Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Artists: Rosy Revolver

Since we only have two pieces of hers, you would think this would be a short post.  Rosy Revolver makes incredible jewelry, that despite our best efforts, we still have been unable to describe.  Try as we might the right descriptors never seem to come.   It has a bohemian meets modern western look to it.   Impecably crafted, Rosy's work is something you will treasure always, should you be lucky enough to find it, and quick enough to grab it.

Rosy has created two pieces for Alere - the Zinnia Dangles and the Bud Studs - both of which we absolutely adore, and cannot wait to get our hands on, and on our lobes.  The Bud Studs are the perfect earrings for when you want to make a statement without making too big of one - or when you're carrying a little baby that likes to tug on earrings.  The Zinnia Dangles, on the other hand,  are for when you absolutely do want to make a statement.  These large floral and filagree earrings are going to get you noticed for your fabulous taste and style, there are just no two ways about it.

What we have decided, in the end, is that the best way to describe Rosy Revolver's pieces is that if they are for you, you will know it.  Her work will speak to you as it does to us, and there will be no satisfaction in simply admiring it from afar.  She designs for women of strength, character and style, and we know her to have all three in such abundance that she can't help but infuse it into her work.  A Rosy Revolver piece will give your self-assuredness a little kick in the pants - you can't help but feel confident wearing her work.



Rosy Revolver's Bud Studs

Rosy Revolver's Zinnia Dangles

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Artists: Sand Fibers

I have to admit that I hadn't given a LOT of thought to beaded cuffs.  Beading always seemed a little too Southwest, and a little too much like a "traditional" American craft.  Being the modern gal that I am, I always thought that metal cuffs were more my style, and over the years I have collected my fair share metal bracelets. The problem that I always ran into, though, was to get anything really wide and substantial, it was heavy, and really tended to get in the way with all the things that I like to do with my hands.  And at that point, all the things that I needed to do - like type on the computer, and work at a normal job.

Then a friend introduced me to Carol Dean Sharpe, otherwise known as Sand Fibers. Carol Dean makes fantastically beautiful cuffs - they come in colors if you like, neutrals if you want something a little more subtle, and they're all incredibly lightweight.  They also don't look like traditional beaded cuffs.  Though her methods come from traditional beading, like any good artist, she has really made these pieces her own, and given them a more contemporary sophistication. These are really the most comfortable wrist adornments that I've ever worn.  I can do anything in them, even carry around a little baby, and that says a lot.  You notice your Sand Fibers cuff for its unique beauty, not because it is getting in the way.

So, that said, I am thrilled that we are able to offer six Sand Fibers cuffs exclusively through Alere Modern!    For this holiday season, for the busy lady in your life, go for a Sand Fibers piece.  If you're shopping for me, my personal favorites are the Corrugated Steel cuff and the Dissections Cuff:


But there are more to choose from - go check her out on Alere Modern!



Monday, November 1, 2010

Artists: Whitney Smith

I found Whitney Smith's work a few years ago and fell in love.  Her pottery has an updated vintage feel -- her pieces are the kind of thing you might see in your mother's or grandmother's kitchen and absolutely covet.  Or, of course, the kind of thing that you might buy for your very own kitchen, and treasure.  Her work is simple, clean, and very approachable.   Beautiful to look at when not in use, and wonderfully functional as well.

The first piece of her work that I bought was a bowl for my mother, and of course now I covet it.  Since that initial purchase I have discovered some of Whitney's other work, and the more I find, the more difficult I find it to choose a favorite for my very own home (if only the Alere Modern Gift Registry had been around when I got married, I could have had it all!).  I think my all time favorite is probably her Lotus Nesting Bowls, which come in green and white, in a set of five or eight.  These bowls really do take on a very floral shape when they are nested together.
Lotus Nesting Bowls (5)
But then there is the Bird Cupcake Stand, and it comes in all sorts of fantastic colors like pink, yellow, and robin's egg blue.  That's not what makes this piece so irresistible, though.  What makes me love this piece so, so much is that it's really a modern update on a cake stand, which is a very classic and traditional serving piece.  Of all the pieces in my grandmothers kitchen that I would covet, a cake stand probably wasn't one of them.  But a cupcake stand - this cupcake stand - now that is another story!
Bird Cupcake Stand

And now I must sign off, to go locate a cupcake and stand for delicious midnight snack!


We're live!

I'm tired, but we are live and open for business!

www.aleremodern.com

Stay tuned for some features of our artists, and more information about what we do, after I get a little sleep...

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Searching for Artists....

These last few weeks, while the baby is sleeping, I have been searching for artists.

Artists are not hard to find - with the variety of handmade marketplaces they are, for lack of a better way to say it, a dime a dozen.   But I am looking for a very specific type of artist.  The modern crafter.



Craft has been around for many, many years.  Certainly more than I have.  And it has taken a variety of forms - some of which I am terribly fond of and would love to include in my own home, and some of which I can't quite seem to integrate into my style.  The "Home Sweet Home" plaques have never quite looked right in my antique modern mishmash of a house.

Recently, though, with the serge of the handmade movement what I have found is that there are a lot of artists out there making what I like to think of as "Modern Craft" -- functional handmade objects that would integrate seamlessly into a contemporary home.  They have a clean, polished aesthetic, and make high quality work. 

The problem I've had as a customer is generally in finding these people.  I can dig through pages of search results on handmade websites, spend my weekends at craft fairs, or simply create my own website, showcase their items, and then just figure I've made myself a one stop-shop!  Somehow, the third option seemed the most reasonable to me.

So soon, I will be launching AlereModern.com, which will be a hand selected group of talented artists who create high quality, modern work.  If you're an artist who is interested in being a part of this new site, please contact me (with a link to your portfolio/website).  And if you're a lover of the handmade, stay tuned, subscribe to the blog, and start saving your pennies (and dollars) because there will be a lot to love at AlereModern.com!

Cheers,
Caitlin



** Disclaimer Re: the use of Craft vs. Art ** I know some Artists are particular about this, but by "Craft" I mean no offense, all I really mean is functional art.  Bowls, rugs, jewelry, etc., -- things you use rather than look at.