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Anna Arnold, painter and educator, lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio. Anna has been one of America’s most expressive, exciting, enduring artists and independent educators for nearly three decades. She is an advocate of life-long learning and recently graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies program and earned a Master’s degree in Art Education. She completed an extensive two year program under the leadership of director Professor Tim Shuckerow. Anna Arnold earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art and has exhibited in over 200 solo and group art exhibits throughout the United States. As a teacher, she believes she is a catalyst to inspire, uplift and change. She has helped to educate hundreds of school children as an artist. Anna is recognized for her lush, exuberantly colorful expressive portraits, ceramics, masks, beads and painted furniture. Contact Anna @ a.arnold9416@sbcglobal.net

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Wyldsyde’s new “Rainforest Rave” Beads







Wyldsyde’s new “Rainforest Rave” Beads
Artist and Designer Anna Arnold is energizing the brand with her vibrant necklaces that attracts the fun loving collector
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I am the chief executive officer, creative director, designer and staff of Wyldsyde Jewelry Co.  based in Cleveland, Ohio. Today, I get to be the blogger. A few days ago, I sat cross legged on the wooden floor of my Josaphat Arts Hall studio and worked on assembling another necklace titled, “Rainforest Rave” Yes, each necklace is designed, titled and assembled by me. The real magic in this necklace is in the details. I spread out about 300 beads and selected 147 handmade polymer clay beads, vintage hand-carved, hand-painted wooden tropical birds, African glass, millifiori glass and hand blown glass beads featuring a tiny bumpy, fluorescent green lizard.
It’s the unexpected combination of vibrant colors, materials and textures that makes these beads exciting to look at and wear. They are truly portable works of art!
Prices range from $68 to $168. (Prices are determined by expense or rarity of beads used and handcrafted beads.)






I wear my beads every day even if I am taking a walk or just stopping by the store. They look elegant and stunning with black, white or neutral colored outfits. I just got an idea of how wonderful these necklaces would look worn by women who are cheering on the performers at Parade the Circle or savoring hors d'oeuvres at the Summer Solstice cocktail party both coming up at the Cleveland Museum of Art in June. 
Wyldsyde Jewelry Co. is a growing brand that is becoming best known for vibrant, one of a kind, beaded necklaces desired by youthful women of all ages. The woman who wears Wyldsyde is  fun loving, on the go, unconventional, successful and a highly creative thinker.
Sales have started to pick up since I started the company in early 2011 helping make Wyldsyde a great performer of the Anna Arnold ART Studio which includes:
  • art education
  • portrait commissions
  • ceramics and small sculptures
I get much of my inspiration from African and Latino cultures, classic movies and vintage jewelry. I do most of my thinking and designing at my Josaphat Arts studio that is lively with colorful paintings, sculptures and completed necklaces on the walls. A classic movie is always playing on the VCR/TV combo.
I am working on a strategy that includes creating more necklaces and getting them into local shops this summer. I have boosted marketing with Facebook and Twitter and blog posts. YouTube videos are to come. 

Buy WyldSyde Beaded Necklaces at the Anna Arnold ART Studio:

1433 E. 33rd Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
216- 407-7054

































Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Head in the Clouds Girl

Anna Arnold at Josaphat Arts Hall, May 2011


May 18, 2011 - On yesterday's rainy, gray cloudless day, I visited a craft store and was energized by the sight of beautiful new glass beads in an array of brilliant colors and styles. Standing there before strands of hundreds of beads, my head quickly filled with themes for my new WyldSyde necklaces. I started a jewelry company back in the winter because people always admire the beaded necklaces I wear when I am out, had been thinking about it for a couple years and had about a ton of gorgeous beads to use. Why not? Famous Amos said, 'Don't wait until everything is perfect, just get started!'

Even as a little girl, I was always thinking and teachers often caught me staring off and daydreaming. Get focused Head in the Clouds Girl. As I got older, sometimes people would say things like, 'You're such a nice girl. Why can't you be like the other girls? Just make it easier on yourself. Stop thinking about all of that stuff and just fit in? Why do you want so much in life? You're a nice looking girl-- why do you have to be so deep? Guys don't care about any of that stuff. You want too much in life. It's sad because you'll be all alone. Why do you want to be an artist? You can't make a living from that hobby.' But I kept thinking, 'What if?' and putting plans into action.

