We had a wonderful time at the opening yesterday for the "Where the Winged Spirit Lives Show." I stupidly forgot my camera, but many people turned out, and wearing wings, too!! The readings by Katharyn and Eric Machan Howd were fantastic and well delivered. It was fun to meet many of their IC students, too. We consumed 10 dozen fancy cookies and many people discovered the happy flavor of fairy berry punch. This was a staple for my kids' birthday parties, and I'm always surprised that a lot of people have never had anything like it before! New dolls have been added, and the show looks great! Check it out before the end of September, when I'll be clearing out and making way for my own art to be part of the Art Trail. Also, costumes will be coming in all month.

“Love is the spirit that motivates the artist’s journey. The love may be sublime, raw, obsessive, passionate, awful, or thrilling, but whatever its quality, it’s a powerful motive in the artist’s life. –Eric Maisel
I love the quote, and often say that I am in the "love business" because no one does art but for the love of it! Also because people come into my shop primarily to buy gifts for other people, and it makes me so happy that my wares are used to show love. And when we find just the perfect thing for someone, it is so great a feeling. I've had customers with tears in their eyes more than once from finding the thing that will touch someone they know. It's so great to be a vehicle to do that. Last week a guy came in looking for a little vase to take flowers to a girl for a date. He was going to just go out and pick wildflowers (how sweet!) and I fixed him up with a vintage clear glass milk bottle that was printed with the words “from farm to you.” I’ll bet that girl goes out with him again!!

With that in mind, congratulations going out to Emily Steele Hurst, "Mon Chairie" on her marriage yesterday!

Hot off the presses, this review in Ithaca Times August 12-18, 2009. Piece by Piece "Hot on the Trail Eclectic and rich Art Trail Member show up now at the new CAP ArtSpace on the Commons" by Railey Jane Savage

The writer spoke about the new space, and when she began to talk about the art specifically, she mentioned mine first! She said, "Panning the room from left to right, my eyes scanned the dimensional objects--porcelain plaques" (that would be Gary Rith's) "to what looks like an Ithaca brand Maid of the Mist, to a kind of Styrofoam DNA chain--" (that is Elizabeth Gross Marks) "and I liked the variation of forms and colors. Undoubtedly Elizabeth Tilley's 'Gorgeous' is the most imposing piece in the space; a mermaid (or sorts) made from an ironing board, gleaming beads and an old dress, she sits in the corner of the space and regards the pictures on the walls with a serenely blank expression. She is almost aggressively whimsical, but silently cheerful and ultimately good at setting off the other pieces in the space simply by being so different."

That makes me sooo happy! I don't care if she particularly liked it--it seems faint praise-- but the attention I craved has been given! The only other pieces she discussed in equivalent detail was Ryan B. Curtis's and Sylvia Taylor's out of 25 pieces in the show. Her description of materials seems a bit odd, I mean, the piece is papier mache first of all, but whatever. I will be entering this in the Rude and Bold Women Show in Binghamton next, I think. The figure was first created for Godiva, who sat on my white horse, and was entered in the show two years ago. Her legs are now hanging out of a shopping cart in front of my store, and the rest of her has been reconfigured from Godiva to Gorgeous!

Artist's Market on Friday August 31

Thanks to everyone who came to the Artist's Market at the Ithaca Farmer's Market last Friday, it was a fantastic event. Customers on Tuesday were dismayed they missed it, and it IS too bad. I tried to let my email list know, and it was heavily advertised. Anyway, the booth came out really great, and I had a wonderful time meeting new people and inviting them to the birthday party the next day, and catching up a little with artist pals. I will definitely do this again next year, and NOT schedule another big event for the following day. I slept all day Monday, and I'm still whooped. I haven't slept that much in a day since the day after my 20th high school reunion (and that was the worst hangover I've ever had!) Anyway, the handpainted couch got rave reviews, and people wanted to hang out on it. A particularly puckish visitor was from the Ithaca Shakespeare Company!