The Arthropologist

In praise of makers: Where Houston artists become artisans

Cindy Hickok, Hickok-Grab Bag from Mixed Bags, fiber (machine embroidery)
Photo by Rick Wells
Houston Ballet dancer and designer Jordan Reed in her "Green Goddess" design
Photo courtesy of Jordan Reed
The crowd at the WHAM preview party last year
Photo by Pin Lim/Forest Photography
Ann Westby's wire-wrapped hoop earrings
Photo courtesy of Petals & Metals
Camella Clements
Photo by Anne Marie D’Arcy
Elizabeth DeLyria's Driftwood Burl with Beach Stones
Photo by Elizabeth DeLyria

It all started with a red lace dress. "Where did you get that?" I asked Houston Ballet dancer Jordan Reed. "I made it," she replied.

Immediate jealousy set it. Reed is not only a gorgeous dancer, but a successful entrepreneur with an Etsy store, where she sells her sleek dancewear and chic outfits.

I was born without the craft gene, unlicensed to operate even a glue gun. There was never a question who made my kids' school projects. They did, because they would have looked worse if I had. My deficit has left me with a life-long fascination for people who can make things like Reed and puppeteer and La Camella owner Camella Clements.

Let's not forget that it's Fresh Arts' Winter Holiday Art Market (WHAM) weekend, which runs through Sunday at Winter Street Studios, where I get to roam among the artsy, craftsy folk. And then there's the collection of miraculous objects at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft in CRAFTTEXAS 2012, on view until Dec. 30.

Crafterina

I have always admired Reed's clarity as a dancer, but I got to know another part of the dancer's talents after the red dress incident. Reed sells her ever-expanding wares: leotards, bathing suits, rompers, even chocolate chip cookies, from her Etsy shop Lone Reed Designs. She's most famous in dancer circles for her well-fitting and flattering leotards that combine unusual fabrics and intricate design features.

"Once I looked up in company class and noticed that 17 dancers were wearing my leotards. Dancers want to look good. You are in leotards and tights all day, you might as well look pretty."

"Really comfortable 4 x 4 stretch spandex makes such a difference. I love working with mesh as well," says Reed, who will be gracing the stage in Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker. "Once I looked up in company class and noticed that 17 dancers were wearing my leotards. Dancers want to look good. You are in leotards and tights all day, you might as well look pretty."

Reed also has a way with words when it comes to describing her creations. "A gorgeous deep merlot colored one piece bathing suit with vintage style cut leg line. Fits like a dream and will make you walk, talk and act like a diva," writes Reed about her retro swim suit. The dancer has no plans to stop dancing, but when she does, she will have her next career already in gear. Smart move.

WHAM Wonder

I'm not much of a shopper unless it's WHAM season, where I do most of my Christmas shopping. True, mostly for me, but the boys get handmade soap every year without fail. I prefer to party while I shop. At WHAM, shoppers enjoy some craft beer and nibbles while actually meeting the makers. I like to visit with every artist before I buy anything. Not only do I take home fabulous objects, but the story behind them.

You just don't get that at Macy's. Of course, I have my favorite booths, Hello Lucky and The Community Cloth, but every year I look forward to seeing what's new and who has the patience to tell me all about their process.

So far, WHAM has generated more than $300,000 for hundreds of local artists with artists keeping 75% of the sale.

Jewelry artist Ann Wesby of Petals & Metals is a WHAM believer. She likes the artist friendly indoor atmosphere, where she doesn't need to worry about rain or wind. "The Friday preview party is my favorite part of the market," says Wesby. "It's a great combo of cocktail party with a little bit of hardcore shopping going on between catching up with friends. Since this is art and not mass produced goods we are talking about, it pays to get there early in order to get the best selection."

Puppets, Fashion and La Camella

Clements makes people and other objects in her artist life as Houston's reigning puppet diva. Clements' work has been seen through Bobbindoctrin, BooTown and other independent venues. She's trained in puppetry, fashion, film, and early childhood education. She's gearing up for a new show for East End Christmas at the Orange Show. "Right now, I'm into puppets that melt and transform."

"Right now, I'm into puppets that melt and transform."

