!...That's what I do."  He shows me a couple of phone shots of recent twig and button constructions. My daughter would A.) be convinced fairies had taken up residence and B.) be compelled to dismantle them all. And then cry about it.

Elsewhere within the confines of the Original:

Leonard, posing with the rooster block he carved in Wroblewski's class

Printmaker Stanley Leonard praises Nick Wroblewski and credits him with his ability to register prints -- that is, to accurately match up colors from multiple blocks to create the finished image.

obscuring a backyard bear in Stryzinski's booth

 We admire the encroaching bear in Dylan Strzynski's "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" painting and he deadpans about his shifting focus: "My [landscape/house] paintings are all kind of lonely. And I was thinking: People like animals. And *I* like animals~~....But it's hard because any time you make a change, a lot of people are like BUT I WANT WHAT YOU WERE DOING" We all do a little sympathetic head bobble ("ehhh, it's a balance~~") All of his pieces have a nice degree of texture to them, but the bear piece is especially satisfying. The bear itself is layered-on tar paper, the picket fence another layer, and staples punctuate the grass. 






Ceramicist Robert Hessler (booth IN267) has a wonderful counting series, all about meditation: each dot is a breath, each dot counted, and the final tally becomes the title of the piece. Whew! 

Hessler, sharing one of his tally sheets

my personal trainer will tell you I can't count to ten, over three reps...

So very much more, but another day awaits. Storms threaten and my usual sandals are still soaked from yesterday. Off to catch the bus! Enjoy the Art Fair, Folks! Or avoid the Art Fair, Folks! Either way, Keep Your Wits.

*The helpful guise didn't extend through the meal, wherein she allowed her banana yogurt to slime back out of her mouth, and directly onto the table, before explaining:"My body told me to do that."

**there's no separate breakfast table, but maybe I'll invent a nook. With one black pleather banquette curving around a round formica table top. With golden sparkles in it.

*** I write that lightly, but I am NOT making light of it. Darcy is serious and if you knew Stephen, you'd know it would be a fitting tribute.

**** You design the poster for the Original fair, and versions of your artwork are artfully plastered across t-shirts, baseball hats, scarves, etc. Monetary prize, as well?

Rotary Phones, Emily, and Art Hops

Begging for a plant.

Last Saturday’s Makers’ Mart in Toledo was the culmination of incredible hustle & inventory bolstering. A tiring-but-rewarding event, made infinitely more enjoyable by All Who Stopped By. Thanks, Friends! The event was sadly under-caffeinated, but the burnished food truck fries and buttery crab rolls were splendid. People watching, as always, is one of the best things about any fair; and this did not disappoint, though, what with the day’s hustle and the passing of a few days, the more deliciously freaky interactions/overheards have dissolved like dream fragments.

On the basis of visual entertainment alone, I’d like to award extra points to the vendors of tiny-cacti, planted in teeny clay pots, the new owners of which walked about, awkwardly holding their new succulents. Waiting for friends, cradling a cactus; browsing, one hand held aloft, away from the body.  I am quite certain that, sans packaging, I’d be unable to make it home without crashing the little pot, or spilling it across an unrelated display, or inadvertently abandoning it in some murky spot. They were much more confident than I. I envied the guy who passed by with a medium sized cactus, planted in a retro black table model rotary phone, spiky leaves arcing out where the number/letters had been. That was cool. But to commit, I’d still need a box.

Mystifying

I brought a couple art books and an Emily Dickinson volume to riffle through, and was quite happy I
did so. A full day of friends, strangers, new fans and casual dismissal is always a few hours beyond my limits – best to bring some book friends, for an instant oasis. And when is this NOT a good idea? This browsing, however, brought with it some unwelcome news: somewhere along the way, my ability to read and discern meaning from poetry has diminished. I used to read a LOT of poetry. A LOT. And I don’t think I was a tool about it – I wasn’t wandering around randomly quoting passages and missing the substance – but…I don’t know. On Saturday, I picked up Dickinson – read and re-read – considered death, the bee, captivity – and knew I missed a lot of each one. Sad little brain, what happened? I eventually ate the aforementioned fried food and felt better. Still disappointed.

