Saturday, June 28, 2008

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

Our current show, "Little Muses", is an exhibition of paintings by Bailey Saliwanchik, Nicole Maloof and Taylor Haynes -- Three smart and sassy young painters full of sugar and spice and everything nice!




Bailey Saliwanchik hails from the deep woods, swampy fields and blue skiesof Maine, emerging with a belief in plant magic and the enchanted female. Her subjects are borne from a process of intuitive visual construction andcombined interests in contemporary illustration, fashion illustration,classic figurative painting, ancient ideologies, goddess worship andfantastical female characters : gypsies, princesses, witches, mermaids,cowgirls, nuns, dancers queens and mediums. She loves big hair, books byTom Robbins, ambiguous symbolism, gin, curls, and pumpkin muffins. She iscurrently based in Brooklyn, NY.




Nicole Maloof was born in 1983 in Seoul, South Korea. She received her BFA with a concentration in Painting and her BA with a concentration in Chemistry from Boston University in 2006.

"The work currently being shown is the beginning of an ongoing series, "Masked and Anonymous." In this series I am taking a limited stock of characters and incorporating them into various roles and narratives. The narratives are related but not overtly so. Familiar characters play multiple archetypes and so as one moves from piece to piece their identities become more convoluted and harder to predict. Some of the characters are literally wearing masks, but it's the repetition of story that simultaneously reveals more as it lessens predictability. Are they being truthful or simply playing a part? Are they on the side of the good guy or the bad guy? I want to address the question of what identity really is by partially removing it. How much do we on a daily basis use our preconception of identity to judge and compartmentalize individuals? Through anonymity I want to achieve a greater specificity through the loss of assigned archetype. The innocent are suddenly murderesses. The used become the powerful. Patterns adorning women's lingerie become a part of an elegant still life. This allows a more complex individual to be considered. And through this consideration of the individual, the human condition is more properly explored as opposed to simply being stereotyped."




Taylor Haynes hails from Northern New Hampshire. "My love for illustration has lead my exploration of art through painting and graphic design. My equal love and concern for the environment integrates itself into my art and lifestyle. Things I find irresistible: owls, polka-dots in various forms, all sorts of color, environmental activism, floral silhouettes, tea parties, textiles, wallpaper, the word "vintage", day dreams, stripes, dresses and tights, unexpected adventures, bliss-seeking, sunshine, paper shops, blogs, and creating art -of course!"

"Little Muses" will be up thru July 7th. Works from the show can also be seen here!

Michael Santini: Modern Medievalist

How could I have forgotten to blog about this amazing painter!? I recently (sometime in May?) had the pleasure of seeing an exhibition of paintings by Modern Medievalist Michael Santini at Gallery XIV on Thayer Street in Boston's South End - It was LOVE at first sight.


"Santini’s oil paintings are reminiscent of the Medieval Dutch Masters, using the clarity of color and line, subtle symbolism and fine craft of these painters along with his unique personal style and concepts; his stunning masterpieces are striking fascinating. His artworks are allegorical portrayals of the constant spiritual and worldly struggle of good versus evil. His subtle and profound symbolism depicts this concept; the elements and characters in his work exist within a constant, yet ever changing boundary, rearranging themselves in each of his creations. Personal contemplation, hope choice and accountability as well as political and religious strife are consistent themes in his profound works." (Micro Museum, Brooklyn, NY)



Michael Santini received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Salem college in West Virginia in 1968. His artwork has been exhibited for nearly 40 years, with his first international show taking place in Paris, France in 1975. Santini's works are part of premier private collections world wide, he has won numerous awards, accepted many significant commissions, and is widely published. Mr. Santini maintains his painting studio in a restored stone farmhouse in Wisconsin.

THANK YOU Mr. Santini for your modern mastery and your medieval mind. You left me haunted (in a good way!)

shown: "Venus on the half shell explaining the nutritional significance of garlic to Botticelli disguised as a cow" and "Making a profound decision without a safety net while a protestor is being muzzled with a plunger".

Friday, June 20, 2008

Thank you for being so stylish!

New handbags by Becky OH!







While Becky and I were busy sorting out the new bags, the Becky OH! minions were busy making their own marks with the crayons and newsprint I recently put out in the gallery...

Friday, June 6, 2008

Upcoming: "Little Muses"


"Little Muses" featuring works by three intelligent and talented young ladies Bailey Saliwanchik, Nicole Maloof and Taylor Haynes opens next friday, June 13th. The reception is from 5-8pm, if you are in the neighborhood, do stop in and take part in the celebration...

A sneak preview of works from the exhibition can be seen HERE!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

New! Waxy Works

I am so excited for some of the new work that has come in as of late! Three Graces welcomes Robin Luciano Beaty, her work is a delicious blend of organic texture, mod form and expressive design.


"The medium of encaustic; a molten beeswax paint mixed with resin and dry pigments, allows me to escape the confines of everyday artist's techniques and provides me with more exploratory means of expression. Its qualities are sublime and unpredictable, additive and subtractive, translucent and sculptural, which has strongly influenced my departure from realism to abstraction. This ancient technique has become my method of navigating the obscure terrain of imagination and memory."





You can view more of Robin's work here and here.

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Liz Tran has sent some more of her highly anticipated dress paintings. (Liz originally exhibited her paintings at Three Graces this past February in the Teeny Tiny Art Show II.)



You can see more of the paintings Liz sent here and here.

he makes me happy when skies are gray

Yeah! George just finished hanging the new sign I painted a few weeks ago. George has helped me on so many projects here at the gallery and I am so grateful for his friendship and skills. In addition to being a fine friend, he is a fine furniture designer + maker, check out his modern, clean and simple designs at www.georgebeland.com (I designed his website too!) and his furniture is also available here in the gallery.