Craftsman Restaurant Ambience Review

As an Arts & Crafts Movement fan, the Craftsman Restaurant in Minneapolis was on my curiosity list, not for the food but to check out the interior design.  So last night we dropped in for a drink and checked it out.  I ordered the "Craftsman Manhattan" which took some careful sipping on my part with its twist of homemade cherry liquor, orange bitters and potent brandied cherries.

It had the right backdrop palette of rust, green and yellow on the walls, wood floors and a high chair rail, wooden bar backdrop, stained glass wall lighting and simple suspended ceiling lighting.  My photo shows an example of the dining table and chairs made of metal, wood and black seat covering. A stencil motif on canvas frames were repeated in the dining room and two framed bungalow home and floor plans art pieces were hung near the rest rooms.

A bit odd was the divider shelf between the bar area and dining room with jars of their home grown herbs and pickled items they grow out back. It wasn't visually interesting to look at. (Sorry I didn't take a picture but the diners probably wouldn't approve of my flash.) The outdoor patio wasn't open for the season yet but lacked any Craftsman style with its diagonal lattice and tin roof. The website link shows a view of it in summertime use.

It needed a little something more to make me happy.  Maybe a craftsman fireplace or more pottery or art on the wall to keep my interest. If anyone wants to suggest other Arts & Crafts restaurants to check out, I'd be happy to add them to my list.

Stone Arch Festival of the Arts Final Art

I thought I'd share how the illustration turned out since posting the drawing.  It took a while to select colors for the bridge and water. This shade of blue seemed appropriate for the Mississippi River rather than a blue green that felt too tropical.  Creating the water shapes was fun and very intuitive, not based on photographic reference since the water is frozen this time of year. But I hope it suggests the energy of the river. The people represent the joggers, bikers, families and tourists who use the bridge.  There's St. Anthony Falls and the area along St. Anthony Main where the festival will be held.

The illustration went through a couple revisions. The arch got narrowed, we tried a gradated sky and also a solid color box behind the type but switched that back.  That's the beauty of working in digital. It's very flexible.  So the art is off to be placed in ads, newspapers, web etc. and I need to get  posters printed for the Festival Organizers to sell the weekend of the event. One poster will be framed professionally and exhibited. That will be fun! I'll be meeting the framer soon to discuss.

Stone Arch Bridge Drawings

I am thrilled to be asked to illustrate the poster for this summer's Stone Arch Bridge Festival. It takes place Father's Day Weekend every year and attracts thousands of people along the Mississippi River near its namesake. Well, the poster is due by the end of February so going out to take reference shots was challenging. There's deep snow up to Gold Medal Park by the Guthrie to get a shot, more snow down the river road, bitter winds on the bridge itself and the steps down to the river were closed for the season. Hmmm. It took three trips.

So I ended up doing sketches incorporating bridge angles I liked, trying to bring in part of St. Anthony Main, considered the train that once traveled on it back in the days of the flour mills, and also the energy of the river itself. I couldn't get down to the river so I created an alternative view. We illustrators can tweak reality.  I wanted something a little dramatic, majestic and with a flow to it. I made a ton of sketches, refined them, narrowed it down and presented two concepts. They picked one and made one change to remove the train and have people walking, biking and running on the bridge.  So this past week I've been building the layers of my drawing on the computer and trying different color palettes. It's almost done!

Home Sweet Home for My Poppy Rugs

http://www.erehwonretreat.com

My Poppy rugs have a wonderful new home at Erehwon Retreat  in Tampa, Florida. The proprietor, Henry Young, emailed me about his interest for my rugs for his restored bungalow and cottage he rents to guests. He wondered if they would work outside under the covered porch in front of the door.  I mentioned that I was giving mine the 'Minnesota Winter Test' and that it was doing well in the elements. Turns out, Henry had lived in Minneapolis and was involved with The Guthrie Theater. What a nice connection!

I looked at the website and was so happy to see the two homes and read more about Erehwon Retreat and view the pictures, video and see the current Tampa temperature. Well, it looks very inviting for a winter weary Minnesotan.  You must check out the link to see the gardens, too!  The yard features native Florida plants that look spectacular. I love that they use native plants.  It certainly follows many of the Arts & Crafts philosophies.

After receiving my shipment, Henry kindly photographed my rug at the front door. This is just how I imagined my rugs to be used when I designed them. I'm so happy they went to such a wonderful home.

Creating Cross Overs

One of my goals has been to expand my designs to other categories.  This shows how my Dandelion art looks on a card, a print and fabric.  My illustrations have always been first printed on cards.  I create my pencil design, scan it into my Mac and redraw everything in layers and choose color palettes.  I experiment with layout, cropping, colors and then put it into my card format for A2 envelope size. I print them out and get the colors I like before committing them to a printer for the card line.

Then I take the design and create an 8x 10" giclee print on fine art paper.  I love the rich flat ink produced by the professional printer and how it almost resembles a silk screen.  They have a richness that regular digital printers on regular stock can't compete with.  Sometimes the colors do change a little between the two different printers but not a lot.

The next step has been to take the image, create a pattern and submit a digital file of it to Spoonflower for fabric. I'm still learning how big to make the repeat, seeing how colors print differently and on the different fabrics from cotton to linen to upholstery fabric. Can't you picture dandelion deck pillows made from this fabric?

I haven't made a dandelion design rug yet but that would be the next cross over.  It would make a fun summer rug, don't you think?  It's great fun to be a 'surface designer' as the business calls it when you create designs for different products from the same base art.

Rugged Rug?

My rug designs of the Poppy & Pod and Solomon Seal made thru Rug Rats are just beautiful.  The colors turned out wonderful, the quality of the hewn edge and rubber backing and nylon surface are top notch.  When I've shown them at Art Fairs people are drawn to them. Some comments are, 'They're too pretty to walk on.'  I think to myself, so you want an ugly rug in your home? Part of the Arts & Crafts anthem was home products should be useful and beautiful.

The rugs are intended to be used indoors but some people have asked if they can be used outdoors.  So I am putting my Poppy rug to the test to see if it can
handle a Minnesota winter.  I put it in front of our door last month and it has endured snow, sleet, salt and shoveling.  If you live around here, you know that it's been a bad winter, so this will be a great test to see how it does.  I really want to know,too, so I can honestly tell people how rugged the rugs are.  So when Spring arrives, I'll give you an update.  I sell the two rugs in my Etsy shop and locally at The Linden Tree.

Don't Forget to Say Thank You

I know, I sound like your Mother but she was right.  The Holidays are over and it's best to send a prompt note of appreciation for gifts you received.

From the author Margaret Shepherd who wrote. "The Art of the Handwritten Note" comes some advice.  Send a note even if you thanked them in person.  Mention the gift and thank them for the thought behind it. Keep the message short, write the note by hand and be prompt.  You can eliminate part of the panic if you have note cards and stamps on hand.  It's especially important to acknowledge gifts sent from a distance so the person knows it reached you.

I encouraged my son Taylor to write a thank you note for money gifts before he could spend it.  People take the time, trouble and expense to let you know they care about you. Let them know you appreciate it.  So get some cards, stamps and get writing.  And your Mother wants me to tell you to eat more vegetables and floss more, too.  Thank you for your time.