Art Worth Making

Young Learners Front Page :)

2012-01-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

Haven't been feeling well lately due to a series of seasonal bodily protests and fibromyalgia flare-ups. When I'm sick, it seems I make more etsy 'treasuries', needles in a haystack that have the off-chance of being selected for half hour or so rotations on etsy's prized 'front page'. I recently paid homage to my young art students, and it made the front page. I am very pleased with etsy for giving props to some of the most important artists around!

Library Exhibit Pictures

2011-12-17T14:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from the exhibit currently at the local library... Pretty nice librarians, too! These folks were already awesome. However, they rode the wave of the fun exhibit process with me... a wonderful gift. Don't forget to LOVE YOUR LIBRARY. It's not too difficult!

First Friday at the Library

2011-11-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

A show at the library - you are invited to the opening reception on Friday 5-8pm! I hope you'll join me. I am hanging a few new paintings - yet to be revealed! The library is located at 408 High St. here in Chestertown, MD. Here is some press.

Photo from Studio Tour

2011-10-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update with a photo taken by Bob Miller, who has a wonderful website with his photographs that you can check out here. This photo was taken on Saturday at Robert Ortiz Studios here in Chestertown, MD. Robert kindly let me use a couple of tables in his beautiful woodworking shop. Studio tour has been very pleasant and successful so far. You can attend next weekend - see details here.

Of all the etsy.com treasuries I could show off here...

2011-10-18T15:07:00.001-07:00

This is my recent favorite, by YannPendaries. It is so light and bright and cheerful and artful. Honored that he included my ochre dots painting. Hope you enjoy!

Makers Share Inspiration

2011-10-14T16:04:00.001-07:00

Hi all! A few etsy artists on an etsy team called "Etsy Ugly Cute" decided to play around with making art inspired by other etsy sellers. Anyone could pipe in and ask, 'pick me, pick me!' there was no obligation to buy, just a fun way to cross-promote and support each others' art.

Both artists who had their way with my work surprised me by picking items out of my shop without letting me know which ones they would be translating into their media. The anticipation was incredible, I kept checking their shops and the team discussions every day hoping for a glimpse! During that time, I enjoyed their interpretations of other etsy sellers' work.

The first item sold immediately to a very loyal fan of my work! I was flabbergasted by how Kathryn Muse captured the character of 'The Guys'. Pictured are my polymer clay guys, followed by Kathryn's interpretation of them.

This experiment was such a success that the buyer (my sister)placed a custom order with Kathryn for a set based on my other little creatures, 'The Bubblegum Gals'. My niece and nephew now own these plushy squishy fun little folks inspired by my designs. Thank you again Kathryn! I cannot describe my glee upon first seeing your interpretation of my blue fellows.

Please visit Kathryn's "Musers" in her shop to have your mind blown with plushy cuteness. Stay tuned for a blog post on the second co-creative-conspiracy!

Angela Ranzoni on Artworks Studio Tour

2011-10-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

This year, my art and I correspond to a little number on a map, which happens to be the number 14. What this means is that you can visit me on the Artworks Studio Tour on October 29th, 30th and/or November 5th and 6th, between the hours of 10am - 5 pm.

Robert Ortiz Studios is lending me space for a display of my work (so you won't get to see my studio per se, as it's a disaster area mixed with my apartment in general) but you will get to see my latest paintings, sculptures, and small scale mixed media drawings. I also hope to bring out some little-seen older drawings, and offer some deep discount prices to move along some older work.

Also at Ortiz studios you can see the polymer clay jewelry of JoLecia Crowe.

Please visit Artworks for access to a full PDF brochure of the 53 tour participants, map artist descriptions and photos.

A nice feature of my art on chespeake creations

2011-09-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice feature about my art on a blog about Chesapeake Bay area artists. If you continue to scroll down, you'll find a whole array of wonderful artists and craftspeople, many whom I know or whose work I admire.

https://chesapeakecreations.wordpress.com/

Let me make it up to you...

2011-08-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hello readers, I hope you are still out there!

No, I'm not the greatest blogger.

First a short update - then a 'gift' of sorts.

Summer brought many fresh challenges and opportunities. During July, I did more teaching than usual -- 3 days a week in summer school for kids from 1st - 8th grade, 2 free art classes in town for ages 6-12, and several weekends of art activities for kids at our Saturday Farmers' Market.

At the same time, materials for the program were being moved around from people's basements, garages, and cars, sorted, and brought to a new storage area. I love teaching the kids, but there is an incredible amount of work and constant reorganization associated with having all the right materials in the right place at the right time.

Just before the summer classes started, I wound up with a quite nasty digestive situation which involved numerous tests and horrible drinks. Once we were in the thick of the teaching schedule, I wound up with a tangle of muscle spasms in my lower back, so things got a bit tricky for a while. I'm ok, it's just that with fibromyalgia, even the simplest things get far more complicated than one would hope. I've had serial flare-ups and sleep problems and often a complete and utter lack of energy. So I have fallen behind on almost everything, and have had to find a whole new level of patience I didn't even know I had. Will helps me as much as he can but he has not been feeling well either, so other than having the enjoyable work of teaching, I'd say it's been a pretty lame summer.

Anyways, as always, I'm pushing my art, because I actually believe it is uplifting and fun and sometimes challenging and thought provoking and deserves to be seen somewhere other than my hallway or cluttery office/studio. Here is a coupon code for free domestic shipping: SHIPMENOW. Just enter that upon purchasing whatever it is you would like from my etsy store at www.ranzangel.etsy.com and I'll be sure to get it out to you ASAP!

Oh and by the way I will write more soon about the upcoming fall studio tour, which I will be participating in for the first time this year.

(pictured: book mark activity, rain barrel project which I will share pictures of the actual rainbarrel when I get a chance... and flower pot painting at the Chestertown Farmers Market.)

In the darkness, they come...

2011-05-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Something's happening!
I dare say ... it's a small herd!
I'll let you know as things develop.
Ang

Part 3: Painted paper clay creations

2011-04-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

In the past few weeks, I have had a chance to finish up several of the small paper clay sculptures I have been documenting in this blog. While the process was time and labor intensive for such small objects, it was also quite enjoyable and rewarding. I enjoyed playing with the paint to creat different effects, some of these now resemble metal or clay. More can be seen on my facebook art page.

Part 2: Paper Clay Creations

2011-03-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

I have completed covering the armatures with the celluclay. Thinner layers dry in about 24 hours. Thicker pieces needed more time. The material generally lightens in color as it dries. It will be room temperature to the touch when dry. It feels cold when there is still moisture in the pulp.

When the celluclay dries, it is quite hard. I think of fake rocks that get thrown around in Hollywood films: those look hard yet very durable, and light. Though I am not throwing my sculptures around, they are quite sturdy.

The flat ornament, pendant and plaque in the second picture took one sitting to form. One they were completely dry, I removed them from the board with the help of a painting knife, and sanded them a bit.

I found that the larger plaque had not completley dried in the center when I removed it. Somewhere in the drying process, it warped a bit, and does not lay flat. Since that picture was taken, I did flip over the plaque and add another layer of paper clay, trying to create a smoother surface to paint on later. In general, that method leads to quicker readiness for painting, though it was a lot of work prying them from the board. Next time I'll take the tip from the Activa site and form the shapes on top of plastic wrap.

The creatures built on the armatures took about 3-4 sittings each to get all their parts covered and sturdy. A few of them still need a little finishing work before painting. I sanded them in between layers, to remove excess lumps and to give the form some definition. However,I decided early on that I liked the rough look, and won't be doing much more sanding. They are now ready to be painted. I am exitedly anticipating what they will become!

My first experiments with paper clay

2011-02-26T15:47:00.001-08:00

Recently, I spent some time with my family in Massachusetts. The trip was unexpected, and unfortunately involved a serious medical emergency. I am happy to share that my Mom is recovering well from her recent health excitement.

