Sumi Brush

Here's my first attempt at making a brush.........I'm kind of pleased with it and can't wait to see what sort of marks I'll be able to make on my pots with it.

Deer hair with a copper ferule, driftwood handle & leather hanger.

Engine's grand opening "In Nature" & Handmade on Main

(L. to R.) Deborah Randall, Andy Rosen, and Stephen Burt

Engine's grand opening
In Nature : Deborah Randall, Andy Rosen, and Stephen Burt
Friday, December 16 • 5-8pm
265 Main Street, Biddeford, Maine

Engine is thrilled to open its Main Street gallery space with the exhibition In Nature, featuring the paintings, sculptures, and drawings of Deborah Randall, Andy Rosen and Stephen Burt.

The work of Randall, Rosen, and Burt—all Maine artists who teach at the University of New England-Biddeford—shares a common thread of nature, but not in a traditional representative style. Randall’s paintings predominantly feature abstracted human forms in natural environments, while Andy Rosen’s sculptural creatures blend the familiar with the fantastical, and Stephen Burt’s meticulous landscape drawings feel imbued with a previous centuries’ motifs, yet crisply modern at the same time. 

Engine is proud to host these three talented Maine artists for its first "official" exhibition.

---

Handmade on Main
On opening night, Engine will also introduce Handmade on Main, a small retail shop within the gallery that will offer original work by local artisans. Friday night’s opening reception with feature four artists from Maine Craft Association: Cathie Cantara (pottery), Ann Thompson (metal), Karen Gola (glass), and Hope Murphy (glass).

Please remember to buy local this holiday season and support Maine artists and crafters!

---

The $50,000 Marble Block Challenge
Engine has accepted the generous gift of the former Renys building at 129 Main Street in Biddeford. Known as the Marble Block, the building was donated by the R.H. Reny family. Engine will immediately make necessary structural repairs, winterize the building, and host a collaborative community design session for input on the building’s future.

And then comes the challenge:

Engine is currently raising $50,000 to cover acquisition costs, legal fees, insurance, winterization, maintenance, and urgent structural repairs to the circa-1880s building. These funds will allow Engine to develop and execute a major redevelopment plan. Read more about our initial vision and how you can donate here.

---

Regards,
Tammy Ackerman
Executive Director

FeedTheEngine.org
[207] 229 3560
Follow us on Twitter

Engine’s hours beginning December 16:
Tuesday-Friday : 12pm-6pm
Saturdays : 9am-12pm
and by special appointment

50 States Fire Up: American Clay Invitational

This piece will be hitting the road tomorrow!  It's off to the Margaret Harwell Art Museum in Poplar Bluff, MO where I've been asked to represent the state of Maine in a national exhibit.  "50 States Fire Up: American Clay Invitational" opens December 3rd and runs through January 29th 2012.

Drats & Double Drats

I think my electric kiln has become a "kiln of a certain age"  .  About a month and a half ago, it's thermocouple died (right before a couple of large shows had coming up - just when I needed it most) So I learned how to replace a thermocouple. (it was actually very easy)
Now the dam thing won't shut off.....from what I read in the trouble shooting sections of my kiln manual, it sounds like I have a stuck relay and will need to figure out which one it is and  learn how to replace that :( (hopefully it's not any harder than replacing a thermocouple) Of course I have Holiday shows the first 3 weekends in November and I have my whole work table covered with greenware ready to be bisqued  (#?X&& TIME !! Not an issue?!!)
Hopefully after this it will behave until the end of the year and I can lovingly learn how to replace it's old elements over the coming winter.

The Observatory is Now Open

Until yesterday I had always assumed that the building pictured here had originally been a chicken coop. When we bought the house in the late 90's, one of my husband Dave's first projects was to take this building down to it's foundation and rebuild it as a studio for me. The only question we had was why was the original roof on the chicken coop on wheels? The answer came driving up our driveway yesterday. An elderly gentleman got out of his car and introduced himself. Frank Landon told me that prior to us,his family had owned this property for over a hundred years. The original house had burned down in the great fires that destroyed quite a vast area of Southern Maine back in 1947. Frank's father rebuilt the house on the original footprint of the old house.......... and this is where the chicken coop comes in.........as it turns out, Frank's father was a somewhat eccentric college professor and an astronomy enthusiast so when he rebuilt the house he also built himself an OBSERVATORY!!! He would go out at night - roll the roof open (that answers that question) and gaze at the stars through his telescope. I outgrew that building and moved my studio into a larger space a while ago and have been using it as a gallery to showcase my work.........it now officially has a name......The Observatory..........How cool is that :)

!!!!October Sale!!!!!

Hi All..The Studio will be open Fridays Saturdays & Sundays - October 7th through the 30th. Stop by and receive 20% off your purchase!!

A Baker's Dozen

It's been awhile since my last post - time to get back at it!
Anyway hope you'll join Dave and me this coming Friday July 29th from 5 to 7 at the opening of Baker’s Dozen
Invitational of 13 local artists & craftspeople at River Tree Art right here in Kennebunk. There will be live music, light fare and wine - sounds like fun!!!

