This Week's Art Fair Delight: D. L. Homola

I am a total sucker for lampwork glass beads. If I were an avaricious dragon, my treasure hoard would include a lot of them. As it is, however, I have to legitimately buy them, which means I don’t have nearly as big a hoard as I’d like. 

Bright Blue and Silver Bracelet is available on Homola's D.L. Homola Glass Art website.

As of the Summit Art Festival in October 2014, my hoard finally does include some of D. L. Homola’s work! I’ve been following her career for a while, now, admiring (and, I admit, coveting) her wonderful glass work.

Homola's Color Play Necklace gives a sampler of some of her skill.

I could show you my own recent acquisition, but instead have chosen to focus on items that (at this writing) have not yet been added to someone’s hoard. In case you’re adding to your hoard, too, they may be purchased from her website, D.L. Homola Glass Art. There are direct links to the specific pieces in the photo cutlines.

These are Homola's Burnt Orange Earrings, also available on her website.

If you’d like to know a bit more about Debbi, she has a bio page. If you’d like to know more about her lampwork technique, please watch her demonstration videos, including one created in 2013 for KOLR TV, Springfield, MO.

Homola's Fall Color Mixture Bead Set is available for use in jewelry or on its own.

It’s better to see this work up close and in person. Please look for Debbi at an art fair near you! Stay current with her calendar of her upcoming appearances. If there isn't one coming up as soon as you'd like, please enjoy her website in the meantime.

One more before closing: this is Homola's Soft Peach and Sterling Silver Bracelet.

IMAGE CREDITS: All artwork featured in this post is the work of D. L. Homola, and the images are used here with her permission. These pieces and others may be seen and purchased on her D.L. Homola Glass Art website. A visit there will be time well spent!

Artdog Quote of the Week

IMAGE CREDIT: Many thanks to Artpromotivate's "99 Inspirational Artist Quotes."

Two-Sentence Horror Story

In the run-up to Halloween this year, I am sharing a collection of Two-Sentence Horror Stories with you, one per week.

IMAGE CREDIT: Ty's Shufflings on Tumblr. See the whole collection here.

My Art Fair Dilemma

I go to a lot of art fairs. I don’t create artwork fast enough and in enough quantity to be viable as an exhibitor, but I appreciate those artists who can and do, so I go to all the art fairs I can.

Here's a view from last month's Kansas City Plaza Art Fair.

But I have a consistent, intransigent problem with art fairs. They’re too big for me.

Here's one "arm" of the 2014 Summit Art Festival in Lee's Summit, MO.

It’s not that I want fewer artists to be juried in! No way! I think there are many wonderful artists in our world, and I want as many as possible to have a chance to show and sell their work to the tasteful and intelligent folks who come to art fairs.

Another view of the 2014 Summit Art Festival.

It’s just that I, personally, never seem to have the time or the strength to get all the way around your average art fair without having to cruise by and give only cursory glances to many of the exhibition booths these artists have spent years, driven hundreds of miles, and plunked down thousands of dollars to bring to the fair.

Here's part of the Prairie Village (KS) Art Fair, held in June 2014.

As an artist myself, and as a person who has friends on the art fair circuit whom I hope will prosper and make more art, that seems wrong. I know what it takes to create the work, build a unique approach, and bring an attractive exhibit to an art fair. It’s a LOT of work! It deserves respect and attention.

Another view from the 2014 Prairie Village Art Fair.

It has always frustrated me as a blogger, too. How can I possibly do justice to all of the artists whose work I admire at a given art fair, when I have a limited amount of time and space to post something before it ceases to be "timely"?

This is the 2014 Art Westport show, in Kansas City's Westport area.

I hope I’ve finally found a way. I’m starting a new series on this blog, called “Art Fair Delights.” In each post I will feature one artist whose work I have seen at an art fair recently, and whose exhibit broke me out of “cruising by” mode so I couldn’t resist crossing the sidewalk and weaving through the crowd to look more closely.

Another view of the 2014 Prairie Village show.

I have spoken with each of these artists personally, introduced myself as a blogger, and received permission to feature their work. They all have websites or a web presence of some sort, from which I’ve obtained images of their work. My posts will include links to them, for any of my readers who want to know more.

Another view of Art Westport in 2014.

Please come along with me. Let’s cross the sidewalk, go inside the booth, and take a closer look at the work of some of these amazing, talented folk! Watch for a new “Art Fair Delight” in this blog space very soon.

IMAGE CREDIT: All of the photos in this post were taken by me at art fairs I have attended during the past 4 months.

Artdog Quote of the Week: Honest Abe on Happiness

IMAGE CREDIT: Many thanks to Wedding Photography + Design.

Two-Sentence Horror Story #8

In the run-up to Halloween this year, I am sharing a collection of Two-Sentence Horror Stories with you, one per week.

IMAGE CREDIT: Ty's Shufflings on Tumblr. In the interest of keeping them fresh one at a time, I'm going to make you scroll down till you find them, however.

Artdog Quote of the Week

IMAGE CREDIT: Many thanks to Artpromotivate's "99 Inspirational Artist Quotes."

Two-Sentence Horror Story #7

In the run-up to Halloween this year, I am sharing a collection of Two-Sentence Horror Stories with you, one per week.

IMAGE CREDIT: Ty's Shufflings on Tumblr. In the interest of keeping them fresh one at a time, I'm going to make you scroll down till you find them, however.

Artdog Quote of the Week

IMAGE CREDIT: Many thanks to Wedding Photography + Design.

Two-Sentence Horror Story #6

In the run-up to Halloween this year, I am sharing a collection of Two-Sentence Horror Stories with you, one per week.

IMAGE CREDIT: Ty's Shufflings on Tumblr. In the interest of keeping them fresh one at a time, I'm going to make you scroll down till you find them, however.