Summer Art Exhibition and Art Opening At Shelburne Vineyard

Upcoming Exhibition Opening at Shelburne Vineyard!

CHANGE THE STORY

The series “Change The Story” developed during the Covid Lockdown in 2020 when the world turned on its head. Truths, beliefs, and stories were in constant flux. The heightened awareness of various realities was (and still is) shifting and reflecting around us. During that time, in my studio, I took previously made work and turned them on their heads; tore them up and collaged them into new ideas and compositions. I thought about restructuring and revisioning the systemic beliefs that guide our actions and decisions. This quote by Albert Einstein stood by me; “We can’t solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

My hope is that we reinvigorate our love of ourselves, of our planet, of our interconnectedness, and of our better angels.

Change the Story 8

Change the Story 7

We would love to see you at the opening reception for this exhibition on Thursday, June 1, from 6:00 - 7:30 pm, at Shelburne Vineyard’s Tasting Room, right off route 7 in Shelburne. Come welcome in the summer with some nice wine, a beautiful view, and a celebration of art!

In an effort to honor the connection between community, human stories, and nourishment, a portion of the sales will be donated to World Central Kitchen. “When disaster strikes, WCK’s Relief Team mobilizes with the urgency of now to start cooking and serving meals to people in need.” We can think of no better place to host this event than at Shelburne Vineyard; a place that honors agriculture, sharing a glass of wine and giving back to community.

Dancing for Mother Nature 17

Can’t make it on the first? No worries! The exhibition will be on display and available in the Shelburne Vineyard tasting room from June 1st until mid-July .

Additional Details:

Shelburne Vineyard: Open 7 Days a Week, 11am - 7pm (After May 17: Open until 8:30pm)

6308 Shelburne Rd, Shelburne, VT 05482 Shelburne Vineyard

World Central Kitchen: Learn More about WCK!

Casey Blanchard Studios: Casey will be at the Opening Reception on June 1. From there, all sales will be handled by Shelburne Vineyard.

Springtime Favorites

It’s the first day of Spring in Vermont!

Bouquet 1 (2006)

17.5 x 12 in, Monoprint, (SOLD)

Animals (and people!) are emerging from their winter naps…

Juliet’s Balcony 6 (2008)

12 x 12 in, Monoprint, $695

All Balled Up (2003)

7 x 14 in, Monoprint, (SOLD)

Seeds Cast to the Wind 4 (2008)

8 x 9 in, Monoprint, $395

The birds are chirping, Snowdrops are poking through the snowbanks, the sun is shining…

April’s Garden 5 (2008)

11.5 x 6 in, Monoprint, $195

The grass has never been this green! The sky has never been this bright! 50 degrees has never felt warmer!

Key West Bound 21 (2009)

12 x 9 in, Monoprint, $295

If you look close enough, crocuses are popping up wherever there’s an exposed patch of dirt. The smell of melting snow mixed with fresh earth is overwhelming. Finally, a deep breath of fresh air.

Shades of Joanna’s Garden 11 (2006)

13.5 x 7 in, Monoprint, $395

Dancing for Mother Nature 9 (2010)

12 x 9 in, Monoprint, $395

Culebra Road 4 (2010)

12 x 12, Monoprint, $595

It’s the first day of Spring in Vermont!

Gussie and Connor 13 (2020)

11 x 17.5 in, Monoprint Triptych, $995

These are some pieces that most remind me of Spring. They got me excited for the upcoming season, I hope it does the same for you!

A Gallery Dream

Oh, the bliss of an art gallery! A silent, respectful calm, surrounded by colors, moods, and stories. It is a quiet moment in the chaos of our daily life. Stepping inside can feel like a breath of fresh air; a break from reality; a quiet holding space for joy. Walking through the rooms, you can feel the creativity leak out of each piece; you can see each artists life on the page. Each piece of art almost begs you to take it from the wall, take it home, look at it forever. What a dreamy space…

Since October, twelve of my pieces have been hung in the Helmholz Fine Art Gallery in Manchester, VT. I am very excited to have my pieces here!! Lisa is a kind and talented art enthusiast with a great eye, we are lucky to have her representing us.

