the wedding ceremony

Evidently, it's going to take me months just to share all the photos from one wedding I attended in April. (I would be a really terrible wedding photographer!)

When I last wrote about Shagun and Gaurav's wedding, I shared photos of the Baraat - the groom's procession on horseback down East 42nd Street in Manhattan. The groom arrived at the Grand Hyatt New York to much celebrating in the streets and the wedding procession then moved into the lobby of the hotel (minus the horse), up the escalators, and into the reception space with everyone dancing to the beat of the drum along the way...

The men in the bridal party then celebrated the merging of the families by lifting each other off the ground. (By the way, I am no expert on Indian weddings, so my apologies if I explain some of these traditions incorrectly - feel free to correct me in the comments!) Then everyone proceeded into the ballroom space and took their seats for the marriage ceremony, which started with reception of the groom and the priest blessing the groom in Sanskrit as the wedding guests eagerly anticipated the arrival of the bride. (Confession: I wouldn't have even known that the priest was speaking Sanskrit had it not been for my language-nerd date!) I couldn't understand the language, so I wasn't always sure of the significance of each ritual, but it was a beautiful ceremony full of tradition and participation of the bride and groom's families.

Finally, the bride and father-of-the-bride appeared!

The wedding ceremony began with a prayer to Lord Ganesha and the exchange of fresh flower garlands which signified the acceptance of each other as husband and wife.

I had an obstructed view, but it resulted in some fun shots like this:

During the Gaanth Bandhan, the loose ends of the bride and groom's garments were tied together, symbolizing a firm and lasting commitment.

During the Saptapadi, the couple takes seven steps around the fire, symbolic of the seven steps of life. With each step, the couple takes a vow:

Together we shall cherish each other in sickness and in health, in happiness and in sorrow.

Together we shall be life-long friends.

Together we shall share each other's ideals.

Together we shall nourish each other's strengths and fortune.

Together we shall make each other happy.

Together we shall provide and care for our children.

Together we will look forward to the future with spiritual unity.

Isn't that beautiful? I think those are perfect marriage vows.


Married!

Congratulations, Shagun and Gaurav!

Next up: The reception!

christmas in july + FAQs

I survived Artscape!

Now that I have a couple months off from art markets, I'll be spending the next few weeks catching up on real life and the summer I haven't had the chance to enjoy. There are freelancing projects, house projects, and cleaning and organizing that haven't been happening as I slaved away in my one-woman sweatshop. There are books I haven't had a chance to read and food I haven't had a chance to cook. There are friends I've lost touch with throughout the summer. There's a vacation I haven't had a chance to take. I'm not sure where to begin, but I'm looking forward to a break.

That being said, I met some amazing people at Artscape and hopefully some of the people who stopped by my tent over the weekend have found me on the internet - through my Etsy shop, Twitter, and this blog.

Speaking of amazing people, I realize this is going to sound like the You Caught My Eye section of the personal ads, but to my favorite Artscape customers: Laura In The Green Shirt & Boyfriend Who's Name I Didn't Catch (Pete? Peter?) - e-mail me! Would love to catch up in Baltimore or DC...for drinks? A concert? These two were so friendly (they came back to my booth on two separate days) and had so much in common with Larry and me (we are all fans of Josh Ritter and we were both at his concert at Wolf Trap last month) that I'm kicking myself for not getting their e-mail addresses! 

......................................................

Anyway, as a welcome to new blog readers and Artscape customers, I am having a Christmas in July sale in my Etsy shop - just enter code XMASINJULY at checkout to receive 10% off your order now through midnight EDT on July 25. (This applies only to items I currently have in stock in my Etsy shop.)

You've got questions? I've got answers!

And since I got a lot of repeat questions from customers during Artscape, I thought I'd take the opportunity to answer a few of them here:

HOW DID FUNNELCLOUD STUDIO GET ITS NAME?
My studio is always a mess (a result of my creative mind + too many art supplies?) and I always say it looks like a tornado ripped through it.

WHAT MEDIUM ARE YOUR PRINTS? HOW DO YOU MAKE THEM?
I'm a bit of a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to art, and the art in my shop currently includes block prints, and giclee prints made from original gouache and ink illustrations. I think I have a bit of hard time explaining the difference between printmaking and prints made from original art, so it may be a bit confusing to my customers.

Printmaking includes block prints (made from hand-carved blocks of linoleum or rubber), screenprints, letterpress, woodcuts, lithographs, etc. My Zinnias are linoleum block prints (also called linocuts). My mini animal prints are made from carved rubber blocks. My Rattlesnake and Octopus prints are screenprints. In all of these examples, I hand printed each print with ink in my studio. Even though the resulting artwork is called a print (or an impression), each is considered an original piece of art since it is not a reproduction made from another piece of art.

However, giclee prints are reproductions made from another piece of art. I create an original illustration or painting with gouache/watercolor, ink, or whatever medium I'm interested in exploring. I then have it professionally scanned at a local art reproduction house and printed on archival watercolor paper. The resulting 'print' is a copy of the original, but due to the high-tech scanning and printing methods and state-of-the-art equipment used by the reproduction house, it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between my original piece and the giclee print. My state map prints and raindrop prints were all originally gouache illustrations that have been reproduced using this method. All of my giclee prints are still individually signed and dated by hand.

