First Friday

Tonight is October's First Friday in downtown Georgetown. This is a tradition that brings a large audience to our Square. Always energetic. Always fun!

I'm so excited for tonight because "Little Loft" (above The Exchange on 8th st) is hosting a trunk show for Matilda Jane. This children's clothing line is what inspired me to create Annarella Girl. It is funky, colorful and different. I try to channel that same vibe in my clothes while creating a different look. While we both combine colors and patterns in unexpected ways, I'm a bit more color crazy. And I'm still producing everything from my sewing room  by hand, stitch by stitch. My line is limited edition and often one of a kind.

Make sure you stop by tonight to see some Matilda Jane and some new Annarella Girl. You can have the best dressed daughter, granddaughter, cousin, niece, goddaughter around!!!

PS. I'm pairing leggings or leg warmers with most dresses and skirts. Some have a handmade crocheted flower and some are without. So cute!!!! I love the idea of flowers on legs.

Freestyling

Sometimes when I have a break in special orders or just want to have fun, I "freestyle." Today I chose a remnant that I've had for a long time to make the apron on a dress. This piece was given to me a couple of years ago by a friend to integrate into a dress for her daughter, Brighton. It had been picked out by her grandmother and was very special. I was cleaning out some shelves this week and found it. I fell in love with it all over again.

Yes, it is bright. Don't you love those splashy flowers? I'm really pleased with the finished dress. I'm taking it to the Grand Opening of Little Loft which takes place this Friday evening. The space looks fantastic. Owner, Amanda, has done a super job with the display, and you won't believe the brands of gently used clothing she has gathered together. I hope that those of you in the area will stop in and say hi. Don't worry I'll be reminding you again.

Keep on the lookout for the results of a new photo shoot!

Annarella Girl Moves

I'm so happy to let all my fans know that Annarella Girl can now be found in a new shop in downtown Georgetown - Diva Chicks Artful Boutique at 109 7th Street, one door from the corner of Main and 7th. Check out the facebook page and like it.

The back story - the coop gallery. Good Water - lost its space and will close at end of August. The manager, Kay Briggs, took this opportunity to follw a dream and open her own retail space. So Diva Chicks Artful Boutique was born. She and partner, Edda, have gathered together clothes, shoes, bags and jewelry into a bright, welcoming space. And she has invited Mama Ds to have some space. Yeah!

When you are in Georgetown visit us there. You'll love the women's clothes - so sophisticated yet comfortable. Perfect for Texas weather! The jewelry makes a fun statement as a great accessorie. And of course, Mama D has colorful handbags and diaper bags. Last but not least, Annarella Girl will have lovely handmade skirts, dresses and onesies for all ages from babies to 8 year olds.

Diva Chicks Artful Boutique is open now and full of goodies so stop in. There will be a grand opening August 5 which is First Friday in downtown if you want some food and drink to go along with your purchases!

PS Mama Ds and Annarella Girl will have products at Good Water Gallery until they close. Support the artists there.

Why I Do What I Do

As I toil away sewing, cutting and gluing I'm thinking about why I'm doing it. The Wilmington Flower Market, May 6-8, is one of my biggest shows for the year. It attracts a huge audience, rain or shine. And it is near and dear to my heart. Many of you ask why I go so far for this event.

After a married lifetime of moving from Alabama to Massachusetts and parts in between, my parents settled in Claymont, Delaware when I was starting 8th grade. This is where they remained until death. (4 of their 5 children moved away as they reached adulthood.) My mother and father loved Northern Delaware. When they retired they didn't want to move to warmer climes. They sunk their roots in deep and strong.

Following their working lives, they turned to volunteering believing in giving to their community. Dad's efforts went into education, The Academy of Life Long Learning and libraries. Mother supported many of the children's charities and spent many hours giving sibling care for the patients of A.I. Dupont Hospital. Doing these things made them happy and fulfilled.

The Flower Market supports many local organization which are devoted to children. Part of my proceeds will go into the pot to be divided among so many deserving charities. And I do it all in the spirit of my parents. They provided a loving, secure home for me. Unselfishly they devoted their talents and passions to many local non-profit groups. I feel they payed it forward to me. So I take my talents to the Flower Market and know that whatever money I make will be put to work to make life better for kids.