I find that such events result in some residual stress that needs dealing with. One effective way I deal with my stress is by making things. I find working with my hands and mind in this way to be very calming and meditative. So though I felt I had many "more important" things to accomplish upon my return, I began setting aside time for at least a half hour a day of work on a brand new project.

Sometimes I think that a whole new set of materials can be a great way to 'jump start' the ol' art brain. At the same time, the challenges of figuring out a new medium can take your mind floating away from your worries for the time being.

I have always struggled with the world of sculpture. For many years I hung out in the safety and familiarity of the 2-D. What has been really magical about this project is that for the first time ever, I enjoyed making the armatures (the frameworks around which each sculpture is built). I tinkered with the foil, the masking tape, and the wonderful wire mesh that I got a few years back when inspired by a sculptor friend. At first I had found that mesh unweildy and even hurtful, its rough little edges poking into my fingers with unpleasant pain! However, this stuff can be stretched and molded in ways I hadn't imagined.

So here I'll share the first step: The armatures, and the beginnings of building with the paper clay. (Please excuse the crumbs on the table, I was too exited to take a picture). The blobby rock shapes do NOT contain armatures, nor do the fish shape and other shapes which lay flat against the board.

The material I am using is basically paper mache. However, unlike the strips of newspaper so many of us fought with back in grade school, this recycled paper has been ground to a powdery substance and contains its own adhesive. "Just add water"! The product is called Activa Celluclay, and there are instructive videos on the company's website (which are also entertainingly dated, apparently the product has been around for a while!)

At first, I was using the material at a consistency that kind of reminded me of tuna fish. Later I learned to add a little more water, and put water on my finger before smoothing the material on to the armature.

Please let me know if you have any questions about making the armatures, and I'll attempt to go into more depth. Next time I'll post some more pictures of the sculptures along the way to completion.

New friends: Handlebar Buddies

2011-02-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

The top picture is of some new friends I just finished up this morning. However, it came up in conversation with my Mom that she had not yet seen the two other sculpture sets like these. Pictured are: The new Mustache Buddies, The Bubblegum Gals, and The Guys. All currently reside in waiting for their new homes at: www.ranzangel.etsy.com

Front Page Feature

2010-12-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a few days away and noticed that on December 23, around 6 pm, Etsy featured a treasury I made on their front page! The treasury is a collection of items for sale on etsy, usually gathered together around a theme or color.

To see more treasuries I've made, you can click here.

Art Card Giveaway Promotion just got better!

2010-12-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hello All,
I made a happy mistake, and my etsy and artfire customers get the benefit!

The current art card giveaway just got even better. The original deal is described here

The available cards can be viewed here

Please pick out your card before ordering, and include the title in the notes on your order. If you forget, you can contact me via etsy or artfire 'convo' or message.

PLEASE NOTE that if you leave a note under the photo in the facebook album, I may not see it right away. However, feel free to write anything you like there, such as 'mine, mine, mine!' ;) If the card doesn't go out with your order for some reason, I'll be sure to send it as soon as you ask!

This has been an incredibly fun and fulfilling experiment. I am continuing to make new art cards every week. An exiting collaboration is also taking shape. I look forward to telling you more!

One last note: Where art cards are concerned, trading is often involved. Occasionally I may mark one of the offerings as 'unavailable' so that I can trade it with another artist. PLEASE if you are an artist who wants to trade cards, let me know. I would love to see your cards. I did my first art card trade this week and I would love to collect a few more!

Free Gift Promotion

2010-12-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

In the chaos of the quickening holiday season, some etsy sellers ran "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" sales and specials. Meanwhile, I quietly doodled my heart out on the latest unplanned creative project: A series of original artist cards. Some may know these as ACEOS (Art Cards Editions and Originals). The cards are often made for the sole purpose of trading, though some are offered for sale.

I've decided to offer this series of about 30 (and maybe still growing) as signed originals only. (I will not be making prints available from these images.) I am offering them as free gifts with purchases.

I am giving a card to each customer placing an order of $10 or more (before shipping) from www.ranzangel.etsy.com or www.ranzangel.artfire.com.

At the time of your order, you have your choice of available cards, which you can view in an album on my facebook page I will be posting one new card per day until the series is complete and they are all posted. This promotion is good until the series has been given away, or February 1, 2011, whichever comes first.

The best way to let me know which card you are requesting is to use the comment field on your order. If you forget while ordering, you can send me a message via artfire or etsy (whichever you are ordering from). Please refer to the card by title.

The cards measure 3.5" x 2.5" and are drawn with archival drawing pens on archival bristol board paper. The themes range among aliens, monsters, curiosities, and feminine forms and ideas. Some contain hand lettered text.

I'm enjoying them immensely. I hope you'll also join me on my facebook fan page 'The Art of Angela Ranzoni' to keep up with further festivities.

In addition to all this goodness, I have recently marked down and moved several items to the 'Holiday Sale' and 'Clearance Items' in my etsy shop. Just crazy, I tell you! Customers are starting to take advantage of the situation. I hope you will, too!

Ang

Hello all

2010-09-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Recent art tidbits:

I am honored to have been asked back to St. Martin's Ministries "Sitting Pretty" annual charity auction and dinner. Money raised will help homeless women and children to get back on their feet.

Over the past few months I completed the pictured ten inch sculpture for the auction, which will take place in early October. The sculpture is titled "Chair of Possibilities". I imagined it as a model for a fantastical chair that would be given to a child. The chair would grow and change in whimsical and poetic ways to support the person throughout their life. Please contact me if you are interested in placing a silent bid. Starting bid is $30.

Also, I am honored that someone I admire is repainting and redecorating her entire bathroom to compliment a painting she recently purchased from me! For me, this is a new phenomenon, and very complimentary. The other interesting tidbit about this painting is that prior to it finding its new home, apparently the mayor took it home to see if it would go with her dining room, but it was a no-go. I am honored that my work is being recognized and enjoyed.

"Four Under Forty" continues to be a lovely experience. Visitors to the show are very appreciative and many have freely shared their thoughts on how our work moves them. I had a sale to a lovely young family.

In celebrity news, R. Crumb is coming to town and speaking with my friend and colleague Robbi Behr at the Prince Theatre! Robbi is one of our 'Four Under Forty' Artists. I am just tickled, and can't wait! Hope I can get in, I suspect it will be a popular event (part of our Chestertown Book Festival)!

I teach a six week drawing class starting this Wednesday. I also go to my first antique letterpress and bookbinding class with Will on Tuesday! Lots happening here. I feel blessed. Now if I could get myself more work I'd be happier than a honeybee!

I will try to post more tidbits and pictures as I can. I have just returned from a trip to visit with family so am a bit disorganized and more behind than usual! Lots of art stuff being tossed around and finalized - more children's classes in October, as well as a 'feature' at Artworks. Stay tooned!

Ang

Four Under Forty

2010-08-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

The Chestertown Arts League is privileged to unveil its September show “Four under Forty” on the first Friday of September. This show features the work of four Kent County resident artists: Robbi Behr, Emily Kalwaitis, Joe Karlik and Angela Ranzoni. All in their fourth decade, these prolific practicing artists are in the prime of their relatively young creative lives. Each artist has a distinctive style, but they share the desire to create art with an expressive and sometimes highly symbolic and allusive form. Those attending the show will be presented with fresh perspectives and imagery that challenge, question, and reveal that which is not ordinarily considered. The show was organized by Emily Kalwaitis and Rich Hall. The show opens on First Friday September 3 with a reception from 5-8 pm -- the artists will be introduced at 6pm. The show runs through Sept 26.

Robbi Behr’s style is messy, loose, and visceral. The world beneath her gaze is compressed to the point of distortion. Rather than providing a literal representation of a text, Behr’s illustrations present a parallel visual narrative that works independently to explicate, enlarge, and often ironize the written one. Her work balances cynicism and earnest critique, retaining a breath of optimism while acknowledging the fallibility—and absurdity—of the world it beholds. Behr was born and raised in Chestertown, Maryland. She received her MFA from Savannah College of Art and Design, and has held all manner of art-related jobs including: museum docent, gallery assistant, door-to-door children’s photographer, T-shirt designer, production designer, college professor, and freelance illustrator. She is the illustrator for a small press, Idiots’ Books, which she co-founded and runs with her husband, Matthew Swanson.

