Featured Artist: Reagan Hayhurst

Featured Artist: Kari Gray-Hoff

Featured Artist: Mandi Blackford

Featured Artist: Katie O’Shea

Featured Artist: Lizzy Flanagan

Featured Artist: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Featured Artist: Kara DeCarlo

Magnet fundraiser for animal rescues. I have 2 cats and a dog from our local rescues (Coco’s Heart & Gregory’s Gift of Hope). This holiday I was hoping to return some good will to both of these wonderful organizations. I am not in a position to foster more animals, so I decided to do a fundraiser. Great stocking stuffers! & help raise funds to donate to help animals this season! 50% of profits from sales of magnets will go directly to these local organizations through December 31, 2023.

Save the date (August 20, 12-5)... Second Annual! ART in the YARD on Vine. Celebrate local artists. Browse, shop, listen to live music, make your own art, visit with neighbors, and snack on a free cookie. This year we have 10 great artists in diverse mediums: CERAMICS, TEXTILES, PAINTING, JEWELRY, PHOTOGRAPHY, FIBER ART, ART PRINTS, CARDS, ILLUSTRATION, AND LOTS MORE! Something for everyone. Please stop by and say "hi". Hosted in my Yard in Hudson, WI. Thank you for considering! Brenda Olson

New Art Gallery downtown Hudson. Genie Castro has done so much for the arts in Hudson and the Twin Cities. We are lucky to have her bright and happy gallery here in town! Will write more soon, for now enjoy the pictures! :)

Chris Cinque artist talk: EACH ONE WAS HEARD: A VISUAL MEMOIR

at Form and Content Gallery in Minneapolis, MN. www.chriscinque.com

The artwork in this show feels alive. “I was in a hurry”. You can feel the immediacy the artists movement on the paper. “I was moving fast”. Papers are crinkled…dirty smudges of fingerprints on the art. It is raw. Charcoal is messy. “my hands turned gray. The studio was filled with a charcoal haze. The smoke alarm even went off.” I pictured a puff of charcoal dust following her around the studio like the that kid in Charlie Brown.

reflecting & shifting little things in my art world…and figuring it out as i go! :)

When I was in Palm Springs, this spring, I visited the museum. It was fabulous. This is one of my favorite things to do!! I only had about 3 hours until my flight was leaving to go back to Minneapolis. I set my alarm on my phone for 1 hour and dove in for a quick tour. I was lucky and found great parking spot right in front of the building and the parking was free!!! Bonus :)!

After doing the 10/10 hot air balloon challenge, I found myself loving the color and magic of the designs. Building off of those designs and playing with pattern + color + design.

I am having so much fun making art. :)

magical location with retro homes and palm trees everywhere…and mountains surrounding the city. :) beautiful!

In March of this year, I went to Alt Summit in Palm Springs. This is a creative conference with sessions to learn about business + many opportunities to meet and collaborate with others in person.

After the holiday season, I dove into creating hot air balloon art leading up to an event at The Real Magic House in Hudson to launch the Hudson Hot Air Affair in Hudson, WI (which is this weekend!!) Feb. 3,4,5. check out the fun events on their website https://hudsonhotairaffair.com/ See pics of my family who came out to support me at The Real Magic House where I sold cards, magnets, and prints of my art. & a fun flashback photo of my Paul and the kids when they were little - I love how Owen and Katie are looking up with wonder on their little faces.

My grandma Lily made every one of her grandchildren (and some great-grandchildren) these christmas stockings. She designed each one uniquely by using cookie cutters to trace the shapes on to felt. The N in my sistesr’s name was backward, which made it even more special & one-of-a-kind. Sadly, we lost our stockings in one of our moves as kids.