Thoughts & news

News Russ News Russ

Studio sale TODAY (Sun, 12/16) 1-4 PM

120054I'll be at the studio today from 1 - 4 PM for one last afternoon of holiday shopping. I've still got lots of great pieces, including new items such as the scarf shown here. I'm delighted with the way that this turned out. It's a combination of my own hand-dyed silk (the turquoise backing) and a wild textural print that I picked up last weekend at Mood in the Garment District in Manhattan.

Several of the other Artists in Residence will also be in their studios today. It's a great opportunity to shop for original art, meet the artists, and support local small businesspeople by shopping locally.

My studio is located on the 3rd floor of the Greenbelt Community Center at: 15 Crescent Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20770.

 

Read More
News Russ News Russ

Mini buying trip to NYC

moodDan and I were in Manhattan last weekend for the wedding of two friends. It was a great excuse to do a little shopping in the garment district. I found some great deals on some basic white dyeable stuff--a wonderful cotton batiste in particular. I also happened upon a wonderful, wild bolt of fabric at Mood. I came home with 2 yards I’m going to use for scarves. Last night I dyed some turquoise blue silk habotai to use for backing. The result should be...well, I’ll post pictures of the finished product and you can decide for yourself. I'm excited I’m hoping to get at least a couple of new things ready for the open studio this weekend.  

Read More
News Russ News Russ

Open Studio Sale: Sun, Dec 16, 1-4 pm

I'll be in the studio this Sunday (Dec 16), 1-4 PM for one last holiday shopping opportunity. Stop by for a little light refreshment and a little shopping. My studiomate Celestine will also be there selling her bags, bowls, and other fabric creations. And let's not forget Sherill's wonderful cut paper designs--original compositions, prints, and jewelry. Three artists in one room. That's a whole lot of art!

Our studio is in room 303 on the third floor of the Community Center at 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770. You can't miss us. Hope to see you there.

 

Read More
News Russ News Russ

Cautious optimism?

Well, it looks like the new site might be live. If you asked me right now I'd be hard pressed to explain exactly how I managed to get this to work. It involved changing my GoDaddy DNS settings. Copying a files around on my web host account and making a bunch of WordPress changes. There were times then the site wasn't working and I couldn't figure out why. The worst moment was when I did something that I thought I was supposed to do and completely lost access to the site--and only managed to fix it with a scary little PHP hack. All in all, this stuff is not for the faint of heart. I will be working over the next several days to add content, especially to the portfolio section. Watch for changes and updates.

Read More
News Russ News Russ

Festival of Lights craft show was a big success

My booth at the Greenbelt Festival of Lights Art & Craft Fair was a great success. I had quite a few returning customers and lots of new ones. It was great to meet new folks, hang out with fellow artists, and get some ver nice positive feedback on my work.

I have to say though, I just don't know how working artists who sell this way do it week after week. You must develop some serious endurance. My day job is behind a desk. Two solid days on my feet and I was whipped. But I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Read More