Where in the Metroplex will you find EclecticDesignChoices this Holiday Season?

About this time of year I begin sharing the locations of the different craft shows that I will be participating in case you want to see me and my work in person. This year I’m going to share a slightly different venue with you.

My alter ego to EclecticDesignChoices, 817ArtsAlliance, is partnering with the Arlington Museum of Art (AMA) to bring three different opportunities to local artisans and the public who like to support local artists. Two of these will also include opportunities for collectors and lovers of vintage items. Collectively, these opportunities are known as Happy Holidays Happenings. The Happenings consist of the Happy Holidays Gift Store, Happy Holidays Artisan Demonstrations and the Happy Holidays Gift Market and will be part of the museum’s Mitch Wilson Memorial Festival of Trees Exhibit.

EclecticDesignChoices will be part of the Happy Holidays Gift Store. The holiday store will be open during the entire Festival of Trees during regular museum hours. Several local artisans and collectors will have their wares available for purchase in the store which we will staff. This means that while you will be able to see my work in person for an extended period of time, I won’t always be there.

The Festival of Trees, including the Happy Holidays Gift Store, will open for the AMA member’s reception Thursday night, Nov. 7 but will open to the public on Saturday, November 2 and continue through Sunday, December 29. The museum is open from 10 am – 5 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays and 1 pm – 5 pm on Sundays. I hope you get a chance to check out the festive trees and Santa art on display during the Festival of Trees at the Arlington Museum of Art as well as the Happy Holidays Happenings.

New Photographic Art Images by EclecticDesignChoices

A couple of the new images that I took this summer really grabbed my attention and I knew I wanted to blow them up and put them on something other than just paper. I have printed a few photos to canvas previously, which has given me an opportunity to start to develop an understanding of what images are likely to look great printed on gallery wrapped canvases. One of my new dragonfly images seemed to scream, put me on canvas, so I did.

There is another substrate that I have never had my images printed on before

that I thought would be perfect for one of my new waterlily photos. I have seen some images printed on metal and I thought the reflectiveness of the material would lend itself nicely to one of these images. After working with a few of the waterlilies and their reflections I picked one for my first image to be printed on metal. I was very pleased with the results when I received it.

Both of these works will be available in the Happy Holidays Gift Store that will be a part of the Arlington Museum of Art’s Mitch Wilson Memorial Festival of Trees Exhibit from Nov. 1 – Dec. 29, 2013. I will have a couple of different sizes of matted prints on paper of these images as well. Come out and see them in person if you have the chance.

Time to Tuck in Some Winter Annuals

Seasonal color change always used to be a challenge for me. I couldn’t bear to yank out summer annuals that were still blooming their hearts out late in the year. However if I waited until they were killed by the first freeze, their replacements were more difficult to find and didn’t have a chance to get established before really cold weather, so they didn’t bloom much until spring. Thankfully now I know I don’t have to choose between a rock and a hard place. My winter color now gets tucked in without disturbing my summer annuals.

Here in North Texas we are still a little over a month away from our first average killing frost. Pansies, snapdragons, Johnny Jump Ups and dianthus can be found currently in nurseries. This time of year I like to buy them in six packs or 4” square pots. I find that I can tuck in plants this size without disturbing my summer bloomers. By planting my winter annuals now, they can coexist with my summer annuals until they get slimed by that first freeze. By then my winter beauties will have become established and add that needed color spot to an otherwise mainly dormant flower bed.

The photo above shows newly planted pansies tucked around existing Spanish moss rose.

Thanks for the Treasuries - September 2013

Two different Etsians and one Etsy team let me know that they had featured one of my items in a treasury during September. Three September Etsy treasuries, that treasury makers let me know about, included one of my creations. You can see a collage below of my items from EDCCollective that were featured during September. (Click on the collage to see a larger view.)

I really appreciate being featured by the treasury makers. To thank them, I have listed below (in alphabetical order) links to the 2 Etsy sellers that let me know that they featured one of my items, as well as an item from their shop that I like. You will also see information about the TexasFriendsTeam that also featured an item of mine.

Enjoy window shopping and please click on the shop links of anything that catches your eye.


CorkyCrafts
If you have a wine connoisseur who happens to appreciate hand made items look no further than this shop's wine-related products. They make the perfect gift!

GirlieGals
"It's a Bling Thing!", says this shop owner who offers you sparkle and shine at affordable prices.

TXFriendsTeam
Past, present and future Texans are welcome and encouraged to join this team. The only real rules of the group are to promote friendly, The TX Way, and be respectful to all who participate.