Pinch and a Punch, It's the First of the Month...

We have now entered February, so you'll be seeing red, pink and purple for 14 days, until retailers have to quickly swap out St. Valentine's Day for incoming St. Patty's Day! Don't blink, you might miss it and have a disgruntled spouse, significant other or family member on your hands!

I miss having small children, and the fun we'd have making valentines for classmates, teachers, neighbors and family! Looking back, we made some fun ones through the years...like our salt-dough heart-shaped kitchen magnets (which was in Parents magazine, showing my son, Jackson at the time).

There were the multi-colored crayons made by melting crayon shavings into foil-lined, heart-shaped mini muffin tins. Then there were the years of carving linoleum blocks and handprinting valentines (no fingers were lost in the process). Then we played with polaroid film, taking a head shot of each boy, having them gently scratch hearts and arrows into the background of their picture as it formed, and adding the punchline..I'm "Picturing" You as My Valentine, Be Mine!

My favorite valentine was sent to me when I was about 7, by my oldest brother who was away at college. It was a simple, black, thin-lined sketch of two whales, nose to nose in the water (tails sticking up, rows of squiggly lines for waves, and their blow-holes each spouting one red heart amidst a spray of water! I thought it was the coolest thing ever to open the mailbox and find it addressed to me!

Upcoming blog posts from me will share some valentine ideas/illustrations I've created so please keep checking back and know that reproductions are available by emailing me...and remember you are never too old to create, share, and send a valentine!

"I'd be standing tall if you were my valentine!"

Breaking Gray...

I was recently invited to escape cold, gray Columbus, Ohio for a weekend in Marco Island, Florida to visit my in-laws. I was thrilled to have an entire day and a half of brilliant sunshine, temperatures in the high seventies and the freedom to sink my feet in the sand with my family, lounge on the beach with a good book and to slow down long enough to soak up the colors and patterns around me!

My last day there the weather turned dark and winds were harsh, turning my Florida oasis ironically into the same shade of gray that I had left (and was now preparing to return to) in Ohio! Squeezing in a final walk before heading home, I had to laugh at these guys, each bracing against the strong wind, they refused to move and forced all beachcombers to walk around them!

Back in my studio, a painting I had completed a while back, now proves to be the perfect reminder of my weekend! What color gives you a break from the gray?

Hangry= Hungry + Angry...and Monsters come to mind...

Having a long, holiday break with my teenage sons has been lovely, but somehow not a Norman Rockwell scene (unless Norman lived at Giant Eagle like I do). Our break together has been really fun, while serving as a vivid reminder of several things...how much teenage boys can eat; how cranky they can be when they get hungry; how often they are hungry; and how many trips I can make to the grocery store and still not have enough food in the house to satisfy them! 

It reminded me of the fabric cookbook I made years ago for my nephew, which came out of a conversation with my sister-in-law about what kind of after-school snacks would help calm the "hangry"...

The above fabric illustration opened the book with the following text...

Monsters gnash their teeth and drool

when they're hungry after school!

The best advice to avoid being bitten,

is to serve them a snack of which they are smitten!

2017...Sure to be colorful!!!

New illustrations, new writing and new ways to enjoy my art, all coming in the new year, so keep checking back!

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you peace this holiday season, may your celebrations be colorful and fun!

Wooded Bliss...

My husband and I were in the Hudson River Valley over the weekend to attend a friend's wedding. The weather was warm when we arrived, and the sun was shining. We had the added honor of being welcomed to stay in The Lantern House, a contemporary, residential property that my husband had recently photographed for NYC architect, Marica Mckeel.  Our accommodations were astounding.  Marica welcomed us into her weekend home, called the Tinker Box, where she gave us the full tour and shared how she had designed (not only the home) but some of the furniture and light fixtures and had painted some of the art gracing the walls. Then we followed her to The Lantern House, our weekend accommodations...Amazing.

It was so quiet and peaceful, the only sounds were the occasional skittering of leaves dropping to the ground, a distant bird's call and the breeze as we watched chipmunks chasing each other about!

One creative, intuitive, thoughtful, artist! Check out her website (http://maricamckeel.com/studio) and check out my husband's to see more images of The Lantern House and the Tinker Box! (www.feinknopf.com)

Recent updates...

My writing portfolio has some updates as I have just been published in September 2016's issue of Columbus Monthly! I will also have some articles coming out in Columbus Weddings, as well as another art feature in GreenCraft magazine in the months ahead! Please check back to see what I'm working on...

It's OSU Fair time!!!

