Natural Habitats: Ella Mae’s Recipe

“Ella rolling out the pita dough with the new turned-wood rolling pin.” – Chris Miller, from Facebook

She may only be 5-years old, but young Miss Ella Mae can roll out a mean pita. With her on the pin and papa on the skillet, this dynamic duo can crank out dozens of fluffy, hummus-handles. And, of course, they have a little help from the featured craft item: the turned Mesquite rolling pin by Practical Art artisan Paul Porter.

Compelled to try yourself? (‘Cause if a 5-year old can do it…) You’ll just need 1) the rolling pin and 2) the recipe!

Do you have Practical Art in your home?! Let us feature it in a “Natural Habitats” blog! Artful wares look beautiful in the shop, but we think they look so much better in use, being loved! Just hashtag your Instagram photos with #practicalart or tag us as @practicalartphx! If you’re a little more low tech, email your snapshots to info@practical-art.com! 

www.practical-art.com

The Buffalo Girl Art Auction….closer and closer!

And the week keeps moving! More days, more art! The Buffalo Girl Dinner & Art Auction is right around the corner. The attendee envelopes are being stuffed, the food trucks’re orderin’ stock, the coolers are loaded with bevvies, and we’re on the 4th reveal day of the art auction works!

Can you believe 2008 was SIX years ago? I guess with our Anniversary shinding coming up on the 19th, that concept should be fresh in mind. That was the first time Jay Hardin’s paintings graced our walls; the next? 2011 and with decidedly different monochrome works. His newest work merges the two modalities, bringing the organic, flowing repetition of natural and applied rhythms to the surface of a photograph using mixed media. Having this kind of enduring relationship with an artist, seeing their work, their lives, and their families growing and changing, is one of the loveliest aspects of our longevity as an arts organization.

 

Rich Fairborn was a friend of Jane’s and has remained a loyal regular to the shop. We love seeing folks who knew Jane come through (also part of what this event is about); it reminds us of the connection she still has with this world through those relationships and memories, as well as how useful and appreciated Practical Art remains to folks daily lives. Rich has that appreciation for craft as he is an artisan himself; this work is a superb testament to that. The size and shape of a small cantaloupe, there is something extremely satisfying about the balance, weight, and proportion of this fine work. And we’re thankful for his donation that honors Jane and her mission to support our local art scene and its infrastructure– it’s a wonderful addition to the auction.

That’s today’s unveil, and there is a few more yet to come! Don’t forget to order your ticket online! We’ll hold your ticket packet here for you at the shop until the event, this Thursday April 10th from 5-8pm!

 

 

 

Artisan Demo: The LOVE Goblet by Richard Altenhofen!

Legend has it that the two seamless, free-spinning rings around the stem of a Love Goblet are not only a mark of the woodturner’s skill, but that they symbolize the eternal love and bond between two people. For centuries these goblets have been created as tokens of a woodturner’s undying love and devotion to his beloved. On Saturday, local wood-turner Richard Altenhofen made one just for us. Aw!

And that there is the tricky part…. trimming protruding disks from the stem, then trimming down down down their centers until they break loose, but are still captured on the goblet! Then, if you look close (above), you can see that Richard has taped sandpaper to the stem, restarted his lathe, and is using the stem itself to sand out the inside of those rings for a smooth, rounded polish!  Clever!

And truly, what a combination of handsome, skillful craft and sentimental meaning. What will you be giving your Valentine this year? I have at least one recommendation.

(Or, if you have a five year anniversary celebration coming up… that’s the year of wood!)

12 Days of Christmas- Gift 1!

The countdown to Christmas has officially started! We are now 12 days away. Where does the time go? With less than two weeks remaining though, we can officially kick off our “12 Days of Christmas” blog post series. We asked some local-loving Phoenicians for their top gift picks (all found at Practical Art) and we’ll unveil one each day leading up to Christmas.

When you ask an eclectic group of people for their suggestions, you get back an interesting mix of responses. But we have to say, we’re loving their choices. So check in each day to see who these mystery Phoenicians are and what they picked. We’ll also be throwing in our two cents later on in the countdown…that is if we can pick just one item a piece!

Without further adieu we hope you discover a Christmas gift treasure among the bunch selected. Happy Holidays everyone!

 

Day 1

Phoenician: Helene Tack, Local First AZ

Item: Turned Wood Rolling Pin, Short-Style by Paul Porter

Helene Tack of Local First Arizona picked the wonderful wood rolling pin by artist Paul Porter. These elegant kitchen pieces are crafted to perfection, and can add an artful splash of color to your kitchen utensil collection. Helene plans to stop in and nab one for one of her foodie friends, and we agree it is the perfect gift for the baker in your life!

About Helene: Helene Tack is the Program Development Director for Local First Arizona, an organization that promotes and supports locally owned businesses throughout the state of Arizona. She enjoys educating individuals about Arizona owned businesses like Practical Art, and the effect that patronizing these businesses has in the community.