Meet Rezgar Mamandi who hand paints the beautiful pottery and tiles you see in the photographs below.
Manna Pottery was at Shadyside.. the Arts Festival on Walnut Street on Saturday.
Watch this YouTube video to see Rezgar Mamandi paint and glaze a ceramic plate for a wedding gift.
Supporting local small businesses.
This afternoon Pittsburgh Street Pizza was set up in front of McWalker Yarns on Grant Avenue, Millvale PA. (If you’re not local you can still order yarn online but not the pizza 🥲)
And I didn’t even know what a ROCCBOX Oven was until this afternoon.
“The restaurant-grade portable pizza oven. Dual fuel, fire up with the convenience of gas or discover the flavor of wood for the ultimate pizza experience”
Meet Lauren in her brand new Moondust Salon which is housed in Sola Salon Studios on Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh. There’s parking behind the building, you enter from Atlantic Avenue.
Today was opening day. I dodged a few Spring raindrops to document her new endeavor.
Lauren says
“I’ve been in the industry for 4 years. My passions are hair coloring and lightening. I always love challenges. The space is inspired by the movie Practical Magic and Stevie Nicks . I wanted to make a space where people felt comfortable, included, and heard. That’s why I do client applications where I can know hair goals, allergies, social anxiety needs, music/movie preference, and sensory needs.”
“I’m also cruelty free, non-gendered prices, and attempting to be eco friendly like offering a recycling program through my product Amika, to keep plastic waste out of the oceans and landfills.”
Phone number: Call or text 412.436.3446.
Email: moondustsalon@gmail.com
Website (up by April 18th) moondustsalon.com
People at Work. Hard work.
NIcholas Karam leads the team at Karam Restoration of Natrona Heights. They can definitely take pride in their excellent work.
You can see from the photo below how bright and clean looking the brick is now that it’s been restored and new mortar has been put in. They are good at Brick Pointing for sure.
They would arrive before the sun was up and worked in cold temperatures, long dark days.
Today they came and took all the equipment and cleaned up the place. Rinsed the brick again. It’s a pleasure to pull up to the house and see it looking rejuvenated. Plus the porch roof won’t fall down from the missing mortar in the columns. I was thinking the house was built in 1920 but went and looked again and it says 1900.
(Now if only my carpenter would finish the wood that needs to be replaced)
Thanks to Nick and the team for a job well done. See below for the Before and After comparison photographs
Before photo/
Our first photo was four members of the team
Meet Peter King, guitar teacher. I’ve known Peter about 25 years and he invited me to photograph some of his students while he was teaching guitar- electric, acoustic, jazz, finger picking blues, rock- you name it.
You might have seen his photo on the blog performing with the Fast Friends Band.
Peter holds a Master of Music degree in guitar performance from Duquesne University, performs locally and has released several CDs.
I’m sorry to not have sound to accompany this musical post.
A note from Peter King:
To paraphrase the old Peace Corps ad, teaching guitar is the hardest job I’ve ever loved! The cool thing is — not only do my students learn, but they end up teaching the teacher new tricks as well. What’s more, we have big fun while we’re at it!
Here are some of Peter’s students in his music studio during their lessons.
My favorite shot at the end of the second session. My friend Janice (Peter’s wife) made a cameo appearance/photo bomb.
If you live in the Greater Pittsburgh area and you have always wanted to play the guitar, or brush up on your skills and repertoire, go to Peter King Music website and click on the lessons tab for more information.
Maura and I went to Staples today and the man in front of us was getting signs laminated for his business- AN ICE CREAM TRUCK. I am nostalgic for the ice cream trucks of my childhood. We discovered he would be in our neighborhood later after lunch so Maura and I went by the Highland Park Pool and saw some campers lining up to order cool treats. When I met him in the morning, I’d asked if it would be okay to photograph him as part of the ongoing People at Work series and he agreed.
A minimum order of $20 and he will bring his truck to your game, fundraiser, company picnic, birthday party, sporting event, church socia or family reunion. You name it. He sponsors a lot of East End sports teams, too.