Clements also has a serious entrepreneurial streak. La Camella is her almost one-year-old Heights-based boutique. At first, she envisioned the store as a place for her own designs, but the reality of sewing and running a shop changed her direction. Today, she carries hard to find lines that fit her "eclectic meets vintage" aesthetic. The displays are whimsical, theatrical and keep the eye of the shopper in motion.

From burlesque style shorts to handmade T-shirts, just about everything in the store jumps out at me as something I've never seen before. "I love knits and spandex," Clements says. Her store is a bit like a museum of extraordinary objects that you can also wear. I think of it as a fashion installation. Clements sees a direct connection between her life as a puppet maker and store owner. "In both, I get to create my own world."

CRAFTTEXAS 2012

There's nothing more exciting than letting me loose in a room full of highly talented makers, which is exactly what happened at the opening of CRAFTTEXAS 2012 on view at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft until Dec. 30. I was lucky to find Cindy Hickok right by her fabulous Mixed Bags with their intricate embroidered scenes. There's much to marvel at CRAFTTEXAS 2012. This is making of the highest order.

"Put that down," I wanted to tell the woman who lifted one of Elizabeth DeLyria's stones from her riveting work, Driftwood Burl with Beach Stones. Then, I realized the woman was Elizabeth DeLyria. Being craft clueless, I assumed the piece was made from real stones and driftwood. No, she made them. Amazing.

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in bloom

Rock icon Bono's daughter makes her own sweet music in Flora and Son

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Eve Hewson and Oren Kinlan in Flora and Son.

The new Apple TV+ film Flora and Son centers on a single mother and her teenage son, a situation that typically calls for an uplifting story about the mother’s struggles trying to support the two of them, and the bond that develops between them as go through the troubles together. While that element exists somewhat here, it goes down a much different path that’s both saltier and equally as rewarding.

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Eve Hewson and Oren Kinlan in Flora and Son.

Set in Dublin, Ireland, the film follows Flora (Eve Hewson), a single mom to Max (Oren Kinlan), who gets in a fair bit of trouble. She shares custody with her ex, Ian (Jack Reynor), and their antagonistic relationship, along with Max being a teenager, likely has an effect on how Flora and Max get along. A typical interchange between mother and son has them calling each other all sorts of bad names, although there rarely seems to be any true animosity behind their arguments.

When a guitar Flora refurbishes for Max goes unappreciated, she instead starts taking online lessons herself with an American named Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). She’s no less brash with him, but her sincere interest in learning how to play and in finding out more about Jeff’s music opens a new door for Flora. Soon, a discovery that Max is making music of his own on his laptop helps them communicate better than they have in a long time.

Flora & Son is the latest music-focused film from writer/director John Carney (Once, Sing Street), and he once again finds the sweet spot in telling a personal story enhanced by song. Flora has more than a few rough edges, making her a less-than-ideal protagonist, but the heart of the character shines through precisely because she has no filter. Once music is added to the equation, it become that much easier to see the type of person she is and why you should root for her.

Both Hewson and Gordon-Levitt are charming actors, so they establish a connection through a screen well. Fortunately, though, Carney chooses not to leave it at that, adding a slight fantasy element to some of their scenes by having Flora imagine Jeff in the room with her. A romantic element naturally arises, but it’s the unexpected way in which two lonely souls find each other from across the world that makes them the most interesting.

There are a couple of decent songs that come out of the process of all of the music-making, but nothing that you could truly call an earworm. Instead, it’s the feeling you get seeing the characters interact when they’re sharing music with each other that makes the film sing. Only one character could be classified as a professional musician, with the rest of them making music for the pure joy of it, an emotion Carney translates well in his storytelling.

Hewson (the daughter of U2’s Bono, in case you were unaware) is having a moment after 15 years in the business. She has a boldness that serves her as well in this role as it did in the recent Apple TV+ limited series, Bad Sisters. This is Kinlan’s first major part, and he acquits himself well. Both Gordon-Levitt and Reynor are seasoned actors who know how to make the most of their limited scenes.

The depiction of a mother/child relationship in Flora and Son is atypical, but it still winds up in a great spot thanks to the power of music and some fine performances. Carney’s love for both songs and filmmaking has yielded some memorable movies over the years, this one included.

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Flora and Son opens in select theaters and on Apple TV+ on September 29.

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