Emily Kalwaitis works with thinned acrylics and pencil on wood panel, paper and fabric. The color palette is generally subtle and low contrast. The work mostly centers around young girls appearing in spare, symbolic vignettes. Each piece stands as a part of an on-going, ambiguous narrative reflecting stories of vulnerability, reverence, loss, growth and spirit. She also creates unusual and very personal portraits both of friends and commissioned. All of her work seeks to reflect enigmatic emotional and psychological states. Kalwaitis has a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She has shown her work locally at the Carla Massoni Gallery, and is represented by Ms. Massoni online. She has also shown in various galleries around the country including the Memphis College of Art, the Paper Boat Gallery in Milwaukee, and the Womanmade Gallery in Chicago. She has an upcoming show at the Smith Farm Gallery in Washington DC. She and local poet, Lindsay Lusby, have recently self-published a book of poetry and art, "Sleight", presented at the Chestertown Book Fest in November of last year.

Joe Karlik’s inspirations translate into art in many mediums, such as oils, collage, wood, found objects, photography and mix media. The quality of his art, like nature, is a full range of textures, the paint and collage that defines the work explores a tension between beauty and crud marks.

Raised outside of Houston Texas Karlik came to Baltimore in 1992 to study at Maryland Institute, College of Art. This was an intense period of inspiration and growth where he defined his art based on the symbols and process not the specific medium. Developing his skill with paintings, sculptures, and drawings, Karlik began to combine mediums to enhance the depth of his creations. He graduated with a BFA in Sculpture. With his wife Nicole in den Bosch, a fellow artist, Karlik moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and bought a civil war era house, general store and schoolhouse which they renovated creating Locust Grove Studios where they fulfill their dream of devoting time to artful living and the creation of art of many forms. As well as showing his artwork throughout the years, Joe has also earned a reputation as an innovative event and graphic designer with clients all over the country.

The recent acrylics of Angela Ranzoni emerge from her own inner mythology in a loose and playful style. The moderately sized paintings, often created as diptychs, have been described as “waking daydreams”, “other dimensional” and “whimsical juxtapositions of color and shape”. She most often paints without a plan or sketch, responding to the moment’s emotions, body sensations, and visual feedback from the work in progress. Her experiences with chronic pain have helped shape her art-making process and imagery to reflect a magical, sometimes blissful world where it’s ok to be a little broken and not always know the answers.

Born and raised in rural Western Massachusetts, Ranzoni had nature as her constant inspiration. Surrounded by dairy farms and wooded hills, her family shared the homestead with her Grandparents. Their traditional carpentry, colorful crafts and endless handmade solutions to everyday needs helped to root her in her love of drawing and making things. She subsequently made her way to Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, where she studied painting until moving to San Francisco in 1991. In 2003 she returned to school to complete her BA in Humanities with an emphasis on Expressive Arts Therapy from New College of California. Since moving to Chestertown in 2006, she regularly exhibits at The Chestertown Arts League and Chester River Artworks, and is teaching children’s classes through Artworks.

The CAL galleries are found at 312 Cannon St in Chestertown. Regular gallery hours are: Thursday and Friday 11am – 4pm; Saturday 10am – 4pm; and Sunday’s noon-3pm. For specific information on “Four under Forty” contact Emily Kalwaitis at ekalwaitis@netscape.net or Rich Hall at rwhall@pitt.edu (410-928-5012). For further information on the 2010 CAL show schedule contact Hall and for general information on CAL activities see www.chestertownartsleague.org or contact the gallery at 410-778-5789 or artsleague@verizon.net.

Art in the Park Yesterday in Stevensville

2010-06-20T08:36:00.001-07:00

Sharing a couple pictures from yesterday's Art in the Park event in Stevensville, MD. Compared to last year's deluge and nearby tornado touchdowns, the weather was terrific! (though very, very hot and humid.) Hot sunny weather is terrific for the few people who come out to stroll and view our offerings. However, it is by no means ideal for someone with chronic pain and fatigue to be out in all day. I was by no means the only uncomfortable vendor, though I may be the only one considering that this type of activity is truly not for me and thinking I'll stick to the indoor shows. I am taking a quiet day at home with my ice packs and audio books hoping to avoid a major fibromyalgia flare up.

Though lovely in many ways, the event was not very well attended, as it is only in its second year and I didn't get the impression it was well publicized. It has the potential of being a terrific event, though the band didn't show up and I think music would have made a huge difference in attracting patrons and keeping them around.

Personally I am not too thrilled with booths selling mass produced jewelry and other products at events like these. With the pocketbook in mind, shoppers will ooh and ahh over the local hand made goods, then head over to the nearest booth where they can get a necklace from China for $5 or those rubber bands shaped like animals for their kids. Though these items do add to the 'fair' environment, something about being interspersed with those booths rubbed me the wrong way. Again, all a learning experience. One can certainly ask what type of vendors will be present, and who will be located where (for instance seperate areas for handmade and local vs. merchandise from anywhere may be helpful but still not ideal.)

Having done a few of these fairs has been a learning experience. The preparation in itself is a lot of work, much of which involves gripping and other hand movements for things like cleaning small silver jewelry parts and removing and adding price tags. Then there's the selection, packing and hauling of everything to the site (thankfully I had help from my tent mates.) Include in this are your art, display devices, chair and table, rain gear and tarps, as well as all the minutia of needed tools and office supplies, snacks, water, sunscreen, change, calculator, receipt pad... suddenly you've got a lot of stuff to pack up and consider how you are going to access if and when you need it at the fair.

It will probably take me months to unpack the bins and boxes. I still haven't cleaned the muddy shoes I wore there last summer!

I met many wonderful and interesting people. Had some more teaching leads. So that made it worthwhile. Mercifully my tent mates made a purchase from me at the end of the event. that paid for chinese food dinner upon arriving home.

Saturday June 19 Art in the Park Stevensville, MD

2010-06-15T01:43:00.000-07:00

I'll be sharing a space with friends Rich and Laura Hall to show (and hopefully sell) some of my art and craft items including small paintings, cards, polymer clay sculpture and jewelry, and 'mini masks' such as these... http://www.artfire.com/users/ranzangel

There will also be live music, food vendors, and a farmers market. I hope you'll come along! If you are interested, here is more information about the event.http://www.shoreupdate.com/community/second-annual-art-in-the-park-comes-to-stevensville/

and a facebook invitation: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116203998424686

(Pictured is "Float" by Angela Ranzoni)

My "Lollipop Monster" painting in print

2010-06-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Some recent print press for an Arts League show. I have 3 small paintings in the show which have never been shown before. Don't know if this is readable (other than the duckie race ad) but perhaps if you click on it, you will have some success!

Soon I will post a schedule of upcoming shows and outdoor art events in which I am involved.

Also I now have a facebook page for my art: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=640292453#!/pages/The-Art-of-Angela-Ranzoni/109161362462200?ref=mf I hope you'll visit and say hello! We've got a lot of fun things going on over there, such as a special promotion for a small sculpture that is dropping a $1 a day until it sells. I sure hope it sells before it hits a dollar.

Thanks for stopping by!
Angela

A Good Time was Had by All

2010-05-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Friday evening was the opening reception at Salon. It was a gorgeous breezy evening. The atmosphere was festive and relaxed, with women bringing colorful purses to trade, a display of jewelry for sale, and some earth friendly hair products (which I didn't really get a chance to look at.) So many wonderful friends stopped by, and some new ones too. Thanks to those of you who came out and made it a terrific celebration. Pictured are Will and I with Salon proprietor Melissa Bones.

Mark your Calendars

2010-04-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

Please join me for an opening reception for my artwork at a new location.

