As the old year winds down ... gratitude abounds!

 And we look ahead to what will be!

2013 has been a knockout year for us both personally and professionally. We are so thankful for friends and close family for their support through the big changes this year! We thank our gallery artists for their continued outpouring of creativity for without them we would be nothing!

This year we:

• Moved artstream in June to 10 Second Street in Dover and launched a website to celebrate!
• Wrote and photographed two books! Art Lab for Little Kids and 3D Art Lab for Kids
• Thrilled that Art Lab for Kids is still going very strong.
• Held Summer classes 30 days after moving!
• Created ARC and had a spectacular first year (watch the video)
• Attended book signings and held workshops at The  Eric Carle Museum
• Participated in the Mini Makerie Fair in Dover
• Helped initiate the Dover Art Walk

We are so thankful for our students, clients and patrons in our school, design studio and gallery. Here's to a wonderful end of the year and a terrific beginning of the new!

Cranberry and Popcorn garlands: revisited

These lovely chains/garlands are a blast to make from age 7 and up.. It's so simple. If you haven't tried it, you should!

Just get a strong thread (we used embroidery floss as it was on hand) and a needle. Pop some popcorn with the least amount of oil you can - or air pop it if you have one of those poppers. Buy a bag of fresh cranberries and keep them cold until you are ready to start. Tie a knot in the thread and begin! The popcorn is easiest strung when it is a little stale - so if you think of it, pop it the day ahead of stringing. Push the needle through the fattest part of the popped kernel as that is easiest. We do the traditional every other one being a cranberry - but you can of course do what you like with the pattern. The biggest bonus is that when the tree comes down from the holidays - the cranberry/corn garlands become such nice bird food out in the bushes in the yard.

Off the Grid:: opening!

We had a blast of an opening for Off the Grid last Friday night at artstream!  Big thanks to everyone who came out and supported the artists and Dover's new Art Walk!

 From all over the state of NH we had familiar - and new - faces enjoying the work and taking new tiny artworks to new homes.

 Old friends! Lorena Hart admiring Bridgette Guerzon Mills work in encaustic.

 Local mega talents Vita Mechachonis and Gina Perry  chatting over Paul Timmons work!

 There was a special place to make some art too - in our classrooms ... they were busy!

 Always fun to see Jill Tootell and her big smile (L) and so honored to have Bridgette Guerzon Mills attend the opening all the way from MD! I was thankful for my new pink scarf crocheted by my student Debra Day - you ROCK!

Last but certainly not least the adorable Anne Bryant and beau showed up bearing gifts of old German books for me to tear into. Awesome! A great and grateful night all in all. There are plenty of works left to buy - check them out right here!

Art {Retreat} Camp 2014 registration open!

It's on - 2014 ARC is up and ready to roll! We are thrilled to announce our staff/workshops/offerings that 25 campers can enjoy with us. Hop over here to view the video wrap up from last year to get a better picture of the experience! Remember how great it was to go to camp as a child? It's even better as an adult - and at ARC you don't have to bring or ship materials - it's all included and ready and waiting for you.  The island is a magical place with space to dream, listen to the quiet and reconnect with yourself. We hope to see you all on Mayhew Island next August!

The Eric Carle Museum Workshop Visit

A couple of weekends ago Rainer and  I travelled over to the Western side of Massachusetts for a book signing and hands on workshop a the Eric Carle Museum of picture book art.

The lovely ladies at the studio at the Carle

 It was the second time they have invited me and I was absolutely thrilled to be asked back this year with my second book:  Art Lab for Little Kids.

We drove out to Williamstown to stay at a friend's place and enjoyed the quiet beauty of the area and the light! Oh the light in the Berkshires! It rivals anything I have ever seen anywhere.

 The next morning we headed out for Amherst. TheArt Lab for Littles -  together and everyone left with a colorful drawing in hand.
museum is a lovely place to spend an afternoon with famly and so many families from NYC to NH were there that day. We all made Buttermilk Chalk Drawings - the first lesson in my second book Art Lab for Little Kids. It was a lesson that I did as a child with my mom and it is a whole lot of fun!

 Some of the chalk was quite wet and left lovely swirls in the buttermilk cups!

 Some of the participants let me take their photos in front of the Aviary Wall which was stunning!

 The art studio is nothing short of incredible and the families really have a ton of choices of what to make and to try out inside the space. It's a joy to create inside this lovely studio!

 Over in the gift shop Rainer insisted on a photo of their incredible display (thank you ECM!) of my books.  This gift shop is the ultimate art - kids - parents- treasure trove of wonderful books, toys and games for kids of all ages. Huge thanks to everyone at the Art Studio for a wonderful day!

Beautiful Fall, beautiful plans

Hello dear readers. I have been amiss with my posts but there is so much to show and tell! 

We are winding up for another session of classes at artstream this week so now is the time to jump in and get creative with us!! Check out all the goodness we have going here for you... or your children ... or maybe you want to jump into one of our new workshops or big art nights? 

And coming VERY SOON is the reveal of our 2014 ARC season. November 15th!

Mimi Kirchner Painting on the Beach 

Hello October!

It's the month of color here in New Hampshire. Orange comes to mind. It looms large over our house as seen above. (no filter) Our trees are starting to flame and the crisp air is a refreshing change for most of us. Wistfully I am still clinging to the magic that was this summer. It's hard for me to embrace the change. I am in love with summers.

