We're Coming Atcha, Cincy!

Meet Bethany Flick from Raven Aim Art...

I'm a mother of 2 and I work in Business Operations. This is my little escape from reality that I use for self-fulfillment. I've lost a lot of family within a year's time, and this was a way I found I could cope and smile again. I started dabbling in resin art and acrylic pour in December but took a liking to pastels and still life sketches in high school. Typically writing and poetry are my artistic outlet. This will be my first Avant-Garde show! 

Having to align with society's rules puts such confining expectations on me as a person. This lets me drop my walls and allows me to be confident in having the feelings I do without guilt. As much as I enjoy writing poetry, what I write tends to come out dark and ominous. I never smiled through it, no matter how proud I was by my work. This art is so happy, colorful, and fruitful that I found my smile again, so it's stuck. I decided one day that I wanted to see if I had what it took, the science/measuring ratios of it as well as the passion to make it something beautiful that people would want to see every day in their homes. It was an "Art or Bust" type decision when I made the investment purchase. After my first piece came out, my husband expressed his secret doubt he had in me, but then we fell in love with the final product and decided to pursue it.

If I'm making pieces in general, I turn my most upbeat music on in my work space and just let things flow. I know my initial idea will never hold since the medium is quite unpredictable, but I just let things flow where they may, and let go of the control I try to put on everything else in my life. That's when I end up happiest with the end. If I'm making an order for someone in particular, I like to ask them what kind of music/artist is their favorite, and I listen to them while I work so I can feel like I'm vibing with them while making their piece. 

Hopefully, in five years, I've gained a good social media following, just sharing what makes me smile. I'd like to be present at more shows regularly and to be steadily working on projects. Life is unpredictable. It does things that leaves you feeling out of control, hurt, and depressed. We have to remember that sometimes, letting things go and just going with the flow can lead to peace. It can take you to a place where you can smile again as long as you just remember that there is always light. It might be the dimmest light ever or just "less dark", but it's there waiting for you to find it. 

Meet Debbie Brown from Spice Spice Baby...

We are a couple that started this business because we wanted to offer good, affordable spices to people who like to cook. We have been creating our recipes for about 8 months.This is our first Avant-Garde show and we are super excited!

Our customers inspire us.  With their ever growing ideas and repeat interest in our business products, we want to keep them coming back for new and exciting spices. We felt like there wasn't a place in Cincinnati that offered good, fresh, affordable and fun spices for home cooks and. chefs. We wanted to change that. We discovered out love for creating spics because my husband is a chef so he likes to play around with ideas a lot in the kitchen!

In five years, we hope to continue doing pop-up shows and events and possibly open our own brick and mortar store. The message behind our work is this - with the right products, anyone can be a good cook and we are here to offer you those products and let you prove it! 

Meet Michael Halsey from Little Turtle Woodworking...
I have been married for 8 years. I have two children. My passion is woodworking and family. I have been woodworking off and on for 8 years and this is will be my first show with Avant-Garde, and only my third show overall

I just simply enjoy the process of making something from nothing and being able to take an image in my head and create it with wood. I was involved in construction for most of my life, I’ve always loved making things with my hands, and when my wife asked if I could try to make a dining table I decided that this process of taking raw wood and creating things of function and beauty was something that I really wanted to one day do full time.

My first official project was creating a right food dining room table for my wife for making memories with family, I had a very very limited amount of “woodworking tools” and woodworking knowledge at the time but greatly enjoyed the process and was hooked. Each new project has its own unique creative process, unless it is a commissioned piece, I will typically have an idea in my head and slowly create as I go, really only pre-plan requested pieces for clients. 

In five years, we plan to turn our creations into a full-time family business! There is no message behind our work, we just love creating beautiful handcrafted woodworking creations!

Meet Linda Getz from B J and M Creative Designs...

My name is Linda Getz and I have lived in Fairfield all my life. I graduated from Miami University in Oxford with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. I am currently in my 29th year at St. Ann Catholic School in Hamilton teaching sixth grade. I have many animals that I have rescued and adopted. 

I have been sewing and doing crafts since I was ten years old. I combine my love of teaching and sewing by offering classes for children.  I am new to craft shows and this is my first Avant Garde event. 

I have always loved sewing and creating something new. My Mom was a sewer and loved crafts and passed her knowledge onto me. A lot of my business is from customers who have lost a loved one and I make memory bears or quilts from their clothes.  It gives me pleasure knowing I am giving comfort to others. I see myself in the next five years expanding my business, attending more craft shows, and selling online. 

2019 Cincinnati Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 - 10:00am-4:00pm

Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center

902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd.

Loveland, OH 45140

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

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

It's Show Weekend!

Meet Amanda Packard from The Phoenix Quill. . . 
My name is Amanda Packard (but folks call me Mandy) and I've been creating art since I was old enough to hold a crayon (Or so I'm told). My preferred materials to work with are (of course) wood and leather (for my pyrography designs), but I also have a great love for watercolors and inks. My favorite thing about being an artist has always been to witness when my work brings happiness into the world in some way . . . like, it really fills my heart and fuels my passion to create as much as I can! 

I love creating works of creating fantasy, meshing animals with magical concepts. I am also a fan of themes with a spookier tone to them. Sometimes I just may use my craft for self expression, drawing from my emotions or musings, whatever that may be in the moment. I'm also careful to remain open minded to my surroundings and the people I meet, because I am a student at heart, a forever "leaner" of new and exciting things. I'm a hunter of inspiration, always seeking to find something unusual or even to see the beauty within things that are commonly unnoticed. 

