Mar 06, 2009

G.Willikers! Welcomes Silhouette Artist Clay Rice

Silhouette: Clay Rice     G.Willikers! Toy Shop is thrilled to welcome nationally known silhouette artist Clay Rice to Portsmouth on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22nd.  Mr. Rice will be creating heirloom silhouettes of your child or family from 10 - 6pm by appointment only.

The Lonely Shadow

The Lonely Shadow is the story of a shadow in search of someone who connects with him.  A story of friendship and discovery, Mr. Rice's first book is beautifully illustrated in the style that has made him one of the premier artists in his field, the silhouette. SEE VIDEO

With a flash of scissors Clay Rice is able to capture a silhouette portrait in a matter of moments. It is quite literally, performance art. Clay follows the contours of his subject as if the movement of his eyes is connected to his hands. In about a minute a featureless sheet of paper takes on the uniqueness of the individual it represents. Clay truly provides a gift of rare artistry in an uncommon craft.

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Mar 03, 2009

Tuesday Play Days

It's as tall as me!

Our first Play Day of 2009 was a huge success as you can see by the HUGE tower Getting biggerbuilt by some of our new friends.  Today we had big buckets full of Keva blocks (made in the USA) and Wedgits ( one of the most intriguing construction sets we've ever offered ). Every Tuesday from 10am -12pm we bring out a few of our favorite playthings, spread them out on the rug and build.  

Keva Blocks are all the same size, shaped like small planks and are made of smooth maple.  You build structures simply by stacking the planks in any number of ways, creating various geometric shapes but also, suprisingly, structures with curves and rounded edges.  Our Play Day visitors all knew what to do with these cool blocks right away without much direction.Keva spiral

Check out the world record Keva tower.

Stop by and give them a try!

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