Painted guitars. (Click for larger image)

Due to my new focus on painted guitars, I will not be displaying at any art shows in 2009. Pepper mills, guitars, magnets, and other painted items are still available on a special-order basis, so please contact me directly to arrange an order for any items such as these. 2-3 weeks notice is recommended for pepper mills and 6-8 weeks is recommended for a guitar.

Thanks again and have a great day!! Check out my recent feature in Wauwatosa Now!

-Sarah


*** 2-20-08 ***

Guitar painting in progress. (Click for larger image)

The New Year is off to a busy start! I’ve been working on a line of hand-painted guitars that will be offered exclusively at Cream City Music in Brookfield. The guitars aren’t quite finished yet, but I am working on painting the bodies. I’ve discovered that painting a guitar is A LOT of work – it’s the first time I’ve had to use so much wood filler and sandpaper. But so far they are turning out very nice, and I’ve gotten some great feedback from players who are interested in painted guitars. I’ll have pics of the completed instruments up as soon as they’re finished.

I am also continuing to paint pepper mills -- they sold out over the holidays but I am rebuilding the inventory with some new designs, including paisleys and mosaics. With the spring season approaching, keep in mind that pepper mills make a wonderful wedding or housewarming gift, can be custom-painted to match any décor, and matching salt mills can also be custom-ordered. I often give mills as wedding gifts, paired with a gift certificate to a gourmet grocery store or a subscription to a magazine such as Bon Appetit or Martha Stewart Living. Unique, functional gifts are always well received.

I am working on my 2008 art show schedule and should have Spring & Summer shows confirmed soon. I plan to do a few shows in Milwaukee and Chicago again this year. Thanks for stopping by!

-Sarah


*** 12-6-07 ***

Blue & Gold candle holder, now available. Contact Sarah for details. (Click for larger image)

Christmas is coming, and this is absolutely my favorite time of year. Not only do I LOVE everything about Christmas, but the recent snowstorms have given me an excuse to stay home at night and get a lot of painting done.

I haven’t done any art shows since September because I’ve been concentrating on my final semester of college, but I have been taking many holiday orders on pepper mills and still have time to get a few more done if you would like to order a custom-painted mill for the holidays. I also have several completed mills on hand that are ready to go. Please email me if you are interested in getting a mill for Christmas. I also have dozens of painted refrigerator magnets available.

After New Year’s I’ll be done with school and will be applying to art shows for 2008. I plan to do several shows next summer and am looking forward to having more time for my art.

Thanks for stopping by my site, have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

-Sarah


*** 4-6-07 ***

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So far, so good. 2007 is going smoothly, I am almost finished with another semester at school and will be graduating later this year. In addition to my required classes I am also taking a Chinese Art History class which is really interesting -- I really haven't studied much art history, and I knew very little about China before taking this class, but it has been extremely cool and I hope to incorporate some Chinese motifs into some of my artwork soon. I've especially enjoyed studying Chinese lacquerware and carved ivory, two things that require a very talented crafter's hand.

My Summer show schedule is coming together too -- I've been accepted to 3 great shows already, including two in the Chicago area. This year I have been focusing on painting furniture pieces and also my line of refrigerator magnets, which has expanded quite a bit since the photos on this site were posted. My first show is May 20th in Oak Park, IL, and I can't wait to get out there after a long winter of going to school and painting all of the pieces. It should be a great season.

-Sarah


*** 8-28-06 ***
When I started this website a year and a half ago, I was painting almost every day and anticipating summers jam-packed with art shows. It wasn’t just a hobby but my second job. Since then, my priorities have shifted a bit. I still love painting and am participating in a few shows this fall, but I decided to go back to school full-time in order to finish my degree, and I expect to graduate with my Anthropology degree (finally!) in '07. Just seven days lie between me and the Fall semester... it's been a while since I've had a full-time course load, and I'm a little nervous about the amount of studying. This is really going to impede my reality TV habit.

In September I'm doing a mini-display at Tosa Fest, a full booth at the Starving Artists show, and perhaps another show or two will come up later this fall. I’d like to say thanks to Allison, Brittany, and Peggy for helping me prepare over 250 refrigerator magnets for decorating, you guys saved me a lot of time! I should be ready for my shows now.

-Sarah


*** 4-4-06 ***
Good News! I just heard that I’ve been accepted to the Starving Artists Show at Mount Mary College again this year. That won’t happen until September, so in the meantime I’ve been painting a lot of furniture, and am also working on my first painted guitar. The guitar is going to be 100% hand-built and hand-painted (although I am not the one building it) and I will be sure to post photos and details when it’s finished.

(Click for larger image) (Click for larger image)

I got plenty of inspiration for my painted guitar when I was in Arizona over the weekend for the 60th Anniversary of Fender Musical Instruments. The first thing I noticed about Arizona was that it seems like about half the people who live there are from Wisconsin. The musicians at the festival, the artists at the art fair, and the people I met on the street all seemed to have some sort of Wisconsin connection. I felt strangely at home in a place more than 1000 miles away and about 30 degrees hotter. The weekend’s festivities included a trip to the Fender corporate headquarters and the Tempe Music Festival which both featured lots of custom shop guitars and other interesting guitar-centric activities. My favorite guitar was the Mayan Telecaster because I’ve always been fascinated by the Mayan culture, and the metallic mosaic bears a slight resemblance to some of the styles I use in my painting. The guitar I’m working on contains many of the same colors as the tele. I’ll be back with more updates as soon as the guitar is finished.

