THE PINK PEARL

Video by Addison Day

One of our favorite bartenders, Thomas Paessler, is also a pretty smart fellow. You may know him as the moustachioed, oft-vested man behind the bar at Paschall. He did us a favor and got us out of our old fashioned and gin martini rut by introducing us to the newest drink to grace our well-stocked home bars, the Pink Pearl. 

The Pink Pearl is the perfect combination of bright citrus and herb-y notes, while staying light and bubbly for sipping all day long in the summer (but not at work...okay, fine at work, too). Luckily, the man behind the recipe allowed us into his home kitchen, a place that's really more bar than kitchen, and showed us how to really shake, zest and garnish like a pro. 

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THE PINK PEARL

.25 oz Kübler absinthe

.5oz Solerno blood orange liqueur

1oz fresh TX grapefruit juice 

 Champagne or brut  

Garnishes: a few springs of fresh rosemary, grapefruit zest 

Pour absinthe, Solerno, and grapefruit juice into a shaker. Add ice and shake for a good minute. Strain into a martini glass. Top with champagne or brut and garnish with a grapefruit zest and a sprig of rosemary. 

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Make sure you keep an eye out for Paessler. When he's not serving up the classics at Paschall Bar you may spot him riding around town on his fixie, playing at a house show with voltREvolt, or crafting cocktails for private events with his business, Good Bartenders. 

MR. FARRIS GOES TO CITY HALL: JULY

The new rooftop patio going up on what will soon be the home of Lone Star Attitude. 

Denton has had new restaurants either under construction or opening left and right constantly for the past few months. We're loving all of the new concepts and menu ideas people keep coming up with and bringing to town. Whether its a new food truck or a tequila bar, we're just happy to see new businesses opening their doors, adding to the tax base and giving us more options for Friday nights. 

Of course, there is more than just new food happening in Denton County currently, and, thankfully, our very own Glen Farris has been nursing his meeting addiction to make sure you've got the 4-1-1 on what's happening around town. 

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The East Hickory Street Parking Plan is about to be underway. From Locust to Bell we'll be dealing with the joys of construction for several months. The good news is that all of the water and sewer has already been buried east of Bell. The bad news, though, is that the construction will still take at least six months to complete. Over that six months, we'll see street closures, detours, blocked off parking, messed up sidewalks, orange cones and plenty of barricades all over the place. Thankfully, it won't be in vain. The renovations will add tons of parking downtown, pedestrian-scale lighting, wider sidewalks, crosswalks across Hickory, park benches and some drought tolerant landscaping with rain collection and water storage to break up the concrete jungle of the parking lots. Start practicing your parking in reverse now folks (think South Congress in Austin). Once the construction clears, you'll have plenty of places to park on E. Hickory, but it will all be back-in-angled parking, so make sure your rearview mirror is in good, working condition. 

Speaking of things happening around the square, the giant bluebonnet clad trash compactors are getting a little makeover. Instead of generic scenes of the Texas prairie, we'll have a few more localized, artsy images for you to admire when you throw away your orange and brown Jupiter House cups. 

Remember when we talked about Lone Star Attitude adding a roof top patio, the old building next to Travelstead getting a new roof, and the forthcoming East Side Social Club getting an awesome patio? Well, it's all happening right now, folks. So, be careful to watch where you walk when you're strolling downtown, there are cranes overhead and they're carrying heavy stuff. 

After all of the hullabaloo in June, the Subway sign went through much of July unchanged.  Subway however, has in fact opened their doors to little fanfare or petitioning (at least from what we saw). We hear the new sign will be going up shortly. So if you're craving a $5 foot long, or just feel like you'd like to 'eat fresh' - you'll now have the chance to do so on the square. You also have the choice not to, and to instead choose to grab lunch from one of the many other restaurants on the square that serve up super fresh sammies. Have you tried Smiling Moose yet? 

 We've been awaiting it's opening for months, and after much trial and trepidation, Mulberry St. Cantina is finally open. While they had a few scheduling mishaps during their first week open, it's looking like a surefire place to hit up, post-work. Make sure to stop by (if you haven't already) and try one of their muy excelente tequilas on their cobra tap or one of the Mezcal Mules as you work on your horrible Spanish this weekend.  

Goldmine BBQ opened their doors at the beginning of the month. We stopped by and tried a few things. We'll do so again and hope to have a review in the future. Have you stopped by yet? What did you think?  