That's why I attend the Wilmington Flower Market. I hope to see some of you there!

May 6,7,8 at Rockford Park. See their website for info and directions.

Autumn Collection on Etsy

It's 98 degrees outside...can fall be almost here? While the rest of the country burns up or shivers or has moss growing between toes, we continue to endure the longest, hottest, driest summer on record. But signs that autumn is coming are here - days are shorter and mornings are cooler. Hurray!!!

I've begun listing my Autumn Collection on Etsy. The new (for me) design is an apron dress with a ribbon sash. The colors are deep jewel tones with several different pallettes. Shades of lavendar and purple; primary reds and blacks; turquoise, acid green and oranges; and variations of all. I'm continually fooling around with different combinations of fabrics for each palette in the skirts and dresses.

I just love some of these new fabrics. What little girl wouldn't love to have blue, purple and pink deer gamboling on her dress apron? Apron is not detachable; ribbon sash is sewn on the front and tied in back.

Back of jungle animal dress as shown above. Here you can see many of the different fabrics used. For seasonal wear layer over tee or blouse and leggings or skinny pants - white, black, green or red.

The apron is acid green background with birdcages. Love the mix of colors and punch of deep fuschia.

Turquoise, orange and green. Sounds bizaare on paper, but looks great. And imagine what wonderful colors you can pair with this in a ree and leggings!!

I have more to list on etsy. And don't forget the skirts. Visit my Annarella Girl site. The photos don't do the dresses justice. If you are in central Texas come see them in person Friday and Saturday at Annarella Design Studio, 800 S Austin Ave, Georgetown. I'm there from 11-5. Tomorrow is First Friday in downtown so I'll be there until 8 pm.

A Muse

Meet Havana, one of my muses. When I'm creating a dress or skirt I often imagine it on some of the special girls that I know. Havana is one of those muses. She is one of the special "Annarella Girls." she has such spirit, beauty and quirkiness. When you meet her you just know she is going to grow into somebody wondrous.

So I imagine that she needs a dress that is easy to wear, allows lots of dancing, makes her feel beautiful. Sweet and spice mixed into one.

She came to First Friday to choose a dress and fell in love with the black and pink. I've spent the weekend making it for her in the correct length. What a pleasure. Thanks for the inspiration, Havana.

First Friday dress

Just a quick noie this am for Velma. Here is a pic of the dress you liked. Yes I have all the fabrics needed to make this in size 12-18 mos. More details are in my email to you.

New Skirts

I'm in full production mode for First Friday trunk show on June 5th. Here are a couple of new skirts.

I love the pink and brown combination. A little bit girly; a little bit tomboy. Now that's the idea of the Annarella Girl. These skirts are Larges which is size 6-7. In my show this spring sizes medium and large sold out. So I'm replenishing the stock for those sizes.

I look forward to seeing some of you on Friday, 6-8pm at Annarella Home Design Studio in the atrium. If you can't make it but want to see more, go to www.annarellagirl.etsy.com where you can buy what's listed or order a custom dress or skirt.

New from my studio

I love what I'm doing. Putting together different prints and colors for each dress or skirt. Each grouping has its own personality. Creating simple patterns which are easy to wear - super comfortable. Combining practicality with beauty.

Here are a few dresses currently in my studio waiting to be labeled and put on hangers. I'm working on the mid-size range, 2-4, for a trunk show at Annarella Home on First Friday, June 5. These fabrics are soft and oh, so colorful.

Those of you in Texas, don't miss the chance to come see what's new. I can't wait to talk to you! I'll post more details later.

Artist Interview: Anna Marie Pavlik

The second woman who is an artist in our current show, Small Pleasures & Quiet Moments, is Anna Marie Pavlik. Because we love Anna Marie we always have a few of her prints scattered throughout our space, but this show is dedicated to some of her smaller pieces. What a great Christmas gift any of these would make! Her prints are very intricate and filled with details that frequently reference myths and legends, nature, and the politics of women and the environment. Although complex in subject, her palettes are subtle and earthy. The combination of colors and details draws the viewer into her work to enjoy, discover and share her world.

