oogly fun with March Madness!

The Final Four Marches In!  Who does oogly pick to win?

This weekend four different basketball teams’ mascots will have the opportunity to bring home a win – who will it be?   A cardinal, jayhawk, buckeye or wildcat?  Who does your oogly represent?  Maybe you are a diehard basketball fan and have overloaded your brain with bracket picks and endless watching of games or maybe you have opted for anything but another game involving an orange ball.  

Whatever strategy you have for your 2012 NCAA Tournament, just remember March Madness is all about having some fun!   For children too young to yet understand the whole bracket thing or for those adults simply not interested, why not check out the various mascots that represent the four teams now competing.   Do you believe in the awesome power of avian creatures, or do you find yourself drawn to fierce cats?   And which of the team colors to you correlate with victory,  scarlet-and-grey or crimson-and-blue?  

Get oogly involved in the game this weekend – we’d love to see whatever team-winning spirit oogly chooses to favor.   A bird or a cat donned in your favorite colors.   Show us your pick – you just might be the winner!  

Great Art, Great Friends, Great Fun!

What a fun weekend of art, friends and holiday cheer. We had our annual Holiday Show this weekend and WOW - what an amazing community of artists and art supporters we have in Kansas City. 

So many wonderful artists shared in the fun this year. Pottery, textiles, jewelry, photography, mixed media and paintings flew out the door – destined to be gifts for loved ones and friends.

Lots of gourmet gifts too – our friends and their friends will be enjoying tasty treats this holiday season courtesy of a number of talented cooks who shared their favorite goodies.

Best of all, lots of our young artist friends stopped by with their parents to check things out. And lots of parents helped out Santa by gathering up oogly kits and ideas for creative projects.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the weekend such a huge success and to all the art lovers who supported the event. Happy Holidays!

Another Inspiring Fall Festival

As we savor a gorgeous Indian summer in Kansas City, I’m so pleased that artists are reaping the benefits of bright blue skies and sunny afternoons at art festivals across the city. At the Longview Art and Music Festival last weekend, I didn’t just enjoy the art at the festival. The drive to and from Lee’s Summit was a treat. The hills around Kansas City have started to turn colorful with golden, orange and purple leaves painting the landscape.

Longview Art and Music Festival included lots of local artists. It was a great chance to catch up with friends and see what my “neighbors” are up to, especially ceramicists. One friend, Beth Costner, was there showing off new jewelry pieces and fun baubles. Her work is always varied and fresh and this weekend was no different.

I also enjoyed meeting a new artist whose fun animal pieces really spoke to me. Jill Flinn of Flinn Designs, creates whimsical pieces of animals prancing across their landscapes using a method called bas relief sculpture.  It’s a combination of paper sculpture and acrylic paint that adds more depth to the painting surface. Not only does she do fabulous artwork, she and her husband also do amazing work for animals. They operate a no-kill shelter for dogs at their home in rural Missouri and the proceeds from Jill’s art help pay for the kibbles.

Wonderful inspiration!

What a Glorious Weekend for Art

You couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather in Kansas City to get out and enjoy the wonderful art fairs this past weekend. We have art festivals all summer long but September often has the best weather for joining the crowds to check out great art in some of my favorite settings. 

The Plaza Art Fair kicked it off for me on Friday night. The crown jewel of Kansas City’s art fairs, I always love seeing one of the prettiest spot in the city transformed with crowds of adults and kids enjoying painting, photography, sculpture, textiles and wonderful original jewelry. Add live music and great food to the mix and there’s no better way to enjoy a cool, September evening. I got to see new works by some of my long-time favorite artists including John Whipple and Sueng Lee. As an artist, I love to see how others are evolving and what new methods and media they are trying in their work.

Saturday dawned sunny and cool with a promise of warmer weather in the afternoon so I decided to head out to the UnPlaza Art Fair to see what else was new on the local art scene. While the Plaza is fun, the crowds on Saturday can test my nerves. The UnPlaza Art Fair offers more great art but less crowds and easier parking. Plus, you can’t complain about the setting across from the Kemper Museum. It’s easy to get to and you can check out the museum after you get your fill at the art fair.

Next weekend, I’m hoping for weather as fine as this weekend. It’s the Longview Art and World Music Festival where my friend McKenna will showing her jewelry. The show takes place in Lee’s Summit and hosts lots of local artists. If I stay focused, I might even be able to get some early Christmas shopping done since original art makes wonderful gifts. Or, I might just let my mind wander and enjoy the sights and sounds of art and music in the fall in Kansas City.

What’s your favorite art festival?

Back to the Great Outdoors

Now that the temperatures have become reasonable again and your kids are sitting in classrooms all day, it’time to revisit some outside activities. Your children will appreciate time outdoors after a day at school and you’ll be glad they’re burning up some energy without the fear of heat stroke! Here are a few ideas I’ve found from my favorite blogs I think you’ll enjoy.