Coming soon is Last Drop Tavern and Irish Boozer. Guys, get ready. It's the year of the themed restaurant. Last Drop, we heard you were announcing a soft launch in early August. We'll be keeping up with your Facebook page for confirmation, but expect to see us there. We're ready to try out your wood-fired pizzas and old English style pub fare. 

All of that pizza and booze making you feel a little bloated? Don't worry. Twisted Bodies Pilates has joined the downtown family. So pack on the pounds now, and burn it all off by employing the newest fitness studio in Denton. Denton, does our blog look fat? 

3 SONGS: JULY

It looks as if we’re bringing out Denton’s heavy-hitters for the July rendition of 3 Songs. Not only do we have a new Sarah Jaffe tune (fresh off her score for a recent Pixar short), but we also have music from the likes of one of Paste Magazine’s Best New Bands of 2011. Oh, and a band called Grammar that most of us had never heard about, too. Read on!

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Sarah Jaffe - Defense

In the past few weeks, Sarah Jaffe has been releasing new songs like crazy. Aside from Defense above (and on Spin.com), the single, Satire, was featured on USA Today. Defense remains our favorite of the two.

Is Jaffe even considered “Denton” anymore, though? Last we heard, homegirl lives in Dallas now and we haven’t seen her scooter illegally parked in front of Recycled in a long time. She does still have that cool haircut, though (Jaffe did it first, Ms. Cyrus). That plus the fact that this song was produced by Midlake’s drummer and longtime Denton-mainstay McKenzie Smith make us think that it’s best to still claim her as “one of us” and give Defense a pass as local.

We’ve come a long way since Jaffe’s early folk rock balladry that gained her primetime fame and nods from musicians such as Norah Jones. This new single is far from any of the songs we heard on Even Born Again. While many folks were left scratching their heads when Jaffe went electric with The Body Wins, the album was arguably still great. That said, it does look as if we are finally coming out of Jaffe’s Chris Gaines phase. A few elements seem to have stuck around. A slinky synthesizer, plenty of guitar noodling and a penchant for room ambiance are evident throughout Defense.

It’s difficult to really critique this song on the same level we’re judging other local songs. It’s arguably a great tune and we’re sure to listen to it plenty of times, but at the same time we do feel that sense of nostalgia for the sad, witty Jaffe of yesteryear. She does still have that haircut, though, so what’re ya gonna do?

If you were wondering what happened to Jaffe’s earnestness, Seryn might have absorbed it. Don’t click play above if you don’t want to feel introspective. These precious, bearded fellas (and lady) are pretty rooted in expressing their emotions.

Ivory Black, the first we’ve heard from their upcoming album (the first in two years) is much more mellow than much of Seryn’s previous work, and that works in it’s favor. We’ve lost the tantric-sex factor that made the all-chorus We Will All Be Changed a mainstay on KXT, but retained the harmony-filled “Whoooa” and “Whoooa-oohhh’s” that are so difficult to ignore.

Slide guitar, St. David’s-level reverb and rhythm that sounds like it came out of a Hawaiian drum circle might sound like odd bedfellows, but they all work together pretty well here. Our interests are definitely piqued for the upcoming album.

The first few minutes of this organ-laden second single from local weirdos, Grammar had us wondering if the hippies of Brightblack Morning Light had reunited under a new moniker in Denton, but then the arpeggios and overly-enunciated Thom Yorke vocals hit and we knew this was a different kind of beast altogether.

Grammar have apparently been playing together for the past few years, but have only recently started releasing music and we applaud whatever type of alcohol or social lubricant fueled that decision because we’re digging this. José meanders in and out of your speakers unexpectedly, riffing on an idea of a song with vague lyrics and pitter-pattering drums for a few minutes before blowing the entire thing out of the water with all sorts of flourishes of arpeggios and that great looped drum sample. 

THE DEN10: JULY 24

Last night, Denton saw it's first Spelling Bee for adults-only at Dan's Silverleaf. Born from the mind of Scott Porter, the inaugural Buzz Bee was the sort of quirky, no expectations idea that makes our town tick. It was thrown together last second with the sort of wheels off, can-do attitude that we've come to expect from our community. While the endgame needed work, there was no short of all the thrills and agony associated with a unprofessionally run Spelling Bee. Remembering the hilarity that ensued on stage - we charge ahead into another week of Denton-centric local fun. We're never really sure what to expect - but we know that its bound to be memorable at the very least. 

