February Monthly Challenge

Luna Park

Vestie Davis (1903-1978) New York :: Oil on Canvas, 16" x 20"
American Folk Art Museum, bequest Gloria Bley Miller 2008.5.16

"Born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 10, 1903, Davis went to New York City in 1928 and worked as a circus barker, newsstand manager and undertaker. Completely unschooled in the arts, he began painting after seeing a gallery painting on 57th Street. He said, "I can paint like that" and went to the paint store. Within a few days, he completed a work which sold. He is referred to as the city primitive. Discovered by a collector, he was featured at the Museum of American Folk Art. At first he painted only buildings but found that more popular were scenes with people. None of them are ever in a hurry. There is a sense of peace and joy and civility."

"Vestie Davis's New York is a bright and shiny place with impressive and diverse landmark buildings, bridges, parks, and beaches. It is a hub of civic, business, and recreational activity chronicled in the artist’s meticulously detailed pictures from the 1950s through the 1970s. Davis focuses on New York’s historic, civic, and mercantile interests in works such as Fraunces Tavern, Wall Street, City Hall, New York Public Library, and Brooklyn Bridge. Recreational sites are beautifully rendered in Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center and the fantasy architectural Luna Park at Coney Island. A preservationist, Davis predicted that some of his favorite sites would not survive the rapidly changing needs of the city. He faithfully rendered scenes of Steeplechase at Coney Island and the Ninth Avenue Elevated subway with this in mind."

Your entry this month can be influenced by the colors, pattern or whatever you choose to focus on for your creation. Just remember to include at least one art bead in your design.

The Prizes:

Winners will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on February 1st.

Our sponsors this month are sponsors: Jennifer Heynen of Jangles, Mary at Jubilee and Jenn at Blue Seraphim, please visit us tomorrow to see the prizes!

Featured Designer of the Week:

From all the entries during the month, an editor is going to pick their favorite design to be featured every Monday here on the ABS. We want to give our participants more time in the spotlight! Our Featured Designer will be this Monday, so get those entries in soon.

How to enter the Monthly Challenge:

1. Create something using an art bead that fits within our monthly theme. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork.

***Beads by themselves and beads simply strung on a chain or cord will not be accepted.***

2. Upload your photo to our flickr group. Detailed instructions can be found here and click here for a tutorial for sending your picture to the group.

Please add the tag or title
FEBABS to your photos. Include a short description, who created the art beads and a link to your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is February 28th. Photos are approved by our moderators, if a photo hasn't followed the guidelines it will not be approved. You may upload 2 photos a day.

What is an Art Bead?
An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. You can read more about art beads here.

*** A bead that is handmade is not necessarily an art bead. Hill Tribe Silver, Kazuri ceramic beads or lampwork beads made in factories are examples of handmade beads that are not considered art beads.

p.s. If you have a blog, post your entry and a link to the ABS challenge to spread the beady goodness.