Have you seen these Missing Mosaic Panels?

On Wednesday, December 9th (a cold, windy, snowy night) someone took two mosaic panels from our yard and porch.

The Garbage' Mural (approx. 4.5' tall x 3' wide), my first attempt at an outdoor piece, had successfully hidden our garbage cans from view for almost 11 years. I guess I should be flattered that someone wanted it enough to steal it, but it is a treasured "friend" that will be missed by our family, visitors and neighbors.

The hanging piece (above) was done by an elderly man I met during a downtown Chicago art fair when I was first starting out in mosaics. Seymour Adelman approached my booth, shared a small tattered picture of his recent mosaic installation, (Dr. Martin Luther King in King Community Center), welcomed me to his studio and gave me encouragement. Years later, I purchased his "mirrored bird" piece at an auction. Shortly thereafter he passed away. It has great meaning for me, and it is a piece I would be grateful to see again. It is mainly done in mirror on plexi glass with a dark grey wooden frame. It measures approx. 36"x20".

We made a police report, and the officer encouraged us to notify other artists and friends. I sent an email to friends and posted pictures on Face Book. The response from the community has been unbelievable. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to respond and forward this information along.

While it's a long shot.....I still feel that someone may see these someday, and if so, please contact me or the Bloomington Police at (812)339-4477.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. May you, your family, friends (and artworks!) be safe and secure this new year!

Holiday Happenings

My favorite bizarre bazaar is coming up this Friday and Saturday, December 4th & 5th.

Join Moe's Ache Studio at the 51st Unitarian Universalist Church Art Fair and Bazaar this Friday

from 10-7 and Saturday from 9-4. Located at Fee Lane and the Bypass, Bloomington, IN.

Featuring over 50 great artists and craftsmen, this is more than an art fair. UU always has a fab white elephant sale (where I often find the weirdest "stuff" that inspires new pieces), as well as a great selection of books, and often plants for sale.

We'll be there with new mosaics like the "Giant Java" coffee cup. If you need holiday gifts, we'll

have a nice selection of one of a kind mosaic and "upcycled" gifts under $30!

If I'm not in my booth, I will probably be in the one across the aisle, doing my own holiday shopping, socializing and noshing on the delicious homemade soups and cookies.

Like I said, it's more than an art fair. The best way to shop for the holidays! Join us!

Deja Vu One More Time

The Deja Vu Show featuring artists who creatively reuse and recycle materials is this Saturday, November 7 at the YES Cinema, downtown Columbus, Indiana.

Our studio is filled with "works in progress" that hopefully will be progressing rapidly in the next two days, in time for the show.

Wonder Woman ornaments, made from vintage aluminum drink coasters, along with recycled wreathes and "upcycled" clocks enrobed with thrift store treasures and vintage jewelry are just a few of the pieces that will be in the booth on Saturday.

'Just finished: "Yoga Frog". Set on a "mat" of recycled glass, this whimsical frog in monkey pose is a reminder of my own neglected practice. 'Back to the mat tomorrow morning!

It's still a month away.....

It's still a month away, but the Deja Vu show featuring arts and crafts from recycled materials is one of my favorites, so I had to start writing about it now. In the works are some great "born again" pieces. Updates to follow.

Feline Groovy!

We're headed to Nashville, Tn this weekend for the TACA Fall Art Festival.  It's been awhile since we've been to the music city, but good friends and great art show beckon our return.  The Tennessee Association of Craft Artists produces a three day fair, held in Centennial Park featuring 200 artists.  

Usually during our van-packing we are joined by Gita, our Siamese who thinks she should travel whenever the van doors are open.  Many times we've discovered her a few miles down the road on our way to a show.  Packed in the van this time (in place of Gita) will be "Feline Groovy" our latest kit and kaboodle sculpture created using recycled materials.  This piece stands almost 3 feet tall and collecting all the "stuff" used in it's creation took some time. Many pieces on this work are courtesy of Martina Celerin.  Martina is an exceptional artist who spends almost as many hours scouring the recycling centers as well creating beautiful dimensional weavings.  We're happy she thinks of us!  Check out her latest work here: martinacelerin.blogspot.com/

We hope some of you will be able to join us in Nashville!  

Ringo Flamingo

9/09/09 is here!  The re-mastered version of the Beatles catalogue is released, and Ringo Flamingo is loaded in the van for a debut at the Penrod Art Fair this weekend in Indianapolis.  Strictly a coincidence, or cosmic convergence?

Check out Ringo and all the other fab mosaics at Moe's Ache Studio's booth (Green 86) at The Penrod Art Fair this Saturday, September 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  www.penrod.org/artsfair.html

Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts!!

With great weather predicted, a new show layout and lots of wacky work from Moe's Ache Studio, this year's Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts is destined to be one of the best!   

All artists will now be on 4th Street thanks to an addition of a new block from Dunn to Indiana.  This expansion includes lots of walkways between booths, giving patrons a better opportunity to browse without the crowds.  Cooler temps and great art under shady trees should further enhance the Fourth Street experience.  

