Saturday, November 29, 2008

Open & Thankful!

We're having a blast with a Gallery at Greenbank Farm. Many people stop by, encourage, purchase. Its light and sunny, the Board and other businesses supportive. What's not to love? We find ourselves - sharing Thanksgiving dinner with our kids and granddaughter - to be swamped with gratitude and the realization of the goodness in our lives.
Bless us everyone!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Final Steps to Opening!

We're almost there! The doors of our New Gallery open officially on November 3rd. On the 1st and 2nd our artist friends will be in hanging their works. Today we put the last touches on the beautiful new shelves that our friend, Tony, created and built for us, as well as installed around the Gallery walls. Already people are coming to visit us, check on our progress, let us know of their support. The people on the board of Greenbank Farm have stopped in to express their excitement in having us as tenants. We feel so WELCOMED! And thrilled to be part of this group of folks.

Meanwhile, I've been going nuts with new ideas for art projects. Some of these are having to be put on hold for now as we complete the nuts & bolts portion of getting open. Son, Jason, designed a new logo for us in honor of our opening. We're in awe of it!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Slowly, Slowly We Create Our New Gallery!

Tomorrow we expect to get the key to our new Gallery space. We've searched out paint chips in the colors that most appeal - we know the walls will need painting. Tony, a good friend of ours, is building shelving around the walls for non-wall-hanging art pieces. The Art Works Co-Op next door has offered us print racks. All of the rentable wall space has been taken up with our artist friends. We're rockin'! Today we're going to snag a cool phone number for the Gallery and I'm in the process of getting web pages up for our resident artists on the Raven Rocks Studio website. Son, Jason-the-graphic-artist, offered to design a new logo for us! So many wonderful things are falling into place. We feel like we're chanting, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!" throughout our days.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

New Gallery to Open Soon!!!

We can hardly sleep around here for thinking, plotting, planning for our new adventure, the re-opening of Raven Rocks Studio Gallery & Gifts. Silly us thinking our next gallery adventure would be years away. Quite unexpectedly we were presented with an offer we couldn't refuse . . . a large gallery space at Greenbank Farms!! We would be in the most excellent company of our friends, Rob & Victory Schouten and their new gallery, as well as the art co-op, Art Works. In other words, Greenbank Farm is creating itself as an art destination on Whidbey Island. They're already the home of the reknowned Whidbey Pies Cafe, a wonderful cheese shop and a wine shop, as well as a regular outdoor Market.

In order to make the best of a lovely large space, we've invited some amazing artists to join us. So October will see us painting and preparing for our Grand Opening on the Farm's First Friday, November 7th, 5pm to 8pm. In fact, we plan to celebrate that whole weekend! If you're up on Whidbey Island, please come visit. Raven Rocks Gallery & Gifts will be open six days a week, Web through Monday, 10am to 5pm.

I'd better get doing what I so love to do, MAKE ART!

Monday, August 18, 2008

August Showers....

Its a rainy day to zone out on the computer, play through my Etsy shops, redo files, pics, etc. Snoozy, easy stuff. I love days like this! (As long as they don't come too often.) I also made soup - trying out new spices and throwing in all sorts of veggie and a block of tofu - hey! wake up, will ya?

I'd like to report that the second weekend of our Art Show was a lovely success. In fact, during the week people called us at home to purchase wall art. Gotta love that! Thank you, thank you to all who made it a success. May your coffers overflow, your health be excellent and your life be wrapped in love, love, love! I ended up with a commission for a Fantasy House and the CuteGuy got a commission for two wall weavings. Let's just say that we had such a great time that we scheduled November 21, 22, 23 as our Holiday Show at Bayview Corner's Front Room (our favorite show place ever.) Please come join us for that. I'm making tons of new art treasures to fill the room - especially suited for holiday gift giving. Its such an incentive to have a Show out in our future! My mind starts to go crazy with ideas.

