Tag: rocky neck holiday art & fine crafts festival

This is for You!

Posted on by God's Morning

pre new years party

This is the last weekend of the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4:00PM with a Pre New Years Party from 2-4:00 on Sunday, December 29.  After all the rushing around and shopping for family, friends, and others, this is your opportunity to get something nice for yourself.  Our Pre News Years party will feature bubbly and snacks, and will be a celebration of a great holiday festival and year of wonderful exhibits and programming at the Cultural Center.  Please join us.

And don’t forget the Rocky Neck Plunge on New Year’s Day 2:00 at Oaks Cove Beach with a warm up after party at the Center.  Great fun, whether you plunge or not.  Don’t forget to bring some non perishables for the Open Door Food Pantry collection.

E.J. Lefavour

Everyone Was A Winner

Posted on by God's Morning

cookie competition copy

at yesterday’s Season’s Best Cookie Competition and Solstice Party coordinated so exquisitely by Gigi Mederos and Stevie Black during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck.  Attendees got to taste the incredible and diverse array of cookies entered into the competition, and enjoy the antics of the serious but fun loving panel of judges made up of Mayor Carolyn Kirk, Ed Collard and Sister Felicia.  Many attendees shopped and got to enjoy the wonderful selection of art and craft items available while checking some people off their lists.  The artists got to enjoy selling their creations and knowing that they have made some money this holiday season.  We got to enjoy the beautiful sound of Eva DiLascio’s singing group that unexpectedly appeared for an impromptu round of Christmas carols.  Mayor Kirk had fun on her birthday and went home with a beautiful birthday cake baked by Karen Tibbetts.  There were many new faces at the event, so the Cultural Center wins some new appreciators of the beauty of the space and the great things we have going on there.

The winners of the Season’s Best Cookie Competition (drum roll please) were:

1st place Salted Caramel Cookies by Alison Darnell and Heather Ahearn – winner of the coveted “Got Milk?” hand painted silk cookie scarf by Gigi Mederos
2nd place Savory Cookie by Sydney and Kaleigh Cirafice
3rd place Cranberry Turtle Bars by Diane Stringer
Classic Chocolate Candy Cane Bars by Jessica McGovern
Best presentation  Cranberry Cardamom Shortbread Icycles by Two Time Winner, Jessica McGovern

but all entrants were winners because they get to have a group cookie baking class with Sister Felicia!

The Holiday Festival is open today from noon to 4:00pm with the final weekend of the festival being held Saturday and Sunday, December 28 & 29 from noon to 4:00PM with a Pre New Years Party on the 29th from 2:00-4:00PM.

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Marty Swanson

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_marty swanson

Spotlight on Marty Swanson

Martha Swanson is an award winning artist who works in watercolor, color pencil, acrylics, oils and mixed media. Before moving to Santa Fe in the late 80’s she enjoyed working in her studio at the Fenway Studios and was Board president of the Cambridge Art Association. She has exhibited in the Boston area and Santa Fe, NM with several one person and small group shows and was chosen for a “New Mexico ‘ 93” a juried exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe. Her work is in many private collections nationwide.

Marty has extensive experience in non-profit management, exhibition installations and has designed many books and publications including Art New England, and the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. Now living in Rockport and soaking up inspiration while wandering the woods and beaches of Cape Ann with her canine friend, she works out of her Rockport studio and with the folks at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck where she was recently elected Artistic Director of the Art Colony.

You can see her work at the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival, which we co-coordinated. I have really enjoyed working with and getting to know Marty.

Stop by this weekend for our Solstice Party and Season’s Best Cookie Competition, and check out Marty’s work.  It is exceptional, and very reasonably priced.

E.J. Lefavour

The Honorable Judges

Posted on by God's Morning

cookie judges

We have some great cookie bakers, judges and prizes lined up for this Saturday’s Season’s Best Cookie Competition at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck during our Winter Solstice Party from 2-4:00.  This also happens to be Mayor Carolyn Kirk’s birthday, so come by, have some cookies, home made mead and other goodies, and wish her a Happy Birthday.

Our next to the last weekend of the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival promises to be a great last minute shopping experience and a fun time for all who come to the party and cookie competition, which will start promptly at 2:00PM.  The festival runs this weekend Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4:00PM and December 28 and 28 from noon to 4:00PM with a Pre New Years Party on Sunday the 29th from 2-4:00pm.

