Support DIY at Handmade Austin Women
Handmade Austin Women presented their 6th Annual Spring Show and Sale this past weekend, April 30th-May 1st at The Ballroom at Spiderhouse (formerly U.S. Art Authority). The event promotes a plethora of work created by women artists in Austin, and happens to take place the weekend prior to Mother’s Day. Including over twenty women and featuring an array of handmade works from drawings and paintings to vibrant ceramic and fabric wares and even handcrafted books, this year’s show was fun and fruitful—especially, in terms of additions to my closet!
The DIY, artisan attitude, while certainly not unique to Austin, has existed in Austin for decades and has increased exponentially in the last few years. This annual showcase allows artists and shoppers to purchase unique goods and converse with the creators themselves. I spoke with several artists, as well as made a few purchases, and it definitely makes the shopping experience itself more intimate. Here are a few of my personal favorites from the show.
Lauren Grant’s wall of drawings and watercolors were amongst the first works up at the entry of the show. Her pencil drawings are intimate and playful. My favorite featured a bashful looking Siamese cat sitting next to a hat. A simple, well executed design.
Lauren Grant, untitled, watercolor and pencil on paper
However, if you were looking for summer shirts, Victoria Corbett’s silkscreened designs would make a nice addition to any closet. All of her designs are printed on 100% cotton, and she even has a few organic pieces on her website. Her designs draw heavily from nature including birds, flowers and leaves. She contrasts fabric colors with the printed design colors in order to really make them pop.
I was recently the beneficiary of my brother’s move, which aided my own, and as a result do not actually need any additional stemware. I could not, however, resist purchasing a few pieces from Melanie Schopper. Her ceramic wares come in two different styles, black and white design or contrasting colors. She has a variety of “cup sizes”—no pun intended—(from to tiny to Texas) as well as bowls and vases. I bought a bright orange tiny container to use as a bud vase for my office. It’s adorable.
Check out the designs of Monique Capanelli. She creates living wall pieces (see image below), as well as designs event and wedding arrangements. Her glass orbs are filled with a variety of items from succulents to seashells.
I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to little notebooks. I currently have six of them in my satchel, which is a bit absurd I realize, but I love them. Peggy Seeger, of Persimmon Paperworks, handcrafts every element of her books and journals. She makes her own paper, designs each cover and binds each book. They are perfect for keeping notes or making sketches.
Although I wasn’t “in the market” for all the handmade goods that I came home with from this year’s Handmade Austin Women event, I couldn’t resist supporting our local DIY women.
If you missed out, look for information about next year’s show on their website or Facebook page. You certainly want to make it to that one!