Off with her head
“…They’re dreadfully fond of beheading people here…”
(From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)
You may recall the line from Alice’s croquet game with the queen of hearts.
June 12th, 2009
May 29th, 2009
Art In Hand
What is “Art in Hand?” A full deck of playing cards for you to use for fun and enjoyment! And this month you can purchase the artistic deck of cards or the actual artwork from one of the designing artists. From over 150 works submitted in response to Dione’s postings on Craig’s List, artist lists and specific gallery lists, 55 card faces were chosen – that is, the normal 52 playing cards in a deck plus three jokers.
The wildly creative cards are fully functional even featuring a joker from an original acrylic painting of Dione’s. The original works (8×10 and larger) were at Davidson’s So Alive Gallery (108 S. Main) last month. This month they hang at the Creative Art Exchange (CAE), 19725 Oak Street in Cornelius and beginning this Saturday will be available for sale. The final show and sale occurs during June at Artworks on Main, 165 North Main Street in Mooresville. Proceeds from the sale of the original art goes to CAE. The decks of cards are available at all three locations.
The artists come only from the greater Charlotte area and represent emerging artists, emerged artists and art students. Their art mediums range from photography to watercolor to fabric arts images. Some cards are playful; some are serious. For the artists whose participation was voluntary, there is increased exposure to showcase their talent. When you access www.artinhandcards.com you view the full list of artists and when “clicking” on a particular card, you meet the artist and see more of his/her work.
Dione carefully researched this project before beginning and found that the only historical reference to a similar deck of cards was during the Victorian era. She started soliciting art for the deck last October and artists were chosen in January. Wanting the cards to be produced in the USA, Dione chose the US Playing Card Company in Cincinnati which also produces the familiar Bicycle Playing cards. Only soy ink was used in the manufacture and except for the cellophane wrapping, the deck is 100% recyclable. It sells for $12.95. As the packaging states: “Use them to play all your favorite cards games while enjoying a gallery-quality art show right in your own hand.”
What an original and functional idea! Dione hopes to work with other US cities to create their own playing cards but will always have the same “Art in Hand” logo on the back of the cards. Thus one could mix decks with art from various cities. (Dione’s brother lives in Maui so perhaps the next deck will have a Hawaiian theme.) For additional information, you can contact Dione at artinhandcards@gmail.com. We are glad to have the Goyette family in town!
May 14th, 2009
Women in Poker: Prima Divas
When founder and CEO Ellen Leikind gets talking about her business, it is all about vision — literal, metaphorical, peripheral. And, oh, what she sees.
A former marketing executive who still keeps her hand in that arena, Leikind took a break from corporate America and started taking classes that piqued her interest. Among those was playing cards, as she had always been a card player.
“When I went back to work, I noticed I was using the skills from poker,” Leikind said in our recent interview. “When people were trying to negotiate me down in price, I held fast. I kept coming up with correlations between business and poker.”
Among those, she found, were how to set the tone, be a leader, read people and pick up on nonverbal cues.
“It’s a game of psychology,” Leikind said. “Poker helps to enhance skills where women are weaker.”
In fact, when Leikind started getting invited to networking events, she noticed there would be “60, 70, 80 guys and a handful of women.” That was the void she suddenly wanted to fill and so about four years ago she formed Poker Prima Divas
“It’s poker for professional women, not only teaching them how to play the game, but the need to be aggressive,” Leikind said.
t is her mantra, in fact, that poker is the new golf. In that regard, it may also be an innovative way to get an ‘in’ during the recession. The skills it fine tunes are an obvious benefit, but the networking opportunities are vast as well, especially in the financial careers arena.
“This is not a bunch of degenerates playing cards,” Leikind said.
Even for those who have never been dealt a hand, the surge of poker is apparent simply from channel surfing on any given day. Poker tournaments are everywhere, from ESPN to the Travel Channel. According to PokerPages.com’s Industry Index, as of 2006 poker had grown over 400 percent since 2001; they cite “increased production and distribution of poker related television, the penetration of online poker and the creation and expansion of the World Poker Tour and The World Series of Poker” as reasons for the popularity explosion.
While much of that is tied to money, Poker Prima Divas is not. There’s no gambling — that’s illegal in New York, except in limited cases — but there are prizes and donations to charity.
One of the most intriguing things about talking to Leikind about poker is what she has learned about the proclivities of people.
“Men don’t care if they lose fake chips,” said Leikind, whose program is inclusive of men. “Women would rather have one chip left. They won’t go for it all and risk losing that chip. Men play to win as opposed to avoid losing their chips.”
May 12th, 2009
Cards depicted by Vladimir Kush
HULA HOOPS
From the works of VLADIMIR KUSH found on Paragon Fine Arts
May 12th, 2009
Playing Cards Photoshop & GIMP Brushes
Obsidian Dawn has made available a set of Photoshop & GIMP brushes composed of playing cards which includes: a standard 52 card deck, plus a joker card and an image for the card backs
Another offering is from Moonsins Playing Cards Brushes by ~MoonsinProductions on deviantART
Another offering is from Jarednuss on Deviant Art
These brushes are free to use for your artwork, prints and designs providing that credit and link back to the creator is acknowledged. Some nice resources.
