1.  What type of caning do you want to learn?  (Caning is an umbrella term for many types of chair weaving: hand caning and machine caning, natural and paper rush weaving, shaker tape, or splint weaving including standard reed and authentic hickory or oak split bark.)  Please see Services page to see different types of caning.

• Length of workshops…Chair caning is not something you learn in an hour and it can be hard on your body!  Classes will be 3-15 hours (depending on the type of weaving you want to learn) with stretch breaks before/during/after, so please plan on spending some time in the chair zone.  Machine caning takes at least 3 hours, paper rush takes about 6 hours for a chair or 3 for a small stool, splint weaving with reed or shaker tape takes about 5 hours for a chair or 3 hours for a small stool, and finally, laced caning takes about 15 hours.  Laced caning is an ordeal to be split up into 4 classes. 
• Prerequisite Classes….Natural rush, danish cord and authentic bark splint weaving are considered upper level workshops that require a prerequisite of a class using similar weaving techniques with a much less expensive material) before signing up. 
• Class fees are to be determined but are expected to be anywhere from $75-$300 depending on the type of weaving.  This includes materials (cane/rush/reed) and instruction time.  If you have a chair or stool already, you must bring it by the studio 2 weeks before your class so I can order material and make sure the chair is structurally sound.
• Tools will be provided for use during workshops only.  A list of necessary tools will be sent to you prior to the class that you add to your own toolbox at home. 
• What will you be weaving?  Chair or Stool?….If you require me to purchase a chair or stool for you, I’ll be happy to take a trip to the antique store to pick up reasonably priced solid chairs or footstools….and you may purchase them from me at cost.  Otherwise, please check with me about what to look out for when buying a chair to weave on!  If you have your own chair, please bring it to me so I can order the proper material for your class and make sure it has no structural defects.
• Homework will be given for longer classes such as laced cane.  Be prepared to spend time on this type of weaving!
• Individual tutorials for folks who just have questions about their current project will be charged a rate to be determined based on how involved my assistance is!  
• Class sizes will be small, about 3 people or less, due to amount of attention required to weave and the size of my studio. 
• Food and bathrooms:  Bathrooms are clean and on-site.  Bring your own and store it in our refrigerator, or purchase from local River Arts District Restaurants close by.  For longer classes, with advanced notice, we can pool our resources (aka cash money) and I can get a local restaurant to provide lunch to be delivered.  We have a water cooler and glasses. 

Me & Dave...and 348 lbs of food!

WOW!  It was a great time at the Holiday Party!  So many people showed up for the tasting with bags and bags of food.  We raised $810 and 348 lbs of food for Manna Foodbank. 

Thanks to Jessica of the Wine Studio of Asheville, and Tara & Ragan of  Colorful Palate Catering.  Dang, that was good food!  Thanks to Robert and Jed for playing music.  Y’all check out Town Mountain New Years Eve at The Grey Eagle!

HOLIDAY HOURS:  We will be out of town on a much needed vacation from December 23-January 2…returning to the studio at Noon on Tues, Jan 3~

Holiday Wine Tasting, Sale, & FOOD DRIVE

for Manna Food Bank at Studio 375

Saturday December 10 4-7pm

Enter the raffle & win art by Studio 375 Artists! Metal morphing jewlery, painting, photography notecards, pottery, Go Local T-shirt, & 2 tickets to a performance at The Magnetic Field.  Items are arranged in gift baskets valued at over $100 each. 

Cans of food = extra tickets!

or purchase for $5, or 5 for $20

375 Depot Street in River Arts District…Asheville, NC 28801  

call Planet Art for details  at 828-707-4553  www.discoverplanetart.com

Chair caning demo

And now, take a look at the fall fun that I am still recovering from.  It all began in September with Heritage Weekend at the Folk Art Center.  Live performances by cloggers, bluegrass musicians, and furry friends…demos by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.  Okay, his name isn’t Jim Mc Guru, it’s Jim McGie, but he is a badass and taught me the proper way to weave with authentic hickory bark….which I’ll get around to sometime or another!

Me and Jim McGuru

The True Nature Country Fair

moved to it’s new location at the Highland Lake Inn in Flat Rock.  Sorry not to have taken photos, but it was a beautiful  location and the Organic Grower’s School does a great job getting unique vendors and demonstrators, as well as musicians, that focus on getting back to basics (though there was nothing basic about the delicious apple streudel tart I got from the Chocolate Lounge…).

