Weekend Full of Art

One of my faves.

This past soggy Saturday afternoon I checked out the North River Arts Society's Festival of the Arts exhibit before they took it down. Incredible work - I was honored to be a part of the show. On Saturday night my husband and I took a jaunt up to the Patron's Preview of the Danforth Museum's Community of Artist's exhibit. Lots of art to look at. My scratchboard drawing was directly beside what I considered to be one of the most beautiful pieces in the show. The small photo here doesn't do it justice other than to display its appeal. The real awe is when you discover that this beautiful image is created entirely from cut paper. The show is definitely worth a visit and is up until August 3. Or you can view the entire show in catalog form by clicking here. Only trouble is you don't get to experience the impact of the surprisingly varying dimensions of some of the pieces as you would in person.

Collaboration

Collaboration – defined as working together jointly with others by Merriam Webster. This lovely bouquet unknowingly is a collaboration between my mother who gave me the peony plant years ago, my sister who let me transplant the beautiful bearded irises from her yard into my own garden and my friend Maureen from whom I received the beautiful pitcher in a Yankee Swap a Christmas or two ago. The ferns and the little white flowers are provided by Mother Nature. My contribution are the blue irises – a favorite. I love this time of the year when you can take a few snips and effortlessly they become a bouquet. I'm really not much of a gardener but together I think we pulled it off.

Showroom

Wow! What a fun weekend. I was a little slow to start yesterday. Now that I'm in the shop alone I'm trying hard to maintain some structure and keep fairly regular hours. Yesterday I worked on the sea creature series of the embossed prints  – think I'll come up with a better name though. I added a sea urchin, jelly fish, sand dollar and a nautilus shell. That makes 9 - just the number I was shooting for. Together the 10"x10" framed prints form a striking display when hung together. I'll show them all soon. In the meantime I'm also working on updating my website – hopefully complete by the end of the week. I've hung new shelves and am transforming the "showroom" to hold my new creations.

On My Walk Today

Lots to see on my walk this morning. The "perfect tree" was swaddled in haze. The tiny spider webs on the bushes along the water were highlighted in the sun by the droplets left by the fog. The marsh grasses and earth smell good after the few days rain we've had. I heard the 8:00 hour announced by the church bells in the distance. A treat for all the senses.

Embossed Sea Creatures

Finding more and more ways I can use this awesome little etching press  - stumbling upon them by accident half the time. Once I realized I could emboss with this, it opened up a whole new box of possibilities for me. I'm working on this line of sea creatures. You can see here the results of some of my efforts in the horse shoe crab and the... crab - is this a Freudian subliminal message to myself - that I'm a crab?! I'd rather say because my zodiac sign is Cancer and the crab is a symbol of the sign. Yeah, that feels better. Anyway, I'm working on a seahorse, seashell, sand dollar, and a starfish. What else, any suggestions, thoughts, requests!?

Beach Rocks

I've been experimenting with new techniques. Using a white clapboard I inked in the black plate of my naturalistic rendition of a beach scene. Below is a shot (at dusk - so it's not completely color accurate) of the plate with watercolor added. It's an 11"x14" print in a 16" x 20" matte. I made a really large black plate - probably around 18"x 24". This one shows colors as you would actually find them in nature but I think I might take a little artistic license on the larger one and create my own palette. 

Powder Point Bridge

To collect a little reference material for a project I'm planning – I took a jaunt down to the beach yesterday afternoon. Good day to just poke around. I didn't cross the 1/2 mile wooden bridge to the other side because I could get what I needed on my side of the bay. Across the bridge and over the dunes however - it's just the Atlantic Ocean. You can see Provincetown on a clear day way off in the distance. 

The End is Near...or is this just the beginning?

Just back from the SSAC's Juried show "White, Black and Shades of Gray"

Slowly but surely the artists are coming to remove their work. I'm excited but a little fearful as I watch the walls empty of their bright beautiful work. I'm building my own inventory and am having a blast in the process. Just received one piece of art back from a show at the South Shore Art Center and will be delivering another to the Danforth Museum this week. I got some great news yesterday regarding this piece that I submitted to the North River Arts Society's Festival of the Arts. The opening is on Friday night - the 25th of May. It's a true party atmosphere  - a great way to kick off the summer. The festival runs the entire weekend long. Definitely worth a visit.

