Featuring: Katie Ray Arts

Who are you?

My name is Katie Richardson. I live in Belchertown, MA on a beautiful organic veggie farm run by my partner - Stone Soup Farm. I studied art and music at Hampshire College, where I produced a multimedia installation for my thesis project entitled “Nos(otros): Art Questioning Borders”. This piece dealt with ideas of immigration, home, nation and identity. It involved lots of steel sculpture, interactive environments and music to evoke thought and participation from viewers.
Out of this work came an interest in images and structures of nests, cocoons, eggs, safety/comfort vs. raw/fear, etc. These themes continue in my work. I work primarily in steel and glass, but enjoy experimenting with all kinds of materials. I’m interested in encouraging hand made products to become more a part of daily life. I find value in aesthetics and using our hands to create things, rather than mass produced products, so I try to find ways to make pretty things functional. My inspiration comes from nature, peoples’ stories and struggles, and the process of making.
Currently, I teach preschool and I am working on an M.Ed to teach ESL students (English as a Second Language). I’m involved in community art projects and hope to someday open a non-profit, youth outreach and artist space dedicated to ‘fire arts’ – glass, metal, clay, etc.. I also sing in an acapella group (The Connotations), play trumpet, speak Spanish, enjoy yoga and scuba, love traveling, and have two beautiful cats.

How long have you been selling on Etsy?

I’ve been selling on Etsy since Fall 2008.

What made you decide to open up shop?

I thought it would be a great venue to be able to sell my work outside of shows and galleries Because I’m generally very busy and involved in lots of things, I’m not always able to keep my shop fully stocked and up top date. However, it’s a great community to be a part of and supplies a venue for people to purchase handmade things. It allows me some flexibility that I don’t have with shows, because I can post new items when I make them.

How did you decide on your shop name?

My shop name just came from my name. Katie is my first name, Ray is my middle name. So KatieRayArt seemed to make sense.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why?

I think my favorite item in my shop right now is the Untitled Sculpture of the three egg shaped forms (some people say peanuts). I just like how the shape of this one came out, organic and flowing. The screen worked really well to provide a different solid texture without being opaque. While the pictures don’t show it very well, it also makes incredible shadows in the right light. My sculptures are almost like wire drawings, and then the shadows make another drawing behind them.

I also really like the Cocoon Plant Waterer that I recently posted. It is another way for me to make something beautiful that is useful for peoples’ homes. It is made of hand blown glass and looks great in your plant, but then you can fill it up and it will slowly water the plant. I just started making these, and I’m really enjoying it!

What do you love about Western Ma?

I love the sense of community and the variety of great artists. I also love the many beautiful places you can go to hike- one of my goals for the summer is to check out the various hiking spots I haven’t been to yet.

Do you have any websites, blogs, or other markets we can find you on?

I have a blog at katierayrich.blogspot.com which is where I have info on upcoming shows.
My website is www.katierichardson.mosaicglobe.com. If you search Katie Ray Arts on facebook, you'll also find me there.

Thanks for reading :)

Easthampton Bear Fest - June 13, 2009

Some of our awesome artisits will be at the Bear Fest on June 16, 2009
Taken from their site that you can visit HERE

Opa-Opa Brewing Company hosts an Easthampton Bear Fest Party & Fundraiser. See the News Section for details!

Starting in June 2009, Easthampton City Arts will host a major public art event in the City of Easthampton, Massachusetts. The Easthampton Bear Fest will revolve around an exhibit of life sized bears (at least 20 large bears and 10-20 small “baby” bears, which will have been decorated and painted by local and regional artists) and will run through the summer and into the fall, ending in Mid-October with a City-wide, week-long celebration of the arts and an auction of the Bears.

There have been dozens of these displays throughout the United States and Europe, beginning in 1998 in Switzerland and followed by the Cow Parade in Chicago in 1999. Always wildly popular, ECA is expecting the Easthampton Bear Fest to draw record crowds throughout the Summer and into the Fall.

When the Bear Fest opens in June of 2009, the bears will be displayed throughout the downtown area, within a reasonable walking tour. A “Bear Track” map will be available for visitors to track each bear location and check off each one that they’ve seen. Many photo opportunities will be found throughout the exhibit tour. We can only imagine where the bears will hide. Some on street corners, up on a rooftop, on the pond or hanging in the air. Imaginations will soar!

Location is one thing, but the bears themselves are another! In the Cow Parade, cows were seen flying, dressed as businessmen with briefcases, mosaic’d, stenciled, cut in pieces, and dressed as cowgirls! Who knows what bears will show up on our streets in June! You’ll be able to vote for your favorite, children will be invited to participate in a scavenger hunt and hear stories read by local authors and illustrators, and much much more. Many events are being planned throughout the summer, so visit this website often as new events will be added as planned!

Our kick-off event was an Easthampton Bear Fest float in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parade!

Front Page.....AGAIN!

Congrats Btaylorquilts!!!

Front Page!

Congrats ShopClementine!!!

(I should admit I own those same earrings from her too)

Featuring: StrangeChild

Who are you?

I am Jenn. :) I am a graduate of Hampshire College (F93), who settled in the Pioneer Valley instead of going back to NJ. I live in Easthampton with my husband, our dog and my two bearded dragons. By day I am a webmaster for an internet retailer. What is your store name & why did you chose it?

Well, I've got a number of projects running under the name Strange Child Productions, so my Etsy ID is StrangeChild. I created that before I had a store. However as my sculpture line began to take shape, I realized it needed something that described my products. Bright Eyed Creatures came to me as I was driving to work one day.

What do you make?

Currently I make Sun Dragons, Moon Dragons, Imps and a small assortment of jewelry. (My shop also carries a friend's bead spiders, but I cannot take credit for anything by the photography.) All of my creatures are made of polymer clay, and I use a technique called millefiori to give them patterned hide and scales.
Quick description of my creatures:
* Sun Dragons have eyes that light up in the sun.
* Moon Dragons glow in the dark.
* Imps come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Most of my jewelry is made of leftover bits of millefiori cane that is too cool to put in the junk pile.


How long have you been making it?

I have been making Sun Dragons and jewelry for about 4 years. The Moon Dragons and Imps have only been around for a year of so.

What is your favorite piece and why?

I use images of this guy for my business card. He just looks SOOOOO happy. Unfortunately he's currently in my OOPS section because he took a bump to the head, but he's still awesome.

(Pic below)

What do you love about Western Ma?

I can see and hear cows from my living room window but I only have to drive 15 minutes for fabulous sushi. Plus I can see stars at night -something I never stop taking it for granted. But besides that I feel at home here. I am more likely to meet people I have something in common with during an afternoon in Northampton than I will if I spend a week in NJ. Going to Jersey is only "going home" because my family is there.

Is there any place other then Etsy we can find your work?

Yuppers! I am on...Flickr, DeviantArt, Facebook, and my personal website.

Upcoming Fairs

On Saturday December 6th there are going to be a TON of craft fairs! So, if there is only one day you plan on hitting them THIS IS THE DAY! I personally will be doing my very first craft fair at the JFK Middle School in Northampton on Bridge Street. It is from 9am-3pm. I have no clue what to expect and need to start getting my inventory up!!!

There is also going to be an event that several of our crafters will be at the Bizarrest Little Snowflake Bazaar. For more info please check out: http://snowflakebazaar.googlepages.com/. Its from 10am-4pm and is located at: 121 North Pleasant Street, Amherst.

Hope you can join us!

Happy Thanksgiving!

From everyone here, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!