event styling: my other dream job

My dream job as an event stylist for my daughter's school auction "Passport to the World"

Whew! The school auction season is over and I can finally catch my breath. You may recall I wrote about this year's other auction project, Burkland's Cartographers, at my younger daughter's school. It was a true labor of love that allowed me to get to know the students better (we are new to the school this year) and I'm so proud to say that our work paid off big at the auction in March. 

And while our sleeves were rolled up at that school, I had already begun work leading the charge on event decorations and aesthetics for my other daughter's auction. This was my 7th consecutive year! volunteering with the auction team -- I was quite shocked when I added up the years. Well, it's always a treat to work alongside the lovely and incredibly talented folks of the auction team. I look forward to two more years -- thank you B, S + L! 

This year's auction theme was "Passport to the World". I wanted to capture the era of travel once defined by steamer trunks and telegrams. We scoured antiques shops and Goodwill stores in search of globes, vintage suitcases, Kodak slide carriages, apothecary bottles, binoculars, aged atlases and other hardcover travel-related books. 

Travel-themed hardcover books, rolled up maps, and candlight helped set the theme.

       

Binoculars + handcrafted airmail envelopes rounded out the scenery. 

Like I said, all this event styling is volunteer work but I love it so because of the creative process that goes along with it. It's really pretty effortless and highly rewarding....now if only I could find a way to do this for a living and get paid for it - ha! ;-)

Me (on the right -- yes, I do occasionally clean up) with my husband Patrick and my dear friend
Sarah (fellow parent + Auction Co-Chair guru). 

I'd love to share more of the details if you'd like. Just leave me a comment. The photographs were taken by fellow parent and photographer extraordinaire, Andrew Carr. I think he did an amazing job capturing the mood of the night. Cheers!

Burkland's Cartographers

Capturing the student's favorite activities at Camp Orkila and their grade-level school community service project.

Helping with Addie's classroom auction project this year has been a true labor of love. It's also given me a chance to get to know the students better -- thank you for the opportunity!

I thought I'd share a few snapshots of the project and description so that you can see all of the hard work the kids put into this large-scale, mixed-media diptych painting. I only wish I had a better camera! Cheers, Mandy

Completed panels with metal fasteners + washers to mark each student's "neighborhood". Photo was taken at night so coloring is off a bit. Measures 4 ft across x 3 ft tall.

Project Description:Last December students in Mr. Burkland’s class embarked on map-making journey of grand proportions. Inspiration for the project came from the book The Map as Art by Katharine Harmon and from the class’s studies of landscapes in Washington State, South America, and those found in mentor texts such as Marshfield Dreams. 

Students collaborated on several occasions to identify map markers, establish art direction, and voted on their favorite projects and class excursions. They enthusiastically rolled up their sleeves for a painting party and eagerly shared interests, hobbies, and aspirations in order to create their own “neighborhoods”.  

The finished artwork measures 3ft. x 4ft. and is comprised of two wooden canvases adorned with acrylic paints, artist renditions on drafting film overlays, metal fasteners as map markers, and student signatures. 

There’s no doubt Mr. Burkland’s cartographers have left an indelible mark on the fourth-grade landscape at Meridian with this large-scale, mixed-media painting. If you look closely you will also see loving sentiments about the meaning of family, the Meridian community, and Mr. Waldman. 

One of the survey questions I had for the students was "What do you want to be when you grow up?". I wrote their answers on top of the "River of Dreams" that spans both canvases. 

Here are two examples of the "neighborhoods". Can you tell my daughter is horse obsessed?!

Here is the map legend with key 4th grade assignments and special interests.

The kids and I wanted to include well wishes and a way to honor the head of school who is retiring at the end of this year. To do this, we created "Waldman National Forest" within the "Meridian Mountains". I hope he likes it! 

shorpy finds: canal point

Migrant Workers Canal Point, FL by Marion Post Wolcott (circa 1939) via Shorpy

I look at these two young women and I see beauty. I also see pride. They impress me. Click here to get more of their story. 

why am I just now discovering Google Art Project?

Close-up of Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" made possible by the 10 billion pixel image!

Yesterday I watched a TedTalk about Google's Art Project and was blown away with what I saw. I learned that anybody anywhere with online access can experience world-class art and cultural information thanks to the marriage of Google technologies and hundreds of acclaimed art partners from around the world. Furthermore, some of the digital images have 10 billion pixels allowing you to see brushstrokes and fine details too often missed.

I encourage you to watch the video and then explore Google Art Project to view the collections, take a tour, or even start your own art collections to share with friends. Simply lovely.

jon contino

When I grow up I want to be an artist like Jon. Check out his passion and craftsmanship so beautifully captured in this video. Then, browse through his portfolio here. Cheers, Mandy


Jon Contino from Kevin Steen on Vimeo.

hospital art

UPDATE Jan '13: 

When this post was originally published, I did not know who the artist was nor did I know the title of this beautiful diptych. Well, imagine my delight when I was contacted directly by the artist with well wishes for my mom and the title of the painting. Layne Cook is the artist and she titled this work  "Trust". Layne is an accomplished painter with roots here in the Pacific Northwest. Please take a moment to visit her Website. Thank you Layne for the inspiration and support!

