Artist Carrie Beth Collins

Kentuckiana peeps, if you need an indoor activity or a new hobby to beat the heat, look no further than Preston Arts Center.

I wish we were posting under better circumstances. Unfortunately, there’s not much to say except that Preston Arts Center is in desperate need of your immediate patronage. How can you help?

First and foremost, stop by and buy something from our store! We’d love to see you, and have a great new location at 8101 Warwick Ave.

Second and still pretty great: buy a gift card from us! Visit the link in our bio!

Number three is free: Share this post. Leave us a Google review. Tell a friend about your experience with us. Spread the word that Preston’s is a kind of okay place to shop.

Thanks,
Andrew Preston
Third Generation Owner

Here’s your reminder that if things seem particularly hard, a disco ball is under $10 and makes life pretty awesome. It even works a little when I have the overhead blacklights on! Did you know that Louisville, Kentucky in addition to being home of the Kentucky Derby was nicknamed, “Glitterball City”?

Found some great artwork last weekend from a mixed media artist .art (on instagram only). I used 3M sticky tabs to hang them up. I love doing this because it allows you to enjoy your new art right away, decide on the perfect frame, and make sure you like it in a specific location before you make a hole in the wall. Do you have some artwork lying around you could do this with? Perhaps even some of my art hmm 🤔? Haha 😆

Customer: “So what’s your inspiration for this piece?”

Me: 🍩

The look he gave me when I told him that he forgot “Meowther’s Day”. Hope you feel loved and celebrated today 🫶💕🐾🐈‍⬛

Even though it’s 13 years old, I’ve never wanted to stop driving my mom’s car. I love it! She only had it 6 months before she went to live in Heaven. It was her favoritist, newest, shiny thing, and she loved it too.

But I’m tearing it up by loading it over the weight limit with all of my show equipment for long distances. It’s starting to sound like a creaky old pirate ship at times from just a couple of seasons of doing this.

After two full seasons of making my tiny little vehicle work for travel art shows, I finally got a passenger van. It's exactly what I wanted: my car but longer, the same paint color, shape, and a hatchback just like my mom’s car.

The seats will be removed out of the back when we get it home. I thought about hiring someone to do a few conversions in the cargo area to make loading show equipment easier.

But then I thought, no… that’s what other people do. What about resale value? Like... how “absurd” of me to think I could actually commit to living this delightfully unusual art-carny life.

Better question though: Why NOT me? Really. Why not??

Big shout out to my hubby for supporting this nutty lifestyle. I love you 😘 ✨✨✨

Remember the painting I sold on Sunday? It truly looks like I painted it for this room. The shape of the antlers matches the window as well as the pink flowers on each side. What a gorgeous home! I love seeing my work in your space. Do you have a photo to share? I’d love to see it.

“Keepers of Balance” is off to its new home🏠 They said they have a couch the same color as the people and stained glass in the same room that matches the colors. I can’t WAIT to see their photo of it! I’m as excited as they are for this. Thank you Katie and Jonathan! (Sorry if I didn’t spell it right)

👀 Look at the weather for Cherokee Triangle Art Fair this weekend! It’ll be breezy and warm. Perfect for my first show of the year.

All kids are welcome to join in the parade at 10 AM on Saturday. It makes me smile to see them wearing fun clothes and stomping around with their noise makers 🎉 🥁

Big news, y’all. I was cleared by my foot doctor just in time for an early show season 🎉 I can’t BELIEVE that one week from today will be the 52nd Cherokee Triangle Art Fair ! Time has flown by and I’m excited to return to this beautiful show venue. I’ll be in BOOTH #443. Screenshot the info below 📱

Louisville Artisans Guild is now accepting applications for new members if you know of an artist looking for community.

The Louisville Artisans Guild would like to highlight another LAG member, Carrie Beth Collins, Louisville Artist! Carrie Beth says in part, “I am a contemporary black light artist from Kentuckiana with a love of books, podcasts, house plants, music, cat memes, and French fries. I paint for the plant-loving, modern hippie hearts that loved blacklight art and probably has an old Radiohead or Pink Floyd poster somewhere in the basement… My ideas come to me as I create. I never pre-plan my work. I drip, splatter, and make shapes with my fingers or found objects. I take my glasses off, let my eyes go out of focus, and let emerging shapes and color guide me.“ Be sure to visit Carrie Beth on her website and one of her many art shows!

Carrie Beth’s Website: https://carriebethcollins.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=artist%20carrie%20beth%20collins
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artistcarriebethcollins/

Also…If you are an artist and would love to be a member of the Louisville Artisans Guild, please be sure to visit our membership and join! We would love to have you as a member!!

Website https://www.louisvilleartisanguild.org
Instagram: or https://www.instagram.com/louisvilleartisans/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouisvilleArtisansGuild

Have you ever heard that you need to slow down to speed up? I had foot surgery and I’m not sure how much slower I can get than this 🥴😂 For the next few weeks I’ll only be able to stand 10 minutes for every hour. But I’m excited to be out of pain after the healing is all over.