Blessings to all!
MJ

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

July 2008 Show -WOW! COLOR!!

This last weekend we had our first art show of the year - hooray! We're back at Bayview Corner's Front Room. Folks come up from the Saturday Market or spot our signs as they drive by. The local newspaper highlighted the show with a picture of Maia's art. Kisses, Hugs, Endless Blessings to all the folks who walked gleefully away with ART!!

After the scramble and chaos of arranging the art of six artists in one room - we had four other fabulous artists with us - I thought the effect was STUNNING. Color everywhere! When I finally came off the adrenaline rush of getting a show ready and really LOOKED at the work of our other folks I couldn't believe my eyes. Carved and painted gourds, watercolors, luminescent paint patterns on wood strips, drums to move the spirit, transcendent collages, wooden wine boxes painted like jewels, Windwalker's gorgeous necklaces, woven tapestries and purses, my little Fantasy Houses, mixed media pieces and new Scrumble Muffins (oh, yeah!) The little stuff went right out the door and one little original Fantasy House, Row Home to Me, sold. We did very well.

Lucky for us we have the space through another weekend. A real treat as its so very much work to prepare and setup. I have to remember the "day after" blues and tiredness that hits me hard. That was yesterday. I was a wreck, just wanting to sit and cry and sleep. Unfortunately I also have a bad tooth that has to come out and I'm dealing with that unhappy loss-to-be.

This morning - YES! - before I'm forced to drive forty miles up the Island for a pre-pulling checkup, I'm headed for the Studio to finish two Fairy Houses for this next weekends Show. If you're in the area, come on over! Whidbey Island, WA would love to have you!

Hugs,
MJ

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Etsy Preferences...

So an Etsy.com artist wanted to know which blogs people used. Since you're reading this here, you might be guessing that "Blogspot" was the #1 by far!

We (Raven Rocks Studio, the CuteGuy, Windwalker) and myself have an Art Show July 26th and 27th. That means a smart thing for me to do would be ART... and MORE ART. Instead I'm surfing Etsy.com (addiction!) and creating a new blog site (here.) Silly girl.

I'm trusting that all of a sudden the inspirational spurt will hit and I'll go on a creating binge. Inevitably happens as my mind is full to overflowing with new ideas for art. Love Love Love art! And am also an expert at stalling.

Ah, well! I'll watch the even winds blow over Saratoga waters, curling up mists as the summer sun sets. Great weekend.

MJ

Blue Cubette - Go Your Own Way

Blue Cubette - Go Your Own Way

Dark Blue Cubette-He Thought He Could

Dark Blue Cubette-He Thought He Could

He Travels For Work

He Travels For Work
Mary Jo's latest print

The Stunning Vistas of the Volcano Tahoma

The Stunning Vistas of the Volcano Tahoma

Wind Blow Us Home...

Wind Blow Us Home...

Fuzzy BindleBird Collecting Huckleberries

Fuzzy BindleBird Collecting Huckleberries
Sighted behind our tents in the huckleberry bushes.

My Eternal Love ... and Pal

My Eternal Love ... and Pal
Windwalker's Ravens in Love Series

Fairy Gardener's Hat

Fairy Gardener's Hat
Spotted on the Naches Trail, Chinook Pass, in huckleberry bushes.

Old Growth Islands

Old Growth Islands
Caretakers' Isle

Beach Fire Bag

Beach Fire Bag

Rumble Stream Home

Rumble Stream Home

Hazy Lake Days

Hazy Lake Days

First Love Song

First Love Song

Beauty Way Chant

Beauty Way Chant
Mixed Media on Canvas

Sunrise House

Sunrise House

A Garden of My Own

A Garden of My Own
Windwalker's Woven Purse

PrimroseMorning - Scrumble

PrimroseMorning - Scrumble
Nickname: Bounce

Daisies Dreams

Daisies Dreams
Acrylic - SOLD

The Sun's Blessing

The Sun's Blessing
Its already sold!