Find my jewelry at...

Wondering where you can find some of my jewelry currently in stock? Visit The Gallery Shop in Oakland, MD! I just dropped some neck & ear goodies off this past week! https://garrettarts.org

#jewelrybymacee #meadowbrookarts#necklace #metaljewelry #earrings#garrettcountymd #deepcreeklake#ShopSmall #shoplocal #handmade#seymourgarrettcountyart

Seymour - An Art Experience...

Purchase Macee's work online during Seymour's online art event October 11-22, 2021!  Click on SEYMOURart.org/macee-knecht to see what morsels are available for your holiday shopping!!!

Steel & brass nubs.....



steel & brass nub rings

A few new designs I have created   are available at http://manhattangolfandgallery.com/.  I dropped these steel and brass nub fun pieces last week.  Snatch them up before they are riding the body of someone else! "wink"




steel & brass nub earrings

steel & brass nub necklace w/forged links

I know you can't see it, but this necklace is handmade links of both steel and brass... I'll be experimenting more with this cool and fun design.  The nubby horizontal bars move, so its fun to play with!



steel & brass nub bangle

 Hot item! They are a fast seller! That means I have made this similar design before.

A little tid bit:  Steel jewelry is easy to care for.  Your body oils keep it from rusting on you, but don't allow any of your jewelry to sit in standing water for any length of time, especially steel.  If you get it wet (in the shower), just towel it off and wear. If you want to make sure you get the water off an item, blow it dry for a few minutes with a hair dryer!  I do this when making the jewelry to insure no residual water is left!

Cram in a bus.....

or a car and come see us on the WVU campus in the Mountainlair for our next festival event.  Come visit us this weekend - get directions:
http://mountaineerweek.wvu.edu/arts_crafts

Friday, Nov. 1 Noon – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 3 Noon – 4:00 p.m.

 

I'll be waiting for you!

 

 

Enjoy October by checking out ART

 

I'm part of the tour again this year after taking a break for a couple years.  Copy this address into your browser to get details and directions. http://artsaleandtour.com/artistpage.cfm?recordID=284 I'm artist 22 in the book and will be at Manhattan Golf & Gallery for all 4 days of the event!

2013 Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour
 

The 2013 Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour will take place over two weekends this coming fall: Saturday and Sunday, October 19 & 20 and Saturday and Sunday, October 26 & 27. On all four days of the event, all participating Tour locations will be free and open to the public from 11:00AM to 5:00PM. Coordinated by the Allegany Arts Council on behalf of the many talented visual artists in Western Maryland, the Tour has grown for more than a decade to become a highly anticipated annual event. Free guidebooks for the Tour will be available by mid-September.

Chandelier Earrings by Macee McCunn

This year’s Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour will feature 41 participating artists (several of whom are new to the Tour), so there will be lots of great artwork to experience and enjoy! As you make your way around from location to location, be sure to register for your chance to win a $100 cash prize during each weekend of the Tour. You may register to win at each location where you stop to visit participating artists. The more locations that you visit, the more chances you have to win! Winners will be contacted by phone or email after each weekend.

 

In advance of your visit, be sure to check out www.artsaleandtour.com, which is the official website for the Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour. The web site will provide you with detailed information about each participating artist, downloadable driving maps, and links to additional information about hotel accommodations, other area attractions and special getaway promotions. For questions about the 2013 Mountain Maryland Art Sale and Tour, please call the Allegany Arts Council at 301-777-ARTS (2787).

Acrylic painting by Sibyl MacKenzie

Sibyl MacKenzie will be joining me on the tour (artist 21) at the Manhattan Golf and Gallery!  Her work is lovely and quite vibrant!

 

Good, but hot, fall festival days

Springs Folk Festival just ended and boy was it a hot one.  My fabulous niece Makayla and I are supposed to dress up for this event as early Americans.  That was a bit difficult considering the heat wave that began in October, so we cheated.  Usually this event is cool, chilly, colder and mostly down right freezing!  We have had years of having to dress in layers so heavy we look like a Parker family member wearing a Christmas Story red snow suit!  Ok, so not quite that bad, but you get the point!  Even with all that being said, I have the best loyal customers who return year after year to this event, no matter what the weather to buy and enjoy the festival.  Thanks to all you lovely people, many of which who have become my friends! 