This diptych at Swedish Cherry Hills campus in Seattle pretty much sums up our support for my mom who recently underwent her third emergency cardiac catheterization in 2013. She is stable now. Yesterday we moved her to a short-term rehab facility so that she can regain her strength and mobility.

I wish I had been taking photos of all the incredible artwork in hospital settings along the way. There was no placard beside this diptych so I cannot tell you who the artist is. What I can tell you is that it is comforting.

To all my family, friends, neighbors, my daughter's teachers and karate instructors, and last but not least, families of my daughter's classmates -- please know that I am extremely grateful for all your support and generosity this past year. Thank you for being ready to catch us. Someday I will repay you.

xo Mandy

a must see: The Dust Bowl by Ken Burns

My family and I will be tuning in this weekend to watch the latest film by renowned director Ken Burns and PBS: The Dust Bowl. As you know, this subject matter is near and dear to me and at the heart of my 2011 stories on canvas: Dust Bowl Glimpses. I'm so very proud of the work because it gives a voice to the impoverished people who endured merciless conditions of a record-breaking 10-year drought in the 1930s. Please join me.

My Dust Bowl Glimpses series:

 

                                Open publication - Free publishing - More 1930s america

a bit of whimsy at red cheeks factory

chewing gummmm

We could all use a little whimsy in our lives, right? Well, you'll certainly get your fix when you visit Red Cheeks Factory!

I recently came across the brilliant works of artist Nelleke Verhoeff and instantly fell in love with all the whimsy. I believe you'll agree. Go ahead, take a peek! Enjoy!

cooperation

extra, extra....read all about my AMAZING ART SALE

 photo via Shorpy

Don't you just love this photograph?! Those faces, those clothes! I think its the perfect image to announce my 40% off sale.

Why am I having this HUGE SALE? Because I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who's hung in there and supported my work along the way. I'm definitely still creating art, it's just that I'm in a slow period since I am helping my mom through some serious health issues. My energies have also been focused on settling into the new school year, new school community, and part-time work. Thank you for not giving up on me!
 

For one week only everything my Etsy shop will be 40% off. Just be sure to enter the coupon code THANKYOU40 at checkout to receive your discount. Sale ends midnight Pacific time Friday, October 19th. Happy shopping!

vivienne's gifts

A sweet friend and fellow artist, Vivienne Strauss, recently sent me photos of a mural inside her local post office in Peterborough, NH. Knowing that my heart beats fast for art of this nature, Vivienne wanted to share her experience with me. Incredibly generous, right? Yes! Thank you Vivienne for these gifts!

 

The mural was completed in 1927 by Marguerite Zorach, an American fauvist painter, textile artist, and graphic designer who won the 1920 Logan Medal of the Arts. I encourage you to read more about her here. and here.  

Isn't the mural gorgeous?!

Speaking of gorgeous, if you aren't familiar with Vivienne's work, I highly recommend browsing her amazing body of work here, here and here. Additionally, the folks over at House of Fifty recently featured Vivienne's story on page 108. Check it out!

I'll leave you with one of my all-time favorite paintings of Vivienne's:

Candy Woods and the girls of the Peppermint Lounge, 1962 - Vivienne Strauss

muy bueno cookbook

I've sorely missed working in the studio...and blogging. I've been adjusting to our back-to-school routines, caring for my mom, and starting a part-time job handling social media for Full Slate appointment scheduling software (more on that development in a later post). But tonight, I have a free hour and I'm going to seize it to share some exciting news about a new cookbook, the Muy Bueno Cookbook. 

Muy Bueno
Nearly two years ago I discovered an amazing food blog chock full of authentic, mouth-watering Mexican recipes. Everything I was reading (and seeing) reminded me of my own childhood growing up in Denver in a Hispanic household. Weekends were spent at my grandmother's home devouring homemade tortillas, chili, and tamales (it was her cooking that inspired this painting and this painting).

 

I immediately reached out to Yvette to share my story and my admiration for the work she, her sister, and her mother were doing to preserve generations of treasured recipes. I've enjoyed watching their blog evolve and attract fans from all over, including none other than Michelle Obama. I'm thrilled to say they've just published their first cookbook and it's available for purchase on Amazon.com. (you'd better believe my copy will be here soon).  

Congratulations ladies!


Next up...
More details about Full Slate and the gifts from my friend, the über-talented artist Vivienne Strauss.

