Get to know the artists, #7.

If you have wee ones, you might have seen the work of Jill McDonald at such retail favorites as Target, Pottery Barn Kids, Land of Nod or Toys R Us.


From her site: Jill McDonald is rapidly becoming nationally recognized as an extremely talented young designer with a colorful, whimsical style that's fresh, fun and unique. Jill graduated from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design in 1998 with a degree in textile design. She then joined Baby Gap in Gap's Manhattan, New York design headquarters as a print stylist. After two highly successful years at Gap Jill made the decision to return to her hometown of Kansas City, MO and joined Hallmark Cards as an illustrator. During her three years with Hallmark Jill created numerous top selling gift-wrap and greeting card collections for Hallmark, Target and Wal-Mart.

She now designs on her own from her studio in Parkville, MO., and creates funky, chunky, painted art, like this:



And then it could be made into stuff like this:



We are so delighted to have her in our artist roster--another one of Kansas City's creative treasures.

From Dallas, Texas, we're pleased to also include Dennis Murphy, photographer extraordinaire.



Dennis has an incredible eye for capturing fetching details, and his ability to intensify color & contrast brings out even more character in his subjects and compositions. If these two examples from his portfolio catch your interest, you'll definitely want to be with us Thursday night!

Less than a week!

So Metamorphosis looks like a groovy way to spend a Thursday evening, don't you think? The artists we've featured here are just a smattering of what will be represented. So many great compositions and artisan items!

And I love the idea that you could go Christmas shopping that night with us, not have to pay sales tax on your purchases, and 100% of whatever you spend goes to fight the cancers that are in children's brains. Isn't that incredible?

And if it weren't already obvious enough, this event, this cause is terrifyingly important. We realize that we're not a "national nonprofit brand" (some businesses have told us as much.), and we know that what we're attempting is formidable, but we've got to start somewhere, and we can't do it alone. This is bigger than me & Chad and the board, bigger than the family. It is our hope that enough of you join us to make this bigger than the cancer.

Over the course of the past year as planning for these events has taken priority, we've put every spare minute and plenty of our own cash into these efforts. We believe in this work. In hindsight, I can't imagine a more productive way, though, to spend those minutes and dollars than to help these families fight the good fight. I would hope that if it were me spending night & day watching my child slip away, that somebody, anybody, would care enough to help.

So another round of thank yous to all who are caring & sharing! Can't wait to see you next week!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for good business, meaning helpful business, community-conscious business, generous business, people business. With all of the planning for the events this season, we have become keenly aware of those kinds of people who run businesses that have helped us do what we've needed to do. Without them, we'd be nada.

So for Metamorphosis 2008, we have a slew of generous people who have donated gift items on behalf of their companies, just like:

Latteland
New Letters on the Air
Curious Sofa
Gold n Designs
Trezo Mare
Johnny's Tavern
Brookside Avenues Bistro
Hollydays Aesthetics
Kansas City Steak Company
Kansas City Royals
Riffels Coffee Company
Dirty Laundry
BeautiControl
K&Company
Pophearts/Catfish & Tater
Best Buy
Sopra Salon & Spa
Cockrell Mercantile
Hy-Vee
Nell Hill's
Sandy Braun Photography
PS Sweets
Tastefully Simple
Lia Sophia
Fairfield Inn
Pamela's Interior Design
M. Culture
Paradise Park
Capital Grille
Wilton

These are businesses that I will favor over others in their neighborhoods or in their categories. These are the places where I feel like my money is valued, where I can be more than just a dollar sign, where I become a bona fide patron.

What are you thankful for today?

Get to know the artists, #6.

Always in demand, photographer Kelly Jackson has an abundant and natural ability to discover gorgeous compositions, be it human or otherwise, with her camera.



From her site: My desire is to always shoot more from my heart than my head. Though there are rules to follow and techniques to assist, I believe photography is about moments - emotions - breath - finding the beauty in the every day and the extraordinary in the commonplace.





