Ana Ventura : Dreams are my Reality

Ana Ventura, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Orange is one of my favorite colors and this original silkscreen by Ana Ventura makes good use of the color orange! Part of our IPS show (stay tuned for a new edition coming out in December) it's in the shop for purchase. Part of the orange celebration today going on at Poppytalk!
Also - remember this is the last day of the Vision of Squam Show so hop on over to get your artwork - fast! The coupon is still good for this colorful week too - code: color at the end of your checkout!
I am heading off to a design client this morning and then to Concord for a birthday lunch with Megan Bogonovich. Maybe i'll get a few sneak peek photos of her newest work for our show in December!
Have a beautiful day!

Autumn color :: colorful sale! 15% off at our shop!

In the spirit of Autumn and all things colorful (thank you Jan for the inspiration!) we are giving a colorful 15% off of your next purchases at our shop! Just put in the code box at checkout: color 

That will automatically take 15% off your purchases!

Enjoy this beautiful autumn day... off to take some more photos... oh! and while you are at it, stop by Heather's blog for a few more yummy autumnal scenes.

Christine Mason Miller :: Artist interview

Last of the interviews from the participants of "A Vision of Squam" today with Christine Mason Miller. Visit her website right here at Christine Mason Miller. 

I truly hope you have enjoyed the posts and will stay tuned this month for some new podcasts with more artists! 

On with the finale.... 

1. What is your earliest memory of art making?

My clearest memory is of drawing Wile E. Coyote.  I had Road Runner sheets and would sit on my bed drawing the cartoons

.

 2. What is your medium of choice?

A combination of acrylic paints, pastels, paper, ephemera, glue, pen and rubber stamp alphabets.

 3. What are your greatest inspirations for your work?

Nature, memories, questions, color, texture

 4. What is playing in rotation these days while you are working?

I think this question is about what music I am playing...if I am wrong I apologize!  I actually work in silence most of the time. Music tends to distract me.

 5. What is a good art making day look like for you?

MESSY

 6. Who are your favorite artists - living and dead

Robert Rauschenberg, Joe Sorren, Mark Ryden, Sabrina Ward Harrison, Anahata Katkin

 7. Greatest advice given to you which you would like to pass along?

Don't make anything too precious - mistakes are often opportunities!

Poppytalk :: Autumn color week playalong!

Mimi Kirchner  Forest Girl #6  in the shop!

anne weckmann in the shop!
Jan over at Poppytalk initiated a little game this week called Autumn color week! One of the benefits of living in New Hamsphire is our beautiful autumn. It's world renowned and we love it too. So to start off the week, is the color yellow. I am going to pair up some color in the shop each day with the color outside our home and studios!

 Something beautiful to to find out doors (leaves leaves leaves and a few mums!) and inside the shop (just look above!) Happy Monday all, it's going to be a great great week!

Brittany Soucy :: artist interview

Brittany Soucy has agreed to share her answers to the probing questions and send some photos along to illustrate the points  ...  and here they are! Thanks so much Brittany!

 1. What is your earliest memory of art making?

The family room was busting with the every day activities of my family

and I sat by the fireplace with markers and a pile of paper.  I could

feel the energy around me, but I was completely focused.  I was drawing

face after face and the entire expression would change with one little

line in the drawing.  It was unbelievable!  

2. What is your medium of choice?

I like to dabble.  I love learning new tricks.  But I always come back

to acrylics.

3. What are your greatest inspirations for your work?

I love the simple things in life.  Sometimes I will have a moment where

I catch a glimpse of what "living" looks like and where the little joys

come from.  I have five children and I am surprised by that every day

still.  I find inspiration living in them and how they see the world

through their innocence and beauty. The loving relationship I have with

my husband can bring its own kind of inspiration. 

There is so much surrounding us trying to catch our attention, but I

like to zoom in and hyper focus on just a piece of one thing and what it

has to offer the world.

Nature is such an incredible creation and never fails to inspire me.

Food.  Mmmmm.  Something that is delicious as well as beautiful.  You

just can't go wrong there.

Beauty.  I feel like as an artist, it is my job to find beauty.  I find

it everywhere around me, even in the most unlikely places, and it is

inspiring every time.

