Featured Artist: Val Lesiak

Val Lesiak/Picture Book Studio – “Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to draw.

Being told that there were no jobs where one could draw,

she attended Baldwin-Wallace to become an art teacher.

Upon graduation, she found there were no art teaching jobs

around where she lived, so she applied for a position at

American Greetings where she got hired by an ex-teacher. It was

there her adventure in greeting card world began in art and design.

She worked with many talented people including Tom Wilson,

the creator of Ziggy, as well as worked on many creative projects

including Care Bears. From conventional to cute and humorous

designing, greeting cards filled her world for 39 years.

Then she retired and a new journey began.”

Valerie Lesiak, Ohio artist and illustrator

Picture Book Studio sprung out of my journeys through my life as a designer at American Greetings. Designers just don’t retire. So now I get to play and illustrate in my own studio doing a little bit of everything from freelance and special projects for clients, to consulting, mentoring, participating in shows, as well as illustrating for the sheer fun of it.

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Featured Artist – Keith Allen

Keith Allen – I’m a professional designer, illustrator and paper engineer from Cleveland Ohio with over ten years professional experience in product design at the greeting card company, American Greetings.

I ventured into the self-publishing world four years ago with the launch of a successful pop-up book that I created with two very talented family members titled ‘A Day in Rehoboth Beach, A Pop-Up Book.’

I chose to self-publish again for ‘What a Mess’ because of the tremendous online support I received during its inception. Complex pop-up books can be quite expensive to produce because of the hand folding required for its construction. To help offset the high production cost required, we launched a successful Kickstarter campaign in early September and fully-funded “What a Mess! A Pop-Up Misadventure.”

Thank you so much so far for your overwhelming support. I could not have done it without you!

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Gabrielle Zemaitis, 2017 B.A.F. Scholarship Winner

The Berea Arts Fest would like to congratulate Gabrielle Zemaitis on being our 2017 Scholarship winner.  She is a recent graduate from Polaris Career Center and Olmsted Falls High School. She has become proficient in many Adobe programs including Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.  Gabrielle has many awards and honors including: Member of the National Technical Honors Society, Scholar Athlete, Co-captain of the high school golf team, Varsity letter winner and Magna Cum Laude.  Gabrielle aspires to specialize in a career in animation or illustration.  We wish Gabrielle the best of luck as she prepares for her college journey.

Featured Artist – Shari Escott

Shari Escott – Step back to the year 1999. Yes it was exciting that Barbie turned 40, Toy Story 2 was released and once again, Pluto became the outermost planet. Even more monumental was the inception of a relationship between two girls that shared a common interest — crafting. At that time, that’s what we called it. Shari Escott and Cathy Strauss, two moms from Chagrin Falls and Twinsburg, Ohio, would feed their creative juices with anything that would involve a glue gun. Cut to 2013 and not much has changed. Except, of course, for websites like Pinterest, Etsy and others that have fueled the fire to craft.

It all started with an owl. One fall day through cyberspace an image appeared from my long-time friend/artist, Shari, of the most adorable owl. The words below it read “I made this!” Within 15 minutes the owl was sold. Many more images were to follow. All of which are equally as charming. My interest was sparked as well and Paper Cutz was born.

It’s new, it’s old, it’s new again. In order to produce these one-of-a-kind
images, there is a great deal of hunting for that perfectly seasoned book
or magazine. Do the edges have the right hue of, old? The pursuit for the
perfect medium is equally as fun as creating it. All of our pieces are made out of peace and love and the tranquility each one brings us while we get lost in ourselves while making them.

We hope they bring a smile to your face and the perfect wall to be placed upon.

Bereartday Passport Winners!

Congratulations to Alecia Shutovich, Connie Rupprecht, and Debra Giuliani.  They each won a basket from our passport drawing at the Bereaartday.  Below is a list of the contents of each basket!  Way to go! And thank you to all of our guests for visiting the 2016 Bereartday.

Basket 1

Café-Ah Roma –  coffee gift cards

Parkway Barber & Styling – premium men’s hair product kit; free haircuts

Buchard’s Jewelers – gift card

Salon Front & Center  – makeup certificate

Kidforce Collectibles – gift card

Mike’s Bar & Grille – gift card

Book Store & Handmade Marketplace – gift card, mug chocolate, Berea book, bracelet

Huntington Bank – pack of pens

 

Basket 2

Café-ah-Roma  – coffee gift cards

Salon Front & Center – shampoo & blowout certificate

Crystal Earth Magic – free 60 minute session

Barbers Den and Shave Shop – premium men’s hair products + free cut

Mountain Road Cycles – gift card

Suburban Clock & Repair – gift certificate

Cornerstone Brewing Company – gift certificate

Huntington Bank – pack of pens

 

Basket 3

Boca Loca Burritto – gift card

Café-ah-Roma – coffee gift cards

Pucher’s Decorating Center – certificate for 2 gallons ceiling paint

Salon Front & Center – certificate for brow shaping

LUNA – mug, koozie, gift certificate

Riverside Gables B&B – 50% off one nights stay

Barbers Den and Shave Shop – premium men’s hair products + free cut

Igloos Frozen Yogurt – gift card

Huntington Bank – pack of pens

Featured Artist: Angela Oster

Angela Oster: My work explores imagery of extreme youth and vulnerability; harmlessness, abandonment and need.

I’m drawn to things that are funny and sad at the same time, because I think that’s what life is all about. That moment where those things meet – really funny and really sad at the same time – that’s the truth.

Feel free to contact me for commissions, or just to say “hi”.

Here’s more about me, but said by somebody else:

“Her playful lines and tragicomic imagery explores the junctures between life’s joys and sorrows.”
– Cincinnati City Beat, June 2012

“At one level, Angela’s watercolor paintings might be described as “whimsical”, even cartoon-like, but upon closer examination they capture our imagination and connect emotionally with each of us. There is a wonderfully benign pathos in the subtle expressions of her characters; her drawings are “open” and accessible – ultimately, transcendent.”
– Still Point Gallery, Cleveland Ohio

Featured Artist – Christina Sadowski

Christina Sadowski – I am one of those “crafty” people that manage to pick up various skills over the years… I took college classes in painting, ceramics and digital photography. I do a little bit of everything- paint wooden letters for children’s rooms, handmade my Halloween wedding invitations, design in PhotoShop…. However, digital photography “clicked” with me and here I am. I started showing my work in various venues throughout the Cleveland area in 2010. I show the majority of my work on exhibition grade canvas- though I am looking into some pieces printed on aluminum. I invested in an Epson 9800 (wide format printer) – it is taking up my dining room- prints 44″ wide! So mostly anything you see here, I make 100%. I photograph, I design, I print, I treat and stretch canvas. I am a perfectionist- almost to a fault. So I guarantee a great finished product!