She has a healthy wanderlust, as well, that has served as both cultural invitation and scrumptious buffet of subjects for her fine art photography, such as the buildings of Prague, Midtown life in Manhattan and as you will find next Thursday: the beauty of Venice.

With a client list that includes The New Yorker, Wine Spectator, Notre Dame, Microsoft, Apple, The American Red Cross, Carnegie Endowment and an award list that boasts American Illustration, Print Regional Design Annual, Applied Arts Magazine, Pixel Perfect, Harper Collins and Graphis, Ken Orvidas and his illustrations have excelled.





Ken's art often features conceptual images using digital tools, paint, graphic illustrations using pencil, acrylic, scanned textures and objects. He creates illustrations for books, magazines and new media. Keep an eye out for his style the next time you peruse through your fave magazine and of course, next Thursday ...

Get to know the artists, #5.

Just a week & a half to go! And next up are two wonderfully talented sets of eyes.

One look at Sheri Berry Designs, and you'll be enchanted by Sheri Seibold's lively ability to make that which is old altogether new again.

From her site: Sheri works from her studio in a 1937 cottage in a small town near downtown Kansas City, surrounded by collections of vintage textiles, cards, pins, plates, and other artifacts that delight and inspire her. For Sheri and her family, “retro” is not a style applied to newly manufactured items, but a way of life filled with old furniture, bedding, kitchenware, and art that have been lost, found, and pressed into joyful service again.







For us, she has donated select pieces of her own collage art created with one-of-kind, vintage ephemera pieces. Superbly darling. If that weren't enough, her highly artistic ingenue daughter, Shelby, has also contributed a piece that is equally charming.

We pleased to include two contributions from Robert Mizono.



From his site: Born & raised in San Francisco, California, Robert studied art & design at the Univerity of California at Berkley and City College of San Francisco where his love affair with the camera began.

Robert has also traveled the world extensively on behalf of his clients, like Coca Cola, Federal Express, LL Bean and Nike.





As an avid fly fisherman, it's easy to see Robert's uncanny eye for the unguarded moments in natural environments. One part voyeur, one part participant, both vantage points beautifully coexist in his work.

More generous thanks to these two contributors for being part of something good.

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for all of our new friends that have made the art+gift auction possible. It is through their benevolence that we can do what we do.


Studio 2131 was the very first to sign on to make this event happen. The space is gorgeously comfortable; stylish without being stuffy. And it's located in the up & coming Kansas City arts area known as the Crossroads District. Not a day has gone by when we don't remind ourselves how incredibly blessed we are to have their support.


Softee. Four friends. Loads of talent. Self described "low-fi girly indie pop." Yep, these ladies of lo-fi are rockin' the city scene. We are so pumped to have them with us on November 6! And see that art up there? That's their newest CD, available at Streetside Records in Westport!


La Bodega is THE spot in K.C. if you want a phenomenal array of Spanish tapas or "small plates." From their site: Tapas represents the Spanish custom of placing a piece of bread over the glass of wine. It is a custom that dates back past the 1500's. Traditionally, the exact food served is less important than the social occasion. Tapas is a way of life. It signifies leisure, camaraderie and good humor. In Spain, Tapas are almost always accompanied by wine. They are so much about talking as they are about eating and drinking. The wine is the medium that hold the conversation, with friends and the food together. You make time to enjoy the moment in an unhurried way.


D'Bronx is a hands down, the best New-York-style deli right here in K.C. Slices of 'za so big you have to fold 'em. And the shrimp bisque? So good you'll slurp. When I lived in Midtown, this was a fave for lunch and weekend people watching.


Room 39 epitomizes the local food movement, which I heartily applaud. The fewer miles your food has to travel, the more deliciously fresh & nutritious is it. From their site: Focusing on seasonal, fresh and locally grown ingredients, Room 39 is the premiere location in Kansas City for seasonal American food. We are proud to support local agriculture. Love that.


