Pennsylvania Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows: November 2018

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Just A Few More Days, Pittsburgh!

Meet Elaine Pollock from JP & Son Woodcraft...
JP & Son Woodcraft is a family craft with everyone having some part in it! The main craftsman is Joe Pollock. He is a veteran who returned to Pittsburgh, PA after serving 20 years in the Army. He’s had an interest in woodwork since taking shop classes in high school.

This year he started doing woodwork with the encouragement of his son Joey and support of wife Elaine, daughter Kayla, and daughter-in-law Becky. Everyone takes on some role in the craft. The best part of the business is working together as a family. Hopefully the future holds bigger roles for everyone in the craft and less time on current full time jobs.

Meet Girl Scout Troop 54442...

Girl Scout Troop 54442 tries out new crafts every year. Our Girl Scouts have quilted, sewn, felted wool, and made beaded jewelry, bath bombs and paper. Mosaic work stuck with the girls.

Many of our pendants are made on camping trips or during meetings. The girls work, chat and laugh. Best: since mosaics require both hands, our art is cell phone free.

The girls have honed their entrepreneurial skills after 11 years of cookie sales. This small business allows them to integrate all of the art and financial skills they've developed in the Girl Scout Program. Several of our mosaic artists have thought about opening their own Etsy shops when they graduate high school!

Meet Christine Balistrieri from Something Pretty For Me...

Hello, I am married to the most wonderful man and have a son and daughter in high school. We live in the North and love it there! I work as an Assessment and Enrollment Specialist for LIFE Pittsburgh because I am passionate about helping the elderly. I have been doing this for 4 years now.

This is my first Avant-Garde show! I see designs, color schemes and styles, then make them my own. After I was laid off a few years ago, I was inspired to learn how to make jewelry. I have found this creative outlet most rewarding! Friends even commented that I should sell my pieces because they liked them so much!

Sometimes the materials design themselves. Sometimes my finished creation is not what it looked like in my mind originally and that's always fun! In 5 years I hope to continue as I am now. I purposefully create simple pieces that are affordable to purchase and can be worn everyday. I also make custom pieces, and I can be found on Facebook at Something Pretty For Me!

2018 Pittsburgh Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, December 1, 2018 - 10:00am-5:00pm

Teamsters Local 249 Banquet Hall

4701 Butler St

Pittsburgh, PA 15201

For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Monday, November 26, 2018

Coming To You This Weekend Pittsburgh!

Meet Kimberly Ryan from Kimberly Ryan Art...
I have been painting since childhood so I would say it is a lifelong passion! What inspires me the most is everything around me. People, animals, nature and landscapes - as well as other artists - I spend tons of time looking over their work.

I got introduced to this hobby when my mom was coloring and drawing with me from age 3. think that is a continuous process that continues from day to day and year to year. I make it a practice to create something every day. I like to collect a variety of images ad reference them as I sketch or paint. I work all hours of the day and night just letting things come to me as the painting progresses. In five years I hopefully see myself still growing. The message behind my artwork is that I try not to impart my own feelings - I want the viewer to have their own personal experience.

Meet Brittany Papas from Papas Designs...

My name is Brittany Papas. I am the owner and artist behind Papas Designs. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and live locally in Lawrenceville with my husband, two amazing identical twin daughters, and two fur baby dogs. By day, I am a full-time School Counselor for a local school district. I enjoy traveling, spending time with friends and family, and being creative.

I have been making and selling jewelry since 2004 when I lived in Charleston, South Carolina, but

established Papas Designs as a business a few years ago with the start of my Etsy shop. Before 2004, I was exposed to jewelry making, stained glass, and mosaics through the wonderful art program my high school had to offer. Creating jewelry and other crafts is my personal escape. When I create, I am in a very happy place where I can get lost for hours. I treat this creative outlet as my own version of self-care and a healthy avenue for mental well-being. Like I said earlier, I am a counselor by profession.

My love of gemstones! I was a huge rock collector as a child. I would go to the science store in the mall to find my own geodes to crack open at home and even had my own rock tumbler. I collected rocks or shells wherever I went. As I got older, I found a way to incorporate my love of gemstones into wearable art. I always loved to craft and create as a kid, but when I was in high school, I was able to explore different opportunities through the art program. I took a jewelry class every year in addition to other types of classes. When I went off to college, I started making gemstone jewelry as a fun outing with friends.

I purchase pieces for my jewelry that I find are beautiful without always having a set plan in mind for what I’m going to create. When I am creating a piece, I look around at my supplies and put

combinations together that I think will work. I try to make pieces that cover a range of styles and sizes, and I only put my name on something that I am satisfied with and can stand behind. I hope to see myself grow locally and expand to include furniture and home goods into my business as I

also like to refinish furniture and have recently began to upholster pieces and build with wood. The message behind my work would be to find a piece of jewelry as unique as you. One-of-a-kind pieces designed for every female to feel just as beautiful and confident on the outside as they do on the inside.

Meet Andrew Barrowman from Barrowman Photography...

I picked up my first camera just two short years ago and became immediately hooked. I love the idea of being able to capture how I see the world, and then be able to share my vision with others! There is so much beauty in the world and being able to share that beauty inspires me.

I just wanted to start traveling more and thought I’d grab a camera to tag along with. I never thought it’d become such a passionate hobby to me. I discovered my talent by pointing the camera, and shooting! Composition and having an eye for photography is unique to the artist and that’s what I love about it. I typically see something I want to capture and immediately get an idea for how I want to shoot it. I run through composition, lighting, mood, perspective and probably 10 other things I can’t think of right now before I set up the camera! My dream is to make photography a full-time job. Right now I am just sharing my work and hoping people like it! The message behind my work is get out there, explore new things and places and get creative!