Geometric Necklaces by Megan Bogonovich!

These beautiful porcelain necklaces are one of a kind and popping into the shop today! Adjustable lengths and soft spring colors make for a real statement piece of jewelry.

New little cards :: original watercolor + ink

Had a moment to do a little drawing - so I made some cards. They are on Arches deckle edge card stock with beautiful deckle edged envelopes. After the greeting is over the recipient can frame it if they wish! They are all for sale over at my Etsy shop right here!

Art {retreat} Camp - a breath of fresh air

Painting on the Beach with Mati McDonough

It's time again to sign up for summer camp. Yes. Enroll yourself in summer camp just like a kid! Roam a private island filled with trees and hills and jumpstart your nap rituals again. Your yoga practice. Learn wonderful creative ways to express yourself through exciting art workshops with some of the finest instructors in the world. Be with other creative types who like yourself, may have not (for a long time?) or ever picked up a paintbrush and reconnect with yourself! 

There are so many things I could tell you about this beautiful island - but maybe just maybe you will come explore them for yourself. Watch the video. Be inspired. Join our intimate (only 25 campers!) group of campers who are waiting for August with anticipation. Watch the video for some snippets of last year's adventure! Read what people had to say about it from last year (scroll down). Sign up here at ARC.

Gelatin Monotypes in Something About Spring

Distant

Fish and Cherries

Over the Hill

Spring blossoms

Let's Paint! my new online painting course!

There is still time to sign up for my online painting course: Let's Paint! It's full of inspiration, solid technique and adventurous experimenting! It's roots come from my 20 years of teaching painting and being a painter myself. Do you want to playfully learn which materials are best for your needs and draw out your own style? We'll also experiment with color, composition, value, and which tool to use to get the look you want! Sound good? Then this is the class for you! Right now it is $129 - check out the rest of the details here at the class website and Let's Paint! 

Opening last night : Something about Spring!

A few snaps from Phil Stiles of last night's opening of my show: Something About Spring. It was a great turn out and am hoping to have our technical issue fixed so all the work should be on the shop  later today. Am so thankful to everyone who came out! Thanks for the support. Check it out at artstream's onlne shop later here today!

friends and guests

Peek at Flower Shower

our class room for adults - ready for Saturday workshops!

New season, new blog header

blossoms from last April in Germany

I - like so many other New Englanders are thrilled about Spring. So of course whilst resurrecting my blog from the depths of Winter past I felt compelled to make a new header. New new new is spring in all ways. For me this Spring is bring some new adventures. I am working on a NEW book series (yes series!) , we are hosting new exhibits and classes at artstream - a series of online classes which are exciting for me personally as the teacher. It's all good. It's all new as this long awaited Spring unfolds.I hope to bring pieces of this life to you here more consistently this year! Happy Spring!

Lorraine Baumann ceramics

We are thrilled to be introducing Lorraine Baumann's functional ware ceramics in the gallery! I  love Lorraine's attitude to making pots. She loves to explore and experiment. Her work is highly affordable and these little olive oil decanters are just a few of the pieces we are unveiling tomorrow night at the opening of Something about Spring! Do the Dover Art Walk tomorrow night from 5-8 and join us to celebrate SPRING! All of Lorraine's work will be available soon in our online shop too!

Another peek at my show "Something About Spring"

Just another partial peek at one of my paintings for my solo opening this Friday - you are all invited to join me from 5-8 at artstream! If you can't make it  in person but want to see what's available - all the work will be online Friday a.m. for you to see in our shop! Lots of great deals on originals people. It's SPRING! And there is just Something About Spring that I love.

Art Class: Let's Paint! New Online Class!

 

Today is the last day for the $99 Early Bird Special for my online class! Don't miss it!

Something About Spring

I am so excited to hang this show this week! I don't often exhibit my work at artstream but when I do I really have fun with it! This show will have work that spans the past six years and some brandy new work including encaustic paintings, gelatin monotypes. paintings and some ceramics.  Here's to creative curating. The older work is going to be priced to own as there are a few lone pieces from different series. Lots of works on paper too - matted up ready to slip into standard frames. I hope that you will join us this Friday from 5-8 and check out the Dover Art Walk too! p.s. All the work will be available in the shop!

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!