The Promise of Summer 22

Rewired 2

Evolutionary Leap 3 (left) and Core 2 (right)

If you are in Manchester, planning a trip to VT, or looking for a nice scenic drive, I’d encourage you to stop by HFA. Right in the heart of Manchester, the pieces are carefully curated and elegantly showcased . Plus you can see some of my work in all its glory… Maybe you’ll even pick up a print….or two ;)

New Work at Boston Children's Hospital

As many of you know, the marrying of Art & Healthcare are very near and dear to my heart. There are few places where art has such a capacity to impact people than in a health-care facility. The very act of walking through hospital doors takes many people away from their comfort zone of predictability into a vulnerable state of uncertainty. Art can provide a space of rest, a moment of calm in that potentially stressful environment. A positive impression makes a difference.

Years ago, pieces from my Summer Nights and Falling Leaves collection were included in a permanent collection at Boston Children’s Hospital (you can read more about it in my Healthcare Projects Page), and recently they were reunited with some more of my pieces!

Reproductions of The Promise of Summer 9, The Promise of Summer 11, and Key West Bound 26 now fill a conference room, a lactation room, and some open spaces of Boston Children’s Hospital.

I am always grateful to be included in projects like this. TurningArt, the artwork consultation agency I worked with, secured over 700 pieces of artwork from a variety of artists for this project - that’s a lot of work!!

While I hope you never need a reason to be at Boston Children’s Hospital, I do hope if you see my art it provides emotional relief.

A big thank you to TurningArt, Boston Children’s Hospital, and everyone who contributed to this project. I’m grateful to be included in such a big art push! If you want to read more about the project - CLICK HERE!

✨ The Process ✨

Many times, artists will write about their creative practices. How they conceptualize, what they see, how they work…

I’d like to talk a little bit about the technical processes that support my creative endeavors. Monoprinting is not very commonly seen. As opposed to printmaking, monoprinting only allows for the creation of one unique image. Every piece is individually curated, through the process of layering, adding, and subtracting ink. Each piece created has it’s own journey. While you may see multiple prints of mine within the same series, they each have been created individually - just for you!

“I stand at the printing press armed with my tools, plates, paper, and inks. Like bees returning to the hive, images funnel into my well, ready to be transformed into tactile expression. Glistening globs of chemistry and pigment color the palette and tempt the bristles and the sticky smack of the brayer. The smell of the oils blending and the moment the brush tip touches the surface is enticing. Print by print, the image starts to breathe and to whisper “Here I am.” My heart feels its rhythm - like the chrysalis, the essence shifts into shape. Pattern develops; color and values take a stand. Time flies by and stands still. The creative process is alive.”

Monoprinting consists of many layers of additions and resistants. An addition will print color in a specific area, and a resist will block ink from a space on the paper. Each layer is hand placed before running through the press.

Material can vary. Here you see me using lupin leaves, but I take inspiration from all things around me! Flowers, leaves, fossils, pieces of fabric, the list can go on and on. These materials leave such an interesting impression, all so unique.

The press is where the magic happens! Pieces of paper and ink get pressssssedd together, filling the page with color (where it’s wanted), and leaving tracings of the material. This is the fun part, sending something through the press and waiting to see what will come out!

With each layer run through the press comes another “layer” of reflection. What does this piece need now? Where is the color lacking? Where is there too much? What is coming through? How can I support the story?

With this process, there is no direct “ending”, no final completion. When the piece feels complete, it is. Many times I will come back to existing pieces and re-work them - maybe I’ll add a layer, maybe I’ll rip off the parts I like and incorporate them into something new, maybe I’ll just print over the whole piece.

The process is alive and well! Thanks for checking in :)

Falling Leaves Series

Autumn in Vermont is unlike any other place. As the leaves change, the mountains come to life, saturated with color. Our landscape is transformed into a watercolor painting, and we are all reminded why we love this place so much. This series is inspired by that beauty!

Falling Leaves 7, $695

Falling Leaves 2a, Giclee reproductions available

Falling Leaves 2b, Giclee reproductions available

Falling Leaves 1, $695

Falling Leaves 5, Giclee reproductions available

Falling Leaves 12, $695

Falling Leaves 14, $695

Falling Leaves 3, $695

Falling Leaves 4, Giclee reproductions available

Falling Leaves 6, $695

Falling Leaves 8, $695

Falling Leaves 11, $695

Falling Leaves 13, $695

Falling Leaves 10, $695

Falling Leaves 9, Giclee reproductions available

ArtHop this Weekend!

We are getting the office ready for ArtHop this weekend! If you have time this weekend to swing by, I will be in my office located at The Vaults - 28 Howard St. in Burlington. SEABA has beautifully filled our building, which will be the main building for the event, with so many pieces of art to view. Many of the artists who work in the building will have their doors open, including me! Come see me on the second floor, Unit 204, on Friday, September 10 from 5-8pm, or Saturday, September 11 from 11am-3pm!

