Walkin' In Memphis

Out of sequence here, but back in October of 2010 we did the River Arts Fest show in Memphis. Elvis still reigns supreme in this bayou town of music and nostalgia. The ever-present reminders of Martin Luther King, Civil Rights and the nearby Lorraine Motel become interwoven in this edgy city of history and strife.

Each time we do the show there, we spend Saturday night on Beale Street with friends. We take the trolley over from the show after we close our booths. On these trolley rides we've had the pleasure of meeting visitors from Australia and England as well as common folks who left footprints in our hearts and made our trip to this delightful city all the more enriching and memorable.

Last fall we met the Mayor of Beale Street, Rudy Williams. We ate dinner at The Kings Palace Cafe and took in some incredible jazz. The fried green tomatoes they served were the best!

The trip would not be complete without a meal at the famous Arcade Diner. It sits mixed in among the art fair booths that line Main Street. I do think they serve the best biscuits I have ever tasted. I'll have to return to verify this, but I'm pretty certain!
Some cities are magnets for interesting people - this is by far one of them. We look forward to a return and yet another wonderful encounter in the land of the Delta Blues.

Patricia

To Have & To Hold

Weddings bring people together in the most wonderful of ways. People who are meant to share this life find one another, unite and share the joy as they begin their journey.


A few months ago, dear friends Marc and Wendy began their life together.
Jon and I created a TattooDream box to hold wedding cards for the day and memories forever!


The entire wedding party wore red Converse hight tops........so did their box!
Their dear friend Parker shot the wedding and in doing so crafted a lifetime of memories for them. Every smile and nuance captured the love and happiness.

Blessing of love and health to you both!!

Patricia & Jon

Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair - You Still Need Art!

During the next few days, the right of passage known as the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fairs will emerge once again. Too many artists to count and even more art loving patrons gather each summer amidst the meandering streets and sunny skies of Ann Arbor Michigan. Multiple shows reach into one another so much so some don't know where one begins and another ends. It is there you will find everything from wonderfully imaginative work to 'stuff' impaled on a stick. (There is a name for such 'stuff' I will refrain from using here.)

I will be there! My TattooDream boxes will make their debut at the Summer Art Fair also known as The Michigan Guild Show. My booth is #8 on State Street near the steps to Angell Hall by the Quad. With a show so large, one needs GPS and comfy shoes to take it all in!
By doing this show, I'll mark having done all of the major shows that concurrently go on for these four (usually sweltering) summer days in this artsy enclave.

In my booth, you will see a sign. It simply says "YOU STILL NEED ART"......

For so long, the mantra has been to not be seen spending money. Guess what? You have my permission to begin shopping again! Yes, you heard it here! The concept is to be selective and buy things that enhance your life, feed your soul, and nourish your being.
So what I'm saying is---BUY ART! Buy art this week. BUY ART NOW!!

Find your favorite artist or a new one and re-establish buying art. (We know you haven't forgotten how to do this!)

We have not gone away, we're still here.
Here fighting to hang on in a screwed up economy, pay our bills and and carve away the dust to uncover our dreams and prosper once again.
We need you!
YOU are a part of that process.
Without YOU, artists cannot keep creating.
Join in the process of keeping art alive again. It's easy, really. All it takes is you giving up something of value to you in exchange for me giving up something of value of mine.

Resume the passion of collecting!! YOU STILL NEED ART!

Patricia

Reflections of A Journey- Broad Ripple Art Fair

Twenty four years ago my husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary while exhibiting at the Broad Ripple Art Fair. We loved the experience and this show ignited something inside us. It was our very first art fair. We sold $2.00 handmade cards. The finishing touches to our display were completed the night before by my husband and my father-in-law. Amazingly, everything fit into a Honda Civic! Our canopy was delayed in transit and didn't arrive in time for the show. By Monday morning my scorched nose was peeling as the UPS man delivered our much needed display tent. Little did we know that that weekend set into motion, what would become for two young artists, a way of life.

For some the month of May in Indy means racing. For the art festival fair goer and artist, it means Broad Ripple Art Fair! For me, it signifies the anticipation of a busy art fair season. The wonderful people who attend and support the artists who exhibit at Broad Ripple Art Fair make this event one not to miss for the artist or the collector. We've loved doing this show, rain or shine over the years.