May 7 (First Friday)
5:30 – 7 pm
Salon
400 South Cross Street
(Stepne Station, where the old train cars are)

“First Friday Purse Swap” will also be at Salon during the reception. Bring a gently used purse at 5:30 if you would like to swap. (please let me know if you would like to swap and I’ll send you the related evite so you can rsvp.)

Please come have fun at the reception, with or without a purse!

On the same evening, you can stroll around and see some of my new paintings in two group shows nearby:

Chestertown Arts League
312 Cannon Street
“Inside Out”

Chester River Artworks
306 Park Row
“Annual Members’ Show”

The two above galleries will be open from 5-8 pm.

Look forward to seeing you there!
Angela

Art Attractions

2009-11-17T03:51:00.001-08:00

Long time no blog! Here's an update about where you can currently see my latest work:

Chestertown Arts League - I have small paintings and mini-masks in the current Studio Gallery show of members' work through Nov 28. I have already sold a mask and replaced it with another! I will be submitting work to the December-January shows as well (also open themed members' shows).

Artworks - Holiday sale opens this week. Please see attached poster. I have submitted small paintings, mini-masks, and 5 brand new pairs of holiday themed polymer clay earrings.

www.zazzle.com/ranzangel is a new place on line where you can order stock items with my images on them (cards, t-shirts, mousepads, shoes, etc.) I have designed some holiday cards, stickers and stamps which you can see there, and order direct from zazzle.

I also am experimenting with Artfire, another on line shopping site that is similar to etsy. I currently stock a few of the masks there. http://www.ranzangel.artfire.com/

I hope this finds you all well. - Angela

2009-09-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Introducing my new ArtFire shop, and a closer look at my recent mini masks!

ArtFire is another way to buy and sell handmade items on line, much like etsy. However, you don't need to have an ArtFire account to purchase there.

Please check it out! http://www.ranzangel.artfire.com/

If you have a moment, please tell me which of my mini masks featured there are your favorites, and why. I thrive upon your feedback ;)

Art in the Park Chestertown

2009-09-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday was "Art in the Park" here in Chestertown. It was my first year as a vendor. I had a lot of fun seeing good friends and meeting new ones. Some of our Arts League volunteers and artists are just terrific folks that are fun to be around.

My new 'mini masks' were a big hit! These are made from the cardboard forms found inside of new shoes, kindly donated to me by Paul's Shoes here in Chestertown. There were so many chuckles and smiles as visitors walked along my fence. It was very rewarding. I did manage to sell a few of the mini masks as well.

This is only my second outdoor art event, so I am remaining open minded. Even though I often grumble 'never again' while preparing or packing up after the fair, it is always a great time once I am set up in the park. I figure there are worse ways to spend a Saturday.

Also I can't believe how perfect the "new-to-us" mini-van is for this type of thing. I looked at it lined up with all the other silver mini-vans as we artists packed up our wares and thought, this is most excellent!

In the studio today...

2009-07-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

I did some painting today. Was pleased with some aspects of some of what I worked on, so posting pics. Let me know what you think!

Ang

BOGOHO art sale!

2009-07-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

ok, I went for it... buy one, get one half off -- ANYTHING in my etsy shop!

This weekend July 18-19

Just send me a message before you purchase and I'll adjust the price accordingly. Details on my shop home page: http://www.ranzangel.etsy.com/

That includes sale stuff, everything.

Gotta pay the bills!

Ang

Pictures of "Zoo and Dot" Exhibition

2009-06-28T08:38:00.001-07:00

Now that my exhibit at CAL is coming to a close, I am posting some pictures so those of you afar can take a look! The pictures are here in my flickr album.

I also recently received some pictures from a friend which were taken at the opening, those have nice people in them and me smiling a lot. I will post those next.

There is a price list, so please ask if something grabs you.

I really enjoyed having this show. I think a lot more people in this area know who I am now. I met some amazing people. Meeting people is always more exciting when my art is there to meet them too, I feel like they have actually met me, as opposed to when I meet people without my art there. On some level, it feels like they are meeting a ghost of me when they meet me without my art. It's an odd feeling and one that I wonder if other painters/makers of things can relate to.

I can only hope that John Lennon's famous quote applies here..."Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans"... because as my search for a 'day job' continues, I am so busy with art related projects. I am preparing paintings for delivery and shipping, along with a few jewelry items. Do what you love, the money will follow.... can it really happen? I sure hope so.

My Latest Etsy Treasury

2009-06-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

These are the kinds of things that catch my eye on etsy. That being said, this collection is also determined by two things: The color scheme I had in mind, and leaning toward the sorts of things I see on the etsy home page. I think this one came out pretty nifty overall. You can get a better look at this treasury by clicking here!

Have a great day everybody, keep that creative eye active, nourish yourself, cultivate patience, and remember to smile when the sun peeks through the clouds!

Art in the Park Stevensville

2009-06-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

I was outdoors all day yesterday in Stevensville, MD with friends Rich and Laura, attempting to share our art with the public. This was my first time setting up a booth at an "Art in the Park" event, though I have participated in the indoor variety a few times. This event was put on by KIFA , and it was their first year doing it. The organizers did a great job, so I am very sad for them that it didn't work out!

The park was lovely, just very, very wet. This morning I found out there were water spouts (basically tornado funnels over the water) spotted off of Love Point yesterday, which is basically where we were defending our tent and our art against torrential downpours and thunderstorms.

The organizers let us know we were welcome to leave early, and many artists did just that. I guess after having gone to so much trouble getting ready and setting up our tent, we just hung around! We met a lot of nice people and enjoyed seeing their work. We enjoyed each others company and laughed a lot. Mud past the ankles was the fashion statement of the day. I had a nice hot dog. Believe it or not I got a little sunburned in the brief breaks between the storms, which I lost count of.

Pictured: our tent, drowned rat me and some of my paintings, Rich saving our tent from pools of water on the roof, and Rich and Laura Hall in the park's gazebo.

Art in the Park Stevensville, MD

2009-06-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

I'll be at Art in the Park Stevensville, MD this Saturday, June 20. My art will be with me too, of course. I'll be sharing a booth/tent with Rich Hall (photography) Laura Hall (knitting) and possibly Emily Kalwaitis (painter - I really hope so!!!)

This morning I'm going to open the gallery for some folks from Easton making a special trip to see my art. I really hope they come after all, it's raining profusely and continuously! It's been very helpful to have my work in the papers and on www.midshorelife.com . Yesterday someone pointed out a new site www.chestertownspy.com . It is refreshingly modern and lively. When I moved to Chestertown I remember wishing there were something like it. Kudos to whomever made this happen. I'll be looking into it, of course... in light of upcoming shows at the galleries here.

2 Paintings in Artworks Exhibit

2009-06-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

During June, I have two paintings in this show.

An Abundance of Green

Remember when Green was a color between blue and yellow in the spectrum? Emerald green. Olive green. Lime green. Kelly green. Mint green. Forest green.

Artworks does. Talented local artists have been given the Green light to exhibit new work with a Green theme, which can be inspired by both the color and the artists’ keen environmental consciousness.

Curated by Alice Pickett-Lewis of Rock Hall, the gallery will display an abundant, eclectic, and imaginative variety of media, including metal work, fiber art, and painting.
The public is invited to the opening reception from 5-8 p.m. on First Friday, June 5. At 6 p.m. selected artists will speak about their inspirations and perspectives on the color Green.

Another exhibit in June...

2009-06-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

One or two of my pieces will be included in this exhibit.

(Taken from the Main Street Gallery Website)

The Main Street Gallery in Historic Downtown Cambridge, Maryland

The Main Street Gallery, a project of Cambridge Main Street, opened in 2008 as a way to strengthen the arts and entertainment scene in Historic Downtown Cambridge.

Opening June 13: Artist Invitational

Artists from around the Eastern Shore were invited to submit work for this invitational mixed media exhibit. See the fascinating range of what they submitted. The Main Street Gallery is open Friday and Saturday, 11am–4pm; and until 8pm on Second Saturdays. Stop by for a free opening reception, Saturday, June 13, 5-8pm. Be sure to also visit Cambridge's other art galleries.

