PRESS RELEASE: Flynndog show

You are invited to our first Friday, May 7th, opening gala for a group portrait, in vignettes of those characters (real or imagined) in our lives from six to 8 at

F L Y N N D O G

208 FLYNN AVENUE

BURLINGTON VERMONT VERMONT O5401

EXHIBIT THRU MID JUNE...... & FOLLOWED BY
UNaltered a group exhibition by those characters (real or imagined) that exhibited in this one

the UNaltered opening reception is planned for first Friday, July 2nd

Buy A Room! Home Decor Gone Wild!

BUY A ROOM!  Visit our new category just added to our website, The Designer Insider. We show you how to mix your accessories and home decor to create the look that an interior designer achieves. See how the experts put together the "look" and apply the same strategy to your own home. Below is an example of one of our "rooms" for sale which you can purchase as a package. See more at The Designer Insider.

PRESS RELEASE: Art Reception at Synergy Fitness

You and yours are invited to an Art Reception at Synergy Fitness, Saturday, May 1st 7-9 pm to view my recent body of energetic abstract paintings. Come partake in some food for the soul and tour this beautiful new gym that redefines the fitness experience!

These dynamic oil paintings, filled with texture and color, explore spheres of personal and political relations. They are linguistically driven and I begin writing on the canvas in graphite and follow with the application and removal and reapplication of paint. A symphony of color, line and form emerges.

Reception is at the new Synergy Fitness in Williston, VT: White Cap Business Park, 426 Industrial Avenue.
Directions: From Burlington (10-15 mins) head East on Main St. It turns into US-2/Williston Rd and continue to take a slight left at Industrial Avenue (light here). Take 3rd right into White Cap Business Park, veer to right and follow signs to back of park for Synergy.
Info: Maggie Standley: 802.233.7676
Synergy Fitness: 802.881.0553

Many thanks for your interest and support! Maggie

These are for the birds

Spring is here so I built a few birdhouses. Actually I built one new one and refurbished two others, all with scrap wood. Admittedly, they are not much to look at, but they meet all the latest recommended birdhouse dimensions and include all the latest recommended features. I’m not sure the birds care how the outside of their houses look.

There are some interesting things to consider when building a birdhouse. For instance, the size of the entrance hole and height above the floor of the birdhouse is very important to appeal to the right species of bird. Also, the popular perch stick is just below the entrance hole is not needed, nor recommended. It provides a place for predators to sit and wait. Another feature to prevent hungry squirrels from chewing through the hole area is to reinforce the hole with a ¾” thick block of wood, making the entrance passage longer. All the specifications and suggestions you will need are on the internet. If you are interested, go to the following websites: http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Building_Bird_Houses.html. or http://baltimorebirdclub.org/by/house.html

After I finished hanging the birdhouses on nearby trees, I got to thinking maybe birdhouses are an opportunity to get creative. As long as all the proper dimensions and features are included, and the birds don’t really care what the house looks like, why not carve something on the front. Perhaps a wood spirit or something humorous. Here’s a challenge: Design a clever birdhouse and send me a photo of it. I’ll publish the best ones on the blog.

Elongated Chandeliers! Use Over Counters & Long Tables!

Need an elongated chandelier for a dining table or counter? Here is a sampling of some of our favorites! All of these chandeliers can be found on our site The Designer Insider. Just search under the item number shown.

Item #C09982 - An unusual rectangular lantern with art glass panels and black wrought iron. Size: 41" long x 15" wide.

Item #C09965 - Beautiful hand woven metal shades on an iron chandelier of our old iron finish and details in distressed gold. Size: 46" long x 23" wide.

Item #C09859 - Subtle curves with unique hammered tips in our antiqued rusty bronze finish.  Size: 47" long x 22" wide.

Item #C09855 - Intricate ironwork with great detailing in a distressed bronze and gold finish. Size: 46" long x 22" wide.

Item #C09259 - An elegant chandelier with stunning ironwork in antiqued gold leaf. Size: 42" long x 17" wide.

Item #C09745 - One of our favorites and a best seller! Simple and elegant ironwork with graceful curves in our dark gray. Size: 44" long x 20" wide. Great price too.

Item #C09025 - A contemporary pendant style with antiqued mirror and antiqued silver leaf. Shade included. Size: 38" long x 15" wide.

Item #C09021 - A beautiful spray of delicate leaves in distressed gold leaf and silver leaf. Size: 43" long x 18" wide.

