2012

Taking these last days of 2011 off and getting ready for a surprising 2012! I couldn't have dreamed of all that went on this last year....and i can only imagine what may come next

Merry Christmas from Harvey

cutting boards and chopping blocks

We have locally made cutting boards as of Dec 1st. Allen has been producing them right here in Cottage Grove all along....but selling mostly on the internet. He came in with his work, which also includes yo-yo's and puzzles. Now you can handle them and make a choice that works for you . He uses scrap woods so the kinds of wood and patterns of color varies greatly. Very affordable . $15-$38. 

I think after the holidays, I'll have him make a new slide out cutting board to replace my old cracked one that came with the house. I believe he does special orders

Tromp l' oeil ( definition : to fool the eye )  one way of keeping your towels clean indefinitely. Just give your guests the illusion of soft terry cloth while supplying them with paper towel.

I painted these hand towels along with the towel bar, in an office bathroom where paper towels were used. The colors of the business are red and yellow. Red toilet and yellow sink!  The commission was to bring the yellow and red together in this very bland gray bathroom. Hence the painted stripe design on the lower half of the walls. The towels were just a fun final touch. I couldn't resist.

hand woven for christmas

Hand woven Christmas tea towels by Pat Ollivier: I only have these four left. Don't know if she will be bringing in more this year . Of course we have several of her every day towels, of which I finally purchased 2 for myself. The runner is an old ( possibly 150 yr ) pattern called " star and diamond" . this takes a very experienced weaver like Pat to accomplish well . It reminds me of the old scandinavian runners my grandma brought over from Norway. This one is a swedish fabric which is both cotton and linen .... this is what Pat has told me. I have lots of other runners in the shop but this is my favorite. She doesn't do this pattern as often because of the time involved. Pat has been weaving for 40 plus yrs. Impressive work!

New Idea for gift giving. This starter loom is made locally and is just 135.00 unassembled or 150 fully assembled. Working loom that makes more than potholders. holds up to 11 inch wide project. It comes with a beginning weaving instructional to get you started . This is perfect for the dreamer weaver who isn't sure if they want to invest 400 plus just yet.  Made by Allen right here in Cottage Grove.

grand opening for the new location: friday and saturday, nov 18 & 19th 10-7:30. extended hours.... food and drink....specials on selected items by the various artists and artisans in the gallery. We all want to thank everyone for their well wishes in our new location. 533 downtown Main st.

before and after

I just changed the color of the front of the gallery again. first choice was terra cotta to compliment the stone front but that didn't work , on advice of another color consultant .... I went with this charcoal to frame out the light neutral green/gold on the front I chose originally. Coming soon is the blade sign and next spring when weather permits we'll be getting the upper portion of the building complete. But for now ... at least the dark red and dirty gray are gone for the most part!

tray of limes

A tad bit late getting this summer serving tray of limes painted.... but we could all use a little tang in the winter to brighten things up a bit . This one is 25 X 15 in and was a commercial wooden tray that bread was stored on . A throw a way but solid wood and perfect for re-use.

Little milking stool painted on commission. This one I simply sanded a little.... just enough to dull the shine of the finish and then I started painting using acrylic artist paints. I rarely use craft paints since they generally don't have the richness of hue and look chalky .

This is a good example of something you can begin without a plan . Get out a brush ( do invest in a few good synthetic bristle brushes if you are using acrylics ) , a cup of water and start playing.

expect to spend 30 or 40 dollars for 3 brushes. Get a good liner , a 3/4 inch flat and a medium round . I use the liner and the flats almost exclusively. I started this project right over the wood . no solid coat of paint. after I finish the painting , it sits for a day or two ( since this paint job was so thin , one day was ample ) . Then I coat it with a water based polyurethane. Here I used exterior grade for UV resistance. I did 2 coats . that is the least I would do and often 3 is needed.

A little mini mural above the headboard of a young college student. Her mother wanted to surprise her with something that celebrates her achievements.

Re-purposed Floor Cloth

finally finished re-touching this floor cloth for a client who is moving her business from Cottage Grove to Kona , Hawaii ..... I'm definitely going to make a trip to her shop . I'll have to make sure the rug fits !

Just finished and hung this mirror. No rhyme or reason to this .... just plain fun. 17X22inch.

Did a self portrait for the self portrait showing at the Axe and Fiddle this next next week. Around 40 artist have supplied their versions. I was asked, so this is what I did literally last minute. My friends and family say I look too grumpy in the pic .... I say " who is going to sit and smile into a mirror for a half hour ? " Oh well , you get  what you get

Carnival mirror has found its home. I finished this one last winter . I now have only 4 mirrors left in the shop . This one is only an 8 X 11 inch piece of the carnival.

New gallery

I'm all moved in!! I've been resting a tiny bit after all the cleaning, painting and the move. Did I mention before that this space housed " West Coast Machine Guns" just a month ago. Quite a different feel and now I'll be getting ready to paint the outside. I painted the floor with the most durable polyurethane floor coat 9 just one coat over old tile did the job. Now my floor cloths will have a nice back drop for show.

Art competition

I just got a look on line at my sister Anna Donahue's project for an international art competition that is based in Grand Rapids , Mich. called Art prize. Amazing kinetic sculpture . I'm really excited about this sculpture as it is an interactive piece which is what life and art are all about. Realtionships

before pics

I'll be painting up these geese

11X 8 floor cloth 

here are some of the before pics taken yesterday. Lots of help in getting the place cleaned and tomorrow we start painting! Just delivered my large gold and red floor cloth to it's new home last week. Getting ready to work in the new studio creating more floor cloths