My Exhibit at the Meadowlark

It’s up! My exhibit at the Meadowlark Restaurant in Dayton runs from now through March. It was my original intention to just display my Velvet Winter series, but with all the wall space at the Meadowlark I was able to add a sampling of The Blue Hour and Enchanted Kingdom as well. It feels SO good to have photographs up on walls again! I’ve been working on the Flying Adventures book project for such a long time that my other work has taken a back seat, and this show couldn’t be a more perfect way to get that part of my photography life up and running again.

I started by unearthing all the prints I had, signing and labeling them.

Miss Hazel was, of course, helpful in every way possible: “No prints under here!” she says.

I cleaned 42 pieces of glass…

… and did my best to frame prints without the inevitable stray hair of kitten fur finding its way in.

“Ooooh I think I see one right here!” Miss Hazel says.

This was the first time I made wall labels and proper signs for a show. I thought that since each photograph had the same info (size, price, edition number, etc.) that I could just lump all of that together on the larger project statement sign, but I realized each photograph deserves its own. Besides, if someone’s interested in it, why should they have to track down the sign in the foyer?

Each wall at the Meadowlark is unique. Two are brick but the rest are painted bold colors. I wasn’t sure if I’d like how the photographs looked on bright walls, but I love how the images pop!

The foyer is home to two of my favorite images from the series, “Silver Forest” and the title piece, “Velvet Winter.” On busy nights when there’s a wait for a table, hopefully people will enjoy the snowy view.

To view images from all three series click the links below:
Velvet Winter . Enchanted Kingdom . The Blue Hour

To inquire about purchasing photographs or scheduling an exhibit, please email me directly at
studio@claudiaretter.com

Thank you to Wiley and Lisa for the opportunity, and to John for all your help.
xxoo!

Life Lately: Happy New Year!

A very happy 2019 to you!  It’s been a busy, festive, and happy December that included my Magpie Consort concerts (thank you to all of you who came!), my brother visiting for a weekend, and adopting Miss Hazel, a rescue via Colony Cats... John and I were Christmas shopping and—poof!—there she was, all cuddly and lovey!  It was a no-brainer. Obviously she has some experience in the arts— in the photo above she is helping me get photographs together for my Velvet Winter exhibit at the Meadowlark restaurant in Dayton next week. I'm busy framing, cleaning glass, making wall labels, etc etc. It's been a while since I had an exhibition, and I'm excited. 

January also brings the start of rehearsals for the Magpie Consort's spring program, and my bookbinding class begins at CCAD's Saturday morning program on the 19th. There is still time to SIGN UP if you're interested. Anyway, here are more bits of news from the month…

December started with a visit to the Boy Scout troop 555’s Christmas tree lot. We found the perfectly un-perfect one!

Then, my brother came to town! Last year he wanted to come for my Magpie Consort concert but the snowstorm cancelled his travel plans. This year was a go!

The concerts were the perfect way to start the Christmas season, and I have to say I thought we sounded SO good at St. Francis. We packed the house that night too! It made me happy to look out into the audience and see so many friends (and family!)

That weekend my brother even got to fly “my” airplane! Not everyone knows that he has his commercial & twin engine ratings. Buuuut…. this was his first time in a tailwheel! On this 20 degree day, I think the heater only warmed up his left foot. And only a little. By the time his flight was finished his toes were frozen solid.

Speaking of flying, I tagged along with John on a couple of his long layover flights, including one to Augusta, Georgia. Right across the street from the hotel is my favorite cafe, the Boll Weevil. EVERYTHING is good there and they are famous for their “slices” of cake which are pretty much the size of entire cakes.

On the 18th, we adopted Miss Hazel…

I swear she was a Christmas gift from angels!

Sherman is slooowly coming around to tolerating/liking her. Copper never liked him AT ALL. She hissed every time he came near her. So I think he’s kind of surprised that Miss Hazel wants to be friends.

Ooooh it really felt like Christmas when the Magpies sang at the Nutracker. We caroled in the lobby before the show, and then the ladies sang the “Snowflake Waltz” for the performance. It does NOT get any more Christmas-y than that. We were in the orchestra pit and it just felt sooo magical.

John was working over the Christmas holiday, so I thought I’d follow him around on all his trips. Read more about that HERE.

At home, finishing my favorite puzzle…

It’s been a lovely Christmas. I wasn’t sure if I’d feel sad this year without Mom and Dad, but I didn’t. I was having too much fun. I kinda like what could be a new tradition of zipping through random airports on Christmas Day. My favorite mornings, though, are still the ones spent with pets and tea in my own living room.

Today I will more than likely be following John around on his trips, so if anyone is traveling through ATL give me a shout!  Cheers!

A Christmas Adventure

How was your Christmas? Mine was wacky and I loved it! On Christmas Eve I met John in the Atlanta airport after his last flight. We had dinner and spent the night at a hotel we stay at every so often when John only has a short day in between trips. I love the view out the south windows— it’s a big construction zone (more hotels maybe?) and I love watching the cranes move things around. Something about it is just so peaceful.

Christmas morning started with tea in bed while watching Netflix’s Princess Switch (do not laugh!) We’re trying to get through as many of these ridiculous movies as we can this season.

We shared a few gifts after that…

Why this photo of an iron, you’re wondering? Well, I’ve noticed this particular brand of iron, the Voyager, at many of the hotels we’ve stayed at. In years past I wouldn’t have thought twice about an iron, but now that I sew, I’ve been on the lookout for a good iron and I fell in love with these (so steamy!) I tried to find out where I could buy one but they’re only available wholesale to the hospitality industry. What did John manage to do? He apparently went up to the front desk lady and said, “I have kind of an odd question…” and proceeded to explain my love for this iron. Well, not only did they give him an iron but they wrapped it up in shiny red paper! I think John was torn, as I’d asked him to please not give me any household appliances/utensils/etc. (I’ll never forget the look on my mom’s face the year she received a set of spatulas — ooof! — from my dad. It turned into a family joke, but still…) I have to say, though, I thought nothing but WOW. Huge points to a guy who goes out of his way to find the unfindable and probably embarrasses himself a little in the process (similar to the time I thought I lost my teddy bear in the Salt Lake City airport and John got on the phone to the Chief Pilot’s office asking about it: “Ummm… my wife might have lost her teddy bear…”) Anyway, the hotel staff thought it was sweet — Give this man an iron! — and I thanked them (and John) profusely.

On the way out I stopped to photograph the carpet. I’m noticing that a lot of these newly renovated hotels have great carpet colors (my dress even matched on this particular day!) It’s giving me ideas for sewing some outfits based on their color schemes, lol.

Our travel day took us out and back to Miami with an amazingly fun flight crew, especially Paula, the lead flight attendant, who insisted we take a selfie with her once our day together ended.

I got in a lot of reading and napping and journaling (my favorite things to do on a plane).

We had Christmas dinner at the Atlanta airport Carrabba’s and parted ways at 10:30, when John flew to Pensacola and I headed home to Columbus (in a first class seat! — Merry Christmas from Delta I guess!).

John’s Christmas tie.

I know I thought the holiday might feel weird and sad doing something so unlike all the Christmases I used to know, but this was insanely fun. Mom and Dad would love that we galavanted around all day and made a new tradition. I don’t know when I’ll see an actual Christmas Day in my own house, but that’s okay— this was so gosh-darn fun I might do it again on New Year’s :-)