LOVE

A while ago, Maryann Kuntz of An Octopus's Garden
informed me that the shop would be having a
special shopping event for Valentines Day.
For quite some time she has been asking me
to create pieces with a topical theme. That isn't
normally what I do, but I did make a few spiders
for her at Halloween. They moved fairly well, but I
didn't plan on doing other holiday pieces.

With Valentines Day coming up, and me having
some free time, I decided to make a few pieces
with LOVE as the subject. I took a few down
to her shop and they were sold the next day.
So I spent all day Friday making more.

This has been a fun endeavor. I was quite surprised
by the many different ways I found to make those
four letters.

Valentines Day is right around the corner. This year,
rather than getting the same old flowers that will be
brown in a week, consider getting your Valentine
a gift that will last a lifetime.
These are available exclusively at An Octopus's Garden.
They are located in the Village.on.High, on High St.
in Millville, NJ

 

America



The American Way







We recently observed the 70th anniversary of
the bombing of Pearl Harbor and America's
entry into World War Two. The thing that struck
me about this was how quickly the American people
answered the call to arms. Overnight the
American people got to work and built a
military force second to none. This was not
an easy task, but Americans have never
failed to rise to the occasion. Hard work is
what built this country into the world's
leading industrialized civilization.



Let's Work Together





Sadly, this once great nation has turned
her back on what made her so great.
Today the labor and sweat of past generations
seems something to be avoided at all
costs. Manual labor is something to
be shipped offshore or something
associated with only those poor
souls who have to settle less.











OTR

 I have created a new series of sculpture
that I am calling America. These sculptures
are designed to reflect the glory that once
was America. These pieces will pay homage
to all those who built this country with their
hard work. They have left behind a legacy
that cannot be forgotten.

My Favorite Fans

Last Saturday night I was at the Caught
Unawares Art Show at the Cherry Hill
Public Library. It was a very nice show,
and I had the opportunity to meet and
talk with many people who were intrigued
by my art..

The highlight of my evening, however was
my conversation with a young lady who is
currently in kindergarten. She was truly
fascinated by my work. We chatted for about
a 1/2 hour. She wanted to know how I was
able to stick the metal together without glue.
It wasn't enough to know that I welded it
together, she had to know what 'welding'
was and how it worked. She scrutinized
each piece, looking for familiar objects,
and wanted to know what the unfamiliar
ones were. Her youthful enthusiasm and
candor were the highlight of my evening.





 I have found as I go from show to show

that children are some of my biggest fans.
They want to linger and explore my
sculpture long after their parents have had
a quick look and are ready to keep moving
so that they can fit everything in and still be
on time to their next appointment.



 Thank God for children. They can teach
us all some important lessons. It's not
enough for them to just stop and smell the
roses. They want to know what makes them
smell so good, how they grow, why they have
thorns, and why don't they have any growing
in their backyards.

So, here's to my young friends and fans.
May your sense of wonder never dim and
keep after us older folks to stoop down
and see the world from your perspective.

Caught Unawares

The second annual Caught Unawares art

show will be held this Saturday night,

December 3, 2011. This event is presented

by Caught Unawares, a community

outreach associated with "The Sanctuary"

church. I was a part of this event last

year and I am happy to be

participating again this year.

The event is comprised of two parts.

Part one will be a coffeehouse type

event featuring the work of many talented

visual artists along with readings by local

poets and live music. There will also be light

refreshments served.

Part two will be an art exhibition which will

remain in the library's gallery for the entire

month of December. These artworks will

mostly be representative of hte members

of the Caught Unawares Art Guild, although

there will also be some guest artists, such as

myself.

Admission the both events is FREE, but

guests are requested to bring small

denomination gift cards from

local merchants, which will be

distributed to needy families in the

community to help them experience a

happy holiday season.

In the spirit of full disclosure, let me say that

this event is of a religious nature. The story other

true meaning of the Christmas season will be

told.

There will also be also be a children's

art workshop, making this a family

friendly event.

Event Details : Caught Unawares Art Show

Location :   The Cherry Hill Public Library

                  ( lower level )

                  1100 Kings Highway North

                  Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

 Time:         Saturday, December 3, 2011

                  3:00-3:45 pm    Kids Workshop

                  4:00-7:30 pm    Main Show

Admission:   Free

                    (Gift cards of small denominations

                    from local merchants are requested)

Visit the Caught Unawares website to learn more:

Second Annual Caught Unawares Art Show

An Octopus's Garden

"An Octopus's Garden" is a wonderful
shop located in the Village on High shopping

village in Millville, NJ.  This is in the heart of
Millville's art district. Mike and Maryann, the owners, are great folks who will warmly
welcome you to their shop.







They feature an eclectic mix of one-of-a-kind

handmade items created by local artists. You
won't find any cheesy, mass-produced,
products there. If that is what you want,
there is a Wal-Mart down the road.
However, if you are looking for a truly
unique item, be it a piece of jewelry, a painting,
a piece of sculpture, or maybe some artistic
stationary, then this is the place for you.

Whether shopping for yourself or looking
for that perfect gift, they are sure to have
something to fit the bill, AND you won't
have to break the bank. They have items
appropriate for every budget.





I'm proud to display my work at "An
Octopus's Garden".  So stop in sometime
soon and see what they have in store.
You're sure to find something exciting and new.

An Octopus's Garden

The Village on High

Affordable Art



AA #7
$50






We need art.

The human animal is different from all the
other animals. While we share many
characteristics with our fellow planet mates,
the need for water, air, shelter, even
companionship, we are alone in our appreciation
of art. Wolves may howl at the moon, but I don't
believe it is because they find it beautiful.








Geometric #1
$85



We are visual beings. Our eyes allow us to

experience the world both near and far. We

must be relatively near to the source of the
stimuli to hear, taste, smell or feel. But with
our eyes we experience things that are miles
away, even millions of miles, in the case
of the heavens.






 Art lifts our spirits. It renews us. It arouses
our sense of awe. It is so important to us

that we spend millions of dollars on it.

 Take van Gogh's "Sunflowers", for instance.


AA #9
$45

What drove a man to spend 40 million dollars for a piece of canvas covered
with a few ounces of oil and pigments.
Obviously he saw more than that.
He saw something so precious that
he was willing to spend what was
at that time an unprecedented amount
of money.






This brings me to the point of this post.
I believe that art shouldn't be only for
the wealthy. I know there are many who would like to have a piece of fine art
to call their own, but they feel that art
is beyond their budget.

AA Red #1
$35

To this end, I am introducing my

'Affordable Art' series. These are small

sculptures priced to be affordable to

those on even the tightest of budgets.
These pieces range in size from five to
eighteen inches tall. I hope to keep them
priced from $100 or less, with many
pieces priced under $50. Their small size
also allows them to be shipped at a
reasonable cost.
They make great gifts for the art
lover in your life, or for the person who
has everything.

To see the entire series, CLICK HERE

New Pieces For The December Show

Samurai X3

Since the I HEART ART show, I have been
looking for another show. I came across an ad
for a December show in Cherry Hill, NJ. This
is the same show that I did last December, but
it was located in Vorhees last year. Last year
was the inaugural year for this show. I didn't
realize that it would become an annual event,
so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered
it was to be held again this year.

39 Years

The details are still being worked out, so I

can't post them yet. But I do know that it
will be held at the Cherry Hill Library in
early December.











Down on the Corner

 I will post the full details when they become
available to me.