Ease Into Fall with A Little Artsy Inspiration!

Meet Avery Applegate from Just My Type...

I was raised in Hillsboro, Ohio, where the art room was my sanctuary. Inspired by my art teacher, I decided to pursue the same career, the one where you get to teach “the fun stuff!” I attended The Ohio State University, but teaching positions in the arts were few and far between in those days. On one visit home, I heard that the elementary art teacher was moving away, so I applied and got the job.  I taught in my old elementary school, and then moved up to teach high school in the very room where I had decided on my career. After 30 wonderful years of teaching “the fun stuff,” it was time to let someone else take over. So, I retired and started my own jewelry business. Just My Type, LLC is now my creative focus, and I still get to do the fun stuff!

I have been creating jewelry for about five years. My jewelry is in a shop in Cincinnati called “Indigenous.” I’m proud to be one of their artisans, and I also enjoy the personal contact of art and craft shows.

This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show, and I'm excited about it!

Old photos inspire me. They evoke a time and place that I feel the need to showcase and honor. Also, when I see an old object that was once cared for and now cast aside, I feel the desire to make something precious of it.   

I am a tactile person. I like to work with my hands, use tools, and create items that are functional as well as decorative. Crafting has always been a part of my art. I started creating my jewelry after seeing a typewriter key bracelet realizing that I could do that, too. Then, I expanded the idea to take advantage of an extensive collection of old photos, trinkets, and baubles that I've amassed over the years. By focusing on composition, quality, detail, and craftsmanship, then adding a bit of whimsy, the pieces emerge as graceful expressions of art and craft.

I start with an inspiring bit of junk -- a typewriter key, photograph, rusty old key, or a tiny little trinket. Something will draw me to that cast off bit of what-ever-it-is, and I will just know what to do with it.

I enjoy what I do, and I want my pieces to be appreciated, sought after, unique, and fun!  In 5 years, I simply want my business to be profitable, enjoyable, and satisfying.  

A quote that captures the message behind my work would be this: “One man's junk is another man's treasure.”

Meet Brenda Liles from Lemon Drop Glass...

Hi! I’m Brenda Liles, and my website is LemonDropGlass.com. I’m a wife and mother of two grown children-- one is working and on her own, and the other is beginning his third year of college (My husband and I are very proud of them both). Before they left the house, I realized I would soon have the chance to get more serious about my love of color, creating and glass. 

Years ago, I took classes in different media—clay, watercolor, metals. I explored anything that interested me, and I allowed myself to fail as often as I succeeded in order to find what I really liked best. I was encouraged by my mother, who was an accomplished painter and calligrapher, so the creative gene must come from her. Her work filled our home, and fills mine today. I settled on glass 5 years ago with the purchase of a kiln and a torch. 

This is my first Avant-Garde show, and I’m looking forward to it. I like to see people find something that catches their interest. Maybe something I make will speak to them in some way. How other people make things is interesting to me, and I like it when people ask questions about my work, too. Trying new things and seeing what others are up to is always fun, and I’ve found I’m always impressed with people’s creativity.

My concepts and ideas come mostly from my love of nature. Oceans (blues are my favorites), trees (greens, too), old homes (ambers, taupes, creams)…oh well, almost anything! Maybe it’s just color that I love! And glass—the colors and the transparency of it just keep my ideas coming! There seem to be endless possibilities when I work with glass, so I never run out of combinations or techniques I want to try. And can you pass a piece of glass without touching it? I love the texture of fired glass, and I want others to be welcome to pick up pieces of my work if they like.

I find I’m usually in the process of learning something new—in everything else as well as in glass. There are so many excellent glass artists to learn from, and I hope to continue doing that in the future.

Meet Erica Journey from Journey's Tree House

Previous purchasing buyer, I left the corporate world to stay at home with my son! I love my son so much, but some times I need a sanity check. How? I create. I create things from scratch, improve current items that are not 100% effective, etc. I love to improve ways to make my family healthy, including using non-toxic and all natural products.

I have been crafting for as long as I can remember. I've been sewing since 9 years old, and have gradually built my skills. I've been selling online for about 3 years, and decided to put my items in local craft shows this year.

This is my first Avant-Garde show! :)

I gain my creativity from anything and everything. Especially with my son, if it is not effective, why not make it better!! We only have so much time until our kids grow up, why waste that time fidgeting putting on a coat, or spend extra money on baby wipes or diapers when you can re-use and apply that money to a vacation to make memories!

I love to create, even from the earliest memory I was using my creativity to play. If it could be crafted, I probably made it.  Hand print turkey's, macaroni noodle necklaces, etc. I will be sitting on the couch watching a movie, walking in the park, getting ready for the day and an idea will pop in my head. I will prototype the idea, and test it on my son (yes sometimes the tutu's- at 6 months he just thinks it's fun)! 

