A Week of CreAtive Sparx in McCall, ID This Summer!

We are all so excited to be participating in the first summer of art events at the brand new McCall Art & Commerce Center in McCall, ID!  

Classes, events, exhibits and open studio time - something for everyone!

Don't miss the Art & Wine Pairing because it's a  delectable, delightful and delicious way to tickle your tongue and your eye!

The CreAtive Sparx 20/20 Vision will let you peek into the hearts, minds and souls of some artists in a stimulating and unusual way!

Visit the exhibit in the Gallery and see sculptures, paintings, glass, pottery, jewelry...and maybe even some surprises!

Join us for this inaugural event at MACC (and if you are a member, don't forget to ask for the discount on the class fees).

Here is the flyer for a week of great workshops and events we are offering in McCall, ID at the new and very beautiful McCall Art + Commerce Complex (MACC) this summer the week of July 18-25.  The idea for this began at the Celebration of Fine Art this past winter.  A group of us, the NW Salon, who have been working cooperatively for a few years to enhance our audience's art experience, generated CreAtive sparx when Donna and Dave Armstrong told us about MACC.  Since all of us either live in or have lived in the northwest, we loved the idea of spending a week bringing our ideas, our work, and our energy to beautiful ID.  We are equally excited to join with McCall artists in the development of what may become the Art Event of many summers to come.  So, join us!  Besides the classes/workshops here, there are other curiously delightful events for you to attend....I will post more about these soon, so keep in touch!

And check this link out for other classes held on the campus all summer long - www.mccallarts.org

As for our road trip on the way to McCall - it's going to be a busy summer.  We start out in Chicago where Syed has a show over the July 4th weekend.  I'm taking a few days to visit family in Iowa City and a trip to the University art galleries and the wonderful  Chait Galleries Downtown where Syed has his work.  Then it's back in the van to Vail for the Art On the Rockies show, July 9-10.  We haven't been to Vail in several years, so this trip to the Pacific NW provided a timely opportunity to spend a couple of days in the Rockies again.  Then we go all the way to Salem, OR for the Salem Art Festival, a show we did many years ago - I love this festival!  They have great music and it's the annual fund raiser for their Art Association - so if you're in the area (and who wouldn't want to be in Oregon in the summer?), join us.

And finally we get to McCall July 18 for a meet-up with a bunch of great, inventive artists for a week of fun - teaching, sharing, sipping, tasting!

Diamonds & Reticulated Silver & Gold!

Come along with me as I continue featuring Celebration of Fine Art artists, art and happenings in the Big White Tent at the Loop 101 and Scottsdale Rd, here in Scottsdale, AZ where the sun is shining and the temps headed towards a delicious 74 degrees.

Donna Armstrong, in the NW Salon of the Celebration, is a jeweler and a gemologist.  You'll know this as soon as you ask her about the difference between diamonds!  The first shot is of a London Blue Topaz necklace and earrings set in reticulated silver and 14k gold.  The London Blue is the darkest and richest in color of all the topazes. I knew the reticulated look, but what I didn't know is that it is accomplished by texturing the metal with a torch.

The second pic is a custom wedding set that Donna updated for the client, using the client's original wedding stones, but adding the center Ascher cut diamond for a beautiful contemporary design with a nod to the traditional band.  Characteristic of the Ascher cut is the square stone with the corners cut off.

Donna, one of our Idaho artists, has been a jeweler for fifteen years and here in the NW Salon for three.  She works primarily with custom pieces, so...Valentine's Day is coming up........

See you tomorrow.