Showing posts with label Window Display and Commissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Window Display and Commissions. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Spring Is Here!


It's officially the first day of spring! I love the excitement that comes with this season- plants are coming back to life, days are getting lighter, people are breaking out of hibernation mode. Lots of great energy is surfacing! 
Butterflies are a perfect symbol of new life and the beautiful, light colors of spring- so I chose them for my most recent spring themed decor project. The goal was to create lighting that would brighten and add unique seasonal detail to a shop window- while keeping supply costs low. 
I chose to use pendant light cords , white paper lanterns in three sizes and upcycled paper butterflies as the primary materials. 



INGREDIENTS:
24" White paper lanterns
16" White paper lanterns
14"White Paper lanterns
Silver electrical cord kit
Old magazines
An old book
Hot glue gun
Hot glue sticks
Light Bulbs


MAKE IT:
First:
Either die cut/ hand cut butterfly silhouettes. If you're a Nashville local check out Turnip Green Creative ReUse as an excellent source of paper you can upcycle; similar organizations exist in many other major cities as well- look into it where ever you are! Die cutting will be WAY faster and will give a "cleaner" look to your butterflies; if you have access to a die cutter, I recommend it over hand cutting. As far as the amount to cut- it really depends on how minimal vs ornate of a look you want, as well as how big of a lantern you chose to use. Always cut more than you think you will need- you'll be happy to have spent a little extra time cutting and have extra than to be in the midst of hot gluing only to realize you've run out!

Second: 
Assemble your lantern/s. If possible hang them in your work area. It was very helpful for me to have it hanging while I was working on it, so I could be sure to place the butterflies the way I envisioned them looking on the finished product (which would hang in a window).

Third:
Lay out your butterflies and get that hot glue gun going. Imagine roughly where you want your butterfly "swarm" to land on the lantern. Begin gluing some butterflies on- start off by attaching them smoothly/flatly as seen below.


Fourth:
Go back to your stack of paper butterfies and crease some of them. As you make a 2nd pass over the lantern attaching butterflies this will add interest- some butterflies will appear to be resting, some will be perched with wings still "fluttering". Using a bit of hot glue along the crease, press these on top of and around the flat butterflies.



Fifth:
Be sure to move around the lantern as you work so that one side does not get considerably bulkier than the other. Continue to add butterflies as you go, alternating book and colorful magazine pages.




Sixth:
Once you're happy with your butterfly coverage, carefully insert the cord with lightbulb and hang!
If you have any left over butterflies, thread them onto fishing line (simply punch a small hole in the paper and knot the line). Tie the strand below the lantern or to the ceiling hook above and let them flutter around the lantern; add a couple varied lengths if you're really into it!


The above pic is my end result. It can currently be seen at Rodney Mitchell Salon in Hillsboro Village.
Happy first day of Spring!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

the Contributor Project

This week I completed a project for a fantastic local non profit, the Contributor. They are experiencing continued growth and have just expanded into additional office space. 
Founding Executive Director Tasha French Lemley explains "the expansion to McKendree United Methodist Church allows for executive and editorial offices, while the vendor program remains at Downtown Presbyterian Church."
 I was honored when asked to paint the Contributor logo onto the entryway wall at the new space, and completed the project this week. We snapped some pics to document the process:


Tools of the trade: artist brushes, acrylic paint, water bucket,  transparency printed with logo.

Old school projector + transparency sheet= logo projected onto workspace.

Projected image used to sketch a pencil outline.
First coat in progress.


First coat complete.

Dark colors require multiple coats to get rid of the streaky look you see in this initial coat.

Second coat in progress.

See the difference each coat makes! Two coats (left) and one coat (right).

Third and final coat went on quickly and achieved a smooth, bold look.
 I'm very pleased with the results. The Contributor staff is as well; they were a pleasure to work with this week and I am thrilled to have "contributed" to their new space the best way I know how!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentine Hearts


Happy Valentines Day!
I recently worked on a Valentine themed project for a window display.
Hopefully you've all had the chance (often as a child) to create a crafty project using wax paper and melted crayon- it's a pretty familiar process that produces very bright and fun results.


