THE REAL DEAL.

You may have seen the Facebook post regarding a new class we’re launching with my friend Kristen Abbott.

I’d like to tell you a little about Kristen.   I met her for the first time in Plume…when a mutual friend, Emily,  brought her by shortly after she moved to town.   I immediately liked her.  She’s this young sweet new mom and she seemed to have a true appreciation for Plume and all its combination of vintage flair and modern handmade items.  She mentioned she had some art & paintings and she thought they would fit in well at Plume.   I had some blank walls and so I said…”bring ’em on out.”

I had no idea what Kristen was going to be bringing to the shop.

Maybe I should back up a bit.  And when I say what I’m about to say I do not in any way mean this to be derogatory.   There’s Art (capital A) …and then there’s DIY.   I’m a DIY girl.   I love DIY.  My house is full of it.   Plume is full of it.   Yes, its art and it’s beautiful and it makes me happy.  But it’s not Gallery & Exhibition Quality Art.

What Kristen brought in was original Gallery & Exhibition Quality Art…priced at what is was worth…based on her hours and hours of heart and soul and vision and work poured into it.  I felt really out of my league.  She introduced me to encaustic wax and image transfer and mixed media and all the other terms I really don’t know anything about because I’m not the real deal.

 

I had the pleasure of having her paintings hang in Plume for several months around the holidays…including the one above called “Keep Circling”   I really, really wanted to be able to call her and say “I sold one of your paintings today!”  but alas…my little shop just could not do them justice.  It wasn’t the right stage for them to shine and be valued for what they are worth.   I had to let her go.    I’m so thrilled for her that this weekend at Poppy she is their featured artist for Artrageous.  From 6-9pm Friday (April 10th) you can find her painting away in the windows of Poppy as well as many of her original works on display and for SALE.

So if you missed your chance at Plume…please, please go check out her work.  You’ll be supporting a very special lady…creator…mom.  {Photo by Crystal Reddick}

This is the finished version of the piece she’s working on above called “Railroads and Airways” and its one of my favorites.

I’m happy that I do still have some of her small works featuring image transfer.  They’re hanging in the Gathering Room.  One of them I bought from her because I love it so much.  It’s a vintage payphone image transfer piece and I happen to have the exact vintage payphone in Plume as well.  .Kristen did the payphone piece long before she ever stepped foot into Plume and it was just so odd to me that it was MY payphone which she had never seen before.

 I also have a series of four pieces featuring graphics from vintage bathing suit patterns that would be perfect in a bathroom or dressing area.

 

All that leads us full circle back to her upcoming class.

Sign up for her class and you will learn how to take your personal photos from instagram (or from your camera as long as they are cropped square).  You’ll email the image to Kristen ahead of time and she will print and enlarge it.  She’ll then teach you how to transfer the image to an 8×8 wooden panel…and then you’ll  finish the piece with a glossy varnish.   These are personalized finished works of art that can be hung on the wall or will stand freely on a shelf or tabletop… similar to this piece except finished with varnish, not the encaustic wax.

 

Kristen is one of over 100 individual artists that make up Plume.  I’m excited to tell you more of their stories soon.   To read more about Kristen, visit her website.

Thank you Kristen for sharing your talent with us.  Class size limited to 10.   Please call to reserve your spot and pre-pay.  573-823-9654    $39 per person.