BlueFrogArts

New Classes Offered Now-- Fused Glass and Weaving

 

Watch for more class to be posted as information be comes available. Also watch the Lamoni Chronicle for an ad about upcoming classes.

 

Fun with Fusing Glass

 

Sunday afternoon, December 4^th

2:00 – 4:30

 

Design fused glass pieces of your choice.  Potential projects include key rings, jewelry, glass coasters, a small plate or candy dish, an abstract art piece, a sun catcher, etc. 

Cost: Registration Fee:  $20  plus material cost  (will vary with projects you choose to make, typically from $10- $30)

Note:  Please pay registration fee of $20 at time of registration at The Blue Frog to reserve your place.

Come prepared to pay materials cost at class time.  You can make one or several projects and pay accordingly at the class.

No previous experience necessary. Ages 12 to adult

Location:  LOOM-a-tic Asylum Weaving Studio 30234 US Hwy 69 Lamoni IA  Instructor: Vikki Morain  Any questions?---call instructor at 641 784 4747

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Weave a Warm, Cozy Scarf

Sunday afternoon, December 11

1:30-5:00

Choose a weaving pattern and weave a beautiful scarf for yourself or for a gift.  Looms will be pre-warped ( with white) so you can get right to weaving and complete your scarf in one class. 

Cost: $40 plus bring 150-200 yards of medium weight yarn in a color of your choice. Register at The Blue Frog

No experience necessary. 

Ages 12 to adult  Class size: minimum of 3, maximum of 5 students

Location:   Art Studio 30234 US Hwy 69 Lamoni IA  Instructor: Vikki Morain

Reserve a loom as soon as possible (some are already spoken for).  Pay your registration fee at The Blue Frog, open Wednesdays through Saturdays.   Feel free to call the instructor, Vikki, if you have any questions. 641 784 4747

 

 

posted by Vikki Morain 11 21 11

Reception for School Art Teachers

A reception for area school art teachers will be held at Blue Frog Arts this Saturday.  Let's get to know each other and share artwork and ideas.

WHAT:   ART TEACHER RECEPTION

WHERE:  BLUE FROG ARTS  ---  119 E. MAIN STREET  ---  LAMONI

WHEN:  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011  ---4:30-6:00 p.m.

Come get to know Blue Frot Arts:  if you have some artwork ready, bring it for a a show-and-tell!

Posted by Vikki Morain 10/7/11

Art In The Park----Huge Success!

Fall is here and summer is gone, but the warm memories of a very successful hot day in Lamoni's Central Park are still fresh.  Blue Frog artists wanted to give a gift to the community and a creative, interactive day in the park was just the ticket!  There was a great turn out with all ages represented from pre-school to "kids" of well, let's just say " a more experienced age!"  All were deeply involved in weaving, basketry, printmaking, knitting, glazing pots, designing fused glass, making earrings,  and exploring finger print art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Violins and guitars provided a festive background beat to the day. 

 

The mission of Blue Frog Arts is to bring art to the community and the community to the arts.  Mission Accomplished!-----at Art in the Park 2011.

     
 

   
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Posted by Vikki Morain 9/2011

Lamoni Shines Update: A Quest for Even More Light!

Lamoni Shines: A Quest for Even More Light

 

The Blue Frog Arts Lamoni Shines Event continues through July culminating with a celebration on Friday, July 30, 5 to 6:30 PM. A community voting for Community Choice Best in Show Award along with a silent auction is planned. Final bidding and prizes will occur on Friday, July 30.

 

The Lamoni public is invited to stop by the Blue Frog anytime during business hours of Wednesday through Saturday; 10 AM to 5 PM from July 7 through July 30 and view the Lamoni Shines entries for the Annual Blue Frog Arts Fundraiser Art Auction. All are invited to then vote for ‘Best in Show’ and if desired, also make a silent bid on a piece they wish to buy. All proceeds from this auction will go toward keeping Blue Frog Arts alive and well in Lamoni. Blue Frog Arts Gallery is a non-profit organization dedicated to extending arts experiences to the community.