Stackpole's mural at Coit Tower

                              

Industries of California by Ralph Stackpole

Last month I had the privilege of seeing the work of WPA artists, including Ralph Stackpole, at San Francisco's Coit Tower. My family and I stumbled upon this monument on a morning walk from our hotel at Fisherman's Wharf.

Once inside, we were treated to a series of murals commissioned by the Public Works of Art Project under the New Deal federal government program in 1933. Perhaps Stackpole's mural stood out to me because of my fondness of old factories and images of laborers. There is immense beauty in these images.

The entire experience took my breath away. I imagined the artists working alongside each other. I thought about their conversations, collaborations, and debates. I could have stayed all day.

Industries of California by Ralph Stackpole

Industries of California by Ralph Stackpole

Here Comes the Sun

It's an absolute thrill to be featured alongside all the talented artists and artisans in Poppytalk's newest "Here Comes the Sun" Zine. It showcases all the splendor of summer happening right now at Poppytalk Handmade.

To celebrate, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on all items in my Etsy shop for the duration of this Poppytalk Handmade market. Simply enter "BUYHANDMADE" at checkout.

So go ahead...dive on in! Cheers, Mandy

Open publication - Free publishing - More diy

Dust Bowl Glimpses BOGO promotion

 

Last summer I unveiled six original paintings in a series called Dust Bowl Glimpses. Today, I am adding two more paintings to that series, "The WPA Promise" and "Security", and announcing a Buy One Get One FREE offer to celebrate their arrival.

"The WPA Promise" and "Security" are artistic renditions of symbols from government programs that provided relief to millions of Americans during the Great Depression, including migrant families displaced by the Dust Bowl. I wanted to include these symbols in the series because I believe they represent a time of healing and provide a continuation of the stories told in the original six paintings.

Because I think "The WPA Promise" and "Security" paintings would be best paired with one of the originals, I want to give them away to the next two buyers of my Dust Bowl Glimpses paintings on cradled wood panels. Yahoo!

How my BOGO offer works: 

1. Purchase any of the remaining Dust Bowl Glimpses paintings (8"x8" acrylic on cradled wood panel) from my Etsy shop. Note: Purchases must be one of the 8"x8" original acrylic paintings on cradled wood panel.
   
   Here are the 5 remaining paintings at post time:
   Taking the Mother Road
   Waiting
   Worldly Possessions
   Fryin' Pone
   Ruthie's Red
   Faded Clover - SOLD
2. Indicate your preference for the free painting, either "The WPA Promise" or "Security" in the "Note to weatheredsilo" field on the checkout screen. If the field is left blank, I will assume you do not have a preference and I will choose for you.
3. I will send you a confirmation of your FREE painting via Etsy convo and email provided on your PayPal account.

Please note:

• This offer expires once both free paintings have been awarded.
• Awarding of the free paintings will be determined by the date/time of the buyer's purchase on a "first come, first serve" basis. In other words, the first buyer gets his/her first choice of free painting. If no preference of free painting is indicated in the "Note to weatheredsilo" field, then I will make the choice for him/her.
• If one free painting is awarded then the remaining free painting will automatically go to the next buyer (based on the date/time of purchase)
• If the first buyer purchases two paintings then he/she will receive both free paintings.

More about my new paintings: 

Just like the originals, "The WPA Promise" and "Security" are:

• 8"x8"x1"
• Acrylics on birch plywood cradled panel with protective UVLS polymer varnish topcoat
• Washes of brewed coffee atop titanium white paint on sides
• Wired for hanging (may sit on flat surface)
• Titled and signed on back

"The WPA Promise" -- the story

The Works Project Administration (WPA) was the largest FDR New Deal agency. For eight years, the WPA employed millions of unskilled workers to carry out public work project, including buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media and literacy projects. Visit here for more details. 

"Security" -- the story

The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was a part of FDR's New Deal. It was an effort during the Depression to combat American rural poverty. It stressed "rural rehabilitation" efforts to improve the lifestyle of sharecroppers, tenants, very poor landowning farmers, and a program to purchase submarginal land owned by poor farmers and resettle them in group farms on land more suitable for efficient farming. Visit here for more details.

new art in the shop + poppytalk coupon

    

"A Collection no. 10 - Navajo"

I've recently added a handful of fresh acrylic paintings to my Etsy shop. These paintings on paper + cradled wood panels are based on doodles of late and have been arranged in various groupings and color combinations. Perhaps one catches your eye? 

"Shapes of Blue" - Original acrylic painting on cradled wood panel

My Poppytalk promotion: 
As a participating vendor in the current Poppytalk Handmade "Paper Pops + Affordable Art" market, I'm offering 10% off all items (not just the paintings on paper) in my shop through June 1st! To save, enter "POPPY10" at checkout. Cheers!

"A Collection no. 8 - Black + Ochre"

Close up of "A Collection no. 7 - Silver"

"A Collection no. 6 - Cancun"

Close up of "A Collection no. 3 - Deep Orange"