Vendor Spotlight: Kris Johnsen + Meagan Anderson

Kris and Meagan at work

Hey, guys!   The Big Thaw arts, crafts and vintage sale is TOMORROW:  Saturday, May 12 from 10am to 4pm.  We will see you at 10 Mayo Street (Mayo Street Arts Center) – come by, grab a beer, browse the merchandise and leave with something excellent for your mom!

We are featuring Kris Johnsen and Meagan Anderson, the two inspired minds behind our gorgeous Big Thaw Poster.  You never know what these two will show up with, but whatever it is you know you’re gonna want it.  Check it out:

by Meagan Anderson

by Kris Johnsen

by Meagan Anderson

by Kris Johnsen

by Meagan Anderson

by Kris Johnsen

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Big Thaw ’12 Posters!

click on link to purchase poster

Yay!!  Posters are here!  Actually, they’ve been here for some time, but I’m finally just able to get off my lazy end and take a picture or two.  Kris Johnsen and Meagan Anderson (who will be setting up their wares at The Thaw on May 12!) spent some quality time making yet another work of art for us to share our event with the world.

click to purchase Big Thaw poster!

The posters are for sale in the Etsy shop, and you can send me a message if you’d like a listing created with no shipping fee and you can just pick it up at the sale.   Purchasing these posters at $10-a-pop (what a deal!) really helps to support the time and effort that goes in to the creation of our Big Thaw event.  If you need any more incentive, just know that they are gorgeous, three-color screen prints on a Spring-y green french paper as the background —  Kris and Meagan also used a ‘split fountain’ on the sky, which is why you get such a nice gradation in the blue sky.

click to view listing for this poster

Some people have asked why we’re so crazy to spend time and money on a limited edition, hand printed event poster when just a flyer would do.  The answer?  We really care about quality work, and we also really care about artists working in our community.  Even though we only have 100 posters to sell and post around town each one of those packs a real punch.  This time it’s a deer, squirrel and birdy punch.  Pow!

The Big Thaw arts, crafts and vintage sale will take place on Saturday, May 12 at Mayo Street Arts Center at 10 Mayo Street in Portland, ME from 10am to 4pm.  We hope to see you there!

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Big Thaw ’12 Poster + Vendor List Coming Soon!

Yes.  It’s here!  Kris Johnsen and Meagan Anderson have done it again:  The Big Thaw 2012 poster is here.  Printing commences and soon you’ll be seeing these beautiful posters all over Portland.  Prints will be available for sale online (TBA) as well as at The Big Thaw on Saturday, May 12th (the day before Mother’s Day) from 10-4pm at the Mayo Street Arts Center, 10 Mayo St. in Portland, ME.

Vendors have been selected and we will be posting the list for your enjoyment very, very soon.  Between now and May we will have frequent features to show you all the amazing talent we are hosting!  Now off to enjoy this sweltering March evening…  Thaw, indeed!

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Big Thaw March Updates: More to Come Soon!

Good morning, Maine!  Vendors for The Big Thaw ’12 have been selected and notified, and now’s the time to mobilize all my notes, websites, photographs and features so we can bring you weeks and weeks of visual delights from the cast + crew.  First thingies first:

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The Big Thaw poster '11

Meagan and Kris are busy at work putting together the poster for the event, you may have seen their work hanging around Portland in the past, or just seen the perfection that is the limited edition screen printed event poster.  Practical?  No.  Completely worth it?  Yes.  Each event, we have printed 100 limited edition, large-ish attention-getting posters to be hung in local businesses and organizations in the Greater Portland area.  The Thaw is about quality, handmade or vintage, aesthetically sound goods and what better way to show this by using our poster as art?

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Big Thaw vendors will be posted ASAP for those of you curious about what to expect on May 12.  How appropriate that the event being the day before Mother’s Day we’ve had an absolute avalanche of applications from people who make goods for wee ones as well as vendors who make women’s clothing.  The selection of the work is vast, and there will definitely be something for everyone.  Keep peeking back for that tab at the top that says “Vendors.”

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 How exciting that Spring is almost here, we’re about to push the clocks forward and it will be light out ’til 7pm (!!!), and The Big Thaw is on its way!  Be back soon, guys, with eye candy and goodies galore!

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Hand Printed, Limited Edition of 100, Big Chill Poster-y Goodness!

