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All the copper wall art shown here is hand embossed and painted. Each piece is unique and cannot be exactly reproduced. Although all effort is taken to represent the copper art as close as possible, please be advised that due to the reflective nature of the metal, color shifts in photography and computer displays, colors shown are approximate and may differ slightly from the product. Don’t see a design you like? Contact me for a special request. Kim….
Just a quickie post…. here is the framed piece! I love the gold frame. Never really considered gold with the copper, but it works! The piece is available at Tropic Art & Frame in Vero Beach, Florida.  6 1_2 Sunflowers, Framed! While on our yearly snow bird flight to Florida, I decided to take a look into establishing a southern connection for my artwork. I schlepped all my materials (well, most of them anyways) down with us and got to work. Last year I heard about the huge art festival in Vero Beach called “Under The Oaks”. Missed it last year…. missed it again this year…. but maybe next year I’ll get the chance to check it out. So anyways, Vero Beach has a very big art scene and I that’s why I decided it was a good place to start. I am now happy to announce a new relationship with Dawn Orre at Tropic Art & Frame (http://tropicartandframe.com/). Had a great conversation with Dawn…. can’t wait to see the frame when it’s done! This time I’ve gone with a gold frame – something I haven’t done in the past, but this piece is a little different for me as I used new ink colors – more pastel than normal and the gold just seemed to work. I’ll post a picture of the finished product when I can.  Six and one-half Sunflowers! I get a lot of great interaction through this website. Let me tell you about a recent encounter which lead to Coppertones going international! I received an email through the site asking if I would ship to Singapore. She had mentioned a piece or two that she liked. So, emailing back and forth, discussing sizes and designs, I was a little concerned about the shipping costs. That’s when she mentioned her FedEx corporate account…..What? Turns out the artwork was not for her, but for her company…She explains: “I work for the International Copper Association Southeast Asia. ICASEA is part of the Copper Alliance that is also known as International Copper Association. The International Copper Association strives to increase awareness and usage of copper by communicating the unique attributes that make this sustainable element an essential contributor to the formation of life, to advances in science and technology, and to a higher standard of living throughout the world. Our copper offices are found in 27 locations worldwide. The US office is based at Madison Avenue, New York. This copper exhibition I’m working on is part of the community outreach campaign in Singapore to bring higher awareness for copper and copper use. There will be showcases illustrating various walks of life, e.g. copper in engineering, copper in healthcare, copper in sustainable development, copper in homes, copper in arts of course. I am still working on bringing more interesting exhibits into the event at this point. What’s happening on my plate is a mini all-copper exhibition at local libraries to demonstrate copper’s role and use in daily affairs/lifestyles/industries/economies. The event will take place in April and June. And I think your work will make a very neat stage under the section of Copper in Arts.” Wow! How cool is that, you ask? Very. Cool. Indeed. And so I got to work. Although Wen-Ee was not that concerned regarding which particular pieces she had in mind, she thought a fish and some flowers – nature kind of things would be good. I asked her about flowers in Singapore, and she sent me a picture of an orchid which is publicized as the flower of Singapore by the Ministry of Culture as their national flower. I also looked for a native fish. In all, I sent five pieces, one of which was a piece already in stock…  The Peacock Bass  The Vanda Miss Joaquim  Water Lily  Hibiscus So, art is on it’s way to Singapore, should be there on the 20th of March. Wun-Ee has promised to send pictures of the exhibition sometime in mid April…. I will be sure to post them! kim I’m sure Jean was anticipating her kitchen to be finished much more than I was, but it’s done, and she has sent me photos! And it looks swesome… Thanks so much, Jean for the opportunity….  