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.

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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!

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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.

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Regards,
Tammy Ackerman
Executive Director

FeedTheEngine.org
[207] 229 3560
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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!!!