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Nina Goodick

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_nina goodick

Spotlight on Nina Goodick.

Nina was born and raised in Gloucester and comes from a hardworking family of Sicilian Italian and Portugese Gloucester Fisherman. Her great grandfathers, grandfathers, father, uncles, and brother were all fisherman and she spent summers on the family fishing boat the “Linda B”. From them and the women of the family, she learned hard work, love of family, faith, and of course food. Nina says: “In an Italian family, food is love, and we feed everything.” Family has always, and will always be the most important thing in her life.

Relatively new to the pottery world, Nina has been taking classes for the past few years with Cynthia Curtis and has enjoyed the company of her new fellow potter friends. In 2012 Nina was nominated as a seArts emerging artist, and from there decided to emerge herself into learning more about pottery. Her husband Stephen, who constantly encourages her, built her a studio to work from in their home. Then came the kiln, and lots of clay and learning. Her dear friend Marty Morgan, encouraged her to explore glazes, throwing technique, and to embrace the opening of the kiln – something any potter will tell you is both exciting and terrifying.

Nina enjoys throwing functional pottery, bowls, mugs, platters, things you can use. In addition to these, she recently has been creating wall pieces – Codfish, Haddock and Redfish – which connect her to her family heritage. She has also been making wall crosses which she was inspired to create through her work with a medical mission group from the Holy Family Parish, helping the poor in the Dominican Republic. Most of her inspiration comes from her family, friends, faith, and her sister Theresa who is an artist. Nina has always looked up to her creativity and abilities to capture feelings in her artwork. Nina does not consider herself an artist, but just a person who like to make pots.

This past year Nina was a participant in the Cape Ann Ceramics Festival at Rocky neck, and the Pottery Trail. Having people visit her studio and home gallery was a great experience for her, which she truly enjoyed. She is a member of seArts, and the Rocky Neck Art Colony. Her work can be seen at the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Craft Festival weekends through December 29th, seArts Wearable Art & Home Décor Show, December 14th & 15th, and Flatrocks Gallery Feast Exhibit through December 28th.

If you’ve finished shoveling out and want to have some fun, come by the Center for Happy Hour from 3-5:00 today and see some of Nina’s work, which is being exhibited alongside some of her sister, Theresa’s work.

E.J. Lefavour

Fear Not, Be Brave, Creative and Bold

Posted on by God's Morning

cookie competition_fear not

We need a few more entrants for the Season’s Best Cookie Competition during the Winter Solstice Party at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck on December 21st.  We think that some great cookie bakers out there may be afraid to enter because of the judges.

You should know that this is a blind competition, so the judges will not know whose cookies they are judging until the competition is finished.

About the judges.

Ed Collard is one of the most fair and impartial judges I have ever had the honor of working food competitions with.  He likes to eat, knows what he likes, but is open to trying anything and everything, and is a master at determining excellent criteria for judging and having fun.

Mayor Carolyn Kirk is also a fair and impartial judge who really likes cookies and wants to have fun on her birthday.  She has worked really hard for us and deserves some fun and good cookies to eat on her birthday.

Sister Felicia, now this could be the judge that is striking fear into the hearts of some would-be entrants.  But fear not, be brave, creative and bold and enter your best cookie, confident in the knowledge that you can impress even the renowned queen of Sicilian cooking – just don’t bake Italian cookies unless you are really sure you know what you’re doing!

Go for it!  Email Gigi at gigimederos@gmail.com or me at khanstudio@comcast.net with your name and the type of cookie you will enter (remember, no chocolate chip).  Entrants will be asked to bring their dozen cookies in before the judges arrive on 12/21 at 2:00 to begin judging.  They do not have to be holiday cookies.   NEWS FLASH:  All entrants in the Season’s Best Cookie Competition will be eligible to attend a free group cookie baking class with Sister Felicia!

https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/got-milk-rnacs-seasons-best-cookie-competition/

E.J. Lefavour

Everyone Loves Happy Hour, Especially when it is Two and Free

Posted on by God's Morning

happy hour

This weekend the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts festival continues Sat. & Sun. from noon to 4:00, with a Happy Hour Party on Sunday, 12/15 from 3-5:00pm.  Typical Happy Hour fare, beer, wine and a special festive holiday concoction that will warm the cockles of your heart, fingers, toes and other parts that might need warming.