Hats, wood and metal

My booth pictured at the Deep Creek Art & Wine Festival.  It was a short one day event, but enjoyable in many ways.  It had great artwork by vendors, really fun customers (um, that may have had something to do with all the wine) and it is usually an easy set up and tear down of my display.  Only problem this year - when I was packing away my large sheets of glass, one pretty much exploded.  All the marble like glass pieces shot out of the back of the van AFTER everyone else had left except for my potter friend.   Not fun, but just part of doing "traveling" shows.

I worked alone this year since my helper left for college so I was able to look around me for some nice art.  I love the look and SMELL of the woodworker's products beside me.  It reminded me of growing up in the home of a carpenter.

Ladies, it's all about the jewelry - I KNOW, but it's also about the hat!   Some of my favorite customer "peoples" are fabulous hat wearers.  Hats, jewelry and wine, who can ask for more?

Another neighbor and blacksmith made superb items with very clean lines.  But - why did he elevate his tables off the floor on the mini tables?  (Ok, so I do know why,  it made them feel even more luxurious, if that was possible.)  His quality shined! 

Jewelry Arrives In Scotland!

I'm officially an international artist! My jewelry has crossed the seas arriving Nov 1st to be included in a really cool jewelry show in Scotland ! I'm totally jazzed. http://www.touchedbyscotland.com/2012winter.php .

What a journey this was, learning to adapt to customs requirements for the United Kingdom and the time spent on the phone gauging what I could and could not ship via UPS and all the restrictions!  Apparently spent bullet shells are a NO NO, so I had to hold back some very cool and striking jewelry pieces.  Live and learn, but after much hoop jumping, the work made it there safe and sound and just in time to put on display for the opening.  Jenni was simply "brilliant" to work with (as I thoroughly enjoyed her sweet jovial accent) and I really appreciated the invite to such a cool show.    Robin, one of the super friendly owners, extended this invitation to me so I could be a "little ol' representative" of the U.S. since she is originally from here and come to find out has been seeing my work for quite some time and thought it would be a unique fit for Scotland since she hasn't seen anything like it.  I was tickled at the invite and excited by the representation in the beautiful small village of Oyne in rural Aberdeenshire!  I can't wait to make a future journey to this contemporary gallery and explore Scotland.  Now, where'd I put my kilt and bagpipe?

Jewelry Tins are IN!

Jewelry Tins are In! I put together the cutest little tins of jewelry for the holiday shoppers and just delivered them to the Manhattan Golf & Gallery at 50 North Centre Street in Cumberland, Maryland (301-777-0021). 

The sets include a necklace and coordinating earrings and are creatively displayed and hand wrapped in the most adorable tins.  It is such a fabulous gift or stocking stuffer. You can even slide a hook through the round tin bow and hang it on your tree for her to find!  Limited quantities are available so drop in and grab one soon.

That being said, did you ever wonder what goes into the packaging process of a professional but independent artist?  It can be a task sometimes for sure.  For instance, not only do I make the product, but then I have to come up with some creative ideas for display, especially for the stores I sell in.

I found myself sitting on the floor half asleep a couple nights ago as I prepared these particular jewelry tins.  After ordering the tins, I had to design the inserts without a team of company helpers like the big boys.  You simply can't find companies that already pre-make the inserts - believe me, I checked thoroughly.

Things I had to consider as I tried to make this adorable, yet functional:

• find the right tools: cutting boards, scissors, circle cutters
• gather other tools: glue, wire, hole punch, foam, etc.
• make sure the inserts were the perfect fit, cut & cut again
• don't let jewelry chains get tangled
• raise it up to give it dimention and make room for earwires & chains
• coordinate it color wise to current displays
• does the color work and flatter the jewelry
• as it is handled, will it fall apart
• how can you see it better if you want a closer look and make it easier access
• identify the price, contents & inventory numbers so you know what you are buying
• make it attractive so you feel good about giving it as a gift and your gift will be loved when received
• cut, glue & stick each insert in each tin
• design, print, trim and prep the bows and tags
• get another set of hands to help tie the bows (husbands and daughters are great for free labor!)
• assemble assemble assemble
• wait, what time is it???? it's that late?!!!