My talent is in my blood. My grandmother is an excellent seamstress and makes formal gowns (including wedding dresses). My mom taught me sewing machine basics and would sew us PJ's, dresses, etc. At age 12 I would sit in the sewing room from morning to evening sewing.

I would describe my creative process as mentally visual. I have to deconstruct to reconstruct. If I look at an object, in my head I will imagine how it was put together. Once determined, I go forward and create. 

My goal is to recruit other fellow crafters who may only create one, two, or ten original ideas, and purchase or consign the items in various craft shows, online stores, etc. Crafter's who may not be able to have enough work or time for a craft show. I also want to promote the benefits of all-natural and non-toxic products.

Meet Janice for Just 1 Artistic Mess...

I have been in the Columbus Area for about 5 years now.  I moved here after college from a little town called Scott Depot in West Virginia.  I have since married my hubby Kenton, May of 2012. We have an adorable fur child named Rascal.  By day, I am a laboratory technician but by night I paint!  My hobbies are painting (I know, it’s a given!), reading, eating Mexican food, attending golf tournaments, and just spending time with my husband and dog.  

At a very young age I began playing with my artistic abilities or what I deemed masterpieces. I was enrolled in the Gifted Art Program through grade school. I rekindled my passion for art as a stress reliever from my day time job about 3 years ago. This will be my first time at the Columbus Avant-Garde Arts & Crafts Festival. 

I am inspired by everything- the people and things around me, ideas from everyday life, or just random things that pop into my head while I am busy at my “real” job.  I think it’s truly magical what happens when you give a person a paint brush and a canvas.  I love the idea of painting or creating things that will make others smile or that are memorable to them whether it is a vacation house, their favorite pet, or just something they saw and wanted recreated. In five years, I plan to make my small business on the side, my full time job.  

I create oil and acrylic paintings/commissions, pet portraits, hand-painted greeting cards, gift tags, and hand-painted customizable ornaments.  I feel like too often one will walk into any Greeting Card Shop and find a card that is just a standard run of the mill…my goal is to make original hand painted cards that people can actually appreciate because its one of a kind. It’s like buying a mini work of art!  My gift tags are becoming very popular as the holidays approach and my customizable ornaments are great gifts for people who have kids, grandkids, or just as cute gifts in general for that special someone. 

My message behind my work is simple.  So many things these days are mass produced and manufactured, I want people to see my work and enjoy the uniqueness and originality that I have produced.  I paint for the love of it in the hopes that others may see my works and enjoy them just as much as I do.  For more information or to contact me, please visit http://just1artisticmess.weebly.com or just1artisticmess@gmail.com. 

Meet Nicole Coleman-Hummler from Snapped! By Nicole Photography...

I am a local photographer from Columbus and I live, eat, and dream photography. I have been doing photography in some form since 2006 and see no end in sight.

I did the last Columbus Avant Garde show, this is my second. 

I enjoying creating beautiful pieces of art for the home or for wear, using my photography. I started making gifts using my photography a couple of Christmas' ago, and friends and family began requesting items with their favorite images on them.

I am working on developing my portrait business a little more, so I see myself using the next 5 years to generate contacts for clients. I like to use my portrait abilities to provide images for charities, such as dog rescues.  

I find myself repeating the mantra that "Art and Beauty is everywhere. I just want to document it and make it available to everyone."

www.snappedbynicole.com

2013 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, September 21, 2013, 10:00am-4:00pm

St. Agatha's Parish Hall

1860 Northam Rd

Columbus, OH 43221

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

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Capturing an Image, the Art of Painting and Photography

Meet Angie Ulrich from Brite Eyed and Bushy Tailed...

My name is Angie Ulrich. I’m a passionate teacher, a loyal friend, and an enthusiastic artist. I teach and coordinate the gifted program at Walnut Township Local School District. I work with gifted and talented students in grades 3-6 as well as in after school programs for gifted seventh and eighth graders. My goal is to keep my students challenged and interested in learning. I extend their grade level curriculum and provide high interest learning opportunities. Among other things, we have researched unsolved mysteries, practiced leadership skills, studied Latin and Greek language, and painted a school mural. Outside of my job, I love playing softball and kickball, jogging, ziplining, cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes, shopping, and doing any and all things creative.

Where I get my creativity is still the mystery in our family… where do my brother and I get our creativity from? We haven’t determined that. While my parents are both incredibly intelligent and loving people, they would be the first to tell you that they are not overly creative-minded.  Despite this, my younger brother and I have been highly creative individuals since birth. Both of us won awards and art contests in grade school, and paint in our free time as adults. While our styles are very different, our love for creative endeavors is shared.   