There are pros and cons to each of these types of artwork. I find myself moving away from printmaking these days because printing multiple prints by hand is extremely time consuming and sometimes I get bored with the repetitiveness of the task. Printing everything myself takes away from time I could be using to create new pieces of art. However, while it saves me a lot of time to have a reproduction house reproduce my illlustrations, the process of getting my drawings and paintings scanned and printed is extremely expensive. Ahh, the old dilemma of time vs. money...

I hope this helps clear up the difference between the types of prints available in my shop!

ARE YOUR PRINTS STANDARD SIZES? WHERE CAN I GET FRAMES?
Yes, my artwork is sized to fit in standard store-bought frames. Most of my prints are 8x10 or 11x14. My mini animal block prints are 5x7. All of these frame sizes are easy to find in any store whether you chose to frame them with or without a mat. I also have some square prints that are 8x8 and 12x12. These are also standard sizes, though they can be a little more difficult to find. (However, I've even seen 8x8 frames at Target.) 12x12 frames can be found by searching for record or album frames.

While you can find frames in these standard sizes at any art/craft store, I recommend an online shop called American Frame to all my customers. (I have no affiliation with this company - though I wish I did! I love them!) American Frame sells the components for you to assemble a frame yourself - you get the frame, matting, backer board, plexiglass, and hardware and put it together yourself. It is easy - if you can use a screwdriver, you can do it! The best part is that you can get the frames/mats/plexi, etc made to any size you want. (And they have hundreds of choices of frames - everything from metal to wood, modern to ornate.) The quality is as good as what you would get from a professional frame shop, but without the hefty price tag. I think artwork looks much better in quality frames like these than in a cheapie frame you'd get from a craft store. So if you have a drawer full of artwork at home that hasn't made it onto your walls because you thought framing would be too expensive, give American Frame a try.

WHAT OTHER SHOWS DO YOU DO?
You can see the list of my Upcoming Shows by clicking on the link at the top of my blog under the banner. I typically do shows in Baltimore, DC, NoVA, and Richmond, but sometimes venture further afield. I have two Virginia shows coming up in October: Art on the Avenue in Del Ray/Alexandria (October 6th) and the Fairfax Fall Festival (October 13th). I also typically do several holiday shows in December - stayed tuned as dates are announced for those this fall.

ARE YOU FIRM ON THE PRICE?
Yes. Sorry, I do not bargain on the price of my artwork. Funnelcloud Studio is my job and my sole means of making money. Just imagine if your boss walked into your office one morning and said "Today we're going to pay you 25% less." I'm guessing you wouldn't be too happy with that!

I realize that everyone likes a good deal and is trying to save money these days, but trying to talk an artist down $5 is offensive. I try to keep a range of prices available in my shop so my work is available to people with varying budgets - from mini prints that you could buy on impulse, to some new more expensive pieces that you might have to think about for a while before you purchase. All of my prices are based on the amount of time and effort put into the piece (my new Things That Are Awesome illustration took three straight weeks to draw!) as well as the expense of materials and cost of reproducing it. That being said, I do offer sales occasionally. (See above!)

I don't expect everyone to like my work and I don't expect everyone to understand or appreciate the amount of time, skill, or expense that goes into making art. My work isn't for everyone. To those of you who like my work enough to spend your hard-earned money on it and to display it on your walls, I am flattered and honored and more appreciative than you'll ever know. To those who don't like my work or my prices - there are many talented artists out there and I am sure that you can find something else on Etsy or at an art market that appeals to your tastes and budget.

And to the lady who said "TEN DOLLARS FOR A PIECE OF PAPER?!" No, it is not a piece of paper. It is art. It is art that I designed, drew, carved, cut, inked, printed, signed, and packaged all by myself. $10 is a steal.

TEN DOLLARS FOR A PIECE OF PAPER?!

* I didn't intend for this to be a rant, just something to think about when buying art, whether it is from me or another artist. 95% of the people who visited my booth were extremely positive and complimentary and seemed to appreciate the value of art. No matter where you go there will be wackos and people who just don't get it. I'm typically more amused than offended, and I offer the Ten Dollars story for a laugh!

I hope these FAQs provide a little introduction to those of you who are new to my shop/blog. Thanks so much to everyone who braved the rain, came out to Artscape, and took the time to stop by my booth to chat and introduce yourselves. I'll write more about Artscape soon, but for now...it's time for a little more sleep!

artscape prep

Artscape Baltimore is this weekend! Who's going to brave the heat and crowds to check out the biggest free art market in the country? 

