Thursday, August 31, 2017

Columbus Fall Show is Around the Corner!

Meet Marla Patton and Boni Yakubik from Knot Just Wood n Bows...
My name is Marla Patton and my mothers is Boni Yakubik.  My mother and I have always been crafty kind of people and love to be creative and see what we can come up with.  

My mother has always been good being creative and has always inspired me. We are self taught and love to push ourselves and see just what we can do. We are a very close family and tend to hang out with each other many days of the week. 
If we are not crafting we are out playing or crafting with my 8 yr old niece who keeps us very busy when she visits. We have always done many crafts for friends and family and have just started selling our crafts in the fall of 2015. 
Although we have attended two craft shows; this will be our 1st show with Avant-Garde and we are excited to be attending this year! 

We are inspired by many things whether it be nature, colors, patterns or holidays we always find something to get our minds thinking of the next craft.  We have branched out in making many crafts from decorative wooden blocks, to wreaths, silhouette paintings as well as decorative glassware. 
You can find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/knotjustwoodnbowsWe can customize just about any thing we do so; we are always happy interacting with our customers and seeing how excited they are when they find something for their homes or as a gift for someone else's home! 

Meet Troy Howard from SklynArt...
I have been drawing, painting, and creating art for 20+ years. Graduate in Art and Technology from The Ohio State University. I’ve created artwork for companies and agencies such as Bud Light and Denver Broncos, Found Art Agency and RAW. My artwork and creative style has been featured in Studio Visit and American Art Collector Magazines, Ohio State Art Exhibits, The Ohio State Fair not to mention a variety of juried art shows and exhibitions in Ohio and surrounding areas. Bottom line is I love what I do and will always be humbled and thankful for every opportunity to create for others.



What inspires me to create? Honestly anything. It’s the best way to express myself without technically speaking. I try my best to translate what I feel, thoughts, and stories I’ve heard or read to paper, canvas, etc.
How I discovered my talent.. Most likely my mom discovered it and my grandma trained and nurtured it from the start, then I just kept going as I became older.
My creative process.. I spend more time think about what I want to say or get the audience to think about. Art like picture is about capturing the right moment. Once I know what I want to say the fun part is actually creating it.
Where I see myself in 5 years.. I just want to leave my mark on the world. It would be awesome to be known worldwide, travel, and be recognized as one of the greatest. But I mainly focus on how I can add value in others’ lives through my artwork.
The message behind my work is that you can truly create anything you want in the world through art, and how art can really be more than just something nice to look at!
Meet Sarah Wells from Sarah Wells Art & Illustration
I moved to Columbus from Pittsburgh sixteen years ago to attend Columbus College of Art and Design where my primary focus was traditional animation. Now, my day job has me working with senior adults as the front desk receptionist at a retirement community (which I love!), but in my free time I do art and illustration. 
I started drawing cartoons when I was in middle school and over the years I've branched out into illustration and mural painting as well.
I'm inspired by my sense of humor! I love art that's quirky and fun, and I love to create the same kind of images for others. If I can make someone smile with my art, then I've done my job. 
How I got into my craft.. I found that I was much happier doing art on a freelance basis, on my own time, being my own boss. I started creating prints of my work after I got several requests for them. It's sort of snowballed from there. I discovered my talent during an assignment in seventh grade English class that involved drawing cartoons.
My creative process.. If I have an idea for something a little unusual or funny, I try to make it translate visually so that it's universally enjoyable. A lot of the time there are things that are just funny/interesting to ME, and not everyone else, so I end up scrapping a lot of ideas. But every once in awhile I find a keeper. I start with pencil sketches and then scan them into the computer where I digitally paint them. 
My five year goal... Hopefully still doing art that makes me happy and, if I'm very lucky, does the same for other people.
The message behind my work is: Fun! There's a lot of serious business that surrounds us on a daily basis. We all need a mental break, even if it's just momentary.
Meet Sophie Knee from SOAP CUBED...
I am Sophie Knee, from SOAP CUBED.  I was born in the United Kingdom, and arrived in Ohio in 1988, as a young adult.  I have a Fine Arts background and day job, but have been making things all my life.  Making stuff was “normal” on both sides of our family; people sewed, knitted, crocheted, built furniture, baked bread, developed film, and did home canning.  One of my grandfathers (a high school teacher during the day) had a hidden talent for cake decorating.  Sometimes people make fun of me for doing myself, instead of paying other people to do, but the truth is, when I create, I feel connected to the people who first taught me how.
I started making soap in the winter of 2016.  I have lived with skin allergies all my life, and had read that natural soaps are gentler on the skin than most of what's commercially available. When I made my first batch (It was “Lavender Brown”), I tested it first by washing my hands for a week, then taking it into the shower, then finally used it on my face.  When that was OK, I asked some family members to be my testers.  My family: 6 adults, 3 teenagers, 4 PhDs, about 8 other academic degrees (various), 6 people (plus self) have skin allergies (various).  They are the “nerds with skin allergies”.  They're opinionated people, and pretty soon they all started asking me for particular kinds of soap, and telling me what they thought of what I already made.  In rather a short time, I had made more soap than I knew what to do with, and still wanted to make more.  I have been washing with handmade soap for about 6 months now, and my skin has really improved: no allergic rash, and less need for lotion.  

Also, I found that I really love making soap.  The basic ingredients are very simple, and nothing special.  I find most base oils kind of gross, Lye is (honestly) quite scary.  When you combine these ingredients correctly, you get a magical (OK, it's really chemical) reaction, and then you have soap.  Yes,  botanicals and essential oils are beautiful, and also seem like magic to me, but they represent only a tiny part of the soap.  Soap smells great, and it cleans everything.  (Did I mention I'm a nerd?  This is the Miracle of Saponification”.)  
I came up with a packaging system, and a logo.  This was fun, too; I got help from my sister (PhD in Biology), and designed the SOAP CUBED logo.  Then I set up an Etsy shop, all the time listening to a little voice in the back of my head, telling me that people needed to see (and smell) this stuff in person.  The Columbus Fall show will be my third Avant – Garde craft show; so far, “live” events have definitely worked best for me.  I believe that SOAP CUBED is still in the “proof of concept” phase,  and I don't think I can see what will happen 5 years from now.  I do know that I want to create something beautiful and good (The Eternal Search for Truth and Beauty), and I hope to continue building SOAP CUBED, as I identify top selling cubes, such as Lavender Brown, Smoke a Clove, or Tobacco & Rosewood, and create new essential blends.  SOAP CUBED is about creating a simple, more natural option for skin care, that can still smell great, look beautiful, and reduce packaging waste from the skincare routine. 

2017 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday September 11, 2017 - 10:00am-4:00pm
Makoy Event Center
5461 Center St.
Hilliard, OH 
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
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