Print article about upcoming show

2009-06-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

My painting and the accompanying gallery press release made it into Attraction, an Eastern Shore tourism and events magazine. Of course I was tickled to see that it was juxtaposed with Pirate and Wenches Fantasy Weekend in Rock Hall!

I am working like a wild woman getting ready to hang the work tomorrow, and continuing to help promote it.

Arts League showcases my work in June

2009-06-01T04:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the press release for two local shows which include my work.

____

The Chestertown Arts League will present two shows in their Cannon Street galleries in June. In the main gallery the themed show “Artful Structures” will be mounted. The show organizers have recruited artists in all media to present examples of their work which draw inspiration from, reflect upon, and/or turn to the structures of man, animals and nature in general. The show will include pastels by Jody Primoff and Evie Baskin; architectural painting by Ras Kloman; abstract acrylic collages by Angela Ranzoni; paintings from Venice and Provence by Linda Hall; colored pencil and watercolor pieces by Audrey Rooney; quilts by Marjorie Aronson; stoneware by Signe Hanson; photography by Ned Thompson, David Batcheller, Lani Seikaly, et al.; and a wide variety of other artists’ work in similar and related media.

In the studio gallery we will present “Zoo and Dot”: An exhibit of paintings by CAL artist Angela Ranzoni. This colorful exhibit showcases work from Angela’s “Zoo” series of acrylic paintings, exploring color relationships within dream-like imagery of creatures imaginary and familiar. Whimsy and mischief abound as she lets symbols of personal mythology onto the canvas. The more abstract “Dot” series incorporates bright color and geometric shapes that seem to move and pulsate. A lifelong artist, Angela studied painting at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston with Jamaican painter Kofi Kayiga, who encouraged her to work from within. At New College of CA, she completed her undergraduate thesis on Expressive Arts Therapy, documenting her own healing process through a debilitating injury and chronic pain condition. She has led expressive arts workshops, chronic pain support groups, and art and sensory stimulation activities for the elderly. She finds inspiration where expressive art forms overlap – the visual arts, music, writing, performance, dance and movement, and strongly believes that everyone has something to gain by participating in the arts.

The shows will open on First Friday June 5 at 5PM – 8PM with a reception and run through Sun June 28, 2009. The venue is the CAL galleries at 312 Cannon St., Chestertown. Regular gallery hours are: Thurs, Fri. 11AM – 4PM; Saturdays 10AM – 4 PM and Summer Sundays Noon – 3PM. For specific questions on this show contact show organizers: Rich Hall 410-928-5012 (rwhall@pitt.edu) or Evie Baskin (eviebaskin@gmail.com). For general questions on CAL activities contact the gallery: 410-778-5789 or (artsleague@verizon.net).

Pictured:

“Structures 1” an acrylic collage by CAL artist Angela Ranzoni

Treasury Mania and Blog Giveaway

2009-05-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

Treasury I made entitled "Pale Pink and Friends"

Treasury I made entitled "Necklace Love"

My Cyclops Snowman featured in green treasury by malam

My mauve elephant featured in "unexpected" - treasury by Karuski

My crazy cube featured in turquoise treasury by Shavingkitsuppplies

I have been quite busy as of late with art, work, and life. I have continued to make etsy treasuries as a sort of down time activity for some fun and creative stimulation. I have made so many of these that I stopped keeping screen shots. However, today I am featured in 3 gorgeous treasuries, which I think is the most I've ever been featured in at one time, AND I have 2 active treasuries that I made.

Please look and comment if you'd like. Hard core supporters of my efforts would follow the links, click on every item in each treasury, and leave a comment on each one! If a treasury has expired by the time you get to it, just move along, nothing to see! They are only good for a two to three days, and at least my pink one is close to its expiration.

If you would like to win a free gift handmade by me, just leave a comment on this blog about your favorite item from one of the above treasuries. If I get 25 or more comments on this entry, I'll happily choose a winner at random on May 15, and send you a free handmade gift like the ones you see in my shop! Make sure there is a way for me to contact you.

Thanks to the terrific etsy sellers who have featured me!

New Treasuries, New Blog

2009-03-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

I am showcasing the wonderfully weird of etsy - here's a snippet of it:

VickiDianeDesigns of etsy is featuring me in one of her very popular 'Artists Exposed' treasuries!

Click here to see it. Below is a photo snippet:Finally, I am now a blog contributor on Monster Etsy. I think if you click,you'll see why! Some of my favorite etsy artisans are also there.

More soon, keep making stuff and buying handmade!

Quick Art Upate

2009-03-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Two recent treasuries: White Elephant Sale and My Version of Cute.

The "About Face" opening was relaxing and fantastic. The show was very well received. Our festivities drew a crowd. I painted a lot of faces, young and not so young! There were about 12 artists drawing from a model for about an hour, good music and yummy treats, many of them homemade.

I worked hard on this show for the past 6 weeks, right up to cleaning up after the party. I had a good time, and learned a lot about publicity. I was thankful for my event planning experience. While I was painting faces in the back, one of my unframed paintings on paper sold in the front gallery. So I was quite inspired to get more of my 'not-so-recent' work into mats and out where it can be seen and appreciated.

I am preparing for several other upcoming shows, and my work will soon be available at Artworks.

More soon! Ang

Face Treasury

2009-02-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

As I have been working on an exhibit about the face which opens this month, I made an etsy treasury on the same theme. (links to etsy treasuries are only good for a few days.) Enjoy!

About Face

2009-02-27T13:38:00.000-08:00

Coming Attraction – “About Face” Art Exhibit, March 2009

The Chestertown Arts League Gallery at 312 Cannon Street invites you to our March exhibit, "About Face”, showcasing visual art and sculpture related to faces, facades, masks, and concepts of the face.

The exhibit will open on First Friday, March 6 from 5PM – 8PM with a reception. First Friday festivities will include quick sketch demonstrations and face painting. There will be paper and supplies available for visitors who would like to draw. Exhibit runs through March 28, 2009.

Pictured: “Man with the Golden Helmet” by Chestertown artist Lois Kuck can be seen at the Chestertown Arts League’s March exhibition, “About Face”. Lois is currently producing a series of 3-dimensional, mixed media art pieces which pay homage to well known artists.

Ang Art Update

2009-02-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

(Pictured: Cityscape II, india ink on paper, by Angela Ranzoni)

Hi faithful blog readers! Here's some recent Ang art news:

Etsy update: In the shadow of economic woes, many Etsy artisans are facing low or no sales. We continue to help promote each other’s work, and buy handmade whenever we can. I have completed a few custom jobs and trades recently, which have been very rewarding.

Thanks to Jillian Spencer at Eternal Images for calling out my Green Elephant Buddy mini-sculpture on her blog recently. Jillian has made some art objects that really capture my fancy as well… these green worm earrings call to my love of bright and creamy looking colors as well of my love of squirmy creatures and jewelry with eyes.

OK, now for local news! The Arts League is hippin’ and hoppin’. As you probably can imagine, the economy is making it even harder for non-profits like this to do their thing. So we volunteers keep plugging away. I continue to help with Exhibitions primarily. I have made it a goal to enter at least one piece in every show we hang. This is a challenge, as most of our shows are themed. However, I entered two pieces in the December/January Black and White show, one of which sold! Also, due to the encouragement of friends, I entered one photo in February’s Annual Photo Show. It’s a framed 8”x10” featuring the tall ship Kalmar Nickel and Ol’ Glory. I’m working on publicity for the March show “About Face” (Faces, masks, etc.) and hoping to get a piece ready in time for the deadline next week.

Most amazing about the League are the friends I have made, and following their work over the past few years. I have been meaning to do blog write-ups on a few of them. For now, to wet your whistle… be sure to check out Lois Kuck and Emily Kalwaitis and I’ll say more about them when I get a chance!