Moe's Ache Studio will be moving "up street" in a double booth #97-98 (closer to Dunn Street).  

Look for our giant mosaic fish, "Marlon Grando" and an oversized mixed media pumpkin, currently referred to as the "Big A-- Pumpkin" and you'll know you are in the right booth!  

'Looking forward to seeing you there!

Show hours are Saturday, September 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, September 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More info about the festival at:  http://4th.street.festival.googlepages.com/

Awesome Artist Yard Sale A Success!

Beautiful, cool August temps. and crowds of people looking for art, bargains and "stuff" made for a great sale this past Friday and Saturday.  All the artists were tired, but happy to have cleared their studios and closets and put a few dollars in their pockets as a result.

Now it's back to the studio to get some pieces finished for the 34th Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts.  I only hope Labor Day weekend will be as beautiful as this past one.  What a crazy August! 

July is going too fast!

We just returned from Krasl Art Fair in St. Joe, Michigan.   With perfect weather, great crowds and a double booth to show off all the pieces we've been working on, it was a good show.

Now it's back to the studio to get ready for two of our favorite shows.

The Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts, Labor Day weekend, and Penrod the following weekend.  It sounds like a long way off, but the way July has slipped by, they both will be here before I'm ready.

I'm in the process of cleaning out the studio for the first annual "Artists' Yard Sale" to take place August 21-22.  I know this will be a great sale, because artists always have the best "stuff".  More info to come, but be prepared for a great yard sale!

More "Fowl" Art

A soggy Fourth is behind us, and we're looking forward to a great weekend in Saint Joe, Michigan for the Krasl Art Fair.  Set on a bluff, overlooking Lake Michigan, it's a perfect setting for an art show.  Great work, cool breezes and hopefully, cooperative weather both days.  

Even though we've been concentrating on making garden pieces for this show, I couldn't resist finishing up "Wired Rooster".  He's actually an indoor piece.  A mosaic, beaded rooster set in a chicken wire frame....more "Fowl Art". 

Mirror Cat-Meerkat

I've always been intrigued by those cute, mischievous Meerkats. And while my backyard is not quite the Kalahari, it is home to my version, a mosaic, mirrored, "Mirror Cat". This guy is actually a prototype/study for a for a "Cat Clan" commission I'm starting. The WIP will be constructed of recycled materials including, PVC pipe for the body, old wooden shoe trees for the arms and a yet-to be determined head.
My goal is not only to finish 3 cats, but to document the process. 'Keep checking back!
More photos will be available at: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moes-ache/

The Buck Stops Here

More inspiration for new art pieces strolled across the lawn this week in the form of a young buck. Our studio really IS in the city but you'd never believe it by the wildlife we see daily. By the time I got my camera he was headed across the neighbor's lawn and down the middle of the street.

What A Crock!

This Croc A Dial was made for our dear friend and Moe's Ache fan, Martha. We think it is a perfect fit for her collection of wacky art. Once, a wire armature, it now is covered with plaster, concrete, glass, crockery and dials from old appliances. It now resides near the White River in Indianapolis.

Some Like It Hot!

Not only is that the title to a new piece, it's my mantra right now. I want spring! What is up with this cold, dreary weather? I'm trying to stay optimistic and make a few fun pieces, but the view from the studio window is a little depressing. There is nothing better than spring in Bloomington and I am anxious for this year's to arrive. Now that I've finished a pair of super-sunblocking glasses, entitled "Some Like It Hot", I want an opportunity to wear them! Bring on the warm sunny days!

Tropical Paradise Show Is A Go!

It's been a wild month preparing for the Queeney Park Art Fair this weekend in Saint Louis, as well as finishing and delivering work to the Orchard Gallery in Fort Wayne for the "Tropical Paradise" show opening today. My friend, talented fiber artist, and coconspirator, Martina had this say about the show:

Bloomington artists Cappi Phillips and Martina Celerin have collaborated to create a vibrant art exhibit, “Tropical Paradise.”
The collection of works is on display at The Orchard Gallery, 6312 Covington Road, Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
The Galley is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m Monday through Saturday with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.
The show will be up from April 2 to 30, 2009.

“Even though our media are completely opposite, I work with hard objects, glass, stone, metal, plastics, and Martina works with soft materials, yarns, wool, cotton, fleece, we both share a whimsical side and create pieces that encourage smiles as well as tactile responses. Patrons discover the unexpected when viewing (or touching!) our work,” said Phillips, of Moe's Ache's studio. “When the gallery invited us to participate, it was the cold dreary days of December. The thought of starting on pieces for a ‘Tropical Paradise’ show seemed like such a warm, happy way to be working!” recalls Phillips.

“Cappi and I both use reclaimed and recycled materials to create our art. We’re always on a treasure hunt. As I was making the piece ‘Sangria!’ I realized that I needed plastic ice cubes to complement (and contrast with) the needle felted fruit. Of course the first and only person that I had to called was Cappi!” recalls Celerin.

The artists encourage people who can’t attend the show to visit their web sites to get a little sparkle in their smile (www.MartinaCelerin.com and www.moesache.blogspot.com)

Chicks with Dicks Window Is Up!

