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art scene: aaron bir

By on May 18, 2013 in Art : Craft : Design

Aaron Bir is a professional illustrator, cartoonist, and painter who has spent the last several years living in Austin, TX. In the immediate future, however, Aaron’s journey will take him elsewhere as he travels west and creates new art.

Aaron’s motivation is creating a confluence of narrative, expression and symbol on two dimensional surfaces in styles ranging from modern cartoon to expressionistic-realism. His body of work represents a variety of media from painting to illustration to mixed media collage art. (My personal favorites are his sci-fi pieces.)

Because Bir is leaving town, there will be a silent auction of almost every piece of art he’s created in Austin, taking place at on Saturday, May 18th, at Logan’s on 6th. See the artist’s website for a complete list of works on sale.

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Auction runs from 7pm-11pm, and all pieces will be starting at exceptionally low minimum bids. There will also be various prints and drawings available for immediate purchase. In the beautiful private room of Logan’s on 6th, there will be full, cash bar and all attendees are invited stay and enjoy themselves until the bar closes.

Aaron was primarily self-taught, and also studied at the School of Fine Art at Ohio University in Athens, OH. We hope that his path brings him back to Austin again someday soon, where he has been an active and valuable contributor to the local arts community.
sequentialstutter.com

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renegade prep time

By on May 14, 2013 in Art : Craft : Design, day in the life

I know, I know… MORE talk about Renegade Craft Fair?!?! Well, this is the life when you are a designer that does shows. Prepping for a big show like Renegade takes months of planning and creating. Here is just a little peek behind the scenes.

Robo Roku Magnets

Making Cupster magnets. We haven’t sold magnets in years. The request for magnets is one we ignore a lot. It has been so long since we made them I forgot why we stopped… until I started making them. Those Cupsters without a magnet are not just waiting to be finished, they are acting as spacers to keep the magnets from trying to connect with each other. You think just because you glued them down you don’t need to worry about magnetism… well, that’s sorta true, AFTER they’ve dried. There’s also the matter of transporting. Things get a little chaotic when magnets are involved. Josh has been given notice that if we are going to offer magnets in the future it will not be this kind, or he will be the one making them.

Free Robo Roku Stickers

This batch of stickers are going to be FREE! That’s right! Free. The stickers we normally sell are laminated, waterproof vinyl stickers. They are made to handle being on your car, scooter, or bike and last for years, taking the sun like a champ. These stickers are not laminated, and will probably fade within a year if exposed to the sun constantly. I’ve been wanting to give out free stickers for a long time. This year we finally have access to equipment to make them and not go bankrupt. I am so excited to give these freebies out.

That’s all for now, I have to get back to prepping. I’ll have a D.I.Y. coming soon for an element we are going to have in the booth that I am really excited about. If you are in Austin, TX this weekend stop by our booth (#59). We’ll have free stickers and smiles!

RCF

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handmade scene: lisa chow

By on May 13, 2013 in Art : Craft : Design

Last spring at Renegade Craft Fair I stopped by Lisa Chow’s booth on my way back to mine. We chatted for a bit and ended up doing a trade for goods. What a score!! I’d seen her work at Space Montrose, where we both have goods for sale, but never had a chance to actually shop her work. Her style is so soft and sweet, you can’t help but smile when you see it. I am looking forward to picking up some prints from her this spring to add to my studio.

Let’s Meet Lisa Chow in our “handmade scene” interview series…

Hi! I’m Lisa Chow. I am a self-taught artist and illustrator. I draw and paint images that I hope resonate with people.

What is your medium and how did you get started?
Every drawing starts with my favorite mechanical pencil and a fresh sheet of paper. Once I’m happy with a sketch, it’s time to move on to my favorite part: coloring. I’m always playing with new media but I always go back to watercolor. I love watercolor’s ability to be soft and sheer. It’s easy to use and easy to clean up.

Lis Chow Print

Who is your creative hero?
It’s a little dorky but I love Martha Stewart. I have admired her since I was a little girl. Martha is a cook, gardener, author, animal lover, hostess, entrepreneur, crafter, and on and on…she can’t be stopped!

What would people be surprised to know about you?
I am a certified yoga instructor.

What’s the worst creative biz advice ever given to you?
To compromise quality for quantity.

What do you love most about your creative job?
I get to do what I love.

How do you get through rough patches?
I step away.

Who would you like to thank for helping your career?
I will always be grateful to my husband for being extremely supportive of my career. (And for being a great cat dad.)

To date, what do you consider your greatest creative achievement?
To be honest, the connections I’ve made with people have meant more to me than anything. The first time someone had one of my designs tattooed was insane. The time a girl saw my work for the first time, turned to me with wide eyes and said, “You DO exist!” was magical. I cherish those moments.

Lisa Chow Display

What are you currently listening to/watching while working?
I watch a lot of Frasier. Tossed salad and scrambled eggs.

Who is your favorite character from a movie or book? Why?
Oooo, this is a really tough one. If I HAD to choose…and I clearly can’t because I’m listing two…Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Wendy Darling from Peter Pan. They both have an adventurous spirit. I like that.

Would you rather be a fork, spoon, or knife?
Is it cheating to be a spork? If I had to choose, I’d go with spoon. More specifically, a dessert spoon.

What advice do you wish you would have received early on?
Network, network, network. Keep a contacts list and remember thank you notes. Connections are everything.

What are you excited about at Renegade Craft Fair?
There’s so much I love about Renegade; meeting new people, chatting with vendor friends, SHOPPING, showing off new items. I’m excited about so much! And of course, I love any excuse to visit Austin.

Tell us about your current work, and any exciting upcoming projects you’d like to share.
This year, I’ve added a whole new line of paper goods to compliment my art prints. I am extremely excited to introduce them at Renegade.

In June, I have an exhibit at Space Montrose called “Little Fish/Indian Summer”. And I’ve got several more Renegades in other cities lining up.

Where do you see yourself and your work in the coming year?
In a year, I hope my prints and paper goods have found their way into more retail stores around the country (and beyond?). I hope I’ve illustrated for some wishlist publications. And I hope Martha calls me. I set really ambitious goals. ;)

Keep up with the lovely work of Lisa Chow here:
Lisa Chow Art
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