Art, Framing, and the Holidays - Black Iris is Here for You

Hello, everyone! I have lots of news to share!

Last time we talked I was gearing up for my 4th Annual Black Iris Fine Art Show. I have to say...it went fantastic this year! My best year ever, in fact.

In the left margin are some pictures from the day, and as you can see, both the artists and the customers are very happy. I heard nothing but positive feedback this year.

Above: watercolor artist Vicky Zalatoris scopes out other art booths on a much-needed coffee break; learn more about Vicky at http://www.phluffwerks.com/aboutvicky.asp

Next year's Black Iris Fine Arts Show will be held during Jack O' Lantern Fest again, on October 16, 2010. Please mark your datebook now.

Have you heard the latest framing news at Black Iris Gallery? Perhaps you have seen our cute ad in the Spooner Advocate.

My framer Bill LaPorte and I are running a framing special!

All you have to do is bring in a photograph or artwork to be re-framed, or just bring in an emtpy frame you've had laying around for too long. You will earn TWENTY DOLLARS ($20) toward a NEW frame!

It's called "Funds for Frames" (like Cash for Clunkers), but it's a lot more fun. (THE BEST PART: all old frames will be donated to local art students.)

Above: local fiber expert Alene Peterson demonstrates the art of weaving on her loom.

You will be amazed, I promise, by what a new frame can do for your photos or artwork. And you have to admit, those shiny metal frames are so 1980's. Now is a great time to update a room (without spending a fortune on carpet and furniture).

Holiday Hours at Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing are Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. We also take appointments any time.

Please call Black Iris at 715-635-4548 if you need anything related to art, matting, glass, framing, and gifts.

Above: customers making jewelry at a make-n-take station.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Sincerely,
JoAnn

P.S. Only 26 days until Christmas! ;-)

4th Annual 2009 Black Iris Fine Arts Show - Coming Soon!

Greetings, Art Lovers ~ It's that time of year again!

It's October so it's time for my annual fine arts show. What was once called the Heartwood Fine Arts Show is now called the Black Iris Fine Arts Show. We have a new date (third Saturday in October) and a brand new location in the Upper Ballroom at the NW Sports Complex in downtown Spooner!

Above: Masa Lake
Sister Kristie Haugen
Mt. Carmel Hermitage
Amery, WI

This year's show is on October 17, 2009, which is also Spooner's 100th birthday AND the debut of Spooner's new Jack O' Lantern Fest!

Jack O' Lantern Fest will feature a Fine Art Show, a Brew Fest at Kegler's right upstairs from Black Iris Gallery, a Childrent's Tent for fun and games, and pumpkin contests of all kinds. October 17 is Spooner's premier family-friendly festival--join us to celebrate fall and ALL THINGS PUMPKIN in Spooner on October 17!

Now back to the art...here's a sneak peek of what you can expect to see at the Black Iris Fine Arts Show on October 17.






Left: Rainwater
CJ Conner
Chetek, WI











Left: Abstract Iris
Carole A. Burval
Minong, WI/ Barrington, IL











Left: Vase
David & Carolyn Stone
Balsam Lake, WI



See you at the NW Sports Complex on Saturday, October 17, 2009, for the Black Iris Fine Arts Show, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with FREE shuttle bus service all day.

Yours in Art,
JoAnn Martin
Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing
Framing for a Lifetime
715-635-4548
Hwy 63 Spooner, WI
http:/www.blackirisframing.com/artshow.php
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Toads art show and book reading at Black Iris Gallery

Hello art lovers, book lovers, and moms and dads!

Our next art show at Black Iris Gallery is called Toads. But please don't let the name bother you--this show is about a children's book by the same name, and you'll love it!

Image from Toads

The book Toads was written by author Eileen Ziesler who lives and writes in Ladysmith, WI. It was illustrated by Janelle Thomspon, a freelance artist who lives in Ladysmith but paints around the world. These two amazing women worked together to create a marvelous children's book that asks the question, "Where do toads go after the sun comes up and the moon goes down?"

Front cover of the book Toads

Janelle (shown below) will be showcasing the original paintings she created for the book Toads. She will also display several paintings from the artistic duo’s next book, called Little Sprout, coming out soon.

Janelle Thompson, freelance artist and illustrator of Toads

This is a FAMILY-FRIENDLY art exhibit, so bring the kids! Your children will love the paintings of the forest creatures that are central to Toads, and Janelle’s quiet, patient way with kids mean they're drawn to her story-telling and reading.

You are invited

You are invited to attend Janelle's Artist Reception on Saturday, September 19 from 4:00 – 7:00 PM. Janelle's reception will feature her beautiful prints and originals, all for sale to the public. As a preferred Black Iris Customer, you're hearing about here it first!

Janelle's reception is right here at Black Iris Gallery. We are located at 410 N River Street (Hwy 63) in Spooner. Light appetizers will be served, and there is free parking on Oak Street.

