Debra Cortese – Nature's Energy Art & Design

On Sunday, March 14th, for my very first time, I’ll have my art and handbags in one of the most festive and friendliest art events in South Florida. I’ll join fellow GroveHouse Artists and 60 or so others, plus several bands (think live music/dancing in the streets), and all of the residents along a two block stretch in Coconut Grove called Gifford Lane for the 12th annual art event that resonates with Old Grove artsy-ness The  show starts at noon and ends at 5pm. It’s daylight savings time, so set that clock ahead on Saturday night and on Sunday around noon, head over to Coconut Grove and ‘do’ the  Gifford Lane Art Stroll! Be sure to stop by and say hello!
Last Year’s Event – slideshow from Rosie and Phil Brown:

Click here for another slide show from previous Gifford Lane Art Stroll
on Coconut Grove Grapevine

I’ll have Greeting Cards, Paintings, Prints and Handbags
on display with very special Gifford Lane Art Stroll prices!

Official event Press Release from Gifford Lane Artist, Trina Collins:

Coconut Grove’s Secret Art Festival:
Gifford Lane Art Stroll
Reappears for 12th Year of
Misbehavin’ Under the Trees

March 8, 2010, Coconut Grove, FL

It’s the Grove the way the Grove once was. Like an exotic bloom that flowers but once a year, the wild blossom unfolds its petals once more: the twelfth annual celebration of the original Gifford Lane Art Stroll will burst into color and lilting music along one usually sleepy little block of Gifford Lane between Oak and Day Avenues (3200 block) on Sunday, March 14th from 12 noon to five o’clock.

The event features more than sixty visual artists displaying their works on the fences and in the front yards along the cute little lane, including a number of the finest artists in the region.

Sculpture, portraits, tile mosaics, large abstract paintings, photography, mixed media, and jewelry, as well as several specific art forms that have no name will be displayed along the shady lane n the informal tropical setting.

The Art Stroll has long established a strong reputation for first rate art that sells at amazingly affordable prices.  Unlike some other street festivals, the Stroll is known among the artist community as a place where artists really come to sell and people come to buy.  Artists line up to get in this show.  All sorts of folks show up: people from the next block, celebrities from the Beach, well-known City politicians, sports stars, and now people from out of state are showing up for what is called one cool art party.

Some neighbors open their homes to perfect strangers who want to just hang out and chat or maybe use the rest room or discuss Obama’s health plan.

This is one amazing place to buy tropical art and tuck it under your arm, but it is an even more remarkable place to just chill, sip endless glasses of intoxicating cucumber punch, or eat grilled shrimp on big skewers, have home cooked burgers, and participate in long leisurely political or philosophical conversations with absolute strangers, and then do some mean dancing in the street, and then dance a little more.

The live music is nonstop all afternoon and the tunes are sweet, sweeter, and sweetest.  In addition to the Coconut Grove Juggling Exchange, there will also be a number of  popular local bands appearing, including: Blue Man Grove in their first headliner gig at the Stroll, and also the Coffee House Gypsies.   Additionally, several other well-known area groups are expected to drop by and jam.  There is plenty of casual street dancing as the party progresses.  Live music, old style.

The nearly legendary little Art Stroll continues a Grove tradition of wild and crazy artists who defy convention to bring people together in the magical clearing under the trees.  More than a decade ago, a half-dozen active artists lived on this block of Gifford.  They started the tradition. Most of them have now moved away but a hearty band of neighbors—several dozen strong–meet frequently to carry on this most unlikely of all arts festivals.

Almost the only way you are going to hear about the Gifford Lane Art Stroll is by word of mouth—they don’t advertise and each year thousands of people attend over the course of the afternoon.  People who knew the Grove decades ago swear this is the closest thing you’re ever going to experience that looks and feels just exactly like the old Grove the way it was.

“We only have the Art Stroll one afternoon a year,” says founder Trina Collins, “but we now have residents who have purchased homes on the block because of the Art Stroll.  It is all done by resident volunteers.  In the months of January through March we have potluck suppers with 25 or thirty folks in people’s homes and have some amazing food and planning sessions.  It is really quite remarkable how this little festival has brought so many diverse neighbors together.  We all know each other as a result of this.  It has made us a community.  The Gifford Lane Art Stroll is a real friendly afternoon in Coconut Grove.  Everybody should come out and buy some art and have some cucumber punch.”

Once again, all of the participating artists at the Art Stroll will be giving a percentage of their sales to two Grove charities—this percentage will be added to contributions made by the public and neighbors living on the block.  The two benefiting Grove charities are the St. Stephen’s AIDS Ministry and the St. Alban’s Day Care Center in the Village West.  Each year, the Art Stroll donates 100% of the proceeds to the charities.  Last year more than $4,000 cash was donated.  More than $30,000 has been contributed to Grove charities since the Art Stroll began.

The Gifford Lane Art Stroll promises to be a good hearted afternoon of delights under the leafy canopy on Sunday, March 14 from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.  Be sure to be there.

