Talk about a pleasant surprise! Here is the article, which came out in Sunday’s paper: Artists Give Trash a Second Chance.

The event was very busy thanks in large part to a huge street art fair also going on downtown and it stayed jumping until about 5pm when I suspect everyone started looking for food. The new keychains were a big hit so I’ll have to get cracking on making some more! Overall, I had fun and got to meet a number of extremely friendly and positive people, which is always a bonus.

It’s in Lincoln Park (corner of Congress and Franklin Arterial), rain or shine, from 11am to 6pm. If you visit, you’ll be able to see my brand new line of key chains with your own naked eyeballs.

Here are some photos!

June 20 * July 18 * Aug 15 * Sept 19 * Oct 10 * Oct 31

I’ll post photos soon!

Scott Mullenberg, another rubber-maker and a riot to hang out with, makes rubber tote bags and exquisitely bound journals. Hannah Tarkinson, designer and excellent human being, makes leather goods and jewelry (and she just opened a studio in Portland on Munjoy Hill). Also in the store, ties from the ubiquitous Bethany Shorb and her Cyberoptix Tie Lab. In addition to Coco’s jewelry, her husband Gil has his phenomenal artwork for sale. And those are just the people I know personally but there is a LOT more.

I just finished my display for the shop which represents a bit of a departure from my display themes until now (those previous themes being black on black on black on black). Something about the monochromatic speaks to me on a deep belly level and so it’s difficult for me to let go of subtlety. I’ve realized, however, after several craft fairs where visitors to my booth struggle to see my offerings, that I have to ratchet up the contrast. This hurts me but it has to be done.

I’ve been obsessed lately (okay, all of my life) with the Rococo. In college, I insisted on doing only naughty Fragonard reproductions in my painting courses, put filigree on everything, and enjoyed Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antionette less for the costumes and more for the architectural embellishment. In the absence of Rococo, Victorian will do but it makes a pale second. In this cruel modern world, ornamentation is tantamount to heresy unless, of course, it’s a statement made ironically. Well, I’m not afraid to say that I like embellishment. Carve the crap out of it is what I say.

Ring Display

The Whole Banana

A Filigree Nightmare

Necklace Display

Purse Hooks

Store Music: Fever Ray “If I Had A Heart”

The trip itself was really awful and included: The Thin White Duke (our super-mobile) spewing out a spark plug at 70mph in the middle of Farm-Town, Pennsylvania, to the tune of $1000; getting sicker than sick in Blacksburg, Virginia; and driving through Hotlanta in the midst of ICE STORM APOCALYPSE 2010 which really wasn’t that bad but, being a New Englander, I was the only one on the road who knew how to drive. One really awesome thing that we did was, under the cloak of night, we visited the Georgia Guidestones. Something about pulling up on these tremendous Stonehenge-esque monuments in the middle of some soybean field at night was enough to make my colon jump into my throat. That didn’t, however, prevent us from reciting the Stonehenge monologue from “Spinal Tap.” We all vowed right then and there that, should the world fall apart and mankind meet its deserved end, we’ll go dig up that time capsule. That is, if we haven’t been turned in to rabid zombies. But maybe even then we’ll still manage the trip.

Okay, New Year Resolution time: My goal for the beginning of 2010 is to take better photographs. I know I harp on this all the time but it’s because I’m completely self-consciously aware of how poorly I present my stuffs. Obviously, I need some snot-nosed photography student long on vision and short on fees to come in and revolutionize my photos. Or I need a new camera. Or I need a light tent, which I am building this very afternoon! Maybe I’ll post photos of the process. Ha!

Meanwhile, here are some photos of the booth at the craft fairs to make you visual addicts happy:

Maine Women In The Arts
Prelude Fine Arts and Crafts Show
Friday, December 4 through Sunday, December 6
The Masonic Hall, Temple Street
(around the corner from the Post Office) in Kennebunkport
Opening Reception: Friday, December 4 from 5-7 pm
Show Hours: Friday, December 4, 10 am-7 pm
Saturday, December 5, 10 am-6 pm
Sunday, December 5, 10 am-4 pm
Website & Directions

The client needed an ultra durable bag that could withstand the salty sea air (people don’t realize how corrosive the ocean can be!), hold his enormous laptop, and act as a flotation device in case of an accident on the ferry. Okay, I made that last part up. I put in a couple of zippered pockets in the lining, lightly padded the divider between the two full sized pockets and used a seat belt (per his requests) for the strap. I think it turned out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

Model: Ariana | Hair: Grayling | Make-up: Kim ? | On Ariana: Grey wool felt three quarter sleeve jacket with rubber frog closure, grey high waisted pants with rubber stripes, white chiffon and vintage lace blouse, rubber cuff and ring with red foam “spikes”

Model: Ariana | Hair: Grayling | Make-up: Kim ? | On Ariana: Rubber mohawk, linen petal dress with rubber belt and straps

Model: Jordan | Hair: Grayling | Make-up: Kim ? | On Jordan: Rubber circular trapese dress with white cotton lining, rubber cuff

Model: Jordan | Hair: Grayling | Make-up: Kim ? | On Jordan: Rubber “squid belly” collar, rubber filigree gown with vintage chartreuse cotton lining and black satin, nylon, and cotton accents

Models: Ariana & Jordan | Hair: Grayling | Make-up: Kim ? | On Ariana: Grey wool felt three quarter sleeve jacket with rubber frog closure, grey high waisted pants with rubber stripes, white chiffon and vintage lace blouse, rubber cuff and ring with red foam “spikes.” On Jordan: Rubber “squid belly” collar, rubber filigree gown with vintage chartreuse cotton lining and black satin, nylon, and cotton accents

I can’t tell you how excited these make me! More (and larger) photos in the VERY near future.

Now that this project, that has taken up a fair amount of time lately, is all finished (on my end, at least!), I can concentrate on cleaning up the “store” section of the site. A number of the links are broken because the items are either sold or expired. Plus the Etsy shop needs some serious attenton. That should all be fixed soon and then we’ll be all shiny again.

Behold, one of my newest dresses (and squid-belly collar):

The gown body is constructed from a chartreuse (my favorite color right now) cotton and overlaid with hand-cut rubber filigree. The bodice is pleated satin, with a rubber band top and the skirt has black cotton ruffles and a satin drape. I made the bottom of the skirt detachable, in a stroke of genius, because I thought it looked pretty fetching as a cocktail dress. I have a photo shoot coming up on Monday with a local photographer so hopefully I’ll get some good photos of it on a live body.