“The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves. We have had our summer evenings; now for October eves!”
– Humbert Wolfe
This morning, this beautiful maple tree beckoned me to walk a little past my usual walking route.
I walked over and gathered some beautiful leaves scattered around on the street and sidewalk.
Happy Friday, my friends.
“There is something special when creative people get together.”
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Well, it was a fine day to head over to the Square to visit Kim Guthrie at her art studio. I was the lucky winner of one of her Move it Out Monday Auctions, and I hadn’t been over that way in a while. I texted her to see if she’d be working at her studio today, and lucky for me, she was.
Such a talented lady, and her studio is always bursting with bold colors and whimsical artwork.
You can check out her website at http://www.kimguthrieart.com or visit her studio at 115 W. Virginia on the lovely downtown McKinney Square.
Thanks for a fun visit Kimmie! ❤️🤗👩🏻🎨
“Looking back at my life’s voyage, I can only say that it has been a golden trip.”
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I just ran across this article that was written about my recycled art work by Rita Cook quite a few years ago, probably over ten years ago. It’s fun to look back. Happy Throwback Thursday.
22Oct
By Editor Green Source
By Rita Cook
Antoinette “Toni” Andrukaitis of McKinney says her art naturally developed an eco-friendly slant because she has always been the kind of person who has recycled and repurposed.
“Eco-friendly is what we baby-boomers grew up with, but back then we called it frugality,” Andrukaitis says. “As a little girl, my sisters and I made doll clothes from fabric scraps and string. My mother always taught us never to waste, but rather, repurpose.”
When she first began teaching art in the 1970s she says she would buy discontinued or marked down house paint for her students to use, “mostly because any extras came out of my pocket, but from there every bargain became an art medium.”
(Above, Andrukaitis found these wine glasses at a garage sale. Below, old cedar fence boards become a canvas.)
These days her frugality can be seen in the repurposed objects she uses in her art to make pieces as diverse as painted vases, wine bottles, purses and wooden items that she often finds at garage sales, thrift stores and sometimes even using hand-me-down items from her friends.
“Pretty much anything that isn’t moving can be painted,” she says. “An unusual inspiration came when my neighbor was tearing down an old cedar fence. I hauled several large sections home and painted running horses on them for an outdoor display.”
Recently, she says she found several pieces of discarded furniture and turned the pieces into lovely treasures. For example, an old student desk became a pretty white vanity embellished with pink roses.
Living in McKinney, Andrukaitis says the community there has been her inspiration.
(Left, a desk purchased for $20 at a garage sale refurbished by Andrukaitis.)
“The art community is so supportive and everyone shares ideas, supplies and their creativity,” she explains. “My ideas come from everywhere. The individual items talk to me and say, ‘I don’t want to be an old newspaper, I want to be falling leaves on a tree painted on a canvas.’”
Her most popular items at the moment are her rose vases.
“From the smallest bud vase to a huge glass cylinder, placing a real rose or a dozen roses inside one makes the most exquisite gift,” she explains.
These types of vases she sells anywhere from $5 to $50.
As an artist who recycles, Andrukaitis says too, that her greatest challenge has always been hoarding. She says she can’t throw anything away because each item has so much potential.
“I even save dryer lint to use in hand-made paper,” she adds.
(Above, Andrukaitis paints a vase with her most popular motif.)
While Andrukaitis says many of her repurposed items go to her friends and family, she usually paints about 50 pieces a year in all and also keeps an inventory of recycled items on hand just in case. When she runs low, she goes “thrifting with the TOTS, which is McKinney’s Table of Talent Sisters, our little art group created about five or six years ago.”
Andrukaitis stays eco-friendly in many ways and she says her other main endeavor in that area involves food. For example, at Halloween she chops up leftover Halloween chocolate candy and puts inside her famous brownies. Then the leftover brownies become chocolate dipped truffles balls that are then frozen and shared with friends and the local firemen at McKinney’s Station #5.
“The thing that makes my art special is the love that I put into finding a castaway destined for the landfill and finding a special new home for it,” concludes Andrukaitis.
A
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Rita Cook is an award winning journalist who writes or has written for the Dallas Morning News, Focus Daily News, Waxahachie Daily Light, Dreamscapes Travel Magazine, Porthole, Core Media, Fort Worth Star Telegram and many other publications in Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago. With five books published, her latest release is “A Brief History of Fort Worth” published by History Press. You can contact her at rcook13@earthlink.net Tags: RecyclingRecycleArt
Editor Green So…Phillip Shinoda is the project manager and founder of Green Source DFW.