As a child, as early as 5 years old, I knew that my purpose in life is to be an artist. Fortunately, my parents rescued me by recognizing something in me very early- a talent, an all-consuming desire to be an artist, a quiet rebelliousness. When I was a kid, a girl wanting to be an artist "like Picasso" made as much sense as a girl growing up to be an astronaut or a race car driver. My parents nurtured me, encouraged me, supported me, guided me, kept me on course and convinced other parents and relatives that being as artist was someone that I would certainly become. Sure, I had friends and played but I also liked to go off to myself to draw or write or to think "big thoughts" while lying on the grass gazing up at the cloud shapes shifting endlessly in the blue sky. It was all a big mystery up there but somewhere up there was the answer to everything. I still love looking at the clouds.

November sunset by Anna Arnold 2010

I know I am alive to help make things better somehow through art and education. All of my experiences and all of the people I have met and encountered have molded me into the active and inquisitive woman I am today. What can I innovate in the areas of art and education? Who can I join forces with to help to invent something to help make people's lives better, more productive or more enjoyable? What small thing can I do to help ignite change in the world? What is the best and most effective ways that I can help educate people with the knowledge that I have?


I am forever a dreamer and I guess you can say that my head is still in the clouds.There is still so much more for me to share and accomplish. So much more growing to do and many many more things to work toward becoming a reality. As James Allen wrote, "Dreams are the seedlings of realities."

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Changing Our World Through Art

May 14, 2011 -- I just had the pleasure of watching a video of the French artist JR, 2011 TED prize winner talk to a TED audience about how he effectively uses art to literally change the world. JR's TED Prize Wish: Use Art to Turn the World Inside Out He often goes into areas of countries where there is an abundance of destruction, violence, despair and grief. These are places where people are struggling to survive, there's a loss of identity and there is no art. He inspires community members to participate. Involvement in these projects gives people hope, a regained sense of identity and opportunities to express these painful emotions.

Inside Out: A Global Art Project

I am a community muralist/art educator. After working with Mural My Neighborhood several years ago and earning a Masters in Art Education from Case Western Reserve University last year, I was commissioned to create community murals in Cleveland last fall. As I watched J.R's video, I realized that murals must go far beyond beautiful or provocative art on a wall. It should have some meaning and connection to the people who live in the area where the mural is installed. I am also, striving to bring vitality, hope and pride to areas of my city where it is needed. Below are murals I created last year for the Buckeye and Hough neighborhoods. I am excited to work with a group of young people and community volunteers to create a huge 19' X 150' exterior mural for Harmony Park in Ward 5 this summer. Harmony Park is the brain-child of Gwen Garth, a Cleveland artist and community activist. Who knows how far this type of work will reach and how many lives that will ultimately be impacted and changed by our work?









Photo by Michael Loccisano for WireImage

Anna Arnold, Getty Images  by Michael Loccisano



"The Storyteller: Hough", Cleveland Museum of Art Community Mural


"The Storyteller" (top) painting on canvas (36" X 48") that is the original sketch and inspiration for the large scale Cleveland Museum of Art Community Mural. Below, Anna stands in front of a section of the 8' X 32' mural that is now installed on the front of the Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center (8611 Hough Ave.) in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood.


The Lotus Blossom Bunny for Year of the Rabbit, Cleveland, Ohio




May 11, 2011 - Cleveland Councilmen Jeff Johnson and T.J. Dow and Anna Arnold with her "Lotus Blossom Bunny" at the unveiling of The Year of the Rabbit sculptures at Convivium 33 Gallery in Cleveland, Ohio. Councilmen Johnson and Dow (along with Joe Cimperman) sponsored Anna's "The Lotus Blossom Bunny for the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation's "Year of the Rabbit" 6th annual public art project celebrating the Chinese lunar year. Anna's rabbit will be displayed on the main stairway at City Hall on Lakeside Ave. throughout the summer in Cleveland.

"This was quite an active day that began in the morning with more work on Angelica Pozo's "St. Luke's Board Up" project and then ended with the Year of the Rabbit" unveiling at Convivium 33 Gallery. It was really exciting to meet Councilmen Jeff Johnson and T.J. Dow, who sponsored my rabbit along with Councilman Joe Cimperman, and have my photo taken with them and the finished sculpture. I am happy to report that they are both pleased with my work and I can't wait for Mr. Cimperman to see it! I saw some pretty amazing rabbit sculptures in this exhibit and I know the public is going to love seeing them all over Cleveland's St. Clair/Superior district."


A Short Visual History of "The Lotus Blossom Bunny"  Photos by Anna Arnold 2011


Read Sarah Sphar's online Ohio Authority article about the Year of the Rabbit below:

Year of the Rabbit  



Read the online article on ArtsQuest, April 26:
Year of the Rabbit