Fast forward to a quick table break down under lowering clouds, a peaceful drive home, and a blissful reading bath the next morning, on Mother’s Day. I drew a bath on the sly and snuck into the tub, since my daughter would want to clamber in the moment she realized there was bath water to slosh onto the walls. I steamed and sunk into my water logged copy of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing; ate clementines and drank ice water. Lovely. Midway through, the child burst in:

“Oh! You surprised me, I didn’t know you were taking a bath.” A pause before she shrugged one arm from a sleeve, announced: “I will JOIN YOU!!”

I hurriedly said No, the water was too hot for her; I just wanted to read, not play (“—I will read WITH you!” countered the pre-literate); I would be out in a little bit~~

She stopped mid-negotiation. “I didn’t realize you could DRINK in a bath. I didn’t know you could EAT in a bath!...Next time I’m going to have a bath WITH A BOOK AND AN ORANGE AND WATER” I was able to scoot her out while she was all filled with purpose about future bathing options. A good start to a classic Mother’s Day. See also: breakfast in bed, chocolates and apricot ruggelah; flowers, and card drawings. All fine, and fine. ‘Course there were also meltdowns, anguish, and fury much later on in the day. But the start? Golden.

What comes next for prints and cards? So glad you asked! I happily delivered a new batch of cards to Nicola’s Books yesterday, so they will have a robust Cakeasaurus Prints card inventory for the Summer months.

Next up, the last show I will do for a while: Westside Art Hop. If you’re local, this is a really cool art fair/art walk to explore!

This Sunday, from 10-5, over 50 artists will display their work across 20 homes and businesses, across a handful of streets in the Westside of Ann Arbor. I’m excited to be at Gretchen’s House on 700 Mt. Vernon Ave, along with thirteen other artists. All participating venues will be marked by two red balloons, plus area signs. Check here for list of artists and here’s a handy dandy map:

No cover and a nice meander! Don’t forget to ask your artist for a sticker with purchase, to take advantage of the following local deals:

• Conor O'Neill's - special reduced rate Art Hop menu
• Washtenaw Dairy - adult size for the price of a kid size
• Sweetwaters - Free 16 oz coffee or tea with any food purchase
• Parrish framing - percentage off of next framing job. 

 Happy Thursday, All! I hope to see some of you this weekend. 

Life's a Carnival...Newest Print + Upcoming Shows Schedule

Hot off the presses...

Step right up, Step right up! All it takes is one fine spin and the life of your dreams is there for the taking!...Or the life of some one's dreams. Or some good dreams and some not-so-good dreams. What's definitely true is that our experiences are rich, multilayered, and only rarely consist of one flavor (i.e. joy or sadness). And we build our lives with these experiences, through willpower, skill, and the vagaries of existence...
This original carnivalesque design is a multiple linoleum block print, printed on toothsome Rives BFK paper, using rich, archival water soluble ink. Measures 12 x 12 inches, standard frame size. Open edition.

Yours for a modest price, in my Etsy shop... ORRRRRR come visit me this Saturday, at the down town Ann Arbor library! ALL PRINTS ALL THE TIME! It's their first fair solely devoted to printmaking -- with lectures and demos and all kinds of excitement. Event details here.




I am also looking forward to sell at two additional Michigan events this Fall:

BookFest, on September 19th

DIYSF -- Ferndale's 3 day street fair September 21-23rd.

Set your focus, spin the wheel, best wishes for a good Summer's end & Fall...

That One Art Fair Day with Gorgeous Weather...

How's your Art Fair going? Today's visit marked my first without having a work related parking pass - the first in many years. A rude wake-up call, that. I drove to a few places, with cash! money! in my hand, to no avail; bored parking attendants shook their heads at me, "No parking, no parking. Sorrreee." Alas.

Rather than investigating other possibilities, I gave up, drove back home and walked out to the corner for the bus. The buses, naturally, were behind schedule, but I was able to skip across the street to snag an earlier arriving dovetailing route; "Pfffh, artfair," the other passenger muttered as she got on. Between the cloudless day, the rareity of bus travel for me, plus the general sense of being set free (Daddy's Take-the-Dumpling-to-Work Day!), the bus felt like a lark rather than a nuisance. I swung my legs and gazed around. A baby about my Baby's age stared up at me from a stroller; a smile bloomed across her face once I had passed some hidden test.

