Showing posts with label accessories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accessories. Show all posts

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Your Weekend Shopping Guide!

Meet David Bornancin from David Bornancin Paintings...

Hi! I’m a local artist and creator. I come from a background of software and technology sales, and I am also a career coach. I enjoy writing, blogging, video and audio editing, and, of course, drawing and painting! My mission is to make art work and paintings available and affordable for everyone. I’m from Fairview Park, Ohio, but I have lived in Westlake for many years. My journey with painting started roughly 15 years ago when my wife became ill and I became her primary caregiver. During the day, I worked for 15 hours, and in my downtime, I would transform my drawings into paintings.

I used to have a small studio in California, where I started selling my paintings and commission work. My wife passed away in 2017 and I decided to retire from the software world in 2018 and commit totally to my Art Work.

I mostly use acrylic paints on canvas, but I also create many 3D type pieces. I’m very excited to be participating in my first Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show in Avon, Ohio. For 2023, I have other shows and events planned, and I am looking to expand my reach with other Avant-Garde shows!

I have a passion for people and art, and I enjoy building a connection with my work by helping people pick out the right paintings for them. The great thing about art is having a vision, a passion and a very creative mind to bring together the vast amounts of colors and ideas.

My body of work expands to abstract, expressionism, interpretive, impressionism, primitive, and modern. I hope that in five years, I am doing more live shows, where I can display some of my most unique 3D pieces in Galleries. At the moment, I only do two commission pieces a year, but I hope to have the time to expand that to 3 projects a year.

My Paintings come from history, traveling and places and the excitement I see in people’s faces when they pick out and purchase one of my paintings. For me it was never about the money but building a strong connection with others from around the world.
I have traveled all over the world, so my message for people, and art and craft lovers is be open to all types of art and creations, and to always treat people with respect and honor. No matter who you are or where you come from, I will always talk to you, to offer coaching and advice in the world of art!

Meet Aracelys Figueroa from Just.a.Brush.of.Art...

I am 24 years old, a wife of 1 year as of February and a stay-at-home mom of 2- soon to be 3- kids! I am a self taught painter. After I had my first kid, I lost some interest in painting, but, a few months ago I found my love for the art once again! I decided to branch out and started doing more than just canvases, like I used to. In high school, I painted the school halls. Now I paint glass, wood, purses, jars, and random objects I find! I love being a mother and wife, but I want to find myself as a person. I want to find a way of doing something I love to make money to help my family! I want to find people who also like my work and support me! Painting has helped me grow a lot as a person.

I started off drawing in middle school, but I've been painting since high school. Part of why I got back into painting is because I want my kids to one day find something they love and not give up on it. 

I don't remember much on why I started drawing because I was so young. I just remember filling my walls with my drawings to where you couldn't even see the walls. I would play music and get lost in the drawings. I could go for hours. After painting trees on the walls of my room, I started painting the walls of my high school. Then, I started on canvases, and it slowly became more into random things to paint. Painting is something I can control and create, but I also never know how something might actually turn out, which can be stressful but so exciting! I find painting to be a great distraction from my mind and all the pressure of the world. 

When I paint, I don't have much of a process. I just try to find objects that would look good with whatever design I have in mind. Sometimes I don't even have ideas, I just think it would be fun to paint the object. Often, it'll sit around for a little while till something comes to mind. Once I start, though, I tend to sit in my art room and paint for hours without noticing. I frequently keep painting until my husband tells me it's getting late!

This is going to be my first Avant-Garde Show, and I hope in the future to do more events! To expand my career, I hope to one day get a website, so I can ship my art work to other states. I hope to grow my talent and find others who enjoy my work and support me in trying to get my art out for others to see!

I hope to remind people to have fun! My personal art style is more cartoon like and colorful, because I want to put a smile on people's faces and add just a pop of color in this world!


Meet Karen and Heidi from Diengie...

As a mother-daughter team, we design and create goods for little ones and women using new and repurposed fabrics. Diengie was first in business from 2008-2015. We made bags and accessories using burlap from coffee bean bags and repurposed fabrics. After a seven year break, Diengie was reborn in 2022. Over the past year we have gradually switched over to making more products for little ones.

We first started out wanting to find a way to use our talents to create a business that would generate an income. Sewing has long been in the family. Our family has been creating fabric goods in various forms for generations. We started honing our skills at early ages and there has never really been a time in our lives when we haven't been sewing and creating.


As a partnership we both bring skills and ideas to the table. We always talk through any ideas we have for new products. Usually, the one who first had the idea begins the process of trial and error in hopes of ending up with a finished product that can be added to our lineup. Our love for little ones and their mamas, our desire for a blend of practicality and beauty, and a drive to minimize our consumer consumption and production waste inspires us to create.

We first started out wanting to find a way to use our talents to create a business that would generate an income. Sewing has long been in the family. Our family has been creating fabric goods in various forms for generations. We started honing our skills at early ages and there has never really been a time in our lives when we haven't been sewing and creating. One day, we'd love to have our own brick and mortar to reach more people!