I’m taking this time to do my bookkeeping and to work on admin stuff that I’m usually too busy to make time for. So while my social media will be pretty lame the next 6 weeks, just know that I’m working behind the scenes to make 2024 and incredible year of reaching personal goals once I’m able to speed up again 😉

I hope the new year is off to a good start for you, friend! ✌️ ✨ ✨✨

My birthday is a time to reflect on what I want to do with the coming year. It’s also the reason I got this sweet cat hoodie as a gift. I can’t thank you enough for supporting me through one of the most difficult years of my life even though I’ve been a little absent on social media. I love you and thank you. Happy new year, friends! Hoping 2024 is kind to us ✨✨

There’s nothing quite like clocking out and walking out with your coworkers. When you’re self employed you don’t really get that. So today, walking out with fellow Louisville Artisans Guild artists after the show, I finally got a comforting reminder of what that felt like.

Smiles and laughter walking to to the doors, keys and water bottles in hand clanging like cow bells 🔔 😂. The cold air hitting our faces for the first time since this morning. Saying “see you tomorrow”. It’s a comforting feeling I didn’t realized that I missed.

Today I forgot my lip balm. Fortunately my favorite scrub and soap maker was across from me and had some. The formal dental professional in me loves that it’s an SPF of 30 to help prevent basal cell and squamous cell cancer on the lips, but it smells/tastes pleasant and I’ve only had to apply it TWICE today! 👀

We’re directly across from each other at Mellwood Art Center tomorrow (Sunday) from 11-4. Hope to see ya!

“Honey Bee Lip Balm” by Nature's Bath Soap 🧼

Happy Halloween! 🎃 I’d love to see your costumes in the comments 👇

My first indoor pop-up of the season is this weekend at City Place in La Grange, Ky. If walking the large shows isn’t your thing, this one is right up your alley! Join me and other artisans at He’art Fest.

Can you recall your gratitude for someone that believed in you? This was my first outdoor festival and I’m so thankful for St James Court Art Show for taking a chance on a new-to-fairs artist back then. This weekend marks my third time participating and I’m looking forward it as always 💝

“Paint me like one of your French girls, Jack.” My little supervisor is helping me get ready for next weekend at Madison Chautauqua. The weather is looking fabulous so far!

🎨🚧 Peek behind the scenes as I bring this new “over the couch/bed painting” to life for Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art®. I’m in the beginning paint layers where ideas take shape, colors blend, and textures come alive. I can’t wait to share my latest series with you. ✨

Many blessings for a safe holiday weekend.
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I have severe food allergies. Life wasn’t always like this though. I got to spend time with a dear friend and allergy chef, Allergy Dragon, and explain my story of how this came about.

Artist Carrie Collins Shares How She Creates Joy In This Ep15 Season2 Of The Allergy Dragon's Lair Carrie Beth Collins is a contemporary black light artist from Kentuckiana who loves books, podcasts, houseplants, music, cat memes, and French fries. She pai...

Hi, friends 👋 💕 I’ll be in Lexington Kentucky this weekend for the 47th Woodland Art Fair. Show hours are Saturday: 10-6 and Sunday 10-5.

My show schedule is limited this year so I can be available to care for my dad. But, I’m looking forward to this weekend, and I’ve been working hard to make sure I’ve got lots of new things to share with you.

If you’d like to visit me this weekend I’ll be in booth C35.

Even though life has been nutty, and being self employed exacerbates the stress, it’s moments like this that I appreciate that I am.

I can alter my work schedule as needed throughout the week. Right now I’m outside listening to the crickets, waiting for paint to dry, the bats to fly overhead, and will finish up my day around midnight tonight in the studio.

I’m grateful to be working toward my next show in just a couple of weeks.

Just an update on life. Hope this week is kind to ya ✌️ ✨✨✨

I fall into the trap sometimes of feeling like I can’t share something with you unless it’s joyful. What would you think of me?

But that’s not real life. This year has my toughest in over a decade.

But as I’ve said before, art has saved me many times. This time is no different.

The simple sketches I’m doing tonight are bringing me a lot of joy, preparing me for a limited show schedule this year, and giving me a mental break from real life. It’s felt really good to be back to my work the past week.

Instead of thinking, “What will people think?”…..

…creating art (aka “the room for headspace”) has allowed me to ask myself, “Who can I serve by sharing this?”

I’ll share a sprinkle of joy with you too ✨
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I have to apologize. I’ve been quiet lately. Not trying to ghost you. But I’ve been doing what the cool kids call “self care”.

So tonight, that looked like taking time to hang blacklights in my studio and having dinner with my dad and hubby.

It’s been a rough few weeks with my dad’s health, and he could use a lot of good vibes from you if you have a few to spare?
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Hope youre having a safe and happy holiday weekend! One year ago, my little studio supervisor Harold was missing. I thought I’d share my blog on what to do in case this ever happens to your family. 🐾

What To Do When Your Pet Is Missing It's the most heartbreaking feeling when your pet is missing. I recently had my own encounter with this. Even though this isn't art related, it's HUMAN related. So, I wanted to share with you the things that I did in hop...

Hi 👋 I’ve entered a piece in the Louisville Artisans Guild 50th Annual Exhibit. I’ll be at Kore Gallery tomorrow night (Saturday). Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, free parking and drinks. Come hang out with me 😃

We define our human experience by the cultures we create and participate in. Culture, made up of customs, social interactions, and activities is fueled by the arts.

Be it music, food, visual, or the many other layers that create the culture that makes us human, the arts are inseparable. It is an expression of what it means to be alive and allows us to explore our humanity as a whole.

Art can allow us to not just understand ourselves, but to understand each other on a deeper level.

“We Are One”