It's Go Time!

Meet Valerie Hill from Ambivalent Apothecary... 

I have been a nurse for nearly two decades, and I work full time at a local healthcare system in their corporate office. I am working on my Master’s degree at Mt. St. Joe University (which I recently paused to start my own small business), I have 3 beautiful children – one set of twins, and I have been married for 18 years. I created this small business under 30 days ago.  This is an entirely new venture for me.

I started making homemade body products about 7-8 years ago.  I would only make them around the holidays and provide them as gifts.

What inspires me.. Seasons – much of my work is based upon the smells, taste, and energy of the changing seasons. 

How I got into my craft.. I love to bake, and realized during the holidays everyone is giving baked goods.  So, I wanted to find a different way to express myself but that could be likened to baking.  I found this was a good way to show my gratitude and appreciation to my family and friends. And, they kept asking for my products year after year. 

How I discovered my talent.. This one is hard to answer.  My line of work requires no artist abilities, and I found I was missing that.  I needed a creative outlet and decided to venture outside of baking.

My creative process.. Hmmm, I guess I make products, and scents that I personally would enjoy. I research and then I do.

My five year goal..  Hopefully, with an amazing following.  I would love to either open a brick and mortar store with a website and/or be able to sell my products to spas, boutiques, stores etc…My future career goal is to be able to focus solely on my small business.

The message behind my work.. Natural beauty and back to basics.

Meet Rebecca Bisig from Deepy Do...

Hi, I’m Rebecca, the gal behind Deeply Do, a business offering custom stationery, live wedding painting, and custom watercolor commissions! Creating my own wedding invitations ignited my current passion as I fell in love with both the artistry and experience of custom stationery. I graduated from design school and worked in the field for several years, but have also always been a dedicated artist and painter. This combination has given me an exceptional eye for beauty and visual risk taking that is perfectly balanced with my strong foundational understanding of design. Through Deeply Do I provide a hands-on, tactile approach to making art that celebrates each client's unique story.

I have been painting ever since I was a child and have always been drawn to making beautiful things! I went to college at The University of Cincinnati in the DAAP program for design, and participated in their co-op program, which allowed me to work with many different design agencies during my college career. I launched my business, Deeply Do in January of 2022 and have loved working with all of the other creatives and clients that I have been fortunate enough to meet so far.

I have always gravitated towards the whimsical and dynamic aspects of watercolor painting, which is why it is my favorite medium. But I am also a firm believer that beautiful paintings come from a strong foundational understanding of form! I find inspiration in so many different corners, from exploring old architecture to experiencing nature's beauty in the form of botanicals, animals, and landscapes. I'm also a romantic and often find myself romanticising the mundane, nontraditional beauty of daily life in addition to the grandeur of weddings. In terms of style, I like to consider myself a tasteful maximalist with an endless admiration for color, detail, and unique applications.

I got married in 2019 to my husband Taylor, and during our planning I was unable to find wedding stationery that felt true to us. I decided to draw and design my own and my business has grown from there!

I have found comfort and expression through art ever since I was a small girl. I would beg my siblings to let me do any of their homework that required an art project! I attended my first competition in elementary school, and went on to attend the Governor's School for the Arts program in high school, which gave me the courage to pursue a creative career. I think I always knew I wanted to be an artist in some way or another, and have found the perfect way to live out my passion through Deeply Do.

I love to start in a comfortable environment with a candle burning, some indie music playing, and an iced coffee in hand! Creating is not always linear, and while I sometimes feel ready to paint I often need to gather inspiration first. Then I work through the bad ideas and ugly stage of the ideation process, which eventually leads to the creative "zone."

I hope that my business gets to a point where I have live wedding paintings booked for most weekends and I am able to help support other upcoming artists in my area. I also plan to grow the offerings in my shop with more collection-based work, and expand my network to allow for more collaborations with other creatives!

Deeply Do stands to inspire the desire to do anything whole-heartedly and to the fullest potential, with no detail being spared. Don't just do, Deeply Do.

Meet Heather from Mischief Loot...