Wednesday July 24
Parade of Flesh Presents: Ken Mode / Inter Rama / Dead To A Dying World | Gloves | $8

Friday July 26
Denton Creative Mixer | The DIME Store | 6PM | FREE
Time to mingle and network this Friday at The DIME Store down off Locust St. This is a great way to connect to your creative community.

Pageantry / Major Major Major / Sacco and Vanzetti | Rubbergloves | 9PM | $3

Ladies of Spiderweb Salon Showcase + Bake Sale + Fundraiser | J&J's | 8PM | $3
Lots of music, spoken word, prose and baked goods down in the basement to help raise funds for the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation.

Dallas Distortion Music Presents: Problem Dog / Love Cop / Midnite Society / Jakkkchan | Macaroni Island | 8PM | FREE
No jerks. They really mean it this time.

The Tissue Issue: A Musical Satire | Banter | 10PM | TIPS
I wonder what they're satirizing? Music itself? Tissues? Issues? So many questions. Still, I support the idea of more Waiting For Guffman / Spinal Tap-like efforts.

Seryn / Chambers | Dan's | 9PM | $18

Saturday July 27
Home By Hovercraft / Fox & Bird / The Calmative | Dan's Silverleaf | 9PM | $7

Sunday July 28
Last Sunday's Open Shop | Tex's Tubs Drum Co. | 11AM
Need a place and tools to fix that busted guitar, drum or other thing that's busted? Go hang out with some of the coolest cats in this town and get it done while your at it.

Hares On The Mountain | Dan's | 5PM | FREE
You know what's better than free? Hares.

ARTIST INTERVIEW: MANDY HAMPTON

Mandy Hampton hard at work in her shop.  

We ran into Mandy Hampton at a UNT Art Gallery a few months back. She's been impressing us ever since. This Denton-loving artist not only possesses a myriad of talents, but she has shown the ability to go seamlessly from one medium to the next, spanning the world of fine art and craft. In her workshop, she showed us her favorite tools, and a few projects she's been working on, including a large piano she is about to disassemble to use as material for new work. Read on to see how she keeps her creative community close, deals with the challenges of working in a small space, and how she keeps all of those skills sharp. 

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Tell us a little bit about your history with Denton. 

I moved to Denton in January of 2010 to finish my bachelor’s degree. I’d spent the previous years going to community college and traveling over seas, and then decided to move here on a whim. Within my first week, I realized I loved this place. After 3.5 years, I still love the small-town feel, the liberal arts atmosphere, the ability to bike nearly anywhere I want to go, the beautiful historic houses on Oak Street, and a community of people who care about this city. The University of North Texas was also a wonderful environment for me, especially because of the people I met there. I actually started with a degree in English and a minor in Photography. While taking a 3D Design class my first semester, I fell in love with the art program and decided to switch my degree to Photography. After 3 semesters in Photography, I switched yet again to a degree in Sculpture. This time it stuck. In the middle there, I also met my husband, Josiah Hampton, and we’ve been married just over a year now.

Considering myself a world-traveler, I always kind of thought I’d move out of Texas for college - or at least after graduation, but after 3.5 years in Denton I have a difficult time imagining myself elsewhere.  Josiah and I both still have plans to move to another state or over seas for a time, but I think it’s likely we’ll eventually return to Denton even if we leave.

wood curls

You do just about everything when it comes to making art.  You’ve labeled yourself a photographer, painter, musician, sculptor, woodworker and furniture builder. How do you find time for it all?

Honestly, the answer is that I don’t find time for all of it ALL of the time. But I don’t see this as a bad thing. Some mediums come and go in phases, some lasting longer than others. When I learn something new, like when I began woodworking 2 years ago, that one focus takes all of my time, energy, and passion. You might call it obsession. And then, I just incorporate it into my main body of work. I have defined myself as a sculptor for the past 2 years, but once again I realize I can’t stick that kind of label on myself. All of my work flows from the same source. I anticipate seeing my work evolve and continue to flow in and out of various seasons.

Currently, I spend most of my time sculpture, furniture, and photography. Certainly, there is difficulty in dividing my time like this, but it’s working for me. I have learned to use my trusty planner religiously, and schedule my time effectively.

photo by Mandy Hampton

With so many tools in your belt, how do you keep them all sharp? Do you find that it takes time to get back into a medium after stepping away from it for a time?