I never had an "artist community" before I started blogging.  I find

myself constantly inspired by the creativity in others that is abounding

in the blogosphere.  It led me to Squam and I feel that by having other

artists in my life I am being inspired in a way that had never happened

previously.

4. What is playing in rotation these days while you are working?

Jonatha Brooke, Ray LaMontagne, Meiko, Ingrid Michaelson, Brandi

Carslile, Indigo Girls, Amos Lee, The Weepies, and on and on and on.

5. What is a good art making day look like for you?

If I have felt the joy that comes from creation, then it is a good day

6. Who are your favorite artists - living and dead

This is a hard question for me to answer.  I can never choose favorites.

I love whatever I am looking at that is inspiring me in the moment.

There are endless possibilities for favorites and I can't bring myself

to narrow it down. 

7. Greatest advice given to you which you would like to pass along?

Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.  -Pablo Picasso

I love this quote.  It helps me remember that unless I am in action,

this blessing of a talent that brings me joy is being wasted.  It gets

me up off the couch to spread the makings of art in front of me and then

Inspiration has an open invitation.  (and with it, joy.)

Thanks so much for taking the time to join us Brittany!

Visit Brittaey's website right here.

Barbara Hoke :: artist interview

Another artist from the Vision of Squam show... Barbara Hoke. I am so taken with her jewelry and the beautiful quilt that she is standing in front of in the photos below. Thanks for taking part in both the show and the interview Barbara!

What is your earliest memory of art-making?

I remember drawing and painting pictures of animals in kindergarden and the teacher chose my picture of three cats to be in a downtown store window with other school art.  I was astounded to see my work in that store window!

What is your medium of choice?

I've worked in metals (usually jewelry) for years.  But I've taken classes in wood (rustic furniture making and marionette carving), in clay (mostly figurative), and textiles (art quilting).

What are your greatest inspirations?

My family (my son and husband are both musicians), nature (I live near beautiful Lake Champlain in Vermont), and travel, especially the folk art of Mexico.

What is playing in rotation?

Snatum Kaur, Anais Mitchell, Jonatha Brooke, Michael Franti, Iron and Wine, and the Decemberists.

What does a good art-making day look like to you?

Breakfast with my family, then to my studio, where everything that I envision flows easily(!)  Then late afternoon, go out into the world, hopefully moving my body -balancing out the stillness of working in my studio.

Favorite artists, living and dead?

Hundertwasser, Klimt, Roxanne Swentzell, Maira Kalman, and Cami Davis.

Greatest advice given to you which you would like to pass along?

What comes to mind is something I read on Judy Wise's blog which her husband said,  "It is a terrible loss if we only let others sing for us, make music for us, paint for us, write for us."  I try to remember this as I try a new medium or technique.  And I sing with a group of friends every Sunday morning!

Thanks Barbara for taking part in the interviews from Vision of Squam!

Albina McPhail :: Marsh March

marsh march by Albina McPhail

I am so taken by this painting in the gallery by Albina. It bridges the gap for me from summer to fall. It's the perfect blend of both. Available in our shop right here! Lots to show today, so stay tuned later for some more interviews and perhaps a little sneak peek at our renos here at home. Enjoy the day!

Adorable husband

r made this for me - s, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

his little scribble of an alphabet for me. and his shadow ... yea! it's almost friday!

Autumn's bounty

from our plum tree, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Hello all - a little breather from all these interviews... life has been so full and wonderfully healthy here at chez artstream and we are thankful. The weather has been pretty seasonably lovely and the trees are turning a riot shade of cadmiums.
I am buried in work of all sorts which of course makes me happy - a full roster of students who are all amazing from youngest to oldest. The gallery is full of color too with two shows of diverse and eye popping art.

So, just a little garden shot for now of our tiny plums from our two plum trees. It's their first year to fruit and we were just thrilled! Endless sunshine here with a slight breeze makes for an absolutely perfect Thursday.

Pixie Campbell :: artist interview

Today we have Pixie Campbell on board for our latest edition of artist interviews from the Vision of Squam show. She was good enough to send us over some of her photographs too of her work. So without further ado - here's Pixie!