Henna Alphabet Art

And here it is - one of the ideas that has been stuck in my head! Hand pulled through the etching press using Akua soy based inks on Copperplate paper. Each imprint is just a little different from the next and the embossed heart adds a sweet touch. My artwork is based on the art of Henna tattoo - often used to adorn brides to be in the middle east. How appropriate  - as I was thinking this would make such a lovely to celebrate an engagement, wedding or anniversary. The colors can be customized - (perhaps the bridesmaids gown color?) . Gold and silver ink can also be used for a 50th or 25th wedding anniversary. Dates and surnames can be added in calligraphy as well. If you're planning on placing an order try and give me a week or two if you can - the ink takes forever to dry!
PS - I also do these in a single version matted to fit a standard 11"x14" frame. I'm thinking new babies, grads, housewarming gifts, bridesmaids gifts. This one is a gift for my niece on her Communion. It's a surprise so I hope she doesn't read my blog ;-)

Making Headway

Most of the wonderful artists that have been part of HomeGrown will be moving out over the next week so if you've had your eye on anything you better grab it quick. Although I'll be more than happy to pass along any contact info in the future. I'm excited to be pulling off some of the projects that have been in my head for awhile. I'll show you the results - maybe tomorrow? And some like this one that I'm racing with time to see if I can finish! Do you think I can finish it by Saturday?

Movin' on Up

My family will be so happy when they return to my house today. After weeks and weeks of a printing press residing on my dining room table I've finally moved all (or most) of my stuff down to the studio in the shop. 

Shopping Night Anyone?

As a retail shop owner and artist you can just imagine how often I am asked for donations for the fundraising efforts of causes and organizations. Hard to say no, but not wise to say yes consistently during this tough economy – I think I may have come up with a solution for both the donor and the fundraiser. Why not host a shopping event here at HomeGrown? Invite a large group of shoppers during a scheduled period – add some snacks and a beverage or two – socialize and shop – and I'll write a check directly to your cause or organization for up to 25% of the total sales. And you don't even have to clean up! Have no organization or cause and just think this sounds like fun? Then host a shopping night and earn up to 20% of the entire sales in free merchandise available at HomeGrown. I'll have all the particulars on the website soon but in the meantime contact me at lisa (at) homegrownartsandcrafts.com and I'll be happy to fill you in. C'mon all you Pan Mass Challengers and Jimmy Funders - let's make it happen!

Girls Just Want to Paint

Yesterday I caught a sneak peek of the Girls Just Want to Paint Exhibit at the Helen Bumpus Gallery at the Duxbury Free Library. During the month of May the library is host to this incredible group of painters including our own Mary Sheehan Winn and good friend Sally Dean Mello. These two women are part of a larger group that paints to a particular topic or subject with allowing us a glimpse into the mind of each painter. The exhibit is currently open however the "Opening"isn't until May 19. You can get more details at the Girls Just Want to Paint blog or at the Duxbury Free Library's website.

Boston Gas Tank 6x6 oil on board by Mary Sheehan Winn

Beach Scene Hand Colored Prints

I was on a mission this weekend. My goal was to frame a matted hand colored, hand pressed print of a beach scene I had recently drawn. On Saturday, the conditions were right. After I closed the shop for the day I had just enough sun left to burn a printing plate to use on press. I began by scanning my image and outputting a transparency. I exposed a light sensitive printing plate by laying the transparency over it and holding it in the bright sun for 90 seconds. After the image has been burned to the plate the unexposed areas are washed away using warm tap water. It's laid to dry. Inked up and ready to go, I hand crank the printing plate through the small table top etching press to transfer my image to a sheet of damp printing paper one at a time. Cleaned up and re-inked, we're ready to roll again…and again…and again. The soy ink I use takes its time to dry but by Sunday evening I was able to hand watercolor the printed images. Trying out different palettes on each piece, it becomes addicting. Today I had a chance to sign and frame one of the hand colored prints. What do you think?

Printed, Hand colored, Framed.

Got Diva?

"The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table" - I think I read that on someone's wall somewhere - but it's really true. Friday night was Diva night at HomeGrown. 6 women with strong connections – some friendly, some family – sat around our table each creating a signature "big girl beverage" glass by decorating the stem with polymer clay. I enjoyed their energy and funny stories about everything from marriage to massages as they whiled the night away creating fond memories and wine glasses!

