Claudia Marie- Whimsical Paintings to Bring Joy

Tell us a bit about yourself..

My name is Claudia Schieve. I'm a student at Cleveland State University, majoring in Public Relations and Advertising. (I'm graduating this December! Woohoo!) I'm also an intern in the Events department at BrandMuscle, Inc., a church singer on the weekends, and an artist and musician the rest of the time!

 

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

When I'm not painting, I'm usually either working, going to school or making music. I sing and play guitar and ukulele at various venues around Northeast Ohio.  You can check out my website for some music, videos, show schedule, etc.: http://www.claudiasings.com.

 

Where do you get your creativity from?

I'm going to have to go with both my family and just life in general.  My parents are both pretty creative people both musically and artistically and my grandmother used to paint a lot so I think I may have inherited some of my artsy-ness.  I'm constantly getting inspired by nature and the world around me as well as other artists I come across.

 

What got you into the craft hobby?

I used to draw ALL the time when I was a kid. Like, constantly. I think I did that more than anything else. I guess it was a good way to keep busy since I'm an only child and had to entertain myself without brothers or sisters to play with all the time. A few years ago I decided to give painting a try and fell in love with it.

 

How would you describe your creative process?

Sometimes I just randomly get an idea of something I want to paint and go for it. I also look for inspiration online on art blogs and Etsy.  Other times, I start painting a background and I don't even know what it's going to end up being yet. I usually paint while listening to music or watching movies.

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

It's hard to pick one, but I'll narrow it down to my owl paintings!  I'm definitely obsessed with owls and they're my favorite thing to paint! 

 

How did you get your business off the ground?

I'm not sure it's really "off the ground" yet to be honest!  haha.  But I think I'm on my way!  When I started painting, I never really thought about selling them until some of my friends told me I should try it.  So I opened an Etsy shop and the rest is history!  It's a lot of fun and each sale is a major thrill.  It makes me so happy when people like my paintings and want to hang them in their home or give them as gifts. 

 

What are your goals with your business?

My main goal is to keep on creating and having fun!  I'd also like to promote my work more so that more people will see and hopefully enjoy it! :)

What do you do in your free time?

With all the things I talked about in #1 & #2, free time can be pretty rare!  But when I do have free time, I like hanging out with my friends and family, and my cat - Mario, going to see live music, movies, reading, taking pictures, writing music and eating good food!  I also really like acting in plays and musicals but I haven't had much time to do that lately because I haven't had time for rehearsals.

 

What's the message behind your work?

Hmm. Good question! I don't know really. I seem to gravitate towards using bright colors and whimsical images, so I guess I just aim to brighten up someone's day :)

Check out Claudia Marie 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.

Peepal Tree- 100% Natural Materials, When Architecture Meets India

Tell us a bit about yourself..

I am a part time designer and a full time mom! I love designing, creating and spending time with my 2 little boys. I am also an 'ex'-architect by profession and training. I say that because I have a bachelors in architecture from India and a masters from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I have also worked 8 years in various cities like New Delhi, Ann Arbor, Chicago and Cleveland. I decided to be a stay at home mom when I had my older son 4 yrs ago and then my younger son 2 years later. Recently i decided to start work again and felt architecture was not exciting for me anymore, so I've decided to do something smaller scale. Also, born and brought up in India but living now in USA, I like to bring something unique from India and make it work with contemporary styles, hence block printing which is a traditional art form of India, very popular even today.

Apart from creating things, what do you do? 

I look after my 2 little boys, we spend a lot of time on playgrounds, reading books and playdates.

Where do you get your creativity from? 

I'm not sure if I was born with it as neither of my parents are in the creative field! But since I can remember, I have always loved to draw, paint and create with my hands. Some of my favorite classes in school were art and crafts, I remember 8th grade we learned how to paint on fabric and do tie dye. I thought that was the most fascinating way to add color and design to a cloth. I remember making tons of handkerchiefs for anybody who was polite enough to take my 'creations'

What got you into the craft hobby? 

I have to credit my arts and crafts teacher in school in New Delhi, India and then architecture school further created the desire in me to create, irrespective of the medium. Buildings or Scarves, it's all design.

How would you describe your creative process?

