Midway Update: Hand Modelling from Handmodel.ca

We, at City of Craft HQ, just got this very mysterious communique from the folks at HAND MODEL. Very mysterious, indeed.

FREE HAND MODELING SERVICES AT CITY OF CRAFT!

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY! MAKES FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE GIFT!

Attention all artists: On December 18th & 19th HAND MODEL will be providing complimentary “professional” modeling of the art/craft item of your choice. Participants can bring items from home or use items purchased at City of Craft (they can be made by the participant or by someone else). A professional photograph will be taken on site as items are hand modeled. Modeled items will appear on the website handmodel.ca. Participants will be emailed a large digital copy of their photographed item.

Print & frame your hand-modeled artwork and give it as a gift to someone special this Christmas! Use it on your promotional website! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Don’t let it pass you by!

HAND MODEL encourages local artists to bring their own work. Please make sure that it is a manageable size.

Who is HAND MODEL?

I guess you will just have to come to the Midway and experience this for yourself. And in spite of the freeness of this service, I have also encouraged the hand models to put out a donation jar. I can't imagine all this hand modelling doesn't take some kind of toll.

Danijela Pruginic's Silhouette Cameos return to the Midway!

A massive hit at our 2008 show, the silhouette cameo photo booth will be back on the upper mezzanine/balcony again for the 2010 show! We are very excited to welcome Danijela Pruginic back to fill the South West corner of the upper level with vintage-inspired joy. Dani is, after all, a very in-demand photographer about town. I keep seeing her work pop up everywhere from weddings to new-style product photography to editorial work to interpretative fine art photography (see For Keeps: a mending show for some great examples of the latter).

The cameos are available as flat magnets and, from personal experience, I can tell you that these items make great gifts for loved ones and/or proud parents who really just want a memento of you for the holidays. I also saw some super sweet couples cameos last time around which I sort of regret not getting. Don't you regret anything! Get on the silhouettes!

Read more here.

Unflattering Portraits on the Midway.

Unflattering Portrait of Nathan. Photo by Becky Johnson

This just in: we have it on very good authority that the ladies and gentlemen of the Misanthrope Specialty Company have released the online sign-ups for Reverend Aitor's Unflattering Portraits. Since the Misanthropes will also be vending at the show, the number of portrait sessions is somewhat limited. The Reverend's service have been quite popular is past years so if you are considering sitting for a portrait, we strongly recommend booking your slot in advance.

The Reverend will also do portraits via online ordering but all in-person sittings are by donation. The online-submitted work is also very reasonably priced.

Read more here. Book a slot here. Peruse the Gallery of Unflattering here. And if you can't make it to the show, order online here.

Counterfeit Alert: Miriam Grenville Makes Money on the Midway.

Photo by Miriam Grenville

Hey did you guys know that this year the upstairs balcony of the Theatre Centre (the level on which you enter the space) will be devoted almost entirely to a Midway of interactive booths and services? True fact.

We have just heard through out network of spies (the City of Craft requires a dense web of intelligence-gathering agents) that fibre and textile artist Miriam Grenville has plans to set up a covert money counterfeiting booth up there.

From the perp herself:

Your artwork is really beautiful, honey, but you really need to make some money...” We propose to make some money: a $20, or a vintage $2. Using craft, design, and art skills, make crafty amounts of money at the City of Craft Midway. How long will it take? Like everything in the arts and craft world, it depends on you. The more intricate the process, the greater the out put, just like making beautiful artwork...hey, it is beautiful artwork!

Miriam Grenville will be there to help you make some crafty money. Using vintage hand screened wall paper and printed papers from Italy and Japan, you can create your very own $2.00 or $20.00 bill.

PWYC (1 piece per person) or purchase a DIY kit with a matching finished bill to make at home.

Watch out, vendors, this stuff looks pretty convincing.