The festival features over 2,500 items by Rocky Neck Art Colony members, many ranging in price from $4 to $50, for a relaxing, unique and fun local shopping and party experience.

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Katherine Bagley

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_katherine bagley

Katherine Bagley is a North Shore native who has lived in Gloucester for 22 years. She works out of her home to make handcrafted jewelry using mostly sterling and Argentium silver, as well as copper, sea glass and colorful beads.

She first started making jewelry fresh out of high school when she apprenticed with a silversmith in Boston. After setting up a workshop in her apartment, Katherine honed her skills with many self taught methods and sold her work in various stores on the North Shore.

A move to New Hampshire in 1986 gave her the opportunity to become a juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen where she had her work in the retail shops across the state as well as taking part in the League’s annual 10 day Sunapee Fair. She also was a juried member of the Valley Artisans in Epping, NH. Katherine furthered her skills at the Manchester Institute of Art where she took classes from silversmith Elizabeth Nutt and participated in various jewelry workshops within the NH League studying under Pauline Warg. Her work was accepted at the New Hampshire Gallery of Art Spring Show.

Katherine and her husband returned to Gloucester with their 2 year old son in 1992. Jewelry took a back seat in her life for many years as she was busy being a mom. She returned to her craft 3 years ago and is thrilled to have her tools out of the boxes and into her hands. “It is so fun to be able to take a piece of wire or a sheet of metal and turn it into something completely different, something with form and beauty and wearability.” She has been pleasantly surprised that the skills of working with metals have been imbedded in her memory even after so long so that the re-entry into silversmithing has been a real joy.

Katherine has shown her work for the past two seasons at the Rocky Neck Gallery as well as Flatrocks Gallery in Lanesville, Fish Fish Gallery in Rockport and the Newburyport Art Association where she has been accepted into two juried shows and has shown work in their gift shop. She looks forward to continuing in the creative process and seeing where this path will take her.

Her latest work is a series of earrings and necklaces called “Redeemed by Fire” and can be found at the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival held at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson St. The festival is being held Saturdays and Sundays from noon – 4:00 through December 29.

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Sinikka Nogelo

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_sinikka nogelo

Spotlight on Sinikka Nogelo

Gloucester painter Sinikka Nogelo considers herself lucky to work in a studio overlooking Joey C.’s business, Capt. Joe and Sons. “The view is just lovely. I enjoy seeing the activity on the working waterfront, knowing my friendly neighbors are doing so much for the community with Good Morning Gloucester, while supplying us with the freshest lobster, and also supporting the arts. A few years back at Joey’s, one of my favorite art installations featured larger than life, black and white photos of faces of the waterfront. “

Though Sinikka has been most well known locally for her work in community television, art has always played a major part in her life. After graduating from Tufts, she studied at Montserrat with Oliver Balf, Barbara Moody, George Gabin, Roger Martin and Ethan Berry. She also took classes at Silvermine Guild in Connecticut and at the BFA’s Museum School in Boston. As a young artist, she was a founding member of the women’s cooperative “Center and Main Gallery,” located in what is now Passports Restaurant. Sinikka returned to painting full time upon her retirement from Cape Ann TV in 2010.

A member of Rocky Neck Art Colony and the Cape Ann Artisans Studio tour, Sinikka paints contemporary pieces inspired by thoughts and feelings, sea and sky. “I just love color and composition. I get a great deal of satisfaction from the process of making art, just seeing where things will go, experimenting and building on what I’ve made.” In recent years Sinikka has also been creating wall pieces from recyclables and found objects, some of which were on display last summer at the Cape Ann Museum’s White-Ellery House in Sinikka’s installation, “Tin – Relics and Remakes.”

At the Rocky Neck Art Colony’s Holiday Art Festival Sinikka is offering miniature paintings on easels to grace spots such as desks, book shelves and counters, as well as miniature paintings to hang as ornaments. Her paintings have long been influenced by the sea and sky which she uses as subjects and as metaphors. Sinikka loves color and composition and putting that first stroke on a canvas.

