Happy 4th!

closer look, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Explosion of color (and white) in the garden this weekend...
Off to the beach here, what are you up to this weekend?
Happiness all around!

Sun Stroke

Sun Stroke, originally uploaded by & rebecca.

A beautiful email today dropped into my box from the emerging artist Rebecca Volynsky. Here is her mixed media piece called "Sun Stroke". Click through it to see more images of her work. She also has a nice little blog called silhouettes and an etsy shop by the same name. Rebecca hails from Providence RI and she is going to attend Boston University in the fall - (yes, she just graduated from High School!) I would say that this is one woman to watch.
Thanks Rebecca!

Lisa Congdon + Lisa Solomon (on deck)

Lisa Congdon designed the announcement card above - so beautiful!
We are thrilled to share with you a sneak peek of our next exhibition: Pigmentary Portraits with Lisa Solomon and Lisa Congdon from the Bay Area. You are all invited and we really hope to see you at the gallery on July 18th from 5-8 p.m. This is going to be a wonderful exhibit and we are so happy that they BOTH are coming out to attend the opening.
Here are their own words surrounding the exhibition:For their joint exhibition artstream in Rochester, NH, Bay Area artists Lisa Congdon and Lisa Solomon are exploring a selected palette.

In their own ways they will research and investigate the historical origins of Indigo and Cobalt blue, Indian and Ochre yellow, Verdigris and Malachite green, Vermillion and Alizarin red, Cadmium and Realgar orange, Tyrian and Mars Violet purple, Gofun Shirayuki white, and Ivory/Bone black.

Their hope is to create a portrait of each pigment - through which they may somehow reconnect with the alchemy of colors' past.

Firm believers in the idea that one's materials can only enhance and contextualize one's work, both are interested in exploring where these pigments come from and how to present their findings in a visually rich language.

day bloomer

day bloomer, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

another one of our flowers from the garden. i have had so much fun with the camera and these beauties this year - mimi commented on the clematis that the reason for the huge blooms is the tropical weather. it must be! the day lilies are going wild -- and we are just waiting for the hollyhocks to burst!
happy monday to you all - tomorrow a big sneek peek from our upcoming exhibition which includes Lisa Congdon and Lisa Solomon. Get ready for some big big fun (and mark your calendars to come by for the opening - they will be here - July 18th 5-8 p.m.

good day, sunshine

our newest blooms, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Our latest bloomer, in the garden. Something happened this year to our clematis - it 's blooms increased in size by almost double! Have a wonderful weekend!

Big Install ... part one

Installation of work by Bruce Andrew McKay, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Here are four big cathead portraits from Bruce Andrew McKay in an installation at our local hospital.

*side note: Bruce made an incredibly cool commercial for Ford of Canada - check it out here *
We sold these works to our local hospital for their new 88,000 square foot addition (wing is really too small of a word for this four story improvement) . These hang in the children and womens' waiting room.
I took some quickie snapshots at the invocation this morning, but I plan on going back later this month to give a much better documentation of the large body of work which is there - I just didn't have the time to get proper shots today with the groups of people there.
Here's to a grand weekend for everyone - enjoy the delights of summer!

Fields Project - Danny Mansmith and Cathi Bouzide

Today I got a wonderful email complete with photos from the one and only Danny Mansmith. His latest work involves the midwest, corn bins and friend Cathi Bouzide. Check it out here at the site.
I love public art and I love the way this piece changes the landscape so subtly. More on other public art later today!

Scoop of life

This week has already proven to be filled with adventure and summer splendiferous-ness. Big party for 14 yr. old Chloe on Monday, packing and shipping a lot of artwork to live in new exciting places, fun little workshops with kids and adults and packing for aforementioned teen to bustle off to summer camp this weekend. Squeezing in the hanging of an inaugural show at a new off site location in town ( a new huge wing of our local hospital has opened and they put in a small gallery space which we are curating and maintaining) and some speed weeding of the garden has me looking forward to the weekend. 

