April 30, 2010

Megan Bogonovich: our new Artist in Residence


Big news! This spring and summer Megan Bogonovich will be our very own Artist in Residence! We are thrilled and so anxious for her to move in. Megan's work has graced our gallery for four years now and with her range of work (starting at 20 dollars!) and scope of artistry we couldn't be happier. It's not every day that you meet someone as nice either. Stop by in May and say hello to her!

April 29, 2010

Spruce Pine Cone by Lisa Congdon


Last days for Lisa Congdon's Fragmentary Blue exhibit. We just love this installation of tiny drawings and might have to let it linger a few more days though... Check out the shop, there are a few more pieces which would go nicely in a small group with this lovely Pine Cone!

April 26, 2010

My favorite Maira Kalman

just sayin' .... click through the photo to see more. She's just that good.

Brooklyn, how we love thee!

one amazing meal at downtown atlantic
the brooklyn flea was fun
we walked across the brooklyn bridge at night
not brooklyn, but it sort of sums it up ...
It's always great to have a vacation and to come home and reflect on the time away. It's always BETTER when we do the vacation in Brooklyn with our good friends Cogen/Johnson. What a great trip - art, music, friends, tea,walking tours, food, food, food, flea, bridge walking, bagel/bialy eating, oh wait, yes, that is food. Our trip took us most everywhere around with plenty left to go back again and see. One of the highlights of our trip for me was the Maira Kalman exhibit. It was simply a stunner of a show with a whole room lit from the top (European style) with a skylight flooding the room with natural light. Her work from the Inauguration series was there along with some of my favorite pieces of hers - the oysters, the teacup. It was truly beautiful!
We came back to a refinished gallery too - the plaster work was done and now our walls look smooth and fabulous! A face lift! We are amazed at how much the little details make always. And it shows off the work on the walls even better. If you haven't seen this show - you simply must. Lisa's work is completely iconic and Kim Westad's complements it perfectly. There are still some small works left - perfect for mother's day -- or yourself perhaps? Stop by and say hello!

April 16, 2010

Mocoloco today!


today on Mocoloco, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Thanks so much to Sabine at Mocoloco for writing about our exhibition of Lisa Congdon's work: Fragmentary Blue. Check it out here. We are off to Brooklyn right now - love the wifi but will be shutting down save for a few uploads of photos to flickr and facebook ...
Lots of plastering in store at the gallery this weekend and early next week, due to some old calcitrate paint eating away at the old plaster. Sounds all shabby chic and goth like, but honestly it was time for repairs. So we will be closed today, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week, but back in on Thursday. Saturday we are open from 10-2. I hope that everyone who can make it will get over here to see the show - it really is a beauty.
Speaking of beauty - last night's Spotlight Awards show at the Music Hall in Portsmouth was absolutely wonderful. Megan Bogonovich won the best Narrative Artist Award and the outpouring of support for the arts by Howard of SMG for pulling the entire event together was incdredible. Hats off to the evening - it was smashing!

April 14, 2010

New England crafts - in our window


our window + my chair, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

This is the other window in the gallery which is filled with traditional crafts of New England, to compliment Fragmentary Blue's theme. We have beautiful rugs from Lisa Morrisey made from wool hooking. We have gorgeous hand made pillows from Enhabiten right over in Henniker, NH and wool penny rugs from Nancy Hubbard, right here in Rochester. What could be better than celebrating our area? Hmmm, the blooming forsythia, and the beautiful new chair I scored at the auction last friday, for a song maybe?

April 13, 2010

Lisa Congdon - Humpback Whale


I have to single out this beautiful painting today as not only is it in the front window of our gallery, but in the forefront of my mind as well. I think the deep dark color of the background really highlight the fantastic rendering of the whale and give it a lot of emotion as well. It is just my favorite in the show I guess. Oh you like it too? It's available here!
While Lisa was here we did a little podcast and if I can manage to finish the editing - I hope to load it up here before we go to NYC on Friday!

April 12, 2010

What art can do ... by Mary-Jo

artwork by Jen Renninger

I asked Susan if I could be a guest writer on her blog today since it is the one year anniversary

of the loss of my husband. At the time he was in hospice, the Jen 11 show was on exhibit.

Jen Renninger's piece, "Everything is going to be okay" just spoke to me and I had to have it.

It displayed prominently on my kitchen wall where I can see it all the time. It has brought me

such peace and surprisingly everything has been okay! It is one of my most favortite pieces.

Who's that knocking on my birch tree?



Yesterday we caught up with some house repairs and renos. We ripped out our front porch! Always a can of worms we say -- what happens next when we start one project and find four more. But it had to be done and the bonus was late in the day Sunday whilst I was painting - this little fellow and his friend were up in our tree, pecking away. A yellowbellied Sap Sucker and a little downy woodpecker. The downy was too fast for my camera, but this big guy posed for me.
Hope your weekend was full of wonder too!

April 11, 2010

Opening of Fragmentary Blue






I'll let the photos do the talking as it was a wonderful time this past Friday and it just shows ...