Eileen Ziesler, author Toads

Meet the author, too
A second event is a book-signing and reading with Toads author Eileen Ziesler from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon on Saturday, October 3. At this event, Ziesler will teach everyone how to croak like a toad and how to draw a toad of their own!

Books will be available for purchase and autographing at both events. At just $16.95, this hard-cover, full-color, coffee-table quality book is an excellent bargain. Toads makes a wonderful, thoughtful gift for the special children in your life.

About the artist
Janelle's studio is in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, where she works as a freelance visual artist in watercolor and ink. "I can't remember a time when I didn't want to draw or paint," explains Thompson. “Art is the way I perceive and interact with the world around me.”

About the author
Ziesler is retired from teaching Early Childhood Literacy and now spends her time writing books and working on community service projects.

All adults and children are welcome to attend both events. The Gallery’s fall hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

For more details, click http://www.blackirisframing.com/currentshow.php or contact the gallery at 715-635-4548.

See you on Saturday, September 19, 4:00 - 7:00 PM!

Artfully yours,

JoAnn Martin

Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing

Spooner, WI

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Call for Artists: Black Iris Fine Arts show, October 17

Greetings, Artists and Art Lovers!

My 4th annual art show is coming up, and I'm looking for a few more artists to fill booth spaces. Each year the show gets better, and this year....

Oil lamp
Hand carved by Ed Schmidt, Frederic, WI

...YOU are invited to participate!

Thanks to excellent feedback from both customers and artists, the Black Iris Fine Arts Show (formerly the Heartwood show) is now HELD IN DOWNTOWN SPOONER and is significantly earlier this year--on Saturday, October 17, 2009. This is the same day as Spooner's new Jack O' Lantern Fest, so between the leaf-lovers in the area and the Pumpkin Fest go-ers, foot traffic will be excellent.

For more details or to print an application, please visit http://www.blackirisframing.com/artshow.php (scroll down part way to open the application).

If you have questions, please call me at 715-635-4548. Of course there's always e-mail, too: JoAnn@BlackIrisFraming.com.

I look forward to having you join us at the 4th Annual Black Iris Fine Arts Show. So far we have over a dozen booths filled with mediums ranging from pottery, painting, and photography to hand-made knives, jewelry, and glass work.

It's best to sign up now--booths are filling fast and cost only $50; you don't want to miss out!

Sincerely,
JoAnn

Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing
715-635-4548
Hwy 63
Spooner, WI
http:/www.blackirisframing.com/artshow.php

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And the winner is...! Our next Art Show...! (Plus, are you on Facebook?)

Hello, everyone!

I finally have a winner of the Blu-Ray Disk Player! I've been taking names for my drawing since before Christmas. In early January, I drew the winner's name and called her, but she was in Florida for the winter! Once I finally reached her (e-mail is amazing), I was able to give SALLY LINDSTROM of SPOONER, WI the good news!

When she came home in late February, Sally bounded on in to the frame shop to collect her prize. I think she was walking about 3 feet off the floor that day. As you can see, Sally looks very happy that she won the Blu-Ray player. "Out of 400 entries, JoAnn? Really?!" she kept asking me. Yes, really! :-)

Congratulations again, Sally!

Our next art show features artist and Lutheran pastor Paul Oman. The reception will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2 - 5 PM, and you'll get to see Paul paint an original work of art, right before your eyes. For more details and to see samples of Paul's beautiful work, click here: www.BlackIrisFraming.com/artshow.php.

And yes, I am finally on Facebook. After four of my girlfriends asked (within the same two weeks), "Are you on Facebook?" I decided it was time to join and see what FB is all about. It's actually very fun (and potentially addicting). If you're not on FB yet, you should definitely try it.

You can easily find people you know by joining groups (high school, college, jobs, interests, etc), by checking out the profiles of your "friends" (people you already know on FB), or by using the Search function (that's how I found my girlfriend Amanda!). And get this (to all you business Bloggers out there...), withing 24 hours of being on FB, I landed an $800 framing order. I had heard that FB can be a great way to make business connections...I guess that's true! Thank you, Holly P., for becoming my friend and my customer. It's been great getting to know you on-line and off. I can't wait to finish framing your beautiful artwork--you have impeccable taste.

Sincerely,
JoAnn

Heartwood Fine Arts Show Coming Soon!

Hello, Art Lovers!

The 3rd Annual Heartwood Fine Arts Show is just one day this year--on Saturday, November 1, 2008, from 10 am - 4 pm. For more details and photos of special features, please visit the Black Iris homepage.

As sponsor of the Heartwood Fine Arts Show, I want to invite you personally to attend this amazing show. This year we have 20 of the finest fine artists from WI and MN in the show. You will find hand-made jewelry, original hanging art, limited edition prints, sculpture, photography and even a live performance by RoboBird & The Peeps--a must see event offered by David DeMattia of Sleeping Dragon Studio!

