My Play Space

Before I traveled back to Asheville, I got the amazing opportunity to paint My Play Space in West Lebanon, NH. This play space has a new concept that is going to take off and be a huge hit in the community: an educational and diverse place to bring your kids (ages 1-6) and be an adult too! Parents have to stay with their kids, but there is a lil' wifi zone and cappuccino for them on the upper deck, where they can watch their kids play. And boy do the kids get to have an experience!

It is an internationally themed indoor play arena; I did all of the mural designs and assisted with the design of the play structures. From a double decker bus to an Eiffel Tower (both with slides! Weeee!) to a deli to Lego Land, the place is chock full of fun activities for kids. (Oh and one of my favorite parts? The Sit n' Spin station- remember those from the 80's?) These pics are all from when it was under construction. Now that the new carpet is in, I'll have to go back and shoot some better pictures! This part of the mural is my favorite: a representation of Japan and China, with a wall full of cherry blossoms and mountains.

The double decker bus is the main attraction. Kids can climb up top, slide down and even control the wheel! The Eiffel Tower later got a slide, a net and some rock climbing pegs added, but how much fun would this be to climb?This was one of my creations: a deli where kids can serve up magnetic food (it all sticks together!)...anything from sandwiches to ice cream!

One of the rooms in the play space is a classroom, where birthday parties and classes will be held. I designed giant boards (painted on the wall) for chalk and dry erase markers.

There is so much more...the space was nearly 2000 square feet of high ceilings. So really, this is just a small samplin'! For more info about My Play Space, visit them online at http://www.myplayspace.net/, or just swing on in and say hi sometime!

My roommate Erica called me one afternoon.
“Do you want to go to the Free Store with me?”
“Ummm...(insert half a second pause here)....YESSSSS!”

This place is fantastic and I am not sure why we don't have one in every town. People drop off their unwanted or unused goods and student volunteers sort it out in a way that is easy to navigate. They have everything from clothing to beauty products to office supplies to furniture. What a great way to recycle something that would otherwise end up in a landfill! If I had to chose one thing that Asheville has opened my eyes up to, it's the amount of waste we use. I have learned so much from this community about reusing, rethinking what you buy and passing on what you do not need. Every little bit *does* help.

Here is another example, for instance. A free market. Same concept as the store, but a one day event. Why can't we get something like that going in NH? I would certainly like to help be a part of it!

Karma Balm :o)

I have been doing the package design for Karma Balm for over a year now, working with the wonderful and talented owner or the company, Corey Calaio. (You may also know her from Peace of Infinity Holistics in Bethlehem, NH). I want to give a little shout-out to her and her company, both of which are doing great things in the world. Corey is a wonderful healer, and has recently branched out her healing by making some of her Karma Balm products available to the public on her website and various shops in New England (and she is going to be one of the featured artists at Veggie Art Girl on Squam!)

This stuff is amazing-- the Seriously Big Lip Balm is a ginormous tube of lemony goodness that not only lasts forever but heals the most chapped of lips! And I cannot speak highly enough about the Boo-Boo Balm—two nights ago I burned my finger with an industrial glue gun (oh, it was a bad one!), slapped on some Boo-Boo Balm, and two days later I'm band-aid-less it's as if this thing has been healing for 2 weeks!

Below are the new designs I created for her two latest products: Booty Balm and Tired Piggy Balm. Check out Corey's Karma Balm goodness at http://www.karmabalm.org/!





















And look what came in the mail! A fun thank you note from Corey, with a package of her goddess lotions and potions. It's my new signature (kind of a romantic nag champa) smell and I love it! Thanks Corey!

Thank you for the thank you. :o)

So I am crusin' along today in my van, driving down Vandalia Ave. and listening to some Bob Marley, soaking in the sunshine, when I realize that the mail had come early. Huh. I grab it from our (newly stablized) mailbox and flipping through the stack, amidst a sea of bills and flyers is THIS!

What a sweet little thank you all the way from NH for a job that I just LOVED doing. So now, I will give you another shout-out, Michelle Goodearl Photography! Thank you...you made my day and you ROCK! Everyone check out this lady's fancy schmancy photography...HERE! It's dee-lish! :o) Mmmm....delish. Can I has cheeseburger now?

Terra Perma update

This posting is a little overdue, but with all that has been going on in my life, I know it’s hard to keep up with me. On December 6th, Terra Perma Art Gallery held an Open House, showcasing the works of Sarah Cail (a freelance photographer) and myself. They put on a delicious, homemade spread and hired a beautiful harpist to play for the afternoon—it was quite a treat!

So first of all, I would like to thank all those who made the trip to come and support me. It was a great day.

Secondly, I regretfully have to mention that Terra Perma will be closing at the end of 2008. Ana, the owner, has her hands full with the gallery AND Sunflower Natural Foods in downtown Laconia, and she will be consolidating the businesses into Sunflower next year with an anticipated opening in the spring. So while the new location will not have the unique charm and wide, open space of Terra Perma, it will be a nice mix of organic goods and earth-friendly wares. Ana has always been a strong supporter of not only the arts, but of the community, and we all wish her the best of luck in her new endeavor. :)

I would like to take this platform to thank Ana and Sue at Terra Perma...your encouragement has inspired me to keep on truckin'.

Open House at Terra Perma!