I’m beside myself!  The December 2011 Big Chill Poster is just gorgeous!  Each one in the edition of 100 (all signed by Meagan Anderson and Kris Johnsen) is a little different, with layers and layers of colors.  Watch that video up there and see just how committed to handmade quality this whole song and dance is.  Also you get to hear The Screaming Females as the soundtrack and now you know just how great they are.  We’re hoping they don’t get stolen from the shops, boutiques and community centers we are putting them up in before the 3rd!  But if they were, we’d totally understand, cause these posters are frame-worthy.

If you’d like to purchase your print the legitimate way (and not taking it from the bathroom at The Blue Spoon, for example) then click on this link here if you’re in Portland (no shipping charge, just local pick up) or here if you’re from away and don’t mind paying the shipping charge.  Each poster is $10 – what a deal – and will be available through the holiday season!

Before ogling our photos below, check out this slideshow of the printing process (featuring the artists holding the prints!)

And now, without further ado, some lovely details for you:

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Vendor Spotlight: Emblem Studio

Capone and Mountain Dew

Well, you just learned all about Meagan Anderson (half of our awesome-poster-making-team) so why not bring the goods on Kris Johnsen of Emblem Studio (the other half!) for a bit of internetty distraction?  I asked Kris a few questions about his work, the fair and more:

Emblem Studio

The BIG THAW:  What new/favorite products/designs will you be sharing at the fair?

Kris Johnsen (of Emblem Studio):  As always I will have recent gig poster from music events around portland and a few National acts. I will also have more art prints available, some of which as on my blog Emblem Studio and some I have yet to show with the world. I’m excited about a few drawings i have been working on that are going to be turning into art prints and will hopefully be done in time for the fair. I will also soon be working away from screen printing and trying to do more wood block and linoleum block prints. I have also been working hard on new ways to display my prints since it’s always hard to put everything on display when trying to work with such a small area. I might include some Portland Pins stuff also.

Emblem Studio print in downtown Portland

TBT:  You get a bulk of your work from events and musicians – describe the process of collaborating with people who are not necessarily visual artists in giving something you know they’ll like.  What are some of your favorite posters you’ve done for an event?

KJ:    I do get most of my work from musicians. This happened because when I started to work for Space Gallery I saw a lack in good flyers at the time I started and this was simply because everyone else has such important jobs and are very busy that I felt that I couold help improve Space in this little way and it would/will hopefully get more people to these events that might not find out about them. I also started to book a few shows on my own so I would make screen printed posters for these and just try and cover Portland with them.

So naturally some bands caught on that people actually notice these poster’s and some started to hire me for show posters or art prints. I’ve been continuing to do this as well as make flyers for Space events, but also try and get others to contribute and get their artwork out there.

The best and most fun posters are the ones where clients let me do what I want and dont have much of an input to the poster other than us sitting down initially and talking about a few ideas and more of a feel we want to go with. My favorite posters I’ve done are ones where I had complete control over, those ones I always feel like come out the best also. I also like to stick to projects I support also, this helps myself have a connection to the project, this does not necessarily help come up with ideas but makes me feel better about what I’m putting out in the world and if someone asked me about the show or event I would feel strongly about it.

My favorite recent print is one I did for The last Night On Earth event in Portland. The whole job was nothing but fun, and only worked with friends and people I have done jobs for before. I actually did the job for free because I supported the event so much. I of course sold them at the show to make up for that. It was more about supporting the bands in the show and creating something cool. Hanging out at shows and selling prints is one of the most fun things also!

 

Last Night on Earth Poster

 

TBT:  You’re new (like me!) to the craft fair circuit… do you have any advice for people who are considering selling at a craft fair but aren’t sure how to start?

KJ:   I’m still pretty new to the whole selling your work thing. I really really enjoy being a part of Arts & Crafts fairs, my work fits in really well but also stands out I feel. It’s also so great to hang out with so many other creative people.

From doing craft fairs I’ve learned that your set up is so important.  Making it easy for people to view your artwork and not have it hidden. Also if you hang things in back of you they most likely wont even see it. It’s all about the table! With me all of my items are large and flat so that makes it hard to display all of them at the same time. This time around I have collected old wooden boxes to put prints in so people can flip through them, I hope it works out!

For people who are nervous about selling work at a fair I would encourage them to just sign up for a local fair ahead of time and just do it. If you give yourself a deadline then you will produce work! Or you could share a table with your artsy friends to just hang out with for the day. I’ll be hanging out with Meagan Anderson at our shared table this year.

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Emblem Studio

 

Some great advice and some great work to look forward to from Emblem Studio.  The BIG THAW Arts, Crafts and Vintage sale will be held on Saturday, April 16th at the Mayo Street Arts Center (10 Mayo St., Portland, just down the street from the big church on Franklin arterial) from 10am to 4pm.  We are so looking forward to seeing you there!

