Nominees: Robin Beaty and Fleur Palau

The 16th Spotlight on the Arts Awards is coming to the Music Hall on April 15th -- so as a follow up to announcing the nominees, I'd like to specially congratulate Robin Luciano Beaty and Fleur Palau as I have the pleasure of working with both of them!

Robin Luciano Beaty...

Robin has been nominated for "Outstanding Abstract Artist of 2009". She concentrates primarily on the ancient wax based medium of Encaustic paint, a molten beeswax mixed with resin and dry pigments, which she incorporates mixed media, vintage materials, textiles and found objects. Her work has been described as "beautifully conceptual, satisfying mind and spirit simultaneously" and "deliciously collectable". Robin has had an ongoing presence at Three Graces Gallery in Portsmouth - Her solo show this past August ('09) was a huge success, featuring an impressive body of work in her medium of encaustic. Last Spring ('09), Robin was awarded the Award for Excellence in Mixed Media at the NAA's 12th annual Regional juried show as well as the prestigious International Encaustic Painting "Conference Award" for Best in Show in the exhibition juried by Nicholas Capasso, chief curator of the Decordova Museum. *I'd like to also mention that she built her own studio, which is gorgeous and impressive in and of itself -- she's prolific, professional and a delight to work with.

Fleur Palau...

Fleur has been nominated for "Outstanding Narrative Artist of 2009". She was trained in both Florence and New York, she has lived and worked in Italy for over 20 years where she maintains a home and working studio. She is currently living in New Hampshire and has an ongoing presence at Three Graces. She is best known for her narrative paintings depicting a world of Rabbits. Her paintings are a whimsical, yet sometimes moody reflection of the human psyche set in the natural world. Fleur admits "The full meaning of these paintings is of course open to speculation and does not concern me, though I recognize the symbolism and irony that is the vehicle in which to reveal some useful message about ourselves. I would hope that in these rabbbit portraits we may recognize the better attributes of our own nature, that of love, friendship, loyalty, and that the renewed recognition of this will at once empower and inspire." Fleur recently finished a series of paintings to be published in a children's book!

Architectural Digest HOME DESIGN SHOW

The 9th Annual Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York City opened yesterday! Our dear friend and fabulous furniture designer/maker extraordinaire, George Beland, is exhibiting work from his Foundation Line. "Acceptance into this juried show testifies to Beland’s artistry." (Andrew Lieb, Portsmouth Herald)

The show features a world of design inspiration...

• Exhibits from nearly 300 premium brands


• Antiques and mid-century section, presented by 1stdibs.com


• Design seminars presented by The New York Times and industry associations


• Cooking demonstrations and tastings by celebrity chefs
  
• Complimentary one-on-one consultations with design professionals


• Curated tours with members of the American Society of Interior Designers
  

Here are some photos of last year's event courtesy of Architectural Digest:

George has been working very hard preparing for this show! He has added two new pieces to his foundation line, a television console and a "not so small" small table...

Here is George in his studio - he was recently interviewed by Andrew Lieb for the Portsmouth Herald.

"In his workshop at the Button Factory, furniture builder George Beland is at
work on a custom kitchen set he’ll exhibit at the Architectural Digest Home
Design Show from March 18-21 at Pier 94 in New York City." more

The Architectural Digest Home Design Show is Thursday thru Sunday. For those of you who won't be able to make the big show, George's work is, of course, always on display at Three Graces. Congratulations George! Work it!!

My Sunset Road!

I just received a package from Courtney of My Sunset Road -- I love her jewelry designs (have admired necklaces and earrings on the beautiful Becky OH! for over a year now) and I am delighted to have them here at Three Graces! Courtney's designs are a perfect blend of organic and elegance.

making her ideas and designs come alive in metal...

