The Starving Artist Fair Sunday presented the usual challenge: navigating among the 100+ artists, and then trying to choose just one piece from each of those whose craftsmanship caught your fancy. As in past years, it was difficult, if not impossible.
So we tried to turn the tables a bit, stopping at booths that caught our fancy and asking the artists to tell us what their favorite piece was. Here are some of their selections. (It wasn't easy for them, either!)
Sisters Suzanne Seymour and Wendy Scully of Wauwatosaquickly chose their toothy terra cotta dragon, $125.
Jim Ziccarelli of Adams Friendship, and his copper garden sprinkler,$145. 'My father made me one and I immediately saw the potential.'
A machinist for 21 years, he's been making these for 11 years.
Mary Spencer of Oak Creek, career services director at MSOE,picked African Pride, her fused glass mosaic, $250.
Thomas Zovar of Greenfield, a designer (and songwriter), airbrushes on granite-- and uses a 'top secret' computer method to print words on stone. $75
Ron Strickland of Florida displayed this $600 stained glass guitar(and said he didn't know of Starving Artist's $250 price limit until too late.)
Staci Schemm of Milwaukee chose this piece 'because it's differentfrom what I've been doing.' It's decoupage on canvas and cost $48.
Suzanne Lebermann with one of her glass bead designs, $125
Deborah Lofgren of Madison chose her ocean jasper necklace, $85 with earrings
Larry Jameson of Union Grove with a turned bowl of Russian olive burl, $170. A Case retiree, he's on his 'second career.'
David Gaura of Franksville picked his spoon sisters, $49
Jason Krukowski of Milwaukee is an illustrator, 'an artistday and night, night and day.' His acrylic on wood portrait was $200.
Vivian Baumgartner of Campbellsport trained as a painter but showedphotographs from Italy, including this of Positano from the Sea, $125.
Paul Dettmann of Waterford chose his 'curves and ball'garden sculpture, made from 14 gauge steel, $250.
Looks like you have to be rich to buy something at this event. Geeeez.
ReplyDeleteNice looking stuff though.
There are definately pieces that are more affordable, but in this article the artists were choosing their favorites. Of course favorites are usually more pricey. I've bought hand-painted cards, mosiac magnets, and earrings in the past, all reasonably priced and some for non-profit groups.
ReplyDeleteI would have liked to see at least one artist from Racine city...are they out there?
Jason Krukowski was raised, from a baby on, in Racine, went to Fine Arts Middle School and a graduate of Walden III High School.
ReplyDeleteSome of these pieces are severely marked down from other shows because of the $250 maximum. A $250 piece here could easily go for $500 at other shows, so you can find some good deals at the higher price points.
ReplyDelete