The Beauty of Versatile Art!

Meet Mary Learman from Clay Creations...

I am a Boardman, OH resident, Harborcreek, PA native, who enjoys all things creative. As I get further into the artistic world, I find it fascinating to see how each individual expresses him/herself creatively. The local artistic community has been so amazing and supportive. I finally feel like I found home.


I am happily married and and have two amazing sons.  I enjoy spending time with my family outdoors. We love to hike, camp and go kayaking. Our favorite vacations involve all three. We have two Border Collies, one of whom is my faithful studio dog.

Growing up, my father was an artistic person and always encouraged me to explore my potential. I am so excited to see that my love of art has been passed along to my two sons. My oldest son, Stephen, often joins me at art shows, selling his beautiful abstract paintings, and my youngest son, Shane, loves to create clay sculptures that I sell alongside my own works.

How I got into my craft.. I've bounced around from art to art, knitting, tatting, drawing, never really finding anything that 'stuck' until I found pottery last year. I've been hooked ever since. I enjoy making functional pottery pieces that have an added sculptural attachment for interest and fun. Generally I throw a simple form that I can decorate or embellish. I usually don't have a plan or idea in mind, until I start playing around with the clay and something emerges.

My first class was last January at the local YMCA. I successfully started throwing pieces about a year ago. I started selling in local art shows this past December.

I got into selling my work through my son. One morning he was putting dishes away and couldn't find space to put a coffee mug. He turned to me and said, "That's it!!!  No more coffee mugs until you start selling them. There's no more room!" I started looking into a place to sell them the next day. 

I can't really say that I have one special favorite piece. Every piece feels like my favorite...one of my children, so to speak. You can often see the mood I was in when I made the piece...some are happy, some appear cynical and some even appear a bit moody! 

My goal is to make someone smile when they see my pieces. My favorite comment at an art show was: "I'm going to drink coffee out of this mug every morning for the rest of my life!" That made me feel so incredibly blessed to make someone that happy. The message behind my work is enjoy life in simple things.

Meet April Bleakney from APEMade...

I am a 26 year old female, Kentite, screen printer, artist, history nerd, dog lover...

In my spare time, I take care of my 2 beagles, volunteer at Zygote, volunteer with youth programs, (work a part time job) love to eat/cook, travel, music, family. But most of my time is spent creating things.

I get my creativity from around me. I've been making things since I can remember. Making art since I was a kid. I received a lot of encouragement from my family and friends. I graduated from Kent with a BFA in Fine Arts (Printmaking as my concentration). The decision to turn it into a career developed very organically. I started printing tees for fun, put some pictures on Facebook, and the rest is history. I've been a registered business since June of 2011.

My creative process can vary greatly depending on what medium I am working in. For screen designs, I usually start by drawing my design on paper first, then scan it into digital format and alter digitally if necessary.

The goal with my business is socially, to promote local pride and consciousness and create compelling visual art.  Personally, to continue to develop work that makes a statement about American and world issues (and hopefully be able to financially support myself in the process!).

The message behind my work is honest depictions of local daily life, with compelling visuals.  Humor and sarcasm welcome.  

You can view some of my work at APEMade and contact me via email at apemadeohio@gmail.com.

Meet Nancy Abrahamson from Jazzy Jewelry...

When I was growing up, I was never very artistic. I still draw only stick figures and elephants. So when I discovered that I had talent making jewelry, I was so excited! I enjoy sharing this experience with others by having them over to my home for what I term "Snack & Playtime." I provide a home-cooked treat and guide women through making earrings, bracelets or necklaces. I especially love when someone comes to my home saying, "I can't do this.  I'm not talented." They go home wearing something they made and we both feel good about it.

I believe I get my creativity from God. He hard-wired me.

How I got started... I went to a craft show and bought some jewelry. After examining it, I wondered if I could do something similar. So I experimented a bit. I've never taken a class; I'm a self-taught artist. I'd like to take classes sometime to learn more intricate techniques. 

I've been making and selling jewelry for about 4 years.

I got into selling my craft when my daughter was a junior in high school. She went to Costa Rica with AFS as a foreign exchange student. I began selling jewelry as a way to help pay for her year abroad.

My creative process... I see certain beads and think, "I wonder how this would look if I mixed it with..."

My passion is to share some beauty with others and share the joy of creating. I get excited when I see others enjoy the creative process, and I learn from them as well. I think I get as much from sharing as I give. I've gotten some good ideas for design from women that I've had over to my home.

My message is that beauty is readily available. I try to keep my prices reasonable so that more people can own something I've created. I'm also into guiding women through the process of making their own jewelry.

