Hoping for fame & fortune in NYC....and helping out close to home.

 
Our house is covered in bubble wrap. And, no, it's not an extreme weatherproofing technique we're trying out...Joe's been busy wrapping up his pieces this weekend to send them to New York. He was invited to have a selection of his pieces shown in conjunction with a symposium this month where local museum curators will get a chance to view the work.

The Light is Right by Joe Isacson

We're thankful for this exposure, since it means that he'll be considered to commission a large-scale sculpture in a NYC museum! We've got our fingers, paintbrushes (& everything else) crossed this month!

If you're looking to see some of our artwork closer to home, remember that many of our collaborative artboxes are still at Cook Street Coffee in downtown Barrington, but they'll be down soon, so don't delay.   ;)





20% of any sales of pieces that are at Cook Street Coffee as a result of this show while they're up will help benefit local pregnancy centers through TLC Pregnancy Services, which offers free medical, practical & emotional support for women in need.

See more of our work at xculturearts.comhttp://www.xculturearts.com/

Off-balance Artists Strike Again

 I've been busy sketching as we prepare for our Outside the Box solo show at the Dole Mansion this April...This is a piece in progress features two creatures from the north: a Flicker Woodpecker & a girl of Irish descent. (Guess I'm sensitive to being a yankee at the moment, since it's so cold!)

The woodpecker historically has been considered a symbol of 'divine work', connection to the spiritual and, in general, of awareness. (One reason the figure is meeting our stare.)

My original sketch (Yes, sometimes I sketch my sketches first - how crazy is that?) actually featured two identical birds, each on either side of her head. This is because woodpeckers have also been considered a symbol of balance.

In the end, I decided to make it a contradiction of terms by having only one bird because that sort of thing amuses me. I know. I have a quirky sense of humor... and because awareness and focus on the spiritual tends to give me a hyper sense of focus that feels anything but balanced!

Meanwhile, Joe has been busy balancing his own work - a madly, curvaceous solo piece that looks like he's doing 'fine art Jenga' as he creates it. (more on that later)  Can't wait to see plans Joe has for this drawing. His assemblage will make it truly complete!             


Getta Cuppa Joe!

Cook Street Coffee

Now through mid - February, the artboxes will be at Cook St. Coffee in downtown Barrington. A portion of any sales now through Feb from this show will go to Willow Creek's C.A.R.S ministry, which helps area single moms have safe, reliable transportation.

Cook Street is a great, cozy place to get fair trade "coffee ands". (In Joe's family, it's unthinkable to serve coffee alone. You have coffee 'and a danish', so we refer to this as 'coffee ands'.)  Cook St. Coffee locally owned, so if you go there, you get to treat yourself while supporting independent businesses near & far.

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What has 3 heads, a clear conscience & about 50,000 cups of coffee?

With Michael Shipley @ Conscious Cup...

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I was hanging artwork yesterday in Crystal Lake's own Conscious Cup. When I got home, my son asked me why it's called that. I explained that it's because many people are pretty much unconscious until they have their first cup of coffee in the morning.

But seriously, it's a locally owned, fair trade coffee shop/cafe owned by the Shipleys (Michael, Jason & Jack). If you believe in supporting local businesses, local artists, fair trade & good, old-fashioned caffeine, this is the place for you.

And, if you purchase any of our artboxes during the show there and mention you saw it at Conscious Cup, you'll be helping local kids and single moms in crisis. How? Read on...

Reasons to go to Conscious Cup during the holiday season:

1. Coffee
2. Coffee!
3. 20% of artbox purchases made there will benefit the local shelter Turning Point.

One of the artboxes now on display..

And if you're like me, and would rather drink hemlock than go to a mall on Black Friday, consider a saner alternative: cozy up with a cuppa joe, hang out with a newspaper, ipad or a friend & leisurely shop the original art (yes, that would be ours) or the Ten Thousand Villages fair trade gift selection at this local haven.

If you buy any of our pieces showing there through the end of 2012, you can be assured of 2 things...(Yes, I know, I'm into lists today.)

1. If you need a gift for the person who has everything, they won't have this!
2. Your purchase will help McHenry County's women & children escape violence and enjoy a season of joy and peace. 

I know I'll be hanging out with the occasional chai--hope to see you there!

+ Visit the Conscious Cup website
+ Find out about Turning Point
+ See the artboxes online