1. What is your earliest memory of art making?
My earliest GREAT memory is of using pastels in second grade to create two
owls on a branch. I loved using something other than crayons to create
with.

2. What is your medium of choice?
I love acrylic paints, plain old graphite pencils and oil pastels. I like
to mix many mediums :)

3. What are your greatest inspirations for your work?
color. Color. COLOR. and nature.

4. What is playing in rotation these days while you are working?
Believe it or not, I prefer to work in silence. It's so rare here! Ben
Harper gets a spin when I'm not deep in problem-solving thought. And Jack
Johnson of any kind. I like sexy man music!

5. What does a good art making day look like for you?
A good art making day (or night, in my case) begins with a somewhat
organized studio- not a must, but it improves my confidence about what I
think I can get done. I like to start and finish a piece in one sitting,
and I will often work half the night to complete it-so having a chunk of
time is key. Not being interrupted by fussy little elves who refuse to
sleep makes for better art making! Sometimes cookies aid me, as well. You
know, just the right kind. Sweets are my muses! Feeling generally inspired
and carrying an idea about what I'd like to make almost always results in
a great session.

6. Who are your favorite artists - living and dead?
My very favorite dead artist is probably Picasso. I think I may have been
his pet in a past life or something. I'm just drawn to him, arrogance and
all. But I also love Frida Kahlo, simply for how raw she seemed to be.
My favorite living artist at the moment is Bernadette Watts because her
style (from 20 odd years ago) is so rough and expressive, while being
juxtaposed in classic stories. She sort of de-fluffs the typical approach
to illustrating fairytales, which I really respond to. I also love Sarah
Fanelli's work. I have many of their books strewn about my studio like
partners on my journey with me! There are so many artists whose work we
now have access to that are beyond my own vocabulary, I can hardly touch
this question :)


7. Greatest advice given to you which you would like to pass along?
I have held onto so many gems.... but regarding art, I think that I'd like
to recommend borrowing courage if you lack the amount you need to get
started. You can always pay it back later :)

Thanks so much Pixie for being part of the Vision of Squam artist interviews!

Naoko :: sweet notecards in a beauty of a box

Here is a little about the Brooklyn based artist: Since Naoko was little, she has been fascinated with creating things on used paper. After long experiments with paper and inks, she established a way to draw on used paper bags without losing their color and texture. Her "brown paper bag collection" combines the rebirth of something old into new, creating images that project the beauty of life. 

These little notes are simply beautiful with a nature theme, recycled papers  and the bonus for me (as a confirmed container addict) is the re-useable box. It's adorable! I think it would be perfect for the wayward hair ties which seem to fly all over our home. And of course the bird motif fits my constant craving for all things avian!  Find them here at teNeues Publishing!

Kristina Gill :: eyecandy with goodness

If you missed my post about the fabulous Kristina Gill earlier this spring, you should definitely pay attention THIS time and visit her beautiful new site! Kristina is one heck of a photographer as well as a cook and foodie deluxe who can write circles around most and do it in several languages. When we first met, my German in-laws were amazed how well she spoke German, without accent, coming from Italy. Of course that made us chuckle as she is from the States - albeit living in Rome. But I digress. 

It's all about apples right now, isn't it, right here in New England and that brings me back to last year when Kristina asked for a special recipe for her column over at design sponge called In the Kitchen With. I sent her my Apple, Cheese and Onion tart recipe adapted from something I had years ago in the Lakes District in England in a tiny restaurant in Kendal called The Moon.  It has been a staple in the fall repertoire of menus ever since. 

Kristina took some beautiful shots of the recipe in stages which are the feature at her site. Go take a look and drool at them, then follow the recipe at the end and eat it up! It's always good. 

Wendy Cook :: Artist Interview

wendy cook self portrait 

I am thrilled today to share Wendy Cook's answers to my questions for the artist interviews I have been running here this month. I love her quirky photographs and was so pleased to see her participate in our Vision of Squam exhibition. Here are her pieces in the show over at our shop.  Without further delay - here are her answers and a peek into her studio space! Thank you so much Wendy!

