Pics from Art Walk- my 1st art show!

Last night was my art show at Alley Kat Art in Kapaa.  I have never shown before- not even craft fairs - only on my blog or Etsy store, and mostly i just give what I make away.   SCARY......
but what a delightful evening it turned out to be!

 The art community  sponsors an Art Walk once a month.  We had wine and beer and food and a terrific band and fire dancers.  Kathy, the store owner, did an amazing job displaying my art.

She displayed my art on her own art - she is a fabulous glass artist - and I love how she enhanced my work.

Kathy and I at the Gallery....

 

I have always had an irrational fear  of showing my art and actually selling it. Sales on Etsy have always been wishy washy and sporadic......but last night was fabulously validating.  Being introduced as the "featured artist" sounded so foreign to me, but i had no choice and was forced to converse with the crowd.  Yes, I said CROWD.
...and the words they spoke humbled me and VALIDATED me.
Sales were excellent and i learned a lot.  i have a better sense now of what sizes to make and new ideas inspired by customer comments.  i made valuable connections and met terrific new friends that share a kindred spirit.
i'm also glad that i had an array of art that appealed to all age groups and any pocketbook.   The form folded copper cuffs flew off the shelves, so i will be busy this week making more...and i'm going to add some of my pewter bird necklaces and angels, too.
whew.  i'm really glad it's over.

My First Art Show

This Saturday I will be the guest artist at Alley Kat Art Gallery in Kapaa.  There will be a wine reception and music and entertainment.  If you live here on the island, or are visiting - please stop by!

http://www.alleykatart.com/gallery.html   My work will be featured there for the next 2 months.

Although the flyer only shows a bisque moth necklace, the gallery will also be displaying a collection of my etched and form folded bracelets as well as my signature theme jewelry featuring  hands, skulls and eyeballs teamed together with found objects and fired metals. Originally I was to show in February, and I had hoped to display some of my new line of leather cuffs and purses, accented with leather birds and vintage buttons, but this came up on short notice and the Holidays take precedence over making art.

I am excited! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Mama (witch), Me (zombieish person) and Sky.  Vince is behind Sky but you can't really see him....

 Today was my mama's favorite holiday....she loved it even more than Christmas.  We lived in a HUGE Spanish house on 2 acres, set back from the street with 100 foot redwood  and pine trees in the front.  It was smack in the middle of San Jose, Calif ( the bird avenue house). Every Halloween my mom would create elaborate decorations-   from full sized coffin boxes on the terrace ....with herself inside as a living corpse....to witches and ghosts hung from the trees that swept down and over unsuspecting trick or treaters. Homegrown pumpkins and cornstalks were everywhere, We always had the MOST trick or treaters - those that dared to risk ringing the front doorbell, that is.  Back then, after all the little ones had finished trick or treating, my mom would pack all the big kids into the station wagon and head down town for the annual (and LEGAL, then) parade of cars/kids/parents that cruised down the main boulevard and threw water balloons, tomatoes and eggs at each other. ... (and one year someone managed to throw a pumpkin pie through the window i didn't close fast enough that landed in my lap).... yes.....  we really did that......  It's hard to explain, but there were unwritten rules that everybody knew and it was all very friendly and lots of fun.  ...
I don't have a single picture of the house decorated....maybe no one took any....?

...and above are pics of a FABULOUS Halloween card my friend Joanne sent me.  She made it, and it is hilarious!  THANK you Joanne!
here are a few more pics from Halloween's of the past:

clockwise...Me, Lance, Vince, Brian (neighbor...devil), Sky

 

 

AROUND THE YARD....

This is a beautiful mushroom I found growing on the side of the shop.  I looked it up and it's called an Amethyst Deceiver.  It isn't poisonous, but it doesn't taste good....

 Isn't it beautiful!

..and this is a hawaiian tree snail...it was climbing up a heliconia.....it's HUGE!  You never touch them without gloves because they carry killer bacteria.....