News from a cool and wet July in Maine

Paris Necklace
Just finished and sent off a new commission piece. I am very happy with how it came out and hope the owner is too. The requirements were to include the Eiffel Tower and the year 2009. The color scheme was to be light blues and greens which I love to work with anyway. Beads are all high polish polymer clay. I embellished the piece with Swarovsky Austrian Crystals, seed beads and pearls. The toggle clasp was hand forged from sterling silver.




BELFAST ART in the PARK
Getting ready for the Belfast show this weekend. Praying for no rain as it is an outdoor show on the water. This is usually a really great show so i am looking forward to it. Great and appreciative crowd.

FUNGUS!
Have recently been working on some pieces that are sooo directly related to my rainy woods walks. Not sure what direction this will go in. The pieces remind me so much of fungus and mushrooms and slugs (ewe.... but these are pretty ones!!) Will post picts soon.

Off to the Lupine Fest tomorrow

Getting ready for the Stonington Lupine Fest tomorrow. A little anxious as it is the first show I am doing this year by myself with no help! arghhh. I only have 2 hours to set up and thats just not enough time, even with the new display, to do alone. Oh well, it will all be fine. Come by and see me if you are in the area. Deer Isle-Stonington High School gym on Saturday, June 20th from 10-5. The weather looks a bit cloudy and rainy so it will be a good day for a craft show!

Using my new halogen lights for the first time tomorrow too! Pretty exciting for me.

Food for the Soul

Found this really really cute video about art on Soul Pancake this morn. Love Soul Pancake!


Made to Match

Decided to put the word out on my Etsy site for Made to Match custom jewelry and beads. It was so fun creating the matching pieces for a dress I have and it came out so well that I thought I would just love to do more of this sort of thing. Don't know if it will fly or not but why not try it?

gettin' my grove on

Standing with my painting at Stable Gallery, Damariscotta



My Jewelry and painting at Stable Gallery

Stable Gallery in Damariscotta
My work is one of the featured artist's work for this month at Stable Gallery. Anthony and I attended the lovely opening last Friday. It was really nice and I was impressed with all the work there. They put out a lovely spread of food and even had live music. The members all did such a great job hanging the show. It is really one of the nicest galleries and Damariscotta is a sweet little town.



Made to match!

What came first, the beads or the fabric?
I am posting a pict. of the necklace I made to go with my dress that I wore to the opening. I was happy with how it came out. It was interesting to hear people's comments about it (all positive!) Someone asked me if I made the dress to match the necklace. That would have been really hard! I would have had to make the fabric!!! Much easier to make beads to match the fabric! I would love to do more of this sort of thing. Custom beads/jewelry to match outfit/fabric. New from YIKES! Studio!



Some flowers at Le Vatout

Le Vatout
We stayed overnight at a great B&B called Le Vatout in Waldoboro and made some excellent friends with the owners. We hope they will come and visit us in Lucerne if they can ever get away. The garden at this place is incredable!!! I am inspired to work on my own pathetic garden.




Talking to some customers at the Old Port Fest.

Shows
The Portland Old Port Fest weekend before last was a blast. I was really pleased with the turnout and made lots of sales. People continue to respond very favorably to my work and it is very rewarding. I could not believe how this little event has grown since I was an art student in '80's

Next weekend is the Lupine Fest in Stonington. Not sure what is will be like as it is the first time I have done this show. I think it will be fun and Stonington is so pretty.

Following week I will be in Ellsworth for a new show upstairs at the Grind on Main Street. Its part of a brand new event called "Art Across Ellsworth"

Happy Summer!☺

YIKES! news

Valerie McCaffrey of Ballard Street Studios looks over pieces at Luna Form in Sullivan, Maine

Road Trip

Last week was pretty busy with getting ready for shows, having company and a birthday party for a friend of the family. Did a little road trip "downeast" to Luna Forms in Sullivan with my best girlfriend Valerie of Ballard Street Studio. Valerie is a sculptor who creates wonderful planters, called appropriately, "Garden Guardians," from concrete. Luna Forms also creates their pieces from concrete and we got to see the workshop and works in process during our visit. It is a wonderful place. Very Asian in feeling. The pieces are huge and gorgeous! Maybe one day they will trade us a piece for an ad in the Gallery Guide!







Studio News ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



Sea Candy

Coming up with some really cool shapes in reference to pods and crazy looking underwater forms. Here is the first piece fully assembled, though not quit done. This piece will probably under go some changes.

I've been blasting through some awesome color combinations=violet+goldish orange+metallic browns+pinks. Sooo fun!!

Next week it will be time to seriously work on the display overhaul!