Last year, making small jewelry and sculpture and setting up an etsy shop was fun and a great learning process. I will continue to keep small affordable art items and jewelry in my shop on etsy. I recently put note cards in the gallery for sale. I hope to soon make the cards and other items available over the internet via zazzle.com. (think t-shirts!) However, this year, my main focus where my art is concerned is this….I would like to paint and draw and focus on getting work into galleries.

New Creatures

2009-01-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Just a quick note to alert you to new items in the shop at http://www.ranzangel.etsy.com/ . Please let me know what you think!

Angela

Recent Treasuries

2009-01-07T07:45:00.001-08:00

Lovely Spirit: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=38568

Peacock Penmanship: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=31466

I made two treasuries in the past few days, thanks to timely tips from friends that the treasuries were opening.

Until I figure out how to get a screen shot of everything without having to photoshop two images together, which I am too lazy to do, I'll continue to post the partial treasury pics here with the links to the whole treasuries. Of course, the treasury links expire after a few days.

Here is another survey question: Do you like seeing these treasury updates? Or is it just plain boring? Or, something in between?

Please leave me feedback.

By the way, the survey about a blog giveaway was very revealing! With only 2 replying, I now know it is too soon to stage any sort of blog giveaway just yet!

More updates will come as soon as I can. Right now I'm fighting with some sort of pinched nerve in my left shoulder and arm, so all making of things is on hiatus, as is much computing, housework, anything really. I am concentrating most of my efforts on a day job I'm hoping to land, and some other health issues I have got to resolve. Stay tuned though, I hope to have something exciting now and then to blog about!

See yas,

Ang

Howdy

2008-12-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic of a part of the lovely treasury I am featured in. Click here to view the whole treasury. This collection was curated by thepairabirds. Please click on as many items as you wish and leave a comment. (The clicks and comments help us sellers.)

In other art news, I currently have 2 black and white works in an exhibit at the Chestertown Arts League through the end of January. I have also brought 4 original small matted mixed media pieces for the art bin sale area. I am working on getting some greeting and note cards together for them as well. A new locking jewelry cabinet was donated, and I am asked to bring some of my jewelry items too. Now if we could just get some more traffic to the gallery!

I am working on a custom illustration and new years greeting post card. It has been a huge struggle to face and do the work on this job. Mostly because it involves drawing archetectual elements with lots of straight lines and correct angles. That's something I have been avoiding like the plague since my wrist pain and other pain problems started 8 years ago. But a few weeks ago my neighbor caught me in one of those 'say yes to every opportunity' moods. So now I am faced with the challenge.

My biggest obstacle right now is just diving into the project. I can see so many possibilities on approaching the piece that it is overwhelming. I just have to try a few of them and see what gels.

So far I am playing with scissors and paper and a ruler.

The holiday is fast approaching. As usual, I have mixed feelings about this season. Mostly I am counting the days until I can walk into a public place without hearing bad Christmas music blaring at me so loud I can't think. Perhaps later I'll write a blog entry about me and the holidays, but mostly I think if I just let it go and move on it will be fine! The good news is that on Christmas day I'll get to hang out with some of my favorite people, Will's family. His sister and bro-in law are making the trip from Pittsburgh and I really look forward to seeing them.

Finally, I'm tossing around a 'blog giveaway' in the new year. However, I don't know if I have enough people reading my blog yet to get a fair amount of entries. So if you are reading, and would be interested in participating in a blog giveaway contest, please just say 'I' or whatnot. Also if you want to, let me know what you'd like me to give away: A painting, piece of jewelry, small polymer clay figure, or something else entirely.

Peace to you and your families, hope you have great times relaxing and enjoying each others company, which is of course what it's all about. I'll miss those of you whom we've spent many holidays with in the past: Gin, Evan, Uncle Dan, Uncle Jim, Ian, Jo, Forest, Brian, and Tomji. I am filling imaginary stockings for you. LOTS of chocolate!

Ang

Custom Clay Figure

2008-12-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

I've been busy with art related projects, so busy in fact, that I haven't been able to keep up with blog entries about the various results!

A few weeks ago, "The Horn Man", otherwise known as Bill Nemoyten, celebrated his birthday with family and friends. Since this happened in Northern CA, I was sadly unable to attend. However, I was honored to be asked by his daughter, my dear friend Jo, to make one of my custom 'horny guy' polymer clay figures in Bill's likeness.

It was a load of fun. I boosted up the size quite a bit from the little lumps I've been making lately. This was at Ian's request (Ian is Jo's husband... and happens to be a fan of monumental sculpture.) I doubt the figure was much more than 4 inches tall when completed. (Someday, Ian, The Horn Man may loom over all of the Bay Area. I'm just not there yet! ;)

I have posted a picture of Bill from his website, thehornman.com which I worked from to make the sculpture in the second picture. It was a joy.

Honored by another fine Treasury!

2008-12-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

I have a new friend on etsy, Joanne of Shaving Kit Supplies. I met her when we were working on a top secret holiday project together. She's really a hoot and a smart creative cookie to boot. She recently mentioned to me she was building a treasury around my "Orchard Time" painting. Lo and behold, she did! Here it is.

Please buy something from Joanne if you are in the mood. You won't regret it!

Holiday Fun

2008-11-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

Just returned from three days of fun surrounding a turkey. Shared a beautiful meal with Will's family, ate, napped, ate yummy Indian food the next day, went with friends and family to see "Bolt" in 3-D (VERY fun), ate more indian food and pumpkin pie, played cribbage, ate more leftovers, then played "Devil Bunny Needs a Ham". (check this out if you like games - free games at the cheapass games website: http://www.cheapass.com/free/index.html)

Again, a very fulfilling 3 days. Tired and glad to be home. SO much work ahead in the next 15 days. The next 3 days are going to be a bit intense. More to follow -- most of this is art related - some my own wacky self-imposed deadlines, some because I need to eat, some because it's a good challenge and good for my portfolio. Hopefully all of those projects will be positively influenced by the fact that I love making stuff!

I was happy to check in late last nite and see that another lovely Etsian, RunzwithScissors, put my 'crazy cube' sculptural painting in her beautiful treasury. The colors and look of this collection are SO pleasing to my eye! See what you think.

Hope you all had a terrific holiday - pop in and let me know what's up!

Ang

Pre-Thanksgiving Treasury

2008-11-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

Etsy seller TweedleBee included me in her gorgeous new treasury, only part of which is pictured here. Such a nice surprise to find right before the Thanksgiving festivities! I have a lot to be thankful for.

Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving or whatever it is that you do to celebrate the harvest time of the year. Angela

The Love of my Life

2008-11-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

On Halloween, Will and I celebrated the eight year anniversary of the day it suddenly hit us that we were in love. Fortunately, the people we were in love with were each other!

When we first fell for each other, we were both apartment hunting. We started helping each other with apartment leads.... then soon realized we were looking for the same things. Shortly we wanted nothing more than to live together! What a great time that was.

Will and I have been through a lot. Bush and his Axis of Evil have been with us almost the entire length of our relationship! When we met, I was fighting disabling chronic pain and trying not to lose my job and my mind because of it. Will ended up taking care of me almost from the very beginning. I don't really think that's fair.

Will was my voice of reason through a long and complex workers compensation case. He put up with all the people calling the apartment for help when I volunteered for the large chronic pain support group I was a member of. He gave many rides to and from these meetings, helped fix their computers, took us shopping. He helped me figure out ways I could help the people who called crying, whose lives were devistated by their health problems. He helped me find my way out of the darkness that is chronic pain, repetitive strain injuries, chronic fatigue, thoracic outlet syndrome, fibromyalgia, and the stress of getting new diagnoses every few months.

He patiently offered tech and moral support as I stumbled my way through writing a thesis while learning to use voice recognition software. At the same time, construction workers basically gutted and remodeled the building around us... for an entire year. Somewhere along there he was laid off. But again, the silver lining was the friends he had made at that job... who became such an important part of our lives, and enriched it even more.

We have been through several major losses in both our families... but in the process, we've grown closer with each other, with our families and have become parts of each others families. So even through all this painful hardship was growth, growth, growth, and loads of love.