The Foundry at McCoy's is "home of the half-pound, Velveeta-stuffed, juicy-Lucy hamburger." Quite a feat, no? Not only that, they pride themselves on knowing and serving the best liquid wheat around, like lagers, pale ales, ambers, the Belgians, porters, stouts and much more. We thank them greatly for donating a bit of adult libation to the art auction festivities.



Sunset Grill. Who would have thought a piece of the Caribbean was in Overland Park? 'Tis true. Sunset Grill hosts great wine tastings--even rum tastings--and offers free Texas Hold'em poker at 8:00 PM every Monday. And if you want to sample their really, really, really, really fantastic artichoke & jalapeno dip, come hang with us at the auction. ;)


Heard of Magnolia Bakery in NYC? How 'bout Sprinkles on the west coast? Well, make way because there's a new cupcake in town.
Sweet City Cupcakes are made with local & organic ingredients, making them even more delish. And they're by delivery only right now, which means, you get cupcakes delivered to your door. A dream come true for me. Not only that ... they also support Cupcakes for a Cause, a national fundraising event Oct. 20-26 sponsored by local bakeries who sell cupcakes to earn funds for CancerCare for Kids program, which provides free support services to children affected by cancer and their families. We LOVE Sweet City Cupcakes for their baking expertise, but we love them more for their heart. Come bid with us on November 6 and taste 'em for yourself!


Thomas creates a beautifully cozy atmosphere on 39th Street in Midtown Kansas City to enjoy a great glass of wine. And every Tuesday through Saturday, they have live music to go with your oyster mushroom bruschetta. One of the best date night spots around.


Our Price Chopper market in Lee's Summit, Mo., has graciously provided soft drinks for the auction. Not only are we thankful for their contribution, but we also appreciate the fact that Price Chopper stores are locally owned, and there is ALWAYS some sort of community event that they are supporting, be it emergency medical assistance to Kansas City families or the Dream Factory or labels for school funding. They are our Do Good market here in the metro, and we are so thankful for that.

What are you thankful for today?

Get to know the artists, #4.

We are honored, pleased, humbled and ecstatic to introduce you to another contributor to Metamorphosis 2008. Please welcome, Ms. Amy Butler! From her home in Granville, Ohio, Amy is an international textile designer with a fan base that certainly includes moi and thousands of others. Her bold, vivacious patterns and keen eye for modern color combinations are summed up nicely with her trademarked "Midwest modern" style, which has been published into several incarnations, like this:



She designs fabrics like these:





to make things like this:



and this:



From her site: I've never given a second thought to being an artist. It's really who I am, and what I enjoy. I'm inspired by my surroundings, my friends, my family, nature, and the rich textures of everyday life. I was never much on following trends. I like to remove myself from the cultural influences and design from a very intimate point of view. I collect vintage fabrics and use them in all of my work. I love the hunt, I love flea markets and shops and traveling abroad to find inspiration.

We love how comfortably hip her style is, and we hope you do, too. And you know our Good Business friend A-1 Singer Sewing? I bet they could help you make a tres chic Amy Butler quilt to snuggle with this winter. ;)

We're also equally thrilled to bring you the fine stylings of award-winning illustrator Grady McFerrin!





Grady has a fantastically funky portfolio of cool concert posters and delightfully artistic wine bottle labels--looks for his art the next time you need a nice bottle of Italian spumante from Bonny Doon Vineyard.

From his site: Born in Long Beach, Calif. Studied illustration at Cal State, Long Beach. Lived in Florence, Italy, San Francisco and now Brooklyn. My drawings can be seen on several wine labels and stationery products. My art has been recognized by AIGA, The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, American Illustration and Print Magazine.





His ability to breathe casual sophistication into energetic typography & illustrated images charms both the eye & the brain. Hope you get that when you see his work in person in just a couple weeks.