The Longship has been Launched

After many delays, the button was finally pushed last night and www.jorn.com is currently migrating to its new host (from Word Press to its new home on Weebly). I am told this process will take 24-48 hours to complete. Consequently, this is the last post I will have here.

The URL (www.jorn.com) will remain the same and those following me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Etsy, etc. will likewise be unaffected by the change. It is only those who chose to follow me directly on this blog that will need to re-opt in once the newly designed site has propagated in order to continue receiving email alerts when I have a new blog posted.

My first blog entry on the new platform will be posted on Friday and will be titled “A Journey of Self Discovery.” So, if this pops up in your email box on Friday, you don’t need to do anything. If it doesn’t, simply go to www.jorn.com and re-follow the blog and that should fix it for you.

My reason for the switch is simple – I wanted to add a free-standing storefront, membership/subscription functions and an integrated newsletter as well as several other exciting new features that WordPress does not currently offer.

I am extremely excited about the new site and have many plans for it in 2018. It will offer many new opportunities for those who follow and collect my work as well as those with a general interest in Norse mythology and the Viking Age. I hope you will all join me on this journey.

~Aric

Bracing for the Maelstrom

June ended on a wonderful note when the Fountain Square Art Festival honored me with the first place award for “Best in 3D Mixed Media & Sculpture.” This was my first show in Chicago as a sculptor and it was great fun to spend some time in my favorite city again.

Since returning home, I have been hard at work preparing for my most ambitious month yet – four shows in four weeks. Apart from all the production, I will also be unveiling a new piece at one of the shows.

So, for those who would like to see my work in person, here’s where to find me over the next month…

Tomorrow I leave for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, July 14-17. Sunshine magazine ranks this 4-day event the top juried art show in the USA and I am honored to be one of the showing artsts. You’ll find me in BOOTH B-39

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Two days after returning home, it’s off to the Ann Arbor Summer Arts Fair. This was one of the most enjoyable shows I did last year (not to mention the largest), and I highly recommend it to anyone in the A2 area July 21-24. You’ll find me in BOOTH 275 on Liberty and Main)

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Next stop will be the Huron Valley Arts Festival. This one-day event (July 30 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm) will pack a lot of art in just 7 hours. (You’ll find me in BOOTH 3)

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Finally, August 6 & 7 will find me at Fine Art at the Village. This two-day event is in Rochester Hills and, for those in the area who are not able to make the Art & Apples show in September, this is a great opportunity to see some art in the Rochester Hills area. The fair takes place amidst a high-end outdoor shopping mall (You’ll find me at the South end of the fair by the Whole Foods at BOOTH 6)

I hope to see you at one of these shows.

~Aric Jorn

 

Viking Prows: Setting Sail

It has been extremely exciting to see my VIKING PROW: COILED SERPENT come to fruition after kicking around in my head for several years – and what a joy to hear the response from collectors and fair goers who have brought it into their homes and offices or stopped in to discuss them with me over the summer art show season.

This piece became available in June (after several frustrating production delays). Now, only five (5) remain of the initial batch of twenty and these will be the last ones available until after the holidays. So, if there is a deserving Viking in your life, you can claim one at etsy.com/shop/Jivotica 

For those who may not know about this piece, it is a tribute to the mighty sea kings of ancient Scandinavia (the Vikings) whose reach extended from Constantinople to North America and from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean Sea between the 8th and 11th centuries. It is modeled after one of the most famous archeological finds in Scandinavian history – the Oseberg ship. The piece seeks to capture a sense of the majesty, mystery and artistic flair of ancient Scandinavian culture.

My VIKING PROW: COILED SERPENT weighs about 3 pounds and stands roughly 16 inches tall. It is strictly limited to 95 signed/numbered castings and a handful of artist proofs. Each piece is hand painted, weathered and sealed (so no two are exactly alike). It comes with a signed COA/story card as well.

Many thanks to all those who have commented on – or purchased – one of these Prows. Your support and patronage is what drives me forward as an artist and allows me to make a living doing so.

~Aric Jorn

Last Stops: Late Summer Show Update

Back in June, I announced the summer art fairs at which I would be showing this year. The booth numbers had not been assigned at the time, so, as several people have contacted me about it, I will give the updated information here. If you’re looking for something fun to do over the next two weekends, here’s where I will be…

SEPTEMBER 11-13
Nestled in a beautiful 30-acre wooded park (the Rochester Municipal Park to be exact), the Art and Apples Festival is a joy to walk through, divided in two by a winding stream. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, it consistently ranks among the top 30 fairs in the country with 290 artists engaging with 200,000 visitors. I’ve walked this fair as a visitor in the past and am overjoyed to be participating this year as one of its artists. (You can find me in BOOTH #107.)

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SEPTEMBER 19-20
I’ll wrap up my summer show schedule with Common Ground’s Birmingham Street Art Fair. Celebrating it’s 41st anniversary, this show (along with the Ann Arbor Street Fair) is of special personal significance because it is one of the shows I grew up attending when my mother was active as a fiber artist. Now, as an adult and working artist in my own right, it is wonderful to find myself doing the very same shows I remember from my childhood. (You can find me in BOOTH #101.)

If you do decide to attend one of these shows, be sure to stop be and say “hello.”

~Aric Jorn

Jivotica Story Cards have arrived!