Now how do I display them in the store? Being a bit of a collector of stuff (aka mini horder) I found some metal brackets.

  Then stacked them into an old antique drawer.



 Then take some pictures. And wha la, cute as cute can be and ready for sale!



Dropped off an order to Gifts Inn Boonsboro....



Industrial Bohemian available at Gifts Inn Boonsboro



One of my favorite artists and friend, Jean Barnes Downs http://solitudestudio.com/, and I went on a ROAD TRIP to drop off art & jewelry product to Gifts Inn Boonsboro in Boonsboro, Maryland yesterday.  We talked happily along the drive about our art, my new industrial bohemian jewelry line that I was taking to store, and her upcoming Artist in Residence trip to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado that will allow her to explore the park to gain inspiration for her future work.  

We also talked of the success of Gifts Inn Boonsboro due in part to books  that best selling author Nora Roberts has recently written based in the area. Nora owns this lovely store and I was lucky to be in the first selection of artist to sell here years ago.  http://giftsinnboonsboro.com/ 

 The first two books of her trilogy are titled "The Next Always" & "The Last Boyfriend".  They are based in this quaint rural town which is nestled at the foot of South Mountain, between Hagerstown and Frederick. Founded in 1792 by George and William Boone, cousins of Daniel Boone, Boonsboro forms a gateway to relevant colonial and Civil War heritage sites including Washington Monument State Park, South Mountain, and Antietam National Battlefield.

 Boonsboro is also the home to the Inn BoonsBoro - a beautifully restored historic bed-and-breakfast located on the square, also owned by Nora.  The Inn BoonsBoro's front porch looks very inviting!

Next on our trip was to linger in the nearby Shepherdstown, Maryland where we had a yummy lunch, some shopping at another art store and who could pass up a coffee at the very artsy Lost Dog Coffee shop!

There is always new art on the walls and this was a pretty fun installation hanging.  I loved what looked like burlap coffee bags as cushions for your hiney!

If the walls don't get your artsy side juicing, then you just take a quick trip to the bathroom and soak in the wackiness.

No reading material needed as you exit out all that java you just took in.

Sometimes I think this is what too much caffeine makes you see!

It all makes you feel so fun & bubbly inside.

 But we weren't able to linger because Jean had to get home to begin her packing for her trip so we decided to take our fabulous java concoctions on the road, heading into the rain and home to the western mountains of Maryland.  I don't know if it was the many shots of espresso in our drinks, but we gabbed incessantly the entire way home!

Itty Bitty 2 opening Sat. Oct 1st 6-8 pm...

Arts at Canal Place co-op gallery is featuring the work of member artist, Mary "Macee" McCunn in "Itty Bitty 2". The solo jewelry show opened Sep. 25th and is going on through October 30th. McCunn will be present to discuss her work and greet visitors at the Opening Reception with refreshments on Saturday, Oct. 1st from 6 to 8 p.m.

McCunn is know for her sculptural jewelry that has an antiqued textural appearance and includes earrings, necklaces, rings and other items made of silver, brass, steel and copper, yet with a subtle primitive appearance. All work is handmade through the forging process as performed by many blacksmiths and metalsmiths from the earliest of times.

The typical feel of her current works will be available, but also a repeat of her new dainty and more delicate line of necklaces, earrings, bangles and rings called "Itty Bitty" that was introduced successfully last fall. The new line is perfect for those who want the look that the artist is know for, but that want something more light and airy to wear. "I constantly re-evaluate my merchandise and listen to what the customers want and the "Itty Bitty" line adds another choice so there is something for everyone for the holiday gift giving season" says McCunn.