The latest collection Sunset Road hints at ancient cultures from faraway places. Courtney has found inspiration in history and design from Africa, Asia and South America - intrigued by the form, function and significance of the ancient designs. "The original artisans crafted these pieces for both ornamental and symbolic purposes. They were adornments that were meant to seduce and were also worn as emblems of power. I wanted to keep the historical context and communicate it in my modern adaptations."

This is her favorite collection to date! "My love for modern design and history have come together in a collection that would feel at home in both the Museum of Natural History and the MoMA! These pieces are meant to be everyday favorites. You can wear them alone for a subtle look but the clean shapes and design are perfect for layering as well as mixing and matching with each other for a bolder statement."

The Spring collection from My Sunset Road "honors women who are conscious of trends but want quality pieces with timeless appeal."

Jewelry designs by My Sunset Road (a.k.a. Courtney Filer-Dougal) is now available and coming soon to our online shop!

16th Annual Spotlight Awards -- Nominees Announced!

I was recently asked to be on the visual arts jury for the Spotlight Awards!

The nominees were officially announced in this week's Spotlight, here's the link: http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100311-ENTERTAIN-3110307

Congratulations to all of the nominees -- I feel really good about our nominees as they are not only an extremely talented group of artists, but hard working. The things that each of them has accomplished in the past year is inspiring and should be acknowledged. Here are our picks for the awards:

Outstanding Abstract Artist of 2009

Tim Beavis
Kim Bernard
Robin Luciano Beaty
Gail Spaien
Rose Umerlik

Outstanding Representational Artist of 2009

Sydney Bella Sparrow
Amy Brnger
Tom Glover
Adeline Goldminc-Tronzo
Christopher Volpe

Outstanding Narrative Artist of 2009

Megan Bogonovich
Katherine Doyle
Julee Holcombe
Fleur Palau
Jocelyn Toffic

Outstanding Public Artist of 2009

*People's choice — nominees for Outstanding Public Artist of 2009. The public will vote for the winner at seacoastonline.com/spotlightvote

Emile Birch
Gordon Carlisle
Barbara Rita Jenny
Gary Haven Smith
Susan Schwake
Nathan Walker

The winners will be announced and awards will be presented at the 16th Annual Spotlight on the Arts Awards Show at the Music Hall in downtown Portsmouth on April 15th -- I sincerely hope that you can make it to the event! It begins at 7:00pm. The event is FREE and open to all Seacoast performing and visual arts enthusiasts and their guests.

FUTURAMA

We just celebrated the opening of our new show, FUTURAMA, featuring encaustic paintings by Kimberly Curry!

"As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Romania many years ago, I spent my time teaching at the local university and searching through second-hand stores, which were loaded with musty-smelling merchandise from Germany, Holland and other parts of Western Europe. It was like a treasure hunt for me. The gold nuggets were fabric from the 1950s: Stained tablecloths, faded curtains, and scraps of material from long-forgotten projects.

The images in the fabric tugged at my heart along with the hopeful story the items seemed to tell. It was the excitement of the images: Space exploration, scientific advances, and hope for a bright new future.

With its translucent and opaque qualities, the medium of encaustic painting is used as a vehicle to capture the images of the times." - Kimberly Curry, 2010

Kimberly Curry was raised in Southern Maine and attended Newbury College and Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston for interior design. She now resides in Portland, Maine.

While driven toward artistic expression and appreciation all her life, she did not find her true creative voice until she coached a group of young artists in Romania while living there on a Peace Corps assignment. There, Kimberly witnessed first-hand what it really means to have a spiritual need for artistic expression, even over above-base survival, with only the barest of supplies on hand. Artists in Romania worked with recycled posters, shoe polish, and fingers when brushes weren't available. Kimberly's work within the Peace Corps was to help procure supplies and funding for these young artists, and to provide moral support for their callings and endeavors.

Kimberly is the president of the board of SPIRAL Arts, Inc. and teaches intergenerational water-color classes through SPIRAL Arts in Portland, Maine.

Futurama is up thru March 29th!