Prayer Flag Challenge

January Artists’ Challenge:  Create a prayer flag symbolizing your hopes, wishes or dreams for the new year.  We will collect them for January 7, First Friday, and string them together around the gallery.  Sign up below and select a piece of fabric.  Decorate the fabric with whatever medium you wish.  If desired, include on the flag a word that describes your prayer.  Print your name on the flag so we know it’s yours and drop your flag off at the studio.  You can leave your flag in our mailbox just to the right of door 209 during business hours or drop off during First Friday, January 7.

“A prayer flag is a colorful panel or rectangular cloth often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside. . .Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. . .the Tibetan believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion (to) all.”     

                      Wikipedia.com

Shop! December 11

We'll be hosting our Third and largest Shop! Modern Holiday Gift Fair. This one will be a full house with lots of great Locally Handmade Gifts for you to choose from.
Parking is free on weekends downtown (street meters), all the local businesses have great gift choices

bracelet by Kim Royce

too. This Saturday looks like a great day to finish your Holiday shopping downtown.  
Here are a few items that our Studio artists have made recently.  There are also a variety of other artists selling with tomorrow-Come on up and Shop!
 OPEN 10-5 tomorrow.

flower by Bull's Eye Studio

wallet by Circulo Design

earrings by Free Spirit Sioux

Pin by Circulo Studio

more bracelets by Kim Royce

original art by Darla Myers Art

pendant by 3 Dog Designs

business card holder by Bull's Eye Studio

bottle stoppers by Bull's Eye Studio

frames and mirror by Erin Osinkosky

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First Fridays-Part Two

Each First Friday is unique at Upstairs Studio-every month there are new things to admire. December we hosted a young and talented Anchorage Artist-Jade Ariah. She showed her whimsical watercolors and acrylics as well as some wearable art in the form of silk scarves. If you missed her at the Studio-be sure and look for her name and she is planning more shows at other venues around Anchorage. We were proud to be her first choice for her debut Art Show-thanks Jade.

Amy Lou Hettinger performed-she has a great voice, certainly another Anchorage talent to make it a point to listen too. She debuted her first CD this summer, "of roots and of wings".  Find out more about her and listen to some clips at  Amy Lou Music

 

The Studio Artists have been busy creating, painting and generally making very great artsy items. You can find fused glass  and leather jewelry and other  functional items by 3 Dog Designs/Julie Rabung.

Circulo Design/Zaynab Falconer has an assortment of leather pins, felted items and some encaustic paintings in her recent works. Kim Royce is continually adding to her designs in precious metal clay jewelry.  Erin Osinkosky has been reclaiming frames-she is currently adding mirrors inside to make some truly one of a kind mirrors, she also has a new puppet set "The Devils Red Shoes". Sioux Blackledge is always painting-her show included watercolors of Alaskan scenes in vibrant happy colors, as well as her prints and jewelry. Bull's Eye Studio/Katie Way has been selling her polymer clay plug covers literally off our walls-we can not keep our plugs covered. She also has functional kitchen tools, business card holders,  and jewelry. Darla Myers displayed some new larger works of Fall Trees in Encaustic and Oil, along with greeting cards and small print plaques and some smaller original paintings.

 

We also kicked off our next Artist Challenge-"Prayer Flags". They will be displayed on January 7 at our First Friday Open House.

Artist’s Challenge:  Create a prayer flag—a symbol of your hopes, wishes or prayers for yourself or others for the new year.   If you wish, include a word or phrase describing your prayer.  Write your name on the flag so we know it’s yours.  Drop it by the studio through the door mail slot anytime or bring it in on January 7, 2011.

Questions? Want a flag to create?  Contact Erin at prayer flag information for more information.

"Grow" prayer flag.

First Fridays-Part One

First Fridays are always a great event at Upstairs Studio. Encouraged by the success of our first "Artist Challenge", we launched a second one- "Prayer Flags"-if you didn't get one on First Friday at the Gallery, check back on the blog later this week as there will be more information about the Project and how you can be included. Don't be put off by the "Challenge" part of these-it's really meant to mean a personal creativity challenge to those who choose to participate-not a challenge of whose turns out best! Last months skull challenge for Dia de los Muertos was a great display of creativity and individuality.

Some other scenes from November First Friday:

Paintings by Marlee Mitchell-

Sioux Blackledge-Free Spirit Sioux

 

Gallery view-

Now that we're caught up-ah- Part Two will focus on our most recent First Friday, stay tuned.

Happy Birthday and First Friday, Dec 3

Upstairs Studio will be celebrating our first Birthday this Friday, Dec 3. Come help us celebrate a year of creativity and great First Fridays at the Gallery.  If you haven't been up before-it's time!
 

We will also be joined by Jade Ariah, watercolor artist. She will be showing her whimsical, playful watercolor Art.

Amy Hettinger, an Anchorage singer/songwriter will be performing from 5:30-7:30. You can find out more about her at http://www.amyloumusic.com/

Besides all the above the Studio Artists have been busy creating and you can find some great local made Artistic gifts and buy directly from the Artist.
It looks like a great First Friday all around in Downtown Anchorage, so come on up!