Yesterday, today and tomorrow...

Yesterday was our anniversary ... so we celebrated at our favorite local resturant ...
Pepperland Cafe in South Berwick, Maine. The warm red walls of the little cafe and yummy delightful entrees and champers made for a wonderful evening. Their site doesn't show the interior space there, but next trip, I will shoot some more because it is the coziest, little place serving the best, locally produced (and cuisine to DIE for) dinners around.





Today ... I am dashing about getting info to people about our classes and workshops starting the week of the 11th of September! Cleaning up and rearranging the studio and the gallery to make room for a new exhibition - making sure we have plenty of supplies on hand for the new teaching year... good thing I like things TIDY!


Tomorrow - talking with some of the local film makers and previewing some of the films which we have been receiving for our SECOND annual short film festival called Filmstream . last year was a blast and a standing room only crowd ... so we said, hey why not? It's art!
This year we have already received films in from as far away as North Carolina and we are so excited to see what some of these directors have cooked up!

Oh! You want to enter? Your film is 15 minutes or less? No problem... there is still time - just until October 16th though... download our entry form at our gallery site and get all the scoop there. We are very interested in films from abroad too!

The word for the day is ... preview ... as in looking in for the first time, the snippet of the future and a short short short film before the film.

Inspiration from an urban space

This time from a couple of snaps I took from inside the MoMa... looking forward to our return visit to NYC in September. I am gathering strength for some new paintings about the Luberon. Small works and a couple of window size slices too. Pulling out the ochre and gettin' in the mood. What do these photos have to do with that? Not a lot. Except that like most, I draw my inspiration from many sources be it the Bauhaus or Provence.

The word for the day is ... eclectic ... as in garlic and ginger in the morning eggs, the idea of a bauhaus textile draped on an asian carved stool and a kitchy "blue heaven" dinnerware piece set off with a danish flatware set.

Egg Press Letter Press Cards

These little cards with birds and faux wood envelopes have captured our hearts at artstream.
Egg Press makes these one at a time by hand in their Portland, Oregon studios. We have them now at artstream and our online shop. Vivid colors, delightful prints, fabulous envelopes!

The word for the day is ... handcraft ... as in sustainable goods made one at a time, quality work and something which comes from the heart of the hand.

Inspiration

skaket beach grass

nauset beach at twilight

provincetown

skaket beach does andy goldsworthy, without andy goldsworthy ...

Ah vacation. There is nothing like it for finding inspiration in the simple beautiful things around you. Here are some shots from our beach vacation, this past week where I was able to:

draw draw draw
think and ponder some more
love my family more directly
wander around at dawn on the beach
sleep to the sound of waves
collect sanity in huge sandy handfuls.
gallery hop and window shop

Nice to go away, nice to return home. To me there is nothing like Nauset beach to bring your mind forward whilst keeping your body quite in one magnificent spot.

The word for the day is ... depth ... as in the level at which you live your life and relationships you have with others.

Another Match

peony pair mixed media on #140 arches 8"x 10"
OK, the little match girl was a bit sad for a warm summer's day, so I will leave you with something a little bit more uplifting. Besides, we are leaving for Cape Cod for the week and I don't want to leave winter here on your screen. So first - here is a "matched" pair of peonies from a pile of sketches earlier this summer of the last great flowers in my garden ... I have a pile of them, in different "poses" - just email me if you would like one - they are all about 8 x 10 on arches paper and a mere $25.

More excitement as vacation draws near... meet our new intern at artstream - Matthan! She just graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH with a degree in Art history/Anthropology and we are so pleased to have her on board! We met through our gallery prospectus as she and her sisters, Ascher and Jadah have a line of jewlery they wanted us to see. This is a very special line which they make all by hand - Betty Jewels (named after their grandmother who loved big earrings) -and the major portion of the proceeds go to cancer reasearch via Relay for Life. Made by hand with total heart. How great is that? As they say, Just like that you can make yourself look and feel better. They will be in our shop!
Have a wonderful end of summer and for some fun and games check out these links while I'm away!