Enjoy her thoughtful interview.

Amigo etching

Tell us about art and your early years. My early artistic efforts were focused in sewing. I completed my first embroidery sampler shortly after my 5th birthday. Later I went on to constructing doll clothes and knitting. My mother felt that St Paul, Minnesota of the 1950's and 60's was culturally lacking compared to her childhood Chicago, so she took her four daughters to museums and films. My father used his doctorate in Chemistry to qwork for 3M and presented us with creative ideas from the laboratory. He drew the plans for the home my parents built, and we all worked on the house and landscape after the major contracted portions were complete.

We had coloring books and paint by number sets, but the major projects were Ukrainian egg painting, making rolled-out embossed and meticulously decorated Christmas cookies, hand coloring curtains and sewing our own clothing. We were not allowed to brainlessly absorb television; so eaxh of us had hand-work projects to ensure productivity while sitting on the couch.

Lake and Land etching

Tell us about your art education. No visual art classes were offered until 8th grade when a woman in the parish volunteered to teach drawing one afternoon a month. During the summers my sisters and I went to summer school. We enrolled in one serious course and one more expressive class each year. During the last two years of high school I had the opportunity of visual art classes, prior to that I learned flower arranging, appreciating opera and interior decorating. At the end of my senior year and throughout the summer before college, I apprenticed with a production potter in the neighborhood, Peter Leach. In exchange for babysitting I used the studio to learn how to make wheel-thrown stoneware.

In college at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, I explored all the art techniques offered. At that time I favored working in small metal techniques of lost wax casting and soldering. Following college I went to St Paul Vocational Technical School and graduated with a Mechanical Drafting Certificate. Through employment with 3M I obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

My formal education was instructive; however I believe that family encouraged opportunities have been more important in influencing my artistic direction.

Her Legacy stratograph

What is your style? Labeling my style is difficult. Being able to recognize elements within the composition has always been a concern. I love pattern, color and narrative so these are important components.

Tell us about your process. When I begin a new piece I start with a folder. Here I place sketches, articles and sometimes write a paragraph explaining to myself what I hope to achieve. Next I do a crude sketch in the format of the copper plate I intend to use and decide on an initial technique - line etch, soft ground or aquatint. From this point I develop the plate, etch for different amounts of time to create variations in density, then print, evaluate the process and repeat the steps.

Re-orientation etching

One of the things which I enjoy about etching is the unpredictable results that can occur when an area etches differently than expected and even just the fact that the printed image is the reverse. These minor jolts stimulate image-development which would not occur with the more direct control of drawing or painting. I often try printing on different papers with a range of colors. It is frequently helpful to take a break after printing and review the work a few days later so that over-reaction to minor details is minimized.

Fourteen Ninety Two intaglio

How do you know when a piece is finished? Knowing when the work is complete is a critical question. Since it is possible to print and have a progress record throughout the development process, I am able to retain sample proofs which show me where I made decisions, Somehow, the correct choice is always obvious later. Although I cannot usually return to the earlier state, education from mistaken directions can be applied to future efforts.

Sojurn stratograph

What do you want your viewers to take from your work? Exploring critical issues with regard to nature is central to my artistic theme. Inspiration comes from issues raised in newspapers, magazines and National and State Park literature. I hope to draw the viewer into the image by presenting curious or beautiful images. My goal is that people take time to decipher what has attracted them and realize the additional message.

Do you listen to music when you work? Silence is my preferred choice for the time when I am working out concepts and imagery. When I reach points which require routine and redundant effort like sanding, polishing, cleaning off grounds, cutting mats and framing I enjoy listening to NPR, especially the Phil Music Show, The Writers Almanac and Star Date.

Visitor etching

Any favorite books, movies or TV you enjoy for relaxation or inspiration? I read the Austin-American Statesman newspaper and art, natural history, and travel literature. My husband tapes a few TV series which I agree to watch - Masterpiece Mystery, Boston Legal and Desperate Housewives. I also do enjoy the Daily Show but remain predominately a radio listener.

