Some of my favorite ornaments at FOUND are ones that are handmade, right here in Michigan.  Deanne Nieburger, aka Deets, is an Ann Arbor artist who makes wonderful little ornaments incorporating recycled vacuum tubes (once used in TVs, radios, speakers and electronics of all sorts).   Above is a robot.  Below are her new style penguin ornament and a snowman ornament.  Each tiny sculpted face has its own personality!  She brought in dozens last week - some with old Christmas light bulbs instead of the electronics tube. I love the quirky expressions.  And the adorable little scarves that Deanne makes for each of them.  The Au Gres Sheep Factory, located in Au Gres, Michigan, provides us with fabulous felted wool ornaments each year.  They mainly produce wool and roving for weavers and knitters, but we're really glad they take time out to make these wooly white polar bears! We carry wooly little Au Gres lambs and sheep year round.  For Christmas, we ordered red wool cardinals and these fox ornaments. The Au Gres animals are $18.50 each.  The ornaments by Deets are $16 each.  If you're looking for extra special ornaments, handmade in Michigan, these 2 makers are our top picks. In addition to these, we stock dozens of styles of imported ornaments and a nice collection of vintage ornaments at prices from $3 to $10 each.     Continue reading

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Finally.... here are the photos from the July 2011 collage & assemblage workshops with mixed media artists Lynn and John Whipple.   The first day's focus was collage - vintage papers, adhesives, paint and messy fun!   By the end of the day, most projects were finished and framed in shadow boxes.  Some wonderfully creative work! Here's the fun group of ladies (and John) at the end of the first workshop.  Those smiles say it all! The second Whipple workshop was 3-D assemblage in a found box - below is the group that joined us on Sunday. Some folks took both days of class and others just came for the assemblage class.   Most of the day, I was back at the shop, so missed getting photos of the finished boxes.  My pictures are most works in progress... It was another lively day, full of creativity!  Thanks Lynn & John, and all who participated.       Continue reading

  It's been a busy summer for workshops at FOUND.  I'll use the next couple posts to show photos from the series. We were thrilled to host textile artist Chris Roberts-Antieau earlier this month.  Lots of creative sketching, planning, cutting, ironing and sewing took place in those two days! (Thanks to Pat Johnston who took these photos) The workshop started with sketching and drawing.  Then the fun of selecting colorful fabrics began!  Numerous tables throughout the room were STACKED with textiles of every color and pattern.  At the beginning of the workshop, they were all arranged by color in very neat piles.  By the end of the workshop, they looked like this.  Lots of creatve textile combinations happened in the meantime.   Chris pulled out her scissors - instruction in cutting, fusing and layering commenced!  Slowly, but surely, fabric "pictures" began to evolve.   A good iron is essential in doing art the Roberts-Antieau way! On the second day, the sewing began!         I was amazed as I watched everybody interpret their initial concepts onto fabric.          Two days wasn't nearly enough time to finish - work will continue at home.   The variety and lively use color and pattern in these projects was amazing.  We need to schedule a reunion for  this creative group of women in the autumn - after the finishing touches are completed.   We send a HUGE heartfelt THANK YOU to Chris (with help from Chris, Celibeth and Sylvia).  We're so fortunate to know you!         Continue reading

    Our summer workshop series continues next weekend when Chris Roberts-Antieau comes to FOUND to teach a two-day fabric arts workshop called "Textile Wit & Wonder". Saturday night we're hosting a trunk show and you're invited! 

Chris Roberts-Antieau Trunk Show

Saturday, August 6. 6:00-9:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m. Short Artist Talk by Chris

Free Event @ FOUND

Chris is best-known for her “fabric paintings,” which find humor and irony in everyday life and pop culture. Her colorful booth at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is always amazing with huge scale applique work. For the FOUND trunk show, Chris will also be bringing some smaller scale pieces, framed prints and cards. She'll be happy to sign copies of her book. At 7:00 Chris will give a short artist talk, followed by a Q & A about her work and the creative process. We'll have the documentary film, "The Life of Chris Roberts-Antieau: A Love Letter to Tom Waits", by Angela Kline running throughout the evening. We hope you can join us in this celebration of creativity! P.S. We measured the workshop space at the Kerrytown Concert House a couple days ago and decided that there is plenty of room to fit 18 participants, so we added 2 more spots! If you are interested in taking the Sat/Sunday class, register at foundgallery.com.     . Continue reading

