Figures, humor and fun at Craft New York - Lisa Naples, Cathy Rose and Syma

Craft New York: www.craftnewyork.com  took place the

last weekend of March on the 11th floor of 7W 5th Ave, 

across the street from the Empire State  Building. (Not 

exactly an easy location to load in and out of.)  Eager to

try something different from my usual all black, 

I had the show provide hard white walls for my booth. 

The response was great and I enjoyed the clean look. 

Only problem now is to figure out if I want to create this 

look on my own.   For years I hauled around hollow core 

doors for my booth, but I really  don't want to start doing 

that  again. So I've been brainstorming possibilities.

As last year it was a beautiful show and helped support the 

good work of CERF, the Craftsmen Emergency Relief Fund:

www.craftemergency.org The show had an especially good 

selection of narrative driven figurative work, including that

of  Cathy Rose:  www.cathyrose.com  Cathy is located in 

New  Orleans and doesn't  come to the Northeast  too often. 

I've been aware of her work for a long time,  so was really

pleased to finally meet Cathy and she her art in person.  

 

Her work made from porcelain, copper, glass, altered wood
and found objects calls out for the viewer to find a story within it
or within themselves. Cathy's website is as intriguing as her work.
I definitely recommend checking it out.

Lisa Naples: www.lisanaples.com  was also there. This was
the first time I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa and seeing
her humor filled work bursting with exuberance and color. 
I've been  enjoying one of her mugs I acquired. The texture
and shape feels great in my hand. She shares my affinity
with birds.

I was drawn to her "Bird Mama Queen" - a mother whose
arms have transformed into branches to nestle and protect
her young. She has a sturdy foot on a stack of story books.

 

And how  could you resist this piece entitled "Beg Pardon" 

(the rabbit's belly if filled with feathers.)

Another ceramic artist I connected with at the show was Syma:

www.symastudios.com As with Lisa, Syma's  work  reflects 

her free spirit  and  sense of humor.  Syma's illustrated pots 

beg the viewer to discover and continue the stories she has 

started. She also displayed some small works including

"cash cows" -  little ceramic bells in  the shape of  cows 

(we had to bring one  home to ring):

and  small "pots of gold" for  all of us hoping for something at the 

end of our  personal rainbows.

Quite a few of my pieces found new homes including Luccini, the 

music loving dragon (below) and Leapfore - both  the dragons

were created with stones from our Tuscan wandering through hill 

towns.  I'm wondering  what new dragons and other creatures

will  show up in the studio this Spring and Summer.  

 

 

For now, I'm filling orders from Spring shows and

envisioning the work I will present at Haley House Cafe,

a local Roxbury cafe/gallery. My show there opens in late

June. I will encourage the after school kids and their families

to come  to the opening. A couple of the kids already define 

themselves  as artists.

Adventure on!   Wendy