I used Crayola brand crayons to achieve the highest quality color. Some off brands cut costs by using more wax and less pigment- meaning the melted crayon may look a bit chalky.

Generating the amount of crayon shavings needed did take a bit of time and elbow grease (using a cheese grater), but it's well worth it! This is where things start to get messy, and I would suggest covering your work surface with craft paper or newsprint.




Placing one sheet of wax paper down, sprinkle the shavings (as lightly and evenly as possible) onto it and then place another sheet of wax paper on top. Place a protective paper (copy paper, craft paper,etc) between the top sheet of wax paper and the iron (with no steam) and lightly iron away! 
I chose to melt large areas, and then cut multiple smaller hearts from it. 



Using a single whole punch and bright pink yarn, I strung together 6 foot strands of hearts. Threading the yarn through the top hole, gently knotting it once, then threading it though the bottom hole and repeating on the next heart worked to create the garland look I wanted.


The strands are stretched vertically in the window, secured at each end. I love a good pop of color on these grey wintery days!

 XOXOXO

Friday, January 18, 2013

Catching Up: the Christmas Window

 Christmas is always a big, blow out, sparkly time at Rodney Mitchell Salon . They love to go all out with the window and decorations at that time of year and I love to go over the top too sometimes...so that works out well!

Here is what I came up with :

white trees with blues, copper, gold and brown accents


tree close up- LOVE the pattern on this ribbon


my handmade paper and glitter snowflakes hung as garlands


from the sidewalk, looking into the front window


twinkle lights above the sitting area


from the back of the salon looking forward- I just love the sparkly-ness!


front awning closeup


front awning with garland and wreaths



*photos courtesy Cristina Young Photography

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween in the Village

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I 'm one day late on posting this, but since we're still with in the week of Halloween, I'm just gonna go with it.


This fall I had a great time putting together a Halloween window display for the Rodney Mitchell Salon in Hillsboro Village.


Snakes, spiders, skulls- all with a bit of sparkle!



My favorite pieces were the spiders- particularly the queen momma covered in iridescent rhinestones and purple glitter. Isn't she GREAT?!






Monday, September 3, 2012

Fiery Red,Torrid Orange, Sizzling Pink & Snow White


A little labor on Labor Day isn't so bad- especially if it means breaking out some brand new paint! Determining the focus -bold painted lettering on glass paired with product display- of the new window design for Rodney Mitchell Salon called for a couple preliminary tests. 

Happily, my studio has huge glass windows! Friend and studio neighbor, Liz Streight, stopped in a took a couple pics of the process. While there Liz played with paint, threw out creative suggestions (many of which I incorporated into the final piece), and was generally lovely company.
Thanks Liz!!!



FINITO!



A couple bottles of "Fiery Red", "Torrid Orange", "Sizzling Pink" and "Snow White" later, and there you have it. Do it. Wake up and just be your fabulous self!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Fall Window Install










Here are some pics of the fall window display project I created for Rodney Mitchell's Hillsboro Village salon in the heart of Nashville.
My sweet friend and excellent photographer, Cristina Young, photographed the process as you may have noticed in this previous post. I love the perspective she brought, and am flattered that she even featured me on her website ! Cristina works hard to get awesome shots of her subjects; if you need new images for your portfolio, pics for your website, or photos of your event (music, art, personal,etc), she is the go- to girl! Contact Cristina Young at  615.955.0465 or visit her website for more info www.cristinayoungphotography.com.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Press Release and a Sneak Peek!


 **Scroll down to the block highlighted in pink for bulletin on my work, and bottom of page for more images of work in progress!**



PRESS RELEASE:

HILLSBORO VILLAGE ART WALK
Thursday – September 1st, public invited, 5 – 8 pm

Village Art Walk receptions, shows and events are hosted in most Hillsboro Village shops and restaurants. This is a year round event that provides changing movies, music, artists, demonstrations, book signings and much more. 