I do block printing on various products like tshirts, tank tops, scarves baby clothes, cards. I love color and clothes myself. I take inspiration from nature, anything I see or get an idea, I love to come back home and test it out. I also use principles of architecture in creating my various products. It could be the color of leaves in a tree. For instance, I made a top with various colors of the leaves I had seen literally on a tree!

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

I recently made a full sleeved cotton tshirt inspired by the cape cod style of architecture, I picked the blues of water and the crisp white of sands. I loved how it came together. I also really love one of my wood blocks which is of an elephant and you will see a lot of products with that design. It's clearly my favorite block and now I have at least 30 in my collection of hand made blocks from India.

How did you get your business off the ground? 

I was in India early this year, picked up some wood blocks from an artist who carves them out by hand. I also picked up some beautiful cotton material for scarves.I came back to US and started making some designs. First, I showed a small sample of my designs to some friends and a very special neighbor Judy, who has excellent taste in everything especially clothes. She loved it and ordered many scarves with matching tank tops for herself, her daughters and some friends of hers, thats when I knew I had something good.I took part in a show in June and my work was well received. Since then, I have taken part in some more shows and now a lot of my business is through word of mouth.

What are your goals with your business? 

I hope to be able to support my family with my business in the next few years (not that I need to) but it's important to me to know that I can. I have always been self reliant and financially independent. Also, to have my own line out in some stores and have my work referred to as, " Is that a Peepal Tree scarf you are wearing ?"

What do you do in your free time? 

Free time? Whats that?? I feel I knew what it was at some point in my life a long, long time ago in a land far far away... :-)

Seriously, I do make time to dabble in my other passion besides design which is cooking. I love to cook all sorts of cuisines: Indian, Chinese, Thai, Mexican and have just started dabbling in vegan baking. I also love to read fiction and listen to Hindi music in the car.

What's the message behind your work?

From and Inspired by nature. I always use 100% natural materials like cotton, recyclable paper for my creations. The wood blocks are made by an artist for me in India. And the paper comes straight from a factory in India where the work force is mostly comprised of women. I feel in my own small way I am helping these old crafts stay alive where machines and factories cannot replace handmade, one-of-a-kind designs. Also, it supports the women and artists from whom I buy from in India.

Check out Peepal Tree 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.

Meet Patricia and Cathy the Ladies Behind TangledNotes.com

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Cathy: I’m a recent retiree who has become a “Domestic Diva” to the delight of my husband.  I have two children, eight grandchildren and I am the oldest of eight with a large extended family.

I was born, raised and still reside in Cleveland’s inner city and I love every minute of it.

Patricia: I’m an average Baby Boomer who’s longing for those extra hours that will come with retirement so that I can fill them up by doing the things I love – like drawing tangles. Until then, I’m a technical writer putting in my 40 hours a week.

My only child has a son in the US Marines, and so I’m also an empty nester. At heart, I’m a small town girl who loves the lush beauty of Ohio where I explore winding roads that lead to antique shops, bake until I run out of ingredients, or linger far too late into the night with a good book. 

Apart from creating things what do you do?

Cathy: I roller skate 2-3 times a week and participate in an aquasize class twice a week. I am a “fair weather sailor”  and I scuba dive. Most days, you’ll find me with a hard hat on, tool belt around my waist, assisting my husband with household repairs. 

Patricia: I create other things!  I’m also a member of the Audubon Society, actively involved in my church, volunteer with the local park system; and, I’ve just joined a pinochle club.

            

Where do you get your creativity from?

Cathy: Mine is a God given gift.  I watched my Dad and other talented family members produce the loveliest things made with their own hands.  They were aware of my interest and encouraged me to create art. I’m still creating.

Patricia: My creativity is a gift from God passed to me through my Father. Of course, that’s where everyone’s creativity comes from.

What got you into the craft hobby?

Cathy: I’ll give it to you in one word “Christmas.”  With my large family handcrafted gifts became the norm which led to my experimenting with other art media. I’ve been crafting for more than 40 years.

Patricia: I designed a Web site for a friend who happens to be an art teacher. She spent one evening a week for several months teaching me different media such as watercolors, pastels, acrylics, and colored pencils, and I dabbled with mixing my drawings with photographs to create computer art. I enjoyed them all, but it was the following Spring when I attended a workshop sponsored by our local Art League that I discovered Zentangle®. I fell totally and madly in love before the afternoon ended.

