ArtWalk November 14 5-8 pm

You're invited to ArtWalk this Friday evening from 5-8 pm! We're having the opening for our Nativity and Hand crafted ornament show, as well as new work from our gallery artists, T Rader, Lou Plummer, Kathleen Master and others.


Here are few of our featured nativities!

From top to bottom:

By Justine - I am going down to glaze the pieces I created during my visit this summer to work with Justine. See previous blog entry.

I am also going to pick up some of her wise women sculptures.

They are 3 figures of wise women, as opposed to wise men.

The wise women "Would have brought better gifts, would have asked for directions and would have helped clean up afterwards". Justine in her usual irreverent style.

Next we have white porcelain nativities by Sue Burkart Chisholm. These pieces are hand built (as are Justines pieces) .

Finishing touches on the Nativity are derived from a collection of antiques and other treasures that span 5 generations and 3 continents.

Beginning with a slab of damp clay; forms are cut, and the textures are embedded. The delicate slab is folded or drape and a body develops. Finger prints and “life lines" are this artist's immediate signature. The life lines are on the backside where the "body" was cradled in one hand, while the other hand shaped the robe. Finger prints are everywhere. Muggy days in Georgia allows more lifelines, and finger prints to appear in the clay.

The Lists of Textures:

Joseph's robe is impressed with a cut glass salt shaker.
Mary's robe is lace.
Baby Jesus' swaddling cloth is embedded with a fruit strainer.
The kneeling shepherd's robe is impressed with chair caning.
The wise men's robe has window hardware and a button.
The manger is impressed with old barn wood.
The donkey texture is from a mold of a 1947 Willis jeep tire.
The camel's texture is a wooden block stamp.
The ram's texture is a Georgia peach pit.
The ewe's texture is the butt end of a cinnamon stick.
The lamb's texture is a sea shell
The black sheep " grandmother's favorite" farm animal has a bolt for texture

Next we have Nativities by Sarah Grant and her Sticks Studio.

Each piece is hand carved, wood burned and hand painted.

I've posted many of our nativities on our website in a Holiday Collection. To visit and/or to purchase click here.

This is going to be a long week!
Monday night Michael and I went to the HDRA, Historic District Residents Association meeting to hear about the Elks Building.

On Tues at 7:15 am I picked Greg up and we went and talked about "A Dickens of a Christmas" on the Phil Knight Show" on Community TV Channel 10. We had a great time and Phil was an engaging host.

Wednesday I left at 7 am for Justines and returned in time to go to a painting class at Art and Materials at 6 pm. Attended a Board meeting of the Craft Retailers Association for Tomorrow via the phone while glazing my pieces at Justines.

Thursday I have a 9:30 am meeting with an artist before opening the Gallery at 10.

Then Friday morning we are hosting WITN News at Sunrise in the Gallery to talk about ArtWalk that evening. We are thrilled that our Gallery was chosen to host this. The only hitch is that the news team arrives at 4 AM!!!! Heather King will be doing the interviewing. I've invited T Rader to talk about his work as well as Chris from Art & Materials to talk about what they are hosting that evening. So starting the day at 4 am and finishing at 9 pm. It's going to be a long but rewarding day.

Whew! Hope to see you Friday night, Jan Francoeur