Where To Find Makers-On-Hudson This Weekend

Summer Splendor On the Lake and River

Wet Felted Painting of a River Marsh by HuzzahHandmade

This weekend, three of our members will be enjoying the summer breezes near the water. Hester, of Hester's Studio, will be venturing up to the lovely city of Hudson to take part in their first Annual Hudson Summerfest, in Henry Hudson Riverfront Park on Saturday. Not only will there be a crafts tent, but music, food, local authors and much more.

Ceramic Serving Tray with Leather Handles by Hester's Studio

Down-river a bit, you'll find Sue, of Digilio Designs, in a equally idyllic location at Garrison Landing on the Hudson for the Garrison Riverside Art and Craft Fair. This show is in its 48th year and runs both Saturday and Sunday. 

Owl Soft Sculpture by Digilio Designs

Finally, if lakes are more to your liking, then Cooperstown might be your ideal destination. Kathryn, of HuzzahHandmade, will be participating in Art by the Lake, sponsored by the Fennimore Museum, on their expansive front lawn on Ostego Lake in historic Cooperstown NY. This show will be on Saturday, and features many fine artists, great food, music and local craft brews. 

Please join our members for a delightful weekend celebration of summer in all it's splendor.

 

Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend

We're rocking Garrison this weekend!

Please come join 4 members of the Hudson Valley Etsy Team along with about 80 other talented craftsmen and craftswomen right on the scenic Hudson River. The Garrison Fine Crafts Fair is located at Garrison Landing right below the Garrison train station and will be open Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18, from 10AM - 5PM.

The Hudson Valley Etsy Team members selling their creation in Garrison are:

Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria - women's clothing and accessories

Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria

Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria

Cerulean Blue - functional pottery such as cups, bowls, teapots

Cerulean Blue

Cerulean Blue

Beyond The Picket Fence - soaps, laundry detergent, lotions and body oils

Beyond The Picket Fence

Beyond The Picket Fence

L and M Studio - porcelain tumblers, vases, planters and birdhouses

L and M Studio

L and M Studio

Hope to see you there and happy shopping!

Craft Fair Displays Part Two

More Displays from the Garrison Craft Fair

  
This stunning display belongs to GaryYatteau, who constructs sailboat models of wood, copper, and antique brass.  I so admire the skill of this clever and talented artist, who not only makes one of a kind yacht sculptures, but also built these neat pilings, shelves and a nautical box to show them off.  His customers must feel like they’ve entered a seaside village in Newport or Nantucket.

 Artist April DeMarco avoids the stuffy formality of woolly Propanels and had the excellent idea of showing her original artwork attached to wooden planks that she then ties to her tent.  It matches the outdoorsy, rustic feel of her equine paintings and looks great!

 Virginia Piazza Hand Thrown Porcelain has such a pure, sophisticated simplicity to her work and her display.  Two tables with complementary tablecloth colors, a simple wooden hutch, a few clear plexiglass stands, and a vase of flowers makes up her river’s edge display.  See how the aqua sets off her white and yellow glazes. 

Beautiful and irresistible!

Be sure to keep checking the HVNY Blog for our latest posts.  Later this month is I will attend the Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY.  This is a major high end fair and I will be sure to share with you what these craftspeople do to make their work stand out for the crowds.

Jody Lee from astudiobythesea.etsy.com

Back To School!

Today we have a guest blogger - Virginia from Ceruleanblue is here to remind us that it's never too late to learn something new.

from Fabrication Beacon - Gwenno James

There are many opportunities for those who want to hone their skills, or even learn a new craft. They range from ongoing classes at local studios to online workshops and travel-study tours.  Here in Beacon, we have Hudson Beach Glass, which offers a wide range of glass-related classes, including glass blowing and lampworking.

Recently, a private studio near my home, owned by textile designer Gwenno James, has begun offering a range of classes and workshops in silkscreen and digital fabric design - Fabrication Beacon.

The Garrison Art Center, where I currently teach, offers a wide array of classes and workshops in a range of areas, including painting, sculpture, bookbinding, printmaking, and glass, as well as ceramics.
For total immersion-why not try a study/travel tour? Next spring, the 92nd ST. Y will be offering a jewelry tour of Japan!

Increasingly, more and more learning opportunities are offered online. This past spring, I enrolled in a class aimed at practicing potters and advanced students, which focused on surface design. The class was led by a potter in San Francisco, and 129 of us from around the world viewed an online tutorial each week, then posted images each week of our completed assignments on Flickr. We continue to share news and information through a Facebook group.