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” — Audrey Hepburn
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Today was our monthly art day at Towne Creek Senior Apartments. It was nice that we were able to have two people at a table, a little distanced, but much nicer than separate tables all 6 feet apart,
I had so many compliments on my time-lapse video of the horse on Tuesday that I decided that would be one of our projects today. Some ladies used watercolor pencils, others markers and others regular colored pencils. All turned out different, and all awesome. Those that finished quickly worked on a 3-d flower pot drawing,
Another fun day with my Young At Heart artist Friends at Towne Creek.
Happy Friday, my friends.
“Art is in the air, art is everywhere, must be because… it’s Arts In Bloom on the Square.”
Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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It was the perfect afternoon for Arts In Bloom on the Square In Downtown McKinney today. The three day festival had a shaky windy start Friday evening, but today was gorgeous and tomorrow should be even nicer. Yay!
Helen and I met Sherri, walked around a little, then had a yummy lunch at The Pantry. The Square was packed and we ran into a lot of friends and artists on our adventures.
“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.” —Maya Angelou
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My Montage Monday… a week in a peek…
Now, a brief tribute to my angel mother on this International Women’s Day.
My mother was a hurricane with endless colors, as Ms. Angelou quoted. She had endless energy with a constant thirst for knowledge and boundless love for everything and everyone who knew her. I always remember her working two jobs, taking care of her family and friends, taking classes and learning how to do everything she put her mind to. She was the perfect role model and perfect example of an International Woman.
You are missed MOM. I hope you’re painting, dancing, laughing, singing, and playing music in heaven.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global holidaycelebrated annually on March 8 to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.[3] It is also a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women.[4]
“When awesome artist creating beautiful artwork come together for a worthy cause, that is called COMMUNITY at its finest.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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I was just in awe at all the outstanding submissions by local potters and artists. Everyone recognized my yellow roses, and my ceramic pink roses that were glazed on a hand thrown bowl made by the fabulous Steve Macias.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get cookin’ and bakin’ and eating junk food.” ~ Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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Well, we’re still in a terrible deep freeze here in North Texas. I stayed under the covers till almost noon. No place to go, nothin’ exciting to do. Just an update… I’ve been very fortunate with no loss of power, not like the majorly of my friends and neighbors. I’m just hoping to hang in there for a few more days. Feeling blessed.
When we got our first layer of snow and arctic blast a couple of days ago, the dog started barking by the front door. Strange? When I looked out the window, the two neighbor kids nextdoor were shoveling my driveway and sidewalk. It was such a kind gesture, and I’m sure the two teenagers were freezing out there.
I decided to bake a few brownies for my kind neighbors. Nothin’ says thank you like my famous brownies. I have been blessed with the kindest neighbors and friends.
Seeing as I wasn’t going anywhere today, or for a few more days, what to have for lunch? Hmm? Pretty much whatever I want. Let’s see what’s in the fridge. Spicy Curly fries and grapes. Sounds good.
Well, Must be time to make some more brownies and my favorite peanut butter no bake cheesecake to top it off with. That should last a few days… maybe…
Sending warm thoughts to you and yours. 🤗🙏
“When I think outside the box, I think, oooh, a box! This can become a castle or a dollhouse or a puppet theatre. Where’s my paint?”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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My friend and neighbor Kathy lost her furry friend last week. Stan was a beautiful tabby that loved Miss Toni, and he would often walk across the street and visit, keeping bunnies and mice away from my door. He will be missed.
I decided that I wanted to do something special for Miss Kathy. I found some colorful flowers at Kroger and decided to paint a colorful vase. Miss Kathy loves orange, so I had an idea. I took one of my many thrift store vases to turn into a colorful trash to treasure vase.
( Repurposed vases, Folk Art Enamel paint, and some makeup sponges.)
After I painted this one, I still had plenty of glass paint on my palette. I don’t believe in waste, so I painted a couple more vases for another time.
Fun trash to treasure project.
“Sometimes I live vicariously through other people’s adventures.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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My dear friend, Sherri Murphy, is such an awesome photographer and artist. She also has a keen eye for artistic detail. So, Sherri said I was more than welcome to borrow some of her photos from this weekend’s MAST, McKinney Artist Studio Tour. If you missed it today, you have time to catch it tomorrow.
Mark Your Calendar for THIS WEEKEND!! Visit artists in their natural habitat (the studio). You can download the map on our website at http://mckinneyartstudiotour.com/about-mast/
Here are some awesome photos to entice you, or perhaps motivate you.
A raku firing or a blazing kiln is always pretty hot stuff.
Artists are such creative, talented, generous, and loving human beings.
You are never too old to learn or take up a new hobby or find your artistic passion. The MAST McKinney Art Studio Tour is a great place to start and get inspired.
Thanks for sharing all the photos Miss Sherri. Makes me want to go upstairs and paint.