I've written before about what a day as an art market vendor is like, but Artscape is about 100 times bigger than any art market I've ever done before. Needless to say, I've been busy. My house looks like a store exploded in it. I've got piles of bulk materials scattered throughout the house. (What am I ever going to do with 500 paper bags???) I've got folding tables set up in just about every room to expand my staging area. My fingers are permanently smeared with ink. There are bits of plastic, rubber, and cardboard everywhere. I've been testing out new displays for showcasing my art, signing and packing prints, gathering supplies, draining my bank account on expedited shipping, spending late nights in the studio, trimming paper, carving blocks of rubber, writing To Do lists and wondering how I will get everything done...

And yes, there is new art. New animal block prints, new gouache illustrations, and new ink drawings, along with plenty of old favorites. They'll all be making their debut in Baltimore this weekend in Booth E103 on Mount Royal Avenue. And once it's all over with, the new prints will be available in my Etsy shop - but that won't be until next week.

That being said, I'm too excited not to share a peek at what I've been up to:

(Hey, how'd that get in there???)

Whew! Almost there. I think I can, I think I can...

See you on Friday. Or Saturday. Or Sunday! Let's do this, Artscape!

june blooms...in july

A look back on the flora (and fauna) in our yard before the heat wave killed all the plants and the thunderstorms/wind destroyed what wasn't already brown...

To be honest, the plants in our yard are up against a bigger challenge than temps in the triple digits: my brown thumb. I kill everything. So the blooms I am sharing are very hearty souls and have thrived throughout four years of neglect. The survivors:

Rose of Sharon. This plant (bush? tree?) is kind of a jerk. We call it the "dirty kleenex tree" because it drops the dead flowers all over our patio and they dry up and look like wads of used tissues:

Lilies. Lilies, lilies, lilies. Are lilies an invasive species? Because they spread like crazy. My mom pulled these double orange lilies out of her neighbor's trash (YES!) years ago, planted them in our yard and they've taken over and killed all other flowers in their path. Good thing they're pretty:


Hydrangeas. These guys were past their prime when I took the photos, but at their peak my hydrangeas are the most intensely blue hydrangeas I've ever seen. I got them this way by...doing nothing:


I think this is another variety of Rose of Sharon? (Wrong! My friend Matt just informed me that this is a Mallow Tree.)
Yellow Lilies:

Parsley. I know you're not supposed to let herbs bloom, but this is curly parsley and we don't eat it:

Daisies! I'm actually really proud of my daisies. They've grown bigger and more impressive every year and I estimate that I now have well over 500 blooming at any one time in my yard. If you have a brown thumb and a sunny patch in your yard, I highly suggest growing daisies. They evidently love being neglected:


Stonecrop. Planted these this year. Predict they will be dead by next year:

Coneflowers. When we moved in, the purple coneflowers were nearly as impressive as the daisies, but they've been crowded out by other plants. Hope to plant some more because they really are beautiful:

And now for some fauna: Larry calls this guy the Vulture Cardinal. I don't know why he doesn't have feathers on his head, but he is freaky:

bonaparte's retreat on the today show

A love for animals clearly runs in my family. My mother grew up on a dairy farm and imparted a love for animals and respect for nature on my brother and me. For years we begged for a pet of our own - Steve wanted a cat, I wanted a dog. We went through goldfish, turtles, guinea pigs, chameleons, and love birds until I finally scored a puppy at age 13. Leo the Dachshund was the love of our lives.

As an adult, I couldn't wait to get a dog of my own. Throughout my twenties I lived in an apartment that forbade pets. But once Larry and I bought our house, adopting a pup was the first thing on my agenda. I knew it would be a rescue dog. There are so many homeless dogs in animal shelters and rescue groups throughout the country. Both Gravy and Banjo were adopted through rescue groups - Gravy through Greyt Expectations Greyhound Rescue which pulls retired greyhounds from racetracks and Banjo through Lost Dog which pulls dogs from high-kill shelters. While I can't claim that we 'saved' either dog (the rescue groups did that!), adopting our pups through rescue groups opened up a spot for the organizations to pull another at-risk dog from a shelter and save it from euthanasia. The fact that my dogs may have been next on the list brings me to tears. They are the best thing that ever happened to us.

And it runs in the family. My cousin started a rescue group of her own - with kennels in her own backyard and adoption events in her own front yard. The organization - Bonaparte's Retreat - is named after her beloved poodle mix who followed her on tour - I remember him coming on stage at Wolf Trap and hanging out backstage after the concert! Pups who have been given a second chance at life in Nashville often find themselves living at Emmy's place (the very luckiest ones on her couch!). Her organization started out with 3 or 4 dogs and now houses 29 pups who have been saved from euthanasia, but are looking for their forever homes.

Emmy and Bella - the dog who was the inspiration for the song Big Black Dog:

Recently, The Today Show featured Bonaparte's Retreat. Watch the video here.

The faces of animal rescue: all four pups who came on our beach trip are rescue dogs. Can you believe that Banjo, Wrigley, Gravy, and Bella were once considered unwanted?!

So if you're thinking about adding a pet to your family, please consider a rescue animal - whether it be through an animal shelter or a rescue organization.

Gravy and Banjo thank you from the bottom of their hearts (and their plush doggie beds)!

xoxo