(Sn)over the Top!

Looking out my window right now, it’s hard to believe that the first day of spring is just two days away. (For those of you not in Winnipeg, it’s a freaking winter wonderland out there!)

Usually, my first day of spring coincides with MAWA’s annual Over-the-Top art auction and cupcake party. Every year, we stand outside and enjoy the warm temps while munching cupcakes and waiting for the much-anticipated raffle.

This year, however, it was anything but warm. It was COLD. And SNOWING. And did I mention the cold? By the numbers, it was a full 36 degrees COLDER than last year. What the heck?

BUT, frigid temps aside; it was, as always, a lovely event. Undeterred by the cold, a bazillion people came out to bid on 153 pieces of art and eat dozens and dozens of cupcakes.

 

The two pieces that I had in the show, “An Extraordinary Woman” and “Three Little Houses”, sold for $90 and $110, respectively, and my Oreo cupcakes were a hit. (At least, I assume they were, as there were none left by the time I got there around 3:30pm.)

Our only disappointment was a silent-auction shut-out, but we can’t win every year, right?

I am already planning next year’s art… and next year’s cupcakes!

Over the Top 2012

For the past three years, I have attended the MAWA "Over the Top" cupcake party and art auction, both as a contributor and as a purchaser. This year, due to a little belt-tightening, I held off on bidding; however, I was more than happy to offer a piece of art and 4 dozen homemade cupcakes - cherry-almond and banana.

The piece that I donated to this year's auction is called "Elegance" and is part of my series of collages featuring vintage ladies and ephemera. The elegantly attired gal is set against a background of printed papers, a Tiffany and Co box and a page from an old book called, not surprisingly, "Elegance".

When you donate work to one of these things, there is always the chance that your piece won't sell and you'll have to take it home. Not that I would have minded having the original in my living room, I was happy to see it go to a good home for $50. (And I still get to have a copy of it...shh.)

My cupcakes, as well, were a hit, and not just with the mascot and my fella, who were obligated to try one of each kind. Other party-goers seemed to enjoy them, too! You can find the recipes for both kinds of cupcakes AND a tutorial for the wickedly good Swiss Meringue Buttercream on my food blog, Relish.

Day 18 - A Corner of My Home

This isn't just a corner, this is the teeny-tiny dining area (for god's sake, don't call it a nook) where we eat our meals, decorate cupcakes, unload groceries, and about a million other random, domestic activities. For such a small space, it sees a huge amount of traffic.

It is also home to the "Wall(s) of Awesome", pictured below. We have art all over our home, but the stuff displayed on these two walls is some of our most-favourite (read: strangest) pieces in our collection. From original collage and pen & ink drawings, to framed vintage cookbook pages and matchbooks, to a very odd mounted twig animal head, it all adds to the colorful experience that is mealtime at our house.

Waters at the Walker

I have always wanted to visit the Walker Art Center and, as luck would have it, our first night in Minneapolis also turned out to be a “free Thursday”. It wasn’t until after we had decided to go, however, that I discovered that John Waters’ “Absentee Landlord” was showing at the Centre.

In a word: Squee!!



I am a huge fan of Waters' films, so getting a chance to see a show that he curated was a huge treat. I had big expectations, and the show exceeded every one. There was everything from pop-art to video art to full-room installations to Waters’ own motion-activated squirting-flower picture (Hardy-Har, 2006). It was fascinating, funny, irreverent and surprising. Just like John Waters himself.



We stayed at Walker for about 2 hours which was *just* enough time to see pretty much everything. If we had more time, though, I would’ve lingered longer at the amazing Baby Marx exhibit and wandered through the entire sculpture garden (home of the "Spoonbridge", above). As it was, I had to limit my time gazing at the Mark Rothko painting and was forced to make some very quick decisions in the gift shop (which explains how I ended up with a bag of "John Waters approved" plastic cockroaches). Oh, well…I suppose that gives us all the more reason to return.

Strength by Numbers

What’s this? Another fundraiser?

Yup. ‘tis the season, I suppose. Everywhere you turn there are rapidly shrinking snowbanks and charity events. It must be spring!

When I heard that one of my favourite galleries in town would be throwing themselves a fundraising bash, I immediately contacted them to see if I could contribute a piece of art to their silent auction. The timing was perfect, really; I had just completed three new collages and only two were earmarked for the MAWA auction. I offered up number three to Jordan and was thrilled when she accepted.

True to the name of the event “Strength by Numbers”, there is an impressive list of artists who have donated their artworks to help strengthen the coffers at the Cre8ery. I have seen just a few pieces from the show and I can honestly say that this will be a not-to-be-missed event.

Bidding for the silent auction items will start on April 12th and close on the 15th, during a big party at the gallery. Like any good bash, the Strength by Numbers party will include music, theatre, storytelling (storytelling?) and a 50/50 draw. And, I’ll be there, too! (As if you needed any more reason to go!) Silent auction bids start at $50, so this is a great opportunity to pick up some new wall-candy and support a great cause!

Visit the Cre8ery website or the event Facebook page for more info!

Cha-ching!

I am thrilled to report that the two pieces that I donated to MAWA raised $170 at the auction; "As the ocean..." went for $100 and "In Her Position" (oddly, the larger of the two) went for $70, both to the same lucky bider. I am so happy that they will be going to a good home!

