July 30, 2010 | Posted By: Chris
Filed Under Chris, Friends + Family, Life, Our Artwork, Portraits
As Annie already mentioned, I recently got back from Comic-Con 2010, and I’m still recovering. To say it was overwhelming and overstimulating is an understatement. But I’m already looking forward to next year. Met so many great new friends, artists I’ve long admired… good times.
After getting back home, I started and finished a portrait commission for a certain Nick, a surprise birthday present from his awesomely thoughtful wife. Nick loves icons and he makes the benediction gesture a lot (really). Yay for me: I recently picked up a fantastic old book full of giant color reproductions of icons, MAJOR inspiration as of late, so this commission was such a blast. I can’t wait to hear about his reaction…. YAY
Some pics of the finished piece, some showing the glossy coats of varnish. I’ll probably post some in-progress pictures after this so you can see the various stages.
July 3, 2010 | Posted By: Annie
Filed Under Artist Love, Friends + Family, Life, Like + Love
Thursday we went over to this wonderful little house, cozy abode of sisters Bess and Julie Whittington. Oh yes and Pekoe the cat and Jasper a very handsome dog. As you can see they have the perfect yard- trimmed lawn, crazy vegetation and raised beds, not to mention a table and chairs that could have been lifted out of Narnia.
Inside, an amazing dinner, great great art on the walls, a studio gleaming with a rainbow of thread and fabric, and good conversation.
Oh yes, we did a trade, a Chris print for a Bess moth, I’ll show you later when I have time to photograph it properly.
June 23, 2010 | Posted By: Annie
Filed Under Friends + Family, Life
A fabulous party thrown by my sister for a close friend. A surprise party, and it worked! Hours and hours of work for gorgeousness, and hurrah! a garland I made out of spectacular gold lame table cloth I found once. We stitched it up over the weekend and I have a feeling it will make an appearance at every party from now on.
Amazing food, bought from artisans, or made by Erin or friend Michelle . . .look at those chicken salad sandwiches! They were ridiculous. The best I’ve ever had. Oh yes, It was held in the gallery of White Whale. . . the perfect blank palette for a glamorous party. . . let us know if you want to rent it. . .
Below, after the photographer left (a great professional girl who took photos of us all together) we laughed ourselves into six-pack abs then voila, the decorations descended and we all went to bed. Here on my sister’s blog more photos from a camera with a wider lens and more, better stories. Try not to be jealous.
May 13, 2010 | Posted By: Annie
Filed Under Friends + Family, Life
Tuesday my sister Erin’s birthday, Wednesday my husband darling, Thursday my sister-in-law’s, bam, bam, BAM! Cakes for the first two, my family is in town so we celebrated yesterday. My sister Erin’s recipe for strawberry buttercream on the positively wonderful sour cream pound cake, scratch recipe from a sweet little lady at church. Best cake baker ever. Oh yes, and shining local strawberries. Perfect. So glad these fabulous people were born!
May 4, 2010 | Posted By: Annie
Filed Under Friends + Family, Life
A gift from Kent and Peggy Ambler, they stopped by real quick one night to give us this great owl box and yay! I could give them the funny Kent plate. Peggy told me at one time it held baby bunnies to keep them safe and warm until they could get to a shelter and then I mistakenly let Marshall see it and he promptly started to fill it with weeds. . . good one mom. The colors are great, the olive wood and the cerulean blue lining and the inscription inside the lid -”handcrafted and designed for you by Mike”.
April 15, 2010 | Posted By: Annie
Filed Under Friends + Family, Life
Yay! My sister Erin, younger by a year and a half finally has her own blog! Here is the reason you should be excited too, she is THE best baker I know. And she will probably tell you her sweet secrets and share evidence of her flair for garnishing pretty much any object that can be enhanced. Also she’ll be keeping us updated on the much awaited Indie Craft Parade, here in Greenville. Her husband Cory, adored by all especially Marshall, designed the header for her blog (yes, the one shown above). Its nice to have a family connection floating around in the blog world.
April 10, 2010 | Posted By: Chris
Filed Under Artist Love, Friends + Family, Life, Like + Love
For way too long I’ve been meaning to do a post about Matthew and Sandy Lynn Davis, the wonderful couple of Treatzone. (Hi Sandy, sorry this is so belated!) We first beheld their sweetness via a Poppytalk marketplace forever ago… it was their “altered portraits” that I immediately coveted, each and every one. I share a love for old photographs myself, with an ever-growing collection of them, mostly, lately, thanks to Annie’s antique shop hunting skillz.
There’s something about the fact that these were real people, as real as you and your arms and hands and face right now, and through these dusty old photographs that someone cared too much about to throw away or burn, these real people who came and went can still confront us today, long after their passing, or maybe, even, while they’re still alive, somewhere. And we all have the same end, like it or not. Except our Y2K portraits won’t look as cool as these do.
Whoah, I just thought of that scene in Dead Poets Society.
I feel the need to quote Ecclesiastes. But, ah… I’ll just suggest you all go and read it through. When you do, by the way, please keep in mind that the original Hebrew word usually translated “vanity” or “meaninglessness” in our modern translations actually doesn’t really mean those things. It’s “vapor.” Vapor of vapors! Under the sun, all is vapor. (Sorry to get scholarly, I’ve been reading it and this book recently, which I must recommend).
One of these days I’m going to start drawing and painting on some of my photographs.
ANYways, do yourself a flavor and be sure to check out the Treatzone Etsy shop + site, full of so many good things.
March 11, 2010 | Posted By: Chris
Filed Under Chris, For Sale, Friends + Family, Like + Love, Our Artwork
Scott Tuma’s new record, Dandelion, released on 12″ vinyl from the fine folks at Digitalis, is now available at Digitalis and Boomkat!!! Oh happy day, a dream come true!
About 5 or 6 years ago in college, one of my art instructors handed me a CD with a fish on the cover (no cover title) and said I might like it. Upon first listen, I realized I had been given something utterly unique and special. The CD was The River 1 2 3 4 by Scott Tuma, and consisted of four untitled tracks, and it was unlike anything I had ever listened to. Since then, I’ve been soaking in those very same sounds, listening late at night, early in the morning, any time and all the time. I’ve listened to The River at least a thousand times, and to this day, when listening, I still don’t even know which track it’s on. And it doesn’t matter, because any given moment of the music is completely captivating, and that’s all that matters. Same goes for all of Tuma’s other releases, including his work with Boxhead Ensemble and beyond. Scott is a true musical master, a conjurer of sepia-toned worlds of dust and sun, of warmth and heartache, of creaking floorboards and slow-motion rivers.
Long story short, I eventually got in touch with Scott to let him know how much I appreciated his work, and the rest is history!
A huge thank you goes out to Scott for making his beautiful, inspiring, timeless music that has filled my home and studio for the past 5 years, and to Brad at Digitalis for being awesome and letting me go to town with the artwork. When we all meet up in Chicago one of these days, I’m buying the drinks!
* * *
A very limited art edition of Dandelion, including an original hand-inked, hand-printed 8″ drypoint monoprint, signed and numbered in an edition of 30 unique prints, plus a digital download of the album and extra digital images of the artwork, including hi-res desktop wallpapers, is available by contacting me directly.
Over half of the limited art edition has already sold out, so quantities are extremely limited and for sale on a first come, first served basis.
Contact me to check availability and reserve a copy. $50 USD + shipping
Overseas customers are encouraged to purchase the standard edition (limited to only 400 copies for the world!) from Boomkat. US customers can order from Digitalis.
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