You can see more of Sinikka’s work at the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival (Sat. & Sun. noon – 4:00pm through 12/29) and at the Magnolia Historical Society’s Art in the Schoolhouse Show (Sat. & Sun. 10:00am – 2:00pm through 12/22).

E.J. Lefavour

“Got Milk?” RNAC’s “Season’s Best Cookie Competition”

Posted on by God's Morning

cookie scarf got milk

Saturday, December 21, 2:00PM

The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck

As part of the Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival, the Winter Solstice Party on Saturday, December 21 will feature a “Season’s Best Cookie Competition”. Any kind of home-baked cookie may be entered, except chocolate chip – everyone makes good chocolate chip cookies – as we are looking for competitors to come up different, unique and prize-winning entries.

The first prize winner of the cookie competition will become the proud owner of this hand-painted silk scarf by Adriana Mederos, titled “Got Milk?”  This beautiful scarf depicts Shortbread, Anise, Oatmeal-Raisin, Linzerkuchen, Chocolate-dipped Diamonds, Biscotti, Baklava, Sugar Cookies, Snowball, Mandelkuchen, Macaroons, Almond Mezzalune, Polvorones, Pizzelle and Crinkles. There is also a First Place Blue Ribbon painted on the scarf to memorialize the winner’s proud achievement.

There will also be 2nd and 3rd place prizes, as well as prizes for “best presentation” and “classic”.

First prize – “Got Milk?” hand-painted scarf

Second prize – limited edition trivet

Third prize – set of Ice Box Bling

“Best Presentation” and “Classic” prize winners will receive notecard sets

The cookie competition will be judged by the Honorable and Venerable Judges Ed Collard (renowned master of food competition judging), Mayor Carolyn Kirk (whose birthday is December 21, so come help celebrate her birthday by bringing your well wishes and most awesome cookies for her to judge), and Sister Felicia Ciaramitaro (the Cape Ann Queen of culinary delights, so bring on your absolute best).

We are hoping to have some unique and festive cookie entries, such as those depicted on this delectable scarf, but bakers are encouraged to enter what they know to be their best cookie (again, no chocolate chip). If you would like to enter the competition, please email gigimederos@gmail.com with “cookie competition entry” in the subject line and your name, type of cookie you plan to enter, and your phone number in the email body. Entries will be limited to the first twelve unique cookie entry submissions received (we want to have diversity and be considerate of the judges’ waistlines, and eating more than 12 cookies isn’t in anyone’s diet). Please be prepared to bake at least two-dozen cookies, for the judges and party attendees to taste and enjoy.

Also, RNAC is considering creating a Best Cookies calendar as a fundraiser for 2015 which would include the recipes, bakers’ credit and photos of the 12 cookie entries.  Please indicate in your email entry if you are willing to share your recipe and have it included in the calendar, if we go forward with producing it.

E.J. Lefavour

High Tea Party

Posted on by God's Morning

high tea party shots

We had a great turnout of food, excellent herbal tea, partygoers and shoppers at yesterday’s High Tea Party at the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Show.  Karen Tibbetts, Suzanne Audette and Rosemary Quataro did an amazing job of putting it all together so beautifully.  People enjoyed the wonderful selection of finger sandwiches, scones, cookies, cakes and more that flooded the table.  Although primarily attended by women, there were a few men there, including Charlie Carroll sporting his tape measure suspenders.

Watch for details on next weekend’s Happy Hour Party, 12/15 from 3-5:00.  The festival is open Sat. & Sun. from noon to 4:00 (5:00 next Sunday).  A fun, relaxing way to shop in a beautiful venue, with a great selection of over 2,000 unique affordable items crafted by Rocky Neck artists.

E.J. Lefavour

Shop Small Day

Posted on by God's Morning

shop small

Did you know that Saturday, November 30th is national Shop Small Day?  Don’t miss the first day of the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Saturday November 30 from 2-4:00pm.  Artists are some of the smallest small businesses around, but we do what we do with big hearts, great dedication and a lot of passion, and we make the world a better, more beautiful place.  Just imagine the world with no artists or art – it would be a heARTless place.

