Meet Lynn Radford from The Studio at Piney
Creek Acres...
My name is Lynn Radford, I am the resident artist and writer at The
Studio at Piney Creek Acres. You can find me happily writing and creating in my
home studio where I live, work and play with my husband, five cats and a crazy
dog. I am a mixed media artist whose love of collage and assemblage has taught
me that the possibilities are as limitless as imagination itself.
Ever since I can remember, I have been creative. I am an active mail
artist, a writer of short fiction (micro, flash and poetry) and a maker who
shares how-tos in crafting magazines. My return to artisan shows came in 2016.
My break-out event ended in a flash flood that soured me on outdoor events.
Since then, I have agreed to do two indoor shows a year, spring and fall.
This will be the first Avant Garde Show for me, but I hope to make these
part of my yearly calendar of events.
As an environmentally conscious collage artist, I am always on the
lookout for colorful bits to use in my artwork. The bright pink thingamabob I
picked up in the street might well become central in my work. I am especially
drawn to vintage, rusty, old, unloved bits of this and that, and work to
incorporate them into my art whenever possible. My current favorite collage
fodder are cigar bands. I make gorgeous coasters from them.
Years ago, when my children were small, a friend got me involved in the
PTA Santa Shops. That was when I first began making to sell. Previously, my
work was gifted to family and friends. Somehow, I’ve always known I was creative,
even when I tried to shut it out. Like many, I received lots of praise for it
when I was small, but as reality and careers loomed, praise and encouragement
dwindled. The expectation to earn a traditional income and raise a family became
first and foremost for a long time. Eventually, I learned to embrace it fully.
When I did, my quality of life increased exponentially. Thankfully, my talent
chose me and persisted, even when I did not.
My process is extremely intuitive. If I “feel” it, it happens. I never
try to force something into being. My best work comes when I let go and allow
the bits I work with to speak to me. When I’m “stuck” I’ll sit in the studio,
looking through my bits, touching, organizing, cleaning… until something grabs
me.
In five years, I hope to grow my art business into a sustainable avenue
of income. Becoming solvent doing what I love has long been a dream.
We live in an extremely disposable society. If
something breaks, we don’t fix it, we toss it. In my world, those objects find
purpose. Trash becomes treasure. Old becomes new. Just because an item is no
longer relevant, doesn't mean it's destined for the landfill. I give new life
to pieces that inspire me. My
hope is that others find value and beauty in the discarded objects around them
and possibly take up the mantle. Trash as art is alive and well... in my world,
anyway.
Meet Jennifer Leffler from Light Shine Jewelry
Co...
I'm
Jen, the color-loving, painter chick behind Light Shine Jewelry co. I
live and create in Monroeville, PA. I have an amazing dog, Bailey, who
loves hanging out in the studio with me. When I'm not at my day job, I'm
making pretty things and exploring our awesome city!
I've been painting professionally for about nine years now, but Light Shine Jewelry was born just this year! This will be my first show!
I've been painting professionally for about nine years now, but Light Shine Jewelry was born just this year! This will be my first show!
I'm
extremely inspired by nature and architecture. I get lost in the colors
of the ocean, the vibrancy in flowers and how nuanced the sky can be. I
also love admiring interesting buildings and the beautiful details especially
of older buildings.
I
wanted to create wearable art that anyone could afford. I loved painting
large-scale commission works, but I had the desire to reach a broader
audience. I love creating these mini works of art and sharing them with
so many!
I'm
a painter and designer by trade but got restless painting on canvas and hanging
art on walls. I started experimenting with painting on clay, adding a
little gold or silver leaf in the mix, and finishing off the pieces
with resin. I posted a few photos of my work on social media, and
wouldn't you know, they were a hit! Light Shine Jewelry co. was
born!
I
take my color inspirations and pretty much go crazy painting on a large piece
of clay. From there I 'see' or 'find' the pieces of jewelry within that
piece of clay and cut and sculpt them from there. It's a very loose and
free (and fun!) way to create.
In five years, I would love to be a full-time maker!
This part of my business has only been around for a short time and I've already
seen so many blessings and such a great reception. I hope to be stocking
area shops and boutiques as well as continuing to do shows and markets. I
LOVE getting out to meet and talk to people! I'd also like to continue to
grow my Etsy store and include my new home decor line!
The
message behind my work is the most important thing for me! Light Shine is
all about knowing your beauty, knowing your value and letting that shine!
I was inspired by Matthew 5:14-16, which talks about being the light of the
world and allowing our light to shine so that it points to others to our heavenly
Father. My hope is that when a customer wears their one of a kind
jewelry, they're reminded of how unique and awesome they are and to let their
light shine!
Meet Alisha Chaffey from ASA Enterprises...
ASA Enterprises is a division of the
ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples. By utilizing fair trade practices and
providing micro-loans, we employ underserved artisans in Africa to create
unique crafts. After selling all our craft items, ASA invests all profits into
our partner organizations in Africa, including two children’s homes (Bright
Kids Uganda & The Great King’s and Queen’s Children’s Centre), a
disabled children’s school and support program, the United Against Gender Violence – Blessed Survivors
group – supporting women and children, who have been emotionally and/or
physically scarred by acid attacks and other forms of gender violence and
“Adopt a Village” Project for Barlonyo, Uganda.
In 2008, Bright Kids Uganda USA
(non-profit) was established to provide for the educational, medical and sustainable
project needs of the Bright Kids Uganda children’s home in Africa. In
2015, the ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples, a non-profit organization was
founded to reach out to several additional organizations closely associated
with Bright Kids Uganda. This will be my first Avant-Garde show.
I believe in respecting the ability
and uniqueness of every individual, regardless of their current circumstances.
That all people should be able to participate in shaping a better future for
themselves and their children.
We work directly with the crafts
persons in Uganda to assist in purchase of materials and provide orders for
crafts. All colors, designs and future products are at the discretion of the
artisan.
Our goal for ASA Social Fund in 5
years is to have expanded to assist hidden peoples in other countries,
including programs in Hungary and other parts of Europe. Our message is
simple...Every person has value. By promoting and facilitating education,
employment, creativity and self-reliance a brighter future is available to
everyone.
2017 Pleasant Hills Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday, October 29, 2017 - 10:00am-5:00pm
Georgetown Center
526 East Bruceton Rd
Pleasant Hills, PA 15236
For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com
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