Artist Demonstrations & Coffee Mug Sale

This Saturday there will be two artists doing demonstrations at Fragrant Mushroom Gallery (see bios below), and also a sale on coffee mugs from both our production potters, Thor McNeil and Patrick Andrew Green - buy one coffee mug and get one half off.

Thom Eckert has been painting for over forty years - since the day his five-year-old daughter asked him to play with her new set of watercolors with her. He is now an award-winning watercolorist and member of Tennessee Watercolor Society, and has branched into other media, including pencil, acrylic and mixed media. A look at a gallery full of Thom's paintings makes it clear that he is constantly discovering himself in his art. This weekend he will be demonstrating his craft at the Gallery.

Deanna Lack has been creating things from wire for two and a half years, since taking a metalsmithing class at Appalachian Center for Craft. Also deeply interested in history, particularly medieval and Renaissance, she seeks to bring historical designs into a modern context, creating chainmaille jewelry in the same patterns that protected knights hundreds of years ago, but now in colorful aluminum, sterling silver and other metals, as well as wire jewelry designs, some reminiscent of bygone eras and some thoroughly modern. This weekend she will have examples of chainmaille as armor and purely decorative pieces in modern weaves, as well as wirework.

Come for the mugs, stay for the artisans!

We are hoping to have artists demonstrating their craft regularly on the third Saturday of every month.

2010 Classes at the Gallery

Whether you've always wanted to get your hands in the mud and throw some pottery, or you've always dreamed of oil painting, there's nothing quite as satisfying as giving in to the creative urge. Come learn with us at the gallery. There will be classes from age preschool to adult, so keep an eye on the "Art Attack" link that can be found at the Fragrant Mushroom website (it's not there yet, but fear not, I am telling you the currently available classes here!) To sign up for a class give Cherri a call at the Gallery: 866-836-8190. Space is limited so get in soon!

Also, if there's something you've been dying to learn, chances are we might have someone who can teach it, so if you'd like to see a class added to the roster, let Cherri know.

Beginner's Oil Painting Workshop
Instructor: Karen Walton
Cost: $30
Level: Beginner, ages teen to adult
Time: Saturday January 17, 9:00 - 12:00
While learning to use brushes and paint, we will: 1. Make a color wheel by mixing the three primary colors. 2. Make a tonal chart (lights and darks) using one color, white, black or panes of grey. 3. Study composition and texture while beginning a small painting of an apple.

Wood Block Printing
Instructor: Patrick Green
Cost: $100 (plus $20 materials fee)
Level: Beginner, ages teen to adult
Date/time: Mondays 6:30 - 9:00 for six weeks beginning January 25, 2009
This course is designed for beginning students who wish to learn about the process and creation of wood block prints. We will spend 6 weeks working on individual blocks and producing prints.

Oil Painting
Instructor: Karen Walton
Cost: $120
Level/ages: All levels, ages teen to adult
Date/Time: 2 available: Tuesday 9:00 - 11:00 am, or Thursday 6:00 - 8:00 pm
We will learn by painting. I will work with each person individually at his/her level of expertise. You will paint whatever subject matter you desire (but please not portraits unless you are advanced).

Hand Building Pottery
Instructor: Thor McNeil
Cost: $80
Level/ages: Beginner/intermediate
Date/time: Tuesdays 6:00 - 8:00 pm beginning January 19
It is important that you learn the characteristics of clay, as well as to get a handle on techniques required to successfully create clay objects. Slumping, humping, coiling and extruding will be used. It is as fun as it sounds. (Be advised that cats are in the studio, so if you are allergic you may want to inquire further.)

Off Loom Weaving
Instructor: Thor McNeil
Cost: $40
Level/ages: Beginner
Time: Thursdays 6:00 - 8:00 pm two weeks starting January 21
In this class we will make a suitable loom out of cardboard, wrap it up and begin weaving the first week. We will finish up the weaving and look at several different options for hanging and displaying your work. (Be advised that cats are in the studio, so if you are allergic you may want to inquire further.)