Although our oak trees may be a little lean on acorns this year because of the heat, this awesome nature- inspired mobile from Crafts by Amanda can be made with any found objects. I like projects like this one because you can send the youngsters out on a scavenger hunt before you even get down to the nuts and bolts of the project. So if you can’t find acorns for your mobile – get creative with other types of pods and seeds and share your creation with us.

Acorn Mobile from Crafts By Amanda

Childhood 101 features great ideas at Playopedia and this post of Outdoor Play Ideas is a great compilation of ideas from across the blogosphere. One of our favorites is Hosting a Fairy in Your Garden contributed by kitchen counter chronicles. Even though you may not be up for planting this time of year, you can still tuck an inviting fairy house into your garden someplace special for a little friend.

Fairy House from kitchen counter chronicles

If you are local to the Kansas City area, a couple of fun things this weekend include the second week of the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. This write-up from Kristina Light at the KC Moms Blog gives too many great hints to summarize here so just follow the link.

Explore at Kansas City's Ethnic Enrichment Festival

Also this weekend, soak up some cultural and performing arts plus great food at Kansas City’s Ethnic Enrichment Festival. There won’t be any ooglys but there will be lots of music, food and things for kids to do. I’ll be helping friends at the Brazilian food booth on Saturday so stop by and say hi. I hope to see you there!

Fish at a Birthday Party

Making fish from clay has been a great art project for kids this summer.  

Recently, a group of kids made fish with me at a birthday party. Playing with clay is such a fun way for kids to celebrate a special occasion.

Each girl made her own fish based on the easy instructions I provided. Then, we went ahead and painted the fish with glazes.

I fired them and the results were funny and cool. The fish are a rainbow of festive colors – just like the beautiful tropical fish at the fish store.  And with just one firing they are ready for the girls to take home and enjoy.

Recap from the Summer Art Show

It was a fabulous weekend at my Summer Art Show and the Oogly Kit was part of the fun. 

Kids enjoyed seeing other children's artwork.

The show took place in my garden in Kansas City. I live in an older neighborhood with lots of big trees, good soil and dappled sun (read: lots of shade)…It’s the perfect place to show off artwork and get inspiration and we did both things this weekend.

Pillows by Jenny Allen and pottery by Myrna

It’s so much fun to have lots of artists participate in the Summer Show. Most of my artwork is designed to be in the garden and many of my artistic friends are inspired by their own gardens. So – putting our artwork out with the flowers adds another dimension to the creativity.

Claudia True's painting added to the natural colors of the garden.

Plus – the garden is a great place for people to experience the arts. Monet’s water lily ponds at Giverny are the most striking example of how much nature can influence our imaginations. Maybe the garden gives our minds a little more space to wander.

The pond at Myrna's is inspirational too - especially surrounded by art.

The kids who came to my garden this weekend were inspired by the art and by the garden. They painted, made ooglys and picked out their favorite pieces. Their parents and the other visitors checked out the art, wandered through the yard and visited with friends (and made new ones).

There's no shame in gilding the lily.

We had a wonderful time seeing everyone – catching up on accomplishments and plans. Plus – it was fun to share what’s been going on the studio. I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.

It was a pleasure to have our friends with us in the garden.

Oogly Kits at Myrna's Summer Garden Show

Besides being the creator of the Oogly Kit, Myrna’s also a sculptor and avid gardener. This weekend, if you’re in Kansas City, you won’t want to miss her Summer Art Show. It’s a wonderful place for inspiration and creativity.

Bugs will be out in the garden this weekend at Myrna's.

Myrna’s garden is a delightful oasis in the midst of Overland Park with a fish pond, a deck full of blooming flowers and wonderful art including pottery, glass and paintings scattered throughout the landscape. Each day looks a little different in the garden but the serenity and peacefulness are always inviting.

Flowers are blooming for the Summer Art Show at Myrna's

Plus – several young friends will join us at the show demonstrating the Oogly Kit and making ooglys throughout the weekend. You can try your hand at an oogly or take care of your Father’s Day shopping with a creative gift Dad can make with your kids. We’ll also be displaying pieces by students who have taken classes with Myrna.

Join in on the fun making ooglys!

 We hope you will stop by and visit the show this weekend. Lots of artists will be there including:

Debbie Griffin: Fun summer pottery
Jenny Allen: Fibers
Kitty Hannon: Summer placemats
Carleen Shatto: Soaps and lotions
Claudia True: Whimsical outdoor paintings
Nick Schmeideler:  Metal Sculptures

Location and Show Hours:
9700 Canterbury Overland Park, KS (click here for a map) 
Friday, June 3 – 10am -7pm
Saturday, June 4 - 10am - 6pm
Sunday, June 5 - 12pm - 4pm

Hope to see you there!

Saturday at Sand in the City KC – Wonderscope Children’s Museum

Check out the ooglys created during the Sand in the City KC event at Wonderscope Children’s Museum. The mix of sand, music and fun inspired lots of great creativity.