*Via BoingBoing (and DH) old to all of you, I am sure, but my new favorite Canadian - Rick Mercer. Totally off topic of art- or is it? Utterly magnificent.

*Via Grace at design*sponge - Pamela Barsky's piggy bank (check out that lovely Amy Ruppel in the flicker photos)

*All about crayons with Jan.

*Some magnificent artwork of Tapies via Susanna.

*One of the best stories I have read in a blog all summer - ok, two stories! One of Ulla's (regarding devient art) and one about being fashionable by Corey!

*A peek at some art that is coming in to us in a couple of weeks ... love it! - Albina!

*Completely amazing art via Lena Corwin's blog here...

*Have you gone to see what Diana Fayt is up to? We can't wait to get our order from her next month!

*Can you really ever get enough information about your brew and quality writing (with sound effects) to go along with your favorite beer? I think not. This guy cracks me up.

Prost! it's vacation time....

Little Match Girl

ink/watercolor/caran d'arche/golden paint 5"x7"
The first thing I thought of on this beautiful summer's day when I heard IF's prompt -
match... was the story of the little match girl. No idea why. But here is my version I whipped up just for this, today. She is all a-flame with her last three matches glowing and the sky opening up for her. Too wintery for you? Yeah ... me too. So I showed another match here ...
Go see more "matches" at Illustration Friday.

lovlies

stringbean girls make bottlecap pins ...

davis studios make beautiful porcelain plates/miso bowls/cups
we have vases too ... i just love these three pieces together though...

feli from perth sent me some lovely earrings ... we are getting some to sell for the shop!!
have a wonder - filled night/day!

Kitty, Cat, Sharks

"Can I Have a hug? " Ashley G. 8.5 " x 11"

"Bella" Bruce Andrew McKay 12"x12"
"
"Balloo" Bruce Andrew McKay 12" x 12"
So here are three brilliant members of the animal kingdom as seen at artstream. As promised one of Kitty Genius - Ashley G's new prints, (the other one here) three whimsical cats: Balloo, Bella and Jimbo from BAM (aren't they adorable?) and a shark mobile way up at our ceiling by Ron Fountain.

Swimming with sharks Ron Fountain 36" x28" x36"
Bruce McKay was kind enough to send us these three 12x12 inch pieces mid show and I just had to show them here. They will be in the shop soon! Ron came in with the sharks to replace another mobile and we are thinking of a couple of lawyers who might need to come see this for their offices... we delivered another couple of Ron's pieces last night to the new HRCU bank opening at the local highschool. Rainer designed the interior of the bank and we got our first peek yesterday. Will show photos later as it is very exciting to see his design work come alive in a space! Ron's pieces will be hung on the new hip bright orange and green walls. Yes, it is not your father's credit union!

Jimbo Bruce Andrew McKay 12"x12"
The word for the day is ... mingle... as flavors in a marinade, old ideas with new, and a group of people at a gathering.

Blue Sky

blue sky encaustic 6"x6" $100
Wax is a medium which I enjoy tremendously. This is one small (6"x6") landscape I did in a series of 8 with encaustic medium I made with damar crystals and beeswax , R and F pigments and oil bars. And a lot of heat. I mean a lot. It is a hard to control medium, but that is the pleasure of it. Who need predictablity in their art? Ok, once in awhile it is good. But wax keeps you on your toes.

I have been busy with photographing the other goodies we are putting into our shop ... including lovely letterpress cards from Egg Press which just came in today, (here is a sampling below) and some jewelry from Freear Art as well as some other surprises. Oh yes here is one surprise here ... remember back when I did a spotlight on Kitty Genius - aka Ashley G? Look for some work that she did just for us at our new shop at artstream! We are so excited!
more to come.... Mixing it all up in the shop with one of a kinds is a lot of fun and a lot of work. But it is all part of the beauty of buying something made by hand, one at a time, from an artist.