1. What is your earliest memory of art making?

I was in second grade. I used to carry a tiny spiral note pad and draw cartoon characters and give them to kids. It was also around that time when I created my first book. I still have it, 

LOL, photos above.  I've gotten better at it....see here -  and more here - 

2. What is your medium of choice?

I don't like to limit myself, but I love photography and book arts.
In truth, I need to make something, anything, with my hands every day - I need this in order to live, like air.

3. What are your greatest inspirations for your work?

My son who reminds me that everything is wondrous.

4. What is playing in rotation these days while you are working?

Amy Steinberg, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor, The Accidental, Bjork

5. What is a good art making day look like for you?

Like today but even better.

6. Who are your favorite artists - living and dead?

Wayne Theibaud, Francesco Clemente, Alex Katz, David Byrne, Loretta Lux, Andy Goldsworthy, Camilla Engman, Nina Bagley, Penelope Dullaghan (many, many many)

7. Greatest advice given to you which you would like to pass along?

"See what you can make with this...."

Jenica McKenzie :: artist interview

jenica hard at work
Today's interview is with Jenica McKenzie - a member of the Vision of Squam Show and participant in the 2008 SAW -(and was in my painting class!). She answers some questions and sent along some lovely photos of her inspiration and her own artwork too! Her work can be found in our shop and her etsy shop as well as her own website!

What was your first memory of art making?

unfortunately my earliest memory of art making was in a first grade class, i was reprimanded for playing with clay when i was supposed to be working on something else. i've used this memory to remind me that children should be allowed to play and explore!

What are your favorite materials and medium?

i am a self admitted paper whore, i love to touch and smell it! i have collected boxes worth of different types, weights, colors, and textures. this in combination with my mediums of choice-- acrylic paint and elmers glue-- create bliss unmeasured for my heart.

Who are and what are your greatest inspirations?

my children are my greatest inspirations and consequently some of my favorite artists. they move freely with their art never feeling like they don't measure up, never afraid to get messy and create something beautiful, never allowing someone else's expectations to hold them down. i'm inspired by their mantra: it's ok to get messy! and as i move forward with my art they burst with pride for me and it in turn inspires them to create something new. perfect synergy. i am inspired by artists that allow their whole soul to be shown, thus i'm a sucker for dancers as well.

What's playing in rotation in your studio?

my playlist for creating art is sure to include: the bird and the bee, incubus, ingrid michaelson, radiohead, muse, beck, cake, ben harper, adele, and priscilla ahn.

What does a good art day look like to you?

i'm an extreme extrovert, so a good art making day is in the company of others. this is why i created RAW: Random Art Workshops, to connect and inspire artists. i love the idea of encouraging one another towards success and learning techniques from each other. but i also need to create art in the quiet night time moments of solitude; crank some music and let the paint flow.

Finally, best advice you have been given that you would like to pass on?

greatest advice i've ever been given? to realize that we as humans are made to create, it's part of our nature. so don't dismiss it, don't push it aside, just go with the flow and get messy!

Thanks so much  Jenica for your beautiful insight!

Giveaway! over at Pikaland and a little sale!

The lovely Amy over at the fun and fabulous Pikaland is hosting a painting giveaway of mine - part of my 6x6 original painting series, the little bird called "Wanting" is being given away! Hop right over and leave a comment to before the 22nd to be part of the drawing. Also to celebrate my Etsy shop's 200th sale I am giving everyone a 20% discount on all my items up until October 1st. Just mention artesprit in the message to seller's box and I will discount your item by 20% ! Time to start shopping.... 

Amanda Woodward :: artist interview

The uber beautiful and talented Amanda Woodward!

Today I have the greatest pleasure of welcoming Amanda Woodward to the Artist Interview spotlight. Her work for the Vision of Squam Show pays homage to the class she took with the ever amazing Penelope Dullaghan ... ah to lie on one's back and look up at a mobile, in the out-of-doors! Amanda's work can be found at Woodward Design firm which she owns with her husband and friend as well as her own portfolio. She is also a champion knitter and has an upcoming show here at artstream along with Melanie Wilson and Mike Lewis in Oct/Nov. Stay tuned for more Squam goodness in the interview dept this week!

