April 18, 2015

New lessons learned on paint disposal today.  Here is a warning to all who have paint stored.  Getting rid of it may not be as easy as you think.   

We have dozens of cans of paint left over from the builder and from various painting activities, including exterior painting of our home.  Today we wanted to clean out our garage.  Throwing the paint away was first.  We just figured we would take it down to the hazardous waste dump as we had in the past.  WRONG!  Latex paint is no longer considered hazardous waste in Washington State.

  

 

To dispose of latex paint you have to mix it with kitty litter, spread it out on plastic and let it dry.  Then you can put it in your trash.  Sounds easy enough?  It is not. 

 We found that painters like to put other things back into paint cans.  We found unidentified solvents, brushes, rollers and hazardous materials mixed with the latex.  Kitty litter does not work on these toxic chemicals.

 

I think the folks at the EPA and others at the hazardous waste sites need to rethink their decision to have homeowners and other disposing of their own latex paint.  

John and I are pretty experienced with paint and painting materials and know what paints are what.  Even so John was running upstairs to the computer to check the disposal processes just to make sure we were doing it right.  So many people could get into SO MUCH TROUBLE playing with disposing of paint, thinners and solvents that really are NOT harmless.  I think I have a headache!!  

Be careful out there when you are working with these toxic materials!  We now have a pile of paint cans that are not "oil based" paints that will be going to the hazardous waste dump tomorrow.  I can't wait to have a chat with them!

Bye for now!

April 4, 2015

Great Article on Buying Art

One of the  Facebook pages I watch had a great  reference the other day to a guide to how to buy art.  I thought I'd share it with you.  The complete article can be found at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/distilled-perspective.  The article is titled "Guide to Buying Art: 7 Things to Look for When Purchasing a Piece"  by Stephen Tanenbaum.


I would highly suggest you read the whole article, but in a nutshell it suggests that when you choose art you look for the following things:

 
Cohesive Style; Originality; Content; Emotional Connection; Artist's Background; Balance Between Process and Product;  and Quality.




The 10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Buying Art:

1.  Do I have an emotional reaction to the piece?
2.  Does the piece bring me into it, or am I looking at it?
3.  Does the color palette stimulate my senses?
4.  Does the composition guide my eye through the piece
5.  Do I understand the piece?  Is it conceptual and thought-provoking without being to complicated to understand?
6.  Is there anything unique about in the creation process that sets the work apart?
7.  Is the artist working in a cohesive style? (this indicates focus, repetition, and practice which leads to more refined work)
8.  Is the artist building on a previous artist's work or an artistic movement?
9.  Is the piece well constructed?  Is it made of materials that will fade or technology that may go out of date?
10..  Do I continue to think about the work and its meaning far after purchasing the piece?  Would I grow tired of it?  Does the work have staying  power?

As an artist these questions are good ones to ask yourself as you create the Art.  If you hope to sell your pieces you want to be sure that the Buyer of the art can answer Yes to ALL of these questions.  Maybe not everyone viewing your pieces will love what you do, but enough so that you can sell what you make and that allows you to make more.

I really thought these were very interesting and meaningful points.  The article goes into even more detail.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!

By for NOW!!

3/29/2015

YESTERDAY

I volunteered at the  

Spring Best of the Northwest Art and Fine Craft Show

7400 Sandpoint Way NE, Building 102N, Seattle, WA 98115

The last day is today, March 29, 10am-5pm.  If you have never been to this show then you must go!!  It is some of the best collection of handmade art in our area.  I had so much fun booth sitting as the artists took short breaks to refresh themselves.  There are some great presentations and a Tesla outside for car enthusiasts to view up close.

It is a must see!!!!

• 110 artists showcasing the finest art and craft in the Pacific Northwest
• Artist Demonstrations on both days
• Art4Kids table for your budding young artist
• Basket of Art giveaways
• Delicious food and beverages by local vendors
• Free parking
• Full details are now available on the Northwest Art Alliance website www.nwartalliance.org

Don't make me say I told you so!!

March 26th, 2015

We are back from our trip and had lots of fun shopping for gem stones and Pendelton wool.  Now it is time for me to get back to work.

I'm working on applications for summer and fall festivals.  Preparing pictures to submit for juried entries takes some time, but it is very important.  

GOOD NEWS!!!  I have been invited to participate in the Arts North Studio Tour on September 12 and 13th.  I'm one of five artists that will be featured at one studio included in the tour.  More information to follow as we get closer!!


The new gem stones and wool should help to round out my offerings.  Here is an example of a few items I have or will be adding to my shop shortly.

 I also enjoyed knitting as we drove through the  beautiful country side.  I have some new scarves I'll be adding to my shop as well.  

Wait until you see some of the new greeting cards I'll be selling at my summer booths.  Some of you may have seen a few of these pictures on my Artfully Ann's Facebook page.  The Southwest is such a beautiful place.

Well, it is back to work...or play... for now.  Please keep in touch.  Check out Artfully Ann's Etsy page as there is always something new.

Bye for now!

C. Ann

March 2, 2015

There is a whole new look on www.artfullyanns.com Come take a look!! It is another way to keep track of my blog and Etsy postings.

February 23, 2015

I found a beautiful mannequin, I'm calling her Molly,  just waiting for me in an antique store this weekend.  She is so beautiful all dressed in white lace and is no bigger than a size 4.  What a difference she makes when photographing some of my hard to photograph items. 

Here are a few samples of already seen items being worn by Molly.  Doesn't she just set them off.  I think you will be seeing a lot more of her on Artfully Ann's.  So glad I found her hiding under a dusty old coat.

Now....don't you think she makes a difference?  I'm so glad I found Molly.  Hopefully it will make a difference in how my product looks over all.  Little by little Artfully Ann's will continue to mature.  This is just another step in the process.

Time to go to bed.  Take care and sleep tight!!

Carol Ann

February 23, 2015

During my recent trip to Hawaii I enjoyed the company of many talented knitters and crocheters. Here are just a few pictures of some of the lovely ladies I met and their extraordinary art. Thanks Paula for passing your pictures on since I didn't bring my camera up to our knitting group. Go figure!!

How I enjoy getting to know new people on a ship by knitting every morning we are at sea.  It is one of the best parts of a journey.  Thank you lovely ladies for making this trip special!

Keep on knitting!!

Carol Ann