Map Prints Available

Hanging unframed work in a bar setting finally prompted me to go ahead with my plan to print poster-sized images of some of my more intricate maps. I chose four of my favorites and printed them at 11x15, which is a very different viewing experience than the 7x10 originals. They looked fabulous on the walls, and could be seen even from a distance. They're now up for sale on Etsy as well, for as long as the limited print run holds out. They're also still on view at Wonder Bar in Allston, along with some brand new city pop-ups.

"Visual Enlightenment" Art Show

This Sunday I'll be setting up my work at Wonder Bar in Allston as part of a great group show. I was invited to show city popups and hope to put up some map drawings as well. I have mixed feelings about the event, but I really just don't know what to expect. The event will be at 186 Harvard Ave on Sunday the 28th and goes from 7pm to 10pm.

More images of these pieces are at emilygarfield.com. I also just reposted my popup city cards on Etsy, if you were looking for one of your own! 

EDIT: Here's how the new pop-ups looked in the downstairs area, on the lit ledges:

TempleCon Steampunk Convention

The day after First Friday, I went to TempleCon in Warwick, RI, a steampunk-themed gaming convention. I don't really game at all, but I signed up to volunteer because I wanted to judge costumes. I didn't end up getting that responsibility, but I did see a lot of gorgeous things.

I also wanted to get a sense for the vendors there to see it would be a good venue for the things I've been posting at Valise. It definitely seemed like my Victorian-inspired jewelry and accessories would fit right in! I'll post more about individual stores when my collection of business cards shows up.

Saturday evening there was a steampunk-themed burlesque/bellydancing show. I took a lot of photos, but not many of them came out well. There was also a costume contest at the end, which allowed me to get a photo of this great character:

I hadn't thought about the brass-cyberpunk aspect of steampunk, but it does make sense.

Later that evening was a purple- and Mad Hatter-themed party. It was enchanting to be surrounded by fanciful costumes, although the pretense wore off a bit as the evening went on.

This gentleman had his iPhone on a chain instead of a pocketwatch:

The table after the party had wound down:

There was punch in teapots and guests drank it from teacups. 

In the morning before I left I had one last chance to document costumes:

It was a great weekend and I had a wonderful time volunteering. I wish that dressing up wasn't limited to that sort of event. But perhaps I just haven't found the right place for it. Wouldn't it be great, though, to see costumes like that more often?

First Friday at the South End

I was very pleased to be able to go to First Friday last weekend. I hadn't been to that event in a while, and it was awfully nice to see familiar artists again, as well as discover some new ones! It looked like there had been a bit of shuffling, which meant I got to see some interesting new stuff.

It was very interesting to speak with artist Sharon Whitham about her process. At first glance, her prints seemed ambiguous, with interesting texture. However, when I later learned that she used tape and hot glue to make her plates, the textures immediately made a lot more sense to me. I don't have a lot of printmaking experience but her innovative techniques made me want to try!

I also had an involved talk with B. Glee Lucas about color and palette. I have very little experience (or, frankly, interest) in painting, and she has a very different approach than I would take. I tend to use very muted colors and limited palette, and I was very impressed with her bright colors and photorealist approach. Her paintings are almost overwhelming, an effect I don't think work of mine would ever be able to create.

It was also great to chat with Sophie Hughes again. She makes beautiful jewelry and was full of useful advice about getting and using a studio space. It's a great inspiration to hear someone talk about deciding to just go through with making and showing things. I feel like I've been taking a more cautious route, but it's still going well, slowly but surely.

SLAM at the Burren next Saturday!

I'll be showing my creations at the Burren, a pub/restaurant in Davis Square, as part of the Saturday Local Artist Market the day before Valentine's Day! I hope to see people there. I'll have lots of new maps as well as jewelry, accessories and cards. I just hope there's room for everything! The event is from 12-4 and they're offering great lunch deals during that time as well, so there's no reason not to go!

Please click to enlarge if you'd like to see more of the information. The Burren is located in Davis Square at 247 Elm Street.

Underpass

I sketched this from the bus. The little painting is my first time using gouache. I like the chalky texture, but it dries so quickly!

Crocheted Hairbands

I was inspired to make these by a customer who had one to keep her ears warm. I'm always reluctant to wear hats because they're too hot and limit my hairstyles, but I love these because then my ears don't get cold. I'm working on refining the pattern and then I'll be putting some on Etsy.

Wire-wrapped Rings

I've wanted to make rings for a while, and recently thought I'd try some techniques to showcase my paper beads as rings.

My first attempt was just using one bead, but I abandoned that and started using groups of three beads, with the same wire-wrapping method. I tried stacking them, but found that they naturally fell into a more staggered pattern. I also tried flattening the coil into a band using pliers, which I really liked.

Unfortunately, that type seemed to look better on its own than on my hand, so I tried stacking the beads for a more symmetrical look.

However, that made for a ring that was too wide and uncomfortable to wear. I returned to my previous design, but without the wrapped cage part, since I wanted to highlight the graceful snuggling of the focal beads.

I like how the photo turned out, but I thought the ring itself looked a little too handmade. Then I tried holding both staggered rings next to each other and realized they made a pretty leaf pattern, which I then tried to replicate by using five staggered beads instead of three.

It's difficult to effectively photograph these leaf rings because the motif wraps around. They're very sweet though, and also comfortable. I've got to do a bit more work to smooth out the technique, but overall I like what I came up with.

City Cuff Bracelet

I recently made this bracelet as a gift. It's not currently for sale, although I may duplicate the design if there is interest.

Paper and Writing in Bergdorf's Windows

I mentioned Bergdorf's winter decorations in a recent post, and wanted to show some photos of their text theme.

I liked their overall Alice in Wonderland theme, with all the various things that were going on in each window:

What really caught my eye, though, was the use of book pages and folded paper for many of the props:

I like the last two the best; they're more sculptural and less busy. I've seen a lot of paper sculpture, but it was nice to have it in such a public venue.