My name is Heather, I live in Mt. Healthy and enjoy a wide range of crafts and hobbies. My primary interests include sewing, embroidery, soap and candle making, tabletop RPGs, and crochet. 

How long have I been doing this for? This is a tough question. As a small business, on and off for over a decade. Individual skills, like crochet, decades in some cases. My great grandmother taught me some basics for crochet when I was about 5, I learned soap making in 2007 when I got tired of breaking out from most major brands of soap, and candle making, sewing, and embroidery all around 2010. 

What inspires me to create? Colors, materials, friends and family, the smell of certain things when it comes to soap and candles, the texture of a fabric or yarn. 

I got into my craft through a desire to make things for myself and loved ones, it all just kind of spiraled from there! Almost everything I’ve learned how to make started out with a gift idea for someone I care about. 

Organized chaos is the best description I have. I’m often working on multiple projects across different media at one time. 

My five year goal.. Hopefully in a few more small local stores, doing more shows, and partnering with other small businesses. 

The message behind my work.. Wear the weird hat if it makes you happy. Enjoy all the amazing scents that you want to embrace. Collect all the dice and dice bags if it sings to you. Ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s a wish that everyone can be comfortable in who they are and the hobbies they love. 

You can find Mischief Loot dice bags at a few local stores, such as Nostalgia Ink and Woodburn, but to catch one of my Octopus Hats, shawls, scarves, or soaps and candles, you’ll have to come see me at the seasonal shows! Some hats might make it to my online store at www.MischiefLoot.com, but all my soaps, candles, and more intricate crochet work is only ever displayed and sold at the smaller local events. Come out and see me at Avant-garde’s Fall Arts & Craft show!

2022 Cincinnati Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, November 20, 2022

10:00am-4:00pm

RSVP Event Center

453 Wards Corner Rd.

Loveland, OH

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

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Cincinnati Shopping Weekend Ahead!

Meet Zara Staleva from NYAJ (Not Your Average Jewelry)...

Hi my name is Zara. I'm a senior student at the University of Cincinnati DAAP majoring in Fashion Design. I've been creating the NYAJ jewelry for 4 years now but the actual brand started 2021. This is my first time taking part in the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show and I'm very excited to be part of it. I'm a person who likes creating things and to create beauty in places people don't really see it. The NYAJ jewelry happened as an accident and at first it was a huge experiment and a hobby. Last year it came to a point where I decided that I should share this with the world and let other people experience the authenticity and unique nature of the jewlery. I would say my biggest influence and inspiration is listening to music and TEDTalks. 

My creative process is a very much order and chaos mixed together. The pieces are made from recycled plastic water bottles and melting the plastic is hard to control, you never know what shape you are going to end up with. You can manipulate the shape but it's never the exact same thing. That's why I would say earrings are the hardest product to create because they have to be same or at least similar. I believe that this technique is the advantage of the brand because it truly gives authenticity and individuality to each product. Today customization and individuality has become more and more important to customers, everyone wants to show that they are different and outstanding in their own way. That is why I believe the pieces are very modern and up to date with people's fashion choices. 

In 5 years from now I would love to have a physical location- a boutique downtown Cincinnati, where I can sell my pieces. I would still take part in different markets because I love the interaction not just with customers but with other artists as well. 

I think there are a few messages that people can interpret through the jewelry I create:

First don't be scared to be different, to be outstanding. Be wild, be a rebel against the boring norms of society, be authentic, be you.

Second, I want to stress on how scary it is that we have so much plastic in our lives and the fact that it affects nature so much. Each NYAJ piece  is a small step to saving the planet and helping clean the environment. It's a small step towards a change to a better, cleaner and more beautiful world. Be part of this change! 

Meet Lauren Connelly from JLAerialViews and LCAquaArt... 

The website is www.JLAerialViews.com. We are also on Facebook, with more up to date pictures. Drone pictures are at www.facebook.com/JLAerialViews and watercolor art is at www.facebook.com/LCAquaArt. 