The Back Splash! Only one problem…. now I want a new kitchen! I am the worst with keeping up with this web site! So much going on….so little time. A very mild winter here in PA so far – and welcome, unless you just purchased a new snow mobile, or skis or what ever. That was last year – this year…. copper and more copper! Let’s see… what’s new? Art is getting larger, receiving more commissions, and leaving the Liberty Galleria. I’m finding it more difficult these days to get interested in art for small frames. I remember October 2010 when I first started showing my work in the Galleria talking to someone about how recently I had started this endeavor. The remark was that they couldn’t wait to see how my art would look in a year. I was thinking to myself that that was a strange remark as I couldn’t foresee any changes. I now realize I had no vision. Vision is apparently a part of an artist’s workset…. one which I suppose comes naturally to ‘real’ artitists – of which I’ve never considered myself to be. Oh sure, I can copy stuff….and, I’ve discovered I like the painting bits, but to me, artists can create art right out their brains! Point is, I have actually seen the art changing over this past year – and getting bigger and bolder. As a result, those little frames that fit so nicely in the shop are no longer holding my interest…. To illustrate the point, the photo below is my latest piece. This was originally intended to be part of a screen project in conjunction with my brother who is to build the frame…. but it may end up at the frame shop to be displayed elsewhere. The size is 24″x62″… the largest piece I’ve done so far.  The newest piece....@24x62", too big to tote around! So, this new direction is causing a shift in where I will be displaying my artwork now. The Liberty Galleria is managed by an entity called Franklin Moving Forward, Inc., and is a small business retail incubator. I joined October 2010 by renting shelf space. In the ensuing year, the Galleria and myself have flourished. In November of last year, I increased my presense and graduated up to floor space. The Galleria has afforded me exposure and valuable experience and I will treasure that and the people I ‘worked’ with. I have grown a lot in this past year and it is time to move on! Next step to becoming a famous artist is to concentrate on getting into galleries and perhaps on or two juried events (including my home town Applefest, of course). So, although my official last day at the Galleria is the end of this February, I will still maintain a small presense there.  Barco Oncology Institution Installation I just want to share one more thing here before I head off….The artwork above is going to be displayed at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, PA. (another large piece all three pieces together are 23″x47″) I am fortunate to be included as a member of the art committee. This institute takes the entire patient approach which includes, among other disciplines, art. This first installation of mine will be displayed on their art-ready walls for three months at which time I will have another project for them. Notice the butterflies? This is a fun thing… I originally had them in frames and was going to have them hung around the pieces when I received a suggestion that I cut them out and attach them to the artwork. I love the whimiscal look! Tell me what you think! I have copied the rest of this information from their web site: “The Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute offers a way of caring for patients that centers on convenience and compassion in a comfortable and pleasant environment. At the heart of the whole-person approach to health and wellness, the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute provides coordinated counseling and nutrition consultations as well as stress reduction opportunities in the form of art and music recreation therapy. An innovative keyboard program known as the Clavinova Connection, developed by Yamaha, allows patients with no musical experience to simply follow keyboard lights for specially arranged musical compositions. This musical “diversion” will help them relax and, as recent research suggests, reverse the DNA switches that literally turn on the human stress response.” Oh, and I mentioned commissions…. here is a almost full size test piece of a back splash I am currently working on for a commission I received through this web site. It will be over the stove so I had to find a material to cover the piece so it can be cleaned, etc. I have used an epoxy resin. The results were a bit surprising in that the resin increased the saturation of the color… you really have to see it in person to appreciate it!  This kitchen backsplash measures 15"x12" and has a hard epoxy resin coating on top. Thanks for stopping by… love to hear from you!
I made it through my first AppleFest! I think the hardest part of the whole thing was not knowing what to expect. Short synopsis: it was great. I couldn’t have asked for better weather, and the crowds were enormous! I was given an excellent in Fountain Park, great exposure at a corner under a shady tree. Had a great time talking to people about the artwork. I have to say, though, the three day event wore me out! Making everything run smoothly in the booth takes some special people….after all, they have to commit to hangout most of the weekend with only a few forays of fun for themselves to enjoy the festival. I had three special helpers… My two nieces, Lori and Nichole were always ready and able to help. Bringing me food (very important), and Lori brought a whole new take on (w)rapping when needed….my third helper was my sister-in-law, Charlene Gross. Enthusiastic and tireless all three days, not to mention her input for “set” design. I received some interesting commissions from Applefest, and found some new customers, too. In fact, I have just now completed the last of the commissions and should get it back from the framer early next week. Here are a few photos of my booth and some recent art….