The Ohio State Fair is still open through this Sunday, August 7th! If you have never attended or haven't been there yet this year, it is a must-do! Not only from the copious offerings of fried food items, but the people-watching, animal judging and art!

I was fortunate to have one of my fabric collages accepted into this year's juried Fine Arts Exhibition and had fun attending the opening! I was equally excited to run into friends that also had their work accepted in this year's show. Very exciting when you consider 450 artists submitted 1,500 pieces of art for acceptance!

There was a wide array of work to admire, from jewelry, ceramics, to sculpture, paintings and wood block prints (and more). The exhibition is housed in the Cox Fine Arts Building and sits on the south end of the Fair, closer to 11th Avenue.

The piece I had accepted is entitled, Red Hush, and is a fabric collage made of a base of commercial cotton selvedges, pieces and parts of vintage rice, flour and sugar bags, which I machine and hand stitched. It is framed in clear acrylic, floating so the raw edges show!

This is a great opportunity for you art lovers and collectors to find works from Ohio artisans, so be sure to visit the fair before it closes. Come with sunscreen, comfy shoes! Come hungry for carnival food, fun... and art!!

Happy Birthday Beatrix Potter!

This Thursday, July 28th, marks the 150th birthday of one of my favorite illustrators, Beatrix Potter! Born in 1866, in Northern England, Beatrix grew to become a conservationist, writer and illustrator. Her published children's books, The Tale of of Peter Rabbit; The Tale of Benjamin Bunny;

The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle; the Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse...

and The Tailor of Gloucester...

were some of my favorite stories from her collection. If you have young children, please introduce them to Beatrix Potter, who through her comical tales and sweet illustrations continue a legacy of innocence for children! If you just want to enjoy a precious moment, check out one of her books at the local library and enjoy (with a cup of tea of course)! She is a true treasure!

Happy Mistakes!

Happy Mistakes are the best kind. You've heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons...make lemonade", so true. I have a wonderful husband, who is a true 50/50 partner in life. He does dishes, he does laundry, we even finish each others' sentences. 

He once shrunk one of my favorite blue sweaters while helping with the laundry. I was crushed and found I couldn't part with the beautiful wool. I made it into bluebird ornaments, and when playing around with the scraps, the discarded v-neck and wrist cuffs of the sweater, I realized they looked like a roof line and pieces of fence. I then went thrifting and found some basic colored sweaters and created house shaped pillows!

I am excited that they are featured in this summer's August issue of GreenCraft magazine!

Some of you have asked if there are any available for sale and yes! I am tied up with other projects and have not loaded them onto my etsy site yet, so if you need or want them soon, just email me at afeinknopf@gmail.com to discuss and order!

Happy Birthday!!!

Today, the French Author, Illustrator, Aviator and Aristrocrat, Antoine de Saint-Exupery was born in 1900.

He was a successful career pilot, beginning before WWII flying airmail routes in Europe, Africa and South America, until the war broke out whereupon he joined the French Air Force, flying reconnaissance missions until France's armistice with Germany in 1940. On December 30, 1935 he and his mechanic-navigator, Andre Prevot crashed in the Sahara desert after almost 20 hours in the air attempting to break a speed record in a Paris-Saigon air race with prize money totaling 150,000 francs (scenes of which later come to play in his children's book).

Saint-Exupery's first adult book was published in 1929 entitled, Courier Sud (Southern Mail), followed by the 1931 publishing of Vol du Nuit (Night Flight). After several more books, he wrote his first children's book, The Little Prince, published in 1943 from New York City. Saint- Exupery disappeared flying his ninth reconnaissance mission, departing in an unarmed P-38 on July 31, 1944.

I can't help but wonder what Antoine de Saint Exupery would think about our current state of global affairs...

(-Wikipedia)

Watercolor Wednesday...

Today...Watercolor Wednesday isn't about watercolor...it does include water and color... and antique embroidery!

While on vacation in North Carolina recently, I took an hour out of the sun, off the beach, to visit a favorite antique shop in search of treasure! We have been going to Emerald Isle annually ever since our kids were small and years ago on a rainy day, I discovered this great shop, Grapevine Antiques, boasting three, old buildings full of goodies. I typically gravitate to the old books, the old photos and of course any needlepoint samples or embroidered linens.

Despite finding few photos, and few books of interest, my trip turned into a great success in terms of textiles! In an old, musty smelling cupboard full of shelves, each stuffed to overflowing, I found several sets of embroidered table runners, doilies, napkins, and even an antique potholder! Some told their age with stains, but not enough to dissuade me! I came home happy, as the embroidered designs were a nice mix of vintage and current, their colors bright and their stitches impeccable! But... I had to tend to the stains!

