Hi! My name is Michelle and I'm the mother of two beautiful children and the wife to a wonderful husband! I love art in any form. I love to create and use any medium, but painting has aways been my favorite. I work full time in accounting, so I spend time after work and on the weekends creating. Creativity calms me, it is my passion, and when I'm creating a new piece, it's my Nirvana.
I just started in the handmade craft business a few months ago, but I have been creating for my friends and family for years. I've always had my hand in some form of art. I'm a graphic artist by trade, but life took me other directions. I have had so much encouragement to move forward with my dreams of creating for others. This will be my first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show!
I've never really had any one single inspiration when it comes to my creativity. I see an idea in my mind and go from there, it's an urge I have to fulfill. I love the beach and all that is classified as "vintage" or "farmhouse." That comes through in many of my pieces. When the ideas come to me, I seem them, tweak them in my mind, and start working on them as soon as I can. I kind of go with the flow, it all depends on the item and the piece.
I hope that my work brings a message of happiness and calm. I also hope it brings a love for the old and a reminder that things can be repurposed and made new again. There's so much more out there that we can use to create lovely items.
Meet Noyana Wade from TamuNaturals...
Hello! My name is Noyana Wade and here at TamuNaturals we create a variety of skin care products to support a healthier and holistic lifestyle. All of my products are handmade by me and I only use all-natural ingredients.
I started my soap journey in November 2015. I took several soap making classes, which I completed and received credit hours for. I have certificates for Soap Making 101, Therapeutic Bathing, and Aeromatherapy 101. I am new in this journey and this will be my second event!
Creativity really motivates me. I enjoy making products that others can enjoy and also benefit from. In five years, I see myself having a successful business with my products in stores and my online store being very successful as well.
Meet the artists from BRICK Ceramic + Design Studio...
Valarie Grossman is a ceramic artist in Cleveland, Ohio and a
graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art '12. Her work can be viewed
locally in several permanent collections including Convivium 33 Gallery, The
Cleveland Institute of Art, and The Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations.
Michelle
Janosky is a ceramic artist in Cleveland, Ohio and a graduate of Baldwin
Wallace University ’15. She is an elementary art teacher as well as an intern
at Brick Ceramics Studio in Cleveland.
Elenie
Diamio is a ceramic artist in Cleveland, Ohio and a graduate of the Cleveland
Institute of Art. She specializes in helping others in the medical field.
Elenie is also a clay instructor at Brick Ceramics Studio in Cleveland.
Valarie Grossman, Elenie Diamoi, and Michelle
Janosky have all been involved in ceramics for years. From a young age they all
fell in love with the clay medium and focused on clay studies in college. Since
graduating all three ladies have let their love for ceramics grow and evolve at
Brick Ceramics Studio in Cleveland.
Indulgence, glamor, and toughness that one can
find in the world and within inspires clay artist Valarie Grossmen. You can see
the combination of glamor and toughness within Valarie’s work. Wanting to
create beautiful objects and having them be used to help grow new life inspires
Elenie Diamio. You can find growth within her planters that she fills with
succulents that she grows herself. Michelle Janosky is inspired by nature and
exploring textures within her work. She looks to trees, rocks and waterfalls
where she feels the most centered to pull her ceramics together.
Using your hands to create a piece of art out of
the earth was really an inspiring thought that got us into ceramics. Taking the
earth and using it to create something beautiful that can last a life time is really
a lovely idea.
We discovered our talent with the clay material
through using clay at school. From there we were so drawn to the material that
we just kept wanting to explore to see what we were capable of creating.
Valarie creates impressive luxurious sculptural work that plays with color, and
sparkle to surfaces. You can find diamonds, gold, and shine in a lot of her
pieces. Michelle discovered her talent on the wheel. She plays with layering
pieces and playing with sculptural forms on the wheel. Her functional work also
involves a lot of layering and texturing of the material. Elenie found her
talent within hand building. She creates her own patterns on surfaces and
really specializes in decorating the forms through her paintings. You can find
clown inspiration in some of her work as she aims to make people happy.
Our creative process as a group starts with good
music and a fun atmosphere in the studio. Brick Ceramics and Design studio is
made up of a bunch of really positive, optimistic, and free spirited artists
who like to feed off of the great energy while creating their work. We
occasionally work collaboratively on pieces or on orders. When we work
independently we always offer positive critiques to each other. The environment
is harmonious and it really helps our work to grow and evolve in a positive
way.
In 5 years we see ourselves working and creating
at Brick Ceramics and Design Studio. We see ourselves having reached a wider
base of people in Ohio and also being known as the place to go for unique, one
of a kind handmade ceramic work. We have been growing since Brick opened May
2015, and will continue to grow. We offer a variety of classes and workshops
for people in the community. Date night classes have grown, we now also offer
wheel throwing classes, hand building classes, and kids classes as well. We see
our business growing and reaching more people in the future.
The message behind our work is trying to connect
and with everyday life. We like to make affordable art pieces so people can use
beautiful objects on a daily basis. The luxurious quality of handmade ceramics
can enhance your experience in something as simple as drinking your morning cup
of coffee. We want people to kind joy in the little things such as being able
to put your jewelry into a cute fountain shaped jewelry holder. We also want
people to feel like they are able to create themselves. By having a planter,
you are creating a life for a plant. Taking care of that plant and watching it
grow is a really enjoyable process.
2016 Strongsville Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
