Day 25: To the moon and back.

And so, with the success of my last piece, I got a few more of these going. They are done in several steps, since the paint is thick and must dry between each layer. Reverse painting is interesting because you don't know what your piece of art is going to look like until you lift up those adhesive letters...the last and final step (which is completely gratifying!)

Seen here, I created an image in the background, which I applied hand cut letters onto. This is a very organic process, involving scissors and bad music. (I have somehow trained my brain to see and cut out out off-beat cursive lettered with scissors. Interesting.)

 

Day 18: hummingbird swirls.

Another sap bucket lid. Enamel on metal. I love painting these!

 

I am thinking that this design would make a cool off-centered silkscreen on a t-shirt...

Day 16 & 17: barrels.

I am suddenly obsessed with figuring out new ways to paint on old barrel planks. I typically seek out canvases that are not only non-conventional in nature, but in shape and size. These loooooong canvases force me to thing about new ways to compose my thoughts and design.

 

Yes, the one on the right is from Day 9. It needed more. If something (or someone) hangs around my studio for long enough, it's going to get painted...or painted more...

 

Day 15: let's have fun.

I am really, really excited about this one because it uses entirely recycled materials AND because I am getting more into the multi-media concept. I cut up some scraps of beadboard that I salvaged from my friend's dumpster pile. I glues fabric flags onto this as a response to the texture of the board and went with some old school Mod Podge to hold it all in place. I just think it's soooo fun and it's going to make someone happy!

Day 14: namaste.

I'll admit: this is another one I had started a while ago. But I finally finished it and am posting it because I want to show what it looks like when I have a happy painting accident. See this 4 giant yellow splotches that make up the flowers here? Truth: I accidentally leaned my arm in some paint and then leaned on this piece of wood. So I went with it to create an impressionistic style garden, topped off with a simple, lovely word. (And now as a bonus, I have yet ANOTHER paint shirt with a yellow sleeve!) :o)

Finished size: 14" high. Just needs a bendy copper wire for hanging!

Day 13: crossing the ocean.

I pulled out an old window that I started sketching a design on a while back, but committed to finishing it this week. This is an old window I pulled from a stack in my studio. Painting on windows is an interesting process, because everything is painted in reverse.

So if you can imagine, the stars are painted first. Then the detail of the waves, THENNNN lots and lots of layers of colorful goodness. These take a few days to complete (at least) with all of the layers, but when they are done, you can actually clean the glass when they are hanging on a wall!

Day 12: family.

Inspired by the holiday season perhaps or my wacky family or a little of both, I painted this on yet another sap bucket lid.

 

Enamel paint (one that I do not use often), does not allow you the flexibility of acrylic. It's thick and sticky and I find myself painting slower and steadier with this technique. But still, no pencil lines first! That's part of the gamble for me. Misspelled words? You can always let them dry and paint over them! But I think I am in the clear on that one here...

Day 10: Mancave signs.

I had a stack of these rusty old saws sitting around in my studio. And I had been practicing my old school Red Sox font painting. (Sometimes I study fonts for fun. No, sseriously.) So when an adorable older gentleman (we'll call him 75-ish) came into my shop and commented on how he loved my signs painted on saws, but he wanted one that said "Mancave," it was literally like an art teacher giving me an assignment. I knew I had to make some out of those saws that I had been staring at for years and years.

 

I just need to drill holes in these (without breaking 100 drill bits!)and wire them up so they're ready to hang. The perfect man gift for the holidays? Yes.

 

These (and a fair bit of what I have been painting) will be for sale at the Winter Giftopolis in Concord on Dec. 6th. Be sure to check that out too! (More on that later!) :o)

Day 9: barrel flowers.

Gosh, these barrel planks are so beautiful. With a little light sanding, their natural aged beauty shines through and is gorgeous contrast to a bold and modern style. I'm loving the long and narrow canvas.

Full view of this piece, finished size approx. 30". I have a few more of these on the workbench and could see a painted barrel wall garden of sorts in the making...

 Oh and also: I added color to the owl. It was too plain for me. :o)

Day 4: bok, bok.

I am obsessed with chickens. I love to paint them. You may recall a little chicken coop I painted in Asheville a few years ago for my friend Erica. She had one chicken named Bubbles that made me laugh and has forever influenced my artwork.

This was an olddddddd cutting board (1930's?) that I scored at a yard sale this summer. When I bought it from the family it once belonged to (she explained that she had too many of her great grandmother's cutting boards), I promised her I would put it to good and creative use. I left the original cord for hanging and gave it a quick sanding, but the aged beauty of the wood made for a great canvas. Finished size: approx 24" tall.

Bok, bok.

Day 3: Magic Skies.

One of the coolest things about being known as the wacky freelance artist who will paint on anything? People will BRING you weird stuff to paint on! (Have I ever told you about the time someone brought me a toilet to paint?) One lovely, sunny day Sally pulled up to my shop in her Subaru with a box of barrel pieces and parts that she just couldn't bear to throw away. In the bottom of the box was this barrel bottom, split in two. I picked this piece up and immediately saw a funky skyline.