I finally got (after three years of waiting and saving) an electric palette for my encaustic painting. no. more. griddle. I have saved it for this weekend to fire it up. Ya - hoo! I have a body of work started in acrylic for the summer painting session and some of the works will translate into encaustic pieces.

What are the scoops about? Well, I think they represent the right number of hands I would love to have right about now in the week... and they are little vintage finds available at my little flohmarkt shop.

Summer has begun...

It is seemingly a fleeting moment here in NH but summer is well appreciated by all for months to come. Like Fredrick, in the classic children's tale by Leo Lioni we save the warm memories for the deep dark days of February.
In this spirit of remembering what is around us at all times, the above print made by the fabulous Christine over at the darling shoppe. It is $25 and the proceeds go to help her to attend Squam Art Workshops right here in NH. I love the message and the theme it comes from. Here are Christine's words about the print:
Look Up is my debut True*Stories art print, featuring an original and inspiring drawing and story by yours truly. It reads:

"we don't spend enough time looking up," he said.

"i know," i said
& pointed my head upward.

just then, i saw a balloon floating toward the sun. it was a sign.

I hope we all see the signs today...

The Flohmarkt is open!

beehive measuring cups available at flohmarkt
I needed a diversion I guess - along with a little housekeeping, destashing, decluttering... so I went and opened a little etsy shop called Flohmarkt. Flohmarkt is the German word for "flea market" and well, it seemed appropriate for my idea. I have always collected a bit of this and that and love the eclectic and decayed, along with the idea of re purposing and reusing things.
Lots more goodies to come, but there are at least 10 items there now. I hope you take a peek!

Eve Corey

in my living room - by eve corey, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.
I blogged about Eve a couple of years ago when she was having an exhibition at artstream. I really love her work, her home and all that is Eve. We did a little art swap at that time and I got this beauty. It's been in our living room ever since and I truly never tire of it.

Peony and Parsley

peony and parsley, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Today the white/pink/peach dandies opened up fully and well, my parsley shot through the bolt with some pretty leggy stalks. These two had to pair up for a seat at the table for dinner tonight. Our bare bones walls in the background are almost ready for paint and the wall papered wall (yes, I am going to do one focal wall in a pattern) ...
This pair really spruced up the sub-floor, the 15 year old lace table cloth from Mexico and the repainted (old silver over sage over who remembers what?) side of the road find chairs which adorn our torn to bits kitchen.
Yes, peonies have a way of making the dreariest of renovations seem miles away. And what do you think of that parsley? It's still a garnish, but a bit elevated, don't you think?
I like this evening light, the mix and well, life on a Tuesday... hoping this finds you in an equally satisfied mood!

Bowersock Blue Banner

Bowersock Blue, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Bowersock Gallery down in Provincetown MA on Cape Cod is sportin' two of my new large scale banners. This is a shot they took of the blue one and posted it on their blog. They said they had been looking for some large art for outside their building and well,I guess I had what they wanted. It so nice to see them up and unfurled! Inside they have some of my originals and some tiny art pieces of mine amidst loads of lovely work from many artists on the coast of NH. Thanks Steve and Mike!

Felt handiwork

Daughter Chloe turned 14 this past weekend and she really wanted a new digital camera. We found just the right one for her and just as soon as she opened it and snapped a few shots, she wanted to go down to the home studio and make a felt case for it. She hasn't sewn with a machine that much, but has a new found interest as she has declared she will study fashion design. She used the little Janome Mini and wanted to "draw" like Danny Mansmith on the flap. This is what she came up with and we all think it is adorable.

Embroidery Love

The ever-effervescent-creative diva of NH, Megan Bogonovich stopped in last night for a workshop. She was sporting this fabulous blouse, which, I immediately stopped me in my tracks. When I inquired about it, she said, oh my mommy made it for me! Goodness knows I love me some fancy needlework, but this one is so purely original that she allowed me to photograph her even with details. Blimey! indeed! I love it and can't wait to hear about the dinosaur ones her mumsie is whipping up next... Talent runs, no, sprints in that family!