PRESS RELEASE:Borders, Boundaries and Creative Approach to the Unfamiliar

Where: Allen House Multicultural Art Gallery at University of Vermont, 461 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont. When: April 27 through May 6, Weekdays 8am to 4pm, Weekends by appointment -- (call 865-1208) Who: Group show includes Marc Awodey, Elise Burrows, Michelle Colling, Karen Dawson, Kimberly Drasler, Marie Lapre' Grabon, Jen Kristel, Mr. Masterpiece, Polly McMurtry, Rita Murphy, Michiko Oishi and Dennie Work and more. Opening Reception Thursday April 29, 3-5pm. Music and food. Free and open to the public! Please come! Description of show: Multicultural experience has been shown to have a strong influence on creativity. Artists have often found inspiration in people, places and things that are not from their everyday environment. Whether it is an apprehension of “The Other,” or an enhancement of the connection between one’s own “Tribal Roots” and universal meanings, we can be deeply touched by an experience with the unfamiliar. Responses to this theme by participating artists give not only a remarkable range of interpretation, but also together produce an exciting aesthetic experience for one's contemplation. Parking: he lot directly behind the Allen House is a bit tricky-- there are some 30 minute meters, and handicapped spaces. Otherwise it is by permit only. Parking in the street is suggested: Main, Maple, College, and South Prospect on southern end.

PRESS RELEASE: Mark Moffett: The Sun Ain’t Stable (Skeleton Makes Good)

The Brick Box at the Paramount is pleased to announce the opening of “The Sun Ain’t Stable (Skeleton Makes Good)”, an exhibit of encaustic paintings by Mark Moffett. Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves using heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. For Moffett, “working in wax I have aimed for a method to preserve my tracks as I go, to work backwards in a sense, and have found that the encaustic technique, best known for its freeze-dry, opaque qualities, actually affords transparency. By carving into and re-filling a built-up surface, I am in theory at liberty to layer as many effects and images as I please.”

Through layering of specific yet competing imagery, Moffett’s work presents coincidental mergings and the distracted abstractions that result. “While selective about the imagery I use, chance and intention are in play. Although one may point to this or that meaning, such as the traditional use of skeletal imagery as a caution against vanity, the disparate representational elements are meant to support and distract from one another. There is no single meaning, but an urge to coax some hint of elegance from a variety of meanings and a confusion of means.”

The opening reception will be held on Friday, May 7 from 5:00 until 8:00pm at the Brick Box, 30 Center Street, Rutland, Vermont. “The Sun Ain’t Stable (Skeleton Makes Good)” runs through June 8. The Brick Box is open 11am - 6pm Thursday - Friday and Saturday 10am - 2pm. and during Paramount Theater performances. For further information, please call Beth Miller @ 235-2734 or Wendy Fannin @ 235-2412

PRESS RELEASE: The Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild exhibition

The Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild Welcomes Bert Dodson and Zelma Loseke

"Watercolor and Willow" opens on April 29 and runs through June 17.

There will be an artists' reception and book signing on Saturday,May 15th, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. The public is cordially invited to meet the artists and enjoy wine and cheese. In addition, Bert Dodson will have copies of his most recent book,, Favor Johnson: A Christmas Story. This beloved tale by Willem Lange is always read by the author on Vermont Public Radio at holiday time. In addition, Dodson will have at the reception his best-selling Keys To Drawing, and Keys to Drawing with Imagination.

This exhibition will display the work of a husband and wife team who work in different, but complementary media.

Zelma Loseki's freeform sculptures of paper and vine incorporate paper made by a process she developed, using willow readily available by her home near the Connecticut River. She has exhibited widely and has been selected for the prestigious annual craft shows in Philadelphia and at The Smithsonian in Washington DC. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Americas in Washington, D.C., among others.

Bert Dodson is a talented and prolific draftsman, painter, teacher, author and illustrator. He has illustrated over 80 books for children, and is the author of the best-selling Keys To Drawing, Keys to Drawing with Imagination, and NUKE A Book of Cartoons, among others. He was animation designer for the four part PBS television series Intimate Strangers (1998). He illustrated over 30 opera stories for children, a series commissioned by the New York Metropolitan Opera. His work appears in Vermont Life, Northern Woodlands, and Dartmouth Medicine. He regularly exhibits his watercolors and drawings.

The Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild, at 430 Railroad St., St. Johnsbury , is open Monday - Saturday, 10:30 am - 5:30 pm. 802-748-0158 or on line at www.nekartisansguild.com.

Superior Furniture: Superior Quality For Custom Furniture!