You can learn more about McCunn, her upcoming shows and where you can purchase her work at other galleries by visiting her blog at www.meadowbrookarts.blogspot.com or Meadowbrook Arts on Facebook.

McCunn's work can also be found at Lost River Artisan Cooperative, Gifts Inn Boonsboro, The Gallery (Oakland, MD) and Mountain Made (Thomas, WV).

Arts at Canal Place is a local co-op artists' gallery. Any artists that may be interested in jurying in to become a member is encouraged to call (301) 777-8199 for information regarding becoming a member. The gallery, located at 16 Howard St. among the Shops at Canal Place Heritage Area is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Jewelry, pottery & Nora Roberts....

Come have fun with us at the Open House and the book signing event! Mary McCunn & Steve Sullivan Open House at Nora Roberts' - Gifts Inn Boonsboro. 4/2/11 SATURDAY 11-3p.m. Stop by & visit Mary (jewelry) & Steve (pottery) in Nora’s giftshop that features regional artists. Next door at her bookstore, Turn the Page, Nora will be signing her new book (Chasing Fire)! http://www.ttpbooks.com/ http://giftsinnboonsboro.com/events.htm

Macee was selected to join Mountain Made....

West Virginia has so many wonderful places to visit, this being one of them. If you want some really cool art in a really cool building, check out Mountain Made.

Mountain Made is deep in the area near Canaan Valley. Lots of outdoor skiers head out to vacation and typically end up in Thomas to check this store out! They also have an online catalog if you can't make it there. http://www.mountainmade.com/

Macee's work will be available in the late fall, just in time for the holiday season. Stop in and check it out and pair it up with a stay at one of the many fabulous resorts. You have Timberline and Canaan Valley Resort to take on some down hill skiing activities and one of our favorites for cross country and FABULOUS alternative foods, is White Grass http://www.whitegrass.com/ ! It is well worth a trip to the area! Just talking about it makes me want to book a stay myself!

Dropping off art for jury in WV....

In my world, it will forever be about the art, but it can certainly do me no harm to also be about the food. The Purple Fiddle in Thomas WV is one of those places, if you haven't discovered, you need to drop in and check it out. They have a line up of music that includes old-time and traditional bands, but also a little rock n' roll, jazz, funk, raggae, Celtic, folk, Latin and more. The menu consists of a lot of fresh made unique wraps, homemade falafel, hummus, and pico de gallo and is served in a dining area either outside or eclectic in nature inside. You can even draw with chalk on the walls in the lady's bathroom! Fun.

A cute and small artsy gallery is located just a short jaunt away. It is owned by a couple local artists.

One of their displays is quite interesting. They had a bow in the floor and decided it would be really cool to insert a door to take care of the issue, then suspend another door on top to use as a display table. Clever and fun. This was currently being used for "buttons", of which Seth created a lot of the sayings and images on them. My daughter ended up with many of them. They included a couple of my favorites that he made to just see if you would say them out loud to make you sound silly: "supa sep secky suchy saba susser sa!" and "licka lally lupa luck luk!". Then there were "buttons are sexy"and "cheeses priced".

This is Sean, one of the co-owners. His work is super cute and comic in nature about life, drawn with sharpies and microns. His work can be seen at http://www.theartofseth.com/. We spent a good bit of time talking to him and Chaise walked out with several items, to include a print. He had a wonderful and welcoming personality and was super easy to talk to about why he does what he does.

Our main goal to our journey was to stop in to Mountain Made. It is this wonderfully old, large building and has a fabulous gallery of art and fine craft. Not only can you shop here, you can shop on-line at http://www.mountainmade.com/. Since I also have a home in West Virginia, I was able to take my jewelry to be juried to see if I could become an artist represented by Mountain Made that was established to promote WV artists. They offer classes, art studios and, of course, art. The work is dropped off and the wait time of about a couple weeks begin as they look over my work to see they agree that I am a nice fit for their gallery and that my quality is what they are looking for. Judging by the work currently there (I've shopped there many times before), I think I'll make a nice addition. Wish me luck!