The word for the day is ... construct ... like the final pieces of the project, the tower of babel, and those tinkertoys which I just can't seem to get around to playing with anymore...

Night Garden

nightgarden mixed media 12"x36"

In the night garden we will linger.

While we search for the perfect stem -

the one which has the fragrance of wine,

to drink in the evening,

one breath at a time,

one step at a time,

through the wet grass

passing the damp leaves

which stroke our legs.

one word begins - then stops

It tugs at our hearts.

--
Sometimes it takes a single piece of work to inspire a change in direction to your work, sometimes a single word.

More poetry at Poetry Thursday
More art at Inspire me Thursday

Play and Shop

when play got away
4" x 6" ink/watercolor on #140 arches
click for larger image

When I got the Illustration Friday prompt play an hour ago in my inbox I skipped on down to the painting room and had some fun. Which was good for me today, because last night dear Chloe had a friend over and I was not feeling quite so happy around 3 a.m. Little girls like to PLAY. My take on the prompt play was skipping rope.
When no one would play with you on the play ground, you could always skip rope. My preoccupation in elementary school (besides drawing constantly) was flying and skipping rope. I guess the prompt brought me to a playful place where the two could come together with my recent red bird drawings. These are all going to be for sale as originals and they are in the process of becoming note cards too, in our new little shop. Stay tuned!
Thank you Penelope for helping me be less grumpy this morning! (yes, those little girls are still sleeping...)

The word for the day is obvious. Go PLAY! It is Friday after all ...

Luberon

luberon 2 oil/acrylic/ochre/charcoal 12"x16"


Luberon 1 oil/acrylic/ochre/charcoal 12"x 16"

the cliffs at the Luberon

rocks at Avignon
When my husband and I came back from the south of France I had to just spill the experience all out of me onto canvas and illustration board. There were so many places which visually impacted me. None greater however, than the Luberon area where ochre is mined.It stained my shoes and my mind permanently! I brought back some ochre pebbles to draw with which I bought at the ochre mine. Rocks were the theme of the entire trip, but the ochre ones warmed my soul. Here are two works inspired from the Luberon and some of my own photos of our favorite rocks from that trip...
(the rocks that launched a thousand artworks...)

the word for the day is ... unexpected ... as in where inspiration can come from, the everyday object viewed in a different way , and a turn of events.

U Rock Penhollow Press Cards

I love Penhollow Press and the cards which they make! We are carrying their work in cards and notes at the gallery. Here is one which we have added to our new shop... enjoy! (more designs will appear there soon ... keep watching!)
I still don't feel wonderful but today is so lovely, we are heading out to the beach.

The word for the day is ... whimsey ... as in something cute but not overly, a flight of fancy and a word which according to Tammy is underused.

Black and White

Lillian, Paige and Sophie india ink on 96# stock 4" x 6" each

The ink is black the page is white. Here are three of 30 little ink drawings I did yesterday afternoon. They are my practice with drawing. I rarely allow my students to use an eraser and often ask them to draw with sharpie or ink. Why would I do differently for myself? (My husband and I call these sketches of mine ... blobbies) Something for Inspire me Thursday too!


arctic spring monotype/foamcut/ink 16" x 20"

This image is a monotype mixed with two foam cut prints and ink drawings. Feeling a bit under the weather today so I think I will enjoy the garden and cool summer breezes here. Hope you are too!

The word for the day is ... stark ... as in the reality of the situation, the contrast of black on white and the ultimate in design concept (my favorite!)

Design - local and across the seas ...

photograph by angela gwinner

First, I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Cat Morley for featuring me yesterday on Designers who Blog. There is some great reading there on loads of designers of all types so scoot on over there are read all about it!
Now on with the ramble:
As someone who has lived most of my adult life within close driving distance of Boston I must say that the more I traveled, the more I realized it was just not the "end all".
However, there are always a few shining stars which always make up for an otherwise dark night. Koo de Kir is one of those. Great accessories and impeccable taste. And now, you can keep abreast of what is happening in their fabulous store with their new blog! Hooray for that!
A little further down the coast into Rhode Island you can find one amazing glass artist who has a real knack for color and shape. Tracy Glover of Cranston, RI has some of the most unique lamps I have seen in some very stunning colorways. She hails from RISD where twice a year you can go see past alumni's work at their alumni sale.