How did my business get the name Jazzy Jewelery?  I've run a jewelry-making craft time for my church ladies' retreat for the past two years. They dubbed my craft session "Jazzy Jewelry" and the name has just stuck.

Meet Missy Ciavarelli from Tempting Sweets... 

By day, I’m a mild mannered legal assistant but I love letting my creativity shine through in my chocolate creations. 

I love hanging out with friends and sharing good food or a good movie.  I enjoy reading and watching movies as well.  I love the old movies on TCM – I think I may be addicted to Robert Osborne’s voice!

I’m really not sure where I get my creativity from – most of the designs and molds tend to dictate a certain color scheme, especially where a specific character is concerned, but mostly I just play around until I find the right colors and combinations that seem to work the best or fit the occasion. I have plenty of molds that can be customized to a customer’s favorite color, wedding scheme, etc.  

Several years ago, I helped a friend make chocolate that she gave away as Christmas presents.  I loved the process but didn’t get back into it until a couple of years ago when I started up again on a whim.

When I started this hobby, I had so many friends and family complimenting my work and saying I should try selling it – so I did! I’m really happy that I’ve been as successful as I have. This will be my second full year of creating chocolate – it’s still a hobby but I would love to grow this business and see how far I can go with it.

The carousel is my favorite item to create. It’s a long process and very difficult to transport but I feel so accomplished when one is done. I feel like it’s a real accomplishment to construct chocolate into 3-D objects.  he candy dish is a favorite as well for the same reason – it’s functional *and* edible!

My ultimate goal is that I would love to have a sustainable business and do this full time. The message behind my work is that everything is better with a little chocolate.

Check out these featured vendors at the 2012 West Side Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature over 170 of the most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the Cleveland Animal Protective League, for animal rescue.

2012 West Side Summer Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Sunday, July 29, 2012, 11:00am-6:00pm

Wagner's Country Inn

30855 Center Ridge Rd. 

Westlake, OH 44145

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com

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Tempting Sweets- Edible Art!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Missy, owner of Tempting Sweets. I grew up in the Cleveland area and have lived here most of my life.  I love city life and being so close to shopping and work. I currently work as a legal assistant at a small law firm in downtown Cleveland.  I love old movies, classic rock and roll, and collecting salt and pepper shakers. The 30s and 40s are my favorite period for movies and the art deco period into the 50s and 60s are my favorite times for shakers. I guess I'm just an old spirit :)

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I work full-time and try to spend as much time with family and friends as possible.

Where do you get your creativity from?

I would have to say real life - I enjoy discovering the versatility and functionality of chocolate and using it to create mini, edible versions of real life. I'm starting to get into 3D creations such as buildings and other structures.  I've made my first wishing well and will be working on a carousel soon.

What got you into the craft hobby?

Several years ago, I helped a friend make chocolate candy as part of her Christmas presents.  I learned a lot from her about technique and decorating.  Last year, I decided to pick it up again when I spotted molds that I really liked.  From there, it just sort of mushroomed.  I ended up making many of my own Christmas presents and realizing how much I enjoyed working with chocolate. 

How would you describe your creative process?

I look at the mold and think about what colors would work for whatever theme I'm working on.  I often go in with one vision in mind and as I begin to paint and decorate, something completely different emerges which is better than my original vision.  That sort of improvisation is a lot of fun.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced?

So far, it's a tie between the candy dish with purple and silver accents and the antique Ford.  The candy dish was one of those times where I thought I knew what I was going to do and ended up doing something completely different. I wasn't sure what to expect from the Ford but was pleasantly surprised at how well it came out.

How did you get your business off the ground?

I'm still getting it off the ground! This started as a hobby about a year ago and I realized I enjoyed it and was actually good at it. I started working with friends and people at work to get the word out about what I was doing.  I got some wonderful and positive responses, which gave me the courage to try branching out even more.

What are your goals with your business?

Right now, my goal is to continue enjoying what I do and continue improving in order to put out a better product.

What do you do in your free time?

I watch a lot of movies and try to read as much as I can.  My TV is pretty much set continually on TCM and I enjoy books on a wide array of topics, from biographies to novels and history.

What's the message behind your work?

I don't know that I have a specific message.  I just hope my work is pretty enough to get people's attention and delicious enough to keep them coming back.

Have a taste of Tempting Sweets this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature 67 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show

Sunday, October 23, 2011, 10:00am-5:00pm

Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church 

5500 West 54th St. 

Parma, OH 44129. 

For more information, contact Becki Cooper, at info@avantgardeshows.com.