For further information contact: Trina Collins  (305) 445-9698

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A Kreative Blogger award has recently been passed to me by fellow Miami artist, Rosie Brown and I’m honored that she chose me to receive it. I’m also delighted that it was presented to Rosie by Monique Lassooij. Both artists were participants in an 8 week long Art Marketing Salon* that I facilitated at the Windisch-Hunt Gallery in Coconut Grove, FL in 2009, and, in passing along this award, they are affirming the value of social media marketing as one of the most effective marketing tools around today: blogging!

Since I’ve become a bit of an information addict, I couldn’t do this without a little background research. I quickly found reference to the original ‘Kreativ Blogger’ post and requirements for nominated Kreativ Bloggers. I believe they have been edited and abbreviated over time and cyberspace.

Kreativ Blogger originated in May 2008 in a post by Huldas Verden as noted by Clay Garden author in this April 2009 post:
“Finally I found that it was started in Norway by a blogger named Huldas Verden.”

When the Clay Garden post was written in April 2009, the author’s Google search came up with 712 entries for Kreativ Blogger.
When I searched today, Feb 28, 2010 for ‘Kreative Blogger’ awards, Google comes up with 23,200,000 entries! Hence, the power of blogging!

Here are the requirements that I found, and am passing on to 7 fellow Kreativ Bloggers (names and links to blogs at the end of this post):

The Kreativ Blogger award comes with the following requirements:
1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

Seven things about me that may be of interest:

1. I’ve always loved nature and art and just knew this was my path in life.

2. I did, and still question, my choice of life experiences and have finally come to terms with accepting that whatever happens, as long as I pay attention and learn something, I can move forward.

3. I’ve been married 3 times – divorced twice and widowed. I have two amazing daughters that I’m very proud of. My third husband died when my youngest daughter was 4. I’ve been a single mom for the last 14 years and must say, I really don’t enjoy being the responsible adult all of the time.

4. Self sufficiency is admirable and it gets the job done, but the ability to ask for help and help others empowers everyone.

5. Travel is now high on my to do list. My youngest daughter will graduate high school this year and she has plans for college so the timing is right for me to go on my walk-about. Thus far, I’ve only been out of the USA to Canada. Mountains, lakes, rivers, oceans, deserts and cities all around the planet are out there, full of fabulous nature creations that I’ve yet to see and can’t wait to photograph!

6. You really do teach best that which you need to learn, and actions do speak louder than words.

7. I truly believe there is magic (healing, restorative power) in the energy of nature and that is what I hope to share with my art.

Sample of my nature’s energy photo-digital art: “South Beached Man-O-War Reflection”

MY KREATIV BLOGGER NOMINATIONS ARE:

Alyson B. Stanfield http://www.artbizblog.com/
Tara Reed http://artlicensingblog.com/
Eric Francis http://www.planetwaves.net
James Echols http://www.soulofmiami.org/
Tom Falco http://coconutgrovegrapevine.blogspot.com/
Heather Allard http://www.themogulmom.com/
Catrien Ross http://www.energydoorways.com/category/blog/

* Art Marketing Salon is a group or community, guided, do-it-yourself workshop with all materials provided by Alyson B. Stanfield, Art Biz Coach. I highly recommend Alyson’s book, “I’d Rather Be In the Studio” and signing up for her newsletters which are full of valuable marketing information for artists and business people alike.

NOTE: I only recommend products or services that I have experience with, believe in and support. When you click on a link in this blog and make a purchase, I will receive a referral commission. This is one of the ways an artist can earn a little extra income and support her family!

to expand custom art/design business. Nature’s Energy art
and custom designs for business, organizations, special events,
fundraisers, for your boutique fashion shop, for hotel gift shops,
for island resort and garden specialty shops.

Especially seeking self-motivated, entrepreneurial business manager,
and sales professionals.

partnerships                                       
collaborations
flexible
negotiable

I need your help!
email: cortesedesigns@debracortese.com or call 305.298.2023

Cortese Design Bags
Art & Design for Licensing
Custom Design Samples
Art on Products

Realized a couple of days ago that I could no longer open my blog posts without getting redirected to another page. Actually, many other pages. Search does/did not work, so I began the tedious process of trying to learn what had happened and how I could fix it. Still working on this. Once your blog has been violated, you never feel like it’s really cleaned up. So, after reading hours of articles on what may have happened and how to fix it, and several attempts to upload the newest versions of wordpress, and then, trying to decide if I should just delete it all and start over…. and then after another break to clear my head, trying again, this time even editing the wp-config.php file (although I really don’t know what the h… I’m doing, but sometimes just charge ahead and try stuff. Am seriously thinking I need to sign up for a course in programming so I can at least understand the wheres and whys of some of this). Anyway… the point is, I’m writing in new version of old blog and wondering if the damn hacker code is still somehow in here, or if it will get in again, even after changing my password about 5 times in 3 days. Sorry for the rant… but my brain is frazzled and it’s just time to put this away.
OH, but before I do, here’s the main fix that I read about from The Internet Patrol.

Also, trying out new layouts/themes. please bear with me for awhile. I know the planets are lined up for all kinds of challenges, clearing out and culling is in the air, and even though I KNOW I should be updating, changing passwords, etc on a regular basis, here I am again, cleaning up and shaking my head. Hopefully I’ll learn a lot this time!

ready to give up on this and just start over.
why can’t these obviously very intelligent hackers ever put their energy into constructive, helpful projects. What a waste of their gifts.