Mother's Day is on its Way!

HomeGrown has got the best selection of Mother's Day gifts around. Sorry Pandora - but what do you say we get a little creative this year? How about one of Linda Mackey's gorgeous hand dyed scarves? Marianne Buckley Curran has some incredible original work - her images reprinted on ceramic tiles are really beautiful. Of course, everybody loves Betsey Borden's incredible baskets, prints and plaster of Paris starfish casts. Our hometown girl, Margaret Curran has adorable mini giclees of some of our beloved Duxbury scenes as well as both framed and unframed giclees of her original series entitled "Dories" now appearing at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury! Boston Baked Beads artisan jewelry is lovingly individually created by hand by Lisa Mackin. New from Lisa are gallery matted monogram prints - (great wedding, engagement and grad gift too). Susan Hagstrom's artistic eye provides us with some beautifully framed and matted photographs. Mary Sheehan Winn has been a big favorite with her colorful prints and 6"x6" originals - we've got a couple of her larger pieces as well. Laurie Tonelli's masterful style is evident in her whimsical birdhouse - a grew way to add some fun to a space. So all you Moms out there and  Moms to be  - feel free to drop some hints (and an email address) and we'll be sure a birdie whispers in the right ear. And if you're the giver and not the receiver - stop by, we'll hook you up!

Hilton Head

Here I am back home again after an incredible week in Hilton Head. It's so hard to get moving after partaking in that relaxed lifestyle. The bike trail system down there is so accessible allowing one to get from one place to another with pedal power. No Tour de France like uniform required. Helmetless and flip flopped was the way to go. I love going on vacation tho time of the year because even if you come home to drizzle and cold you know that our spring is just around the corner. Although my body and brain is so confused at this point. We've had such unusual weather this year I don't know what season it is anymore.

Ch-ch-changes

A shift is happening at HomeGrown - a transition from a retail based environment with a small in house studio to a larger working studio with a small retail space. My goal when I opened this gallery boutique was to offer consumers an awesome selection of art and handcrafted items by local artists, to provide an environment to artists to sell their wares under the umbrella of HomeGrown and while I ran the shop I would utilize the studio space to further my own pursuits in fine art and in my other business. What I didn't realize would happen is that as the shop demanded more time my own production and creativity level would suffer. By my own design, over the next month the shop will slowy empty of some of the beautiful items created by Betsey Borden, Margaret Curran, Linda Mackey, Marianne Buckley Curran, Mary Sheehan Winn, and Laurie Tonelli as the transition takes place. I've really enjoyed working with all of these talented ladies and have had a lot of fun trying to get HomeGrown off the ground with them. But for the next few months I'l be on my own and am excited to get back to a few projects I've put on hold.

Artist Talk

Searching for some culture on a beautiful Thursday morning? Stop by the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury at 10:30 for coffee and hang around of the Artist Talk featuring Glenn Pollock and his incredible photography and scratchboard works by me - Lisa Mackin. Look forward to seeing you there!

We'll be open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Closed all next week.

A Whole New Mind

Ever wonder what's playing in the studio at HomeGrown? A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink. Everyone should read/listen to it. Awesome for those of us in creative careers and equally as awesome for those who are not.

Have a "Good Friday".

Career Connection Fair

Today I am heading over to the Whitman-Hanson High School Career Connection Fair. A friend of mine asked me to participate. Young adults entering the visual arts today have so many more options than when I was just starting out. Think about some of the careers that were non existent back then like game developers and web designers. And then there's tattoo artists - some of the best illustrators make a great living drawing on people vs. paper and are highly respected for it. It'll be fun to see where these kids are headed. I'm a little jealous.

I've been taking a little trip down my own career's memory lane lately while updating my website.

New Betsey Borden Web Site

Betsey Borden has a brand new website featuring some of her most interesting projects over the past few years. Her restoration of a Louis Vuitton Steamer trunk is amazing. The website showcases her incredible talent as a naturalist painter. There's a link to an Etsy gallery of one of a kind items for sale as well as some of her tried and true starfish prints and Plaster of Paris casts that are currently available at HomeGrown.

I hear my husband has a big crush on her website designer - *wink wink.