 

How I got into my craft.. As I mentioned, my brother is very creative. He got into painting in high school after he had already covered every drawing surface he could find. He made it look effortless and fun- so when the opportunity arose I knew I wanted to give it a try. The opportunity came in my masters program at Ashland University. I was in a course called “Creative Studies for Teachers of the Gifted and Talented” and our final project was presented as a challenge to ourselves to do something creative which we had wanted to do and never done. I guess we all need that extra push sometimes. I bought the materials that I would need and got some advice from my brother before I began a series of three paintings all of which represented the idea of “potential.” It was a power word that held significance in the world of gifted education and I wanted to create a visual interpretation of that. I painted a rose surrounded by larger trees that had moved aside to provide light from the sun, a caterpillar on a blossoming tree, and a baby giraffe not quite tall enough to reach his meal. Through this experience I immediately fell in love with painting. It was calming. I found myself losing track of time and becoming so immersed in what I was painting that stresses from the day seemed to just dissolve. Once I received positive feedback from my class and my professor, I knew I was going to need a lot more materials. 

I am fortunate to have many loving family and friends that encouraged me to sell my artwork.  It was originally an idea I was pretty resistant to. It is truly a hobby. I don’t do it for money, I paint because I love to paint. But, as my paintings began to pile up in my apartment and my friends and family continued to encourage me, I finally gave in. Today I have a shop on Etsy called Brite Eyed and Bushy Tailed, have done several art shows, and work with TOMS shoes and their vendors for Style Your Sole events around Ohio. I have been painting for the last four years and plan to continue for many, many years to come!  

My favorite piece is probably either one of the first pieces I did, the baby giraffe, or the painting of a hermit crab. I can’t even explain why I love the hermit crab, except to say that he has an ornery look about him and he reminds me of a beach vacation. 

My paintings usually begin in my sketchbook. Whatever inspires me finds its way into my sketchbook. There are magazine cut outs, quotes, photos, drawings, music lyrics, and even clothing tags taped inside. Creative ideas are everywhere, if you’re looking carefully. From there my concepts for a painting emerge over a few hours, a few days, or even after several weeks. It’s like a brewing coffee pot that doesn’t seem to have any concept of time constraints. Ideas will often come to me at the most inopportune times.

My profession seems to guide my style of painting. It is typically very whimsical, friendly, and child-like. I try to portray the innocence and zest for life that I adore in my students in the characters and images that I paint. I suppose my message is to value and hold on to that childhood innocence, that zest for absorbing all that is new and different and exciting. As adults, we often don’t stop to truly enjoy life. We rush around from one duty to the next. Children are wonderful reminders that there is so much to be enjoyed. I suppose I want my paintings to serve as a reminder too. 

Meet Annie Stipek from Heart Ohio Art...

My name is Annie - I am originally from the Cleveland area (Rocky River), went to school at Ohio University in Athens and currently reside in Columbus. I have always had a passion for photography, and love to freestyle with my photos. I do offer portrait, family and wedding photography as well, but really have my heart in my artistic pics. 

I currently work as a toddler teacher with 2-3 year olds. I have always worked with people of all ages in different stages of care. I also have a wonderful husband who I have been with for 7 1/2 years and just wed last October. We have a German Shepherd and love taking on home projects! I also just completed my first half marathon!

Art of all forms has always been an outlet for me. In my younger years I wrote poetry, did ceramics, drawing, painting and photography. The one that really stuck with me is the photography. I also have an eye for decorating (even if its just picking things out on Pinterest!) 

I developed my first role of film in a dark room about 12 years ago in high school, but had been snapping away long before that. I also took photography classes in college. I always saw it as a fun activity that only I appreciated, but I started seriously selling my work a couple years ago.

How I got started.. I actually used to attend craft fairs when I was younger with my grandpa. He would see baseball cards at a table and at the end he would save me some space to sell whatever I was crafting on that moment. I loved having the people around, being interested in my creations and talking to people about what they are passionate about!

I started doing photography shoots for friends when they started having kids. From there I have grown to family portraits, baby pics and weddings. I started selling my OHIO themed pictures on etsy.com after people starting showing an interest in the pictures I had in my home. I saw that there wasn't a store like mine on Esty.com and wanted to put it out there so people could find my products.

My creative process... Sometimes I see something that I would like to have a picture of on my wall - or I think of photos that might collage well together. I know a lot of people are loyal to their hometowns and colleges and I like to think that I provide some memories for them in some way. I like to try to capture things that other people might overlook on a daily basis!

One of my favorite items is in my house. I have a series of photographs that I love from each city that is important to me. Each frame has a series of 3 photos in it. 

My goal with my work is that I just want people to look at my work and feel something. Maybe relive a memory from the past. Or have a link to a place they loved!

The message behind my works is that it's fun, and Ohio loyalty. We are really proud of our state and we have a lot of great stuff happening in our cities.

Check out these featured vendors at the 2012 Columbus Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature over 125 of the area's most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to Columbus Ohio's Local Matters, a non-profit that teaches kids and families about healthy Ohio-grown foods, provides access to wholesome foods in local area communities, and advocates for fair food policies.

2012 Columbus Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, August 19, 2012, 1:30pm-6:30pm

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral

555 N. High St 

Columbus, OH 43215

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

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