Story cards have arrived fresh from the printer for Odin’s Ravens and Viking Prow:Coiled Serpent, as well as for the Ratatosk and Fishing for Jormungand triptychs. I am in the process of sending these out to all those who made purchases this summer. Although I have a fairly comprehensive list, I’m certain there are some patrons who did not add their contact information to my list at the time of purchase. So, if you are reading this and find yourself lacking a properly signed COA/story card to go along with your piece, please contact me and I’ll dispatch one right away – be sure to include the edition number on the piece (if applicable) along with your mailing address.

~Aric Jorn

Free V.I.P. Art Show Passes

I have three pairs of VIP passes for the Orchard Lake  Fine Art Show in West Bloomfield this weekend. If you follow this blog at Jivotica.com or through my FB page and will be in Michigan this weekend, let me know and I’ll send you a pair of tickets. Admission is only $5 normally but, hey, free is still better, right? If you’re interested, please message me through this post by tomorrow (Wednesday) night and I’ll be sure you have them by the weekend.

 

Here is a link to the map of the show:

Map – Orchard Lake

You can find me at BOOTH #108 on the South end of Daly street near the patron parking at Beaumont Medical Center and the Barnes and Noble. I’ll have Norse- and Celtic- inspired art including my new Triptic Tile series, the Viking Prow along with work inspired by other traditions around the world.

Hope to see many of you there!

~Aric

 

 

Springing Into Summer: Show Recap & Announcements

Thank you to everyone who came to my spring shows. Whether you bought one of my pieces or simply stopped in to chat, it was a pleasure sharing my art with so many visitors and meeting several of my online customers in person. I think that is the real magic of an art show – the chance to speak directly to the artists and they with their patrons.

Despite a few bouts of poor weather, the spring shows were wonderful. It was exciting to break in my new tent at Art Birmingham and the East Lansing Art Festival and I was delighted to be invited to share the story behind my work with Fox 2’s Robin Murdock, the Dearborn Press & Guide, and WKAR.

Perhaps the most exciting thing took place at Art on the Grand in Farmington where I was awarded “Best in Show.” There were so many talented artists in attendance, the honor came as a surprise.

With the spring shows behind me, it’s time to announce my summer schedule. I invite you to visit me at any of the following events…

JULY 15-18
I kick off the summer season with a big one, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. With more than 500,000 people attending each year, this four-day show is by far the largest around and I am very excited to participate in this event as a member of The Guild of Artists and Artisans. I can be found on Liberty just East of Main in BOOTH #258.

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JULY 25-26
Less than a week after striking my tent in A2, I’ll be setting up shop in the heart of West Bloomfield, MI, for the Orchard Lake Fine Art Show. This show has ranked in the top 100 shows in the nation for eight straight years with a strong emphasis on artistic quality and originality. I can be found on Daly road near the parking lot for Beaumont Medical Center in BOOTH #108. The fair itself can be found just West of Orchard Lake rd between 14 mile and Maple roads.

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SEPTEMBER 11-13
Nestled in a beautiful 30-acre wooded park, the Art and Apples Festival is a joy to walk through, divided in two by a winding stream. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, it consistently ranks among the top 30 fairs in the country with 290 artists engaging with 200,000 visitors. I’ve walked this fair as a visitor and am overjoyed to be participating this year as one of its artists. (You can find me in BOOTH #107.)

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SEPTEMBER 19-20
I’ll wrap up my summer show schedule with Common Ground’s Birmingham Street Art Fair. Celebrating it’s 41st anniversary, this show (along with the Ann Arbor Street Fair) is of special personal significance because it is one of the shows I grew up attending when my mother was active as a fiber artist. Now, as an adult and working artist in my own right, it is wonderful to find myself doing the very same shows I remember from my childhood. (You can find me in BOOTH #101.)

Thank you once again to everyone who stopped by my booth this spring – both for your interest and your support. This has been quite an adventure and I hope to see many of you again this summer.

~Aric Jorn

Jivotica goes a-viking: 2015 Spring Art Show Announcements

Many people don’t know that the word “viking” started out as a verb. Scandinavians looking to explore, trade, raid or otherwise seek their fortune abroad would “go a-viking.” While I have no intention of raiding anywhere, I am going a-viking in the trade sense. Perhaps I should explain…

Having returned from a short but necessary hiatus to build up inventory and develop several new sculptures, I have much news to share. I will spread that news out over the coming weeks and months but today, I am announcing my official Spring Art Show Schedule – all the places I will be setting up shop between now and the Summer Solstice. I am extremely excited to be participating in these shows and hope to see many of you there (logos are linked to the show sites for additional information.)

MAY 9 & 10
My first show of the season will be the 34th Annual Art Birmingham. Originally known as the Birmingham Fine Art Festival, it takes place in the streets surrounding Shain Park, in downtown Birmingham, Michigan. This highly respected event will showcase 160 juried artists. You will find me in BOOTH #90.

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May 16 & 17
My second show is the East Lansing Art Festival, a two-day celebration of art and culture established in 1964. The juried festival is ranked 54th on Sunshine Artist Magazine’s Top 100 Best Fine Art and Design Shows in the country. The event includes live music and performances on two stages and attracts over 70,000 patrons. **You can find me at the North end of the festival in BOOTH #167 (near the art demos area)

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June 6 & 7
My third show for Spring is Art on the Grand, a juried fine arts show located downtown in the charming, historic city of Farmington, MI. Now in its sixth year, Art on the Grand features 100 fine artists from around the country. **You can find me at the North end of the fair around Grand River and Warner street in BOOTH #60.

I’ll be participating in many other events throughout the year and I’ll post summer/fall shows as the various juries make their announcements. Until then, I hope you will catch up with me at one of these fine spring shows.

Yours in the Arts,
~Aric Jorn