Thanks, Anna Marie. She will be at Annarella Home for First Friday, December 5. Please join her, Carol Hayman and Cathie Kayser for a gallery talk at 6 pm. They will talk about printmaking and give a demonstration of the process on a small printer. This exhibit will run through December 31.

Artist Interview: Carol Hayman

A year ago I met Carol Hayman when one of my favorite artists, Anna Marie Pavlik, brought her into Annarella. I was immediately taken with her atmospheric photos developed on solar plates. She has a unique way of capturing the solitude of a place and the geometry of her subjects. The viewer is drawn in to her prints by the sense of mystery in the commonplace. Her technique, which she talks about below, brings wonderful contrasts of light and shadow which elevates her work far above the ordinary.

Carol is part of the current exhibit here, called "Small Pleasures & Quiet Moments." These are all small works on paper from 3 women printmakers. On Dec. 5 they will be giving a gallery talk at 6 pm about printmaking, the process and techniques. It promises to be both fun and informative.

Now for Carol's interview. Enjoy.

Carole, tell us a bit about your early years and art.

I come from a long line of women artists, on both sides of my family. My mother's mother, Sophia Dart, did beautiful embroidery. My father's mother, Margaret Hayman, painted watercolors and made quilts. Her grandmother, Angelina Beckwith, painted in oils and watercolors and gave art classes. I have some examples of work from each of them.

I wanted to be an artist from my early teens and took art classes all through high school and college - classes in painting, printmaking, photography, jewelry and weaving. I have a Bachelors of Arts in Studio Art; a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Art History; and a Masters of Art in Anthropology. Now I am a Professor of Anthropology at Austin Community College.

Tell us about your style.

My style is documentary/anthropological. I take lots of photographs, especially when I travel. I like human artifacts, monuments, cultural objects. food and religious items. For colorful things, I make photographic prints of objects like flowers with deeply saturated colors. For some of the more monochromatic photos I make them into intaglio prints. Some pictures are natural tableaux depicted from a perspective that renders the resulting image almost abstract. The history is revealed in multiple layers, with an underlying order and inherent drama exposed in contrast and detail, painterly and sculptural at the same time.

What are you saying in your work?

My work illustrates specific places, both social and personal, public narrative events, and little glimpses of other worlds caught in everyday situations. We can find beauty in the exquisite as well as the mundane. I want the work to draw viewers in to look more deeply, to break a code, or to try and solve a mystery.

Tell us about your technique and the process.

The technique is polymer plate intaglio, also called photo etching, photo-gravure or solar plate.

The intaglio or etching starts out first as a print from a digital camera, then using a photocopier, I copy the print onto a transparency for overhead projectors. The transparency is laid over a polymer plate ane exposed to light. The plate is washed and hardened. When the plate is dry, it is inked, damp paper laid on it, then run through an itaglio press like an etching. This new process of creating solar plates uses non-toxic light and water while combining the centuries old use of the intaglio press.

Turning photographs into fine art prints is a laborious but satisfying printmaking process. The anthroplogical dimension of my subject matter lends itself well to the handmade look of the technique, and the technique is excellent for creating detailed works that draw the viewer in for a closer look.

With prints it is possible to make multiple versions of the same image. I experiment with different colors, mixing browns, greens, or blue with black. I use different wiping techniques to vary the intensity of the color. I usually use BFK Rives paper and Graphic Chemical Faust black. I printed several years at Flatbed Press; now I print at Slugfest. When I am there printing the BBC radio program, The World, is usually on, it fits in well with my subject matter, so I half listen as I go through the repetitive and rhythmic motions of wiping the plate, rolling the press. Thank you, Carol, for walking us through the complex steps of printing. I look forward to the gallery talk on Dec 5 here at Annarella. Understanding your process brings even more appreciation of your images.

The next interview will be with Anna Marie Pavlik who is the second of the woman printmakers in our exhibit.