I picked up some Oxiclean powder and spray on the way home, along with some disposable roasting pans. (We had flown to N.C. this trip, so I did not want to invest in bulky plastic containers.) Luckily our rental has a large jaccuzzi tub where I could line up and fill the pans with water and the oxiclean, to leave them uninterrupted to soak.

And so they soaked for several hours, after which I rinsed them in cold water, wrung them out by hand and laid them outside on the deck to dry in the hot sun. It was so hot that a half an hour later all were completely dry and what a difference... a bit wrinkly but much brighter and stain free!

As soon as I got home and unpacked, I ironed the pieces and while some are earmarked for use in my fabric collages or fabric books, a few had designated spots waiting for them around the house, where I can enjoy them daily!

(Hmmm...I didn't iron this one enough, obviously!)

Happiness#NCantinquing

Happy (Belated) Birthday...Bruce Degen!

Yesterday was Illustrator, Bruce Degen's birthday. Born June 14, 1945 in Brooklyn, NY, Bruce earned his BFA from Cooper Union and his MFA from Pratt Institute. You may remember his work from the series Magic Schoolbus and unforgettable Ms. Frizzle! My sons were enamored with the books, the videos and the adventures that the "magic" schoolbus would take them on once all the school kids climbed onboard!

All stories/episodes were well written and perfectly executed with a good mix of fun and education. Some of our favorites included the Halloween episode, which taught the viewers about bats and echo location as they toured a haunted mansion on a field trip with kooky Ms. Frizzle wearing her bat earrings and crazy outfits, leading every adventure and driving the bus!

As well as the episode entitled, "For Lunch", where the Schoolbus travels down the throat of a boy and they learn about digestion. Let's not forget the episode, "Lost in Space" ...another great educational adventure! 

Bruce Degen also illustrated the wonderful, lyrical board book, Jamberry, another of our family's favorites.

The Commander Toad series; Jesse Bear books; Daddy is a Doodlebug and Shirley's Wonderful Baby are all illustrated by Bruce as well. He illustrated over 40 children's books.

Happy Belated Birthday Bruce Degen and thank you for sharing your creativity and talent with the world! 

Watercolor Wednesday!

When I was six years old, my grandfather owned a farm in the hills of West Virginia. After my grandfather's passing, my Dad would drive my brothers and me out to the farm on Saturdays in the summer. I loved being wedged in between by brothers, bouncing along in the old pick up truck along the dusty two lane roads. Upon arrival, we'd all set to work. Admittedly, I got off easy as my job was to stay away from the road and to play safely, while my Dad and brothers tended to the garden and mowing. I now understand why my brothers didn't share my delight in heading to the farm on weekends...there is a difference between work and play!

After un-sticking my legs from the bench seat, I'd scoot out of the truck, jump down and head off looking for my friends, the cows. I'd venture down the hill to the dark, coolness of the barn when the sun overhead grew too hot and I could feel my part burning between by piggy tails. Old tractors and farm implements filled one part of the barn. I didn't spend much time there, as I was afraid of spiders and my brother, George was always warning me to watch out for snakes. So instead I would shoo the cows out of the back of the barn and I'd meander out into the fields with them as they grazed (watching my step of course)!

I distinctly remember how tiger lilies and blackberry brambles were everywhere, drooping in the hot sun!

One summer the farmhouse was rented to a group of kids, "Hippies" as Dad called them. They were friendly and I remember them inviting me to come into the farmhouse kitchen where they were steaming tiger lilly blossoms and dipping them in butter. I also remember my brother yanking me out before I got to taste them!

As the sun gets hotter here, summer memories come flooding back! What's your favorite childhood summer memory?

Watercolor Wednesday!

Breakfast on the patio! One of my greatest joys is taking some time in the morning to sketch and to do so in our back yard where the birds are singing!

Adding some peonies out of disappointment that the peonies we planted last year, haven't matured enough to grant some blossoms...

Happy Watercolor Wednesday...make it a colorful day!

Watercolor Wednesday... Pattern making...who's your friend?

To some watercolor artists, liquid frisket is a must! Frisket? (I know what you are thinking... you start humming a tisket a tasket...while your brain summons up images of a steaming brisket coming out of the oven) So what is frisket?!!

Frisket is a rubber/latex-based, milky liquid that works as a color resist in watercolor painting. It is a bit like painting with curdled milk, but it is really helpful! If you have ever tried watercolor painting, you know that it is one of the hardest types of painting because water is so difficult to control! You are not only striving to keep it from running into other colors, but also maintaining the right balance of water and pigment to create the opacity and brightness of color that you wish for your painting. Frisket can be found at your local fine art supply store, for me it was Blick's (old Utrecht store) in the Short North area of Columbus, Ohio.