Finally a little something on the photographic side. Yes, she is my friend, but I call them as I see them. Angela Gwinner has a brand new bag. I mean camera. I can not think of anyone more deserving. Angela is a designer, past gallery owner, and photographer who sees the world in a way that I can get excited about. Pictures tell a thousand words. You can see her work at our new online shop or stop in to artstream to view her latest accomplishments - beautifully framed and hanging on the walls ready to go home with you!


photograph by angela gwinner

The word for the day is ... genuine ... as in true through and through, quality work made by hand, the real "mac coy"!

Capture - embrace

embrace oil/acrylic/charcoal/oilbar 3' x 4.5' on canvas

I finally finished this big painting I had been working on for two years. (!) Talk about slow and taking your time to decide. I am showing it for the Illustration Friday theme of capture. For me, it captures the idea of capturing the moment. Which is why I love visual art. It give me the chance to visually explore a feeling which, however momentary, can change your life forever.

More illustrations of "capture" at Illustration Friday here!

The word for the day is ... sublime ... as in a place which you can only experience and not tell about, the pondering of the beyond, and that creme brulee over at "Pepperland" in South Berwick, ME.

Sneak Peek #2 - late summer

Egg Press is coming to artstream ! In less about two weeks, dozens of lovely letterpress cards (and a few delightful offset too!) will fly in to our gallery and our online shop from Portland, Oregon! I can hardly wait. Talk about tough choices ... I had the catalog open for hours trying to choose. I love the fact that they are a company which makes them one at a time, which falls right into our philosophy of original art above all.
Here is the skinny on the fabulous company direct from their website:

Who we are: Egg Press was started in 1999 by Tess Darrow, and has since grown to a staff of nearly a dozen (or a baker’s dozen if you count Pearl and Zeb). Still a small company, we each wear a number of hats to get all the jobs done.

What we do: Primarily known for our hand-made letterpress greeting card line, Egg Press also creates a daringly bold offset collection and many loveable screenprinted baby tees. In addition, we design and print memorable custom wedding announcements, birth announcements and coordinating stationery.

The Egg Press studio is located in a building known as “the Plant” in southeast Portland, Oregon. There are currently seven presses in our studio ranging from our hand-cranked Vandercook proofing press to our hand-fed Chandler & Price and Kluge platen presses, to our feisty Heidelberg windmill press. Our paper is cut to size on a space-age guillotine cutter the size and weight of a small truck. Tucked into one corner is our silkscreening operation, featuring a manual four-color press that resembles a carnival ride.

images and text from Eggpress.

Sneak Peek for September

Here is a piece I picked up for a photoshoot from Eve Corey for the September exhibition at artstream. I am most excited to show her work again because I absolutely adore her, her art and her home. I am hoping to go back to her house and take photos to share with you because it is the single most beautifully designed artists home/studio that I. have. ever. seen. (in my humble opnion) Let's see if she is game...


The word for the day is ... glisten ... as in a little steamy sweat, a lovely silver necklace or the dew on the grass this morning.

Lampworked Fun

Here is a close up of "Fun" lampworked necklace from Amy Ouellette's collection of hot glass work. I chose this one today as it is my birthday and even though it is very hot already here... I am going to have some fun - even though the fun has already begun! We have a lot of Amy's one of a kind pieces at the gallery and some online here. Her buttons are beautiful too for all of you knitters and seamstresses.

They are just looking for a home on your special work. Or refashioned jacket?
I am off to have fun but first to make my personal new years resolutions. I never do it on January 1st, but always on August 1st as well, it is my new year. I hope that your day is lovely and that you are enjoying each and every moment of summer as much as I am ... why does it seem so short?

The word for the day is ... contemplate ... the options, the past and what to embrace for the future.