Fun with giant scissors

David Simchock had an open house and a ribbon cutting at Studio 375 this fall.  David’s photography is beyond description, but I’ll give it a shot (pun totally intended)….music photography from

David Simchock's gallery talk (please forgive me for posting a not-perfect photo)

 Allison Krauss, Buddy Guy, The Flaming Lips, and more.  Travel images take you on a journey that will make your travel bug bite you where it counts.  Last but not least family, artists, babies, & pets (featuring Jack Dog as his pet supermodel).    He offers classes on digital photography as well as walking photo tours of Asheville.  Check out www.vagabondvistas.com

15 varieties of chili, raffled prizes, delicious beer, &...

A FIRETRUCK PULL!!!

Chili Chowdown 3.0!  Gil Holmes 3rd Annual Chili Cookoff happened at Asheville Pizza and Brewery on Coxe Ave.  This year’s proceeds went to the family of Jeff Bowen, the firefighter who lost his life during the Mission Hospital fire a few months ago.  Gil raised almost $1000!

The Fancy Pants Dance, fundraiser for Arts for Life

Arts for Life

celebrates it’s 10th anniversary this year and had their annual Fancy Pants Dance at the Crowne Plaza.  This amazing organization provides art therapy for kids facing life-threatening illnesses, and does so much more for their families.  You can buy Arts for Life art made by the kids on Planet Art, where 100% of the proceeds goes directly to the program, or donate books, art supplies, office supplies, and more.  Hardly any of the programming costs go to administrative fees.  These girls are crammed into an office in the back of a furniture store….so, unlike other national or international charities, you know exactly where your money is going….to heal families and make sick children smile.  Come on folks, step up!  See how you can help!www.aflnc.org

mmm...food & wine

And last but not least, Dave and I went on a tour with Eating Asheville, a delicious and fun way to spend the afternoon.  These guys take you around downtown for 2 1/2 hours sampling food and wine that is sustainably produced…starting with a champagne toast at our friend Thomas’ Battery Park Book Store & Champagne Bar, stopping off at The French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Zambra’s, just to name a few. 

SEE Y’ALL 2ND SATURDAY OF DECEMBER FOR THE FOOD DRIVE/WINE TASTING/HOLIDAY SALE!!!

me and Sonny

First the most exciting news:  Planet Art was asked to donate picture framing for Dancing for Dan, a benefit for a lovely man (and his family, Nader and Amy who own Enter the Earth, the most excellent rock shop in the Grove Arcade) to raise money for an experimental cancer treatment.  It was a beautiful evening with many beautiful folks, including my old buddy Clint from Falling Creek Camp and his lovely wife Jane, at The Handlebar in Greenville.  “Brandy and Dave from Planet Art” was listed right next to “John Bell” of Widespread Panic in the thank you list…very exciting….and I got to give Sonny and Todd of WSP Planet Art/Asheville Homegrown tshirts!  The first person to spot either of them in these shirts and send me a photo gets a FREE Planet Art/Asheville Homegrown t-shirt!  Email us at discoverplanetart@gmail.com to send us your photo. Thanks to Shawn for hooking us up and Amy for being on it with the camera…and the boys in WSP for 25 years of great music and booty shaking. 

But I digress…and a proper writer wouldn’t start out a blog post with a digression…or would they?…

Who said summer was the busy season, here in WNC, it’s LEAF SEASON!

I will be at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway with fellow Southern Highland Craft Guild members (hee hee!  I’m in the Guild!) demonstrating laced cane Sept 17 and 18 from 10-4.  Don’t forget to head upstairs to the main gallery where I have two chairs on display in the Raising Standards exhibit!  This exhibit ends on Sept 18. 

2nd Saturdays in the River Arts Galaxy will be lots of fun and much cooler these days.  Many studios have special events and demos.  It’s a great time to visit if you are intimidated by the throngs of folks during Studio Strolls.  We will be open regular hours 12-5.  Come meet David Simchock, a total badass and very motivated business person, who will generously donate coffee in the morning and wine in the afternoon to be sipped on whilst viewing an amazing slideshow of his Vagabond Vistas adventures,stunning music photography, and other Studio 375 artist’s work. 

Vagabond Vistas chill spot

Speaking of Vagabond Vistas…it’s Party Time!  David will be hosting a studio-warming party Thursday Sept. 22nd 7-10pm.  David will be offering one-on-one “pay as you can” specials on hourly photography instruction, Asheville photo tours (they’re fun…we did a West Asheville one last weekend!), and stimulating conversation about the joys of travel & music. 

Also meet Michael Ball who used to have his awesome eyeball face jugs on Planet Art and is now our next door neighbor in the studio.  He is creating some twisted, wonderful works of freaky face art with clay he dug himself!

October 8, 2011…..10am-6pmHighland Lake Cove, Flat Rock, NCThe fun continues into October with The True Nature Country Fair in  its new location.  I will be demo-ing laced cane (again!) Saturday morning from 10:30-11:30 then swinging back to Studio 375 for 2nd Saturday fun.  Click on the above link for more information.

The Southern Highlands Craft Guild Fair closes out my month o’ madness October 20-23 at the Civic Center.  Come see my hero Scott Woody of Woody’s Chair Shop and many other woodworkers, weavers, jewlers…BUY LOCAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS!  Support local economies, heritage, the arts, etc.  Get inspired! 

Speaking of buying local for the Holidays:  The November Studio Stroll is happening the 2nd Saturday12th and Sunday 13th of, well November, of course! More details to come.  The Studio 375 2nd Annual Holiday Sale will be happening the 2nd Saturday of December…and well, that’s more than enough calendar action for the moment.

Pile of Chairs by PouletFritesMayO Boucher

That’s what it’s like these days on Planet Art.  My hands hurt.  My back hurts…it’s only been a year!  Yesterday I caned 10 hours, the day before 8 hours, the day before 8 hours, a few days before that 5 hours, a few days before that 3 hours….just on the same seat!  Oy vey!  The chairs keep coming in and so do the phone calls.  A tidal wave of chairs. 

The gist of this is, we need an employee…on contract terms, per chair.  The thing is it takes a while to learn and perfect the art of the many types of chair caning.  And we are perfectionists.  We do not let sub par work go out the door.  So my thought is we need to teach classes and if someone shows promise, they may be called upon to do a chair for us. 

Classes:  beginning rush (stools in square or rectangle), seat rush (angles add a different element), natural rush, beginning pressed cane, beginning laced cane (simple chairs with larger strands of cane), advanced laced cane, advanced pressed cane, splint weaving….and more!

Pricing: $50 (basic rush)-$150 (laced cane takes several days) per person, includes supplies.  BYOC if you have one you are particularly interested in fixing.  Otherwise, we will scour antique stores for a chair for you to work on.  If you want to keep your chair and we have supplied the chair, we will add the cost of the chair to your fee….(usually chairs are around $40 for a quality laced cane or $6 for a bargain rush chair. 

Dates & Times:  that is the million dollar question!  I’m thinking around November so I have time to get ads worked up and materials/chairs sorted out…and figuring out how to legally pay contract employees and workers comp issues. Fun times.  

Anyone interested call Planet Art at 707-4553.

Y’all go check ‘em out next time you’re on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  They’ll be there through mid-September.  Thanks to Nikki Joseff and all the nice people at the Folk Art Center.  It was really exciting to see visitors stop and read my bio and lean in to see the detail of the chairs!  I even got called out for trying to take this photo.  It’s the big time, folks!

Me and my chairs.

The Grand Opening of The Junction and Pink Dog Creative on Depot Street

Good times on Stroll weekend in the River Arts Galaxy….new neighbors, posh studio displays, good folks, grand openings, special exhibits, great food and drinks…we are lucky to be on Depot Street!

 Planet Art would like to welcome David and Beth to the front studio.  David Simchock is a transcendiary photographer and has traveled the world capturing images that make National Geographic shots look like an amateur photography contest.  Check out Vagabond Vistas and save lots of money on traveling this summer!  He is located where Fly Coop Studios used to nest.  True to the studio’s name, Angelique Tassistro recently moved into the Curve Studios upstairs in Constance Williams Gallery.  We miss you.

Also new to Depot Street (the most happening street in the Galaxy if I didn’t mention that already) is Northlight Studios, recently purchased by the most excellent Wendy Whitson.  Her studios are upstairs from Greenworks at 357 Depot St. Nature photographer and graphic genius Laurie McCarrier relocated downstairs in Northlight Studios in the back of the Greenworks office.(Laurie did a fantastic job on my Wanderlust Images notecards, and made me look like a real photographer!) 

Northlight Studios and AVL LED sign pointing out the largest installation of LED streetlights in the Southeast!

Denise Wolcot is my neighbor both at home and in the River Arts Galaxy!  She makes stunning bead jewelry and finally has a beautiful space upstairs with Wendy in which to show off her work…Laissez les bon temps rouler! Last but not least is Margaret Couch Cogswell, tiny postmistress and artist extraordinaire.  Margaret was responsible for the Tiny Mailbox exhibit by the Cotton Mill Studios this weekend.  DEPOT STREET ROCKS!

Or Galaxy Stroll...whatever!

Lots of deliciousness is happening in the Galaxy as well:

- Roots Cafe [located inside the Grey Eagle; 185 Clingman Ave] featuring locally sourced meats & cheeses and fantastic vegetarian fare. 

 
- The Junction [located in the Pink Dog Creative Buildings at 348 Depot Street] Featuring house-made soups, salads & sandwiches from regional farms & a full bar with fresh squeezed cocktails. My favorite is the vodka, hibiscus, and basil…delish! Did I mention SUPER NICE FOLKS?

 
- White Duck Taco Shop [the Hatchery, 1 Roberts Street] Affordable, creative & quick tacos, soups & snacks. Can’t wait to try it!

 
- The Magnetic Field [372 Depot Street] It’s a cafe, it’s a bar, it’s a theatre! Enjoy a delectable meal & a wonderful performance.  They catered the Big Bang and there was not a single bit of leftovers for us! 

 
Nourish & Flourish Organic Juice Bar [347 Depot] Fresh squeezed juices with ingredients from local farms & award winning rashi teas.  A fantastic and guilt free option to getting an iced mocha…you are what you eat…and drink!
 
The Classics:
 
- 12 Bones [5 Riverside Drive] Best BBQ in town, nuff said.
 
- Clingman Cafe [242 Clingman Ave.] All I can say is YUM! Organic coffee, breakfast, lunch & now dinner (Thurs & Fri!) 

 
- The Wedge Brewing Co. [125 B Roberts Street] Sunset views & amazing brews. Check out one of the reasons Asheville was recently voted Beer City USA (3rd year in a row!)
 
So there you have it; the rundown. More reasons to visit the River Arts District; a district of creation, passion & dedication. Where 160 artists make up an eclectic community in 19 historical rehabilitated buildings along a 1 1/2 mile stretch of the French Broad River. Come visit the district & see creation at its best! (and grab some grub while your at it…)

Planet Art would like to thank Laurie McCarrier for this post and for generally being awesome!

Planet Art for the benefit of Planet eARTh.

We want to be a different kind of business, not just about profit, but about increasing awareness, and supporting other conscious businesses, and helping people (the Earth is full of them!).

• Wednesday, April 20….a ribbon cutting. We finally take the next step in our business goals. Food, drinks, networking, and door prizes. Local businesses attending will receive 20% off for life for custom framing!
• Thursday April, 21…25% off picture framing from 12-7pm.
• Friday, April 22…SPACE INVASION costume party!! Start designing your alien, spaceman, or artist costume…snacks, drinks, and door prizes
• Saturday, April 23…yART sale! Buy/sell/trade.  12-4pm, then run up to RiverLink’s Earth Day party with games, art, hot dogs, and recycling center for old electronics!

Featuring the following artists:

Wanderlust Images Travel Photography by Brandy Clements

Magazine Mosaics by Shelley Schenker

Stacey Mac Donagh’s wildlife lino-cut cards

Michael’s face jugs

Hobie’s Porch Chair Caning

The young artists in the Arts for Life Program

10 % of sales during the weekend from the above artists will go to Arts for Life, RiverLink, & Appalachian Voices.  (after eARTh Day June 11th Studio Stroll, 5% of sales will be donated.)

Planet Art for the benefit of Planet eARTh

Well, hopefully I’ll survive…I do have a week beach vacation planned for early May to keep me going. Folly Beach with my favoUrite Brits, my old chum who taught arts and crafts with me in a cave like setting at Falling Creek Camp. Bless your cotton socks for planning my respite so close to the crazy Grand Opening Extravaganza.