 AppleFest Booth  AppleFest Booth The Mustang Saleen – commissioned piece:  A Mustang Saleen - Commissioned piece Lynn’s Garden, approximately 32×22:  Lynn's Garden
I’m going to leave you here with a picture of a new piece…  Sunflowers before framing, showing entire piece... Getting ready to set up my booth for Applefest today. My sister-in-law, Charlene and I staged it the other day and I think it’s going to look good. It’s been a crazy past two weeks getting ready for the event, both in the shop and at home. My niece Lori and her friend Nichole are coming up Friday nite from Greensburg to help man the booth. Really not sure what to expect here, and stressed that I won’t have enough inventory…..maybe it’s priced to high…..to low?….will I have enough change?… regardless, one thing is for sure – the weather will be fantastic! mid 70′s and sunny. Couldn’t ask for better weather than that. So, it’s time to get moving and get downtown and set up. ….a few more pictures for you here, and more to come.  I'm gonna need all four of these this weekend!  Paper Whites!  More SunflowersAutumnSunflower I’ve been BUSY! Here in beautiful Franklin, Pa., we have an annual event called AppleFest which attracts around 100,000 to our small quaint town. AppleFest is a juried arts and crafts event with all kinds of happenings for the three day weekend – October 7-8-9. If there is ANY chance you can be in the area you should definitely plan to be here during that weekend. Go here for information: http://www.franklinapplefest.com/. This year’s AppleFest is momentous for me as I will actually be IN AppleFest for the first time. I have a booth in a really great spot in Fountain Park (thank you, Chamber of Commerce peoples-that-be!!!!), and I am excited…..and very stressed! I am being told that I need a few hundred pieces….daunting to say the least, as each piece is hand made. In addition to coming up with designs, there is the embossing, painting, filling and finishing….finding frames or sending them to my favorite framers…..entering them into inventory….and into my Square app on the iPad . So far I have close to 100 pieces. I am being told that there is a good chance that I will sell out before the three days are over. YIKES! A good/bad problem to have, for sure. So, I am taking a week off from working at the Liberty Galleria and heading to Ohio to my brother’s place to get some inventory going. Think I’ll put my sister in law to work helping me with the Coppertones For Kids kits together. I’ve done two CFK’s events this past year and they were so much fun, I’ve decided to sell the kits at AppleFest and maybe in the shop, too. Here are a couple of shots from my first CFKs event held at the shop:  Isn't he sweet??? Look at his Coppertones For Kids creation!
 Another Coppertones For Kids creation Well, I’ve got to get going…. thought I would leave you with a couple of pictures of some pieces which are available for sale and will be shown at AppleFest…  More sunflowers...this piece is about 31x22.5"  Tres Fish!  Giraffe  Barney! He's framed now in a soft pink metal frame..looks great! OK, so much for keeping this blog up to date in a timely manner! This will be short, just a quick update on where my art is going…… First off, very exciting news…. I finally sent one of my pieces to Island Art Gallery in Martha’s Vineyard. I met Uta through my small business jump start instructor, Gary Svetz. Gary’s parents live there and he purchased on of my fish pieces for his parents and they took it to the Gallery which also houses Kennedy Studios Custom Framing. He brought me one of Uta’s cards and told me she would be interested in talking to me. We talked and I finally got around to sending her the piece named “Jody’s Flowers” in June. It sold in late July! I have just completed this one which I will be sending up to her next week:  "Summer's Colors" Here is a link to Uta’s Gallery: http://www.kennedystudiosmv.com/