We had kids of all ages playing with clay and adding special touches to make their ooglys one of a kind.

Beads and pip cleaners added a flair to this oogly

Hair received some special attention –probably because the spring breezes were blowing everyone’s hair like crazy.

One hairy oogly!

It was great to be a part of a new event in Kansas City that helped raise money for the Wonderscope Children’s Museum.

Big oogly feet are perfect for running through the sand.

If you didn’t get a chance to come out for Sand in the City KC, be sure to stop by the museum in downtown Shawnee, KS this summer and check out all the hands-on activities and exploration waiting for you at Wonderscope.

Join Oogly at Sand in the City KC This Weekend

This weekend at Wonderscope Children's Musuem of Kansas City promises to be a wild, fun, competitive adventure with a bunch of sand thrown in. So much sand, in fact, that Kaw Valley Sand and Gravel, the sponsor donating the sand, has already started trucking it in for the teams that will be competing in the first annual Sand in the City KC sand sculpture contest. I talked to Barb Prater, board member at Wonderscope and the chair for the event, to get the scoop on the contest and the preparations they’ve been doing to make this event an entertaining occasion for the whole family.

Oogly is super excited to be part of the 1st Annual Sand in the City KC!

For Barb and the team at Wonderscope, Sand in the City KC has been over two years in the making. On Friday, eleven corporate teams will be participating, building sand sculptures with 5 tons of sand each. The teams have been planning for two months – developing their ideas into sandy reality little by little. Friday morning – all the planning comes together in 6 hours of sand sculpting in the parking lot at Wonderscope in Shawnee, KS. (This part of the event is not open to the public.)

I’ve heard rumors of Stars Wars characters, KU Jayhawks and a taco-based concept whose back story is being developed on Facebook by the team from Reactors Video. It seems sand, water and a little imagination go a long way when you let the design teams loose from various companies and organizations around town. We all still have those lingering impulses to play and build in the dirt – no surprise to us!

Ooglys are looking forward to playing in the sand too...

The process the groups will be using to build their sculptures is complex – you can read more about it in this article from the Kansas City Star. Barb told me that each team will have 2 hours to prepare their site before the actual sculpting begins and then they can have up to 12 people working in the site at any given time.

Silly me, I asked if time would be a factor… The answer is “Yes!” Sculpting five tons of clay into an award-winning design will be a tremendous group effort with team members rotating in and out throughout the day and hosts from Wonderscope assisting throughout the event.

You can come and make ooglys at Sand in the City on Saturday, May 21st.

How can your family participate? Stop by Wonderscope on Saturday and Sunday and see the sculptures. The museum is located at 5700 King in Shawnee, KS, just off Johnson Drive in downtown Shawnee. You’ll be able to vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice Award or your family can get in on the action building sand castles in the large sand pile provided for the public. Wonderscope will provide the sand, water and carving tools – just bring your imagination! Or watch as master sculptors demonstrate their skill throughout the weekend.

We’ll be there Saturday, May 21^st, with Oogly Kits and plenty of clay providing hands-on opportunities for kids to play with clay and make ooglys. We'll also have kits for sale. They make great birthday gifts, graduation gifts, even a fun and creative gift for Father's Day. 15% of our sales will be donated to Wonderscope to help with ongoing programming like Dr. Frequency’s Astounding Sounds – the exhibit that just opened for the summer at Wonderscope. 

15% of Oogly Kit sales will be donated to Wonderscope Children's Museum.

If you’ve never visited Wonderscope, you should take a trip to downtown Shawnee and check it out. In addition to all the sand activities, several musical groups will be performing including three Wonderscope regulars – Funky Mama, Jim Cosgrove aka “Mr. Stinky Feet” and Dino O’Dell plus a band of rock n' roll Dads performing at Wonderscope for the first time – The DooDads.

We’re excited to be a part of the fun and hope to see all of you there supporting the museum and the teams that have been hard at work building their sand creations. The event is free and open to the public form 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 21 and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 22. 

If you can’t make it this weekend, be sure to stop by Wonderscope this summer – it’s a great destination for kids, parents and grandparents to explore, learn and play together.

Wonderscope Children's Museum - Sand in the City

I am very excited about an event coming up at Wonderscope Children’s Museum in Kansas City. If you live in Kansas City or nearby and aren’t familiar with Wonderscope, you should be. It’s a great Children’s Museum that providing hands-on activities for kids to explore and learn.

I’m excited because I’m going to part of their Sand in the City event, which takes place the weekend of May 21^st.  I’m going to be making ooglys with anyone, young or old , who wants to try their hand at it. There will be plenty of non-hardening clay and I’ll help everyone explore the process of making an oogly.

Wondering what an oogly is? Want to try your hand at making one?

You can come to see the sand sculptures and play in the sand and then come play in clay with me.

For more information about the event and about Wonderscope, visit their website at www.wonderscope.org.