A fun First Friday

Annarella Home was full of art, music, artists and people last Friday. It was a debut for the jazz group, Manhasits Trio, and the crowd loved them Their sound was smooth. The food was good. It was fun to see old friends and meet some new ones.

Below is artist, Carol Hayman standing in front of a few of her photographs

Here is Cathie Kayser (left) in conversation with fellow printmaker, Anna Marie Pavlik (middle). You can see a bit of their work in the background. The interested bystander is Cathie's daughter, Elizabeth. The 3 women artists, Carol, Cathie and Anna Marie, will be giving an informal talk on printmaking and collecting at First Friday in Dec. In the next couple of weeks I'll be posting artists' interviews and pictures of their works.

Below are pictures of some of the people who shared the good times with us.

Thanks to everyone for making yet another First Friday a rousing success. Don't forget Dec. 5th.

Too many projects, not enough time

I can't believe that I haven't blogged since Oct 19. I've missed you all. But I've been trying to complete several projects, and there just isn't enough time. I know many of you can empathize with me.

First I'm almost finished with an online store. What a stretch for my elder brain!!! But I'm determined to have it up and operational by mid-week. When it does go public, I'll send out fireworks in celebration. The store will have some of our most popular items. It has been fun picking them out and photographing them. My huge thanks to Lauryl for the pics.

Tomorrow is November First Friday. Traditionally that is our kick-off of the holiday season here at Annarella. It has been frantic here as Pamela, Emily and Mindy have done a major redo of our floor - moving furniture into different rooms. Then they had to get all the new merchandise out. More about what's come in on a later post. Finally everything has to be decorated for the holidays. I'm in awe at hopw much they have accomplished in this week. Wait til you see how pretty we look. Pictures will be next week.

I did my first trunk show with the dresses from Hugs From Mimi. It was a great success. So whenever I wasn't on the computer these last weeks, I was at my sewing machine. What fun it has all been. This Saturday I'll be at Second Saturday Market Days with more dresses and stuff from Annarella, like the Lux candles, Victoria Miller necklaces and more. I'm sharing space with MAry Louise Poquette who has wonderful hand knit scarves and bead jewelry. Come by to see the goodies.

We have a new art show starting First Friday - Small Pleasures & Quiet Moments. These small works on paper are from Carol Hayman, photographer; Cathie Kayser, printmaker; and Anna Marie Pavlik, printmaker. Artist reception is from 6-8pm. In the next weeks I'll be posting interviews by all 3 ladies. They are very accomplished and extremely interesting. (This is another" more to come" post.)

I can see I have much to catch up on. But for now I hope to see you all this weekend. (I'm posting now without proofing. An apology for all the typos and mistakes, I'm sure I have made!)

First Friday and Art Opening

Good morning, all.

A reminder that tonight is First Friday in downtown Georgetown. It is opening night for the month-long juried art show sponsored by Georgetown Art Works. There are about 90 pieces exhibited in 4 venues from almost 60 Texas artists. Annarella Home has 14 works including 3 of the award winners in photography. I know you will enjoy them.

First Friday we are open until 8:00 with food and drink starting at 6:00. If you miss tonight the exhibit runs until Oct 31. And next Saturday there is a special event just for kids - Art Hopscotch - 9:30 - 11:00. Click on highlight for more info.

Don't forget The Taste of Georgetown is Saturday. Information at 868-8675 or on web. We'll be open til 9:00 and look forward to seeing you all before or after this fun event.

Have a great weekend. Art , wine and food - what else can you ask for!

Old business and new

Finally you can connect to this blog from Annarella's website. And always you can viit the website from my blog. (Oops I'll make sure the link is there as soon as I finish this.)

New! I'm working on setting up a store online. This is time consuming with lots of computer time and decisions. Oh, it makes my head spin. But I'm determined to work my way through the process. So far the folks at Yahoo have been very friendly and not at all condescending. I'll keep you all posted on my progress.

When I stop and realize how far I've come with computers, its amazing. I'll never be very literate. but I can cope with just a little bit of teeth-gnashing, nail-biting and name-calling.

On to some reminders - this weekend is the cattle drive and chuckwagon cook-off. Tonight starts with a chuckwagon dessert cook-off and a concert. FREE! Its all at San Gabriel park. I'm open til 8, so stop here to say hi!