One of my favorite furniture companies to use as a designer is Superior Furniture, because they are superior! This family owned company has been hand crafting beautiful furniture for over 70 years. High quality workmanship and the attention to detail differentiates this furniture from your everyday manufacturer. They are dedicated to producing an excellent quality product with long lasting value. How many steps from start to finish? After making the piece by hand in their factory, then begins the 16 steps of finishing that starts with hand spraying then continues with sanding, distressing, glazing, lacquering and hand rubbing. This company was a life long dream of the owner and the name derives from the caliber of craftsmanship that would go into the products. Hence, Superior Furniture!

 

One of my favorite pieces to use over and over is the above French Bookcase. This piece is especially great to use as a sofa table. It comes with audio management too in case you need to use it for your television and components. Made of solid hardwood and is 61" long  x 17" deep x 31" high. See the bookcase below that I just delivered to my client this week!

For my client, I finished the bookcase in Antique French White on the bottom and Antique Sienna for the top. Both finishes were then heavily distressed with an added shiny lacquer coat on the top for durability and style.

Another favorite piece we use often is this pine Chairside Storage Chest. Perfect for many rooms and styles depending on the finish used. Size: 24" wide x 24" high x 12" deep.

And don't worry, they do a few modern pieces too! This Bistro Table is perfect for the modern kitchen in a new color, Hot Lime. Solid cherry wood at 42" round x 36" high.

Superior's difference: Fifty plus finish options in stains and paints, three levels of antiquing, two tone combination finishes of stains and paints, catalyzed lacquer available and the sixteen step process for a superb finish.  All photos courtesy of Superior Furniture.

Hancock & Moore: The Best In Leather Upholstery

Hancock & Moore is one of the premier leather furniture companies on the market today. They build furniture with the highest quality that endures with techniques that are labor intensive but that gives them a distinct niche in the industry. As many as 17 craftsmen will work on one piece! Their incredible array of leather choices mixed with over 50 finishes, creates a custom piece just for you. See below some of their newest products that are now showing at High Point. Visit the Hancock & Moore website for more of the details that makes them so special and to view more of their great products.

Ascari Bench - 56" long x 22" wide x 18" high, has a matching desk chair.

Yosef Chair - 31" high x 33" wide x 35" deep.

Provident Sofa - A slightly curved sofa in fabric or leather. 83" long x 44" deep x 36" high.

All photos courtesy of Hancock & Moore. See their wonderful array of photos on their site under Photo Gallery.

REVIEW: Considering Nature at 215 College Gallery in Burlington

By Darby Parsons
Considering Nature is a dual artist show with digital photographs by Shayne Lynn and acrylic paintings by Elise Whittemore-Hill. The show is ongoing at the 215 College Gallery until May 16.

Shayne Lynn's archival digital prints are subtle and surreal renderings of our human perception of the natural world. Each individual piece is a poetic nature shot with slight alterations that are accomplished subtly. The effect is to create scenes that appear to have been captured and frozen by your own wandering eye. The digital photos are titled in similar ways: Walking Past Spring (green leaves so sunlit that they seem to blur), Abandoned (thick brambles of a fruitful apple tree left to rot), Indian Summer (bright sun through curved birch trees). The colors are natural, brilliant and subdued all at once. Each digital photo expresses an emotion or evokes one.

Elise Whittemore-Hill's acrylic paintings compliment the digital prints as an intensive study on trees by a rapt pupil. Several of the acrylic paintings render thick, bare trunks and branches into emotional states that will be readily understood by the viewer. These trees seem to serve as guides through someone's life with titles such as When it Happens, Our Hard Winter and Breaking Clearly. Cathedral's blues and blacks give an impression of a cloister produced by the trees and air surrounding them. Shayne Lynn's fine prints are complimented by the fast, articulate motion in Elise Whittemore-Hill's paintings.

The 215 College Gallery (at 215 College Street) is a comfortable setting with a lot of natural light pouring through the windows. It's a beautiful art space open Fri 12-8, Sat 12-6, And Sun 12-4. The First Friday reception for Considering Nature will be held on May 7, 5-8pm.

Image: Abandoned by Shayne Lynn

PRESS RELEASE: Justine Cohen at Colburn Gallery at UVM

Dicks-y Land, the Senior Honors Art Thesis exhibit by Justine Cohen will be at the Colburn Gallery from April 26-30, 2010.

An opening reception, to which the public is invited, is on Thursday, April 28, 6-8pm.

