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Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:38PM 
Completed work © February 10, 2012 by Donna L. Faber ... original is approximately 33" x 25", using Prismacolor Premiere markers and layers of Bristol Strathmore. Each component, including all pieces of the earing, are separate pieces. Blogpost coming soon. I'm very happy with how this queen, the third in my tarot queen series, turned out!
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 1:15PM 
Postcard by Michael Risenhoover of the Art GuildThere is a wonderful thing happening in Pacifica, California. It’s something people on the outside may not know about, I certainly had no idea it existed; but which continues to grow and flourish in the lovely coastal town lying quietly between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay. When we moved here two and half years ago, I had no idea it was so wonderful. Rather, I was focused on the small town house we’d bought and the difficulty I anticipated commuting to the city. The sense of township here –the Community Center, the Resource Center, and all the events – is strong and welcoming. Our daughter just loves her high school, which is bonus! I had no idea this place would begin to feel like home.
Here in the heart of Pacifica lies an arts community that is strong, talented, and warm, and I feel as though I fit right in.
Opening ReceptionI participated in the Art Guild of Pacifica’s Open house this weekend at the Sanchez Art Center. In the Open House, artists who rent studios at the Art Center open their doors to share their works, and for a nominal fee other Guild Members can display on a stretch of the gallery walls. I had a 7 foot span in the West Wing where I exhibited a combination of past and recent works along with my cards, pendants and prints.
Leslie and I put up my exhibition together earlier, and it was the first time I’d ever done one this way. We had a really cool time collaborating on what should go where, and as usual our strong personalities met in the middle to create something mutually satisfying. I was fascinated by the art that was up around us. I had no idea so much talent was hiding in Pacifica. But we felt that my work stood on its own merit.
My ExhibitionThe Opening Reception Friday was loads of fun. People were excited, animated and very welcoming, just as the artists around us were happy to be there and friendly. The Guild people made me feel at home. Linda Russell is always very nice, eager to answer questions, and welcomes any help we might offer. Saturday and Sunday I found myself keeping the snack table in order, and as it took me back to my event planning days in Corporate, I had a lot of fun with it.
By the end of the day on Sunday, all of the artists in our wing were friends, exchanging stories around our lives and our art. It was unexpected and cool, and I was impressed with the sense of mutual respect I felt. There was a chorus recital happening in the Mildred Owen Concert Hall adjacent to the Sanchez Art Center and part of the same complex, so people attending dropped in on our exhibition. I was happy to see Glynis and Susan Takalo drop by that afternoon, as well. It was a lovely surprise, although I wish they could have stayed longer. I wanted to talk more art with Glynis, as she had that glimmer in her eye, the same one I had eight months ago. In fact, I hope to see Glynis as a Guild member soon. It only costs $25 to join for a year, the exhibition fees are minimal at best, and the time commitment isn’t too demanding. She would have a great time nurturing her art and her artists’ spirit.
In spite of all this fun, Sunday evening rolled in and it was time to dismantle our exhibition. How is it that I can feel a combination of happiness and sadness at the same time? When I look back to March at the start of this artistic pilgrimage, I am satisfied with what I’ve learned and what I’ve done. But this was my last art event of the 2011 season, and it will always be special to me.
Links:
The Sanchez Art Center
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 8:46AM
Enormous venue!This is how I went into last weekend; floating on a strange combination of anticipation, hope, and exhilaration, and expecting success with no reservation. I was so thrilled to be an emerging artist. Twenty of us were picked from over 600 applications, and it was incredibly validating.
Still, I don’t know quite where to begin this article. I feel like I’ve climbed a mountain to get to this point.
My family and I spent much of the summer attending festivals and fairs with my art, learning a lot but experiencing modest or nonexistent sales, and watching foot traffic dwindle from barely there to a trickle. The overwhelming consensus in our house is that most of the time people don’t bother or can’t attend certain events, and when they do, they hold on to their money like it’s the end of the world. I’ve written about it many times.