I actually do easily jump in and out of various mediums. Each medium is kind of like the different tools in my workshop—I use whichever tool best fits the project. I think it also helps that my art is cohesive in concept. Broadly speaking, my work is about telling a story. When I photograph a wedding, I capture someone else’s story. When I build a piece of furniture, I think about space and living areas and about making a piece that creates conversation and interest. When I make a sculpture, I pour my own thoughts and personal story into the work.

Certainly, there is the danger that I'll end up the jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none, and I continue to think seriously about this. Sometimes I consider devoting my time to just one area of focus, but that doesn’t seem to work well for me. The variety keeps me interested, and I’ve found that these different forms of art strengthen each other and influence all areas of my life. One obvious way in which this strengthens my work is the ability to photograph my work. It’s surprisingly difficult to portray 3D sculpture in photographic form.

Do you have a group of friends or creatives to lean on, draw inspiration from, hash out ideas with?

Absolutely. After graduation, I kept my membership in the UNT sculpture collective in order to stay in touch with those folks, which is why I was able to be in a recent UNT On The Square exhibition. I also stay in touch with my friend/professor Jim Burton who has easily been the most influential person on my artist career so far. Jim facilitated an environment that worked well for my learning style, taught me how to critically think about art, and also taught me nearly everything I know about woodworking. I probably wouldn’t have majored in Sculpture without his prodding.

Aside from these, I have several friends with whom I engage in art-centered conversation, but not with much consistency. This is by far the most difficult thing about leaving the university. I am still trying to figure out how to get artists to come share my studio space so that we can work together.  I thrive off of community and interaction with people, and I miss it. On that note, however, I have been talking with Tristan Bynum about Maker Space plans since January and am looking forward to that taking off. I think Maker Space will be an invaluable resource for me and other artists and I am looking most forward to a community of artists with a shared space.

How do you overcome the challenges of moving from the studio space at the school to creating a workshop out of your house? 

Josiah has been an invaluable asset to my artistic career. He relentlessly researches tool reviews and craigslist to find me what I need at a cost we can afford. At this stage, I actually have a nearly complete workshop of tools, including a table saw, a band saw, a thickness planer, a lathe, and a number of hand tools. My absolute favorite tool is my antique Stanley #5 hand plane.

Space however is a problem. Our 2-car garage is small, preventing me from making some of the larger pieces I was able to while at UNT. And the worst part – after I make it, where do I store it? You’re right, it isn’t easy. 

photo by Mandy Hampton

Anybody who has walked around the Square in over the past few months has probably seen one of your pieces in the windows at UNT on the Square.  Where else have you shown in Denton?

I was in several student shows on campus while attending there. After graduating in December, I’ve been in the “Art Show for the People” at Panhandle Studio, The Sculpture Collective Show at UNT on the Square, and a solo show at SCRAP Denton. I also was honored to get into the Spring juried show at 500x in Dallas. As far as finding places to show my work, at this point shows have fallen into my lap because of connections with other artists. I don’t expect this to always be the case though, so I am starting to research galleries in Dallas that might be interested in showing my work.

World of the World - photo by Mandy Hampton

Holiday - by Mand Hampton

Is there one direction of your artwork you’re really drawn to right now? Do you see a specific medium really driving your work as an artist in the future?

For the past 2 years, a common thread in my work has been the use of repurposed materials in the form of sculptures and furniture. I think this will continue to be a big part of my work for the near future. Some people know me for my piano sculptures, and yes, I am still taking apart pianos. I currently have a grand piano filling half of my studio, awaiting it’s impending destruction.

As for why I like to work with these materials, it’s mostly about process and meaning. My work right now usually expresses some kind of narrative that pulls from the object’s history, but also involves current experiences in my own life. “World of the World” and “Holiday” are two good examples of the kind of work I am currently making and most excited about. 

The history of objects and the stories behind them drive my creativity, and all of my best work at this point is inspired by the initial act of destroying something else. I’m still playing around with what that is exactly, but it’s working well and I am enjoying the process. I don’t sketch or plan much, I prefer to just make. I feel like these conceptual sculptures practically build themselves (with a lot of work on my part of course).

Mandy with the next piano she'll be deconstructing.

 Mandy on Etsy / Mandy's Photography Website 

WHAT WE DID: JULY 22ND

New businesses, near-by beaches and punk rock music were all part of What We Did this weekend. What did you do? Remember to throw #WDDI on your 'grams to be included in our weekly post-weekend photo round-up!

