Sweet Little Birds

I've been making teeny, tiny little birds for earings and to put inside etched and domed pendants. These little guys are only about half an inch wide. They are headed off to the Downtown Art Market tomorrow. I've been a busy little bee here. I've made a million pairs of earings. No kidding, a million. OK, maybe it just feels like a million. I've etched a bazillion pendants and little earing pieces. I've wire wrapped a katrillion beads. I've got all sorts of new things for tomorrow. So if you are in Lubbock, you should come see us. Even if you are not in Lubbock, you should come see us. Even if that means getting in your own personal jet, you should come see us. It will be fun!

Now for your viewing pleasure I present you with a rare glimpse into my studio. Unfortunately, the unsightly mess you see on my work table is not rare. This photo was taken at 1pm today. It is much worse now.

Have a great weekend!

This little starfish went to market

Well actually 2 of them will go to market tomorrow. One of them has an unsightly boo boo on the back and will stay home. Two others didn't make it to the kiln because I broke them. They don't even get to stay home because they've already been put in the scrap bin and are no more. Poor starfish.

It's that time again, second Saturday Downtown Art Market, or DAM for short. And hot DAM(n) is how I'm feeling about this. It's hot here, upper 90's and more. I'm indoors which is good and bad. The good part is I don't have sun on my head and don't need to use a tent. The bad part is there is no AC. But the show must go on! It's amazing though how well attended the art market has been even in hot weather. I do love going each month and meeting up with friends I usually only see at the market. 

Have a lovely weekend!

And please, think some cool thoughts for me :-)

Market Friends

I've been doing the downtown monthly art market for a year now, since it's very first day. This art market was the brain child of a couple of gallery owners who are commited to bringing life back into our down town area. This weekend was our first aniversary!



I've only lived here for 5 years and getting settled into the community and finding my niche has had it's ups and downs. But the art market has been one of those things that has enriched my life beyond words. We are a little bit of a family here. It's not all about selling. It's about community and my life feels quite blessed for having made the friends I would probably never have met were it not for the market. There's the intrepid core of us who've been there from the beginning. But there is also that extra special element of the people who come down to see us every month. We chat, we laugh.


One of those people who've been there from the beginning is Melissa. She dislikes having her photo taken, possibly even more than I do. But isn't she a gorgeous little thing. She makes these 'dragon eggs' from gourds. I must admit that I didn't really get it until I started watching her work on them. She's a little dynamo of energy. When she's not talking to customers, she's making her art. Each of these little beauties is drawn free hand with special markers, then laquered to preserve the finish. All born of her imagination.

The gourds are just a wee bit of what she makes. She's also a very accomplised textile artist. I just don't have any photos to show you.

I've made a commitment and next month one of these will be mine. Did I tell you they rattle? Yes, I do indeed need one of these.

Art Market and Give Away

Where has the time gone? It seems like Saturday was yesterday. But here it is Tuesday already. But first that give away. My friend Sharon, at Livewire Jewelry, is having a give away to celebrate her first publication! Sharon is giving away the necklace that was published in Bead Trends July 2009. It's a beautiful necklace that features ceramic beads from Gaea and her own wonderful wire work. So give that link up there a click and have a look. Not only is Sharon celebrating, she's giving this necklace away as a thank you for the support she's recieved from all of us out here in blogland. How incredibly cool is that! Sharon herself is one of the most supportive bloggers I know. Not only does she generously share her artistic journey with us, she sprinkles thoughtful comments and support on our blogs. The thanks go to you, Sharon.


That photo up there is of the monthly Downtown Art Market last Saturday, where despite the 100 degree weather, lots of people came down to look around, shop, and just have a good time. The first Art Market was in May and we started with 18 vendors and 200 visitors. Just 3 months later we are 36 vendors with a crowd of 600. I am just tickled pink, not just for myself, but for our community. Like so many places, the downtown area is a dead zone, with much of the shopping moved out to strip malls. This market in its own small way is contributing to that sense of community that once made downtowns every where so alive. Larry, Jennifer, and Tony you all have done a fabulous job of making this happen. Thank you!!!!

Downtown Art Market

Remembered the camera, too busy to take much for photos. But I did capture my 'assistant' up there with my little 4 foot long table. Now that I'm looking at this photo, it looks like somebody didn't get the table cloth centered very well. Must have been the studio assistant. I'm sure I could not possibly have missed this.