White, Black & Shades of Gray

"The Spinster's Drawer" - original scratchboard by Lisa Mackin

Looking for something to do tomorrow night? How about the opening of White, Black & Shades of Gray, a national juried show at the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset curated by Dina Deitsch, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum. Deitsch viewed over 1000 images and chose 68 works to represent the best of the theme. Lisa Mackin's scratchboard entitled "The Spinster's Drawer" is in the exhibit featuring work from all across the USA. The show will be hanging from March 30 through May 6. The opening reception is March 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bancroft Gallery, South Shore Art Center, 119 Ripley Road, Cohasset. All of the work has been selected by Dina Deitsch, .  Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. 781-383-2787 or www.ssac.org.

More of Margaret's Minis!

In the window of HomeGrown

Margaret Curran has been hard at work. She's output some of her favorite recent paintings to be offered as giclee prints. She's's also been busy working on a series of mini original oils including Gurnet Light and the Blue Fish River that are just captivating. These tiny canvases of quiet local scenes are so tempting to snatch up -  but get 'em while they're hot, her Blakeman's mini sold by nightfall! Check out her Facebook page for a glimpse of some her most recent work.

Razia's Ray of Hope

Photo Credit: Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation

Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in Afghanistan through community-based education. The flagship project is the Zabuli Education Center, a humanitarian endeavor led by Razia Jan, an Afghan native, former resident of Duxbury, Massachusetts, and small-business owner who has worked since 2005 to raise funds to establish the school for girls in Afghanistan. On Thursday evening March 29 from 7-9 pm enjoy an evening out with friends, taste some Afghan cuisine, have glass of champagne while attending A Benefit Fashion Show: Wearing Hope held at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury. Your $50 ticket purchase - available online and here at HomeGrown - benefits the Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation. 

More Gurnet

While browsing through the internet curious to learn more about Gurnet Light located in Duxbury - or is it Plymouth? - that's always kind of confused me, I found this awesome image of an old postcard credited to Huelse (?) on the Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill website. The postcard depicts the lighthouse with twin towers. In my opinion in what was undoubtedly a poor design decision, the second tower was removed in 1924 leaving the building as it stands today - the nation's oldest active wooden light tower.

Borrowed from the UNC website, thank you!

I Think I'm in Love!

As the last member of my family left Monday morning, the door shut behind them leaving me alone with the printing press and the challenge of duplicating my scratchboard of Gurnet Light on press. I realized by Sunday afternoon I would need to break up the larger areas of black in the image in order for it to hold the ink to print better. I opened the scan I had made of the image in Photoshop and applied a mezzotint filter to the problem areas. I output a new transparency and exposed a new Solar Plate. Learning to ink a plate I had been warned is a difficult task in itself. Coercing the ink into the tiny crevices in the plate was hard but wiping off the excess ink without eliminating the desired ink proved tougher. My education of this printing process consists of a few casual conversations and a series of You Tube videos. But I prefer to enter a new medium this way though - blindly. I come out with a better understanding when I've had to work through issues and problems that more than likely could be fairly easily prevented or avoided. By the end of the day, I understood that ink consistency matters greatly, that the paper needs to be damp in order to squeeze into the crevices to find the ink and that increasing the pressure on the press helps too. I'm still learning and the prints are improving.  Now to most of you reading this it probably is gibberish but I'm having such a good time exploring this new medium. Sorry, but you'll probably find me gushing on for the next few weeks as I just ordered new inks and paper.

My best print...so far.

The Saga Continues

On Friday I finished the scratchboard drawing of Gurnet Light I was working on. With plans of using Solar Plates vs. traditional etching plates to print it, I was happy to hear that the sun would be shining on the weekend - a necessary ingredient to expose my plates. New to the whole experience, the learning curve has been somewhat comical - from floundering around in the dark trying to cut the unexposed plates with tin snips to being covered in ink while trying to wrestle with the press. I learned a lot that first day - obviously succeeding greatly at making a big mess.

To be continued...

Gurnet Light on Press

Recently a friend of mine lent me an etching press and another friend the accessories so that I could experiment with printing. My original plan was to learn to etch but once I realized the amount of toxins I would be required to juggle I quickly altered that route. Instead, I will try and use light sensitive polymer printing plates which in theory can be exposed by the sun and developed with tap water - much safer. Just like the emulsion on a silkscreen - the UV rays expose the unprotected plate/screen  - allowing the areas covered by a transparency containing the image to be washed away - leaving an impression to hold the ink. The actual progression of necessary events might (Let's just say "definitely will") take some trial and error.