I just recently moved to Loveland, Oh with my son and husband. We love the proximity to so many parks, river, and town. We are avid bird watchers and we have the most amazingly diverse group in our backyard- from hummingbirds to pileated woodpeckers. My son just started high school- he is still figuring out what he wants to be. Whatever it is, I know it will be great! He and a friend have raised over $5,000 for sea turtle conservation before! In 2020, my husband and I started a business together which has been an amazing ride, we love the flexibility of being our own bosses. As a family, we love to travel and scuba dive- there is a rule in our house, if you are traveling, you cannot go someplace you can go to when you are at home (like a restaurant or store)! I love to explore and try new things, which is why I landed on such a fun, vibrant style for my watercolor paintings. I am fascinated by nature and feel at peace when I am outside and that is what I love about the watercolor medium- you can take it anywhere!

I have been creating and doing art for as long as I can remember. In grade school and high school, art was always my favorite subject! I tried to become a graphic designer in college, but that led to artistic burn out and I wasn't as motivated to create for many years. During the pandemic, I finally opened my "Let's Make Art" Watercolor kits and I was hooked! I ventured out and tried many different classes and styles until I found one that just clicked! While I have been actively painting in different mediums for over 20 years, I started excelling and really finding my style within the past 2 years.

What inspired me to create.. Pets! My favorite thing to do is paint people's pets. One, because I get to hear all about your favorite fur baby and two, because each pet is unique in his or her own way and I enjoy trying to bring out their personalities on the page- the eyes are my favorite part to paint! I also LOVE animal photography and have been doing that for 15 years. I am one of those people you will see at the zoo or a park with a camera bag and all the cameras. When I get a really great photo to reference, I will sketch it out and paint it. One of my favorites is Fiona the Hippo. That painting won "Best In Show" at the Hamilton County Fair in 2022!

The main part of the business is called JL Aerial Views- affordable drone photography and videography. We are a family, woman, and veteran owned company. In 2020, I was a professional diver and my husband was in the military. When the pandemic hit, it gave us time to re-evaluate what we wanted to do with our lives. I bring an artistic eye and safety experience to the business and my husband is the geography, mapping, and customer service end of the business. The drone service provides multiple uses like real estate images, construction progression, roof inspections, home portraits, and my favorite- locating missing dogs! Eventually with the home portraits, my goal is to take the beautiful home portrait and turn it into a one of a kind watercolor home portrait- which is why we merged the drone and watercolors together! It also gives us a chance to display and sell our drone prints. Drone photography really offers an opportunity to experience some place from a whole new view! My favorite images we have taken are of a sea turtle release in North Carolina, the Reds Stadium, and manatees cuddled together in a warm spring in Crystal River, Florida. 

How I discovered my talent.. I bought an online class by Shaunna Russell about how to paint your pet. Christmas was coming up and I wanted to paint my brother's dog, Gary, because my brother is obsessed with Gary! This opened my eyes to learning how to paint with a palette that isn't realistic. This was the first step in developing my style. I am a bit more heavy handed on color and details than Shaunna. I am a big advocate for taking as many different classes with as many different styles as possible because you pick and choose what you like about each and eventually what develops is your own unique style! 

My creative process.. It started with asking people if I could paint their pet or suprise my friends and family with a pet portrait. Now, people are coming to me wanting paintings of their furbabies, which has been an amazing feeling! I use reference photos and from there I make a sketch. I duplicate the sketch, so that I can map out where I want all the colors to go. I figured out early on which bright, fun color I wanted to represent tans, browns, and blacks and for the most part, I stick to that same key of colors. Once I have everything mapped out, I put my outline on watercolor paper and then I am just in the zone- it is a completely meditative experience... there is just something about not having control of the color and watching it move on the page!

Five year goal.. One of my dream goals is to see our drone videography on TV and then on the big screen!!! I am really hoping to connect to the Loveland community and help out with whatever the drone and imaging needs are. I WILL be doing home watercolor portraits within the year. Being able to licence my art is another goal. Honestly, the part that makes my heart the happiest is seeing how their face lights up when I give them a pet portrait and I hope to keep doing that for as long as I can paint! 

Message behind my work.. 

Be bold and explore!

With the watercolors- Try new things and do what makes your heart happy. It may not be "traditional" or "normal", but if it makes you and others happy then you are doing good work! Have an art adventure!