Also, don’t miss all the Gala Preview Party fun on Friday, 11/29 from 5-7:00pm!

rocky neck holiday festival poster

Artist Spotlight Series – Anna Vojtech

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_anna vojtech

Spotlight on Anna Vojtech

Anna grew up in Prague, Czechoslovakia, what is now the Czech Republic. She studied art and animation film in Prague, Antwerp (Belgium) and Hamburg (Germany), where she met her German-American husband, Roland Cornelis Baumgaertel.

In 1971 Anna and Roland moved to Montreal where she worked as a freelance artist for the National Filmboard of Canada and for various film companies. During that time Anna started to illustrate children books and work with Canadian publishers. Her first book published in the US was “The Star Husband”, a Native American legend, published by Doubleday in 1979. Since then Anna has been working and publishing with major publishers like North South, Putnam, Dial, Penquin, Abrams, and many others.  Her botanical paintings, another of Anna’s passions, have been published as”Wild Flowers for All Seasons”, a beautiful coffee table book.

In 1983 Anna, Roland and their two sons, Mathis and Lukas, moved to the North Shore. They lived in Marblehead for a time, but for the last 14 years they have been happy residents of Gloucester along with their grandchildren, Cyrus and Natasha. In 2001 Anna and Roland purchased a building in East Gloucester and turned it into an artist haven with 7 studios, called “Cripple Cove Studios”. This is where Anna continues doing what she has done all her adult life – illustrating, painting and experimenting with various media. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

In March 2013 Anna exhibited her paintings along with her husband’s sculptures at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck.  Anna will be participating in the Rocky Neck Arts and Crafts Show where she will be selling some of the books she has illustrated. Her most recent book are “Look What I can Do!” written by Nancy Viau and The Friendly Beasts”, an old English Christmas Carol, which includes a CD. All of the books will be autographed and at special times Anna will be signing them especially for your special little ones.

Look for Anna and her wonderful books at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, East Gloucester during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival Saturdays and Sundays, Noon-4 PM November 30 – December 29 http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Eileen Patten Oliver

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spotlight_eileen patten oliver

Spotlight on Eileen Patten Oliver

Eileen, a relative newcomer to Cape Ann, was born and lived her first 40 years in Waltham, MA. After a few years in the Plymouth area, caring for her mother, she and her family moved in 1998 to Lubec, Maine (the quintessential coastal Maine fishing village and home of West Quoddy Head Light). Eileen loved Maine and planned to live there for the rest of her life, even after her marriage ended. Fate however intervened! The first time the man who would become her new husband brought her to his home on Cape Ann, she instantly fell in love. Although she wasn’t too sure about him yet, she was totally smitten with this place. She remembers saying to him as they drove past Folly Cove that she wished she could just wrap the whole place up in a box and take it home with her. Their relationship blossomed over the following months with places like Rocky Neck, Lanes Cove, Flat Rocks, Halibut Point, and Bearskin Neck as the backdrop. Finally they decided that the long distance aspect of their romance was too hard and she left Maine behind, starting her new life in a place that prior to meeting him she barely knew.

At that point she wasn’t painting much, but found herself so inspired by the atmosphere, the galleries, and other wonderful Cape Ann artists that she picked it up again. In the three years since moving here, she hasn’t stopped for more than a few days at a time. The fact that her husband, James Oliver, is also an artist, gives her a kindred spirit to share the process with, and he encourages and inspires her every single day.

You can see more of Eileen’s work at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, East Gloucester during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival

Saturdays and Sundays, Noon-4 PM

November 30 – December 29

and look for her during one of the fun parties:

Friday, November 29, 5-7 PM Gala First Choice Preview Party

Saturday, December 7, 2-4 PM High Tea

Sunday, December 15, 3-5 PM Happy Hour

Saturday, December 21, 2-4 PM Winter Solstice Party

Sunday, December 29, 2-4 PM Pre New Year’s Party

http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Jen Moltoni

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_Jen Moltoni

Spotlight on Jen Moltoni

Originally from Maine and now settled in Melrose, Jen Moltoni is a collage artist whose images are created using hand-painted paper and photographs. Jen loves color and the ocean, and is inspired by both. She makes a point of traveling to the North Shore at least once a week to take a walk on one of the many lovely beaches and to find inspiration for her work. Jen is a relatively new member of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, and this will be her first Holiday Art and Fine Craft Festival.

