Blame it on Louis DeJoy and Etsy

I'm so very sorry to have to do this after not planning to raise my prices, but I had to. I just increased the prices on my safety pin jewelry in my Etsy shop and from now on, the earrings and bracelets will be $35. The price increase is necessary because of both the fees that Etsy is charging sellers now and the way things are going at the Post Office with Priority Mail versus First Class Mail.  I want to be able to ensure that my customers get their orders in a timely manner and that there's insurance to cover anything that gets lost and tracking so that I can make sure orders get to their destinations while still offering free shipping. When I finally have events at my studio again, I plan to offer that studio discount I mentioned on Black Women's Equal Pay Day! I appreciate your continued support and understanding.

My favorite finds from the 2013 One of A Kind Show

One of my favorite things to do in December is go to the One of A Kind Show at the Merchandise Mart. It's so inspiring to see the work of so many talented artists and artisans in one place. It was great seeing some of my favorite vendors from past shows, like Robin Kittleson, Sara Gallo, Designs by Alicia P, and Selma Karaca. But what I also enjoy about going to art and craft shows is finding new things to love. Here are some of my favorites from the 2013 show:

Custom upholstered furniture and drapery by Boutique Home

Furniture by Miles & May

Warm faux fur hats from Faux Fur Ever

Mood Modern Lamps by Will Richards Studio

Jewelry by Muggy Tuesday

Crochet clothing and accessories by KnottyLoop Creations

Mirror by Mark Lewanski and Mary Simcox

Furniture by Big Button Upholstery

Furniture by La Macchia Design Group

Paintings by joe smigielski

Art by Daniel Nolan

Clocks and art by Rickard Studio

Jewelry by Monique Rancourt

Paper art by Melissa Jo Gordon

Vases by Stems Vases

Fashions by Diane Kroe

Lighted and Animated Dioramas by Christine Originals

Art by Kim Bosco

Salvaged metal furniture by Rustbelt Rebirth

Delicate textile jewelry by Paz Sintes

Paper art by Paper Liberated

Jewelry by dconstruct

Photographs by David Mayhew Photography

Photographs by Shinkle Fine Art

End Grain Assemblages by Eric Grimes

Paintings by Mary Johnston

Art and artistic goods by Barry Lorberbaum

I look forward to going again next year. Who knows, maybe someday I will even have a booth there.

New Work: Chromatic Quilt

I finally put the finishing touches on Chromatic Quilt, a piece I started on last year (or was it in 2011?) and then set aside because I didn't quite know what to do with it.  The answer was to add yellow. Cadmium Yellow Hue was too bright, so I toned it down with ochre.  And here's the result.

Chromatic Quilt

acrylic on cardboard

16" x 16"

$200

I haven't decided on what its official orientation should be. One nice thing about its square format is that I like the way it looks no matter how it's rotated.

Here are some detail photos of it.

And from this angle, you can see the pattern on the side of the painting:

All 4 sides of it are painted.  If you can't make it to my studio, I'm selling Chromatic Quilt on Etsy. Shipping to the US (except for Alaska & Hawaii) is free since this piece is over $100. If you happen upon this post after it's been sold, don't despair. I can make a similar custom painting for you. Click here to learn more about my commissioned art process.

Post-Consumerism for the holidays: ornaments made with recycled materials

This post will use a word that some people in the art world might find offensive, the dreaded c-word: crafts.  Yes, that's right.  I'm making (and hopefully selling) crafts now.  I decided to make some Christmas ornaments with recycled paper.  I think they fit right in with my Post-Consumerism oeuvre.  Here's what I have made so far.

These glass ornaments are filled with strips of paper cut from magazines and catalogs.  They're a lot of fun to make.  The challenge is finding paper that looks good cut into strips.  Fortunately, I have a large collection to pull from.

Instead of using wire ornament hooks or ribbons, I've decided to use a recycled material called plarn.  Plarn is a yarn made from plastic shopping bags.  Green plarn will blend right in with a green Christmas tree.