With the drones- Explore new heights, see things from a different perspective!

Meet Valerie Hewitt from VallieGirl Creations...

Hi! My name is Valerie Hewitt, I am a 28 year old wife and SAHM, I married my husband Justin in 2019. I have one daughter and another kiddo on the way, due spring of 2023. In addition to crocheting, I’m writing two books. I’m the oldest of four kids, was homeschooled, and have my degree in Business Management. 

I learned to crochet when I was 7 years old from one of my mom’s friends. I love colors. I love mixing colors. And I love seeing the smiles on kids faces when I give them something I’ve made and they can snuggle/hug/kiss/play with it. 

I learned first how to make scarves and hats on a loom, and I thought it was really fun. Then I discovered amigurumi and just love to make stuffed animals and dolls for kids to play with. 

How I discovered my talent.. Through lots and lots of practice and people asking me to make thing for them that I hadn’t made before. 

My creative process.. It’s a very eclectic process, sometimes I see I certain type of yarn and I just want to make a specific item out of it, sometimes someone asks me to make them something and that sparks one idea that leads to another. 

Five year goal.. I see myself making a website and being able to sell in the entire US, as well as teaching in homeschool co-ops and private clients how to crochet. 

Message behind my work.. I don’t know if there really is a message, I just really love making people smile with what I make, whether that’s because of color choices or the quality of my work or because it brings to life what the customer has been envisioning! 

Meet Melissa Saylor from Bling Princess...

I am a recent amputee and wife. I am a mom and grandmother. I have always loved to do crafts and any chance I got I was doing something creative. I want to make amputees and people with disabilities smile and give them something to make them feel like they are like everyone else. Being disabled has made me realize a lot of things in my life and one of them is do not take life for granted and live your life with a lot of sparkle and BLING!

I have been doing crafts for a long time but these I have been doing for over a year.

I'm inspired by my family, my disability and seeing what I can do.

Also, I LOVE BLING! I seriously think I have an addiction to BLING!

How I discovered my talent.. I have always known I can do things and anything I put my mind to. I create things that I feel people will love and look at and think I need this in my life.

My five year goal.. I want my business to go nationwide and have everyone ordering BLING from me.

Message behind my work.. Even if you are diabled you can do anything you want to.

Meet Kelley King from

I'm a Florida native. Currently an Ohio resident for 3 years. During my professional life,  I am a dance instructor and choreographer.  I have been doing this since I was 16 years old!

This is my 3rd event with Avant-Garde . I'm creative by nature. My inspirations come from life and other's work that sparks me.

How I got into my hobby..  I'm Irish and Cherokee... it's traditional in my family. 

How I discovered my talent.. It was a process... but I liked that it allowed me to be expressive.

My creative process..  An exercise in patience 

Five year goal.. Hopefully even more well known for my work!

Message behind my work..  Life is too short to wear department store jewelry! Have FUN!

2022 Cincinnati Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, November 20, 2022

10:00am-4:00pm

RSVP Event Center

453 Wards Corner Rd.

Loveland, OH

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Cincinnati's Eclectic Talent!

Meet Ann Rich from Breezyhill Artwear...

Breezyhill was initially a horse farm, both my daughter and I showed horses and actually trained young horses. Then I developed a fascination with Alpacas.

I purchased eight and starting breeding and showing,I loved their super soft fiber.. I wanted to do something with my fiber so my husband gave me a spinning wheel for my 50th birthday..

I started spinning alpaca yarn.and then moved on to "art yarn" which is a very colorful yarn with lots of texture.It was all the vibrant colors that got me hooked on my new venture.

Creating colorful art reflects my colorful personality!I then began making artwear through an arduous process of "wet felting" not only using alpaca but also merino silk ribbon and other fun embellishments..the fun part is layering the fiber etc into a colorful shawl or scarf.then the hard part begins which is the felting process of using soap water and lots of rubbing and agitation. 

Each piece is a one of a kind piece of artwear that has been created from the fiber to dying spinning and felting.I have had lots of compliments and a handful of sales which led me to going forward with this creativity.I still look out my window at Breezyhill Farm at not only my horses but my alpacas.

