Claudia Lynch, Artist & shuzsociety Columnist ~
From My “Art and Sole” … Stop Throwing Shoes at Me!
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but …
I have a tiny house. It barely holds the shoes I wear on my feet. So, even though it’s my birthday this week, and even though I know you love me and you think of me every time you see something shaped like a shoe, please try to resist the impulse to give me any more shoe-shaped gewgaws. Unless I can eat them, of course.
Shoe-shaped chocolates and shoe-shaped cookies never go out of style.
Gayle’s Chocolates makes the most exquisite high heels and men’s oxfords, and they’ll ship them right to my front door. Although a lot of fancy bakeries make shoe-shaped cookies, I really prefer the homemade kind, so get yourself some shoe-shaped cookie cutters at
Karen’s Cookies (she offers several shoe shapes) and fire up the oven;
I’ll put on a pot of coffee.
Dark or Milk Chocolate Mules by Gayles Chocolates Retail $40
It almost goes without saying that birthday cards with shoe themes are the ultra-considerate gift. They show you’re thinking of me, but don’t want to clutter up my house. I love you guys! There are oodles of fabulous handmade shoe-themed cards at
etsy.com, and when you shop there you’ll be supporting working artists, too.
Handmade cards featuring shoes available at etsy.com
In my mind, the best gifts are things meant to be used up, stuff like shoe-shaped soaps or paper napkins with shoes on them. Guest towels with shoes embroidered on them are great, too; they don’t take up much room, have a natural display spot, and aren’t expected to last forever.
My favorite shoe gift of all time came from my good friend Pat Jolly. A couple of years ago, Pat gave me a gift bag with shoes printed on it, filled with half a dozen smaller shoe-print gift bags. The gift designed to be re-gifted — That’s genius! And I really used them up, too, which is why there’s no photo of them here. BTW, my ShoeStories™ note cards are the perfect “use-them-up” birthday gift. Get those and ShoeStories gicleé prints at
claudialynch.com.
ShoeStories "No Heel" Notecards
Shoe-shaped Christmas ornaments are a major exception to the “No shoes, please” rule. Since moving to an even smaller house than the last one, my ornament-purchasing habit has been seriously curtailed. And I do love my glass ornaments. These are a gift that keeps on giving, but not in a bad way: I can unpack them and really enjoy them for a few weeks each year, but nobody expects to see them on display every time they come over. Keep ’em coming! Hint:
Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, MI has a really fun pair of red glass high-tops that I do not yet own.
Bronner's Glass Ornaments
Another favorite rule-breaker is a cake server shaped like a high-heeled shoe. Believe it or not, I actually have two of these. One is stainless steel with a plain black heel, a gift from my sweet husband Jim. The other is also stainless steel, with a leopard-print heel, that Joe and Susan Gelarden gave me. That one came in its own fitted leopard print “coffin” with a hot pink faux fur lining and a clear lid, making it, I guess, a semi-open cake-sket (tee hee). I don’t believe I’ve ever used either one, but I do smile each time I see that semi-open cake-sket (okay, I’m done now) on the kitchen counter. The two I mentioned, plus several other variations, are available at
Skyline Gifts.
Shoe-shaped Cake Server
Here’s a suggestion: Next year, how about making me a really big chocolate cake shaped like a shoe? What the heck, just make me a plain ol’ square cake and call it a shoe box; I’m really more interested in the cake and the chocolate than the shape of the thing. I’ll share, I promise. It’ll give me a chance to break out the shoe-shaped cake servers.
High Heeled Art
813.389.8217
description:
Mark Schwartz made a name for himself as an accomplished shoe designer. For the past 25 years, he has traveled the world gaining inspiration for his ideas from artists like Andy Warhol, who Schwartz beneficially watched at work and Roger Vivier who he cultivated his talents with for 5 years. Both Warhol and Vivier encouraged Schwartz to continue his capricious approach to fabricate his artistic style of shoes. He is producing exciting work by taking advantage of the spontaneity and movement that shoes can create when drawn on paper. Very few artists have attempted what Schwartz is pioneering. Mark exaggerates the usual way individuals view shoes by playing off the already artistic shapes of footwear and creates art that exudes personality. The artist’s work is collected worldwide by both private and corporate clients. “I have always been fascinated by the shoe, the shape the movement, shoes create a mood all of their own, they scream sex, they are whimsical and for me they take on another life in my paintings.” Limited edition t-shirts also available for select works.
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Claudia Lynch, Artist & shuzsociety Columnist ~