Angela Liguori

Book art is something special to me. There is such joy in hand binding books. Today I found a local Boston area artist Angela Liguori ... Her graphic design studio specializes in custom made invitations, business cards, hand-bound books and cotton ribbons, directly imported from Italy. She also has a collaboration going with friend Silvana Amato on limited edition books, under the imprint of Edizioni Almenodue, which translates as “Press of at least two. The book of Jumbles above caught my eye. Here is her profile statement from her etsy shop:
Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Angela Liguori first apprenticed in the book arts in a studio in Bologna, where she learned the traditional style of bookbinding while simultaneously completing a university degree in Renaissance Art History. In 1994, she relocated to the United States, accepting position at The Minnesota Center for Book Arts. She now resides in the Boston area, where she continues to work through her business Carta, inc. and teaching book arts to local institutions.

the storm brought them in...

thundershowers brought cooling (whew!) air to our area last night... and brought down a few of the lovely buds outside. oh well, they are loving their space in the studio now and we are enjoying their beauty.
hope your wednesday was special!

peony love

our earliest peony blossom
A slight break from the art scene to share my other passion with you... peonies. I just love everything about this flower. This morning before it gets really crazy hot, I captured the blossom overload in the back garden. Their scent is intoxicating, their color is shameless and well, with this heat we have been experiencing, they are popping open by the bouquet-full.Off to greet 15 kindergarten students from a neighborhood elementary school. They are taking a walk over to see the gallery and play with me in some clay fun!

Lisa DeJohn + designsponge

lisa dejohn @ design sponge guestblogging us, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.
Lisa DeJohn stopped in this week at artstream to interview us for her guest blogging at design sponge. It is always great to see Lisa as she is not only a wonderful artist, but a truly nice person. We talked for quite awhile and she took a lot of photos - but I never imagined such a comprehensive write up as she did on us. Thank you so much Lisa!

artstream

looking east, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Whew! What a whirlwind week! Lots of art making/hanging/moving/shipping this week here at artstream. This is a busy time with lots of events happening. The calm I find inside our doors though every morning when I go to work, helps a lot. Having the wonderful artwork from Heather Smith Jones, Albina McPhail, Mary O'Malley to greet me each day is an absolute joy! The color explosion from Megan's vases are a cheery reminder that spring IS here and that the modern twist of this show makes for some dreamy thoughts.
Working on a few little pieces on paper to complement my public art piece. They will be available at Nahcotta this summer and in our shop online.

Student Art Exhibition

two of my students, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Tonight marks my 15th year of holding twice yearly art exhibitions for my students - (both young and old!) at our fabulous library downtown. Here are two of the giant (but not the largest made) masks which they made this year. I think the two of them look like they are whistlin' Dixie.
Lots of last minute prep work for this event, so I will leave you with this thought ... If YOU made a mask, who would YOU be? Feel free to leave comments below and enjoy this perfect spring day!

"dialog" finally finished!

ta da, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

My overnight art project was finally finished late yesterday afternoon right before our opening reception at the Sheraton in Portsmouth, NH. It was a wonderful evening shared with five other amazing artists, friends and family. I couldn't be more pleased with the entire project! It has been a very good-busy two weeks, but to know that the job is done makes for an even better weekend.
Thanks for all your kind words about my project!

Fragiles -- in print

Hello friends! I hope your weekend was as simply beautiful as ours was here at chez 'esprit... Lots of family time, garden time and even a lot of relaxing time for us. Today back at the ranch, the FedEx man brought us a package of considerable heft. The coffee table book as I would call it arrived finally - cataloging the exhibition of FRAGILES along with a few personal portraits of some of the artists. It is not only a beauty of a book layout wise, but filled with amazing work. Our dear friend/artist Megan of course is inside and well, looking good.
Above and below a few quickie shots of the book. More to follow later at my flickr.
Enjoy the day - make some art!