I was certain this event would be different.
The Celebration of Craftswomen is a highly publicized San Francisco craft fair to benefit the Women’s Building. Typically, it’s held over two weekends around the Thanksgiving holiday, making its proximity to Christmas perfect for holiday shopping. It’s the biggest craft fair exclusively for women in America, and artisans come from all around the country to sell their work. Vendor booths cost between $600 and $950, higher than most fairs in the area, which is a reflection of its past success, and most vendors incur expenses around hotels, transportation and food, as well. Shoppers pay $10 just to get in the door. This year an unforeseen and uncontrollable issue with the venue forced the event to a date much earlier in November, and squeezed it into a three day weekend including last Friday, which was Veteran’s day.
Our combined booth looks great!As an emerging artist, I was to share booth space with another woman. This made me nervous because I prefer to keep it in the immediate family. However my partner Cat and I hit it off right away. She takes pictures around the world, and then flirts with the polarity between monochrome and color through photo manipulation.
Friday saw very little foot traffic and modest sales. Minutes felt like hours. Clothing and jewelry sold more than anything. Gift items like my art and Cat's prints were stagnant. I went home feeling defeated, confused and upset, but putting a lot of energy into keeping my chin up. I felt grateful the experience wasn’t directly tied into my confidence because I know people like my work. There was a lot of interest for both Cat and I. But, for example, one new artist made beautiful stained glass boxes that weren’t selling, and, upon visiting her booth, it was obvious how devastated she was.
Saturday was a bit better, but nowhere near as expected. Vendors all around us grumbled their discontent. Sunday was quiet despite an unexpected group of shoppers from the nearby Farmer’s Market. The upside, however, is that everyone seemed to find their sense of humor and real conversation began. My art and Cat’s prints drew interested shoppers into our booth, and I enjoyed a number of fascinating conversations around spirituality, creativity, and life in general. I wandered about, my mind blown by all the wonderful work, and I met so many incredibly talented artisans. I’ve listed my favorites below. In my wanderings, I heard tale of a time when, 15 years ago or so, a vendor would attend this event and take thousands of dollars home. People lined up a block long outside to get in. It all seemed to end in 2008 when the housing market crashed.
In the end and several days later after I put it into perspective, I felt richer in character and experience, but unfortunately not anywhere else. I left with a renewed understanding of how much my art is appreciated by the general public. I also left with an understanding of how the economy is re-shaping the experience of American artists. But more than anything, I came to the realization that despite the fervency of the occupy protests, the only way the American public, aka the 99 percent, will make a difference, is by putting its money, what little it has, where its mouth is. After all, McDonald’s changed its Happy Meal recently, right? They didn’t do it to be nice. They did it because sales went low. It’s what the consumer demanded with its dollar.
I’m no economist, but I believe this is the key. The Celebration of Craftswomen is a spectacular women-only event that should have been a smashing success. I believe if can be again, but only if each of us breaks the cycle of paralyzing economic fear to make impactful consumer decisions.
This is my booth partner's website. We traded prints, and this is the one I got, my favorite!
One of the girls from the Crucible!
Judy Bingman Photography
Cathy's work was primary acrylic on waterboard and focused on animal totems. This one in particular (all rights to the artist, of course) just took my breath away. It's called "Sun Bear".
You'll have to see this artists's work to understand she cuts every single piece by hand!
Misti Lehman Stained Glass Artist
This piece is one of my favorites! Dolly's bust priced at $750 and made entirely of leather! I don't think it'll appear under the Christmas tree this year! All rights reserved by the artist, of course.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 1:49PM 
I've just added another opportunity to shop in person for my art and gift items specifically for folks who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can see my work in addition to the work of many other talented artists from the immediate area at the 2011 Art Guild of Pacifica's Open House. Each one of these events includes artisans from the San Francisco Bay Area, with the exception of Celebration of Craftswomen, which includes artists from around the nation. This becomes your chance to support independent artists, rather than putting more money in the corporate pocket!
NEW!