The message behind our work is twofold: We want to create products that blend practicality and beauty, and we want to produce goods that generate as little waste as possible! This is our first Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show, and we are looking forward to being part of the show! We hope to continue adding to our little ones product line and increase our retail and wholesale sales. 


Meet Gwen J. of Handmaiden by GwenJ LLC...

I design Macrame handbags & Accessories (Sandals) that are one of a kind leaving a lasting impression. I have been designing bags since I was in 7th grade from my favorite teacher. She taught home economics in Atmore, Alabama, where I'm originally from. Her lesson on macrame was one of the best things I ever learned, and it inspired me to create. Her lessons started me on my dream, but I kept going outside of class, using my free time to expand my skill in macrame to higher and higher levels. 

In 2008, I turned my love of crafting into a proper business. I keep creating because I love fashion, and I love the accessories that pull outfits together. I find that I work on my art best after work. I am an electrical and computer engineer, and the job requires having an abstract and creative mind, which helps keep my mind flowing with ideas. The mathematics portion of the job is incorporated into my handbags. I hope to one day set up a boutique in Crocker Park, and to have my products in major couture boutiques in LA, NY and Miami, and more! I hope that my bags leave lasting impressions and are used as a conversational piece!


2023 Avon Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, April 22 
10:00am-4:00pm
Emerald Event Center
33040 Just Imagine Drive
Avon, OH 44011
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at Becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:

Friday, December 17, 2021

It's the Holiday Season.. to SHOP!

 Meet Brian Bakos from J and B Artistic Notions...

Jenny Koschack and Brian Bakos are the co-founders of J and B Artistic Notions.  Both of us are quirky and creative, so we decided to brand Artistic Notions and begin to come up with whimsical pieces of art with ideas we both love. We take ideas or items we love, and put them into whimsical pieces of art using coffee as a medium and acrylic paint.

We find the inspiration to create through the joy in the little moments, along with the natural surroundings, and lots of coffee! Now, we want to share these joyful moments with others. 

We both have been creating with different mediums since childhood and professionally for several years. After a period of time, our family and friends would continue to ask us to create and design artwork for them, which led to us discovering our talent for creating. 


We have participated in two Avant-Garde shows previously, and are so excited to be back for a third. We also are currently working towards opening our own gallery/studio. 

We hope that through our work, we encourage people to be joyful in life, and share those moments with others. 

Meet Jordan Barnett from Scorched Timber...

Hello! My name is Jordan Barnett and I am a web developer, musician, and audio engineer. This is my short candle story. I sort of stumbled into the candle world as a "scratch-your-own-itch" situation. I had spent a year looking for a specific scent, but I could not find it. I ordered candles from all over the world - even Paris. Still I couldn't find what I was looking for - thus began the journey into making candles. 

We have been making candles for about five years now. Looking back on how I first discovered my "talent" for candle making, I realized that I believe that "talent" is a fancy world for not giving up on something that you are obsessed with. If you put the time in, people will eventually call it talent when they see the results. 

Organization is having a free, open space to create, and it is vital to digging in deep and getting your hands dirty. I work best when I have the the creative space to do it. 


This is our first Avant-Garde show, but hopefully we will attend many more! We would love to grow our little company into something much larger. Our philosophy is one step at a time though. Also, remember quality and reflection matter. It is there where we get to re-learn about ourselves all over again. 


Meet Nick Lime from Lime Skincare Co...

Hi! My name is Nick Lime, and I am the creator of Lime Skincare Co. I am a student business owner, and I love to formulate and create new products whenever I can. I started making skincare products at age 10, and ever since I've loved doing it. I loved to attend vendor shows, and support small businesses... so I took what I love to do and made a hobby out of it. 

This will be my first Avant-Garde Show that I will be attending, and I am so excited to share my work with everyone. The opportunity that I have to be able to create clean and safe skincare products for my community inspires me on the daily. 

I have always loved to try out different skincare products so I decided to start experimenting with some recipes and I fell in love with it. Each one of my products start out with a "hey it would be cool to make that," and then I research and do a deep dive into that product. After my research, I formulate for what seems like forever until I make the perfect product. 

Through my products, I want to educate people on the importance of clean skincare products, and why you should care about what is in them that can make them dangerous. I also want to provide people with the opportunity to enjoy safe, clean, and authentic skin care products. 

Meet Cara Romano from Gopi Girl Designs...

Hello, my name is Cara. I am a lifelong artist, and I teach drawing and painting classes. I grew up in Oberlin, Ohio. Now I live in Cleveland with my husband, step-daughter, and our small zoo of pets. I love creating art, listening to and playing music, enjoying nature, traveling, and animals.

I have been making jewelry for about 12 years. I’ve sold some here and there, but I am new to showing and selling at art and craft shows. I signed up for my first two Avant-Garde shows this year, the Solon Holiday Market was my first and Avon will be my second. 