Maura had the water ice, cherry flavor and I had a classic ice cream sandwich. Perfect for a summer afternoon. As we left to get into our car Maura said it was great he didn’t play annoying music!
Meet the Youngblood family. James, Eric and Ziarrah. James told me he has been in the ice cream business for six years now. He became self employed as he was having difficulty finding a job so put everything he had, plus a loan of a thousand, into purchasing the truck. I asked him what he does in the winter, Deep Fried Cornish Hens! On a FoodTruck.
I will be sure to check that out. Stay tuned.
James, Ziarrah and Eric work as a team.
How about a Jolly Rancher Popsicle?
Campers and swimmers and families line up to buy ice cream or chips and a drink.
You can see me and Maura and his ice cream truck in James’ sunglasses.
Along the Spree River, in a building covered in vines, you can find Guitar Doc. Here’s Anthony working on his 100th guitar. His father being a handyman was always working with his hands so when Anthony was small, he’d look over his shoulder and watch and learn.
There’s a Vintage Guitar Lounge where you can take an instrument from the wall display and test it as you sit and play. Listen to the tone, feel the heft of the polished wood, strum and pick the strings.
A good day for an addition to the People at Work series.
Guitar Doc
https://www.guitardoc.de/ along the Spree River
The show is over but I wanted to share a good portion of it online for those who weren’t able to come to the gallery.
Thank you Panza Gallery for inviting me to show People at Work. 
The opening – July 7th Photo by Laura 
Neonatal Nurse storyboard with grandson Charlie
Shillelagh Maker
The Family gathered in July 14th
“Play is the work of the child” Maria Montessori
Tessaro’s Storyboard
The Closing was July 27th
Mary Thomas’ article in the Post-Gazette http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/art-architecture/2018/07/25/Ruth-Hendricks-People-at-Work-Panza-Gallery-Eric-Crosby-Andy-Warhol-Foundation-fellowship-Eric-Shiner/stories/201807180009
Tawyna Panizzi article in the Trib
Printing done by Tom Underiner of Pixel River Images
July has been a busy and satisfying month with the People at Work Show exhibiting at Panza Gallery. There was a well attended opening three weeks ago and now tomorrow (Saturday 7/28) the closing reception is at six.
Early Wednesday morning, my good friend Vincie texted me this photo she took when she opened her morning paper. What a happy way to start my day. It just felt great! Mary Thomas wrote a nice article (with four color photos) about the People at Work Show in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 
V sent me the online version when it became available (link below )
Later in the day, I received another text from From Vincie. Her cousin Paula had texted her the photo below saying “Great article about Ruth in the Post-Gazette today”
Very thoughtful of them both. Thanks Vincie and Paula.
It’s been a nice feeling to have good friends and family who cheer me on and encourage me.
Aphrodite at Ritter’s Diner came to see her People at Work portrait. Her photo was in the newspaper, too.
This is a good time to thank Panza Gallery Owner Mark Panza who (2 years ago) invited me to show my People at Work series and who hung the show beautifully.
Also thanks to his wonderful daughter, Jennifer Panza, whose generous help was essential in making the show a success. And a grateful nod to her fiancé J for getting the beer and ice.
(Mark Panza on left, photo taken by my son Mark)
Thanks to artist Carol Skinger, fellow member of Pittsburgh Society of Artists Guild, who tutored me about publicity for the People at Work Show.
And special thanks to Tom Underiner of Pixel River Images for making me shine by printing my work expertly, using the archival pigment on the Hahnenmuhle rag paper.
Bernie Pintar was the official greeter and encouraged gallery goers to sign the guest book.
THE PEOPLE AT WORK SHOW IS A GO!
Millvale suffered from the heavy rains and the Main Street looked like a river flowing right through the center of town. The roads were closed Thursday. Anyone watching the local news, wondered if the opening of my People at Work Show, scheduled for Saturday 7/7 at 6 PM, could still happen. And the answer is yes. Clean up crews worked feverishly to get the town ready for business.
Hope to see you there for the opening reception Saturday night. Panza Gallery 115 Sedgwick Street Millvale PA.
Regular gallery hours are W TH F 10-5 Sat 10-3
You’ve seen some people at work on the blog already.