Free Parking after 6 pm behind Cornerstone Financial and on 21st Avenue

Address: 21st Avenue South in Hillsboro Village @ Belcourt Avenue
Phone: Info: Duncan Ragsdale 615.352-4891 

Facebook link:

Shop of the Month ~ Belcourt Theater
For over 75 years, The Belcourt Theatre has provided a space for premiere entertainment in the heart of Nashville's Hillsboro Village. During this time, The Belcourt has existed in many incarnations - each of which has furnished a home for some of the city's best and most unusual performing arts. http://www.belcourt.org/venue

Join us for a wine & cheese reception in the lobby.  Here is what will be playing:

SENNADir. Asif Kapadia, UK, 2011, 104min, NR, 35mm
In the mid 1980s, Ayrton Senna, a young, gifted driver, exploded onto the world of Formula One racing. As a Brazilian in a predominantly European sport, a purist in a world polluted with backroom deals, and a man of faith in an arena filled with cynicism, Senna had to fight hard—both on and off the track. Facing titanic struggles, he conquered Formula One and became a global icon who was idolized in his home country. Told solely through the use of archival footage, Asif Kapadia’s documentary is a thrill ride worthy of its daring subject
TERRIDir. Azazel Jacobs, USA, 2011, 105min, 35mmhttp://terri-movie.com/
John C. Reilly plays an assistant high school principal (!!) with a soft spot for his school outcasts. His newest recruit is Terri (impressively played with oafish detachment by newcomer Jacob Wysocki), an overweight kid who looks out for his aging pilled-out uncle (Creed Bratton) with more attentiveness than he can muster to get out of his pajamas for school. Through his sessions with Reilly's character, Terri befriends two other fellow outcasts, an abrasive goth-like weirdo and a pretty blonde who may be turning into the class ho.
Raffle give-away basket that includes:
·         Belcourt Screenwriter membership
·         2 tickets to the nD Festival Fashion Show
·         Belcourt t-shirt
·         Belcourt hat
·         Belcourt cup (gets $1 refill in the theatre)
·         Date night package to include 2 tickets to a regularly scheduled Belcourt programmed film, 2 drinks & a large popcorn
TOTAL value:  $275+


These 3 guys will be in front of The Pancake Pantry:

1) Team Power Chics will be there in full regalia. They do the five-mile walk every year for the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Walk in October, which will be on 10/15 this year. “I have been a “Pacesetter” for the past six years, and hopefully this will be my 7th! Pacesetters raise at least $2000 on their own. Over the past 8 years that I have done this, I have raised over $18,000 by myself, and obviously I am very proud of that! I am even in the official ACS video for this event! As you can see, we make quite the fashion statement. This year we will have 15 walkers on the team.” – Colleen Cussick. Check it out:    http://youtu.be/EwDhJvFzkzI


2) NASHVILLE ROLLERGIRLS - Skater owned and operated, the Nashville Rollergirls is a non-profit organization whose mission is not only to bring an exciting team sport to the city, but also to contribute to the community by supporting local charities and participating in community service events. The last Nashville Rollergirls doubleheader of the 2011 season is Saturday 9/10 at Municipal Auditorium.


3) Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee will have a table set up in order to pass out fliers and bring awareness to their cause.  They will be collecting food at the October and November Art Walks as well.


HILLSBORO VILLAGE AUTO SERVICE The Lane Motor Museum will be with us again in September!

A THOUSAND FACES –artist - Modern Bronze Jewelry is lovingly hand crafted by twin sisters, Sarah Knox and Liz Anderson, in Franklin, TN.  In addition to traditional sterling and gold-filled metals, Modern Bronze is unique in their preference of copper and bronze.  These metals are hammered and shaped into unique pieces and often adorned with gemstones and pearls. Sources of inspiration for the sisters' creations include luster and texture of the metals along with the jewelry-making techniques and artifacts of ancient civilizations. 


POSH – musicians - will host performances by Noel Barefoot and Meredith Mazie.


CLOTHING XCHANGE - Art: Jeff Bertrand
Music: Judah Magnolia
Food: CX Employee Cook-off, Back to School style!
Fun: Academic Decathlon for which the winner will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to Clothing Xchange! All customers and friends are welcome to test their skill to win.


