Lad Strayer Photography

http://www.pbase.com/ladstrayer/out_of_the_loop

These are photos you just have to see. I was so moved by them. These are people whom we may or may not know but we can all surely pray for and have compassion for.

Sometimes it is hard to understand other peoples lifestyles, and and I am sure people have questioned mine over the years.

Just take a look if you have time! Be sure to view them as a slide show.

I am hoping Lad and I can collaborate on a future project. His photos are so compelling.

Art-A-Licious, You'll Want To Be There!

Art-A-Licious is really a local event that you won't want to miss. Last year I took part, along with a number of other very talented artists. If you were one of the people who did come, I am sure you will be back for more. There were over 20 artists (+/-) demonstrating throughout the week-end. I was working on a stained glass panel made up of melted glass coke bottles and other memorabilia. There was a glass blower, potters throwing on their wheels, painters painting, and more. The quality of artists and the ability to see so many actually working on their art right there in the streets of Adrian was a wonderful opportunity. I really do feel it will be something you will want to tell your friends about. Then, there was the food. A number of area restaurants brought samples of many of their best sellers. Not your fair food as usual. And music... The piece shown here is one I am donating to their auction. All of the artists were asked to bring post card size pieces for this purpose. So if you come, feel free to help support us by purchasing from one of the artists or bidding on any number of post card sized artworks. A link to the web site with more information is: www.visitlenawee.com/old/html/art-a-licious_2008.html . There will also be a Chair-ity auction. More on it later. For now, put September 19th and 20th on your calendar. Pass this on to your friends. Meet them there for a very fun week-end.

Greg Lawlers, Artfair Sourcebook

I was given some wonderful information from a couple of artists I met while doing a show at the Manchester Riverfolk Festival. For those of you interested in entering the art fair circuit, it is very difficult to know which shows to do and which are not worth your while. I only got my preliminary book and am looking forward to getting my full set of information, but what a wonderful resource.

This book appears to be geared towards the serious artist, more in the high-end category than in the craft type category. In fact, the cover reads, "The Complete Guide to Fine Art & Craft Events Nationwide". But, what a wealth of information. It rates the shows from 1-10 which indicates the average sales for artists at that show. It tells you about the marketing company and how they operate and treat the artists. Descriptions of setting up and tearing down, what the best place for your booth is, what percentage of artists come back, what your return on investment should be at that show, and on and on.

To try it out, go to this website and get a free trial. You will be able to see for yourself how much information is available to you there. http://artfairsourcebook.com/cgibin/ctool/ctool.pl?command=searchform

Let me know if you get a chance to visit the site and what you think.

If you have already ordered this sourcebook, let me know how it has worked for you. Other people would be interested in your experience as well.

Happy searching!

Pat Deere

Flight Of Fancy Art Birdhouse Festival

The Flight Of Fancy Art Birdhouse Festival is going on now in Tecumseh. My mosaic birdhouse can be seen by going to United Bank and Trust, it is pictured on this postcard being sent out by the Tecumseh Center for the Arts, you can bid on it by going to the link shown here: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10294 at the Saline Picture Frame Company, and you can see the other birdhouses available for auction at their site or the TCA site: http://www.thetca.org/flight_of_fancy/default.htm . There are a lot of fun birdhouses. If you don't have time to walk around downtown, certainly take time to browse through these sites!

And, as is the case with most art... these pictures just don't do them justice. Some other links to glass artists and their birdhouses are:
Jean Lash: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10266
Lorenzo Cristado: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10253
Scott Smith: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10289
Toni Herrick: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10299

Enjoy browsing!

Pat

Intricate Framing by Jason Maan

This week-end I was in Ypsilanti at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. While there, I talked with many people interested in learning the exciting art of stained glass. I also talked with many talented artists. The picture here was taken from the comment you will find in the blog below. Click on Jason's link to find the rest of the pictures he attached.

For those of you with wood working talents along with stained glass skills - what a combination. Take a look at the time consuming woodwork here designed to frame Jason's glasswork. Where we might put lead came or copper foil, Jason builds a wood structure to place each piece of glass in.

Thanks for sharing Jason. I have been encouraging other people to send their inspirational photos to be posted here. If you have a project you would like to share with other glass enthusiasts, please send them along!

Pat

Slumped Glass Panel Lamps

This is an unusual find. When my customer brought in this green lamp that was found in the garbage of a friends parents, I told her it was definitely worth keeping. Repairing them back to their original beauty is not easy but well worth the investment.

The process to go through is to remove one good panel. From that good panel, I make a mold that can be used to make the new panel. I wrap the good panel in tin foil so I can get the shape of the glass I need. Once I have the shape, the tin foil is cut out and laid flat which gives us the pattern to cut the new piece of glass by. Matching glass on these old lamps is not always easy. Once the glass is found, the pattern is traced onto the glass prior to cutting it. The size is checked and any adjustments are made.

Now, back to the mold. Once the mold is made it needs to be thoroughly dried. This mold is very thick in some areas and thin in others. It needs to be dried slowly to keep it from cracking. Once the mold is prepared and ready, it is put into the kiln with the new glass carefully placed on top. The kiln is turned on low and vented until I am sure all of the moisture has been removed. Once I am sure there is no more moisture, the vent is closed and the glass continues to heat slowly. When it gets to about 900-1000 degrees, the glass will start to bend and take the shape of the mold. Over a period of 2-3 hours I will watch the glass, open the kiln and check to see that it is shaped correctly, and turn of the kiln when finished so it can slowly cool down to room temperature.

The moral of the story... don't throw these lamps away. They do have value. They can be fixed. And most often, they are worth saving.

Class Notes: In my fusing class, if you would like to learn how to go through this process, bring an old lamp with you and I will help you step by step.

Manchester Riverfolk Music Arts Festival Review

What an absolutely wonderful day. I had the opportunity to become an exhibitor at the Manchester Riverfolk Music Festival this week-end in Manchester, MI. The weather could not have been better. My booth faced the main stage so I could hear beautiful music all day. Visitors stopped and talked and were very engaged in my work.

The collection of artists work was very nice. My favorite of the show was work created by Sea of Glass Studio in Manchester, MI. One of their necklaces is shown here. Pictures never do glass justice and I can tell you seeing them in person is a real treat. I could not leave without purchasing a necklace from them with a leaf similar to the one shown here. Take the time to visit their web site. You will not be dissapointed. http://www.seaofglassstudio.com/pages/photo.galleries/gallery.html . On top of being wonderful artists, Trudi and Eric Cooper gave of their time and knowledge very willingly. I always appreciate an artist who is willing to help another along their path!

Now, the music. If you have never attended this event, I urge you to put it on your calendar for next year. It is hard for me to pick a favorite because I truly enjoyed every musician I heard throughout the day. My booth faced the main stage... what a treat! I purchased CD's from two of the bands. One of them was from a singer with a voice I am very jealous of. Her web site is: http://viennateng.com/streetteam/ . The other was from a family of musicians with a collection of instruments unlike anything I have heard before. The bands name is MacTalla Mor and their web site is: http://www.mactalla.com/about.html . When they said they were going to play Free Bird unlike anything we had ever heard before, they were absolutely right. Free Bird with bag pipes? I know it sounds wierd but everybody truly enjoyed every song they played.

I could go on and on. It was a great day. Don't miss it next year!

Pat Deere