FREE HOT DOGS, MUNCHKINS, AND CARROTS! (Generously provided by the artist)

Outdoor Fabrics: B. Berger

We have paired the following outdoor fabrics for you from B. Berger Fabrics. These fabrics are made of 100% Sunbrella acrylic in beautiful modern colorways. The next time you look for outdoor fabrics, try B. Berger! Remember that outdoor fabrics work great indoors too in high traffic areas. Contact us or your designer for more information. To the Trade.

1692-17 - Color: Firethorn - An upholstery with ethnic style from the Marisol collection. Colorways: Firethorn, Peppercorn, Rattan and Celadon.

1691-17 - Color: Ebony/Lipstick - an upholstery stripe from Marisol collection. Colorways: Parchment/Stone, Mocha/Espresso, Key Lime/Cornflower and Ebony/Lipstick.

1685-22 - Color: Sunshine - An upholstery fabric in the new geometric style from the Marisol collection. Colorways: Onyx, Scarlet, Meadow, Delft or Sunshine.

1690-11 - Color: Nutmeg - An upholstery stripe from the Marisol collection. Colorways: Nutmeg or Coral.

1683-16 - Color: Cedar - An upholstery fabric with large repeat. Three Colorways - Russet/Indian Teal, Pine/Cedar or Cedar.

1684-16 - Color: Cedar/Amber/Cocoa with large repeat.  Two Colorways - Cedar/Amber/Cocoa or Cedar/Amber/Pine.

New! Log Furniture at DutchCrafters

DutchCrafters.com is pleased to announce a partnership with Montana Woodworks, the largest manufacturer and distributor of log furniture in the United States. Montana Woodworks is an Amish owned and operated business nestled in a small valley in the Purcell Mountains of Montana. Building log furniture since 1991, Montana Woodworks claims an unmatched level of quality and backs up this claim with a 20-year limited warranty on all its products. Its products range from the best selling log footstool to artistic masterpieces such as this log character queen bed. Act now to receive free shipping on all Montana Woodworks products.

Log furniture is popular for its simplicity in concept and its durability in design. The rustic appeal of log furniture is felt not only by log cabin owners but also by urban home owners that yearn to bring a little bit of rustic, a little bit of mountain and forest, and a little bit of long ago into their homes.

The mortise and tenon method used for joining the logs to one another is not just reminiscent of ancient methods, but it is also the method that produces some of the strongest and most durable furniture of modern time. The interlocking nature of mortise and tenon ensures that the furniture would hold itself together even if a powerful adhesive wasn't used to lock each joint.

Log furniture is an eco-friendly furniture. The logs are harvested from lodgepole pine trees that are standing dead (i.e. trees have died but have not yet fallen). This provides a valuable service to the ecosystem by reducing the fire danger caused by dead trees and by leaving more room for healthy trees to spread their branches. No trees are killed in the construction of this furniture.

DutchCrafters is committed to offering its customers a large selection of quality Amish-made furniture. By partnering with Montana Woodworks, DutchCrafters is adding more than 180 new products in 3 distinct collections. Take a look at these 3 collections and let us know what you think of them. Which collection do you like best?


The Montana Collection: The original log furniture line by Montana Woodworks, this collection has been around since 1991. The Montana Collection is characterized by a color contrast between sapwood and inner bark. Using draw knives, skilled artisans peel off all of the outer (scaly) bark and some of the inner bark in a process known as "skip-peeling".


The Glacier Country Collection: This newer line of rustic log furniture has become Montana Woodwork's best selling collection. The dark appearance of this strong rustic furniture appeals to many people. The Glacier Country Collection is characterized by a dark, strongly rustic appearance. This look is achieved by skilled artisans using draw knives. The skilled artisans peel off all the outer (scaly) bark but leave all of the smooth and inner bark. After assembly, these items are given a dark stain and are professionally varnished with a clear lacquer.


The Urban Reflections Collection: Also a new line for Montana Woodworks, the Urban Reflections collection has a slightly more urban appearance. It retains the simplicity and durability of log furniture without actually using any logs.

Designing for Spring

Spring is here, which means that many people will be cleaning out old closets and restructuring their living, dining and bedrooms. With these new beginnings often comes the purchasing of brand new furniture.

One of the most important rooms in a home is the dining room. It's the main space where people eat, converse, and where a family gathers together to talk about their day.

Because a dining room is so important, the furniture one picks for this space is vital. Those who are looking to add new pieces to their dining rooms should consider investing in Amish furniture.

