These small purses - of all different colors, with designs ranging from petroglyphs to landscapes to abstract images - are made with beads so small that it's difficult to see the eye of the needle used to thread them together. The pouches are decorated with unique beaded trims and are just large enough to hold a pair of earrings that Brick has crafted to match the pouch.
It's those trims and touches that distinguish Brick's work and make it unique. Brick, from Bettendorf, is one of more than 80 artists from six states who will be offering their work at the juried 45th Annual Left Bank Art League Fine Arts & Crafts Show, June 2 and 3 at Coolidge Junior High School in Moline.
The 64-year-old Brick began her Native American-flavored beadwork a few years ago by making an amulet purse from a design in a book. She found she had the skills and the patience for the task, but it didn't satisfy her. She began doing the designs herself and improvising the finishing touches.
Each small purse takes a couple weeks to finish, Brick said. The prices she charges vary, but she showed one pouch priced at $200 that took about 24 hours of work. She sold three items at the recent Beaux Arts Fair, but clearly, sales are only part of the allure for Brick. "If I ever lost my hands ... ," she said.
Also this weekend, Irish author and artist Anne Fitzgerald will do painting demonstrations during a visit June 1 and 2 to Myers Art Gallery, in the John Deere Commons block in Moline.
The gallery's proprietors say Fitzgerald's paintings have "a misty softness that draws you into them in a unique and magical way." Fitzgerald draws heavily from her native Ireland, including the landscapes, the people, and the stories. She's also the author and illustrator of the "Dear God Kids" children's books. In addition to her painting demonstrations, Fitzgerald will sign books from noon to 1 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
The artist's paintings will be on display all summer at the gallery.