Our days however are filled with beauty inside the studio as well now that it is fall. So much art making going on. A beautiful new show by Judith Heller Cassell. (Opens Friday - join us at 5!)  And lots of art to install this month for a new corporate client! Wheeeee!

New work by Carol Roll

We are thrilled to have new work by Carol Roll in the gallery. All work is online here!

3D classes at artstream

Continuing with our peeks into the classrooms here at arttstream ... brings us to the 3D portion of our week. Kids clay class,Girls Craftastic Class, 3D Tween Art and Adult clay class! All begin today! Register now and jump in!

kids clay class!

Girls Craftastic Club

Tweens 3D Class

Kids Clay Classes (above below)

Adults Clay Class

Tell me about your 3D construction ...

A little video in which one of my students tells me about his work.  These pieces were fantastic in the process AND in the end. Enjoy!

Today's classes at artstream

Today begins our school year long classes at artstream ! Yippee!! I thought it would be fun to show a slice or snippet from each of the classses we offer each day this week.
Today is Art for Littles, 2D for Tweens, After School Art and Painting for Adults. So here we go!

littles class ages 4-6 drawing here

tween 2D using gouache

afterschool art doing a  little printmaking

the adult class working at the table with painting 

What do you want to try?

Alan Rushing :: A Wondrous Place

We are thrilled to show you all a small peek at two of Alan Rushing's work.

  We are unveiling our September exhibit at artstream "A Wonderous Place" 

Thursday 5:30-7:30 is the opening and we hope you join us! 

10 Second Street Dover, NH 

Hello September!

the tree house at Mass Art (based on the Klimt painting Tree of Life)

Here's to a wonderful long weekend that was ... hoping yours was everything you wanted it to be! It wasn't the sunniest here but that didn't dampen our spirits one bit. Over at chez Schwake we had a busy time packing and sending Chloe off to Mass Art in Boston. Rainer and Grace and I all wanted to stay and take classes as their programs are so exciting. Reluctantly we left her at orientation and shedding a few empty nest tears, we shoved off.  Back to NH for an exciting fall of our own. 

This week also marks a new adventure for me. I am going to be teaching an online course beginning in January and am very excited to reveal it to you all at the end of this week! Stay tuned for details ...

September also brings a full slate of exciting new classes at artstream.  Fall classes start at artstream on the 9th and we are excited to add some new teachers and opportunities to our slate. Check them all out here!

Something new for Dover (artstream's new home!)  The Dover Art Walk! Our September opening in the gallery occurs this Thursday evening with Alan Rushing's magnificent paintings. These really are a must see! Stay tuned this week here to see a sneak peek of a few of them right here.5:30-7:30 is the live opening and we will greet you with a glass of wine, a nibble or two and an exciting mix of fine art and craft for you to peruse. 

Mati Rose teaching Daring Adventures in Paint on the Beach

Additionally we are sending a juicy newsletter out today (sign up here is you are not already on the list!) full of opportunities. Classes and workshops along with opening our pre-registration for next summer's 2013 Art {retreat} Camp! ARC is a small sized retreat which will nourish your soul and allow you to create among other like thinking creatives in the most peaceful setting imaginable.  Click through to see what one of our illustrious instructors Mati McDonough had to show+tell about her experience.  

What September is bringing to artstream in Dover

Ah that summer is coming fast to a close and our thoughts turn to Autumn classes and adventures at artstream . There are new classes already announced and filling fast on the website here.  Oh! And yes - that IS a screenshot up there of our new website by the way ... (thanks to Rainer in our design dept!)

We are also thrilled to open our Autumn season of exhibits on September 5th from 5:30 - 7:30 with Alan Rushing's new paintings "A Wondrous Place". Also on exhibit will be Mitchell Rosenzweig's pastel landscapes and a final look at Linda Plaisted's Luna Park encaustics.  Nibbles and wine will be served and a special 15% off everything in the gallery will help us celebrate the new season! Join us at 10 Second Street in Dover, NH

Art {retreat} Camp in photos

We arrived early to set up for camp. The lake was calm and the peacefulness which the island exudes was apparent everywhere. We were excited to greet the campers and teachers and get the show on the road! Which of course we did right away ... diving in 

to Dioramarama with Rachel Blumberg (shown above work in that class by Mimi Kirchner) 

Some interment making with Rachel Blumberg ended up with a performance on Saturday night jamming out a tune called "Mayhew Mayhem"... above is Kerry from Australia hard at work making her very own strumpfiddle!

 Lots of painting was happening each day with Mati McDonough right on North Beach. Yes folks. Painting on the beach. It doesn't get much better than that! Lisa Solomon also taught crochet and Day to Day Art on the beach and Rebecca Emberley was talking children's book publishing and teaching her collaging techniques up on the front porch... into the night! Everyone was so inspired that they could not stop.

 There were fires on the beach with tie dyeing and s'mores making ... much merriment and art biz discussions and networking.

 General merriment and sharing were a huge part of each day with everyone bringing something special to the discussions.

And in the evening there was special music with Jeffery Underwood and Rachel Blumberg. Magic I tell you... simply magical! 

On the shores of Mayhew Island ARC came to life this summer - and we can not wait until next year! 2014 dates will be announced here, on the facebook group (join now!) and on the website very soon. Until then, these photos will have to do ...