Few collectors leave this show empty-handed. Something special awaits every taste and budget. The dedicated fair goer will arrive armed with shopping bags, sun block, cash and credit cards. All necessary accouterments to fully enjoy this event! Finding the perfect art treasure, the one that really speaks to you, is paramount. Winding down with friends to enjoy live music, artist demonstrations in the art center and neighbors you'll meet, only add to a great weekend.

Any artist exhibiting knows the degree of passion, frustration, dedication and long hours that are instilled into honing their craft. This becomes fully realized when they connect with the right person- the one who recognizes this effort. This stirring is both tangible and rewarding. The culmination of time seems unimportant once your work is fully appreciated. This exchange is just one of the many beautiful aspects of art.
When hard earned money is exchanged for hand made work, the circle of art is complete.
The art of buying something handcrafted carries with it
-the soul and the fingerprints,
-the emotion and the passion,
the breath of its maker.

My husband Jon builds wooden boxes and furniture that I emblazon with words and images stamped in paint. Somewhat resembling tattoo's on wood, we call them TattooDreams. Each piece is a one of a kind. It's our newest body of work and one that has come into it's own within the last few years. Some pieces are adorned with tied silk, beads, pistachio shells, seeds, bottle caps and assorted collected ephemera. Collectors find images and words they relate to on my work and in doing so quickly claim the piece that speaks to them! Custom pieces can be ordered as well.

There are few venues an individual can casually go where they'll encounter as much original art and speak directly to the artists as at an art fair. These are special events that communities need to support to keep the handmade spirit alive and artists thriving. One of the last things handmade in our country is our wealth of fine art and fine craft. It's a part of our culture that needs to be fed and fostered to stay vibrant.

Twenty four years later, we're happy to be juried into and exhibiting at the 40th Annual Broad Ripple Art Fair. Our display and work have gone through numerous revisions and no longer fit in the back of a Honda! We've participated in approximately 480 shows across the country, traveled more than 500,000 miles and met wonderful collectors who have shared their homes and collections with us. In carving this path, we've amassed an amazing group of talented friends who share our same passion and dedication.
The circle gets wider and continues to surround us with an extraordinary life that begins and ends each day with ideas, images and our passion for making and selling our work.
The people and places we've traveled and the countless hours we've driven are forever ingrained in our hearts. They are with us when we enter our studio every day.

Gas prices may rise, the economy may shrink, but mans intrinsic nature to create handmade objects of beauty will never cease. The passion of people who collect this beauty will never die. As humans we desire to covet things that fascinate, magnify and accentuate our lives. It is these very objects that surround us in our homes, feed our souls and nurture our ongoing quest for things that make us feel good and whole. In capturing what beauty an artist has created, the collector becomes part of this magical circle we call art.

We hope you'll come by our booth. TattooDreams can be found in Booth # 214 in the Artists Lot, on the right hand side.


Never forget- You still need art!

Patricia Hecker

Broad Ripple Art Fair-May 15th & 16th-
Indianapolis, Indiana

Happy Hunka Hunka Birthday Elvis!

Born January 8th 1935 in Tupelo Mississippi at 4:35 am.

Elvis was kind enough to grace our ArtfulSmiles.com booth in Las Vegas in 2006 when we were there for the AAO (American Association of Orthodontists). He made a brief appearance to preside over our 22nd wedding anniversary!

Happy Birthday Elvis!
Thank you - thank you very much!

To one of my most dedicated blog readers and friends, this one's for you Michael!!
♬ ♫ ♬ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♩ ♫ ♪
Happy Hunka Hunka Friday!
Patricia

Creating Atmosphere in 100 Square Feet

Yes, 100 square feet is the average art fair booth size. Within the confines of which you need to showcase your work and display it at its best, be able to store extra work and wrap purchases. You need to stop folks passing by long enough to entice them to walk in. Better yet to walk in all the way!
Jon laid out our booth in a new configuration this weekend and achieved that goal!! The booth looks spacious and easy to shop and the beaded curtain continues to elicit ohhhs and ahhs and requests for commissions. This was my hope in creating this gigantic 'beaded beast'!

The tables pictured here will soon head to my etsy shop. Coming soon will be shelves and more beaded items for our valued collectors to peruse!
Thanks everyone for your support of this relatively new body of work. The words and imagery I use have found their way into so many homes and businesses-there really is something here for everyone!

