Sunday, May 30, 2010

Round the Fountain Art Fair

Our Memorial Day festivities began with a ceremony translation into Spanish at the Holiday Inn Select for a wedding I’m performing in June.  Then we walked down by the courthouse lawn for the 37th Round the Fountain Art Fair in Lafayette, Indiana.  This fair helps to support local high school visual arts programs as well as to assist in ongoing restoration of the 1884 neo-classic Tippecanoe County Courthouse.
First we thought perhaps we had our days mixed up and it was a Grateful Dead reunion weekend – but no such luck.   I mean you just don't see Flower Power Vans parked downtown everyday, ya know?
Now if they had actually planned this as prop for the actual fair, and parked it on the bridge with a huge sign – “Welcome to the 37th annual Round the Fountain Art Fair” that would have been way cool.  Guess I should have gotten their plate number and turned it into Tippecanoe Arts Federation.


One of our 1st stops was at Anderson’s Metal Sculptures.
You just couldn’t help yourself from wanting to have your picture taken with this gigantic frog.  Just a mere $5,900.00 and he’ll come home and sit in your lawn.  He’s almost large enough to provide a bit of shade.  

 Steve, Chad, and Troy Anderson from Cedar Springs, Michigan, create these phenomenal three dimensional brass and copper sculptures.


Right next to them was Cliff Matyszczyk from Wales, WI., owner of  The Wrought Stuff
Metal sculptures.  He doesn’t have a website but this is his email address (wroughtstuff@hotmail.com)
Wonderful stone, iron, brass mixed designs displayed on Shepard hooks to be used in your lawn & garden.  The following is a wall display and a wine rack for the wall.  Or visa versa, depending on how the pictures fall into the blog.


Everyone who stopped by Folk artist,  Maria Pfropper’s booth had the exact same comment – “Oh I love that she painted the frame as part of the picture.”

For colorful, whimsical, mystical paintings email MariaPfropper@yahoo.com
Maria is from Dryden Michigan.



LeRoy Bayerl of Marshfield, WI., a true craftsman with his creation of hollow wooden vessels.  Each vessel is hand-turned on a lathe while still green then transformed into these beauties, aptly named TimberBlossom

Another Tall Tale
Turned hollow vessel of Desert Ironwood and Birdseye Maple.
 
Dont Expose me!
Hollow vessel of Walnut wood, carved, textured and bleached cutaway.
Oozin the Blues
Turned vessel of Box Elder burl with Walnut legs and lid and enameled parts.
Why Dance Alone?
Lathe-turned vessel of Chinese Fir root burl, carved legs, tail and lid of Rosewood.

Can you tell by the number of pictures that he was my favorite artist of the day?  You can view more of his beautiful wooden vessels at http://timberblossom.com/




Next is a three-dimensional fiberboard, acrylic paint, glass, wood and reed low relief wall display by  Heckler Designs http://www.heckerdesign.com  Patricia and her husband Jon also make and design Tattoo Dream Boxes.



Another husband and wife team out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, own Davis-Vachon Gallery.  You can purchase their beautiful ceramics on Etsy.  They alone – no assistants, handcraft all their work.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/davisvachon

I’m in love with this piece but I want it in yellow!



Fort Wayne seems to have the monopoly today on husband and wife partnerships.  Greg and BJ Jordan handcraft whimsical, spiritual and primitive jewelry pieces for their business Jordan Fine Art Jewelry 



Visit them online at:   http://jordanfineartjewelry.com/


Kenton Ridenour from Peru Indiana, is a digital artist using the Corel Painter Program to create his paintings.  Also an Etsy seller - Veggiemon Artworks you can purchase his work at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/veggiemon
 Stormwest

 Dressed in Fire


Metal and fused glass wall sculptures by Rothfuss Designs in Sylvania, Ohio. 
Stan really liked the wall art but I fell in love with the vase.



Decided these would look great hanging on my kitchen wall.  From Brian A. Moore Ceramics in Indianapolis.  No website, but this is his email address: moorejnb@sbcglobal.net




Immediately drawn to Chris Klassen’s Acrylic mixed media paintings because of all the vibrant orange and reds she uses.  Chris’s studio is in Akron, Ohio 



Of course no day at the scorching hot art fair would be complete without grandpa giving you a dip in the water fountain

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.  We're heading to the lake to cool off.
Ciao!









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