I recently became aware of creativebug.com, an online site which offers a wide array of classes. For a flat monthly fee, subscribers can access unlimited lessons! Of course, there are many more classes around including from suppliers-i.e. yarn and bead shops -offer instruction and/or workshops.

Virginia from Ceruleanblue

Craft Fair Displays Part One

How you display your wares is an important part of your craft business.  Whether you have only a table or a whole tent to showcase your craft, you can do so much to show your style and create an inviting ambiance that says, “Come in and look!”

Here are a few displays from the Hudson Valley Etsy Team and others who were in the Garrison Craft Fair in August.  You couldn’t find a lovelier spot for a fair, on the Hudson opposite the stony edifices of West Point, with the river only a few feet away from the tents.

Come in and buy me!

Here is a very effective display by Jess of Knot by Gran’ma.  Her two tables are covered in black, and her boxes and baskets are painted black.  This gives great cohesion and brings out the bright colors of her unique hand-crocheted monsters and soft sculptures.  

Take me home, please.

A black basket and child’s chair adds to the charm!

Many of us are constrained to keep our displays as light and simple as possible.   Sarah-Maria of Meerwiibli has two racks for her dresses, two tables for her accessories, a mannequin and even a dressing room for her customers of light and easily assembled materials.  Her tablecloths, banners, and even her hangers match the colors of her clothing designs, making a fun and enticing display.

I loved the clean modern style of L&M Studio!  It was like stepping into a chic shop in NYC.  Her shelves are made from Ikea furniture and wire cables attached to her tent frame hold up her wonderful birdhouses, lamps, and planters.  Gorgeous work in a great setting!

More displays from the Garrison Craft Fair coming soon!

Jody Lee
a Studio by the Sea

Where To Find the Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend!

Okay, I know it's Thanksgiving weekend. Now's the perfect time to ask yourself whether you want to face seething crowds in big-box stores at some ungodly hour to buy mass-produced consumer units shipped in from overseas, or to support your local small businesses, independent crafters and artisans, and boost your local economy in the process. If you're reading this, I think I know what you might choose, you smart, socially-, environmentally-, and aesthetically-conscious person! You're so right. And here's what the Hudson Valley Etsy Team is doing to help you along:

Virginia of Ceruleanblue will be showcasing her ceramics at the Garrison Art Center in Garrison, NY from November 19 through 27 (A whole week? How lucky are you?) from 10 am until 5 pm daily.

Ceruleanblue

Kathy of Gnorasaurus heads up to the City Center in Saratoga Springs, NY for the Saratoga Center for the Family's 36th Annual Holiday Craft Festival on Saturday, November 26 from 10 am until 4:30 pm.

Also on Saturday, Michele of The Knit Chix will be selling her wonderful handspun yarn and knit creations at the Dekalb Market in Brooklyn, NY from 10 am until 7 pm.

The Knit Chix

On Sunday, check out the Woodstock Arts Fair at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation from 10 am until 4 pm. Becky of Gemini River Rocks and Karen of Karmabee will both be there with their beautiful, whimsical and completely original artwork. I hear a rumor that they will be in the back room, with a fantastic local chocolatier. Now that's one-stop shopping!

Karmabee

Gemini River Rocks

And of course the Hudson Valley Handmade! Pop-Up Shop in Pine Bush, NY will be open for your holiday shopping as well! Go visit and feel good about gift-giving this year!

Hudson Valley Handmade!

Where To Find the Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend!

There's a great weekend in store for the Hudson Valley! Today, Lynn of 1846 House Soaps will be at the Goshen Farmers Market in Goshen, as she is on the first & third Friday of each month.

Regular readers of the blog may have heard a thing or two about this weekend's Garrison Craft Fair, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday. Look for these Hudson Valley Etsy Team members: Becky of Gemini River Rocks, Kathy of Gnorasaurus, Gwen of Beyond The Picket Fence, Audrey of Molly's Purl and Jess of Knot By Gran'ma . The event takes place rain or shine from 10 am - 5 pm each day. The event features over 90 select artisans and free river rides on the 47-foot sailing sloop, The Woody Guthrie. The food court offers an array of gourmet foods, homemade goodies, and burgers & dogs PLUS Keegan Ales will be pouring its notorious brews. Two exciting exhibitions are featured in the Art Center galleries, Artists' Books by Susan Newmark and Works on Canvas by Moses Hoskins. Live music performances will take place throughout the day. Parking is free with convenient shuttle service, and if you come by train, you get half off your admission! For more info and schedule of events, visit the Garrison Art Center website.