Mulberry St. Cantina finally opened their doors. A few of us stopped in for some margaritas after some confusion regarding their hours. We hope to stop by again this week. 

Mulberry St. Cantina's House Margarita (pictured) cooled us off after work on Friday. We also tried their Organic Margarita.

Besides Happy Campers, another great way to cool down at the Community Market is with one of Pawletta's delicious Mango Pops.

Some friends on the square happen to have a '63  Jaguar... you may have seen our own Glen Farris zipping around the square when they gave him the keys last Thursday night... 

We've been spending Sunday's by the lake, with our toes in the sand and a picnic basket full of Community Market goodies. 

Mike Wiebe of the High Tension Wires plays to the crowd at Rubber Gloves

Birthday Suits, thankfully not in their birthday suits, doing their thing at Rubber Gloves.

Two legends, Sonny Vincent and Daniel Fried, share the stage at Rubber Gloves

YES YOU CAN

 Dentonites, time to stop feeling jealous of our neighbors in Dallas and Ft. Worth and all their fancy beer and music parties they’ve been having as of late.

The folks behind the popular national music and beer festival, Untapped, are bringing their craftiness to Denton in the form of Canned. Canned is a spinoff of Untapped, and the first edition will be held on the square in Denton, TX on Saturday, October 5th. There will still be plenty of beer to swill around and fine music to enjoy, however, this time around the beer will be in canned format, so get those tab-popping fingers ready.

Canning is a recent trend in the world of high quality craft beers. Heck, the Boston Globe just did a story on it yesterday. Not only does it allow for easier transport for the booze (aluminum is lighter than glass, y’all), but it keeps your suds in tip-top shape by protecting them from the likes of light. You can expect to see a little over 25 breweries featuring over 50 unique canned beers for all to enjoy.

Oh yeah, there’s music, too. Dynamic weirdo rockers from Portland, Menomena, will make their first stop in Denton, in support of their 2012 album, Moms. In addition, Helio Sequence will bring their indie rockin’ bleeps and bloops and singer-songwriter Joe Pug will be there with his rootsy brand of Dylan-like folk rock. Local bands Chambers, Pageantry, Hares on the Mountain and AM Ramblers round out the line-up. Appropriate beer drinking music, all.

Early bird tickets go on sale today and are available to the public on August 1st. We recommend grabbing a VIP ticket to enjoy benefits such as a tasting card, priority seating for shows and the free lunch (there is such a thing). Ticketing info and more can be found at untapped-fest.com.

IMAVOLCANO

Eric Edward Michener AKA Fishboy and co. have been putting out lots of amazing videos lately. The video for IMAVOLCANO (embedded above) caught our eye last week and we haven't been able to stop watching it since. We threw some questions Michener's way and he was kind enough to answer 'em. Read on to find out how this pizza and dancing-filled video was created, whether or not they used Beyonce's same choreographer (they didn't) and how many slices of 'za it took to get make it through principal production. 

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Eric, what's the deal with this video? 

This is [a] project I've had in mind for a few years after noticing the large amount of pizza places on University within such a short distance from each other. I thought putting them all back to back like this would be a great visual gag. Our goal was to shoot them all very quickly before we were asked to stop, so we shot all thirteen locations in 90 minutes during sunset from 7:30-9:00pm on June 13, 2013. I wanted to have a third act surprise so we built the pizza volcano.

Who all was involved in creating it? 

I did the primary shooting, editing, and graphics animation. David Koen shot second camera. Taylor Van Allen was our production designer and driver. Mathew "Switchblade" Bauman was our actor who choreographed all his own dance moves. John Morley who is the Geographic Information Systems Coordinator for the City of Frisco collaborated with me on making the excellent pizza map.

What pizza places were involved? 

Bagehri's, Papa Murphy's, Pizza Patron, Double Dave's, Pizza Hut, Schlotzsky's (they had a sign advertising pizza out front), Pizza Inn, Papa Johns, Little Caesars, Dominos, Luigi's, and Top That were the places we places we shot at. We had an in car debate on weather or not to hit the SAMS snack bar and/or get a mexican pizza from Taco Bell but ultimately, we didn't have enough daylight. Movie Tavern and II Charlie's also serve pizza...and if you include frozen pizzas, you've got a dozen more locations you can add between gas stations, drug stores, and grocery stores. Maybe TWU serves pizza too, my gut tells me they do.

How many actual pizzas were consumed?