I am also making ornaments with recycled cardboard and painting them.  These will be a lot more like my paintings.  I will post some photos of them when they're ready.  My plan is to sell the ornaments exclusively at my December open studio.  Call me old-fashioned, but I like to celebrate the holidays one at a time, so my rule is no ornaments until after Thanksgiving.  But I may make an exception for people who would like to order a set on Etsy. (If anyone on that overcrowded website even sees them!)  They are $10 each or 6 for $50.  E-mail me if you're interested in placing an order.

The Doll Project has moved to Society6

I've decided to move The Doll Project from Etsy to Society6.  It makes things easier for me, as well as for you, the collector.  You can order prints in a variety of sizes.  If you want them framed, you can choose the style that suits your decor.   And another advantage of print on demand is that I don't have to keep an inventory of prints and frames in anticipation of orders.

You can still get high quality prints of my photos, but now you have more options.  And Society6 will even create shirts, iPhone, iPad, and laptop skins with my art on them.  If you would be interested in seeing pictures from The Doll Project on any of these products, please let me know by commenting on this blog post.  And if you are already on Society6, please follow and promote me there.  My profile page is http://society6.com/TiffanyGholar. 

From now on, I will only use Etsy to sell original art, as well as any art supplies or vintage items I no longer need.

New photos from The Doll Project are now on Etsy!

Now that my show at Flourish Studios has ended, I am selling the new pictures from The Doll Project on Etsy.  The ones I have listed are all 11x14, except for the Fashion Victims poster, which is 18x24.

11x14 prints are $60

this 18x24 poster is $100

Other sizes are available if you need them, so let me know if you'd like to place a custom order.  They ship without frames because it's easier that way, but if you want a framed copy, I can do that, too.  And if you are in the Chicago area, you can also purchase prints from me at my open studio events.

Here's a link to The Doll Project on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/tjgholar?section_id=6028645

Last chance to buy these paintings

It's time to make room for new work in my studio. Fortunately, I just found out about a charity art auction at my alma mater, Harrington College of Design.  These four paintings are all candidates for donation if they don't sell soon.

Midnight Blue
10" x 8"
acrylic on canvas
$40

Yellow
10" x 8"
acrylic on canvas
$40

Adrenaline
12" x 9"
acrylic on canvas
$54

Untitled - Green
40" x 30"
$150
*Not on Etsy, but available for sale at my studio

Interested?

You have until February 29th to purchase them on Etsy and March 9th to buy them from my open studio.

Chicago Artists Month, Day 1: Wicker Park, North Lawndale, and Pilsen

Today has been a really long day for me, but I mean that in the best possible way.  What better way to spend your day than doing things you love?


My first stop was in Wicker Park, where I visited the Coyote Arts Festival.  I spent time perusing the studios and maze-like hallways of the Flat Iron Building.  While I was there, I saw one of my Fine Arts Building neighbors, Jennifer Cronin.  Here are some of her paintings.

And here are a few other photos from the Flat Iron:

My next stop was North Lawndale, where I went to the opening for the Chicago Black Artists Show, where three of my paintings are on display.

It was an intimate gathering and everyone in attendance had a chance to introduce themselves and ask the artists questions.  There is going to be a discussion with the artists on the 16th so I feel like I got to have a preview of what it will be like.

Then I went to The Pilsen East Artists' Open House, where I had a chance to visit a few galleries I hadn't seen before.  With its abundance of pop-up spaces, there is always something new in the Pilsen Arts District.

I saw a sign on the sidewalk advertising "Photography for Ladies" and when to see what it was all about.  When I opened the door to The Sitting Room, it was like walking on to the set of a glamorous old movie.  What a fun way to be photographed.

I really enjoyed the 50/50 Pilsen Show, which featured a mixture of art and crafts from the displaying artists.  It was like a smaller, indoor version of the Renegade Craft Fair.  In fact, some of them had booths there a few weeks ago.  Here are a few that I liked:

Anna Todaro

Moxiedoll

Felix & Jayne

I had a great time meeting other artists as well.  Here are two I'd like to introduce to my readers:

Travis Mitchell lives & works at the Flat Iron building and does amazing work with ink.

Simone Hester is also exhibiting at the Liz Long gallery and does incredible digital photography.

You still have time to see the shows in Pilsen and Wicker Park this weekend.  For more information, visit the Chicago Artists Month page.


My next stop is the Ravenswood Art Walk.