New location in Montrose!

EUTECTIC and Happysun jewelry will soon be on display at Space in Montrose. Space is a great little boutique/shop that my friends and I stumbled upon last Saturday after having lunch at Cafe Brasil (yum!). Most of their products are handmade (awesome) and quite a few are local (even more awesome). In their own words, Space is "connecting artist, designers and innovators to the Houston community and the world through an Exhibition Style Retail Experience. Visit Space to interact with local brands and rekindle inspiration. Exhibitions in Space are constructed with a green standard keeping our planet in mind."

I left some stuff with them today, and I'll be headed back there next Wednesday to bring some display stuff. If you're in the neighborhood, check them out. Right now, they have an exhibit up by artists/illustrator Lisa Chow. I want to buy all her artwork and put in "the kid's" room...it's so cute! Hey, how 'come the 3-year-old gets all the cool art???

I'll post some pics next Wednesday.

First Saturday Art Market

Thanks all for coming out to First Saturday Arts Market yesterday. The weather was great and the people were fantastic. Houston, you rock!

Here are some pics of the new booth:






Next weekend, I'm taking a break, but I'll be out at Discovery Green for the DG Flea on 10/15. I'll have all my fun recycled stuff (and some metalwork too). See you then!

Polly want a coupon?

New stuff up in the shop, with some to follow next week after ReMarket.





And here's your prize for stopping by this evening: Enter code HTOWN15 to receive 15% off your order at my Etsy shop. Code will be good until July 31.

Now go nuts.

Two posts in one day?!?!?! Can't be!!

Yep, it can. And here it is:

Join myself and other fellow "green" artists and crafters at the Houston ReMarket this Saturday from 9am - 1pm in the Old MHMRA Parking Lot (2850 Fannin). There will be a food truck and music from local Houston artists as well.


Don't know about the ReMarket? Here's what the creators have to say:

Houston Re-Market is put together by a group of people who really enjoy fostering entrepreneurship, reusing valuable materials in innovative and creative applications, bartering, and making stuff with their hands! The Re-Market is the brainchild of Mike Cannon (Greeni co-Founder). Working together with his sunshine, Paloma Garner (Greeni co-founder) and a whole bunch of awesome friends, the Re-Market is finally becoming a reality. Come join us for this monthly celebration and be a part of making the Re-Market a Houston landmark!

Come hang out and get your sweat on!

Return of the Jedi/Swamp Thing/Superman. You pick.

Yes, it has been a while. No, I don't have time to do more than post this graphic.

Bayou City Artists...Part 2

And here's Part 2 of the Houston artist write-up. There will also be other artists from around the Houston Metro, so don't miss them either. The complete list of artists is here.


The canvas works of Ray Phillips tell tales of both struggle and redemption. Layering many images together, the contemporary artist creates finished pieces with a gritty, urban feel. Trained at the Glassell School, Phillips has worked in both the musica and graphics industries. Ceramic artist John Whitman's goal is to make "pottery with a presence." Creating stoneware pottery since 1988, Whitman creates bowls, jars, pitchers, and other items that stand out from the usual crowd.

A man after my own heart, former Mechanical Engineer Eric Ober traded the world of pumps and pulleys for sculpture in 1999. His works include everything from large, outdoor installations to wall sculpture to his signature series (pictured). Kevin Peterson's art will make you think...in a good way. Placing images of children alongside stacks of bullets and graffiti, his works are strong and rich. He uses many different textures and 3D elements to make his paintings come alive.

I can say from experience that these artists are top notch. I had the pleasure of speaking with and viewing Kevin Peterson's art at the 2007 Winter Sale at the Winter Street Studios. I've also been a patron of the Bayou City Art Festival for about 6 years, and it keeps getting better. With all these Houston artists plus many more from the Houston Metro, we can definitely say to the art world that Houston is where it's at!

The Festival runs from 10:00am - 5:45pm on Friday, March 28 - Sunday, March 30 each day. Tickets are $10 for adults ($8 in advance from the website), and children under 12 are admitted free. And with a performances and a cool Creative Zone especially for kids, you can make art a family affair!

Hope to see you there. Cheers.

Bayou City Artists...Part 1

Since the Festival is this weekend, I thought I'd share a bit about the other Houston artists that will be represented. Three of the artists, Chuck Brush (metal), Mark Cole (pastels), and Yu Cha Pak (watercolor), didn't have websites, so you'll have to research them on your own. As for the rest...



Coco Easterwood paints what's in her head...shadowy-eyed girls to abstracts to bicycles. She has her own Gallery on Washington Avenue, where she displays her works and does other "useful" things. If you're into aquatics, check out John Barber's metal fish sculptures. A craftsman for over 35 years, John has a sculpture degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to his art, he has done welding work for the HMNS.