The Blue Frog Artists are eager to include even more pieces in this fun and illuminating art contest and auction. The public is invited to donate any art piece that gives or plays on light. This could be a lamp, a painting, a fiber piece, a sculpture, a glass piece.... the possibilities are endless. Pieces can be submitted at any time now through July 24.  There will be ribbons for all entrants, as well as an award for Community Choice Best in Show  and additional prizes for: Most Functional, Most Creative, Silliest, and Most Elegant.

The final Lamoni Shines event will occur on Friday, July 30 from 5 to 6:30 PM. Refreshments and live music will be part of the fun.

For any additional information please check in at the Blue Frog Gallery and follow updates on our newly established Facebook page.  (Look for Blue Frog Arts non-profit organization on Facebook....not to be confused with a sites with a similar name)

 

Watch for more pictures to come soon.   YOU still have time to create a Lamoni Shines! piece -----  We'll be watching for YOU to bring your creation through the front door of The Blue Frog.  So hop to it!!

Photos above are of Mryna Morris,  Becky Abarr and Deb Etcheson, respectively.

Donna Trudell Featured Artist

Submitted by Vikki Morain

Wow!   Blue Frog artists are amazing!  We already have another fantastic display of amazing artwork created by Lamoni's own Donna Trudell. 

Donna's exhibit  is entitled  "Fruits of My Labor"---- and you really need to stop in to Blue Frog Arts to fully appreciate it.  Since I don't have photos to show you yet you will have to put your imaginations into high gear to "picture" these pictures in your mind.  OK---focus on fruit and imagine your own creations to match these titles, then come in to see the real goods!

Donna's displayed paintings are called:

Fruits of My Labor

    Just Bananas

    What a Pair

    Peachy Keen

    Thanks a Bunch

    The Three A'Mangoes.

What can I say?  You can see from the names that Donna is creative, whimsical, humorous, clever and talented.  Her personality shines through her vibrantly colored paintings in this collection.  OK---on this one---"you gotta be there."  Visit the Green Gallery of the Blue Frog!

Also included in the show are:

 Friends of the Fields (a collection of cattle portraits with personality).  Having been engaged in the cattle business for years, Donna knows whereof she speaks----and paints. The display also includes:

Upset the Fruit Basket

An Apple a Day

What a Pear

Fruit Study

Odd Man Out I and II

A Splash of Red

Dizzy Daisies

View Donna Trudell's exhibit during May at Blue Frog Arts, 119 E Main, Lamoni IA.  Open Wed-Sat from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Abarr and Rolfe Display Talents at the Blue Frog

 
Reported by Vikki Morain

We are so fortunate to have the space in The Green Gallery in The Blue Frog to display the artwork of our very talented artist members.  Currently you can stop in to see the basketry of Rebecca Abarr and the variety of works produced by Lynda Rolfe includingceramic pieces and acrylic paintings inspired by her recent trip to Italy.

Rebecca Abarr and Lynda Rolfe have put up an art show in the green room of the Blue Frog for the month of April and May.  The show covers paintings from Lynda's trip to Italy plus pottery. The unique baskets are by Rebecca.  Come in and see it anytime.  We are open on Wed through Saturday 10 to 5.  These art pieces as well as all the art in the Blue Frog Gallery were part of a Lamoni Art Crawl on April 23.  A  bus was available to shuttle art lovers around Lamoni to the various show locations.  Shows included:  Graceland University Student Show at the  Helene Center and North Science Building, Blue Frog, The Gallery and Linden Street Coffee House.

As always, you are invited to see the Blue Frog show in person if you are in the area.  For those at too great a distance, here is a sampling for your enjoyment: 

 

Fiber Day at the Frog a Success!

 

What fun!

Vikki Morain, weaver, and spinner-wannabe, invited area spinners, weavers, knitters and curious observers to participate in the first Spin-In at The Blue Frog.  Apparently, people were more than ready to break away from cabin fever in Lamoni.  More than twenty visitors stopped into the Blue Frog to spin, learn to spin, have experienced spinners urge antique wheels into working order, knit, share patterns, chat with other fiber enthusiasts and generally just have a good day together.  Lamoni residents came to be supportive and feed their wondfully curious minds.  Great to have you all there!