Frisket becomes your friend when you want white areas in your work, or clean areas that you wish to layer with pen or another medium. It blocks any pigments from bleeding into that desired white space. But...frisket, can be a bit like that friend of yours who is notoriously late for your coffee dates, it requires a little patience! You paint it on and need to allow it to dry completely before you launch into adding color! And it comes with the warning that exposure can cause allergic reactions, or damaging effects to the nervous and reproductive systems. So I don't advise you let your kids play with it...and if you use it, don't breathe it in, and try to reduce the exposure to your skin.

Having said that, the exciting part of the frisket process in painting, is removing the dried frisket after your finished watercolor painting is completely dried. You need to remove it gently (by rubbing it off) or it can tear your watercolor paper. The big reveal is a bit like that piece of bubble wrap that you can't stop popping! You peel off the frisket, see clean white space and your mind starts thinking of more patterns made possible by frisket! Try it (carefully) and enjoy!

Spring Break...ReDO!

With our weather fluctuating between warm and sunny to cold and gray, I would happily redo Spring Break and hop a plane back to California! We had a wonderful trip, flying directly into Oakland, CA, dining with my awesome nephew, driving on to hike in Yosemite National Park, and days later, driving to Los Angeles.  Just bumming around with my hubby and our boys is a joy for me...and one I recognize is fleeting as they continue to grow and spread their wings!

As if hiking in Yosemite was not monumental enough, once we settled into L.A., we visited one of my long-admired, funky places, Watts Towers!

Admittedly, Watts is in a questionable neighborhood, but I was so glad to see it honored and protected as the world changes around it. I was tickled that even the neighbors across the street paid homage to this historic relic.

It has been said that Watts Towers is the largest structure ever made by one person.  For years, it has been questioned how it fits into the world, Architecture? Yes! Sculpture? Yes! Folk Art? Absolutely! However you classify it...this amazing, tireless effort of one man, Simon Rodia, is a must see!  Every section that your eye rests upon tends to pull you in as you discover interesting bits and pieces- shards of pottery, impressions in the cement itself, broken bottles to seashells!

It is amazing when you get up close to examine the towers, which rise to 100 feet and were completely manmade in that no scaffolding, bolts, screws, rivets, welding or even blueprints/plans were used in the construction! Simon scaled to the top of each tower, cement bucket in hand,  as he continued to build upward. 

HIstory paints a picture of Rodia as a poor, Italian immigrant, known to be a hot head. He was married, with two sons and a daughter, and having worked as a laborer in Seattle, moved to Oakland, California around 1904, where a community of Italian immigrants was growing. Three years later, in 1907, Rodia was unhappy and took to drinking following the death of his daughter, Bel. The marriage dissolved in 1912. From there he moved around the US and returned to California with his third wife, settling into a house on a triangular lot, at the end of a dead end, at 1765 East 107th Street in Watts, CA (between Los Angeles and Long Beach).

A long time laborer and very experienced cement worker, Rodia, 42 years old in 1921, spent every free moment after work and on weekends building his structures. Although he had been in the United States for 26 years at this point, his thick Italian accent made him unable to communicate with neighbors (or others who might have been able to assist with his construction). Sadly, his wife left him, feeling neglected by him due to his unwavering focus on his project.

To visit today, you may take your own tour around the outside of the fenced in structure, or you can pay for an interior tour of the towers. Short on time, we opted out of the interior tour and walked around it after spending some time in the adjacent Art Center which houses information on Rodia and the entire history, as well as a small gallery that exhibits local artists' work.

There is a wonderful book written by Bud Goldstone and Arloa Paquin Goldstone, who knew Simon Rodia personally, entitled, The Los Angeles Watts Towers. I encourage you to check it out for more history on this cherished creation!

What wondrous thing would you create if you donated all of your free time and energy, for thirty four years? Hmmm... I guess I could argue that I am already nineteen years into two of my own wondrous things...I think I will call them the Feinknopf Towers!

Good News for Shrunken Wool...

Just received word that my House Pillows (handmade entirely from previously-cherished-sweaters-subsequently-shrunk-by-well-intentioned-laundry-helpers) will be...

featured in the Autumn 2016 issue of GreenCraft Magazine!

Don't forget! Abbyf studio has a give & get program that works like this...for every donation of clean, usable, 100% wool sweaters, you receive 10% off your next abbyf etsy purchase or commission!