Arty Things You Can Do Too

02/23/2025

I don't do a lot of art so when I do something, I like it to go for a purpose...this was a heartwarming one...I have two pieces in it...

12/07/2024

so way back when moving to Elgin, I was determined to bring along Krampus...glad to see in 2024, it's still a thing in the art culture and downtown vitality

08/06/2024

This post has some great photos from Gnomes for Homes 2024, the fundraising project I worked on from February up to the date of this and thereafter. Some key pieces will be in be in Something Wickeding

Development Manager, Jen here. If you follow this page you know that the last few days have been very busy for PADS of Elgin. On Friday we hosted our Sixth Annual Par Tee Fore PADS Golf Outing. More on the golf outing yesterday. Yesterday we were at the Side Street Studio Arts first-ever AREA 22 Arts, Crafts & Oddities Fair for our Gnomes for Homes event. I want to give the world's biggest shout out to John LaFleur who was the mastermind behind the Gnomes for Homes fundraiser for PADS of Elgin. For the better part of this year he has been sourcing gnomes, finding artists to decorate them, storing them at his house (thank you to his lovely wife who was AOK with their house being taken over by gnomes of varying degree of creepiness!). And of course all of the artists who spent months creating their masterpieces. We could not have done what we did yesterday without your help. I'm so excited to announce that Gnomes for Homes raised around $1600 for PADS yesterday and the good news is that there are STILL gnomes available for homes! Please keep an eye out for information on how you can get yours! Spoiler alert, a few of them will be at the National Night Out events this Tuesday night!

05/13/2024

Some of my gnome work for Gnomes for Homes

04/16/2024

I'm all about collaboration and propping up those who support my community art projects. In doing 2024's Gnomes for Homes, we're getting a free booth from Side Street Studio Arts to fundraise at. We're cross promoting their new event at the link below. I'm also encouraging participating artists like Jessica Cunningham here, to share progress shots so they can get props for their volunteer efforts and their art prowess.
https://www.sidestreetstudioarts.org/area22?fbclid=IwAR3cwuddgpTd61DohowotPct0ikF7xuMyfKALqYvteYD0lrUFunl4RcLsfs

04/13/2024

For my next trick …reimagining the Gnomes for Homes project I did in 2015. Area artists contributed their talent to fundraise for PADS of Elgin - the local homeless organization. This time we are doing a Halloween 🎃 edition - thrifted and new gnomes (and a few non-gnomes) are reimagined in a Halloween, horror or Fall theme. They will be up for donation August 3 at the Area 22 Art show in Downtown Elgin.

02/26/2024