My creative process usually begins with an idea that has reoccured in my thoughts, usually some sort of inspiration I've caught that won't leave me alone. I'm also a sketcher, I sketch anywhere and everywhere I go, and tend to piece everything together. Some of my earliest memories include sitting at my mother's side as she created pastel portraits. I remember being completely amazed by every stroke she made, and I knew at a very young age that I would always love art. So, I tried to emulate her, every day, in any way that I could. 

I'm not sure if I have conveyed my message in an obvious way, however, at the heart of each created piece, there is a sincere desire to promote creative thinking and encourage creativity as a tool to solve problems and connect with others on a universal level. I feel there are many real world problems (that are exclusive to today), that are going to require serious, creative ingenuity to offer solutions. Not that I reject the thoughts of the old school, but I have always been an idealist who believes that regardless of how hopeless a problem is, there is always more than one way to tackle a solution, and that to me, signifies hope. 

Meet Brittany Smith from The Little Lark Co. . . . 

I am a part-time crafter and work full-time as an environmental inspector. I am fortunate to be able to work outdoors during the week and spend my weekends creating bath products and designing jewelry. I also love to knit, read, camp and travel. This winter, my husband and I will be traveling to Iceland, and we're very much looking forward to seeing the Northern lights! 

When I'm designing my jewelry, it involves a lot of playing around with different patterns, beads, and colors. In my free time, I'll sketch ideas of what I would like to piece to look like. With my bath products, I thin about what kind of products I would like to use myself or how to make my current products better. I'll whip up some test batches for myself, friends, and family to try and use their feedback to help myself improve. 

I'm a practical person, and I love the idea of products that are fashionable as well as being functional. I appreciate that the jewelry I am making serves a purpose and can help alleviate pain for those who wear it. 

I would like to explain what magnetic therapy is and how individuals can benefit from it. Magnetic therapy is based on the concept of using magnetic energy to increase oxygen absorption and blood flow. It is safe and natural alternative therapy that has been used throughout history to help promote healing and ease pain. For some people, the results of wearing magnetic therapy jewelry can be very fast. However, others may find it takes a little longer to notice improvements. Results can vary from person to person, so it is important to wear your jewelry as much as possible! 

Meet Alexandra Rae from Alex Rae Illustrations. . . 

I am 26 and have lived in Cincinnati my whole life. I went to college at Northern Kentucky University and graduated with a Psychology degree in 2016. A couple years ago, I realized that my real passion is art, and that I needed to set my anxieties aside and pursue a career in what I truly love. Around that same time, I started an Instagram account to track my drawing and art progress. Scrolling through my works over the past two years, and seeing how much progress I have made keeps me motivated and determined to pursue my dream.

Ever since I was a young girl, I have been deeply inspired by my Dad's artwork. Now, as an adult, his work hangs on the walls of my apartment as a reminder to stay true to my unique artistic vision. I also watch a lot of science fiction movies, and listen to electronic music throughout most of my day, so those aspects of my life often bleed into whatever I am creating. 

Music is a huge part of my creative process. After I find the right music for that creative moment, I then sit at my little desk and browse the internet for a base idea. Once an idea is solidified in my head, I start sketching. Sketching is sometimes is the most time-consuming part of the process, but once I am satisfied that the idea is conveyed the way I want, I begin to ink. Inking is my favorite because the lines and shapes come to life. I never decide if a piece will be colored until I have inked the entire sketch. If I want to color it, I use markers and later them on until I feel it is complete! I typically post a finished art piece on Instagram, or frame it and hang it in my apartment! 

When I create my work, I am transported to alternate realities, parallel universes, planets beyond our reach. You can stay on our Earthly home, or you can come travel with me, it's up to you.

Meet Jason and Brit Fisher from BlueHorse Bazaar. . . 

I am a retired Air Force B-52 Navigator. Near the end of my Air Force career, I traveled to the Middle East and discovered the artistry of mosaic tables handcrafted in Madaba City, Jordan (near Amman) using centuries old techniques. The most famous mosaic in the area covers the floor of St. George Church - the oldest Christian Church in the Middle East. After a hiatus of travel, I returned to Jordan in 2016. While there, I met Mr. Bilal Hdithat, who is a mosaic artisan. I asked if he could teach me the art with the though in mind of opening a business of selling my furnished projects. 

While traveling to Jordan, I became enamored with not only the mosaics but the culture as well. I see this as an opportunity to market heirloom quality crafts and educate folks on the Jordanian culture. My ideas for mosaics are inspired by the ideas of my customers. I'm energized by providing them with functional art that will last centuries.

Mosaic creations require both creativity and patience. I discovered that I truly enjoy making the mosaics after creating the first one - a traditional tree of life. 

The message behind my work is: open minds lead to open ideas and endless opportunities.

Meet Samantha Frisbee from Inspirational Art...

​

My name is Samantha and I am 11 years​.  I go to a Montessori school and will be entering the 5th grade in the Fall.  I like puppies, drawing, and creating 3-D art. I have been making art s

ince I was about 3 years old and this will be my first Avant-Garde show!

​My family and my pets. are my inspiration to create my art. 

​It has always just been something inside of me that I have to express.​​I just feel the it and it comes out in my artwork.​ I would love to p

ossibly have an Etsy shop in the next 5 years. The message behind my work is simple, 

​I just want people to experience good stuff.​

2018 Cincinnati Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, June 24, 2018

 10:00am-5:00pm

Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center

902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd.

Loveland, OH 45140

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

Visit us on:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

LINKEDIN