How would you describe your creative process?

Cathy: I get a glimpse or idea and run with it.

Patricia: My process is simple. I don’t think: I do.

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

Cathy: My Arts & Craft Bar.  It started as a discarded kitchen sink cabinet, but I saw something else. I like the way it turned out. I used all recycled materials.

Patricia: My most favorite item is a tangle I named “Flower.” I love that it’s both simple and complex.

How did you get your business off the ground?            

Cathy: My friend Pat started TangledNotes.com. She was showcasing her tangled designs. She introduced me to the new art form Zentangle. I’ve tangled people and the alphabet. I shared my creations with Pat and before I knew it I was added to the web site.

Patricia: There was a perfect storm of things happening. For one, people were telling me how much they love my tangled designs so I decided to put a few online. That’s how my company ended up being named TangledNotes.com.

Because my designs were online, I was able to share them with friends in other cities, and that’s what let to my getting TangledNotes.com off the ground. I was asked to participate in an art show in Seattle, Washington. I held my breath, waiting to see if the public would like them as much as my friends liked them, and they did! The cards sold out the first day of the show!

And while all of that was happening, my friend Cathy fell in love with drawing tangles too. It made sense to share her Tangled People and Tangled Alphabet with the world too.

What are the goals with your business?
Cathy: It is a creative outlet for me. My friend Pat is in charge of the business. I’m just going to continue to create my art with Pat and we hope the general public enjoys it.

Patricia: The goal of my business is to bring a smile to the people who see my tangled designs. I want them to look at the many patterns in each design, and then to turn the design in every direction to see if they see something new. For example, one lady looked at the design I call Raspberries and she told me she saw a poodle! And there’s a man who looked at what I thought was a lighthouse, and he saw a bedpost! That’s what I call wicked good fun!

What do you do in your space-time? Cathy: Yardwork. Watch movies. Crochet. Knit. Paint. Cook. See my friends and just enjoy my life.

Patricia: Work. Housework. Yard work. Go to church. Eat out with friends. Play Internet games. Read. Mow the lawn or shovel snow, but only when necessary.

What is the message behind your work?

Cathy: Do what you love! Come visit us at www.TangledNotes.com

Patricia: Slow down. Take a deep breath. Focus. Relax. Enjoy. Smile. Many TangledNote.com designs are also available as 8 x 10-inch matted art prints.

 

Check out Tangled Notes 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.

Anthony Martino- Painting From Meditation & Emotion

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

My name is Anthony Martino and I am an abstract expressionist artist and have always loved to paint since a young age.  I am also a student full time and truly enjoy the creative process in regards to painting in the abstract fashion in which I enjoy to paint in.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I am a full time student and also am an artist painting live in various locations.

Where do you get your creativity from? 

I get my creativity from emotions and energy. In my paintings I get inspiration from music and the emotional connection I get from painting to the music.  My art is not planned out, but instead, it is done in a spontaneous manner that allows me to feed into the creative process and tap into that creative freedom from a higher source. 

  

What got you into the craft hobby? 

I think the thing that got me into painting is from two reasons. One, my love of painting, specifically, the act of painting itself. And two, the joy in which my work brings to others!

How would you describe your creative process? 

As a painter I find creative expression through the energy and feeling that color imparts to me as I apply it on canvas.  Rather than starting with a preconceived idea, I allow the energy of the moment to determine the nature of the composition.   In a sense the act of painting is almost a form of meditation in action.

 

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

It is hard to say which work is my favorite because I have an emotional connection to each work I create.

How did you get your business off the ground? 

Basically by word of mouth and painting live at various art events.

What are your goals with your business?  

My ultimate goal is to exclusively become an artist by trade and make a living at doing it.

What do you do in your free time?  

In my free time I like to bike ride, read, and also listen to my music collection as well as paint!

What's the message behind your work?  

The message behind my work can be summed up in this way. My work is non representational, and is spontaneously created through the use of meditation and letting go of all pre- conceived ideas of what art should be. Instead, I try to tap into a higher source, thus allowing the creative energy to be free where I am free to create without being tied down by specific cannons of what and how art should be. I utilize color, energy, and feeling to make a true and sincere emotional connection that I desire to have reflected in my art, as well as allowing the viewers of my art to share in this intimate, and emotional connection.

Check out Anthony Martino 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.