Although never formally trained, Jen has always enjoyed painting, and would create collages for fun when she was in High School. “I remember being obsessed with perfume bottles. I didn’t actually own any fancy perfume, and I didn’t wish that I had some. It was more about the different shapes and colors of the bottles themselves. I would look through magazines, and every time there was a new perfume ad, I would cut out the picture and attach it to one of the walls in my bedroom. By the time I went off to college, I had a space on my wall that was about 3’x3’, and it was covered with tiny pictures of perfume bottles. I loved figuring out how they would fit together best. My rule was that I could not use the same perfume bottle picture twice.”

“I do the same thing with the collages that I do now. The difference is that I don’t start off with a specific shape or color or texture. I figure that out as I go. I also make rules with the photographs that I cut up sometimes, just to make it interesting. For example, if I want to have the ocean in one of my collages, I can’t use cut up pieces of a photograph of the ocean to re-create that. I can use anything –pieces of a sky or tree photo, painted paper, but NOT a picture of the ocean. Silly (sometimes broken) rules. It’s fun.” As a busy mom who works full time at a local university, it can be difficult to carve out time for being creative, but Jen has worked hard to make her artwork a priority. “As a parent I’ve found that it can be difficult to find time for myself. However, once I committed to having certain times during the week that were dedicated to giving myself permission to be creative, I found that overall the quality of my life improved noticeably. Painting and doing collages is something that makes me happy, and being happy is making me a better parent.”

You can follow Jen’s work on her blog: http://jenmoltoni.blogspot.com/, and look for more of her work at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, East Gloucester during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival

Saturdays and Sundays, Noon-4 PM

November 30 – December 29

http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Kathy Gerdon Archer

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_Kathy Archer

Spotlight on Kathy Gerdon Archer

Kathy owned and operated White Bird Gallery on Rocky Neck for many years where she sold her fine art photographs. Separate from her gallery, she also sells her work commercially to hospitals and hotels.

Above are some of the work she will have at the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Show.  Her images of flowers are typically produced on a very large scale but for this event she plans to produce them smaller, making them a more affordable gift possibility.

Kathy is on the Board of The Rocky Neck Art Colony and The Goetemann Residency Program here in Gloucester.  She is also a member of The Copley Society of Boston, The Cambridge Art Association and The Kingston Gallery in Boston’s South End, where she will have a show in February of 2014. http://www.Kathleengerdonarcher.com

You can see more of Kathy’s work at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, East Gloucester during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival

Saturdays and Sundays, Noon-4 PM

November 30 – December 29

http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Heidi Caswell Zander

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_heidi caswell zander

Spotlight on Heidi Caswell Zander

Picture a nine year old striding to catch up to a pack of adults through, for her, shoulder high meadow grass; going through the summer light to someplace unknown to paint, with adults. That was the first group workshop, in 1967, one of many to follow over the next few decades.  Cobalt and cerulean, the smell of horse glue as water hit paper. Marathon sessions of being by the shore and watching dozens of versions of the same place manifest on easels as the sun arced across the horizon.

After learning from Teralak and Schlemm and at Rhode Island School of Design, months of exploring Italy and years of exploring Europe followed. A buffet of Museum collections developed Zander’s personal style: a pinch of Sargent, a cup of German Expressionism, a gallon of energy and brushstrokes.

Blue is the best color, rich, close and distant, peaceful and exciting at the same time. Almost every painting is majoritively blue, and pulsates with the rhythm of stroke.  Jewelry employs the same palette and rhythm. Same combinations and signature, different mediums and functionality.

Zander recently discovered that her Cape Ann connection began decades before her birth with Aunt Gertrude. Gertrude Stuven Stanwood painted and etched from her home base in Lanesville with her contemporaries Teresa Bernstein and Myerwitz. The ladies sipped elderberry wine at her house with Woodrow Wilson’s relative, carrying on her fathers trade as a Rockport shopkeeper. Ironically, one of Gertrude’s paintings was painted from the base of Zander’s Wharf Road driveway decades earlier, with a second painting on the back of the same painting board of the church in which Zander was married. Stomping the same foot steps!

In 2005 Zander opened Tidal Edge Gallery carrying on her father’s occupation as a Rockport business owner. For all the world, Cape Ann is home.