April 09, 2010

hanging out hanging up


hanging out hanging up, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Sorry for the lack of posts - but it's been a busy one. So much fun with Amy Ruppel and Lisa Congdon in the past two days here in NH! Hanging the show and heading out for an auction over in Concord last night took up blogging time *happily* and so ... here is a shot of the work part of that time. Amy was a huge help with most everything and a super fun person to have around.

Today finishing touches going on and then we are going to do a little podcasting. That will be fun as well... I will present that here early next week so keep your eye on this spot! Until then, stop by tonight to see this fun fabulous New England show filled with beautiful iconic interpretations of our part of the world. It's smashing. 5 to 7 p.m. tonight. Do come! Directions here!

April 07, 2010

Portable Pantry in downtown Rochester!

lemon squares - my favs
yum
the case of deserts
friendly staff!
eat outside if the weather lets you!
stroll down to Hanson Street
We have been waiting for a nice little cafe to pop up downtown ... and it did! Susan over at the Portable Pantry had a booming business out in Northwood and a year ago made the move to Hanson Street right around the corner from artstream. All I can say is simply go. Her breakfasts are divine, her lunches are filled with fresh - fresh -fresh and as one who can't say no all the time to desert, well, she fills the bill there too. Friendly staff, and a little place to eat outside if the weather is allowing that. Ah, the coffee - Carpe Diem! (not that I drink coffee, but just sayin) So get on over to Hanson Street in downtown Rochester and have yourself a gourmet sandwich or bowl of homemade soup! My personal fav is the roasted tomato soup. If you go to her website you can see the menu and sign up for the lunch menus to be sent directly to you. Temptation! The deserts range from large home made cookies to sinfully rich cupcakes and scones. Just go. And don't forget her take out freezer. All sorts of dinners and extras to go!

Susan also hosts some dinner time events at her wonderful cafe - check in with her website or get on her list to be informed of the delightful once a month fun!

April 06, 2010

Fragmentary Blue an exhibit for April

green vase by Kim Westad

lisa congdon's drawings

at artstream we are getting quite geared up for our next show with Lisa Congdon and Kim Westad. Here are the beautiful drawings (tiny but each one packs a punch!) which we are unpacking this afternoon!
Everything from the show is on the shop right here!

April 05, 2010

Spring!



Happy Monday from super sunny NH! Lots of yardwork done this weekend (see our forsythia we are forcing?) along with much painting and work on a variety of projects. We are prepping the studio for our next show with Lisa Congdon and Kim Westad so will be leaving you with these links to peruse the work and at 5 tonight you can go to pre-purchase your favorite pieces! A few are already spoken for so don't lallygag!


April 04, 2010

Lisa Congdon- sapbuckets

Yep. It's that time again ... and this newest painting by Lisa Congdon just really sums it up. It's maple sugaring time! And time for a new exhibition!
Please join us on Friday, April 9th from 5-7 p.m. to celebrate the opening of "Fragmentary Blue" an exhibition of San Francisco artist Lisa Congdon's paintings and drawings. Along with Lisa's work we will be introducing sculptural functional porcelain ware by Kim Westad of the Bronx.

About the show in Lisa's words:
Why make so much of fragmentary blue In here and there a bird, or butterfly, Or flower, or wearing-stone, or open eye, When heaven presents in sheets the solid hue? Since earth is earth, perhaps, not heaven (as yet) Though some savants make earth include the sky; And blue so far above us comes so high, It only gives our wish for blue a whet. -“Fragmentary Blue” -Robert Frost, New Hampshire, 1923 Fragmentary Blue is an homage to New England, a place that San Francisco artist Lisa Congdon has grown to revere since she first visited in 2005. Like many before her, Lisa is drawn to its rich colors, expanses of thick forest, old signage, kind people, starkly different seasons and vast coastline. She dreams almost daily about building a very small dwelling in some small New England town in the woods and living alone there for periods of time to draw and paint everything around her. The show will include 25 paintings and 25 drawings.

All the work will be available for preview at our shop and available for purchase beginning April 5th. Visit our site for more info: www.artstreamstudios.com

April 03, 2010

Saturday - Sunglassees People


Daughter Grace is in Rennes France this year studying. She has a couple of blogs. One is about her adventures in studying and living in France. The other is Sunglasses People. It's an adventure in meeting people during her travels and asking them to wear her sunglasses and let her snap a shot. Go take a peek at her posts so far and leave her some love. It's a pretty sweet idea. Go Grace!

April 02, 2010

What April brings ...

happy happy birthday mom! her cake we celebrated last night... recipe at http://www.weekdayfood.blogspot.com
i just adore scaffolding. no idea why. rusty metal perhaps?
plaster disaster!
Kim Westad's spring green vase
from Lisa Congdon
Oh April, how we have waited for you! Through the rains and pains of March we (not so quietly) waited. Boo hiss March -- yay! April. We are in the construction mode at the moment at the gallery. Repairs on the old girl (she's 106 now) are underway before our new exhibit opens next week: Fragmentary Blue by Lisa Congdon and new porcelain by Kim Westad. It's also my mother's birthday today so there is just so much to celebrate. Remember to go out and enjoy the sunshine, be happy and plant a flower. It's time!