SEE EYEWEAR – artist- Wendi Strauch Mahoney.   I have been painting for a number of years now. I have been drawing since I was a very young child. My goal with every subject I paint is to capture its essence. The images I paint come both from photographs I have taken and from my memories of experiences. However, my best paintings are those that evoke a visceral reaction from those who view them. Landscapes should provoke the senses, capture a moment and transport us to a familiar place. Portraits and figures should elicit a connection with spirit, state of mind and temperament. When I look at art, I want to feel something powerful that transports me to a place or a feeling that resonates deeply. I cannot imagine my life without art. I cannot imagine my mind without the potential for the creative. I love to paint and draw. I hope that is communicated to you. (wendi-strauch-mahoney.artistwebsites.com)
We will be offering $40 off one pair and a total of $100 off two pair, during the walk.

PROVENCE – artist- Brian Nash
I’m a self-taught artist who came to painting late in life and in a rather circuitous way.  I have an MBA from Dartmouth College, and was Director of Retail Marketing for Polo/Ralph Lauren in NYC when I got the bug to write country music.  I moved to Nashville to become a songwriter, and have had a few dozen songs recorded.
One day, I impulsively picked up a brush and some paint, and started painting.  I haven’t stopped since, other than to take the occasional nap.  I love writing songs, but painting gives me a joy that is unique and complete.
I love colour, and, for better or worse, I love playfulness.  I’d like to think that most of my paintings have evidence of both.

      Musicians - Local Band, Gypsy Pompe will be playing gypsy jazz and western swing   music. Zander Wyatt- Guitar Derek Pell - Violin Brad Barrett/Geoff Henderson - Bass Ethan Ballinger-Mandolin Charles Butler-Banjo Noah Denney--Brushes on a Manhasset.


FIRE FINCH – artist - Colleen Wandel is a transplant from Buffalo, New York, who draws inspiration from meadow frolics and Shelby Park bike rides on her vintage Schwinn.  She has the Midas touch with art; everything she touches -- whether on canvas, with fabric, or in the home -- turns to a vintage delicate gold.  Her woodland sensibilities blend harmoniously with a love of Grandma's lace and hand stitching.  In her free time, Colleen enjoys watching old films from the library and exploring the wonders of Tennessee. Follow her at oohcolleen.blogspot.com


PANGAEA –artist - Brad Keen is originally from Jackson, MS and has worked collaboratively and individually on a variety of projects for over a decade.  He has exhibited at Kentuck Art Festival, Capture Cafe, Mellow Mushroom, and The Ignition Art Gallery in Tuscaloosa, AL. Brad’s favorite subjects are Musicians and Disney Characters.  His use of color and lines seem to make the characters in his paintings come to life.  Brads favorite medium is acrylic but he’s not afraid to use oil, pencil and watercolor.  Brad is new to Nashville and is currently working at Vanderbilt University as the Assistant Director of Sales and Marketing for the Athletic Department.


A VILLAGE OF FLOWERS –artist - Mary Claire Crow
Awesome Food Samples - Youlanda Peña.  After a successful career in business & banking I decided to return to my love of cooking and graduated from the Art Institute of Culinary Arts.  My love of food has allowed me to share fun and healthy ways of eating with friends and family, which led me to becoming my own personal chef.  I feel that more people would eat healthy if they knew how good it really was


RETROPOLITAN – artist - Candice Sone has a long and distinguished career as an interior designer having receiving her Bachelors Degree from the University of Illinois in 1987.  It was in college she also began her training as a painter.  In 2008, unable to find just the right pieces for her clients, she began to paint and sell her own artwork.  What began as a necessity has become her passion.
Ms. Sone’s subject matter is closely connected to nature.  An avid scuba diver, the water is a major influence in her work. She works primarily in acrylics to support a greener environment and often uses mixed media such as gold and silver leaf. 


HOT & COLD – artists - Micah Smith (amicahsmith.com) and Ashley Owens. We'll be launching some "back to school" fall drinks on that day. We'll also be launching a totally new brew method (for coffee) and some new fall teas on that day as well. We will have DJs playing live sets.



