Whatever Fridays 5-29-2015

Whatever Fridays 5-29-2015

May 23, 2015, we went to the Artesian Arts Festival.
This was the 2nd year the Artesian Hotel did this event.

The sponsors of this event are
Chickasaw Nation. , AdventureRoad.com , Chickasaw Country .

Before going I knew that all the artists booths that were going to be there are Native American.
What I didn't know is that for any of the booths to be there they had to be Native American.

It blew me away that the event was many blocks long, and they had closed roads and put up detours for Hwy 7 traffic.  They had 2 event stages outside, and a stage inside that was of Artists Presentations.

This event didn't really require one to have money in their pocket, Unless you wanted something to drink and/or eat, or wanting to take home some of the art from the artists' booths.

All the kids activities that was there was free, in the Youth Tent, kids could paint a ceramic turtle piggy bank, little hand size canvas, wooden snakes, feathers, etc.

My daughter, bypassed on the paint to make herself a necklace which the wind kept blowing so none of the photos I took shows the front side of her finished necklace.

In video above you can see that she didn't bypass on the stunt jump, which was one of the free kid's activities they could do there.

Sorry, I forgot to get the woman's name that was manning the chickasawcountry.com tent, when I asked her if she minded if her picture showed up on the web.

Ok, so my purpose for going was to get the kids out of the house.  I didn't have any business cards on me, but I had a handful of business cards of the artists that had booths there.  I spent my sunday sending emails out asking them if they would like to be mentioned here.


Tana Washington, and Vicki Lynn Somers got back with me.

Tana Washington

What Tana wrote to me:

I'm a self taught artist.  I've been drawing and painting almost my entire life.  I discovered Scissor cuts by accident about 5 years ago and admired them but I didn't know how it was done.  I finally met the artist who really didn't want to explain it to me but did tell me a few things,  All the other stuff I figured out on my own.  It was definitely a learning process.  I gave most of them away as gifts to begin with.  I just enjoyed doing them.  They are unique and derive from silhouettes.  I do them in the form of images and the style that I do.  I've done some commission work, and that started me toward trying to sell as an income.  That show in Sulphur was actually my first show.  Tho I have entered 3 competitions and was awarded in all 3.  Cherokee National Holiday Show, The Five Civilized Tribes show and the Artesian Art Festival.  I entered a painting in Five tribes but the other 2 were Scissor cuts.

Tana Washington's booth photo at 2015 Artesian Festival.

I hope you will click over onto her facebook and like her Art at
 https://www.facebook.com/ScissorCutArtByTana?fref=ts
She has an online store where you can check out what she has up for sale.
http://scissorcutartbytana.storenvy.com/


Vicki Lynn Somers Custom Wood Turning.

Vicki Lynn Somers Custom Wood Turning.

What Vicki wrote to me:

Vicki Lynn Somers, wood turner and member of the Chickasaw Nation, lives outside Wynnewood, Oklahoma where she owns and operates her studio. Vicki is the great granddaughter of Chickasaw original enrollee Henry McGill. Growing up around equipment and construction she always had a love for building. Working over the years in communications and later in remodeling and construction she became interested in woodturning. Buying her first mini lathe she started making ink pens and small vases. Later she obtained a larger lathe and started making bigger bowls and vases. She continues to make pens and pencils and enjoys designing custom segmented bowls. Vicki cast her own custom blanks using such items as pine cones, balls from sweet gum tree, pecan hulls and peach seeds. She employs a variety of woods, both domestic and exotic along with corn cobs, antler, Alumilite®, and acrylic.

Vicki Lynn Somers Custom Wood Turning.pic 2

Vicki attended Miller Fillmore Elementary in Oklahoma City. She went on to attend Thomas Jefferson Jr High in the 7th grade. Her family moved to Texas where she went to Austin Jr High for the 8th & 9th grades. Vicki graduated from Garland High School, Garland Texas. She also attended North Texas University taking BCIS classes. After returning to Oklahoma Vicki has taken several classes at Mid-American Technology in Wayne, Oklahoma.

Vicki was a contestant and participant in the 2014 Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM). She also participated in the 2015 Tobanchi Kanchi Market. Entering in the 2015 Artesian Art Festival and contest Vicki placed 2nd in the 3D-Open category with her custom bowl made of maple and crushed turquoise acrylic.

Besides creating custom turnings & woodworks Vicki enjoys Bluegrass, Gospel and Country music playing the guitar, mandolin and fiddle.

Vicki Lynn Somers
PO Box 171
Wynnewood, OK 73098
405-207-3172
somerswoodturning@gmail.com


Hope you are having a Great Whatever Friday.
Hope you have an even Greater Weekend.