Now on to the interview:

1. What is your earliest memory of art making?
I do recall sitting on the chocolate brown shag carpet in my parents living room and drawing pictures from a children's television show with mom. It wasn't Bob Ross, but something like that.

2. What is your medium of choice?
For gallery and personal stuff, I work on canvas with acrylic, glaze and india ink. For commercial illustration work, I work in pencil or ink and do the colouring on the computer with the wacom.

3. What are your greatest inspirations for your work?
Life. I know this is a common answer but truly, my life is a huge inspiration. The relationships I engage in, new experiences, travel adventures, even the small and seemingly insignificant moments, it all informs my work. I often find that those small things, like growing tomato plants, feeling sand between the toes, laughing, loving... are the elements I want to share with people through my paintings.

4. What is playing in rotation these days while you are working?
I work in a studio environment with my husband and another designer, Kristin. We run a graphic design firm out of our house, Woodward Design. We have an imac completely devoted to music and photo taking! Currently we're listing to alot of Joel Plaskett, Neko Case, Pieta Brown, Fleet Foxes, Josh Ritter, Frank Sinatra & Elvis Presley.

5. What is a good art making day look like for you?
Getting up in the morning, drinking coffee, eating fruit and getting to work. No graphic design or client distractions and hours of painting or drawing. Eight hours at least! Maybe a good lunch at the cafe down the block or a chai latte break in the afternoon. Ending the day with time in the kitchen to make a yummy supper and perhaps a glass of red wine. I realize now that I am talking more about food than art...

6. Who are your favorite artists - living and dead
This list is always changing but currently I am loving Lynda Barry, Tove Jasson, Toulouse-Lautrec, Katherine Dunn, Natasha Rosenberg, Dan May, Maddalena Gerli...

7. Greatest advice given to you which you would like to pass along?
Its important to dream big but also recognize that being an artist takes plain old hard work. I can't even count the amount of times that I have tried to rationalize an excuse or distraction that prevents me from drawing or painting. At the end of the day, we need to step up and produce something, anything. Make time to play... and don't take yourself too seriously ;)

Mati Rose McDonough Whale-of-A-Time

Mati-Rose-McDonough-Whale-of-A-Time, originally uploaded by artstreamstudios.

Opening tonight! Busy day, extra photos to take now that we have done a little cleaning up! A few little paint spots to touch up and wine bottles to open, and tidbits to prepare and then we will be ready!
Drop by if you can to see the two shows - the gallery is full of beautiful things...and we'll have a whale of a TIME!

Kelly Barton :: artist interview

Kelly Barton was kind enough to answer a few probing questions to continue this  week's blog fest of artist interviews! Kelly is participating in our Vision of Squam exhibit and is one peachy cheeky gal. Her work on display can be seen here, if you can't come in for the opening tomorrow! Read on to learn more about Kelly and then go off to visit her here or here or here!

 

1. What is your earliest memory of art making? 

when i was really tiny, i would watch my mom draw out dr. seuss-esk blooms while talking on the phone. i dig dr. seuss.... and of course then i would try to replicate hers with my broken crayons from the old ice cream tub. i would get lost in daydreams just watching her hands move across the paper. i am a lefty, so i always would have pencil all over the side of my hand, but with crayons - it was even better, the side of my hand acted as a blending tool - an early life lesson in art technique!

2. What is your medium of choice? 

acrylics and found papers and little objects. but i really dig encaustics and hope that i can soon find time to give those a whirl. i have also started making baubles. i love getting to use vintage pieces and make them new. but the best is a my little collaboration with liz lamoreux. my art prints with her hand stamped charms.  so much fun!

3. What are your greatest inspirations for your work? 

my nutty mind of course. growing up girl is enough inspiration for anyone. 5th grade alone could be a whole series!

4. What is playing in rotation these days while you are working?

 if you are talking music....my ben harper, little dave matthews. just discovered paolo nutini and bernard fanning, ingrid michaelson, jonatha and a ton of old rock. i was meant to go to woodstock.

5. What is a good art making day look like for you? 

Are you kidding? any day that i am productive is a good day. i would just dive in and allow my mind to go and love seeing what pieces were there when i was done.

