Merry Christmas to All from Rudolph!

Rudolph, miniature rustic twig reindeer by George C. Clark (height: 6 inches)

Rudolph's eyes are black peppers, his nose a star anise seed.  He was purchased at my recent Art on Elston exhibition.

Thanks to the Collectors who Purchased my work at This Past Weekend's Craft Sales

Large birchbark rustic Tang Dynasty rocking horse by George C. Clark (rocker length 7 inches)

...including this hollow birchbark Tang Dynasty rocking horse. 

2 New Craft Shows Next Weekend

Rustic Twig Chairs and Agate-topped Table by George C. Clark (table height 5 inches)

I will be showing watercolors from my Traveler's Sketchbook Series as well as some brand new miniature rustic twig furniture at the ARTS ON ELSTON HOLIDAY GROUP SHOW next weekend.  Arts on Elston  is located at 3446 N. Albany in Chicago at the corner of Elston Avenue across the street from Chief O'Neill's Pub,  two blocks east of Kedzie and south of Addison.  Sale dates and times are Friday, November 30 from 6 to 10pm and Saturday, December 1 from 2 to 6pm.  There will be live music Friday evening and refreshments both days.  The work of 11 artists working in various media will be featured.

On Sunday, December 2 from 1 to 5pm my miniature rustic twig furniture will be shown along with custom jewelry and textile accessories in the ARTISTS GUILD HOLIDAY SALE at 3830 N. Lawndale in Chicago in the home of one of the jewelry-makers.  Refreshments will be served.

Evanston Art Center Winter Arts & Crafts EXPO: Nov. 17 through Dec. 19, 2012

Miniature Rustic Driftwood Rocking Horse by George C. Clark

My miniature rustic twig furniture will be featured at the Evanston Art Center's Winter Arts & Crafts EXPO which will be open free from November 17 to December 19,  2012.  The Art Center is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at 2603 Sheridan Road in Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago.  Gallery hours are 10am to 4pm Monday through Saturday and 12 noon to 4pm Sunday (closed Thanksgiving Day).  There will be a Preview Party Friday, November 16, from 6 to 9 pm.  Tickets to the Preview Party are $30 in advance and $35 at the door, and they can be purchased online at www.evanstonartcenter.org.

In addition to rocking horses like the one pictured above, there will be an assortment of  chairs, tables, settees and garden benches, all unique and handcrafted from Lake Michigan driftwood twigs, fibers, seed pods, shells and other natural materials.

New Miniature Rustic Cup at Greenleaf Art Center in Chicago Sunday, September 9 from 1 to 4pm

Miniature Rustic Twig Cup with Whipped Cream and a Cherry on Top by George C. Clark
 (height to top of cherry 3.5 inches}    AVAILABLE 

This miniature cup handcrafted from bark, twigs, seed pods, glue and paint is one of over 40 artist-made cups on exhibit and for sale at bargain prices at the opening of the Artists Breakfast Group CAFFEINE VI exhibition next Sunday, September 9, from 1 to 4pm.  Cups purchased at the opening can be taken home right away by buyers.  The paintings, graphics and sculptures in the show are for sale too, but they will have to stay in the gallery until the exhibition closes October 6.

CAFFEINE VI will be at the Greenleaf Art Center at 1806 W. Greenleaf Avenue in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.  Gallery hours are 11am to 4pm Monday through Friday, and 11am to 2pm Saturday and Sunday,  I will post one of the two small figure paintings I will have in CAFFEINE VI on my "Drawings and News" blog at georgecclarkdrawings.tumblr.com, but I should warn you that that blog is NOT SAFE FOR WORK.

Thanks to Collectors Who Purchased My Furniture at Morton Arboretum Yesterday

George C. Clark at his Morton Arboretum Trunk Show, July 29, 2012

...including the driftwood settee pictured in the previous post.

Come to my Trunk Show of Miniature Rustic Twig Furniture At the Morton Arboretum Store on Sunday, July 29, 2012

I will be showing a selection of my miniature rustic twig furniture in a trunk show next Sunday, July 29, at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.  There will be miniature chairs, tables, settees and rocking horses.  Stop by if you are in the Chicago area.  Regular admission charges will apply.  I will be in the air conditioned store from 11am to 4pm.  Weather should be pleasant with highs in the 80s, a good day to see the Arboretum's world-class collection of trees and other plants.  Check out the Arboretum's website for more information.

Another Great Weekend at Shake Rag Alley School of Arts and Crafts

Miniature Rustic Driftwood Rocking Horses Created at George C. Clark's Woodlanders Gathering Workshop 7/13/12

Pictured above is half the output of the workshop I taught last Friday morning, and the others were just as good.  My heartiest thanks go to my workshop's participants,  to Sandy and Judy and all the staff at Shake Rag Alley School of Arts and Crafts, and to all the fine instructors whose workshops my wife Pat and I participated in over the Woodlanders Gathering four day weekend.  At Woodlanders Gathering artists and craftspeople, amateurs and professionals alike, come together from all over to share skills and learn techniques in rustic crafts working with wood, fiber, forged metal, found objects, cast concrete and other mostly natural materials.  While Woodlanders Gathering concentrates on rustic crafts, Shake Rag Alley offers weekend classes and seminars year round that also include non-rustic traditional arts and even digital photography and computer graphics.  You should check out their website at Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point, Wisconsin.

Mineral Point is a great place to visit whether you are a craftsperson or not.  It was an important lead-mining metropolis in the early 19th Century when Chicago was a village with a trading post surrounded by swamps.  When the lead played out Mineral Point became a sleepy farming community until the mid-20th Century when preservationists began to restore the historic buildings.  In the 1960s artists and craftspeople took over the downtown (High Street and Commerce Street) and now you will find a wonderful collection of artist-run studios and galleries offering fine art, rustic arts and crafts, fiber art, glass, jewelry and ceramics.  You will find my art at the Longbranch Gallery along with that of many of the other Woodlanders Gathering instructors.

Woodlanders Gathering at Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point, Wisconsin

Miniature Rustic Driftwood Rocking Horse by George C. Clark (height: 8 inches)

This is one of the samples I'll be bringing to Shake Rag Alley School of Arts and Crafts where I'll be teaching a sold-out workshop in making miniature rustic rocking horses Friday morning as part of this year's four-day Woodlanders Gathering.  After the workshop it will be for sale at the Longbranch Gallery,  203 Commerce Street, Mineral Point, Wisconsin.

I will be showing my miniature rustic twig furniture at the INDEPENDENCE PARK FINE CRAFT FAIR in Chicago.  The Field House is located one block east of Pulaski Road, just south of Irving Park Road.  This is a one day event open from 12:30 to 4:30pm on Saturday, May 5, 2012.