Posts Tagged ‘Athens Art Scene’

shotgun beauty

homes and habitats

July 14th, 2010

i visited my friend maureen the other day and took some pics of her little shotgun, which sits between two other shotgun-style houses in normaltown.  the house, built in the 1920s, is part of only two native shotgun clusters in athens, and has gone through several different incarnations over the decades.  maureen rented it for a couple of years before taking ownership in 2005, when she added on a big bedroom/sitting room and a cozy screened back porch.  in 2007 she painted the house to match the beautyberries, and i can’t imagine it any other color.
maureen’s home has a little bit of everything tucked away in its own special place.  everywhere you turn there’s a new vignette, featuring a different local artist and another treasure.  every square inch of her home is filled with beautiful objects and patterns, all reflected in the many vintage mirrors placed around the house to catch the light.

there are some homes that i visit that are so expressive of Athens and the south.  this one in particular does just that: it feels like it belongs here.  in creating this place, in provided delight for all who pass and all who enter, maureen has joined the ranks of the local artists whose work she so values.  the little shotgun that houses all those creations is itself a work of art, an athens treasure. enjoy!

this is a painting of maureen’s front porch by mary porter.  she has done 2 paintings of maureen’s back porch and 3 of her front.


a vintage r.wood piece is home to some lily pads

the beautyberry shotgun is reflected in the mirrors that hang from the trees.

downtown fun

instant inspiration

April 30th, 2010

if you are out and about this weekend, stop downtown for the fun activities.  every spring downtown athens hosts several festivals.  this weekend is not to be missed.  the athens indie craftsravaganzaa will be held on saturday from noon to 7pm.  local and regional artists will be there selling their homemade goods, yummy food, and playing some tunes.

in the heart of downtown is the human rights festival. click here to see the extensive list of musician and speakers.  the festivities will be going on all day into late in evening.

weekend fun!

instant inspiration

April 23rd, 2010

spring is my favorite season.  the weather is great, there is new growth all around, and there is a refreshing energy buzzing through the air.  in the south there is always so many activities happening on the weekends.  we have to pack it all in before the heat hits and life moves a little slower.  here are just a couple of events happening around athens this weekend.

every year, right around earthday we have a spring sale at the studio.  all of the R.WOOD artists get busy making tons of one of a kind pieces specially for the event.  i stopped by yesterday to sneak peek at all of the new creations and i’ll just say…. this sale is not to be missed.  there are some great patterns, designs, and lots of new shapes;  all in the rich colors that r.wood studio is known for.

when: saturday, april 24, from 9am to 4pm

where:  at the studio! 450 georgia drive, just past downtown

also happening on saturday is the old timey seed swap

the grovecreek farms in crawford, georgia hosts this annual seed swap.  the sponsor is the southern seed legacy and they believe in preserving southern heirloom plants.  if you don’t have seeds to share, you can still come.  you can take some seeds, plant them, and share the next year.

there is a BBQ and potluck dinner as well as bluegrass music and dancing to make this event compete.

when:  saturday, april 24, 3pm to 8pm

where:  grovecreek farms, find directions here

a neighborhood nest

homes and habitats

April 21st, 2010

over the past couple of months i have watched a mother wren build a nest in a watering can that hangs on our front porch.

each day i observe the progress

piece by piece….egg by egg….hatch by hatch……worm by worm……now waiting for the chirps… it is such a sweet process.

local artists;  michael oliveri and laura hoffman, along with their daughter bianca have also admired the process and designed a box for the birds.

it started as a family DIY project of making a bird house.  soon it developed into a company of simple assemblage, no glue, no nail- click together bird houses.

next spring, i will have a “box for the birds” to build a nest in.

*see the nest popping out!

click here to read another nesting story

a winterville weekend

instant inspiration

March 19th, 2010

when spring starts to show it’s face there seems to be a lot more that happens.  there is a reason for the sayings “people come out of the woodwork” and “spring cleaning”.

this weekend winterville is introducing spring with a big bang.

nancy lendved is having one of her well-known estate sales.  if you have not been to one, it is worth the trip.  as she says on her flyer she has “many, many things of beauty and integrity”.

when:  saturday, march 20 from 9am- 2pm and sunday, march 21 from 12pm- 5pm.

where:  her big old house, 855 parkview drive in winterville

also happening on sunday is a little art and music festival to celebrate the 10 year birthday of “cap man’s” bottle-cap truck.

when:  sunday, march 21 from 12pm -7pm

where:  146 harris lane in winterville

winter dyeing day

homes and habitats

March 3rd, 2010

i think we all end up spending a little more time at home during the winter months.  every year i end up picking up a new indoor craft to get me through the cold days.  a few weeks ago, a few friends gathered and spent the day dyeing.  we shared fabrics, dyes, books, and ideas and enjoyed a winter day indoors.  our friend rene, a local textile artist helped guide us as we tested various methods of dyeing.

with spring on our mind we chose the colors peacock blue and wisteria.

here are some photos from our inspiring day…..

paper-cut-project

instant inspiration

January 22nd, 2010

nature in paper.

created by style editor/writer (and fellow athenian & long-time r.wood supporter) amy flurry & atlanta-based artist nikki salk, these cut paper headdresses are the current adornment here and here.

we also love the masks…
mardi gras is around the corner, after all…

www.paper-cut-project.com

another favorite place

homes and habitats

January 20th, 2010

our friend margie spalding’s painting studio:

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the bryant home

homes and habitats

December 30th, 2009

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David lived around the corner in the late 80s, when the house was still occupied by members of the family that built it in 1903. When David set out to buy a place of his own years later, he remembered the little cottage on Pulaski Heights that he had always thought ideal. It had since become a rental so he found the owner and after a surprisingly brisk and successful negotiation signed a sales contract without even having been inside. Naively, he took three weeks off work to “fix the place up,” but it wasn’t until many years later, under Cassie’s influence, that the table saw finally disappeared from the of the living room and hammers and drills from the kitchen counter.

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The house sits very near the street, so we installed the shutters you see in these photos to maximize privacy while preserving ventilation.   French doors lead from the front porch into the library and we are able keep the house open to the outside for three seasons of the year.

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Most of the art in the house is by local artists and friends. The blue bird was painted by Andy Cherwick.

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