Basic Chainmaille
Instructor: Deanna Lack
Cost: $25 for a single class or $120 for a the six-week package
Level/ages: Beginner, ages around 12 and up
Time/Date: Saturday 10:30 am - 12:00 six weeks starting January 23
Classes focus on individual projects to create chainmaille jewelry including bracelets, earrings and a necklace. Several different weaves will be learned in the course of the six weeks, so you can take a single class, several, or all six. However, it is recommended that anyone who really wants to learn some chainmaille take weeks 1 and 3, where a lot of basics will be covered.

Beginning Wheel Thrown Pottery
Instructor: Thor McNeil
Cost: $80
Level/ages: Beginning
Time/Date: Saturday 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. for 4 weeks starting January 23
Learn the basic six steps to throwing. You are guaranteed to get dirty and have fun, with the hope that you may also throw something worth keeping.

Internet Marketing for Crafters
Instructor: Deanna Lack
Cost: $100
Level/ages: anyone who markets their craft on the Internet. You should be at least aware of how to use the computer and a web browser. Firefox recommended.
Time/Date: Saturdays 1:00 - 2:30 pm starting January 23
This class does not cover how to build a website, but rather how to promote and sell your craft online through online selling agents such as eBay and Etsy, and techniques for getting your personal web site or shop noticed and profitable. We'll also cover basic photography on a budget, social networking as advertising, and using tracking such as Google Analytics to fine tune your marketing. If you don't sell online, you can use some of this info to drive shoppers to your actual store or studio.

Christmas in Our Town

Christmas in Our Town is a Sparta event where you visit Sparta businesses to get a paper stamped, and then turn it in for a drawing. There's also nifty stuff going on around town, like a home tour, and music on the square.

Fragrant Mushroom Gallery saw a LOT of traffic coming through Saturday for this event, and we had artists demonstrating their work upstairs. Patrick did wood cutting, Karen painting and Deanna and her son chainmaille. It was great to talk to people from this area who enjoy art!

Art and craft classes will be starting in January; so far there are painting, wood block printing, chainmaille weaves and art history projects for kids. Stop by and see Cheri to find out what's going on, let her know what you're interested in learning, and sign up! Get some Christmas shopping done in the process, there are some amazing things in the store and a lot of them are new!

Beading Celebrity!

Connie Steele on Tennessee Crossroads

On Wednesday, December 2, 2009, our local celebrity Connie Steele was on PBS's Tennessee Crossroads show doing her Native American (and other) beadwork. Click that link to check out her segment of the show!

Growing Art in SpARTa

We want to congratulate Patrick on his new studio and store on the mountain, Misty Mountain Pottery. He's got pots! And classes. He's at 284 Corolla Road, same road as Cope's Slaughterhouse. You might've seen his work here in our Gallery, or at Coffee Corner. Go visit!

Walking in a Window Wonderland

Last Saturday two teams made up of Gallery artisans gathered to create these magical windows, two completely different wonderlands created by a meeting of minds. The left window is a Christmas Toyland with a fireplace, a rotating Christmas tree, and a toy horse leaping from a gift box. Beneath the tree you'll find an assortment of Fragrant Mushroom artisan gifts. The other window is a magical recreation of Sparta in wintertime, with Oldham Theater, the courthouse, and of course the building that now houses Fragrant Mushroom, along with art dolls, lampposts and lights.

Definitely stop by and see the windows, and vote for your favorite!

New Blog

Watch this space! I'd like to make this a place to announce upcoming events at Fragrant Mushroom Gallery, as well as to showcase the work of artists and maybe do an artist interview and profile or two, and the occasional spotlight on things - particularly artistic things- going on in our community. If you'd like to write or suggest something for this blog, email me (your humble blogmaster, Deanna) at Dmedtrans@blomand.net.