Wow, it has been some time.

I think I need to take this blog more seriously. I haven't written since I went to AmericasMart back in January. I missed the summer show, so nothing to share there.

But, I have been keeping busy. The Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa show is accepting applications now. We are gearing up for the holiday market.

I've been doing a lot of sketching the past few months. All in pencil, filling several sketchbooks with figures, cartoons, and ideas. I post an iPhone snap on InstaGram now and then, but I think it's time to start posting here again. Since blogger now has an iPhone app, it's super easy to post anytime. I found another cool trick, too. I can pair my phone with a tiny Bluetooth keyboard and type so much more easily.

I think I'll start my nightly sketching; I've really come to enjoy drawing at bedtime almost every night. Maybe I'll InstaGram the result. ; )

America's Mart - 8 million square feet and I'll feel everyone of them...

So, tomorrow is the big day.   Back to America'sMart for our twice yearly walk-a-thon.  I look forward to this trip every time, it is very exciting to see all the new stuff everyone is bringing to  market.  Of course, I think I might like the July market a little better, walking around downtown Atlanta in 20 degree weather is not  my idea of fun.  Plus, now that I've learned how to get on the roof of one of the mart buildings, I like to hang out up there a bit and peruse the city from 20 stories. Believe me, it is cold and windy up there in January.

I'll be staying at the Hyatt Place again. It has turned into one of my favorite budget hotels in downtown Atlanta.  The rooms are clean and decent, and you cannot beat the staff anywhere. I've stayed in hotels the world over, costing many times the price of this one but never, ever met a friendlier, more helpful staff.  Literally, every time I go there I am impressed all over again.  They never let me down.

Last January when we went to the Mart, I saw a lady carrying a tote bag that I designed.  I was so excited, I tried to discreetly snap her pic but it didn't come out so good.  My camera phone kinda stinks anyway.

Anyway,  AmericasMart is the  largest show of its kind in the country.  It takes place twice a year, in January and again in July. Basically, it is a very large trade show, showcasing all the latest products in Gifts, Clothing, Rugs, Furniture, Paper Goods and more.  Thousands of retailers flock to this show to buy good for their stores. It is the premier show in the US to highlight the latest products, trends and the hottest things coming in retail.  What we see at the Mart for these two gift shows is what we will find at retail in the coming months.  How exciting is that?

AmericasMart is 8 million square feet of fantastic, spread out over three buildings, about 18-20 stories each.  Each floor houses dozens of showrooms, and these are broken down into the permanents and the temporaries.  The Permanent showrooms are open and staffed year round and their buyers can visit to shop any time. Of course, these showrooms are not open to the public, but anyone with a retail store, either a brick and  mortar or online market can register free to attend the markets.

There are also several floors of Temporary showrooms.   I really look forward to perusing the temporaries, I can usually find at least one brand spanking new, never before even heard (to me) of it item in the temps.  It is amazing to me to think about some of the items that caught my eye years ago that have developed into big brands today.  Take Lolita glassware for an example. I first noticed her painted wine glasses because she painted sexy girls on them. (wonder why THAT caught my eye - LOL).  I've paid attention to this brand over the last several years, and what started as a side line in the Santa Barbara Ceramics showrooms (best I remember) has blossomed into a huge brand, offered by any number of showrooms now.  No longer just painting cute ladies on a wine glass, Lolita has expanded her brand into a household name (to those in retail).

Then again, we've seen things that we just knew were going to be phenomenal in the giftware market, only to watch them spiral into nothing. Remember the Red Hat Ladies that exploded into the market mid decade?  Suddenly they were everywhere, closely followed by hundreds of red hat or red and purple products - both officially licensed items and simple red and purple items offered with the hopes of banking on the huge popularity of this club.  What happened?
We bombed with it.  With so many licensed and knockoff products flooding the market, it was hard to make your mark in this line.  Then, just as quickly as they skyrocketed into the national consciousness, the Red Hatters shuffled back to obscurity, taking their dreams of licensing millions with them.   Shame, really. Lots and lots of companies poured out thousands of Red Hat products, only to sell them off at pennies on the dollar.    Just shows, you never know. Some things that look  smokin' hot, well they just spark then fizzle.

  This business is hard. Hard to know what people will want. Hard to guess what they will buy.  Hard to know what the american consciousness will pay attention to in 12-18 months, the average time it takes to get a product from the initial sketches to actually showing it at market.

Anyway, I'll be in Atlanta this weekend, walking AmericasMart, looking for the next big thing.  If you wanna hang out, you can find me on the roof of the merchandise mart.

RXRAD - Railroad Arts District Holiday Market

Last friday I got to spend a little time with some crafty friends at the Second Annual Railroad Arts District Holiday Market. It was a little breezy and cool outside (who am I kidding, it was COLD), but a roaring fire and plenty of warm drinks from Hendershots Coffee made the cold quite bearable.


The RXRAD (as the area is known) Holiday Market, now in its second year, has filled the void left by Big City Bread's now defunct market quite nicely. The ambiance is the same - night time, holiday lights and warm fires - and lots of talented local artists offering up fresh holiday crafts.


