Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Autumn Mosaic

Leaves are changing colors, temperatures are dropping and football is all over the television. This can only mean one thing; It's time for Fall's Artrageous Weekend!


Poppy will be playing host to three amazing artists, one photographer and two jewerly artists.

Karen Kaupanger is a local artist whose photography has begun to focus on the natural beauty of the flora and fauna of the American Content.

Karen Kaupanger developed her appreciation of the natural world at an early age. She grew up in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California where a day's play meant wandering in redwood forests and collecting rocks on the beach.


Kaupanger has the talent to find beauty in unexpected places such as the North Platte River valley near Kearney, Nebraska, which annualy hosts the migration of hundreds of thousands of majestic Sand Hill cranes.


Randi Chervitz is a jewlery artist from St. Louis and has been making jewelry since 1987.


She began exploring forms in metal at Parsons School of Design, New York City, as part of her studies there. From Parson's, Chervitz transferred to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, the "Harvard" of metalsmithing, to study with internationally-known jeweler, Richard Mawdsley.






Randi's influences include couture fashion, it's history, expressiveness and relationship to everyday life. Also important are the transformation of the role of women in the past fifty years, and the emergence of the self as one grows through life.

Chervitz feels priviledged to make her own living through her art-making, and is constantly exploring new ways to create texture through metal. Her crocheted surfaces are her trademark, and hammered and soldered linear techniques reveal new directions.
Jamie Cassavoy is a jewelry artist based in Atlanta, GA. From the beginning, her goal has been to make limited production, one of a kind jewelry made by hand. From Sterling Silver, 18k gold and precious and semi-precious gems, Jamie and her staff at Cassavoy & Co meticulously craft each piece.

Jamie's influences are extensive. Cassavoy has culled inspiration from aesthetics as diverse as Art Deco and African Tribal Art; however, looking outside her window at the trees and flowers growing in her yard is her favorite inspiration.



Using botanicals as the base for all of the designs in her line, Jamie has also mixed together clean lines, feminine forms that look delicate yet substantial, and texture with accents of color to create a line of jewelry that has gained a large and loyal following.


Ultimately, Jamie's goal is to produce beautiful jewelry that is a pleasure to wear and makes the wearer feel beautiful.

We hope you will join us for this special weekend event. Our artists will be available to speak with you about their work Friday evening from 4pm-9pm and Saturday 11am-4pm.
"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." ~ Stanley Horowitz
-diana

Monday, September 20, 2010

Pop into Poppy to Check out our New Arrivals.

Our trip to NY was a great success. Not only did we Win the Retailers Excellence Award for Visual Merchandising/Display but we met quite a few new artists to introduce to you. We also caught up with some of Poppy's veteran artists and viewed there new collections. There were no disappointments.

Thanks to this very successful trip Poppy is receiving New Merchandise everyday! Whether you are looking for jewelry, baby items or cards there are new artists to explore!

If Jewelry is on your mind and you are a big fan of The Green Movement come in and check out Molly M Designs.



Based out of Santa Cruz, CA Molly McGrath is professionally trained as an architect. After using a laser cutter for architectural models, she recognized the machine's potential to make unique jewelry.





Molly's process starts with a sketch, which she then drafts into AutoCAD, and prints on the laser cutter. The jewelry is inspired by pattern and form - a skyline, a bird in flight, a composition of branches, a snowflake, cracked concrete, botanical morphology, perspective, building geometries and optical illusions.




Whenever possible the jewelry is made with sustainable materials like Bamboo, Veneer from responsibly farmed forests and Recycled Suede and Felt.





If you are looking for a gift to inspire come in and see Laurel Denise's New Element and Texture Designs.


Her bracelet featured is adjustable leather with original handwritting laser etched into the bracelet. This one states; "life whispers, listen carefully". Other bracelet sayings include; "she lives her life in her own little fairytale", "imagine you", "love", "strength", "friend", "sister".


Laurel Smith, owner and designer of Laurel Denise, has been designing jewelry since March 2005. Originally from Charlotesville, VA, and a graduate in studio art from James Madison University in 2003, has returned to live and work in Charlotesville, VA after spending a few years just outside New York City.


Before making the move to create full time, Laurel worked a 9-5 job in Washington DC. It was during this time that the creative vision behind Laurel Denise came to her-through a dream. In this dream, Laurel was using tools and materials that were unfamiliar to create the beautiful glass pieces featuring her handwritting or original illustrations that have become her signature style.
Her "Imagine"necklace featured here is made of sterling silver. The original handwriting is laser cut from recycled sterling silver and has a brushed finish. This necklace also comes inscribed with the words "shine", "sing", "dance", "peace", "mommy" and many more.




If you are looking for something earthy yet sophisticated you need to take a peak at Alison Blair's collection.




East Coast gal Alison Stern transplanted to Boulder, CO in 1997 after a brief but obviously impressive visit. Formerly a travel book editor in Manhattan, she wanted a different pace for herself and her family: one that would allow all to thrive and grown, experience, and soak in life in real time instead of in warp speed.