This year we made no big plans for our anniversary and Halloween. It's just as well, as we both ended up with the flu!

Because that Halloween eight years ago is special to us, every Halloween means a lot to us. We try to do something together and often with friends. It's usually a variety of festivities around Halloween, nothing big, lots of little special things.

Since moving to the East coast a few years back, it hasn't been as easy to celebrate. Two years ago at this time, we learned of Will's Mom's illness, and it was only a matter of weeks, we lost her.

So, it is even more important now for us to make the effort, partially in her honor, to greet our trick-or-treaters. We did the bare minimum of decorations, and spelled each other. So we probably gave them all the stomach flu! (Ha, the tables have turned, he he!)

Seriously though.

Will has a heart that just reaches and reaches and reaches. He is the greatest listener. I have learned so much about myself and what a crappy listener I was before I met him. In many ways, he is more patient than anyone I know. Yet because he is, he gets very impatient with impatient people! His Mom used to say he had an overdeveloped sense of justice. That's exactly what makes him so good at what he does... everything.... his brain just wraps around stuff and uses logic and heart to try and do it the best he can.

I know there's more I want to say, but I guess there's only so much ...(and at that point, I accidentally posted this, so I'll add the picture and call it a night! Sometime soon I'll tell the much requested story of how we met.)

Bacon Bracelet Featured on Fashion Blog

2008-10-31T07:18:00.000-07:00

I was tickled to disover that my bacon bracelet is featured among a group of bacon themed fashion items on Trend de la Creme. It's a fabulous looking, keen blog with a sense of humor.

Trend de la Creme is published by Jill Sherman, who is described on the blog as a marketing professional by day with a passion for "the next relevant, interesting, and/or unsavory trend".

While you are there, check out Just Nosing Around and Who Killed Fluffy? I also found the Skeletal Chic fashions fascinating, a sort of ironic commentary on the models underneath the fashions.

Even if you don't think of yourself as a fashion aficionado, poke around a bit on Trend de la Creme for some interesting food for thought and for the eyeballs.

My bacon bracelet came about when I made a bacon jewelry gift set for a dear friend. The bacon bracelet featured in my etsy shop and on the fashion blog was made with the leftover (and somewhat less savory) bacon pieces. As I eat turkey bacon, they tend to look more like that fine food product when left in the microwave for too long.

Tips for Photographing Small Art and Craft Items

2008-10-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

From an amateur to other amateurs, with etsy.com in mind

A friend who makes small polymer clay figures mentioned that she was having trouble photographing her work. She would like to start posting her work for sale on etsy.com.

She said:
“ I have one of those Kodak One-shot digital camera's...they're great...but not top of the line by any means.... my shots are always either blurry, too dark or don't show detail... argh....”

Well I am not familiar with the camera she mentioned, but figured I have learned so much by doing this that sharing my tips couldn’t hurt. My camera is a digital Olympus D-460Z that’s about eight years old. My hubbyboy picked it out and I really know very little about it. So I figured I’m qualified to offer some tips!

Here is how I do it. It is by no means HOW to do it! Take what works for you, ignore the rest!

Set up: Tripod – yes or no? I choose no. On such small items, taking multiple angles means constant adjustments of the tripod which can be frustrating and nigh impossible to set up. I found I had more freedom and got better shots by using my elbow or wrist to steady on a table, as the items are quite small. Hold your breath in when you push the shutter. Don’t forget to resume breathing.

Where to do it: Outdoors when sky is somewhat overcast so that few or ideally NO shadows are falling. The best times have been before 10 am and after 2:30 pm or so depending on how overcast it is. Of course on particularly overcast days, I have taken wonderful pictures in the middle of the day. Don’t even bother on a windy day.

If there is direct sun, it’s better to wait. Shadows like these can be too distracting. However, if you can’t wait, find the best angles with the least shadows… sometimes you can take advantage of some reflections as the sun hits the object.

Indoors: I have just recently discovered the ONLY place in my apartment that I can do this! It’s in the middle of my entryway, in the middle of a sunny day. Again the light should be somewhat diffused and not bright, direct sunlight.

Backdrops: sometimes white is NOT good, especially when the sun is bright. Oddly, it is also not good with darker items when it comes to getting the brightness and contrast right later. Try neutral or pastel backgrounds. Make sure your paper is large enough so you don’t have to crop out too much background ‘noise’. The paper doesn’t have to be fancy or special. Fabric works too… but avoid wrinkles, too distracting. Stretch it over a board or piece of cardboard.

I have gotten away with using some of my acrylic paintings on canvas for backdrops. I put one on the seat of a chair, and lean the other against the back of the chair.

Sometimes a patterned or painted background is good, but don’t let it overpower the item. One trick I’ve used is to lay a piece of tissue paper over a painted backdrop (often one of my paintings on canvas.) Some of the color will show through the tissue paper. Experiment with pastel color tissue paper as well.

More recently I painted a Halloween/autumn themed backdrop on a large piece of corrugated cardboard, scored it down the middle with a utility knife and folded it like a book. I find that sometimes flipping the backdrop different ways gives different effects.

I usually set the backdrop and item on a low table or chair seat on my deck, and then kneel on a cushion to get the right angles.

Actually taking the pictures:
Take lots of pictures, and experiment as you go.

Not all cameras have a ‘macro’ feature, but if yours does, you probably should be using it for your small items. On my camera, I push a button marked with a picture of a flower/tree. A flower appears on my monitor so I know it’s working. (See, uber low tech!)

Take pictures from lots of different angles - from above, multiple sides, back, bottom, etc. Take some with plenty of space around the object, some with less.

The best advice I had from another seller was ‘What is the picture of’? Don’t let your beautiful work get lost in background or props. It is the subject and center of attention at all times.

Some props are not that bad….
Sometimes I include leaves that fall into the shot while I’m working!

Ceramic pots aren't bad as long as they aren't the center of attention.

Uploading and Editing: When I am done photographing on the deck and upload my pictures, they often look like crap. (However, I am very proud to say that my last two sessions resulted in far less tweaking than usual!)

They are often too dark and grayish.

First off, just delete any that are completely out of focus as you come across them. Don’t get attached to any of those. In fact don’t get attached to anything you see.

I use Microsoft Office Picture Editor to edit the pictures. Under edit, I brighten and increase contrast slightly. This is something you will get better at seeing/ doing as you go. Don’t make it as bright as you want before increasing the contrast, only bring it up to a few notches below what your eye wants, then adjust contrast.

Cropping is a huge part of making the photo right, and resizing for etsy.com posting is another step to talk about. However, I think those will have to wait till the next installment!

I hope this helps some of you improve your photos…remember, unless you take a photography class, it’s about trial and error, and learning about it from others. You’ll find that as you play and experiment with how you photograph your work, your pictures will improve by leaps and bounds! I suspect that each camera has its pros and cons and little tricks, you’ll soon find your own bag of tricks. Just have confidence, and keep on doing it.

Also, if your goal is to sell on etsy.com, look at lots of shops and treasuries. Go window shopping and see what attracts you, and why. Some of the most gorgeous and affordable handmade jewelry is photographed so poorly, it can hardly sell. Sometimes just noticing the difference between the qualities of photos helps train your eye.

Angela

What the heck are Etsy Treasuries, and why are you designing them?

2008-10-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

Those who know me probably notice me going on sometimes about the etsy treasuries. Perhaps I am a bit obsessed, but it's a fun way to hone your design skills while helping other artisans of all kinds.

Treasuries are short lived collections of handmade items for sale on etsy.com. They last for about 3 days before dissapearing forever.

For the uninitiated, how to create a treasury is one of the elusive mysteries of etsy.com. But search the etsy forums and you will quickly gain tips on how to snag a spot in the treasury, and how to design a successful one. Successful means that your treasury could possibly reside on the front page of etsy for a brief time, gaining views, 'hearts',exposure, and sales for the artists whose items you chose.