We just finished installing the window for the Bloomington Playwrights Project (BPP) upcoming production of "Chicks With Dicks II
Battle With Cannibal Sluts in Outer Space!".

“Chicks II has a much bigger cast and is literally and figuratively, ‘further out there’ than the original,” explains Richard Perez, director. “Where the original was confined to small town America, Chicks II has now broadened the gang's exploits out into outer space. I think audiences will have a blast meeting the new crew of foreign bodies found on Planet 19 in the X Solar System.”

“The instinct was to do a sequel that riffed further and farther on pulp-pop culture,” explains Trista Baldwin, playwright. “As you might guess from the title, I take on the other classic pulp genres, sci fi and horror.

In keeping with Trista's themes, I created spacy-looking chickens clad in aluminum, and horrifying hair rollers. If you get a chance, check out the window and the production this month at the BPP 107 West 9th, Bloomington, Indiana. Show times and ticket info below.

http://www.newplays.org/content/NewsRelease.aspx?nid=188

Crock Cock!

It's chickens, chickens everywhere in the studio. We are finishing up some chicks for the Bloomington Playwright's upcoming play "Chicks With Dicks II
Battle With Cannibal Sluts in Outer Space!"
http://www.newplays.org/content/Default.aspx
For each production, they invite an artist to create window art promoting the play. I'm intrigued by the concept of space chickens, and am eagerly awaiting the installation at the end of the month.
The chicks created especially for the play are waiting to be revealed, but in the mean time, here's a cocky guy that was finished earlier.

The Indiana State Museum TV has a name!

The Mosaic TV made especially for the 2009 Indiana State Museum Art Fair finally has a name. A big "Thank You" to Joanna Hahn and the staff at the ISM for all their help with the display and collection of tv name suggestions. Here are the results as posted on the Indiana State Museum's blog site. http://indianastatemuseum.wordpress.com/

The results are in and the Indiana Art Fair Signature Artist piece has a name. It was tough for this year’s artist to choose among the over 400 suggestions left by Indiana Art Fair visitors in February. But there was one title that 11 contestants all agreed would make a terrific name: “Tile-A-Vision.” Congrats to all of the following contestants who recommended the title: Rebecca of Plainfield; Jeb Smithwick of Indianapolis; Jeff Marsh; Greg Mac of Indianapolis; Brian Blackburn of Decatur, Illinois; Christopher Lyons of Indianapolis; Betty Cockron of Indianapolis; Jacob Crouch of Indianapolis; KyleeAnn Wheeler of Indianapolis; Adam Hon of Marion; and Mary Jane Schnake of Danville. And thank you to all who helped to give this piece of art a unique name!
Here are the “runner-ups” that were also personal favorites of the artist:
“Archaic Mosaic” by Vicki Bohlsen of Whiteland, Indiana
“Don’t Touch That Tile!” by Greg Dale of Defiance, Ohio
“Ode to Analog” by Sheila Walsh of Toledo, Ohio
“Boob Tube Redux” by Jane Runge Darlage of Indianapolis

Indiana Art Fair February 21-22

The time has almost arrived. The Indiana Art Fair is right round the corner! And with that, the Signature Artist piece has been revealed and will be on display in the Indianapolis museum’s Frank O’Bannon Great Hall leading up to the event. Though plans for the event are pretty much finalized there is one last point of business – there is not title for the Signature Artist piece!
Here is your chance to get involved with a real piece of art. We are looking for a title for this year’s 2009 Indiana Art Fair Signature Piece by Bloomington, Indiana artist Cappi Phillips. To contribute, visit the Indiana Art Fair on Feb. 21 or 22 and visit Cappi’s booth (#1) to get an up close view of the piece and leave your title suggestions. The chosen title will be shared via the museum’s website by the end February. For more information about the Art Fair visit: http://www.in.gov/ism/PublicPrograms/SpecialEvents/inartfair.aspx

Moe's Ache Studio is honored to be able to create this year's signature piece for the Indiana Art Fair. Why a television you may ask? As a resident of Bloomington, Indiana which was once home to RCA whose televisions are featured in the museum’s collection the idea of a mosaic tv seemed like a perfect fit. We created glass tiles depicting iconic television programming. These tiles were incorporated with cut glass mosaic pieces and applied to a vintage television set that at one time was in the museum collection. Although the television is no longer receiving a signal, we hope it's still capable of transmitting signals and memories you'll find entertaining.

The television can be viewed at the Indiana State Museum's Indiana Art Fair February 21-22, 2009

Big Chick Chair

Recovery Time

Every year when January's gloomy days and cold temps seem to sap my energy, I always vow to use the time productively in the studio, cleaning, organizing and creating.  This year, as I'm recovering from a bad case of pneumonia I realize that another January has come and gone, but at least I have a good excuse for not getting tasks accomplished.  My energy level has been at an all time low, but is on the rise and I'm excited about finishing up some commissions and beginning on new pieces for the Indiana State Museum show coming up February 21-22.