6. Who are your favorite artists - living and dead.

I feel really connected to jesse reno. i really love jessica gonacha-swift, michelle maule and of course frida. i have a pretty eclectic eye and i am always finding new artists who really blow me away. and of course my squammies. the talent and goodness there, you have to dig that! i also have to say that early on, i found swirly, penelope

and mati and my two liz's -  they have been so kind and helpful in my journey.

7. Greatest advice given to you which you would like to pass along? 

aren't you are the brave one asking me for advice, but as an artist looking for her place - i would tell any artist who searching for their's - you are there, it is yours, embrace that - you own it. we tend to compare ourselves to what everyone else is doing - don't, that is wasted energy. and we all need our energy to move forward. so do that - it is a much prettier picture. [ i am still working on that!]

Thank you so much Kelly for kicking off the Vision of Squam interviews! 

 

Abigail Halpin ::Business Cards

Business Cards, originally uploaded by HeyAbigail.

Had to share Abigail's really beautiful handmade business cards I saw over at her flickr. So pretty and so handmade with a flair. But that's Abigail! Here is some of her work which we have at the gallery... and don't miss her blog - it is enchanting too!

Albina McPhail :: artist interview

Strange Candy by Albina McPhail

Jumping in with the other half of "Beautiful Nature" is our second interview of the day with Albina McPhail. Albina has been showing with us here at artstream for a few years and her work always impresses me and those who come in our doors. Albina can be found all over the web at her shop, her blog and her site as well as our gallery shop!

1.What is your earliest memory of art making?

My earliest memory of art making is a bit fuzzy as it goes back to when I was about three years old. I remember bits and pieces of it, and my family supplemented the rest of the story: my parents have painted their living room, and the clean expanse of white space was just too much for me, a siren song – I found a pencil and went at it. In no time at all the entire span of the room was decorated at the tree year-old height with houses, trees, stick people with big hair…and they were all upside down. My parents, noting my absence and the fact that I was suspiciously quiet, found me in the act of creation. I remember not understanding why I was in trouble. I also remember that a few days later my parents presented me with a large quantity of sketchbooks and pencils.

2. What is your medium of choice?

I think that in the absence of paper, canvas, brushes, paint etc. I would be looking for a stick to scratch designs in the dirt, or mixing mud with my own hands to paint cave walls! For practical reasons I am working mostly with acrylic paints right now. They are a “base” for much of my artwork at the moment, but since I enjoy blurring the line between painting and drawing, I also use mediums that normally reserved for drawing – ink, pencils, conte crayons. In the end my artwork is a “mixed media” experience.

3. What are your greatest inspirations for your work?

Nature, travel experiences, and written word are my holy trinity of endless inspiration. I hear that people sometime have trouble with ideas and concepts – what should I paint? My biggest problem is trying to narrow it down in another direction – what should I NOT paint? Nature is always my go-to source. Human body or simple seedpods, all are expressions of amazing diversity of nature. There is such an abundance of beauty, such elegance, sometime restraint and sometime over-the-top riot of excess found in nature… you can draw on it indefinitely.

4. What is playing in rotation these days while you are working?

A Fine Frenzy, Nina Simone, Muse, JJ Grey & Mofro, Radiohead, The Black Ghosts.

5. What is a good art making day look like for you?

Good art making day for me is one without interruptions. I know that if my attention starts to wander I will loose my focus and momentum. Other than that, every day can be an art-making day, and every day can be a good art-making day. Since I am more of a process-oriented person, I don’t have to see an art project finished at the end of the day to feel good about it.

6. Who are your favorite artists?

…it is an ever-changing list, as there are many artists whose works I admire, so this is just a small selection of “favorites right now”:

J.M.W. Turner
Joseph Cornell

Ross Bleckner

Charles Avery

7. Greatest advice given to you, which you would like to pass along?

Don’t ever wait for inspiration, or right time, or perfect conditions to make art. There is no right time or wrong time, there are no perfect conditions, and inspiration does not come to those who wait. Make your marks: draw, doodle, paint, and sketch… art happens in the making.