The Red Oak Southern String Band made an appearance and entertained the guests with their own brand of bluegrass and old timey. While this is my first time seeing these guys play, I sure hope it is not the last.

Lots of Holiday Lights makes for a festive display

The Farm Cart was on hand, serving up hot fresh food. I heard their soup was yummy!

Dena Maxwell talks to a customer about her art.

Lovely lamps.

Hope this market sticks around for years to come.

Tis the Season... for Holiday Markets.

Athens supports many holiday artist markets this time of year, and all seem to get a good turnout - both with quality artisans and guests looking to buy handmade for their holiday giving.


Leading off the 2010 season was the Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa, held earlier this year than usual to avoid conflicts with other markets. This show has grown in just three years to a regionally known show, attracting artists from as far away as Chicago, TN and SC. The earlier date also offered much nicer weather, it was sunny and warm rather than cold, windy and wet as the previous December shows have invariably been. Both guests and vendors seemed to like the schedule change, so we think Serra plans to try to work it into November every year. 

This year's Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa featured a fantastic food area. We had covered seating, with fresh hot food. The Caledonia was open to serve drinks and cocktails as well. 

The New Farmington Depot Gallery held their first annual Holiday Market this past Dec. 4th and 5th. This space is fairly new to the area, but I think it is one to watch.  The restoration of the old Depot and grounds are progressing very nicely.  Chris Hubbard gave me a tour of the grounds and showed me how much progress  has been made.  This property is historically significant, and not just for the depot. I'm keeping my eyes on these artists. 


The OCAF Market in Oconee covered two days  and offered work from the 'Artland of Georgia'. This event covers three days and fills two good sized buildings. 


The 283 Holiday Market was back this year but i didn't get to go to this one.  The show was scheduled for a Thursday, from 11am till 5pm.  Seems to me like that would cut working people out of attending. It did  me, anyway. 

New this year, the Clay Gardens Holiday Market, also known as Craftapalooza ran concurrently with the grand opening of the Clay Gardens Gallery. Music, fresh toasted pecans (straight out of the yard) and lots of wonderful people made this event a wonderful way to spend a sunday afternoon. They are renting studio space, with bathrooms, kitchen and access to kilns included.  If you are interested, check their facebook page.  The website is not up yet, but they are working on it.  

Also new this year was the Oh Boy! Artist Market and right across the street, the Treehouse Kids and Craft Markets just this weekend. 




The Flicker Bar Market is coming up, next Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010. I think I'll be sharing a space with a good friend, drop in and say hello if you are in the area. 

Call to Artists - Public Art Projects

Call to Artists: Second Street Public Art Project - Chattanooga. Deadline: 1-31-11 Posted: 06 Dec 2010 12:23 PM PST CALL TO ARTISTS: Second Street Public Art Project, Chattanooga, TN | Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Public Art Chattanooga is seeking qualifications from artists for a public art project that will result in the installation of two sculptures in the heart of downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. This RFQ is open to all professional artists and artist teams over the age of 18, who currently reside in the United States. Deadline for submissions is January 13, 2011, 4:00 PM EST. For complete details and an application, please click on the link: http://www.publicartchattanooga.com/PDFs/Second_Street_RFQ.pdf Public Art Chattanooga Department of Parks & Recreation 1102 South Watkins Street Chattanooga, TN 37404 Phone: (423) 643-6096 Email:Publicartchattanooga1@gmail.com

Dogwood Regional Fine Arts Exhibit - Deadline: February 22, 2011 Posted: 06 Dec 2010 12:20 PM PST Dogwood Regional Fine Arts Exhibit Please view our 2009 and 2010 exhibit at:www.dogwoodregionalfineartsexhibit.blogspot.com The Dogwood Regional Fine Arts Exhibition was developed to showcase and award the areas finest artists. Artists from within a radius of 300 miles of Knoxville may enter. Fine art encompassing all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists will be selected by a juror for exhibition. Our new 2011 location will be Bennett Gallery, Knoxville most prestigious fine arts gallery, housed in a renovated vintage movie theater at 5308 Kingston Pike. Juror: Our juror this year is Virginia Derryberry, Professor and Chair of the Department of Art at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Derryberry received her BA in art history from Vanderbilt University, and MA in painting and printmaking from Peabody College, and an MFA in painting from the University of Tennessee. Her recent exhibits include venues such as Valdosta State University in Georgia, Nashville International Airport, and Rudgers University. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Asheville Art Museum. A recipient of many grants, awards, and fellowships, she was recently chosen as Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome. Awards:  Cash awards totaling $4,000.00 will be presented at the exhibit's Reception on April 2nd. Best in Show- $2,000.00, $1,000.00 Merit, $500.00 Merit, and two $250.00 Merit awards. All awards are designated by juror and are final. The exhibit will run from April 1-30, 2011. Deadline for entry is February 22, 2011. Please visitwww.dogwoodarts.com to download an application and prospectus.

