Craftbombing With Felt on a Winter's Day

Honestly I don't know why but one morning I wake up and decide I MUST, absolutely MUST, make yellow felt butterflies and stick them up on a pole in town. That's how it works with us sometimes.  An idea bursts forth and BOOM done within a day or two. Other times we have ideas percolating for weeks or months and nowt happens and then BOOM! OR NOWT happens. Anyway, weather is getting grotty and we thought these would 

brighten up the grey days of winter.

Yarnbombing for the Art Show and Salem Avenue Peace Corridor

It was a glorious day in Dayton and after our tour at the PBS station we all piled into the van and headed down to the corner of Salem Avenue and W Riverview Ave.

Ode to Kehinde Wiley

Ann Rotolante Producer at  The Art Show

Originally Nancy and I were only going to do one installation with the blue butterflies but we decided to do three. Jule and Treva were there to greet us and we thought it would be great if Jule Rastikis installed the butterflies for the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor seeing as he is the president. Don't you love Ann's hair, matches our butterflies. 

One of the most fun parts of doing installations like this is the reaction of people walking by and we got hugs from two people who LOVED the butterflies.  We attached them (err, the butterflies not the two people) to a thin mesh and when the wind blows, and boy does it blow on that corner, they flutter which makes them even more cool.

This is Tiki

who was happy to get one of the butterflies.
Nancy is installing the third craftbomb with Richard the Cameraman aka sweetpea getting an  such an extreme close up I thought the camera would swallow her up. 

To learn a little about the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor check out the video.

and their facebook page.

Art Show Shenanigans at PBS Dayton

HAH! before we headed out to install the yarnbombs/craftbombs for the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor Nancy and I got to have a tour of the PBS station downtown. I was channeling Morcambe and Wise and Austina Powers, NOT sure what or who Nancy was channeling ;)

Nancy with the Art Show Producer Anne Rotolante

I love how Big Bird is looking at them

as if to say

you crazy birds

6 Minutes of Fame on the Art Show

Well not quite because it hasn't aired yet BUT the crew from ThinkTV Art Show came out to Yellow Springs to film us.

The Art Show | On Air | ThinkTV

The greater Dayton area is home to a strong, vibrant and thriving arts and cultural community. The Art Show takes a look at the artists and the art scene in and around Dayton. The weekly series presents profiles and features from the worlds of music, theater, dance and art in the Miami Valley along with national arts and cultural highlights.

 They arrived at 8:30am and I must say Richard the Cameraman, John the Sound Guy and Ann Rotolante the Producer made it all very easy

 despite our trepidation. I subjected them to marmite which they graciously ate  without flinching, I was IMPRESSED.

 I did get a bit of the "stink eye" from Richard for taking his pic, like me he prefers to be BEHIND the camera, sorry ;)

9 hours later after filming us at my house, then at Nancy's house and getting a shot of  

mr.plato they were gone.

Nancy and I were plunged back to reality and our normal life of plotting our next move on the arts council fence, tasks for the holiday art jumble, the permanent collection event at Anitoch Midwest, and what day to finish the butterfly piece for the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor installation which will be the final filming done by the Art Show.

Thanks guys

 It was such a pleasure to meet you and work with you. 

I believe it will air in January.

cheers all

Fence Painting in Yellow Springs

The Yellow  Springs Arts Council has a fabulous wee gallery  located on Corry Street but it's set back off the street and people often don't notice it. Nancy has been itching to paint the fence to the left of the gallery for years with something eyecatching. We finally got around to it and it's definitely eye catching and most definately out of my comfort zone colourwise. But we work with what we have and thanks to a dear donor (you know who you are ♥) we were able to buy primer and black/white paint.  

 So for several days with have been busting our backsides trying to get this done before the weather get's too cold, This is the fence halfway done, and I think it's definitely  Eye catching, right?

I don't think anyone can walk past the arts council and NOT notice this,lol!

Painted Acorns

I have been gone a month, but I don't think Nancy had time to miss me. Apart from the usual Arts Council gallery activities, she was setting up paint a rock at Street Fair, and planning for the upcoming Yellow Springs Open Studio Tour this coming weekend.  Our very own jafapal Talitha Greene will be part of the Open Studio Tour listed on the interactive map HERE. 

Meanwhile

in between it all Nancy managed to have some fun painting acorns with her paint pens. 

I didn't manage to get any art done while away, but I did get a lot of pics of my travels in Arizona posted on Instagram.

Corrine Bayraktaroglu (@jafabrit) * Instagram photos and videos

I 📷 things - I 🎨 things - I sew things ❤️ - I ✏️ things -This is my life Jafagirls.com

Week SIX: Jafagirl Residency at Dayton Metro Library Northwest Branch

This was our FINAL week of our residency and what a fabulous experience it's been for so many reasons. We even managed to add two more installations on the spur of the moment, on the fly so to speak. We installed this stripey creature on a pole in the children's section on Tuesday and added some of the left over felt flowers some of the patrons made. On Friday we got it into our heads that the pole near the front entrance needed dots, although we did add one square at the suggestion of one of the Library Volunteers ♥ A fab suggestion that made our day and made the pole extra special. 

The stones and paint pens continued to be popular although some patrons enjoyed trying the crazy felting. The biggest kick for us, and the most exciting, was seeing the spark of inspiration in patrons exploring the 

possibilities of what they could use and do beyond what we were showing. 

Now that is CRAFT ACTIVISM

Can't go without mentioning the absolutely brilliant send off song from Branch Manager Sharon Taste, as we were packed and ready to leave. So glad we had this time together too.

cheers

Nancy & Corrine