-Sarah


*** 1-2-06 ***
Happy New Year! It's been a while since I've updated the site. The Fall season was good to me, with the Starving Artist's show being the best show I've ever had, it was the perfect way to end my first big season of art shows.

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It was nice to take a break for a few weeks after that, even though I love to make things, it is a relief to walk into a house that does not have open paint tubes and half-finished projects in every room. One of the things I did in my time off was adopt a cute little runt Chihuahua. He's fully grown now, and weighs only 4 pounds, which makes him even smaller than the average housecat.

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Now that the weather has turned cold and the dog is housebroken, I've pulled out the paints again and have been working on new projects. I made painted Christmas ornaments for my friends and family over the holidays, and being able to make your own gifts sure is a big help when you have a huge family. I've been making gifts by hand since I was 6 or 7 years old, but this year my creative work was reciprocated when I received an awesome picture from my 11-year-old cousin Brittany, who is really becoming a great artist. She put together this colorful, somewhat abstract picture of my pepper mills and had it framed and matted to match my kitchen, where it now hangs and is complemented by an actual pepper mill. It might be the coolest gift I received this year. (Sorry, Santa.)

I'll be spending the next few months working on projects and scheduling shows for the summer season, which will be posted as soon as they are confirmed. More updates will follow. Have a great winter!

-Sarah


*** 7-26-05 ***
Despite the fact that I have not had any art shows or related events in a few weeks, things have been quite busy around here lately. The reason I haven't entered any shows recently is that in September, I have two big shows back to back, and I have been spending a lot of time preparing for those shows. The first show is Tosa Fest on September 10th, a huge festival in Wauwatosa featuring music, food, and lots of other activities. I grew up in Wauwatosa and have attended Tosa Fest nearly every year, so I am looking forward to showcasing my art there. This is the first year Tosa Fest is hosting a fine art display, and I plan on bringing a lot of my painted furniture to that show.

The second festival is the Starving Artists Show at Mount Mary College (also in Wauwatosa) on September 11th. This will be my first major fine art show. Everything at the Starving Artists show must be priced under $100, so I will be bringing all of my smaller items, and no furniture. This show is extremely popular and well-attended, so I am praying that all of my summer preparation will pay off on the big day.

SUMMER NAMM
This past weekend, I attended the NAMM convention in Indianapolis. NAMM is an organization made up of manufacturers and retailers in the music industry, where my day job lies. As I've mentioned on my Pepper Mills page, the pepper mills I paint are manufactured by Vic Firth, a company which is best known for manufacturing drum sticks and percussion accessories. When I attend NAMM trade shows, I always make sure to stop by the Vic Firth booth and say hello. Unfortunately, I missed Mr. Firth himself this time around, but I would like to give a big THANK YOU to Dick and Amy at Vic Firth Inc. for all the help with my pepper mill orders. You guys are the best.


*** 6-16-05 ***
The summer art season is off to a great start! I recently spent a day with the students at Madison Elementary School in Wauwatosa, helping Peggy Gonzales teach a Rock Painting class for the school's High Interest Day, and ventured out to my first art show of the season, the Experience Riverwalk Festival in downtown Milwaukee. Also, I joined the North Shore Artists Association, a newly-formed group of artists in my area who are looking to find support and fellowship in the Milwaukee art community.

This weekend I will be participating at the "Art vs. Craft" art fair downtown, which is presented by the Flying Fish Gallery. Art vs. Craft takes a spin on the typical art show, inviting all types of artists, crafters, and designers to enter, which in turn offers a wide variety of unique products to shoppers, not just "fine" art. I would encourage any artists or crafters who have never participated in an art show to keep your eyes open for the next Art vs. Craft show. Although entry is juried, the coordinators have made the entry process simple and much less intimidating than most 'fine' art fairs. Keep your eyes open... and see you there!


*** 4-15-05 ***
Welcome to my new website! I am excited to finally have my own online gallery to display my artwork. Since I first started entering art shows about one year ago, people have been asking me if I have a website, and after months of planning, I now have one. Keep checking the "News & Events" page to see art shows and other events that I will be participating in, which will be updated every few weeks, and whenever new show dates are confirmed.

Right now I am gearing up for the Spring/Summer art show season, with my first show taking place in May. As always, I have items on display at the ArtZ FartZ gallery/gift shop in Wauwatosa, a very unique store featuring hand-painted furniture and funky handmade gift items. I am also working on a few hand-painted folk instruments such as ukuleles, which will be available exclusively through Warpdrive Music in Milwaukee. Details and photos on the instruments should
be ready by next month.

Thank you for visiting! Please email me with any questions or comments, and check back soon!