Hands on Houston at the Center for Contemporary Craft
She screams in delight as she spots the colorful glass bowl. She goes over to the wall sculpture that she wants for herself, and I am drawn to the beautiful handmade furniture. It is not hard to have children fall in love with art. They seem to have an immediate connection. My daughter and I were having a day where we were exploring the museum district. We went to the Center of Contemporary Craft to see the pieces which had been entered into the Craft Texas competition. I had forgotten that the first Saturday of each month is Hands on Houston. This is when an artist will set up a demonstration in their craft, and then the children (of any age) can make their own piece.
Yesterday the textile artist, Liz Gamon, had developed a clever way to introduce weaving to the audience. I apologize for not remembering his name, but I enjoyed my talk with the gentleman who set up a loom for a tapestry weaving demonstration. My daughter was a bit too young to make her own weaving, but she had fun with some yarn. On other occasions, my son has made pottery pieces, jewelry, books, and sketches. There is also something new to find.
The center’s garden is a nice place to relax, and to check out plants which are used for different craft projects, such as paper making and textile plants. Having a gardener’s heart, I snapped off a few photos to share some ideas for your own home.
A Fountain
My daughter was prepared to jump into the water on this hot day. This is a nice set up for a homeowner, which can be done on a smaller scale. No plants or fish grace this water feature. The water is pumped up to a holding area that allows the water to flow over the rims to a basin below. By leaving the plants and fish out of the pond, maintenance becomes easier.
An Artistic Trellis
Galvanized pipe creates the basic frame, and by painting it a dark color, the frame fades back from vision. The brightly colored spiraled forms coming down for the vines appear to be copper tubes that have been painted with bright colors.
A Sculpture
These are ceramic pieces. I believe that they have been slipped over a pole. You could do something similar in your garden. I had old film reels which I attached to a galvanized pole that I hammered into the ground.
RaisedBeds
These beds have been raised by using concrete blocks to a height of two feet. A colored cement was used for a stucco. Using the colored grout for tiles is another option for the stucco finish. Raising the beds allows for good planting material to be placed in the bed, but by having this wall, you have a place to sit when working in your garden.
The parking for the center is in the back of the building. I usually take a back route in from Montrose, since Main can be a bit difficult to navigate at times (The front of the building is on Main). If you are looking for more things to do in the area, most museums are south of the center, but just north of the center along Montrose is University of Saint Thomas. Go to see the church, which has the prayer maze in the garden next to it. Further north on Montrose are a good many eateries. I like Niko Niko’s. It is family friendly with good service, and good Greek food, but it is a bit pricey for a family on a budget.
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