We only used four "prop pizzas" during shooting because we knew the editing would be so fast. There were talks about actually sampling every single possible slice and discussing their merits on camera, but for economical and time reasons we decided against it. We went out for tacos afterwards. We are going to have a follow up video with Switchblade talking about his pizza experiences soon. Stay tuned!

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Make sure to catch the EP release show on August 3rd at Rubber Gloves; featuring Two Knights, Savage and the Big Beat, and live letterpress printing by Triple Threat Press.
 

DIME FEATURED ARTIST: CASSIE ARNOLD

Once a month, we partner up with Denton's local, handmade goods shop, DIME, to highlight an artist that is carried in their store. This month, we're chatting with Cassie Arnold about both her fun items for sale in the DIME store and her fine art work that she has on display in various art shows and galleries. Make sure to check out The DIME Store on South Locust, and read on to hear all about this month's featured artist.

The One with the Red Balloon

For this month’s DIME featured maker, we caught up with Cassie Arnold and her eclectic collection of found-object art. The DIME Store carries Cassie’s line of inventive fiber “creatures”, but this girl has so much more up her sleeve. Read on to learn about her handmade critters, unusual assemblages, and how she balances her two feet in the two sides of the art world: craft and fine art.

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Mr. Kitty 

What all kinds of work do you make?

From found object assemblages to hand knitted fibers, I dabble in a little bit of everything! I love the challenge of exploring new materials, and there’s nothing more thrilling for me than deciding whether I will work with clay, found objects, acrylic, or fibers for my next body of work. Storytelling is a key feature in my art, so whatever medium best narrates my experience at that time is what I use.

What draws you to the types of materials you use?

I’m a believer in second chances, so naturally I am drawn to all things rusted and worn. There’s something magical about breathing life into objects that would normally have been forgotten. I like to think of myself as a collector of “things,” and I love waiting for just the right moment when I can reuse an item and make it shine in a work of art.

What originally drew you to the overall "handmade" community?

I grew up in a big family full of writers, artists, needle workers, and avid crafters. By the age of five, sewing on a button was as natural as tying my shoes. I thank my mother for my love of creating because it was her who first taught me how to craft and sew. As an adult, I am not only drawn to handmade items but also the person who made it. I love hearing their story, learning where they came from, and discovering how they perfected their craft.

Miss Foxy 

What do you love about the fine art community?

That last word…COMMUNITY! I love being surrounded by unique, crazy, enthusiastic people who are lovers of life and art! It’s refreshing living in Denton where people not only respect the arts but support it as well.

How do you balance having one foot in the handmade market and one in the fine art market?

To be honest, I’m not quite sure I’ve found balance just yet! One day I wake up as, “Cassie Arnold: artist and sculptor,” and the next I’m transformed into a crafter, wanting to create something handmade for the sake of creation itself. The art world can be tricky. People tend to look at you funny when you say that you are an artist while knitting a baby sweater. “Handmade” is who I am at my core. It’s what originally got me curious about the arts and is the reason why I give support and have such respect for local people making and creating.

How did you become involved with DIME?                                      

I heard through the grapevine about a lovely new space in Denton that supported local artists and crafters. Naturally I was intrigued, so my husband, my new baby and I stopped by one night to check it out. I instantly fell in love with the space and the curators. The DIME store is warm and cozy. It’s a space that invites you in like a best friend’s home and inspires you to rush back to your own home and create. After one talk with Miss Rachel, she investigated my work and invited me to be a part of their handmade “home.”

How does the Dallas art/handmade scene differ from the one in Denton?

To be honest, they are a lot alike. Both are all about endorsing local artists, promoting the arts, and bringing awareness to the community about the importance of supporting the handmade. Despite its size though, Denton keeps the small town feel that makes it easier to connect with the community and other artists in the area.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists who are looking to start a business or become an active part of the Denton creative community?

Don’t be scared to put yourself out there! Rejection is part of the job and being turned away doesn’t mean that your creations aren’t meaningful or special. I promise that even the most unique, unusual and creative works will find their perfect space eventually as long as you’re willing to take risks and be patient.

The collection series 

Simple Love'n (her) 

You can purchase Cassie Arnold's handmade fiber works (i.e. dolls and knitted pieces) at the Dime store or from her Etsy page. Her fine art pieces can be purchased at the Artisan's Collective in Dallas' Bishop Arts District or at local area art shows such as the Art Festival in Deep Ellum.