Sunday Sculpture Series

(Yes, I know, I am a day late.  Better late than never!)

This beautiful sculpture named Liv, was created by local artist Arabella Tattershall.  It is created from copper coated steel and stands 4'6" tall with a bottom diameter of 4'.  The pieces is designed with the intention of allowing plants to wind their way in and out of the open weave gown towards the leafy bodice of the dress.
Tattershall says of her work, "I am enamored with leaves. They keep falling into my pieces, as they would from a tree, and I accept their gifts of seasonal engagement in the guises of frailty, tenacity, color and shape."  
This piece sits in front of Embellishments, a boutique at 611 S. Public Road.  It is a nice complement to the 2010 Art on the Street Sculpture walk.  This pieces is available for purchase for $7,500.

(posted as part of Art Everyday Month)

Shop Local - Support Small Business

Get creative!  Give creative! Shop Local!
We all know that we are supposed to "shop local."  There are many reasons to shop local - you support the tax base in your own community, you potentially support a small business owner, you can find local goods at local stores, you can reduce your carbon footprint, you can find unique items that aren't available at big box stores, and you can buy from local artisans.  Be a little more creative in your gift giving this year. 


Purple Poppy



There is even a national movement called Small Business Saturday, which has been designated as Saturday, November 27.  It's sponsored by American Express and hopefully will give support to small businesses nationwide.  I think it's a great idea.  Shop at small businesses this Saturday, but also shop at small businesses on Black Friday and next Tuesday and the following Thursday.  Don't stop!

You can take things a bit further and also commit to shop small businesses on-line, as well, instead of the big websites. Look at craft sites, like Etsy.  Or find small businesses to order from for your holiday gift giving.  There are plenty of companies on-line that are not mega-stores.  For interesting and unique gifts for pool players, check out Lafayette's Pool Dawg.  They not only have gifts for billiard lovers, but also for dart players and poker players.  A further look at their site and you will find game room furniture, lamps, game room wall art and clocks and even a few good thematic movies.  This on-line only, local store has a lot to offer.

Indulge Bakery



If you live in or around Lafayette, Colorado,  you should know that Lafayette is a great place to shop.  At first glance, you may not see all that Lafayette has to offer.  You can find gifts, home accessories and art at Purple Poppy, Timbalier, and Embellishments.  You can find jewelry and fine art at Particulars.  There are great flowers, plants and gifts at the Lafayette Florist.  You can find antiques at Jeri's Antiques and Noble Treasures.  You can stop for coffee at Cannon Mine or Mojo.  To satisfy your sweet tooth stop in Indulge for cakes and pastries or you can get hot chocolate or ice cream at Eats and Sweets, on Festival Plaza.  Hanna's sells sandwiches and delicious dinners to go. You can get lunch at Zamparalli, Pinnochio, Tutti, Martino's, Smash Burger, or Efrain's. 



There are plenty of events around the holidays, as well.  Check out the city's Events listings.


Where can you shop or eat in your town?  Do you have small businesses you can support?  Think outside the box, think away from the national chains.  Get creative with your gift giving.  There are many options to make your holiday gift giving much more interesting this year.

(and just in case you were wondering... this is not a paid advertisement.  Just a little PSA to do my part in my small town...I like my town)

Recipe - Cranberry Martini

Frozen Cranberry Martini

½ cup plus 2 T cranberry juice

¼ cup sugar

¾ cup fresh frozen cranberries, rinsed

3 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

4 oz. vodka

3 oz. Grand Marnier   

Pour all ingredients into the pitcher of a blender. Fill pitcher with ice. Blend until smooth. Add cranberry syrup from sugared cranberries to thin to desired consistency.  Use extra cranberry juice if you have no syrup.

Pour into a sugar rimmed glass & enjoy!  Serve with Sugared Cranberries at your next cocktail party or holiday dinner.

Substitute tequila for vodka to make a Frozen Cranberry Margarita.

( I would have posted a recipe Thursday or Friday of this week, but seeing how this is the perfect cocktail for your Thanksgiving festivities, I thought you might need the recipe early.  Enjoy!)

New Toy - Art Every Day #23

I have a new toy. 
I am almost giddy about it.
Yesterday I bought myself a 1 inch square punch, like this one.  It's an Inchie Punch!

I am so excited, I can hardly stand it! 
I went to the chilly studio and punched and punched and punched. 

Two different colleges started to form.  A bright patchwork of paper squares in random pattern and color.

And a black and white patchwork of squares.
Two more works in progress. 
Obviously I can't just put down a random assortment of paper squares on a canvas, or can I?  Should I incorporate some of my already completed inchie collages?  Should I use the patchwork as a background for a bigger collage? 
Oh the possibilities are seemingly endless.  I love my new toy! 
To be creative today, I have new possibilities.
(Part of Art Every Day Month sponsored by Creative Everyday.)

Time and again - Art Every Day - Day 22

This collage is the companion to this one, called Endless Possibilities.  I paired them as companions because I worked in a similar style, with similar elements, and similar colors.  But I like this one so much better.  The words seem to resonate with me more than the words on the other one.  I love the element of time in this one, and the eager little girl towards the bottom of the piece.  I added the layer of meshy paper and miniature clothespins at the top.  I may continue to add to this one by adding some metal elements and maybe even clip something into the clothespins.  Any ideas of how to complete this one?  Sometimes I don't know when I am done.  Does anyone else have that problem?

(This post is part of Art Every Day Month.  I am so happy I signed up.  It has pushed me to work on art, or at least think about art for at least a small moment each day.)

Sunday Sculpture Series - Art Every Day #21

Ayse, by Belgin Yucelen (photo by C. A. Crandall)

Ayse is part of the Art on the Street Sculpture Walk.

This piece is a cast sand resin sculpture by Belgin Yucelen.  Ayse weighs 200 pounds and measures 3' x 2' x 3'4".  It is installed along Public Road in Old Town Lafayette, just south of Simpson Street.  She sits in the gardens in front of the Metro Brokers.

I like this larger than life quality that she embodies in this woman.  In her figurative work, Yucelen aims to reveal the beauty and the perfection of the human form. Her art is meant to stimulate the viewer’s imagination and reveal the peacefulness and the purity of the sculpture through the beauty of a woman’s body as it is created.

Old town Lafayette is a perfect place to celebrate Art Every Day.  There are 12 sculpture on loan installed in our sculpture walk as well as 5 additional permanent installations.  A brief stroll down Public Road will be sure to get your artistic ideas flowing.  In addition to the public art, there are several art galleries and antique shops.
For more information about Lafayette's Art on the Street Sculpture Walk, visit the city's website.  This work is available for purchase for $8,800.

Lafayette is a great place to be to celebrate art!

Art Every Day - Day 19

Art Every Day # 19 comes from a recent trip to the Denver Botanic Garden, where I was inspired by the fall colors and unique plants.

Art can be found in the garden

Look at these crazy flower stalks,

the stems run through the center of the blossom-

 and the bloom appears to be upside-down

and if you look closely, the petals are fuzzy.