Next Friday starts the Art Hop juried art show. There are some vey good pieces from artists all over Texas. The exhibit lasts the month of October and can be found at the Georgetown Library, 8th Street Studios, The Framers Gallery and Annarella. Don't miss this.

Artist Interview: Laurel Daniel

Annarella Home is exhibiting some of the oil paintings of Austin artist, Laurel Daniel.(You can see from the card above all the details.) Her landscapes are filled with the light and color of the Central Texas. As a plein air painter she begins outside working quickly to discern the shifting patterns of shadow and light" in her studies which are oil on paper. Then into her studio where she works on canvas to refine her subjects while still capturing the spontaneity of that one moment in time.

Hi Laurel, thanks for doing my interview questions. I always enjoy the paintings even more after talking to the artist.

Tell me about art and your childhood. Was art part of your home? The art form of my early years was music.My parents are both musicians and my dad, in particular. is a musical prodigy. There was always live music at my house. And when I learned to read that meant it was time for piano lessons. I didn't discover art until high school. When one of my clay pieces won the school contest and went to the local museum, I was out of my mind. That was the beginning.

What form did your art education and training take? I went to Wheaton College in Illinois where the art major included exposure to everything; and my two main interests were printmaking and painting. It was an important time...I learned how to learn, I learned how to create and I learned how to live.

But after college, I actually didn't paint for 20 years. I became a graphic designer with my own free-lance business. In 1999 my family moved to Austin. I closed my business and signed up for a painting class with Cassandra James. That was a significant time for me - having someone nurture my skills and motivate me to be disciplined. Now I am teaching at the Austin Museum of Art School - I've come full circle.

Can you label your style? I usually refer to it as Painterly because my brushwork is flowy and loose and has a bold energetic quality.

Can you tell us about your process? What inspires you? My inspiration comes from nature and natural forms. I spend a lot of time IN the landscape observing and, more frequently, enjoying it. My overall process begins with painting on location, en plein air, where I paint small studies. My larger work is almost always based on these.

For my actual painting process, I use "alla prima" technique.This French term refers to painting wet paint into wet paint, as opposed to letting the paint dry and building it up in layers. It requires working fast to finish while the paint is still wet and allows for luscious color interaction and wonderful soft edges.

Knowing when to stop is the hardest part. I try to step away when I think I am nearing the end and take a little break. I look at it from a distance and try to analyze what final marks it needs. I have a little mental checklist of possible problems and things to look for.

What do you want or hope the viewer to feel from your works? I don't have any underlying message in my work...it's really a celebration of creation and life. My hope is that viewers will share in my experience by bringing their own sense of celebration to the work. I like to think in a way they are completing the painting themselves.

I enjoy hearing about what people take away from my paintings. Recently someone told me that one of my pieces "took her back" to a really happy time in her childhood - that made me smile. Another friend told me that because of a warm pink sky in one of my paintings, he began to notice that sky in real life. I LOVED that.

Do you listen to music in your studio? I do listen to music - mostly classical and usually KMFA. Occasionally I listen to books on CD. Having something in the background really frees up the right brain creativity because it engages the left brain. It's a mystery how this happens, but the left brain can get out of the way when it has something to focus on. This is important to the creative process because the left brain can sometimes lock things up by "thinking" too hard.

Any favorite books, movies or TV you enjoy for relaxation or inspiration? I love to read and really enjoy a good story to get lost in. Historical fiction is my favorite because I fancy I am learning something but with all the embellishments that suck me in. I am currently reading Christ the Lord - Out of Egypt by Anne Rice and just finished the first two segments of a Robin Hood trilogy - Hood and Scarlet (the third is yet to be finished) by Stephen Lawhead. For artistic inspiration and catharsis I highly reccomend The Art Spirit by Robert Henri.

Thanks, Laurel, for all the good insights into your art.

Take a look at her blog to catch what she is currently working on.

Stop by Annarella to see her show which will be up until September 30. Come in and meet her on September 5 from 6-8pm.