Amish tables and chairs are made of solid wood and handcrafted by the Amish themselves, who are some of the hardest working furniture crafters in the world. These items are made from oak, cherry, walnut, maple and hickory, which means they are sturdy, reliable and always beautiful pieces of wood.

Family meals are the center of many memories, and a hand-crafted Amish dining room table provides the perfect, reliable surface on which to host those events. Amish furniture is an investment that lasts a lifetime.

Ralph Lauren Teams With Kravet!

New! A partnership has formed between Ralph Lauren Home and Kravet. Great fabrics from Ralph Lauren will now be available to Kravet customers and their clients in two distinct collections.  The La Plage-Riviera collection will offer elegant linens and silks in a casual maritime palette. The Trading Post collection will offer authentic Navajo textiles in geometric patterns and stripes. See a few samples of these two great collections below. You can see more of these fabrics at the Ralph Lauren Home site.

Cote D'Azure Floral - Color: Poppy - 90% linen/10% nylon. La Plage-Riviera collection.

 Maritime Ticking - Color: Riviera - 100% linen.  La Plage-Riviera collection.

Santa Clara Blanket - Color: Raveled Red - 100% wool.  Trading Post collection.

Dinetah Stripe - Color: Raveled Bed - Wool/cotton blend.  Trading Post collection.



Information courtesy of Kravet and Ralph Lauren Home. Contact us or your designer for more information.

Spring Greens ...

Fresh greens at Mignonne!


Half Moon Table, great for entry way!




Charming sideboard for kitchen or dining room ~


Highboy chest ~











Time to freshen up for spring? give us a call or email us a quick photo of your project piece. We're here to help...

CALL TO ARTISTS: Bi-Annual Furniture and Wood Products Design Competition

CONTACT: Erin Sheridan, 802-747-7900, info@vermontwood.com

The Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association (VWMA) announces the 2010Bi-Annual Furniture and Wood Products Design Competition. The competition is open to anyone who lives and works in Vermont and produces wood products in any of the following categories: Production Furniture, Custom or Studio Furniture, Production Woodenware, Custom Woodenware, and Carvings/Sculptural.

The competition will be held at the Union Arena in Woodstock, VT, in conjunction with the 7th Annual Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival on September 25-26, 2010. The hands-on nature of the design competition will stay in effect where woodworkers will bring their piece to the competition and the judges will be on-site at the fine furniture and foliage weekend. Each piece entered will be viewed and evaluated based on quality of craftsmanship and integrity of design. Woodworkers who are exhibiting at the Festival may display their entries in their booths. Others will be displayed in a Design Competition booth on the exhibit floor.

Each will receive a custom wooden plaque to be displayed with the piece whenever it is exhibited. The VWMA is also working with our industry suppliers for product contributions (i.e., lumber, tools, equipment, etc.) to be awarded to first place winners in each category. Berkshire Products, Alderfer Lumber, Fine Woodworking Magazine, Vermont Natural Coatings, Super Thin Saws, and Duluth Trading Company are donating gift certificates and
products for the first place winners in each category.

There is also a student category for Vermont students that are either 18 & under enrolled in a public/private school, technical center or home school (those that graduate in June 2010 are still eligible), or a Vermont woodworking student/apprentice that is over 18.

For more information and to download entry forms visit www.vermontwooddesigns.org and submit no later than Tuesday, September 7, 2010. The fee for each on-time entry submitted is $35. The fee for late entry is $45. There is no charge to enter into the student competition.

PRESS RELEASE: New England Plein Air Painters Paint Vermont at Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville

Featuring T.A. Charron, Robert Duffy, William P. Duffy, Michael Graves, William Hanson , Stapleton Kearns, Barbara Lussier, Christopher Magadini, Margaret McWethy, Dianne Panarelli Miller, T.M. Nicholas, Tom Nicholas, N.A., Stefan Alexis Pastuhov, Caleb Stone, Don Stone, N.A., Eric Tobin

Opening Reception: Sunday, May 2, 3-5 PM

Artist's Rountable at 2 PM. Exhibit continues through June 27.

Image: Caleb Stone, Along the Falls

PRESS RELEASE: Fiona Cooper Fenwick at Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville

Work by Fiona Cooper Fenwick will be exhibited in the middle room at the Bryan Memorial Gallery through June 27, 2010.

Opening Reception: Sunday, May 2

Artists Roundtable at 2 PM. Fiona will be one of the featured artists at the Roundtable.

Image: Tansy Hill Tree by Fiona Cooper Fenwick