FIDO – artists - Casey Pierce and David Hellams will be up through September 13th.  
Both artists share a studio space and an appreciation for detail in their surreal work.  Hellams takes wild animals and places them in the path of daunting human invention.  The white paper focuses all of the attention on the relationship between the two subject matters.  Some of the symbols present in Hellams' work jumps off of the paper and appear independently on the wall as unique flag-like paintings in various appealing color pallets.  Pierce fills his surfaces with atmosphere placing extra attention to certain portions of the work through color and scale.  A series of large-scale hands and forearms are dispersed among the canvases.  Pierce shows fine tuned skill for bringing the viewer into the world of each piece.


JACKSON'S BAR & BISTRO – artist - Birmingham-based artist Paul Cordes Wilm paints whimsical, humorous and sometimes biting social-commentary pieces on reclaimed wood in a colorful and boisterous style. He has been the unofficial in-house artist at Jackson's in Homewood, AL since its opening in 2006 and is showing in the Village for the second time this year at Jackson's.


RODNEY MITCHELL SALON – artist - Sarah Shearer infuses her creative style into the art of retail window displays in boutiques throughout Nashville. Her latest installation will debut in Hillsboro Village's Rodney Mitchell salon at the September Art Walk. Don't miss her wildly enchanting salute to the arrival of Fall! For more info about Mrs. Shearer, visit www.sarahshearer.blogspot.com or send inquiries to sarahkshearer@gmail.com.


ZEITGEIST opens their Fall art season in Nashville with new work by two internationally recognized artists Kurt Wagner and Wayne White.

World known artist, art director, and puppeteer, Wayne White, is a Chattanooga native now living in LA. White has worked as an illustrator for the East Village Eye, New York Times, Raw Magazine, and the Village Voice and in 1986.  He became a designer for the hit television show Pee-wee’s Playhouse, was awarded with three Emmys, and continued to work in television and music video garnering Billboard and MTV awards.   His focus now is on painting.

White’s most recognizable works are his word paintings featuring oversized, three-dimensional text painstakingly integrated into vintage landscape lithographs. The paintings are thought-provoking and almost always humorous. White enjoys pointing a finger at vanity, ego, and his memories of the South.

In 2009, White's life and career were chronicled in an incredible 382-page monograph, edited by Todd Oldham. The book features hundreds of images from Wayne's earliest work as an illustrator all the way to his most recent fine art sculptures.

Zeitgeist is excited to also include in this exhibition work by Kurt Wagner.  Wagner, an artist from Nashville and childhood friend of White, may be best known for his work with the band Lambchop, and then again maybe not.

Felt leaves & handstitching.

Gotta lay it out all to see what you've got!


Embroidery thread for detail work.
Check back Thursday, 9.1.11, to see how it all comes together!

All photos courtesy Cristina Young.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Spring [Paper] Flowers



So, here are long overdue pics of the spring window additions for Rodney Mitchell Salon in Hillsboro Village. There are other products featured in the window, so I needed to come up with something a little smaller in scale, bright and eye catching without cluttering the window.





I found inspiration in Martha Stewart's craft blog; she features artisans who do some really cool projects! After watching a couple flower making tutorials, I broke out the supplies. Lots of tissue paper, craft paper, florist tape, hot glue and dowel rods were used among other things. My favorite part was adding subtle color variations to the tissue paper by dipping it in a bleach and water mixture.




This was an all day project. Actually, it was a couple evenings and a long day project, but it was the perfect indoor project for the dreary spring weather we've been having. My assembly time was really  slow at first but I got faster as I established a technique. Unfortunately though, the faster I went the more frequently I burned myself with hot glue. Scalding hot glue + direct finger contact = blisters. Ouch. After "potting" them in 2 sky blue vases and delivering to their place in the window, I returned home to deal with the post flower creating carnage.


Yes, I am SUPER messy. This is my living room floor/ flower assembling station with Seamus watching from his spot on the couch. The tissue and craft paper cutting were the messiest part. Although, for some reason (whose name is Bella) I ended up with moss strewn about wildly, as well.


 

First a howling blizzard woke us,  
Then the rain came down to soak us,  
And now before the eye can focus -
Crocus.  ~Lilja Rogers