Sent from my iPod

GA Skies Airlines has ditched me out of state.

Ok guess what?? GA Skies just cancelled my TUESDAY flight. What am I supposed to do?

How can they get away with that?? Today they said it was an "operational schedule change". Then they cited mechanical reasons for Tuesdays cancellation but I don't believe it. Both times I talked to their rep (after sitting on hold) he told me I was the only one booked on the flight. I very strongly suspect that they just do not want to make the trip for one person.

Can they just ditch me like this? How can this be legal?? I've incurred several hundred dollars additional expenses- hotel, car, gas, plus lost wages because they just left me here. I guess I will extend the car rental AGAIN and drive back tomorrow.

Do I have any rights for compensation?

Sent from my iPod

Posted via email from The Art of Cynthia Pendley

GA Skies airline has ditched me in Nashville.

Ok guess what?? GA Skies just cancelled my TUESDAY flight. What am I
supposed to do?

How can they get away with that?? Today they said it was an
"operational schedule change". Then they cited mechanical reasons for
Tuesdays cancellation but I don't believe it. Both times I talked to
their rep (after sitting on hold) he told me I was the only one booked
on the flight. I very strongly suspect that they just do not want to
make the trip for one person.

Can they just ditch me like this? How can this be legal?? I've
incurred several hundred dollars additional expenses- hotel, car, gas,
plus lost wages because they just left me here. I guess I will extend
the car rental AGAIN and drive back tomorrow.

Do I have any rights for compensation?

Sent from my iPod

Goofin' around

Thought I'd share the image I created for my capitol one credit card.  They allow  you to upload your own image for  your card, so I decided to give it a go.

It is a compilation of photos that I took in Las Vegas.  In case  you could not tell, Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit.

That is my sister Darlene down in the lower right corner. We were playing nickel slots at the old Fitz, on Fremont street. We like the machines there because they pay out in coins, and it is just so  much more fun to  hear the coins clanging into the tray when  you win.

Rain Rain Go Away

Rainy days - who doesn't love them?  The misting drizzle this morning was a beautiful backdrop to my breakfast on the screen porch.  it is so quiet in my backyard, the sound of the rain falling through the woods behind the  house is a melodic soundtrack to a relaxing sunday spent reading from my collection of old Calvin and Hobbes treasuries.  Still one of my all time favorites after all these years. 

Anyway, the relaxing morning turned into an afternoon of mud, sweat and tears. You see, I live at the bottom a hill. Whnver it rains a lot, it comes down my driveway, into a dry creek bed and around the back of my patio.  At least that is what is supposed to happen.  Occasionally, when we get lots of rain, it backs up into my back yard, overflows the patio and screen porch and floods the swimming pool. 

So, in the middle of all the rain we had today, I put on  my boots and dug two draining ditches, built a mud levee and dredged out the existing channel.  Hopefully, no  more flooding. 

When I started, this area was completely under water, just like the older photos. I guess it doesn't look like much in the photo, but that is about 3 hours of backbreaking shoveling.   Not the prettiest engineering in the world, but I bet the next three days of rain forecast will not flood my pool again.   And after it dries up, I guess I'd better get back out there and make it look pretty.   

Intention of 5 meters is chosen high.

Nighttime again. I am sitting outside listening to the crickets and frogs.

It's been a long day. I had a critique meeting at 6:30 am  we usually do on fridays.

Our team is preparing to go to the Orient for product development and to meet with some of our vendors. It is a very busy time in the art dept, after our  critique the entire collection of artists went to work collecting  and organize all of the art files and reference materials the travel team was to carry along. 

It is a lot of artwork, computers, a printer, supplies plus enough to live out of a small suitcase for two to three weeks. I do not envy them this job, it is an exhausting endeavor. The plane ride is 22-23 hours. Then travel in country can be hours more in vans or small planes. China is a vast land, the factories and showrooms scattered throughout mountainous terrain or packed into crowded cities. 

In Guangzhou, where we visited the Canton Fair, there are highways stacked three and four high - five or six stories high. It was pretty scary for me to look out the window of the smoke belching bus I was on and see that the guardrail on the elevated highway was several feet below my window. I don't even like driving on bridges, so you can imagine my terror at riding for miles on an elevated roadbed. Good view from up there, though. You can see right down into the backyards and courtyards and parking areas of building after tenement apartment after brand new highrise. The city of Guangzhou goes on for miles and miles. And more miles. On elevated highways.

My trip to China is something I will never forget. Screaming through the Shanghai night in the back seat of a taxi, sketching out plush penguins for a vendor meeting the next day is pure adrenalin. So many exciting and strangely wonderous things to see. So interesting to visit factories and see where the products are made.

Anyway, we got everything squared away for the trip. I worked 5 hours overtime this week (salaried) but walked out of there finally knowing that the task is done. The team heads for the airport Monday morning and the art dept will get back to normal.

Until they return...

oh, and if you are wondering  about the title of this post.... I have no idea what it means.