Spinners Anna Knapp (Lamoni), Linda Graves (Osceola), Mary Parks (Pleasantville) and Sue Olson Jamison, MO) shared their expertise and were enthusiastic and patient teachers.  Thank you so much!

If you missed out, don't worry.  The consensus was that there should be a repeat performance so watch this space for another invitation in 6 weeks or so. 

Come Spin a Yarn at the Blue Frog

Really, no tall tale here.

 

 

There will be spinners and spinning wheels at The Blue Frog on Thursday, January 14 from 11:00 am-3:00pm.  Come watch a demonstration of spinning by area spinners.  You can even give it a try if you'd like to.  This is not a formal class but just an opportunity to watch and talk with people who have mastered an ancient/modern skill.

  Don't let work hours keep you away.  Even if you can come only during your lunch break, feel free to pack a lunch or bring take-out from one of our local restaurants and come to The Blue Frog.  Consider it a brown-bag lunch opportunity to learn about another art form.  

There will also be knitters and weavers, so if you have a project you are working on and would like some company while you knit, you are welcome to join the fun for a few minutes or a few hours.

Registration Open for Winter Classes at Blue Frog Arts

Jan 5 12 and 19     1-3 pm      Color and Texture in the "Key of Cool"

        Watercolor class with Beth Knotts

Jan 17      2-4:30 pm            Let It Snow -- Fused Glass Jewelry

        Create snowflake and stacked glass fused jewelry with Vikki Morain, instructor

Jan 28 and Feb 4  6:30-8 pm            Beginning Knitting

        Winter is a great time to learn to knit---with Priscilla Eppinger

Feb 27   10-3 and Feb 28   2-5ish pm     Bring Your Cocoa and Weave Mug Rugs

        Basics of weaving from winding a warp and dressing a loom to weaving a finished set of mug rug coasters with weaving instructor, Vikki Morain  (Actually, I'll bring the cocoa for you!)

^{Mar 4 and 11  7-8:30 pm}                    Simple Knitted Shrug

        A great project for the novice knitter!  Priscilla Eppinger, instructor

Mar 7  2-4:30pm               Escape the Winter Slump--Fusing and Slumping Glass

        Make a beautiful glass dish while exploring warm glass techniques of contour fuse, full fuse and slumping.  Instructor: Vikki Morain

Mar 23 and 30                  Color Three Ways!

        Intermediate knitting: intarsia, fair isle, mosaic...with Priscilla Eppinger

For more details and to register, contact:

Blue Frog Arts   119 E Main       Lamoni  IA      641 784 6827       Open Wed-Sat 10-5

Holiday Sparkle from the Blue Frog

Lamoni and surrounding areas sparkled just a bit brighter this year thanks to glittery glass ornaments created by a group of creative students who gathered at Blue Frog Arts to learn about the fun of creating with fused glass.

   

Let me tell you a little story about the young girl in the center of the picture.  Lily Meline and her dad, Randy, came into Blue Frog Arts not long ago searching for just the right birthday present for her mom, Linda.  They found it, but IT wasn't a thing...it was an experience...a mother/daughter shared class at The Blue Frog.   What a great idea, Lily!  And what a great time everyone had learning about how glass changes from solid to liquid in a kiln and then back to solid again in a new form that had been created by the new glass artists. The expressions in the picture above capture the fun and creativity of a great group of students from Lamoni, Sun Valley Lake at Ellston, Decatur and Des Moines.  

This inaugural fused glass class was taught by Vikki Morain, Blue Frog Artist and Co-op member.  The next fused glass class will be offered January 17, 2010. we'll be learning how to fuse dichroic glass to make jewelry----- looks like more sparkle ahead in the new year.  Of course, YOU are invited to join in the fun and learning and creating by registering at Blue Frog Arts, open Wednesdays through Saturdays on Main Street in Lamoni, Iowa.  641 784 6827