I get inspired by art and design (both historical and contemporary) from various cultures across the globe. I am interested in how people adorn themselves, both in daily life and for special occasions. Music is also a big influence. I used to work in the museum field. Seeing jewelry from all over the world inspired me to try making my own. I began with a silversmithing class, and eventually developed a love for assembling and constructing jewelry from beads and other found objects. I love to use my hands and I especially love working on a small scale – whether it’s making jewelry or detailed drawings – these types of activities give me a feeling of satisfaction and control.

I thank my parents who were always encouraging me to create. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t draw, paint, sculpt, assemble, etc. I always want to try different media to see what I like. I am also really interested in combining media, often in unlikely or unexpected ways. My creativity is usually sparked by the beads or stones I have in my collection. I like to make series of pieces that use similar materials and techniques. One piece will inspire another. I really like to try unusual combinations of beads, findings, wiring, and found objects.


In the future, I would like to attend shows regularly, and travel around the country (maybe the world?) to share my creations. I am interested in partnering and collaborating with other artists, whether that is in a coop or collective type of setting, or possibly collaborating in the design process. I also want to develop my metalsmithing skills and incorporate them into my beaded jewelry.

I hope to inspire my customers to see that beauty can be found in unlikely places, through unique combinations of opposing elements. Art should make a statement about the individual creator/owner/wearer, but we can’t forget that it has the power to unify people from all walks of life, from all over the world.

Meet Tina Evans from Sweet Beautiful You...

Hello, my name is Tina Evans. My friend Jan and I started Sweet Beautiful You in 2019 when we started learning about the damage the chemicals and preservatives in many household products were causing us. 

We began making soaps from natural ingredients such as coconut oil, olive oil & shea butter. We use a cold process method that helps to retain all the natural benefits of each plant based oil and butter. This process also naturally produces a bar high in glycerin, making it very moisturizing. Our products are free of any parabens, sulfates, and other harsh chemicals.

This is our first Avant-Garde event, and we are very excited to share our mission at this event - which is to help women love and accept themselves as they were created. We encourage women to not only protect themselves from the harsh chemicals in commercial skincare products, but also from the harsh words we tend to speak to ourselves. We are passionate about natural beauty, both inside and out!

A portion of our profits are donated to a women's shelter in Akron, Ohio. We visit that shelter monthly to remind these women that they are beautiful, and that their current circumstance does not define them. We also teach them how to make a natural skincare product that they can use and make for themselves again. 

We are Sweet Beautiful You - making natural products for a naturally Beautiful You!


2021 Avon Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Saturday, December 18, 2021
10:00am-4:00pm
Emerald Event Center
33040 Just Imagine Dr.
Avon, Ohio 44011
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:

Friday, September 10, 2021

Shop This Weeknd in Avon!

Meet Margo Coniam from Lake Erie Photography...

Hello! My name is Margo Coniam and I have a love of photography!  I have taken several photography classes in high school and college, and found a hobby that has turned into a passion. Whether it is traveling up the street or across the Atlantic Ocean to take my photos, I love it when my photos tell a story and capture the soul of a place. 

I have been selling my photographs for about a year now, but I have been taking photos for years now.  I have participated in one other Avant-Garde craft show and loved it!  It is great meeting both customers and fellow crafters alike! 
I am inspired by nature for the most part.  No matter if it is birds, blooms or landscapes, I find that the natural world inspires me to create. 

I have an Etsy shop called Lake Erie Photography.  You can access it at www.etsy.com/shop/LakeEriePhotography.

Meet Kelly Milliron from The Joy Collective Company...

My name is Kelly Milliron. I have loved art since I was a small child. Art class was always my favorite. Some days I dreamed of being an art teacher & other days I dreamed of being an independent artist. 

I have found joy in both endeavors as an adult. I worked on & off in the education field for many years. I also stayed home with my son when he was small. I have recently begun a new chapter & started The Joy Collective Company, a small business based on handmade gifts of encouragement. 

I make art primarily to inspire & encourage others, but art is also therapeutic for me. I find peace in the process. The Joy Collective pushes me out beyond the walls of my home art studio. It also allows me to connect with amazing people who find joy in my work. If others can see & share the light & joy & hope in my whimsical watercolor paintings & beach-inspired jewelry designs, then I am blessed to be a part of that. 

I've had some choose jewelry pieces for family members battling cancer or friends struggling with mental health issues. Others pick out pieces to remind themselves that they are loved. Some choose a piece to let someone else know that they are thinking of them & that they are not alone...this is what keeps me going & brings the joy back to me full circle.

2021 Avon Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday, September 12, 2021
10:00am-4:00pm
Emerald Event Center
33040 Just Imagine Dr.
Avon, Ohio 44011
For more information, contact Becki Silverstein, Event Coordinator at becki@ag-shows.com
Visit us on:

Spring into Creativity: Meet our Craft Show Makers!

Meet Josh and Janet from Organic Garments... Organic Garments , an Ohio-based sneaker business,  is rooted in sustainability, craftsmanship,...