Master Works Revisited, Parades, Museum of Play
Oh, wow! It's been another month. I can't believe how busy we've been. I almost missed sending out the monthly update. Well, First Friday is tomorrow, October 7. (Although, probably today by the time most of you read this.) So I hope this very quickly composed update is enough to get a few of you to show up at the studio tomorrow evening.
Master Works
After spending a few years on the Master Works series, I was ready to move on and focus, once again, on my original work. The series of balloon parodies has been quite popular- and many of you asked for more. In response to your requests, Kelly and I just completed an image inspired by Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring.
So far, the response has been fantastic, even Fuji TV in Japan took an interest. Some time this month, the making of this one should appear on Japanese TV. The new canvas print will be hanging in the studio tomorrow for First Friday visitors to see.
LittleCollector
I've mentioned LittleCollector a bunch of times here in the blog. They sell some of my work that can't be purchased anywhere else. They're a really fantastic organization that has a focus on kid-friendly art. I had an opportunity to work with them again at the Affordable Art Fair in New York City a few weeks ago. I spent my time there working on a small installation piece. The focus, of course, as you can guess from the name, was on the younger set of art collectors - many of whom have not yet experimented with much beyond crayons as a medium. I was teaching balloon twisting to small crowds of kids at the fair.
I'm happy to say that Kelly and I will be working on some new projects with LittleCollector. I can't announce them yet since we're still in the early planning stages, but there is more to come. For now, you can check out the interview I did with them.
Collaboration
One of the things that really drives me is being able to work with other artists. This last week I had an opportunity to do just that. Piotr Uklanski, a New York City-based artist, brought Kelly and I down to NYC to produce one of his sculptures in balloons. The piece, a Polish eagle, was carried on a float in the Pulaski Day Parade down Fifth Avenue. It was loads of fun to see his studio, learn how he works, and be able to do something playful to execute his vision. Of course, this could not have been done without a lot of help from Kenwyn Dapo and Jami Krause. The four of us worked for three days on the piece and then got to walk in the parade alongside it.
Getting Crafty
I took a little side trip while I was in NYC to do something fun. I visited what many in the craft world would probably consider their Mecca- Etsy Headquarters. (side note: Kelly would like to mention that she is "super jealous.")
Balloons Around the World
This year, the usual group of Rochester artists got together for Balloons Around the World at the National Museum of Play at The Strong. BATW is a once-a-year event where artists everywhere share their joy of balloons with the rest of the world for no reason other than to have fun and to spread the word that balloons are a great medium for art. We picked the Museum of Play this year since Kelly and I have our Once Upon a Time, Master Works, and micro crochet exhibit showing there until November 20. It seemed like adding an installation piece to the mix would only make the show there that much better. It was also an opportunity to show off and sign our kids book, Artist Eyes. The book is available, among other places, in the museum gift shop.
This year's group of artists included: Larry Moss, Kelly Cheatle, Tim Henshaw, Rose Hasan, Mary Ann Jakubowicz, Sharon Peck, Sheryl Watts, Bruce Ruark, Lois Sprague.
First Friday
Don't forget. First Friday at the Hungerford Building in downtown Rochester (1115 E Main St) is Oct 7 this month. It's a great place to visit, tour studios, and support local artists. And of course, as we approach the holidays, it's a great place to buy gifts (from us and all the other awesome artists in our building).