Overnight Art Installation day !

Today was my installation day for my Overnight Art piece. Rainer and I headed out to Portsmouth around 8:30 to talk with the staff about installation. The whole install took about three and a half hours, which was fabulous due to the incredible support of the Portsmouth Parking staff, Deb Thomspon and Chris Grenier from the board of Overnight Art (and Rainer who was able to get that decal on without a hitch!) Even Channel 13 stopped by during their coverage on "Ant-gate"(see the video here) - the sad story of Nathan Walker's cool ant which was beheaded. The weather held too - save for one little black rain cloud which passed quickly over us and blew a little wind our way. It was perfect - so here goes a few photos of the process:

These are the street level signs posted by the works to
show the route of the art works.

First we rolled out the banners inside the Parking Garage...

Then we tied it down with string to keep the bottom half steady

Deb Thompson (from Nahcotta and OA)and Chris Grenier from Overnight Art!
were so incredible - thank you both! Chris installed the signs above with a post digger - no small feat.

The bottom half was easier to reach and the wind wasn't blowing as much ...
did I mention I am completely not "keen" on heights up there?

the cherry picker came by ... but just dropped off a taller ladder

Deb and I were nervous watching the ladder/facade escapades
The Parking Division staffwere INCREDIBLE!

inside, Rainer is applying the little yellow bird decal

Jon Fredricks, City of Portsmouth Parking Manager wiping away the fingerprints!

Ta-Da! Three and a half hours later, it's finished! (We moved things around a bit with the little yellow bird (he was originally going up above the red horizontal bar) so I am going to add a little branch or wire for him to stand on.)
I am thrilled and thankful to be part of this incredible program in Portsmouth. I was so impressed with the entire process, the support and shared excitement as well as huge respect for public art which emanated from the Overnight Art Staff, the City of Portsmouth and in particular the city's parking staff. Thank you all so very much!

Mary O'Malley - Bird Head II

Bird Head II, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.
This crowned bird just makes me smile. The vibrancy of the colors and the placement on the paper is just perfect. Mary O'Malley's work is intricate, delicate and boldly modern in each and every piece. See more at her site here and in our shop. In the fall she will be at the Decordova Museum exhibiting.

Amy Arnold and Peepwool

longlegged linda

maria and friend
Via Crust Station a perennial favorite of mine - I found Wisconson artist Amy Arnold. "An artist whose medium is wool, her method is sewing and her madness is peepwool. " I love her dolls her hats and the world she makes! Her work is simply whimsy at it's best and full of surprising details. Go see more about her world of wool right here at her site.

Pink

Outside our north windows we have a small urban tree which makes the most beautiful explosion of color and scent you could imagine!
What is pink in your world? Leave your thoughts below in the comments...

Heather Smith Jones - Albina McPhail - Mary O'Malley

Loving these pinks in Heather Smith Jones work here in our Modern Spring show. They are accompanied by equally beautiful subtle shades of pink by Albina McPhail
and wildly shocking pink fabulous-ness by Mary O'Malley.
Just. Can't. Get. Enough!

Flowers

Just yellow today blooming sunny wonderful yellow. Here is the only living bloom in my garden {so far} and my little yellow splash of Farron Young. It's an original ink/watercolor painting on vintage German correspondance from '38
Show me your yellow! In the comments below feel free to leave your yellow photo links.
Sunshine is good!

Planting spring + Modern Spring

It's happening - planting time in NH. We have to watch for the occasional frost, but it is worth getting a jump on things in May. Here's our babybath planter filled with sunny pansies. Happy Monday to you... hope you all had a wonderful weekend - we had some nice press from Chloe Johnson at the Wire. (thanks Chloe!) Read all about it right here!