Emblem Studio

 

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Forefront Fashion Feature

Forefront Fashion Interview, Audrey Yapping, of course

Portland aesthetics:  unite!  I met with Laura and Nate of Forefront Fashion at Coffee By Design on India St. the other night to go over some of the detail of The BIG THAW.  Naturally, they posted a very flattering picture of me, some of The BIG THAW wares, and lots of info about TBT vendors to come!

Click here to read the awesome snippet!

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Art Fer Yer Walls, plus Facebook is Awesome

Speechless! I’ve literally never written a check for anything so cool as 100, limited edition, four-color screen prints of a fox, a bunny rabbit and two birds.  All of them signed and numbered, ready to share with the local universe (and beyond!)

 

so so so so so so nice!

I’ve made an Etsy listing for local people, click here if you’d like to purchase and pick up somewhere on the peninsula (I’m flexible and mobile).

Annnd here is a listing for those who can’t make it to the Portland, Maine peninsula or for those who are insanely busy like me (I hear ya, we’re nuts!) who would like me to ship it to you.  Really fantastic Spring colors, one of these is promised to a frame to hang in the hallway at my place!

 

look at the fox pop! bright, citrus orange against blues and greens!

The poster, which is printed in four colors on gorgeous, heavy-weight paper, will be for sale at the very reasonable price of $10 the day of the fair.  If you purchase in advance, however, the Etsy listings are 20% off at $8.  Coupon clipping be damned, here is a better way to make some savings!

We’ll be using proceeds from the sales of the posters to printing flyers, making proper sign-age the day of the event, populating Mayo Street with candy dishes full of delicious candy and so much more.

Oh!  Did I mention Emblem Studio was available for custom screen printing work?  Such excellent craftsmanship, we are so, so pleased here at The Big Thaw.

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Did you know The BIG THAW is on Facebook?

Well, it is.

Here is the group page:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_121923504545596

Here is the event listing:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104897699588395&ref=ts

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Beginning tomorrow, The BIG THAW website will be shining the spotlight on our vendors so that all you shoppers can start making your wish lists and saving those pennies (quarters, dollars, benjamins) effectively!

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The BIG THAW Poster!

What a thing of beauty!  Printing starts this week:  then no telephone pole or bulletin board is safe!  Our poster was lovingly illustrated by Meagan Anderson and will be expertly printed by Kris Johnsen of Emblem Studio (and both of them will be sellers at the fair!)  Excellent.

And here is a thumbnail button for your websites, be sure to include a link to The BIG THAW embedded in the image.  ( https://thebigthawportland.wordpress.com )

Coming soon:  Vendor list… images… vendor features… Spring!

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Two More Weeks! Be Sure to Send Applications by February 25th!

Good morning from Audrey at Little Eye Designs —

Phew!  My mail carrier must be mightily confused where up until a few weeks ago all s/he brought to my front door was bills and catalogs.  With all these handwritten envelopes coming to me from amazing Maine artists, crafters and vintage resellers my new favorite thing to do is come home from work and get the mail!  OK, truth be told, it’s always been one of my favorite things to come home from work but this is the icing on the cake.

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Today:  a reminder. It’s a good idea if you haven’t sent in  your application yet to make sure it’s in the mail by Friday, February 26th to make the February 28th deadline.

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Another reminder: no application is considered ‘accepted’ until you’ve received and email from The BIG THAW confirming your application and your vendor fee check has been deposited.  We’ve had an overwhelming demand for upstairs spaces, so those of you who end up in the artist studios downstairs will receive a $10 refund from your original check.  The artist studios downstairs will be open, as well, and we will be feeding customers down the stairs the only way we know how:  with candy.  Also, thoughts on a purchase-based raffle have been kicking around and I’ll have more details later but I do know it will be incentivizing visiting downstairs vendors.  The spaces downstairs are perfect for:  vintage sellers and people who need wall space to hang flat or framed prints.

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Grace Potter and the Nocturnals by Meagan Anderson and Emblem Studio

In other news, I hope to be meeting this weekend with Kris Johnsen of Emblem Studios and Meagan Anderson who are the fantastically talented artists who are going to be making The BIG THAW poster.  We’ll have a run of 100 limited edition silk-screened prints available for sale at The BIG THAW.  The poster you see in front of you is an earlier collaboration from the two talented artists that piqued TBT’s interest and made us say “Yes, yes.  These are the people who must make our high-flying flag.” Er, poster.  Still!  Keep your eyes peeled for visual excellence.

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