Patricia

To Dwell in the Possibilities

I'm sharing with you, my blog readers, a close-up of a new piece I showed this past weekend at Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival in Houston, Texas. The title of this piece, "To Dwell in the Possibilities" was a fitting name to begin our 2009 show season. This a small portion of the overall piece which measures 26" high x 57" long. Framed in a handcrafted oiled cherry frame.

This title reflects the optimism that I plan to bring to shows. Every time my canopy is opened to the patrons who view my work, an opportunity is given to me to connect on multiple levels. The psychology of sales begins. My job as artist is over and the ability to connect begins on a level that they feel comfortable making a purchase and I feel comfortable letting go of the time, talent and imagination it took to conceive and execute this work. They give up what they find of value and so do I.

The people of Houston were wonderful and appreciative of what the artists shared this past weekend. The staff at Woodlands was wonderfully warm and hospitable. Seeing fellow artists and getting into the sun did my soul good. The Celtic rock band Needfire played a great set of high energy rock on the waterside stage. Pure energy! We purchased their latest cd, 'Chasing Orion' to enjoy on the 20 hour ride home.

We're home and regrouping and will be back in our studio tomorrow.
All in all, a good start to what will be a good year.
We feel ready and open to dwell in the possibilities!

Patricia

The Adventures of Baxter.......

Baxter is our newest tiger. A beautiful loving feline who pounced into our hearts last fall. He lived for a short time in our studio until the window of time opened that we could integrate him with our three other tigers. He's made a fine transition to his new home and is the softest, funniest cat. It's so nice having a kitten in our midst. Their amazing sense of wonder and soft playful ways are like nothing else.
Peace itself, wrapped in fur.
A rambunctious play hard, sleep hard lifestyle is his agenda.

For the past day or so we've had high winds sweep across our property. Gusts exceeding 35 mph for certain. Our wind bells and chimes have been eliciting the sounds of spring as robins and cardinals find their way about. We love wind and this time of year we know it brings with it the change we've been anticipating!

Last night all four kitties were taking wind baths on the upper deck, doors open to their magical, safe, star-lit playground. Jon realized one was missing..........OMG........a missing child........I should have been more diligent!
Who was it, where were they and how long had they been gone? All these thoughts and more raced through my head.
It was Baxter!
He either was swept off his paws by the gusts of wind or decided to leap from the deck. We think the later. Either way, he happily greeted us by the back door, came in and rolled around on the floor. He wasn't out long! We think his curiostiy overtook his good sense and he leaped over the edge to explore further what was in the yard below. We've asked him to promise not to pull this again.
Cats have 9 lives.
48 year olds don't!

So as I craft my blog entry, this diminutive package of fur covered love sleeps sprawled out on the couch of the same color. The last beams of sunlight warming his face.
He's pure peace and we all found one another at a very good time. His pulsing paws are hopefully not planning his next escape!

Above is a photo of Baxter near the hand painted hanging bead curtain in our kitchen.

Sending love and furry hugs to all my blog readers this windy March day........Spring is around the corner!

Patricia

Gallery 406 Exhibit, Bloomington Indiana

February has been a busy month for Jon and I here at Purple Hill. Daily, we assess where things are and continually aim to find new ways to promote what we do or how people view or access our work. The current economy has us continually thinking!
February has found us with 2 different exhibits of my two bodies of work in two different galleries. The Orchard Gallery in Fort Wayne has my TattooDreams rubber stamped work.
Gallery 406 in Bloomington has my Hecker Design mixed media sculptures.
Above are two images of Gallery 406. This newly renovated space on South Walnut in Bloomington houses the studio of local photographer Kendall Reeves as well as his new gallery. The airy, light filled space with coffee-toned concrete floors provides a beautiful showcase for my work this month. While there, be sure to view Kendall's work as well. He has a magnificent selection of images he sells to the faithful IU Alumni that will tug at their nostalgic hearts and conjure up memories of college days in Bloomington.
My cherry frames and earthy colors look lucious there and I hope, if you're in the area, you'll go in and look around. Jon and I are grateful for this mid-winter opportunity to showcase our work in both venues!

Patricia


Gallery 406
406 South Walnut Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47401
ph: 812.333.0536