Chihuly at night

One of the nice things about living in the Nashville area is the “small town, yet big city feel.” We get to see musical talent and art exhibits without an overly crazy or impossible wait. Sometimes it’s so easy to access world class cultural experiences, I can hardly tell I’m not living on either coast. Well, that might be a bit over the top…

A prime example of this Mid-South small town benefit was the installment of Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. Did I say easily accessible and not overly crazy? Well, that changed for us when we tried to have a dinner & art date night with some friends. The line of cars went down the block, around the bend and down another block…We had to try the following week, and a bit earlier in the evening. With better planning it was a success. Chihuly Nights at Cheekwood was so popular that the exhibit was extended a couple of weeks past its deadline!

The weather turned frigid on us but it was a surreal experience nonetheless. Not every piece or installation was cleverly lit, but each one was certainly unique and beautifully created. I did hear, however, that the exhibit was pretty spectacular during the daytime as well.

These photos were the best of the lot that I captured with my little digital doohickey. This post is so late because my doohickey decided to go all doodoo on me and not function properly. The last couple of posts have featured pictures taken with my phone (boo), and will continue as such until I save up moolah for another doodah (…doodah….).

luxurytyme.com

I have been in awe of Chihuly since my first visit to the Bellagio Resort in Vegas. A-freakin-MAZING. There are also great documentary films of his installations that you can get at the library. It’s mesmerizing, really.

Speaking of original art to buy…

If you’re looking for a quality original 5″x7″ painting, you can check out Paul Ferney’s commission project. I follow his wife’s blog, Oh Happy Day! and she posted about the project this morning. What a great idea… Send Paul a photo and $200, and he’ll send you a painting by December 1, just in time to adjust those Christmas lists. Hurry though, the first 100 people get the deal. After that, the price goes back up to $350. I love this guy’s style.

Jordan Ferney | Oh Happy Day!

If I had a studio, a nanny and a production assistant, I would love to dream up a venture to paint for people on demand. Hmmm, that’s three strikes so I guess I’ll have to keep living my own life.

A Positively Crafty Fair Find

There are times when I want so badly to be positive. I try to look at the situation from many angles in order to come out with something good to say, even if a day turns out to be only 10% of what I hope for.

Well… I must say, Saturday was a tough one. My husband and I have been wanting to take a trek down to quaint little Bell Buckle (and I mean, “downtown” is all of one cute block) that touts an annual art show, sponsored by the local prep Webb School that has been there since 1870. In years past I have seen indications of a juried exhibition, but this year the town was proud to host “over 500 other booths…with something for everyone.”

Silly me, I looked at the web site for the wrong year. Apparently, the Webb School Art & Craft Show used to be a bona fide show, even as recently as 2006, accepting juried applications for “high quality, hand crafted work in the traditional fine craft media.” What happened in the 34th annual show? It turned into a giant festival, flea market, bizarre bazaar of knock-offs, cheap goods and manufactured holiday notions. The art show? It was hidden in the park, and didn’t seem to attract a host of magnificent artisans.

Sorry, Webb School.
Sorry, Bell Buckle.
You need to rename the event, the “Bell Buckle 10% Art and 90% Craftlike Almost-Goods Fair.”

My ounce of positive? We found a very friendly craftsman that made wooden spoons, just around the corner from the doggy hair bows. My lovely spoon and oven rack tool are handmade from South American hardwood.

my new oven rack tool & spoon

Score! A lovely gentleman (whose name I failed to acquire) also gave us directions to the few artisan booths that were really a part of the Webb School Art Show (you know, hidden in the park). We found a few interesting booths, some good pottery, but not anything we wanted to come home with.

Oh yes, and it was a positively GORGEOUS day spent with my family.

Working in the closet

With the recent addition of a second child, we decided that while the kids are little they can share a room. This gave us the third bedroom to use as an office and playroom. So far it’s been a wonderful idea and I love being able to work on bills or email while the kids play in the same room. The one casualty, however, was a space for Mommy to paint. I have everything put away, scattered between the garage shelving and office closet shelving. I didn’t know that I would be needing any of it this week!

My new (well, temporary) closet studio – complete with TV tray for supplies, folding stool for brushes and cutting mat for my feet. Not sure why I chose the x-acto mat to stand on, maybe just because I ran out of drop cloth? I can’t remember because my brain has been a bit foggy for a few days! Just ask Pam (founder/owner/designer extraordinaire of function as one)… our conversations have been filled with, “what’s that word? ummmm…” I’ve been out of my normal routine trying to get some things going for this show. The good news is, she’s got great product to showcase for our Booth #101.

The Beginning

For those of you that know me, you understand that I am quite frugal. Oh yes, and I have a nagging desire to live a do-it-yourself type of life. What I’ve figured out along the way is that in order to do something yourself you have to either know how or learn how (duhhh). Trial and error always make for great stories, so sometimes I take on a project without any know-how – or learning for that matter. Did I mention that another favorite pastime is storytelling that may cause embarrassment to myself but bring MUCH laughter and guffawing?

NP Green Coffee Cup – acrylic on canvas

So, back to the main course here… My earnest endeavor to acquire good food for my family, a great environment at home and healthy habits brings me to this blog. Unfinished projects and certain food preferences fuel this particular endeavor – as a supplement to days that I’m engrossed in list-making, researching on the internet, visiting stores, browsing farmers markets and scouring magazines for resources! Here we go folks. Grab your coffee or beverage of choice… and let’s talk about how to “Do that.” One blog at a time!