Art Happenings

Hello!  Is March officially art or festival month and I just don't know about it?  I say that because SO many things are going on, especially this weekend!  Downtown Covington will be quite festive on Saturday with the Artist Market on Lee Lane, a trunk show featuring vintage and costume pieces at Fielding Gallery, and an art and wine stroll Saturday night.  On the radio driving home from work this evening, I heard a commercial for the Black Keys playing for free at Waldenburg Park in New Orleans on Saturday night, too!  There's also French Quarter Festival coming up soon in April and Jazz Fest in May.  Woohoo! 

I keep putting it off, but I will have things listed on Etsy, and make the phone call to whichever website server and get my art site transferred over soon - promise!!  Oh, and Flickr's been silently getting updated....

Cheers!

Feeling a Little Green?

Spring has sprung, so despite the pollen all over everything outside, festivals and fresh ideas are happening everywhere, too!  After a long hiatus, I finally made it over to the Mandeville Community Market last Saturday.  I only spent $16 and came home with some fresh produce, beautiful yard eggs, a gift for a friend, some spices, and some headflare (a feathered headband).  The regular vendors have been out there for years now, and while I certainly admire their dedication and artistry, seeing many of the handmade wares made me realize, "duh, if I really want to make a living doing art, I need to sell my stuff out here".  But guess what, while I would really love to do that for a living, it also means I have to constantly make things that I know people will want to buy and build up an inventory.  That would take away my joy of making things.  For now, that's not something I want to use my time doing.  I'd rather continue making things as I get ideas for them and selling them as people make requests or show interest (this all ties in with a previous post titled, Art Business or the Business of Art). 

As usual, I'm working on multiple things at once - refinishing the chair, making a photobook, listing some things on Etsy to see how they do, and revisiting the idea of hair things (and that's just the art stuff!).

Oh, and the cat tails came out just fine for Chef's Soiree last weekend.  It was a fun time, as always. 

My Menagerie at the Moment

Currently, I'm helping make decorations for Chef's Soiree. Everything we're using for the props is green in some way or another.  My specific task is to put together and paint "cat tails" (the kind that grow in a ditch) made from pants hangers, cardboard tubes, and used dryer sheets.  They will be arranged with "birds of paradise" that a friend of mine is making from styrofoam plates and sticks . 

After that event has come and gone, I'll get back to refinishing a dining chair that's been hanging in my parents' garage for years.  I picked it up from a trash pile at some point and will paint the wood frame and reupholster the seat.  I need to take/post a picture for y'all....

I want to see this exhibit: http://noma.org/news/detail/140/Hard-Truths-The-Art-of-Thornton-Dial-a-must-see-at-NOMA

Also, check out a lovely idea from Liquitex paints here: http://www.liquitex.com/Inspire/

And last, but not least, I am in the very early stages of moving my website, Cool Beans Art to a different server and will also become the webmaster.  I've never done anything like this before (ie web design), but it will help me out in more than one way.  I will let you all know as soon as it happens and is revamped for your viewing pleasure. 

Spring is definitely here, so get out there to your local art markets and support local artists!!!

General Updates

Hello.  I just wanted to add a quick post about leaving Facebook and Google +.  Last Sunday was Facebook deactivation day for me.  I deleted all photo albums and personal information on both my personal page and the Cool Beans Art fan page.  Today, I deleted my Google + information and account.  The idea of being searchable online is scary to me, unless it's my art site.  For now, the best place to get the most up to date and accurate art happenings with me is here, on the Cool Beans Art blog!  Hopefully, the website will be updated soon, but for now, just keep checking back here! :)