My first experience upon arriving downtown was watching hordes of pedestrians pour across Division against the light, as halted drivers glared and cursed silently at them. Were the bar for vehicular manslaughter easier to override, it would most certainly happen frequently at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. But good to know behavior holds steady across the years: Classic Art Fair! Made me feel right at home.

I, too, assumed my normal behavior: walking far, darting into the occasional booth, questing. I would like to say I don't revisit those I have mooned about in prior years, but it's simply not true. Moony once, moony often. I like to see how much has changed; and to reconnect, if a connection seems to be there. And I guess on my end, as a new Mom and someone not currently in the 9-5 paid workforce, I can't help looking to see how others are doing it.

Reduction printmaker from Ithaca, NY, Jenny Pope (booth A401) paused when I asked her how she has kept her creative productivity high, with a 1 1/2 year old son. Her pause seemed to say the creative work had never been in question, which made me feel a little silly, but still, it is difficult for many; "Well, I just wore him constantly. There were a few hard months, but then it just...settled in." She gestured to two of the biggest pieces in her booth-- between the two, they filled up one side, "I just did those this year." She could barely fit those through her press, which I think she said was 30x48. Whew! Also new this year -- her painted ceramics.

In addition to Joanna Mueller's new Austin Gallery (mentioned yesterday; booth B332), I found out that Anne Holman (Booth B559), whose map and antique glass (/button) jewelry I always enjoy, also opened a shop with Jen Townsend -- The Smithery in Columbus, OH. They are featuring artist work and also offering classes. How exciting! Holman also had more cast work among her pieces this year.

Amber Harrison, who traveled all the way from Saline, MI (Booth A404) not only had her satisfying moveable fan and rocking chair necklaces, but also had new architectural arch rings in sterling silver, which, when not worn, can be hung in their own brick wall setting, as tiny wall pieces ("Two Floors Up, Arch Window").

Katie Musolff's work (Booth A328) once again knocked my socks off, most especially "Bee Balm," which is just simply gorgeous. Great prickling leaves, long vertical, with a nice ruby deep red blooms at top. I don't know, maybe I should start a kickstarter campaign, to help you help me buy this, plus a few works from the next mentioned artist...It could happen.  She actually remembered me and what I had bought last year, which was a lovely bonus; she said since we're similar ages, and I had bought pieces she was especially proud of...that AND I had spent some time deliberating in her booth AND I kept writing things down. Like I said, mooning about. I showed her a couple Dumpling pictures. While I feel bad this post doesn't really have images, this image search of her name, even with false hits, gives you a good overall sense if her work.

Next to "Crow in Snow"

Kent Ambler? Who I mentioned last week? LOVE HIM. Or his work, rather. His woodcuts were promising online, but to see them in person is just really fantastic. Take "Messenger," for instance. I saw this on pinterest from a few accounts and it looks good, looks cool. But in person, the colors just *POP* -- the butterflies fall just short of glowing --  and you just have no sense of how big it is. It's huge. I absolutely love it. Design back story: His potter friend also happens to be a hoarder, so among other things he has numerous cement deer populating his front yard. One day when his friend was demonstrating "throwing" to a student, Ambler sat nearby sketching, and a crow kept alighting on one of the cement deer. This is his first time at this art fair; he is a full time artist with work in 10 galleries (i.e. American Folk, Art and Light); he usually does about 8 shows per year. Don't miss him! Other booth favorites include: "Tree Top Stop," "The Visitant," "Spring Sparrow," the simplicity of "Crow in the Snow."

If you can't visit directly, pinterest has some other greats: "Visitant," "Enchanted Pine," "Spring Sassafrass," "Evermore," "Journey" here. 2012 ArtPrize entry here.

Enough Art Fair for one day. Javier and Dumpling are in the living room watching Rachel Maddow, from the sound of it. Pending Baby approval, we're going to watch the last episode of Orange is the New Black, or Wolfpack, or perhaps I am Big Bird. Woohoo! Off to sink into the couch. Happy Wednesday, All.