Kim Enloe of My Mother's Inventions has a unique way of finding amazement in our beloved Houston concrete. Perhaps his work as residential builder/designer influenced his eye, or perhaps he just takes time to notice the little things. Far flung from her day-job as a webmaster, Margaret Miller paints Impressionist landscapes and abstracts full of life and color. Not too far flung, though...she spent her childhood wandering the halls of the National Gallery of Art in Wachington, D.C. and her college years at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Art, it seems, has always been a part of her.

Part 2 tomorrow. Cheers.

EUTECTIC jewelry at the Bayou City Arts Festival

I know it's a little bit short notice, but I just found out myself on Friday that I'll be demonstrating how to make jewelry at the Bayou City Arts Festival this weekend, March 28 - 30.


I will be set up near the Food Court (site map) on Friday - Sunday from 10am - 5:45pm. I'll be making jewelry for the new EUTECTIC Spring/Summer 2008 collection and demonstrating techniques while making small charm hoops from base metal wire. I'll be making LOTS of hoops, so come by and pick up a free pair!

Cheers.

On the Event Calendar - "2nd Saturday Shopping Spree"

If you don’t already have plans for this Saturday (and even if you do!), come out to the Midtown Farmers Market for the “2nd Saturday Shopping Spree” event.

Houston Craft Mafia members Feto Soap and Rara Avis (that’s me!) will be there with tables full of handmade goodness. I’ve got new notebooks from the Inked and The White Tree stationery lines, new Signature notecards, and fun summer jewelry from EUTECTIC. Lisa from Feto Soap will have lotion bars, shea butter lip balm and handmade soaps. Come by and say hello.

The Market runs from 8am - 12pm on Saturdays at t’afia restaurant (3701 Travis & W. Alabama), rain or shine. See you there!

Back from Market

I just got finished with my first market event. Yea! Rara Avis was a craft vendor at last Saturday at the Midtown Farmer's Market (at Monica Pope's t'afia restaurant on W. Alabama and Travis). The Midtown Farmer's Market runs every Saturday from 8am - 12pm, rain or shine, and has on of the best selections of locally grown and organic produce and prepared foods around...including items prepared there at t'afia. I was a part of the "Second Saturday Shopping Spree" event featuring the normal rotation of food items plus a selection of artists and craftspeople with handmade goods. Fellow Houston Craft Mafia member Lisa from Fetosoap was there, as well as several other talented artists (if I can get the names, I'll post them all). All the items that I brought were handmade by me.

Jewelry tree for EUTECTIC handcrafted jewelry
All three Rara Avis stationery brands: "Signature," "The White Tree," & "Inked,"

I plan on attending the August 18th Spree event, so if you missed me this time (since I was bad and didn't post BEFORE the event), you can catch me then. Also, if any of you know of upcoming art or craft shows in the area, let me know and I'll post about them too. Cheers.

PS - Thanks to Lisa from Fetosoap for the pics. If you'd like to see a few more, go to my Flickr page.

The grass really is greener on the other side

I like to shop, mostly because it gives me the opportunity to find new designers and boutiques. While doing my daily hunt for cool stores in Houston, I came across greener grass design and gift, a web-based Houston boutique that has both a clean, crisp look and a great stock of unique and nifty items (both big +'s in this surfer's notebook).
"Rather than support the further standardization of design, we want to seek products which
can have added value, be beautiful, functional and have lasting significance," states the authors in the "About Us" page of the site. The site has stuff for your home, your pet, your kids, and you; the products range from just the plain weird "Cube Clock" to eco-friendly organic cotton "Onsie and Beanie" set.

My favorite pieces on the site are the "Fireplace for the Tabletop" by Carl Mertens and "Eddie's Cat Room" by The Pet Project.

Happy Shopping. Cheers.

Get out your scissors...

Coming in March 2008, this documentary features over 50 different crafters and DIY artists from around the nation. Some of them are members of the Craft Mafia, an organization dedicated to networking and promoting indie artists and entrepreneurs all over the USA. I'm a member of the Houston Craft Mafia myself. Check out a sneak preview from YouTube:

I'm putting this one on my "go see" list. Cheers

"Gifts Galore at Greatwood" - A local Art and Gift show in Sugar Land, TX

I missed my chance to be in it for the Spring, but here's the press release for the "Gifts Galore in Greatwood" art & gift bazzar that will be held right here in Sugar Land at the end of the month. If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift, go check it out.

HOP, HOP, HOP on over to the 6th annual Gifts Galore at Greatwood Spring Craft Show! The event will be held on March 31st from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Dickinson Elementary School, 7110 Greatwood Parkway, located in the Greatwood Neighborhood. This year’s show features over 100 vendors with a variety of unique home décor & yard décor, one-of a kind children and baby items, handmade, unique jewelry & handbags, and so much more. Admission is FREE and strollers are welcome. Gifts Galore is the perfect place to shop for Easter and Mother’s Day! A portion of the proceeds benefits Lamar Educational Awards Foundation. For more information contact Christina Moreland at 281-937-0296 or giftsgaloreatgreatwood@yahoo.com.