At the same time it's a little self promotion for the curator of the treasury. Folks I feature in my treasuries tend to feature me in theirs. For instance, today I'm in this monster themed treasury by The Little Red Door! The more items you click on when visiting a treasury, the higher it moves in the 'hot' list, potentially getting even MORE attention. There is also an option to comment on each treasury.

I haven't gotten around to asking my techy hubbyboy how to get a whole treasury on the screen at once so I can save a screen shot. Until then, thanks to kind etsians everywhere, you can see some of my previous treasuries on flickr:

http://flickr.com/search/?q=ranzangel&w=all&s=int

Enjoy yourself, don't forget to have some fun today!

Ang

Raku Party!

2008-10-21T13:45:00.001-07:00

Those of you who know me know that I have never commited to one art medium or another. In college, I was horrified that I had to pick an art major! Couldn't I just major in art? I took ceramics classes, and one of my best memories was learning and actively participating in the raku firing process.

Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful party at a great new arts location. It was unique in that it was in a remote and beautiful area on the Chesapeake Bay. To promote new ceramics classes, Artworks held a very special event for anyone interested in a hands-on experience with raku pottery. (and it's worth mentioning that the snacks were fantastic as well... crab sushi, dolmas, and things I didn't even know the name of but tasted divine.)

We started out by selecting small pottery which had been pre-made for us by ceramicists who use the studio. These were affordably priced between $5-$15 each. We listened to teacher Gia give us some glaze tips and information.

Then the real fun began, we picked colors and painted on the glazes to the tune of 2 wonderful musicians whom I failed to get the names of (they played some nice bluegrassy music.) An outdoor kiln was fired up and ready to go, and all evening the pots went in and out.

When the pots came out of the kiln, they were glowing red hot, and gently deposited into piles of sawdust under aluminum trash cans. This was the exciting part, when you get a glimpse of you and your friends' pots with their new looks. The smoldering and smoking sawdust and paper finishes the process, blackening the unglazed parts of the pottery.

The pottery gets cooled and washed in a bath, then we scoured off the remaining bits of ash.

What a terrific way to enjoy a fall evening!

Earring Giveaway Promotion

2008-10-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today is the day these lovely skull earrings will be given away!

Go over to Mrs. B's site pronto.

http://silvermoonwitch.blogspot.com/

All you need to do is to post a message on Mrs. B's blog, and you could be the winner. Have a great day! Angela

Free Halloween Goodies!

2008-10-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Keep an eye on Mrs. B's blog for free Halloween goodies every day of October...http://silvermoonwitch.blogspot.com/

What an undertaking!(No pun intended.)

Oh yeah, and she's giving away a pair of my earrings! Any day now...

Weekend Special

2008-10-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I woke up feeling like having a little sale...

WEEKEND SPECIAL 10/4 - 10/5

Buy ANY item in my shop and choose a FREE item from my clearance section! Please include a note with your purchase indicating which item you'd like. One free item per customer. Thank you for shopping!

http://www.ranzangel.etsy.com/

Angela

Helping Each Other

2008-09-21T07:02:00.001-07:00

As I've stumbled along learning about internet commerce, self promotion, and social networking, I have noticed the ways people help each other along the way. Now that I have this blog, I hope to have a 'blog roll' or list of blogs I frequent, along with links to web pages. There are probably more ways I can help you along with whatever it is that you do.

I would like to do posts about 'featured artists' now and again. This would include your write up and/or mine, links to your website, blog, flickr photo album -- whatever it is you'd like to promote. Perhaps I'll even interview you.

I do have high hopes to start doing some sort of pod cast or radio type thingy... very inspired by what I've seen some folks doing lately in these areas.

So if you are interested in being listed or featured, please let me know. I am open to anything even loosely art related. Writing, music, dance, theatre, performance...anything to do with arts and the environment, craftism, upcycling, health...challenge me. I can probably connect the art theme to just about anything.

New Gourd Friends

2008-09-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Pictured is Cool Joe Penguin Giant Gourd by Barefoot Gourds. I just got back from a brief and wonderful visit with these folks at their farmer's market booth.

A few months back at the market, I noticed a husband and wife team had some adorable and highly creative painted gourd toys, decorations, birdhouses, and even jewelry made of tiny gourds. I was pretty impressed with their funkiness and creativity. Most importantly, they made me smile. So I started a conversation about etsy.com, because I am so enthusiastic about it!

When I saw them again today, they had so many new and wonderful pieces! Many are Halloween themed, all are playful and unique.

Turns out they now have a shop on etsy! They are Barefoot Gourds. Keep in mind when viewing their items: in my opinion, the photos on etsy don't capture the wonder of wheeling around a little creature such as a smiling gourd whale. If you are a local person, stop by the market to see their work in person (some are characters as tall as a large child!)

Looking at those gourds made my day. Will and I were both under the weather and had to cancel our weekend plans out of town. I figured since I was here and we need to eat, I'd go to the market. It's amazing how just a little smiling about art can help you feel better both physically and mentally.

Welcome!

2008-09-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hey there readers, cohorts, co-conspirators, peers, family and friends,

It's so nice.... finally starting a blog related to my business as an artist. This seems as good a time as any. I suppose I'll jump right in with an update of what I've been doing artistically.

Earlier this year, I set up a virtual shop. It's now easier to share my recent art with friends and family afar, and finding customers who appreciate it. It also serves as a good way to organize, document and categorize the things I am making.

Primarily a painter and 2-d artist in the past, I started making polymer clay jewelry and small scale sculpture to sell in the shop. I figured it would prove less expensive to create and ship. I hadn't made jewelry since I moved to San Francisco in 1991. Beginning again was an interesting process. I learned some things about how memories are stored in our muscles. Or at least it seems like it.

I have so much to say about etsy in general, the friends who helped me get started there, the indie crafts movement.... ahh, plenty of fodder for future blogs.

So far, the shop is not profitable financially. However, it is extraordinarily profitable as a learning tool, and an endless source of inspiration and ideas involving creativity, marketing, and the business of art. It just happened to be the right impetus to get me selling again. Several years ago I had sworn off the commerce part of my art. Again, that's another story, I think I'd better save it for another post, or maybe I'll just move on and be happy that I'm finally enjoying this aspect of being an artist!

Though I find the virtual world of the internet engrossing beyond belief, It has been important for me to simultaneously put a foot out into the real world of the arts. Off and on for the last 8 years, I have been on somewhat of a hiatus from the workforce and the more vibrant life I had before a series of injuries and a chronic pain condition put me on the bench for too long. I don't get out enough to see art, and I hadn't shown my art for some time.

Life takes its many odd twists and detours, and I found myself in this charming little college town on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Not exactly San Francisco, but certainly a place with an interesting culture and community. It happens to have a vibrant arts scene that is growing and changing to meet the needs of a historic downtown district which strives to remain historic AND functional as a town center.

Part of Chestertown's vibrancy is the First Friday festivities every month. This year I have volunteered with the Chestertown Arts League. It sure has a different speed and feel than the SF Bay Area galleries... but as with any gallery and arts organization, there is so much to discover and learn by attending its shows and classes, and meeting its artists.

As a member of the Exhibition Committee, I help coordinate and mount monthly exhibits in the gallery and nearby places of business. Currently we are planning the exhibition schedule for next year. This is all very foreign to me. One thing I've learned through the various volunteer jobs I've done is this... you pick up where other people left off, and suddenly find yourself with more responsibility and opportunity than you have time and energy to take advantage of.

Finally, I guess I should mention something about what I'm doing in 'the studio' (code for anywhere I can find a clear surface in my apartment - my studio tends to permeate the place and take over everything in site.)

-Vaguely Halloween themed jewelry - like these
-Tormenting myself over whether to enter a very personal (and messily executed) piece in the League's next show: 'Art that Speaks out' - figuring out how to frame it
-Painting on found wood 'craft forms' like these (Sold to a VERY dear friend, thank you very much!)

Ok. Thank goodness I'm only reporting on my art and not the other aspects of my life. Sheesh!

Till next time,
Angela