You can see more of Heidi’s work at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, East Gloucester during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival

Saturdays and Sundays, Noon-4 PM

November 30 – December 29

http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Bridgette Mathews

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_bridgette mathews

Spotlight on Bridgette Mathews

Bridgette feels so lucky to have been born and raised in the beautiful coastal community of Gloucester, and feels spoiled living next door to some of the most photographed surroundings in New England. Every time she goes “ova the bridge” to seek out bigger and better scenes to photograph, she always finds that there’s very little that compares to our breathtaking, ever-changing backyard.

She has raised three grown daughters on this island and is now enjoying her recent empty-nest status with her husband Neil, living life one adventure at a time. She has been taking “pictures” all her life but in the past few years has been able to slow down and use her creativity to create “Photographs”. As a Photo-hobbyist, landscapes are her favorite subjects and she’s a sucker for a stunning cloud filled sunset! She enjoys the process of capturing an image and finds that the most rewarding part of photography is the discovery and knowledge behind each subject that she photographs, as well as the many people she meets along the way.

You can see more of Bridgette’s stunning photography at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, East Gloucester during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival

Saturdays and Sundays, Noon-4 PM

November 30 – December 29 http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php

http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Deborah Way

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_Deborah Way2

Spotlight on Deborah Way

Deborah learned her craft from a jeweler in the ‘70s on Cape Cod, beginning with sterling silver. She soon expanded her repertoire to include gold and gems. Working for 12 years on the other Cape, she was further inspired by a master craftsman who taught her the finer points of hammering, as well as other advanced techniques.

Deborah counts herself very lucky to have landed in Gloucester in 2000; a perfect way to start a new century in an environment that encourages such a variety of expression. She settled in, set up her bench, adopted her shelter dog, Hope, and takes her daily walks on the Boulevard; all the while marveling at how much of the coast line is open to residents and visitors, which is not the case on Cape Cod.

After spending many years in business, Deborah is grateful to be back at her bench creating jewelry from sterling and gold, and taking some metal courses to explore new methods to extend her field of work. She just loves being able to live in this artistic environment, which encourages her to work better instead of harder.

Presently, she is finding new inspiration from the curves she sees in nature, and her next step is to create new designs for her jewelry based on these curves. As a result of her recent metal course, she is also looking at the possibility of working iron for garden ornamentation.

Look for more of Deborah’s beautiful jewelry at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, East Gloucester during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival

Saturdays and Sundays, Noon-4 PM

November 30 – December 29

http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php

E.J. Lefavour

Artist Spotlight Series – Guatopo

Posted on by God's Morning

spotlight_Guatopo copy

Spotlight on Guatopo – Adriana “Gigi” Mederos and Stevie Black

Gigi Mederos, originally from Venezuela, is known for her Rocky Neck gallery, Aquatro, and its island blue floors and warm, inviting atmosphere. This past year was Gigi’s third season running a gallery and making art on the Neck. She was also the Artistic Director for the Rocky Neck Art Colony this past year.

Stevie Black is a native New Englander who has been on the North Shore for the past 10 years. Stevie is stepping down from his post as the Marketing Director for the Colony during the 2013 calendar year to devote more time to developing and promoting Guatopo’s product line and new collections. The limited-edition ties that were developed and designed by Stevie were a huge hit this summer. Bold and elegant, these ties were designed to reflect the wearer’s personality and put the finishing touch on their ensemble.

This holiday season, partners Adriana “Gigi” Mederos and Stevie Black, bring a collection of hand-crafted and hand-painted 100% silk scarves and compact mirrors along with their all-new for 2013 collection of men’s ties and trivets created under their Guatopo label. The name “Guatopo” comes from Guatopo National Park, about an hour south of Caracas, in Gigi’s native Venezuela. Pronounced “gwa-toe-poe,” the park is mostly tropical rainforest with many watersheds flowing from a central mountain range that rises to 5000 feet. A short, refined name, they chose Guatopo because it embraced the micro/macro subject matter in Gigi’s work and the authentic quality of her paintings, from which many of their patterns derive.

Keep up with all their events and happenings in 2014 by going to http://www.aquatrogallery.com and look for them at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, East Gloucester during the Rocky Neck Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival

Saturdays and Sundays, Noon-4 PM

November 30 – December 29

http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org/winter.php