 All it needs is hanging hardware and it will make a perfect over-the-door piece or fun studio wall hanging. Finished size: over 12" wide.

People have been asking about these pieces I am posted and where they can be purchased. Some of them will eventually make their way to my etsy shop and some of them are going to go on the road with me for my holiday craft and art shows. Stay tuned...I'll post a schedule of all my upcoming shows if anyone wants to take a peek or buy a piece in person!

The potatoes are speaking to me

Saturday was a great day that started off with one of those perfect mornings. I caught up on some sleep and didn’t roll out of bed until 10:00, feeling rested for a change. I made some chocolate cappuccino coffee. I put on my new favorite music mix, threw some homemade sweet potato fries in the oven (shoot me a line if you want the recipe!), and sat on my couch to enjoy my java as I watched the remaining orange leaves fall off the trees into the sun-glistened river. I got in some plant watering, threw in a load of laundry, and was feeling pretty accomplished; it had been a while since I had enjoyed a morning like this. And just when I thought that the day couldn’t get any better…ding!….my sweet potato fries were ready and THIS emerged from the oven! I think the universe was telling me to have a nice day.

An adorable thank you. :)

It really is the little things in life. When I delivered a custom work to a client a couple of weeks back, she smiled and handed me this decorated envelope, with this endearing note enclosed. It’s really things like this that inspire me to keep going with my freelance career and affirm that there are people out there who believe in me. Thanks, Zita! :)

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.

Open Studio event this weekend!

So after much deliberation, Amy and I have decided to close the doors to the Art Barn for good. Amy and I both work full time and have independent freelance projects going on; that, in combination with a slightly suffering economy (especially in the northern part of the state!), we sadly have decided to close our doors once and for all.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been a support to us over the past two seasons. It has been a remarkable experience and couldn’t be done without the love and encouragement of friends and family. While it sad that Amy and I will no longer be business partners, I am excited for our new ventures, and I know we are both moving onto bigger things…

The Art Barn will be open for its final days this Columbus Day weekend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. (We're offering 10% off barn wide, and have lots of new jewelry, signs and cards that came in this week for early Christmas shopping!)And while the closing of the barn isn’t going to end on as much of a party note as usual, I am excited to announce an exciting event that the barn will be part of.

For the past three months or so, I have been working with a group in Rumney called the Rumney Village Artisans, to make something happen. And I think this is going to be a good one. The RVA will be hosting a town-wide Open Studio Tour, which invites leaf-peepers and art-lovers alike to tour the studios of many amazing, local artists. This is a beautiful drive down the rural roads of Rumney, where 10 artists welcome you to tour their studios, see works, purchase gifts and enjoy complimentary refreshments. We’ve got everything, from weaving to sculpture, to pottery, to (one of my personal inspirations and college professors) Terry Downs, who will be displaying collections of his drawings and etchings. It is truly going to be fantastic. So swing on through Rumney, pick up a map and experience the rare opportunity to get behind-the-scenes of some up and coming artists in the world.

Maps for the event will be available at most Rumney businesses (including Ryzaks, Rumney Village Store and Shanware Pottery), as well as the locations on the map for this weekend event (or you can click on the map below to make it bigger, then print it from here). Below is the poster I designed (also clickable and printable!)…please send this link along to anyone you think might enjoy the journey, so we can help support our local artists! If you have any questions or need a map or directions, please feel free to e-mail me at veggieartgirl@yahoo.com, and I’ll send one to you!

Thank you everyone again for your love and support...it is overwhelming and beautiful. And stay posted…I’ll be back in Spring of 2009 with a new shop (VeggieArtGirl: an earth-friendly boutique)…opening on Squam Lake!

Reclaimed beauty

This was a custom piece I created for Betsy, who wanted to add a touch of color to one of her therapy rooms, by painting an inspirational verse she loved. As the deadline for this job was quickly approaching, I had the challenge of trying to find or build exactly the right canvas out of salvaged wood. I pieces smaller planks together on the floor in my studio with plans of gluing them together, but wasn’t happy with the composition. Then low and behold, one sunny Saturday morning in late August, I was yard saling around town, and saw this piece of wood leaning up against an old barn in Rumney. I slammed on the brakes and pulled into the driveway, only to discover that the old barn where my best friend once lived was being torn down. They were selling the old barn boards to furniture makers and antiquers alike, who were paying top dollar and loading it into their vehicles. But I just had my eye on this piece, which was at one time used as a built-in tabletop in the barn, aged nearly a hundred years. It was weathered and dirty, but with a good scrub and a sanding, a splash of color and Betsy’s words, it turned out to be quite charming.

My cat, Moe, who normally is quite the introvert, refused to move from this photo opp. I think she really liked the smell of the wood. But then again, just yesterday, I caught her licking a belt buckle on my bedroom floor. She’s a special kitty.
Oh, and upon returning (with my best friend) to the site of the barn, we happened upon these three lovely dresses in a free pile. Hey, any chance to have a photo shoot, really…