This place is great. Terra Perma is hosting an open house gathering on December 6th, complete with a live harpist, free munchies and a reception for Sarah Cail (a freelance photographer currently exhibiting there) and (also on exhibit with handpainted signs and designs)…me! Just in time for the holiday season, Terra is hosting this fabulous event to not only introduce Sarah and I to the community in style, but get everyone in the holiday spirit!

If you haven’t had the chance to check Terra Perma out, you should do so for some holiday shopping. I’m tellin’ ya…their fair trade goods are fabulous and they have such a wide selection of earth-friendly products! Their gorgeous gallery space upstairs is one that I dream of having someday—the old wood plank floors and large, sunny windows, all overlooking the eclectic architecture of downtown Laconia. Beautiful!

So stop on by December 6th for some live music, chow down some yummy hors d’oeurves, of course say hi to me, and get some shopping done! :) Please pass this invite along to anyone who you think would enjoy! (Just click on the invite to open a larger pic in a new window, "save as" and pass it on!) I appreciate it!

The rock at Brock.

Yep, I paint rocks, too! This was a custom piece for Ron and Blanche in Groton. I just finished it last week and brrrrrr was it cold up on that mountain!

Terra Perma gallery exhibit

For the second year in a row, earth-friendly Terra Perma Gallery in downtown Laconia has asked me to join them for the holiday season with a 2-month art display. I was warmly welcomed as I went to set up my display of handpainted signs, greeting cards and prints on Saturday, and spread my creations across this beautiful green wall (I don’t think I would have hand-picked a better color!) Terra is such a great place, and if you have the chance to swing on in to do a little holiday shopping, you will not be disappointed. From the gorgeous jewelry to the fair trade goods to the organic threads…everything is not only stunning, but also reasonably priced. And in the upstairs, open gallery space, they hold all sorts of activities— reiki, massage, movement classes, yoga...be sure to check them out!
My show at Terra runs until January 1st; I will be featured in an open house/reception in early December, so I’ll be sure to keep you posted on that. :)

Rumney Open Studio recap

Well, as promised, I have an update of the fabulousness that happened in Rumney this past weekend. We had gorgeous weather. Absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shining, warming the air and illuminating the bright hues of foliage. It was breathtaking and inspiring, as I took the opportunity to drive around to visit all of the artisans in their studios.
And boy, what inspiration it was! Each individual artist brought something diverse to the table and didn’t disappoint. Polly Bartlett’s beautiful weaving was glorious in color and texture (and she made a delicious fresh spinach dip that I have to get the recipe for!). Richard’s pottery at Shanware Pottery was elegantly displayed in his bright, new shop, where the walls were adorned with the stunning works of Sarah Mazur. Mindy Beach offered a glimpse into her world with her figurative drawings, costumes, collage and color in her gorgeous second floor studio of artistic eye-candy. (She also had a yard sale, where I scored some vintage Tinker Toys and a plaster sculpted hand). Pat Giebutowski welcomed people to stroll through the sunny greenhouse (full of leafy, blooming plants) of her recently remodeled farmhouse to reveal a room of her gorgeous classical style egg tempera paintings (and offered up a sample of her husband’s delicious homemade wine, Pluarity Raz-yummy!) Terry Downs kept people intrigued as he walked you through the process of creating an etching, and displayed some of his spectacular works of local spots in Rumney. And lastly, atop Stinson Lake Road, at Moosewood, the Kings offered a glance into their creative world, with Wayne’s Photo expressionist images and Alice’s dazzling handcrafted jewelry. (My apologies Ed…I couldn’t make it to your place on Saturday, but I look forward to seeing your restored vintage instruments next year!)
It was truly amazing. Here is a sampling of some of the images I captured. I know—it’s a lot, but there was so much to take in and I’m just so excited to share! And I'm excited to work on this project again next year, so mark your calendars for next Columbus Day weekend!
Will you look at the weather? Weeeeeee!Richard's stunning glaze colors at Shanware Pottery...
More Shanware. Beautiful.
Wall mural in Pat's dining room--gorgeous!

The infamous homemade Plurality Raz...delicious when paired with a sharp cheese and dark chocolate

A sampling of Pat's work... Stone floor greenhouse and easel in the sun. What would be better than that with a cup of tea on a Sunday morning?
Learn from the master: Terry shows us how he creates his etchings
Steps in the etching process displayed on the wall

Mindy Beach's figurative hanging sculpture

Mindy's fun, hand-sewn quilts
Mindy's figure drawings--stunning!

Alice King's unique, handmade jewelry:

Don't think twice, it's all right...

What a beautiful weekend. Our first annual Open Studio tour in Rumney was a raging success (more on that to follow!) and we closed the doors to the Art Barn once and for all. Amy and I took time to reminisce and reflect, and know we will leave this experience as better friends in the end. It has been a fabulous two seasons, which in the last couple of hours ended in a slightly ceremonial gathering of artists, friends (and my mom!) who helped clean up the barn and take down signs. And as I closed the large, clunky doors to the barn for the final time, I took a deep breath and realized what a truly amazing feat this has all been. I turned around (Jim snapped the pics), walked away, and knew that it was only the start of where I am going to go. Thank you Amy and Dave, for such an amazing opportunity, and for your unconditional love and support.