Above: David DeMattia & RoboBird

The best part? All booths are staffed by the artists themselves, and many will demonstrate their skills and talents during the Heartwood Fine Arts Show. Attend, ask questions, learn, and buy directly from the artists.

For families, you'll want to visit Rachel Murphy's booth--she's a famous caricature artist who will capture your true essence in minutes. She specializes in line drawings with or without color.

Left: Rachel Murphy,
Self-Caricature

The Heartwood Fine Arts Show is an excellent venue for finding unique, quality, hand-made gifts at reasonable prices. See you at the Show!

Click here for driving directions

See you there,

JoAnn at Black Iris Custom Framing

Show Sponsor

Photo Show Extended!

Hi, everyone!

I have good news. If you haven't seen the Northern Lights Camera Club's 1st Annual Photo Exhibit here at Black Iris Gallery, now is the time. Due to such positive reviews, the show has been extended and will hang until at least mid-October.

Below is more information for you. It's an excerpt of a press release the regional newspapers received today. All the juicy details are here!

Blue Heron
Barb Ray, Birchwood, WI

"This show is amazingly good,” says JoAnn Martin, owner of Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing in Spooner. "The members of the local Camera Club have a lot to be proud of.”

The show is the Northern Lights Camera Club’s first public exhibit. “What you’ll notice as you come down the ramp [below Kegler’s Pub & Pin],” continues Martin, “is that all of the photographers are local, and all of their work is stunning. I couldn’t be happier with this show,” says Martin, smiling and pausing to point out her favorite photograph.

“Look at this blue heron!” she says, obviously taken with it. “I’ve asked Barb Ray, who took this picture, to print a larger size for me [you can too]. I’m buying it from her so I can frame it and hang it at home—I can’t take my eyes off it.”

Opening night
Sept 6, 2008

Most images are in color, but professional photographer Bill Voight of Hayward works strictly in black and white, and strictly on film. “I have my own dark room and hand-develop my own silver gelatin prints,” says Voight. “This way I always control my finished product.” You’ll be drawn to Voight’s images, which show his eye for detail and his heart for humanity. Most recently Voight’s work hung at Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California, in a show titled USS Nimitz: Tiger Cruise. Voight’s one-man show chronicled his time as an artist and a writer on board the aircraft carrier of the same name.

Another professional photographer in the Camera Club, David Herrick of Spooner, has three images in the local Photo Exhibit. Herrick is exhibiting his current body of work at the state’s Department of Administration Building in Madison. Titled Wisconsin’s Skies, Trees and Earth, this show is juried and runs now through October 20, 2008. David’s work is said to “capture Wisconsin’s beauty through its landscapes, flora, fauna and historical structures.” For more, go here: http://arts.state.wi.us/static/DOAlobby.htm

Hosted by the Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing, the Photo Exhibit has received such good reviews that it will hang at least until mid-October. All works are available for sale by the artists.

“The local photographers have done an excellent job of capturing the beauty of northwest Wisconsin,” adds Martin. “If you haven’t seen the Photo Show yet, now is the time.”

In addition to framed pieces, club members also have matted prints, unmatted prints, and greeting cards for sale. The Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing is located on Hwy 63 in Spooner, at 410 North River Street (free parking on Oak Street). Fall hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. For more information, please visit www.blackirisframing.com or call 715-635-4548.

Hope to see you at the Show!

JoAnn

Two Art Shows - Both Must See Events!

Hi, everyone!

Now through September 20, 2008, Black Iris is hosting Spooner's Northern Lights Camera Club 1st Annual Photo Exhibit. Please come in and see their amazing work! From beginners to professionals, the Camera Club member's works are eclectic, high quality, inspiring, artistic, and oh--wonderful! Even yours truly got her camera out and shot this photo of a field of very happy sunflowers (above). I call it Sunflowers Make me Happy, and you can order a print, up to 16 x 20 size. Send me an e-mail at joann@blackirisframing.com if you're interested. In fact, all of the photographers in the show can order small or large prints for you--that's the beauty of photography!

Here's a picture (courtesy of Tom Cusick of Shell Lake) of the Artists' Reception we had this past Saturday. Over 100 people came to see the show, and one photograher nearly sold out of her framed work! As you can see, the place was packed. It was exciting and so much fun. The photographers and I are already looking forward to next year's show.

Northern Lights Camera Club
Artists' Reception
September 6, 2008




My next art show is the 3rd Annual Heartwood Fine Arts Show, which is Saturday, November 1, this year. It's 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, with fine art (no crafts), food, wine, art demonstrations, and free hay rides all day. Don't miss this year's show--it's an excellent way to kick off the Christmas shopping season, and I am very excited to announce that I'll be hosting an award-winning asian-brush painter out of Minneapolis. His work is stunning and he offers everything from scroll work to greeting cards, originals to prints. Here's are two samples of his work (below).

See you at the Shows!

JoAnn