My collage and ACEO were just two of over 150 artworks up for auction. Some of the works by better-known artists went for hundreds and hundreds of dollars and the bidding got to be quite frenzied on those. I got caught up in some of the excitement and bid on two paintings. I gave up on the first one when it hit $120, but won my second (and fave of the two) for only $60. It is an unmounted watercolour by local artist Jessica MacCormack and will add a charming, slightly-subversive touch to our living room.

In other news, if I never see another cupcake again...

;-)

Art or cupcakes? Yes, please!

This Sunday, for the third (third?!?!) year in a row, I will be participating in the MAWA “Over the Top” art auction and cupcake party, both as an artist and a baker. As in previous years, I have donated 2 collages for the sale; here’s a sneak peek:



The one on the left, “In Her New Position” is made up of several vintage elements and has a little piece of Winnipeg included. The basis of the collage is an old postcard depicting the now-defunct Portage Avenue Eaton’s department store as it appeared in the 40s/50s. I am hoping that that connection will make someone want to bid on the piece. I absolutely love it, but I just might be a little biased…

The second piece that I have donated is one of my altered playing cards, tarted up with a vintage map background and a shadowbox frame. The quote reads: “As the ocean is never full of water, so is the heart never full of love.” I know, right? The card is actually one of two that were made. #1 went to my dear friend and ex-coworker (and mermaid fan), Tina.

As for the cupcakes, those are yet to be made. This year there will be over 1000 cupcakes at the party, so I am going to have to do something to stand out….like mocha cupcakes, topped with mocha buttercream and mini donuts. Get it? Coffee and a donut!

For more info on the “Over the Top” event, including how to purchase tickets, please visit MAWA’s website. The party is always a ton of fun, and it’s a great way to hob-nob with the artsy crowd, buy some fabulous art and, of course, eat your weight in cupcakes! There is a preview of all of the auction pieces tomorrow from 10-4, and then the bidding starts on Sunday at 2!

Beat the Clock

I have yet to meet an artist who doesn’t work right up to the deadline, including myself. There must be something about the added element of working against the clock that helps us squeeze out every last little bit of creativity. And, it can’t be denied that finishing a project under the wire feels just that much more satisfying. It’s almost the same sensation as finishing a race; you can’t tell if you’re happier for your accomplishment, or just happy to not be running anymore.

Last night I had one of those experiences. For the third year in a row, I found myself working on my submission for the MAWA annual fundraising art auction on the night before the due-date. I’ve known about it since last year, but that didn’t stop me from once again procrastinating myself into a night-before frenzy of cutting and gluing.

Thankfully, this year’s pieces came together surprisingly fast, thanks to a few well-chosen* bits of vintage ephemera and a last-minute burst of inspiration. Some collages have been known to put up a fight, but these ones just kinda fell into place. I was feeling so cocky, that I even had time to throw together a third.

I will post pics of my two MAWA pieces, plus the “bonus” one, later this week. Until then, here’s a sneak peek at one of them, taken at midnight in the abysmal lighting of my living room. One day, I will have a sun-drenched loft studio, but until then I will work at the coffee table while watching the telly and you will have to put up with grainy, low-light shots taken on my Blackberry.


Detail of "In Her New Position", vintage images and text.



* Oh, who am I kidding? I ran downstairs to my scary craft room on a commercial break and grabbed the first 5 things that caught my eye. Thank goodness the first 5 things were a vintage touch-typing book, 2 vintage postcards, vintage Mother’s Day card and a vintage pattern envelope. Had I looked to the left instead of the right, things could have gone horribly wrong.

(The) Knitting (on) the Bridge

As I mentioned the other day, we had the opportunity to take part in "Knitting the Bridge"; a fun public-art project that was organized for Culture Days. After weeks and weeks of knitting and countless stitches, the knitting was finally installed on the bridge on Saturday night. The mascot and I took a trip out to check it out on Sunday and, wow, was it ever cool to see.



The knitting (and crocheting) stretched from one end of the Esplinade to the other, and was even doubled and tripled-up in some sections. We walked the whole length of the bridge and back to see every last piece. Of course, we spotted mine pretty easily thanks to its bizarre pickle-green colour! (It's the looovely piece that we are posing in front of in the picture below.)



As we were getting back into the car, the mascot said, "I hope we can do Knitting the Bridge again next year...and go back to Sal's for another milkshake!" LOL. I'm glad that Culture Days has had such an impact on him. (Although, I suppose Sal's is a pretty big part of Winnipeg culture in its own right.)

A Perfect Marriage

The art in our home is becoming quite an eclectic combination of store-bought prints and posters, original pieces, and found objects. Scattered among the original pieces are a few works of my own, including a somewhat “Mad Men”-esque collage (pictured below) which hangs in our living room. (See, I do occasionally keep the stuff that I make!) It's a perfect marriage of two of my favourite things - vintage self-help books and lovely ladies.



As far as collages go, it’s a pretty simple one, but I absolutely love how it turned out. I’ve used only two elements – a figure cut from a vintage pattern envelope and a dust jacket from “How to Help Your Husband Get Ahead”, a very helpful book written in 1953 by Mrs Dale Carnegie, wife of the much-quoted American author and lecturer, Dale Carnegie. (Incidentally, one of the chapters in the book is titled “Getting Along with his Secretary”. Isn’t that fabulous??)

Spotted at the Cre8ery...ME!

Yup. That's me in the black dress and kicky, ankle-strap shoes...and striking nametag/arm band. I was volunteering for the "99 Pieces of Art on the Wall" opening. Jordan had me selling raffle tickets, which turned out to be a fantastic way to mingle and meet lots of people.