Meet Jeanette Jackson from Glo Girl Bottles...

In 2019, I left my job and city to take care of my 100-year- old aunt on her rural farm. I had more time to paint and developed an unexpected inventory. Today I am still on the farm creating. 

A few years before COVID. Quarantine gave me the time to develop my style and add other salvaged items to my catalog. I lived in an entertainment district and saw large quantities of liquor bottles going in to the landfill. I started replacing plastic things in my home with unique glass liquor bottles. Later I began painting them and giving them away as gifts. 

I discovered my talent by experimenting with glass bottles with different medium and methods for a few years. Still experimenting with cutting glass.

I allow the designs to follow my moods. 

The message behind my work is don’t throw it away, reuse it in new ways! Share the glow and brighten someone’s day!

Meet Emily Skinner from Spinning Fairy Art...

My name is Emily and I’ve been an artist my whole life but only recently got into painting seriously in the last 4-5 years. I’m completely self taught; I began drawing as a child and that slowly evolved into the occasional painting. As a creator I’m constantly attempting new skills in new mediums. I’ve dabbled in jewelry making as well. I’ve been an avid self taught hula hooper for 8 years and recently had a short stint of performing including live fire hooping. This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. 

I find inspiration for my paintings in everything. Sometimes I paint what I’m feeling as an outlet for healing and sometimes I just paint things that I think are beautiful. I got into painting as a child wanting to branch out from pencil drawings. I began painting simple renditions of my favorite cartoon characters. Some time in 2018 I decided I wanted to challenge myself by painting a more intricate subject and was surprised by the result. This led to a flood of ideas for paintings.

I typically start with the idea for a painting and I plan it out in a sketch book so that I can work out all the details before I put it on a canvas. Then I’ll do a rough sketch of my idea straight onto the canvas and paint on top of that.

In the next five years I hope to have a steady flow of fans of my work. Being able to sell a piece of me that I worked so hard to convey on a canvas to a complete stranger feels immensely rewarding and special. I hope to some day be able to quit my full time job as a Certified Pharmacy Technician and create full time instead. I want people to derive their own messages from my work. I want people to be able to see themselves in the things I paint or to evoke a feeling that sticks with them.

Meet Nicole Scott from Nicole Scott Inc....

I am a 4th year college student at the University of Cincinnati. Majoring in Fashion Design at the college of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). Born and raised in Louisville, KY. I love cooking, sewing, and hanging with friends. I was also awarded top 5 entrepreneurs under 25 by the Cincinnati Business Courier. 

I started my business in 2021 but I've been sewing and making garments ever since I was 15. 

What inspires me to create.. lots of things, I really enjoy the process of making something from scratch. Certain artists, and designers motivate my creativity. 

How I got into my craft, ever since I was little I loved arts and crafts, I loved painting and scrapbooking as a child. then I began to take art classes in high school and eventually took sewing lessons, and fell in love with making clothes. When I was younger I entered many art contests in school and would receive various awards for my drawings, paintings, sculptures, and even garments. Once I was recognized for my talent, I started to believe in it. My first big break was being accepted into The Future is Now back in 2017. The Future is Now is a summer design program for highschool students to work one on one with a local artist on a collaborative art piece and the work was then exhibited in a local gallery for the remainder of the Summer. It was a surreal moment to have one of my designs in a gallery. Once I achieved that I knew that anything was possible.

My creative process is very concentrated. I get really focused and I usually listen to music or a podcast while I work. 

In 5 years I hope to have my own stand alone boutique or showroom for my business

The message behind my work promotes unity. I really enjoy bringing people together from all walks of life. Being a local business it is important to me that I remain transparent and keep all aspects of my business as ethical as possible. My brand brings awareness to sustainability and inclusion within the fashion industry, as well as individuality. I make sure to provide unique avant-garde designs to give customers something they have never seen before. 

Instagram: @nicolescott_inc

Twitter: @nicolescottinc 

Facebook: @shopnicolescott

YouTube: Nicole Scott Inc.

2022 Cincinnati Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, November 20, 2022

10:00am-4:00pm

RSVP Event Center

453 Wards Corner Rd.

Loveland, OH

For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM