Home Show in Hinsdale

This weekend I am heading to the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale Illinois. Jane Kern Brooks is opening her doors for the Hindsdale Home Show. Jane will be selling her soap brand Beau Savon
http://www.beausavon.com/ . See the invitation on the events page. I met Jane a few years ago at the Beckman's Handmade Show in Chicago. Jane has been selling my line Paper Petals for a couple of years. I will keep you posted when the show begins and have photos! Stop in if you are in the area!

Rockwood School District Art Fair

Linda Sachs Art Instructor Ridge Meadows
Ridge Meadows Students Work


Ridge Meadows Students Work



Paper Petals Stationery Display



This weekend is the Rockwood School District Art Fair. I will be one of six featured artists. I have participated in international trade shows with thousands of buyers, but 7,000 young artists with questions --- that's new for me!

I have attended the Rockwood School District Art Fair before because my sister Linda Sachs, art teacher at Ridge Meadows creates amazing displays of her students work every year. Each piece labelled with the students name and grouped together by project.

Something that the district added to the fair this year is six featured artists and I will be one of them. The students always rush into the show parents in tow, to see their work on display. Now they will be able to meet and ask questions to six artists in various mediums at the show and see how they may apply their talents in their own unique ways.


Photos from Saturday:
Top Photo: Linda Sachs Art Teacher Ridge Meadows
Next Three Photos - Students work from Ridge Meadows - Linda Sachs Instructor

Bottom Photo - Paper Petals Stationery Display - showing kids that original art may be applied to commercial everyday products.

Meramec Mud

My father used to bring over bouquets of fresh flowers from his garden, scooped up from the masses of flowers he planted, leaves in tacked and oak leaves stuck between the stems. I love the natural approach of receiving a bouquet from an artist. I would stick them just as I received them in a pottery vase. There is just something so right about putting garden flowers in a clay pottery vase. My father gave all of us pottery vases that he purchased at the Meramec College pottery sale, where you may buy students pottery for 5-10 dollars, some signed by the students.
Having a potter and art teacher for a brother- in- law, Guy Sachs, is another reason I have become familiar with St. Louis and Midwest pottery. Some of my favorites are, of course Guy Sachs, he is busy teaching pottery at Ladue High School and coaching, although you may on occasion find him selling his pottery at Art and Air. Bob Allen, James Ibur, both also teachers. I could listen to Guy's story about his friend potter Don Reitz a hundred times about how he was getting ready for a retrospective art show and needed one more piece, grabbed the dog's dish, wiped it out with his shirt and a few days later it was on watch at a museum by a security guard. Don Reitz's pottery sells for tens of thousands of dollars per piece. I often say to Guy, tell me the story again about Don Reitz.

This year, after my father's unexpected death, my sister and I cut flowers from his garden for my mother (and ourselves), stuck them in one of our pottery vases and it really cheered us up!

I always encourage people to go to students art sales and support young art. Ten years from now fame may come to one of the young artists, so -their pottery looks familiar to you and you pick up a piece that you purchased for 5 dollars and find that you have one of the artist's first pieces.

Pottery, art and flowers, all natural. Photo above: Flowers planted by E J Thias. The potter unknown.

Dive into Spring

Another day of rain, cold and gloom. St Louis Magazine's Spring Fever Fashion Show is just a couple of weeks away. View the flash invite www.stlmag.com/events. All this cloud and rain make it even more of great reason to attend, along with a box of Paper Petals Stationery in the gift bag, Neiman Marcus spring fashion on the runway, liquid and limes to treat your winter blues. So much better than staring out your window in despair! Held at the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis. Thursday April 17th 7-10pm.

The Modern Mayor

You don't have to be a designer to make plans for a green community. Sunset Hills Missouri Mayor Hunzeker is making his model of a green community by protecting the cities green space as well as being an opponent of eminent domain. The city recently passed regulations that builders and developers may no longer bulldoze trees, but will have to get approval by the cities zoning officials to cut down trees.

I recently saw major Hunzeker at my father's tree dedication. The city planted a white oak tree next to the time capsule at the city hall to recognize and honor E J Thias. The city continually recognized my father's contribution to the city as planning commissioner when the master plan was designed. My father's design maintained the natural wooded setting. See more photos from the tree dedication on edwardjuliusthias.blogspot.com

It isn't a surprise that my father E J Thias supported Mayor Hunzeker's views on keeping the city green. Mayor Hunzeker healed the community after a long battle with eminent domain that made national news.

Bottom Photo: Mayor Hunzeker with a house portrait that E J Thias recently painted.
Next Photo: E J Thias' Alpha Omega Student. Linda Virga who attending his first class 45 years ago and his last class the day of his death in February. Also in photo Butch Thomas, dear friend of E J Thias.
Top Photo: A distinguished gathering of E J's employers, peers, neighbors, friends and family. Linda Sachs (daughter) with camera. Paul P. Pai Ed. D. President St. Louis Community College, Linda Virga student, Pat Bessinger neighbor and Historian for Sunset Hills, Phil Smith student, Ron Markland student, Al Price student.