By now, most of you know that mixed media artists Lynn & John Whipple are coming to FOUND next week to teach 2 workshops.  Lynn just posted on her blog about it and I'm quoting most of  what she wrote about sharing the creative process below (or you can go directly to her blog to read).  I love her approach to art - and to life, as well!  In Lynn's words - If I was to make a mini list of my favorite things, it might look like this: 1. Laugh 2. Make stuff 3. Play with friends 4. Talk about art and the creative process 5. Learn new things I can’t think of a better way to do all of these things, with wonderful people in an inspiring setting, than to join together for a mixed media workshop. What could possibly be more fun than sharing ideas, techniques and time with like minded folks??  ... Lately, as a teacher and an artist, the thing that really turns my ticket is the creative process itself. I am really enjoying putting my focus on what this “making stuff” looks like and how we navigate through all the steps that result in a finished piece. I believe that one of the great pleasures in life is taking the tiny seed of an idea all the way to a tangible reality…and then sharing it. YES!! So in the upcoming workshops, count on lots of new info on how to make your creative dreams become a reality. Another thing to look forward to is a new set of design exercises. I love collage and drawing and want to take some time to discuss how important composition is in all things! Art making is such a rich and varied pursuit, lets celebrate it together! All my bestest best!! xoxo Lynn           Continue reading

This weekend at FOUND, any item with even a tiny bit of red, white or blue in it is 15% off. Hooray for the Red, White and Blue! Closed Monday, July 4th. . Continue reading

FOUND is hosting two mixed media workshops and a trunk show the weekend before Art Fairs with the Whipples.  This is the second year that Lynn and John have agreed to teach. Registration is at FOUND or www.foundgallery.com. They are a couple of our favorite artists from the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair and we're thrilled to have them back again!  The Whipples started exhibiting at The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original in 2005, the same year that FOUND opened.  My friend and shop assistant, Sylvia Lang brought them to FOUND the day after that fair ended, knowing that the odd vintage hardware and paper we carry would appeal to them.  It's been interesting over the years to find "rust", antique epehemera, unusual surfaces and odd dodads for them - and the cadre of mixed media artists - that come to FOUND around Art Fair time.  If you've been to the fair, you probably recognize their work.  Lynn is a mixed media collage and assemblage artist.  John specializes in mixed media sculpture and painting.  Their booths sit side by side near Burton Tower - and you'll often see Lynn playing the guitar in the grass near her booth. Below are some links and photos.  What the photos don't capture is what great instructors they are - you'll have to come to the workshops to see for yourself! Here's John's website.  A couple images doesn't begin to tell the story of his diverse ways of getting surfaces to have a look unlike any other artist.  I'm facinated by the way he alters metal - especially rusty metal - to achieve unusual backgrounds for his paintings.  Look closely at his 3-D piece  for bits of old toys and bobbles.  I love the surprise element in his work. Here's Lynn's website.  She is one of the nicest, most encouraging, creative, fun people you could ever take a class from.  Her playfulness and sense of fun just spills out into her art.  Many people know her for her "Ninny" series, but her creativity is alway reaching out in new directions.    I just love her large multi-layered collage birds.  The Starling collage/painting was gigantic - I missed out on getting it for my living room last summer.... Here's a short version of our 3 days with Lynn & John Whipple at FOUND: Friday, July 15th from 6:00-9:00 p.m.  Trunk Show &  Welcome Party at FOUND.  You'll get a preview of their new art before the official start of Art Fair - enjoy refreshments (we love cheese and the market downstairs has the best) - and maybe Lynn will play a little banjo music...or bring some other surprises. Saturday, July 16.  10:00-4:00.  Collage! Collage! Collage! day long mixed media collage workshop at the Kerrytown Concert House.  Sunday, July 17.  10:00-4:00.  Assemblage in a Found Box workshop at the Kerrytown Concert House. The trunk show and welcome party is free and open to the public.  The workshops are $150/class.  BONUS:  If you refer a friend to come and have fun with you at the class, you'll both get a $10 FOUND gift card.  If you already signed up and refer a friend, you'll also get a $10 gift card.  Limit 5 friend bonus. Register today on this website or by calling or stopping by the shop.  734.302.3060.     . Continue reading