Oh JP, how I love thee...

Thank you to everyone who attended this fun-filled weekend!  Many, many thanks to my immediate neighbors, the fabulous & exquisite Amy, AG Ambroult (her metalwork is pictured below) and Louisa, Weehah! for making JP Open Studios a most memorable event.  Also high fives to pals Hilary, Hilary and Helene, Urban Kitchen (sorry, no pics).

Some other wonderful artists showing in JP:

April Clay Mixed Media Art

 Fat Spaniel Ceramics

 Requiem Fine Art

 Rocklen Designs

Here's hoping the ENORMOUS bee fascinated with the Weehah! wedding invitation portfolio made it home safely.

 Most entertaining and interestingly dressed individual award goes to the smiling gentleman with a feather in his purple cap.

 BELOW is what happens to a tent without weights in the wind. Click here for info on tent weights if you need them.

Lastly, one must check out Bella Luna Restaurant and Lounge at The Brewery, 284 Amory Street for beverages, delish food and great atmosphere.  I was there Saturday AND Sunday for cocktails and din din... super yum! 

Also, if you're in the Brewery area and looking for that morning caffeine, fresh baked goods or lunch fix, head to Ula Cafe...

Another sunny day in Worcester...

With 300 exhibitors, there's a lot to take in at Start on the Street... and the crowds were out on Park Avenue! I didn't get a chance to mix and mingle with other artists except for my fantabulous neighbors Twigs & Heather. (that's Miss Heather in red...)

The day flew by so quickly... lots of great people and interesting questions including my favorite question of the day: "How do you make the candleholder stand on six legs?" After going through a somewhat lengthy, technical explanation, the young lady still had a puzzled look on her face so I asked if she needed more info.. to which she responded "but WHY do you make a candleholder with six legs?"  Ahhh my dear, that question requires a shorter and less technical explanation.  It goes something like this... "Because I'm a little odd".

Next stop on the outdoor show train for Dasken Designs is Jamaica Plain! See you at JP Open Studios, 284 Amory Street on Sept 25 +26 (11am to 6pm both days).  If you're looking for something to do after visiting the many talented artists and you're craving an adult beverage (along with discovering how it's made), you can tour the nearby Sam Adams Brewery... or head to Bella Luna / Milky Way Lounge..


Boston Ahts Festival!

Surrounded by lots of talented artists in the beautiful Christopher Columbus Park in Boston, I was grateful for three days of dry weather and a steady, enthusiastic crowd (plus an adjacent Starbucks, Marriott bathroom and the company of awesome neighbors Kim, Jess and Tami). A huge THANK YOU to everyone who organized and attended the show!  Check out photos (and links to websites) of fellow artists who are super!

My folks stopped by on Friday...

Jess Barnett

Lucky Bird Studio

Happy Art Studio

Tami and Kim chatting in their winter apparel..

And YES, it was that cold on Sunday!!

Amy Casher Designs

view of the beautiful walkway through the park

GALVINized Headware

Jenn Sherr Designs

Stonehouse Studio

Hilary

Catalina Viejo Lopez De Roda

WANT that painting (behind the table)!!!!

Monique Rancourt

Sean Flood

the main stage for performing artists

To the best parents ever!! Married 45 years! Mazel Tov!!

We celebrated at Antico Forno in the North End.

Highly recommend - so good!

September is HERE!!

I'll be showing my creations at the Boston Ahts Festival on Sept 9, 10 + 11, and then a couple of weeks later at the JP Open Studios on Sept 25 + 26.  Oh, and also in Worcester, MA on Park Avenue on the 19th... Here are a few pics of new stuff:

sunburst mirror

mezuzot

mermaid mirror

August flew by... yikes!  Had a beautiful weekend in Cotuit and an even more gorgeous weekend in Newport, RI. 

Cotuit, MA

my tent under the big tent in Newport,RI

a peaceful moment with 3 shots of espresso before the show...

surprise visitors who absolutely made my day on Sunday!! 

Scituate in August

While getting up at 4:30am stinks (especially if you go to bed at 1:00am), scenes like this make it worthwhile.  This was the view as I walked out my front door and stumbled onto my porch - it literally took my breath away... I immediately grabbed my camera to capture the moment before it disappeared.

And as I approached Scituate harbor, the scenery was so beautiful I was compelled to stop and take it all in.  Simply stunning!

Surrounded by a few familiar faces (Trish from Idazz and Kathleen from KEM Designs), I set up shop on Front Street in Scituate directly across from Dunkin Donuts.  Hello! Honestly, that is by far the BEST spot a girl could ask for... coffee and a bathroom within 10 feet.  Seriously. Awesome.

I was fortunate to have papa on hand both Saturday & Sunday.  He's the best!

And after packing up for the day on Saturday, I ventured a few blocks to a new restaurant called Oro.  A relaxing, calming atmosphere (with amazing light fixtures and neato sink in the restroom...), the service was fantastic and everyone enjoyed their meals... I went for the beet salad which was yum and quite fancy!)

Rounding out this exciting weekend, I was thrilled to celebrate getting another year older with two of my favorite people in the whole world!! They are super helpers - thanks Eva & Ruthie!

Painting Storage Solutions

Lately it's been tough to find time to paint and one thing I've always struggled with is working within a cluttered area (though I seem to have NO problem creating the clutter...) and it's kind of a problem when you're avoiding a space because of a mess.  So it was time to finally do something about the mess and I started by taking measurements and doing online research (it's amazing what you can find on this computer thingy).  After considering the options, I decided to go with wire shelving versus building a traditional wooden unit.  For ideas, here are some images I came across online:

http://www.art-boards.com/ - awesome but expensive

this would be perfect if I had a gigantic studio...

Alas, I was most inspired by the idea below and decided to run with it:

In the photo above, the painter works on a smaller scale than I do so he can get away with using just one 24" deep x 36" wide rack with 4 shelves.  He cleverly used peg board on each shelf and perfectly lined up dowels to create individual slots, especially helpful for oil painters who need to let their paint dry (I also saw other similar versions where the artists used wire or rope affixed from shelf to shelf ).  Anyway he also added wheels to make it mobile - great idea! 

For my storage solution, I needed a space for larger work (approx 24"x30") and decided that the perfect spot would be a 36" wide x 48" deep unused nook in the corner of the room.  I purchased ONE 5-shelf unit and ordered 4 legs separately from another store for a total cost of $90 and in less than an hour (!!), I put together 2 shelf units back to back and had the entire space organized.  I'm thrilled that I was able to turn the room around so quickly, maximize the storage space AND house all of the paintings in one tidy area. Ahhhhh... now I can finally see what I have and paint in a clutter-free space!! Ya, I know... it's weird where some people find happiness...

Below is the newly organized area!!

OMG, you can see the floor!!

 Is that a clean table top I see?

Not for long.... ;)