Saturday marks the end of the longest absence First Saturday Arts Market has had since its inception in 2004. The colossal three-month wait for an adoring public, whose craving for Houston’s original monthly outdoor fine art market knows no limits, is over.
First Saturday Arts Market returns on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 540 W. 19th St. The hours have been adjusted for the Houston heat, just in case it persists. If temperatures reach triple digits, even for a “feels like” temp, it’s best to check the website or social media for heat updates.
Painted Ice Cream cone by Hannah Bladh (submitted photo)
Truth be told, your humble writer here missed the market more than anyone, if I had to guess. Spending time with other artists is a great way to recharge my own creativity. Visitors tell me they are always inspired by hearing stories about the art.
One such artist, Hannah Bladh, caught my attention.
Bladh joined the May market and paints everyday — ordinary things, like an ice cream cone or an entire freezer section of ice cream at the grocery store (because no one can make up their mind, right?). I might be partial to ice cream, y’all, but Bladh says it best.
Hannah Bladh painting titled Half gallons of happiness (submitted photo)
“I believe that the right painting in the right place can turn your day around for the better,” Bladh wrote in her statement. “In my art, I like to romanticize ordinary places and things. I have an ability to see the beauty all around me — even filling up at the gas station, loading my car in the Walmart parking lot, or making breakfast. I try to focus on the joyful and beautiful moments in everyday life. With my art, I help others slow down and remember the good things they have right now in this moment.”
Apples by First Saturday Arts Market artist Hannah Bladh (submitted photo)
Bladh’s style could be called painterly. Her small, realistic paintings are obviously painted yet pull out familiar details without exaggeration. The viewer’s eye automatically fills in the details for you — a technique that does not come easily to many painters. Personally, it’s among my favorite styles.
Bladh paints primarily in oils and occasionally acrylics. She confessed in a recent Instagram video that she only uses one brush (sometimes two) for most of her paintings. That is incredible — I have jars full of brushes, and finding the right one can be infuriating.
Bladh’s sentiment is evident in the new fall-themed art she plans to bring to Saturday’s market. Bladh says she’ll have a wide variety of pieces unrelated to the season as well.
Fall-themed art by Hannah Bladh (submitted photo)
Fall-themed art at 1st Saturday Arts Market by Hannah Bladh (submitted photo)
Hannah Bladh’s work can be found on her website, hannahbladhfineart.com, and you should definitely follow her on Instagram instagram.com/hannahbladh_art. Bladh will join other artists at First Saturday Arts Market this Saturday and in October, too.
First Saturday Arts Market is Houston’s original pop-up market, founded in 2004, open September through May at 540 W. 19th St. An artist roster and other details are on the website firstsaturdayartsmarket.com, and shenanigans can be found on Instagram instagram.com/1stsatartmarket.
Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market. Visit his website at ArtValet.com.
