This month's edition of Fabulous Frolics, Finds and Fundraisers is dedicated to all things art. I have an obsession with art, and am always intrigued by the various ways people transform their vision of art into a reality. Whether it is 600 pounds of chocolate transformed into sculptures or whimsical painting on handbags, art is truly in the eye of the beholder. And this month there is much to behold.
Bayou City Art Festival Spring Show
The Bayou City Art Festival spring show will take place Friday through Sunday at Memorial Park. I am especially excited for this year’s show because Eco-Artist Grant Manier will be featured as one of the emerging talents. The show draws artists from across the nation and no matter what type of art you are into there will certainly be something for every taste and collection.
The Bayou City Art Festivals, produced by the nonprofit Art Colony Association, have raised $2.6 million benefiting local arts and service organizations, as well as parks throughout the Greater Houston area over the past 40 years. For any real art lover, this show is an absolute must.
Toby Kamps' photography
Toby Kamps, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Menil Collection, has taken his passion for photography to a new level. His photographic images are currently on display at Front Gallery. Kamps' works single out chance moments from his explorations near and far.
With his show99 Cent Dreams, Kamps tries on the role of the artist and concludes this kind of exposure is only fair. As he puts himself in this position, he widens his perspective as a curator. His quirky art reflects his quirky sense of style.
Hilton Americas- Houston's new pastry chef
The Hilton Americas-Houston has added certified pastry chef Mahesh Prabath Weerasinghe to its award-winning culinary team. "Chef Mahesh, trained under one of only 17 master chefs in the U.S., brings with him advanced culinary skills in chocolate and sugar artistry," said Hilton Americas-Houston executive chef Ruffy Sulaiman. "His strong creative drive and true passion for working with food in an artistic manner have been delighting guests internationally. We are fortunate to now have him creating confectionery art for our guests in Houston."
His biggest venture right out of the gate was hand-sculpting 585 pounds of dark chocolate into larger-than-life display featuring a 225-pound chocolate cowboy standing over 7 feet tall and a 120-pound chocolate cactus, plus chocolate calf, wagon wheels, haystack, ropes and fence. This delectable chocolate Wild West vignette was displayed in the main lobby rotunda of the Hilton Americas-Houston during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Hanh Tran's handbags
Hanh Tran is taking the fashion world by storm with her innovative and very cool handbags. Heavy, sweeping, broad strokes of thick oil paint that create a three-dimensional effect are trademarks of Hanh's collections and these bags are no exception.
The bags are light and whimsical and come in a variety of colors. Each bag is an original work of personal, wearable art. A portion of proceeds from the sale of every bag is given back to the local charitable and arts community.
Allan Rodewald's acrylic collection
Allan Rodewald has been creating gorgeous pieces of abstract art since he was in his teens. His collection of pieces on acrylic are the hallmark of his new series.
The pieces can be viewed from both sides when placed on a credenza or table, or can be hung from walls or windows to serve as a sort of light prism. I love this particular series and especially the cool way the art takes on new forms depending on which side you are looking at.
When visiting his home/studio, you will also get to see another interesting thing about Allan; his amazing sense of personal style. The place is decorated in true artist style with the piece de resistance being his killer swimming pool, which is in the shape of an artist's palette.
Allan Rodewald and his famous "swimming pool" work