CODA Exhibition

Off to Portland this morning to drop off a piece that's in the Maine Craft Association Exhibit that is running in conjunction with the CODA Conference.

The Exhibition will be on display at the Eastland Park Hotel in downtown Portland, Maine from June 8th - June 12th. The opening reception is Friday June 10th from 5 to 7 and there will be a mini Art Walk of Congress Street galleries including the CODAchrome Exhibition
in the upstairs Gallery at Harmon & Barton's, Daunis Fine Jewelry and 9 Hands Gallery.

New Pit Fired Work

Lisa Adkins and Tracy Michaud Stutzman, Maine Crafts Association

Lisa Adkins and Tracy Michaud Stutzman, Maine Crafts Association

THE MAINE MALL?!?!?

Dave & I drove to Bar Harbor on Sunday to drop off work at the Bar Harbor Blues Cafe. It looks like they are going to have quite a summer.....yummy food......live music....and selected works of Maine artisans......And today I'm off to the Maine Mall in South Portland.......THE MAINE MALL?!?!?! For those of you who don't know me - I am no Mall Rat - no FASHIONISTA and haven't been to the mall (not even to do Christmas shopping) in over two years. But today I'm packing up a bunch of my pots and delivering them to the mall (to sell at the mall....I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that one). The Maine Craft Association is opening a "POP UP" shop there for the summer months. It is going to be called Creative Common and will feature the work of Maine artists. It will also feature installations from the Maine College of Art and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance....and....have live musical performances and demonstrations throughout the summer. They are having a kick off party tomorrow night.....I'll be there (did I really say that????)

Back From Haystack

Arrived home late yesterday from an amazing 4 day workshop at Haystack Mountain School of Craft. The school is located on the beautiful island of Deer Isle Maine.

The only thing more spectacular than the view was what was happening at the school. There was a vibe - everybody was so engaging - beyond class time there was an ongoing creative dialogue that crossed over the various workshops (all of which you were free to visit to see what other people were doing)spilled into mealtimes and late into the evenings. Maine Craft Association sponsors this annual workshop for it's members with tuition on a sliding scale - making it affordable for artists like me (thank you so much!!!).. ....But anyway.......I didn't take a Pottery Workshop (go figure) I took Native American Basket Making and it was beyond wonderful! Our teacher, Paula Thorne - a traditional arts master, was incredible! Her mastery of her craft and generosity of spirit blew me away! As she shared her knowledge with us, she regaled us with Penobscot folk tales of Gluskab.

Anyway.....I'm home now and it's time to get back into my studio. Below is a photo of the brown ash and sweet grass baskets I made (I will have to finish my sea urchin basket)and my newest prized possession - an Aaron Sober teabowl (he taught the Pottery Workshop that I didn't take :( - oh well can't do everything) Time to get to work!!!

Openings, Farmers Market, Bar Harbor

Phew.....busy weekend.....an opening Friday night of the York Art Association's spring show......Saturday morning off to the Biddeford Indoor Farmers Market with a bunch of my pots - there wasn't much traffic there and I spent more time shopping than selling....bought spring greens, parsnips, bread stuffed with Italian cold cuts & cheeses, goose eggs & manchego goats cheese...yummmmm.........Sunday Dave & I headed upta Bar Harbor with pots in tow to meet with Ed and Shelia at the Bar Harbor Blues Cafe. I really enjoyed meeting the both of them and am looking forward to having my work in their venue........and it was such a beautiful spring day ..... I was a little worn out this morning - I did drag my whimpy butt out to the studio and once I got going it wasn't too bad for a Monday. :)

Knob Obssesion Update

New pieces using a couple of the driftwood knobs I made.

Kansas City Teabowl National

Juror Stephen Hill Has selected one of my teabowls to be included in the 2011 Kansas City Teabowl National. The exhibit runs June 1st through the 25th and is sponsored by the KC Clay Guild

Pictured below is my work.

.

My latest Obsession

My latest obsession.....I'm having so much fun combing the beach for driftwood and creating these tiny sculptures.  These knobs are destined to adorn the lids of some future horsehair raku pieces.

The Bowl As Art - At the Guilford Art Center

Went to on Guilford Art Center Saturday to check out the Bowl Show - here are some pics from it

 

 Me & my bowl below

Empty Bowls

Oh my......I can't believe how lazy I've been with this blog.  November was my last post and here it is already almost the end of March...But anyway   This coming Friday March 25th there will be a Empty Bowls Night at York Art Association.  This is part of the Southern Maine Clay Guild's 3rd annual winter show there.  The Empty Bowls mission is to raise money to help fight hunger.  The SMCG's artists are collaborating with York High School students and many wonderful local restaurants are donating soup.  With the purchase of a beautiful handmade bowl you'll be able to sample delicious soups and breads.  We hope that the bowl you take home with you will help us all remember that out there - everyday - there is someone who's bowl is empty.  All proceeds are being donated to the York Food Pantry.