Gallery Store is Open!

Hi,

Well after many long hours of work and countless emails with friends who helped in the process, I am so thrilled to announce the opening of my New Studio Gallery Store! I really cannot tell you how consumed I have been with putting this together, well, my husband will tell you. He's been doing all the cooking and dish washing lately so he's ready for me to get "back".

Anyway, needless to say I am happy with this new endeavor and so pleased to have a place to show my gallery work. The store has an emphasis on works on paper, pinhole pieces, and framed pieces. In many of the pieces I make the paint by hand, grinding dry pigments with various mediums to make egg tempera, watercolor, and oil paint. And oh, my new "shell series" that I've talked briefly about is featured there as well. So to celebrate my new store I am offering FREE Continental U.S. SHIPPING on FRAMED ART purchases throughout the month of AUGUST. Yay!

I hope you can go take a peek at it and let me know what you think. And now that it is up, I'm not sure what to do next! Well that's not entirely true, I do have another BIG surprise in the works. But that's for later. :)

Till soon!
H

new treasures

In addition to relaxing on the beach with my husband last week, I was also spent time with my family, certainly times I treasure. It is nice simply to hang out with them and do every day kinds of stuff together that we don't often get to do because of the many miles between us. I think it's those simple things I enjoy most.

We also shared little family anecdotes and looked at old photos. The items gathered on the table are a few little 'treasures' that belonged to my grandmother that I told Mom "Oh, may I have that?" and she would say "Sure, what are you going to do with it?", "Uh, I don't know, it's inspiration." There are some gems here that deserve their own photos {note to self}, like the handwriting on the envelopes and some beautiful copper script stencils {not pictured}. I share these with you as they are more things feeding my new shell watercolor series.

And now, an announcement. Next week I will be making available this shell series, along with framed paintings and pinhole pieces. Yet not in my etsy shop but a new studio gallery, as I am calling it. My goal for the opening is Monday at noon central. The decision to open a different venue warrants it's own discussion, at another time. But I do want to say a huge thank you to the friends who have been a tremendous help to me, like Rachel, Emily, Alicia & Christy. Thanks so much you guys!

Ok, now you must go over to Rachel's shop, which she updated yesterday. I told her, it is my favorite of her recent updates. For instance, check out this beauty! Did I hear you just faint to the ground? Yes I believe I did. It's that good.

Have a great Friday and I hope you'll check back Monday when I reveal my new online gallery. I'm really excited! :)

H

while in charleston

I mentioned yesterday that we visited Charleston last week as M. wanted to see the homes in the historic district. So we walked and walked around the homes along the Battery, King St., Meeting St. and so on, but my favorite street was Church St. We toured the inside of the Heyward-Washington House built in 1772 and I'm so glad we did. I really appreciate the ingenuity and simplicity of Colonial era homes and the finely crafted details, like the ironwork window shutter closures, interior wood paneling, the painted tiles around the fireplaces, the hand blown crystal glasses, and the furniture. And do you know what one of my absolute favorite parts of these homes? The courtyard gardens. I dream of having a courtyard garden. Dream I tell you.
Before we left, we stopped for a bite at Five Loaves Cafe, as recommended by Shari and I wish I could tell you descriptively and exactly what we ordered. But M. had a homemade pasta in cream sauce with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and I had a tofu and roasted vegetables on baguette with spicy honey mustard. It was delicious and such a nice way to finish our day-long outing.

Well I think I'm getting close to having the new shell watercolors ready for the shop, I'll keep you posted,
H

on collecting and sketching

Yesterday was my first day back in the studio after vacation and while it took me a bit, I did begin to gather my thoughts and ideas, culminating in a new series. Last week we took a day trip to Charleston {more pics of that soon} and visited the Gibbes Museum which features early American art and artists with a Charleston connection. I was fascinated with the work of Charles Fraser, {1782 - 1860} who painted numerous portrait miniatures. Also in the collection were his watercolors on paper and sketchbooks which particularly interested me in terms of his process.
With his influence in mind, and the idea of collecting, I have begun this limited series by painting the treasures I gleaned from the shore. I see these shell watercolors as excerpts or pages from the sketchbook I prepared to paint while there, yet didn't. They are on paper that is like sand in color and feature a deckle edge. The one on the left is my sketch of ideas, while the second one will be available. They include graphite, watercolor, gold ink, pinhole, and letterpress, and are 5in. x 7in. and will be going in my shop sometime soon.

On another note, I am worried that the roll of film I took during vacation will not turn out. There was a weird advancing issue and well, M. tells me he thinks there won't be anything on the roll. Now I'm afraid to even take it in to develop and am needless to say, very disappointed. Oh well.

So I'm going to go paint now,
H

a few thoughts on the beach

My heart has always been shared in it's love for the mountains and the ocean. I was born in the mountains and then my family moved to the beach when I was in eighth grade. Before we moved, we took our summer vacations at the same beach, so my love of the ocean covers various stages in my life.

I feel now I find more refuge in these visits than in prior years. On our trip last week I remember greeting the ocean with excitement on the first day, walking on the boardwalk to the beach, carrying a beach chair, and wondering {sillily} if it missed me. And on the night before we left we took one last evening stroll and I reluctantly walked back up that same boardwalk telling the beach goodbye, for a while.

Perhaps you feel the same way, but I feel I could gaze at the open ocean for endless hours. I took magazines to read and even watercolors to the beach, but read nary a word and lifted no brush, because I'd rather just look at the ocean. It cleans out all that clutters my mind and I find the constant whispering sound of the waves so comforting. I had hoped that during my time of staring at the water I would have a revelation about a few current projects, yet that did not happen. My thoughts are clear and open, so perhaps I should embrace this new slate as an opportunity for newness, new ideas.

Thank you for your warm return welcomes,
H