With this piece I am further exploring the patina process. It is more subtle than the one before it shown below:  Purple Flowers with patina I am still learning the patina process and when I first tried it above, I ended up sanding the whole thing down and starting over. The finished product seemed so dark to me since I’ve been using only the solvent inks, but now I think the colors look rich and full, and it’s actually become on of my favorites. Tell me what you think! Other news: I am going to enter a piece or two in the Titusville Council of Arts contest this weekend…. trying to figure out what to submit! Wish me luck! Things at the shop are going fine… starting to make steady sales…. really trying to get ready for Applefest the first weekend in October – I’ll keep you updated on that. Enough for now! Kim OK, I’ve not posted for quite a while, but I’m back now! Let me tell you about the Meadville, PA Second Saturday Events I’ve been involved in. An artist friend of mine newly re-located from Northern California to Oil City (quite the cultural shock, don’t you think?) told me about this event which she had applied to. Margaret is an accomplished artist from the San Francisco area (go see her web site here: http://mbrostrom.tripod.com/) , and I would like to be famous some day, just like her, so I decided to follow her lead here. The event happens every second Saturday May through September and you can be accepted for up to three of the events. Each event has a theme associated with it. Although I had done one inside event in the nearby small town of Cochranton, this would be my first outdoor event. I was accepted for the months of May, June and July. This event is a nonprofit enterprise and is coordinated by the Meadville Market House and the Meadville Council of Arts. The goal is to help stimulate local economy and create a social setting for the community while increasing appreciation for the handmade, homemade, homegrown and farm raised. It is in conjunction with the farmers market. In July, the theme will be “The Creative Process” and will feature the artists demonstrating their crafts. That should not be a problem for me as I have brought my work with me for the last two sessions. Might as well get some work done while I’m there! The first event in May proved to be a very rainy day. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people showed up. It wasn’t a down pour, just a steady drizzle almost the whole time, but that didn’t stop the good people of Meadville from attending. There was a lot of interest in my work – and I probably explained the process about 50 times! I made a few sales, but gained a lot of experience and most importantly made connections… The next month’s event in June had weather and with the good weather, a better turnout. A few days before the event, I was contacted by the Meadville Tribune for an interview (see the article here: http://meadvilletribune.com/local/x1943987491/Weekend-Market-House-event-gains-quick-popularity). Joe couldn’t be there to help me so my niece, Dawn graciously offered to assist me, and I thank her for that. I was under the weather, myself, with the beginnings of a summer cold and Dawn and I were up till midnight playing games and up at five to get ready! Needless to say I was dragging by the end of the afternoon. Again, I had a lot of interest and some really nice comments on the quality of my work. The comment I received the most was that you just don’t see this type of copper work being done…. and I’m wondering how long it will be before someone else decides to give it a try! I am looking forward to the last of my stints at the Second Saturday events. I think with the word getting out and the fact that the lineup changes from month to month we will get a lot of new people and keep some returning customers, too. I am also thinking that the outdoor event thing is not my bag! I’m not a sales person, although I do enjoy talking to the people, I don’t like actively peddling the wares! Someone else needs to do that for me! However, if I am to get my artwork out there I have to start somewhere, I guess. How do artists get started? If you have an answer, let me know!!! Here are a few of the newer works:  Klimpt's "The Kiss" One of my all time favorite artists is Gustave Klimpt. This is my rendtion of “The Kiss”. I sold it 2 days after getting it back from the framer! I mentioned the value of the connections I made while at Meadville. One of them Was Sandy Cheropovich, from Sandy’s Artwork on Chestnut Street. Walk through her shop to appreciate the art involved in her very creative matting and framing. I have to say I was quite impressed with her work. Sandy approached me with the idea of a piece or two on commission in her shop. She suggested a cat theme and Barney, below is the result.  Barney the Cat We decided to frame Barney in a light pink brushed metallic frame and he turned out wonderful! I will get a picture of the framed piece soon! Also new is Jodie’s Flowers. It’s a variation of the sunflower theme inspired by Jodie’s PC screen!
Well, that’s all for now! I’ll try to post more often, so much is going on!!!
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