This is the second of the new monthly art market and it's shaping up to be a really wonderful community event. It's fun! I met a two talented sisters, one doing fabulous digital collage, the other making upcycled bags and bright fun children's things, especially for boys. A quilter and a knitter who I could talk buttons and fiber with. One person was gathering details to compile a list of local artists that will be housed in the art center here. How cool is that?

One of my favourite things was a woman who came by my table, looked at some square plates, and then carried one over to a soap maker to find the perfect bar to fit the plate. I guess what I'm really enjoying most about this is the very non-competitive and completely supportive attitude of the artists at the art market. So refreshing and so good for everyone.

So we are home, we are hot, we neeeed showers. It was a hot humid day. It was like Mississippi. We are not used to that. We are tired and off to order pizza and set in front of the telly with a video. We don't even care what video. We do care about the blessing of air conditioning. What a marvelous invention.

A Bowl of Beads

The first monthly Downtown Art Market last Saturday, opened on a cold windy overcast day. (It was a dark and stormy night…. kind of weather) Not the best looking weather for kicking off the primarily outdoor market. But despite the weather, more than 250 people made their way down to the event. I was happy to be among 19 vendors spread through Tornado gallery, its courtyard, and workshop. I was even happier to be one of the vendors inside the gallery. It helps to have only a 4 foot table and no EZ UP tent. Sorry no pictures, the camera got left at home. I am not in my best state of organization at 7 am.

Lynn has been posting about the meaning of success over on her blog here and here. It’s interesting that one of the organizers of the market and I had a conversation just last week about what would success for the new market mean. Obviously sales and attendance are necessary to keep the market going. But the organizers hope for something more. They would love to see the community embrace the market as a social event, a meeting place, something they look forward to each month. It is also hoped that it will be a learning experience, where people can get to know local artists and learn about the art that is made right here in our own community. This is a vision for the market that I share and am committed to.

At the community level the market was a great success. People seemed to enjoy themselves. They chatted with each other and the vendors. They mingled, they laughed, and best of all they were looking forward to coming back next month. Yippee!

For me the market was more than just a success in sales, which were good (better than expected). Most of my work is sold online and only a wee little bit of it goes out to local venues. And I almost never have face to face interaction with the people who buy my work. Most of my work is designed as components that people use in their own art, buttons for a lacy crocheted jacket, a closure for a felted bag, a pendant or bead in a necklace. I actually think of myself as more of a maker than an artist. And I am always thrilled when I get to see how my little piece is used in someone’s work.

I think of art as narrative. Someone may tell a story in a painting or piece of jewelry, and that story becomes something bigger, something longer when it is shared and others add their own meaning to the piece. At the market I had the wonderful experience of seeing that in process with my own pieces. A little dish I designed thinking that it was perfect for soy sauce went home to hold daily vitamins. A woman with 2 small children in hand carefully selected charms and beads to make earrings as a gift for a friend.

But my favourite was the woman who came back to look through a bowl of colourful beads. She is not a jewelry maker. But she saw something in the bowl of beads. She carefully selected a little row of beads, arranged the colours and shapes in a way that pleased her. Put some back, selected others until she was happy with what she saw. Now we both have different but shared memories of the event and those beads. A new story.

My pieces go out into the world and become something else. I happily let them go with no further thought to how they might be used. The art happens not when I make something but when it becomes a part of someone else’s story. If I had to define success, it would be continuation of the story.

Art Market and a Lot of Work

Whew, it’s been a busy couple of days! I’m getting ready for the first, as in inaugural, Down Town Art Market, this Saturday. So that little kiln of mine is scheduled for 2 firings in 2 days. I don’t normally do this. In fact I have a larger kiln but it is too large for what I want to have for the market.

This pile of bisque has yet to be glazed and will get finished tomorrow. She says with much optimism.


I’m actually very excited about this new market. Not that I think I will sell heaps of things. Many years ago I along with a 2 others started a a farmer’s market in a little town of 2500 souls. It was a lot of work but oh so much fun. This was a weekly seasonal market and people gathered to chat and to buy the fresh produce and freshly made jams, sweet rolls, and breads. And I love the idea of producer/maker meets the consumer. This market is being done in all the right ways for the community I live in. There will be no resale, all items must have been produced by the vendor or a group of producers. Like many rural downtown areas, ours is a barren sort of area most of the time…people having shifted their shopping out to malls. So I’m super excited to see this market happen and have great hopes for it being a meeting place for the community, much like our First Friday Art Trail is.

Meanwhile I am shifting into relaxed mode. Bob and Alice have given up the enthusiasm a long while ago.



More later…..

LeAnn