Copper Goodies for Art Walk

If you are going to the Surreal Expressions Opening at the SOAP Gallery on Champion Street in downtown Youngstown tomorrow night, be sure to stop by my table to see my latest creations: Copper Goodies… Odd shaped hooks, dangles and charms. All were made with copper wire,  except the napkin rings… they’re nickel silver.

Yes, I will be one of the Art Walk vendors set up outside. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can enjoy live music on the loading dock.

I will also bring small art and some buttons, but not the machine this month. I might bring a few pieces of jewelry, too.

I am seriously trying to reduce my inventory of buttons already made, so here are this month’s Art Walk specials:

• Small pins, 25 cents each
• Small magnets, 50 cents each, 3 for $1.00
• Large pins,  $1.00 each
• Special backs, $2.00 each, 3 for $5.00

Thanks for reading, hope to see you there!

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Oh… Copper!

Sheets and pipes are boxed, but I just had to “pack” wire in a plastic bin for easy access as copper whispers ideas of little things I could make to sell at Art Walk in August.

I didn’t get the house I wanted. A cash buyer swooped in before the agent had time to submit my offer so I made an offer on a little house with a big treasure: an amazing workshop full of saws and machinery, complete with an old man’s lifetime hoard of hand tools. The work bench itself was impressive.  Even his wood stash area, with racks on walls, was a maker’s dream.

The seller countered with a request for more earnest money and a big fat NO on including all items left in the workshop.

Hey, couldn’t resist, I’m a tool freak… that room was like WOW, I couldn’t believe they cleaned out the house and forgot the workshop.

Since my original offer was more than their asking price and they said NO on the workshop, I took a chance by offering a lower price hoping they would think about how much of a pain it would be to haul all those big heavy machines up and out of that basement and counter back with a new price that would include the workshop but no… they just said okay, accepted my offer for the house without the workshop.

So, I’m buying a house.

It’s not a done deal yet… house must pass inspection for an FHA loan, so I will be cautiously optimistic until the keys are in my hand.

As for the house itself… It’s a one bedroom ranch with an office (second bedroom feels like an office, ideal space to write and/or design/make buttons), a big kitchen open to a table space, and a living room that will never be used unless I put an easel in there. Major perk: not one square inch of carpet. Kitchen and bath are tiled, other rooms have hardwood floors, and most (if not all… one of those details noticed but forgot if in all) rooms have ceiling fans.

 As for outside… It has a nice sized covered front porch with roll down sun shades (unless the seller takes those) and a brick patio out back. The detached garage also has a covered porch/patio with a porch swing (asked for that) and there are flower beds here and there and all around the edges of a fenced in back yard.

The house is ideal for me… So crossing fingers and hoping all goes well with inspections and everything.

Thanks for reading!

 

Mosaic Guitar

After posting “June Bug” today, I looked at my last post and noticed that I promised to share the photos of the mosaic guitar now that it is done.  I had posted photos on BeesATC and neglected to post here, so my apologies!

Mosaic Guitar

Mosaic Guitar BACK

If you want to see it in person, it will be in the  32nd Annual YWCA “Women Artists: A Celebration!” show June 21 to July 19, 2014 at the YWCA of Youngstown building located at 25 Rayen Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio.  Tickets are required for the opening night preview party, otherwise the hours are Monday – Saturday, 12 to 4 PM (closed on July 4-5 and all Sundays except July 13th).

The mosaic guitar is priced at $300 because it is my first mosaic guitar and it is not perfect so I would not feel right asking top dollar.   It is grouted and sealed for indoor display.  The back of the neck is painted (not tiled) so it could be hung on the wall with a standard U hook bracket used for hanging guitars.

NOTE:  click on photos if you want to see it bigger.

A treble clef made of copper wire dangles in the sound hole as a tribute to American artist Lily Harmon (1912-1998) because I got hit by a Deja vu when I walked into the Butler Museum of American Art to see her life retrospective show (Trumbull County Branch, 1997?) and saw her guitar assemblage with the strawberry hanging in the sound hole.   I recognized it.  I  knew I had seen that same strawberry dangling inside an old guitar repurposed as art years ago (before 1970?) as it had captured my full attention when I was a child absorbing the colors and textures of art up like a little sponge.   Our guitars may look nothing alike (hers was assemblage art, mine is mosaic, different designs and everything) but my thoughts often turned to her while I was working on this guitar.  I knew that I had to hang a dangle in the sound hole as my way of saying thank you to an artist who influenced future generations.

There are no strings because when some old guitars die, they donate their organs (reusable parts: tuners, nut, bridge, etc.) to cigar box guitar makers so the music can live on.