Alison's artistic inspiration comes from Boulder's Flatiron Mountains and their ever-changing moods and colors. With a delicate eco-system, but stately presence, the mountains represent strength in simplicity and the power of nature's visual and physical rhythms. On a Winter's morning, the mountains can look as gentle as a cloud, on a summers sultry afternoon, a fiery force. With each movement of the sun, the mountains dance. Keeping these images in mind Alison has created Designs using semi-precious and precious stones, African trade beans, river rocks and precious metals, as well as natures own glorious colors and combinations.



Alison wishes all wearers of her jewelry will live richly, love fully and play heartily. Alison Blair Designs are made to live in.









If simple and sweet is the look for you come in and see our new line all the way from Hawaii, Midori Jewelry.


Designer Traci Morinaga's style is classic with a contemporary flair and a tiny asian twist that can last throughout the seasons.






With opals from Peru, amethysts from Brazil and silver from Turkey these sweet colored gemstones sparkle and beckon, and once worn, will satisfy any jewelry lover's palatte





Her inspiration is derived from the latest Vogue to a Margaret Atwood poem to a swatch of fabric...perhaps a lithograph at the Honolulu Academy of arts, or maybe a scenic view atop Maui's Haleaka.

"Creating beautiful jewelry in Hawaii comes naturally-inspiration is never too far away"

-Traci Morinaga





Greeting Note Cards are one of Poppy's most popular items. This year we found 2 new card artists to introduce to you.


The first one is Screech Owl Designs out of Brooklyn, NY. At Screech Owl Design, we believe that the romance and charm of a handwritten note is priceless. Each note is a diminutive work of art that can make a personal journey from one friend to another. They are delighted to play a small part in there gestures of community and acts of thoughtfulness and sharing. We offer imaginative and beautifully printed note cards, postcards and box set for your various correspondence needs.

All of there hand drawn and original images are created and rendered by Jacqueline Schmidt, who is continually inspired by a hand written note. Bird on a chair? Their images grow from an inspiration derived in nature. Their colorful cards playfully bring nature into contact with their quirky yet urbane domesticity. They enjoy cobbling these images in a humerous and harmonious habitat where wildlife and wing chairs go hand in hand.

All of their cards are printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper or tree free 100% cotton paper recovered from scraps.


We were also fortunate enough to stumble across Roger la Borde's cards.



Roger la Borde has a long association with environmental causes dating all the way back to Jane Ray's Rainforest Range in the 1980's, which raised funds for Green Peace and Friends of the Earth, so they have always paid attention to the environment and ethical concerns when sourcing and manufacturing.

When we say environmental and social concerns are at the heart of our production process, what we mean is that the first questions we ask when sourcing a product or finding a new manufacturer are:


Can we use recycled or renewable source material in this product, and does the manufacturer comply with the appropriate international standards in terms of the conditions for and treatment of its workforce.





Our Baby Section continues to grow by the minute and our trip to NY is a large reason why. This year we caught up with Twirls and Twigs; one of my favorites.


For Shawna Dalton, creator of Twirls and Twigs, necessity has certainly been the mother of invention. Desiring to dress her own children in mindful fashion proved only to exist in her mind's eye -- so she created the clothing herself. Inspired by pirouettes amid her love for nature, Shawna turns sustainable fibers, designer leftovers and recycled cotton into trimmed and bountiful whimsy that reconciles style with substance.

Twirls and Twigs parlays Shawna's extensive industry experience into eco-savvy innovation, where the celebration of a greener world can be seen through playful expression.







If you are a fan of the Trumpette socks come in and see their new designs; Jitterbug Jenny and Lucys.

Each pair of Lucys comes with a Satin Bows. Each pair of Jitterbug Jennies comes with Ruffles.








We also picked up their clothing line. Whats better on a cold day then bundling up your little one in a unique sweater?
The final artist I would like to mention is a painter. If you are looking for some color and love the look of abstract art Ting Huang is the artist for you.



Ting works primarily in oils and acrylics and exhibits an expressive approach. Using canvas as the foundation, she explores her inner qualities through understanding the nature and the characteristics of paint. After years of painting, she developed the method with the process of destroying and recreating to achieve the compositions. Her work is visceral, emotive in nuance and reserved.



"The journey of painting at this point of my life is showing lots of non-objective images that seem like city or bird view landscapes. I pondered for the answer and it came to my realization that it is a result of the creative process that involved me to observe and understand unconscious approaches with paint on canvas."




The energy that sustains the creative process is a reflection of human sentiments in reality. Recreating and destroying became a therapeutic
way for me to absorb and express, to provoke and to let go. I perceive my own inner qualities through a different dimension and learn to accept and celebrate them. Following what I believe is natural, welcome the challenges, enjoy the struggles and always be true to myself.


My working process has established a far more meaningful significance then the final images I create. It is an approach that I am fulfilling to embrace my inner ego through the creative experiences.




Regardless of what you are looking for come into Poppy and you are sure to find that one of a kind gift.