I've bought my plates and am creating my image. I'm working on a scratchboard drawing of a lighthouse referencing a shot I took several months ago using my iPhone. I'm implementing a more graphic style than usual because I think it might print better. Here's where the drawing stands at the moment. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

OnSite

There's lots of creative projects happening on the premises at HomeGrown. These lampshades are the latest obsession. Look for more colors, sizes and styles that will be available soon. Talk about brightening up a room! Any color suggestions?










The studio at HomeGrown is also home to Boston Baked Beads where the custom polymer clay beads are created, baked, sanded, polished, drilled and developed into jewelry onsite. Lisa Mackin is always happy to give a quick demonstration or explanation as to how the beads and jewelry are made.

Linda's Spring Line

Linda Mackey came in the other day with a bunch of new lightweight scarves, wraps and squares for the upcoming season. She is a master at colors. 

She Sells Sea Shells

'Tis the season when one's mind starts to wander - a strong desire to leave behind the dust of winter and head quickly on to spring. And with a change of season comes the want for new art, right? Something interesting to brighten the corners of your rooms. We've got just the thing at HomeGrown. In the past week over half our artist brought in brand new work. C'mon in and check out some of the latest creations by our own Betsey Borden.

Blakeman's by Margaret

Margaret Curran has been busy in her studio creating a beautiful new painting of a beloved Duxbury beach tradition and hotspot. Blakeman's is a summer staple here on the South Shore featuring all the beach snack shack fare. Margaret's composition is lovely and her palette as refreshing as always. And if the beautiful 8"x10" original in the silver tone frame isn't enough - there's an adorable miniature original color study available as well. Warning - there's only one of these so if you're thinking of grabbing it you better get in here quick! I don't think it will last very long. This painting will be available as a giclee print within the next few weeks.

Happy Leap Day

Marianne Buckley Curran has brought us some beautiful new work. Just in time for spring - which feels like it's been with us all winter long. Well, maybe not today so much. C'mon in and see what else she's got on display!

Today presents us with a gift of 24 extra hours. Be sure and use it for something fun!

Hitler's Lost Art

I never knew there was actually a Bohemia. According to Wikipedia it's a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. And here I thought "bohemian" was a term to describe colorful, exotic, flamboyant items I'm generally drawn to. Or perhaps a description one might use for a nomad or adventurer. Regardless, several pieces of long lost art originally ordered to be hidden in Southern Bohemia by Adolf Hitler has shown up in northern Czechoslovakia. There are rumored to be another nine pieces still missing. The convent in which the pieces were found has decided to stake claim. We'll see how that works out for them.

HomeGrown closed Saturday, February 18.

We'll be closed during the entire long President's Day Weekend. Come stop by and say hello next week! Enjoy!

New from Boston Baked Beads

The latest from Boston Baked Beads. Fun stuff. What do you get when you mix a mid winter bout of boredom, polymer clay and a left over glass Christmas ornament? This, of course. Now available at HomeGrown Arts and Crafts in Duxbury.

Brownies!

No better way to spend a rainy/snowy Saturday afternoon than with 9 little bursts of sunshine! HomeGrown hosted a local brownie troop this weekend. The girls worked hard to earn their Art To Wear badge. A spring bouquet pendant was the project for the day and they did a great job!

Iris

This is Iris Apfel. According to Wikipedia  she is an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion icon. I read, or shall I say perused through, her biography once. (There were a lot of pictures) She is over 90 years old. I think she's awesome and I hope that she and her big glasses come visit me at HomeGrown if she happens to pass through Duxbury at some point. Enjoy your weekend.

Custom Work

HomeGrown - providing awesome gifts for special occasions. Here's one of Linda Mackey's beautiful hand dyed silk & nuno felted scarves. The pin by Boston Baked Beads was custom made to match the color scheme in Linda's scarf. If you don't see it in our shop - ask us about a special palette or design you're interested in. Chances are we can custom make something for you to suit your needs. It won't be the first time.

Diva Night

Friday night the studio at HomeGrown hosted a Diva night. A group of six lively women came in for a night of fun and to decorated the stems of either a wine or martini glass with polymer clay and swarovski crystals. Each chose a different color scheme and were guided through the steps to create their masterpiece. There were lots of laughs in the process. Fun night - thanks ladies!