New Pottery Class at Garrison Art Center

Our very own Virginia Piazza from Ceruleanblue will be teaching a pottery class at the Garrison Art Center starting Wednesday, September 21st 6:30-9:30. This is a 8-week session which includes 4 hours practice time - for $260.

Virginia has been teaching at GAC for the past 4 years and previously taught at the YWCA in Manhattan.

Garrison Art Center (off route 9D)
23 Garrison's Landing
PO Box 4
Garrison, NY 10524


Please call 845.424.3960 to register

42nd FINE CRAFTS FAIR IN GARRISON

Last Spring Garrison, New York, was named by Hudson Valley Magazine “One of the ten best places to live.” Decades before that, the court of public opinion named it one of the best river towns to visit in the Hudson Valley.  And more that a century before that, its majesty was made clear by the Hudson River painters -- without even using words.  

Garrison Art Center has been a part of this unique history and has been bringing art to the area for nearly 50 years.  It is locally dubbed the “busiest little Art Center in New York”.  According to Hudson Valley Magazine   “… Garrison Art Center, housed in a charming old building on the river, is one of the Valley’s most active arts meccas.”  The New York Times says it is “a lovely waterfront location known for its popular art classes.”   

Each summer brings Garrison Art Center’s much-anticipated Fine Crafts Fair, an intimate affair down by the riverside where 90 select vendors offer unique high quality crafts/fine arts for the body and home. For 41 years visitors have enjoyed the wares of regional artisans, and in recent years -- with the come back of “hand mades” -- collectors, homeowners and those who just have a bent for something unique make their way to this Fair.  Visitors also enjoy a gourmet food court (or burgers and dogs), free river rides on the historic 47-foot Sloop Woody Guthrie plus non-stop foot-tapping live music generously supported by The Garrison, Hudson Valley Magazine, M&T Bank and WHUD.  This year’s acoustic music series includes live performances by Tiki Daddy, Baby soda Jazz Band, Evanescent, and Muhamadou Salieu Suso.

Sitting just a stone’s throw from Metro North and right at the edge of the Hudson, Garrison Art Center boasts one of the most famous river views anywhere. Although the magnificent castle across the water known as West Point Academy seems formidable, it somehow manages to look at home nestled within an even more awesome landscape. Sited literally on the edge of the water in Garrison Art Center’s back yard, the Fair has long been hailed for its small size and big beauty.  Equally important for many is the hassle-free convenience, just steps from the Metro North Hudson Line Garrison Station Stop, parking with shuttle service and even parking for those traveling by yacht –reservations required.


And after leisurely shopping, Fair visitors often enjoy the many local attractions. Train riders can hop back on the train, and one stop up river jump off in Cold Spring at the bottom of Main Street to browse the numerous atntique shops and have dinner at one of several highly acclaimed restaurants.  For those interested in making it a weekend adventure, there are several charming and historic bed and breakfast options.

The 42nd Fine Crafts Fair is August 20 and 21, 2011, from 10am to 5pm, rain or shine.  Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for train riders, seniors citizens and college students.  Kids 18 and younger are free with a parent.  For more information about Garrison Art Center’s 42^nd Fine Crafts Fair, visit www.garrisonartcenter.org.

Pottery Class

In honor of March being National Craft Month, why not learn a new skill?

Virginia from Ceruleanblue will be teaching a pottery class which starts Wednesday, April 13th at the Garrison Art Center. The session runs for 8 weeks, and the fee is $260/ plus clay and firing. Each session runs from 6:30-9:30. Tuition includes one extra practice session. If you or anyone you know is interested, please convo. me directly with any questions. My class is open to all levels.

Virginia has taught in Garrison for the last 4 years, and previously taught at the YWCA and other places in Manahattan.

Pottery On The Wheel - Class

Our very own Virginia Piazza from Ceruleanblue will be teaching a pottery class at the Garrison Art Center. Pottery On the Wheel Spring classes begin Tuesday, April 20th 6:30-9:30. This is a 8-week session for $260.

Learn skills to create vessel with instruction in throwing, and moving on to techniques in surface decoration and glazing. Limited to 8 students. Open to adults and older teens. Individual attention. Beginners welcome! Virginia has been teaching at GAC for the past 4 years and previously taught at the YWCA in Manhattan.

Garrison Art Center (off route 9D)
23 Garrison's Landing
PO Box 4
Garrison, NY 10524

Please call 845.424.3960 to register