Fun Art Events Upcoming!

Hello fellow art lovers!

I am happy to share with you some fun exhibitions coming up this fall which I will be featured in, including many other talented artists!

"Various artist studios, galleries, vintage shops, breweries, restaurants, and independent businesses all open their doors to the community to showcase their unique wares, host events, and display art for purchase." (SEABA ArtHop Website)

In it's 29th year, the South End Arts & Business Association (SEABA) will be hosting their (in-person and virtual!) ArtHop, September 9-12th in the South End of Burlington, VT. The main event is right in and around our building - The Vaults! Located at 28 Howard St. Burlington, Vermont.

Not only is there a juried show in which my pieces, Gussie and Connor 1 & 13 will be shown (and available for purchase!), I am happy to announce that my space will be open for visitors! Come visit my space on the second floor of The Vaults - 28 Howard St #204 Burlington, VT; I'll be there on Friday, Sept. 10 from 5-8pm, and Saturday, Sept. 11 from 11am - 3pm. I hope to see you!

For more information on ArtHop as a whole, the other artists featured, and other events, click here! SEABA is requesting that all visitors wear masks inside the buildings, regardless of vaccination status.

PS - ArtsRiot is opening this weekend too! Check our their food, drinks, and shows happening next weekend!

Gussie and Connor 13, $995 (Framed)

Gussie and Connor 1, $995 (Framed)

The Monoprint Guild of New England (MGNE) is hosting an exhibit titled "Priority Prints" at Stone Valley Arts, in Poultney, Vermont. From September 3 - October 18th, my piece, Emerge 15, will be shown, along with 170 other New England based monoprint artists. The drive down to Poultney is beautiful, and if you're looking for a nice Sunday fall foliage drive to see some art, I highly recommend checking this exhibit out! I am happy to be surrounded by so many similar artists!

Emerge 15, $595

MGNE is hosting another show this fall; this one based out of Rhode Island! Located at the Rhode Island Watercolor Society Gallery, my piece, Stane Hadden 6, along with many others, will be included in this juried show from October 2 - November 5 in Pawtucket, RI.

Stane Hadden 6, $795

Rhode Island Watercolor Society Gallery

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I am so happy to have so much of my art out and about in the world this fall. It's great to see the world open. up a little bit again. As an artist, these in-person shows and events are crucial to our livelihood!

As always, thank you for your support, and business. Hope to see you out there!

Asemic Writing, Collaborative Art, Space?

Recently, I have been working on a collaborative art book with 8 fellow printmakers based out of New England and Canada. The art book focuses on Asemic writing, which is a style of writing that contains indecipherable text, letters, and words with no specific meaning. Asemic is defined by "having no specific semantic content", or "without the smallest unit of meaning". The intention is that with no rules or regulations for you to hold onto, your brain will create its own meaning behind the letters and words. What an interesting challenge to build art from!

The process of creating these images was less traditional that my typical work. I used a technique called frottage, which is a French term for using a crayon or soft pencil to reveal the texture of a substrate on paper. To make these images, I placed a piece of paper over a substrate I made out of different letters, and lightly pressed down with a crayon until the image was transferred onto the paper. I love how much texture and detail was preserved!

When creating my pieces, I was inspired by the new space explorations we are seeing; the unknown is becoming attainable…. well, to some. I myself am not a wealthy white man, so visiting space might not be in the cards for me. This little spaceship is as close as I’ll get!

Another inspiration I pulled from was the most recent full moon cycle. Across cultures, eras, and communities, the moons have played important roles in how we situate ourself in time, in space, and in mind. In July, I was inspired by Guru Purnima, which is a summer full moon worship celebration that originates in Indian culture. This tradition is observed in celebration dedicated to all the spiritual and academic Gurus, who are evolved or enlightened humans, ready to share their wisdom.

Combining these inspirations with this style has some sort of beautiful irony to me… in this month, while some were worshipping spiritual enlightenment, others were choosing personal space exploration. While both seem very far separated, these are both examples of finding meaning from something that is otherwise nondescript. Take the moon as an example of an Asemic piece of writing (remember, Asemic writing does not have to be “real” letters in any capacity). If you are a practicing Hindu, you may look up to the full moon in July and read wisdom, enlightenment, or spirituality. If you are Jeff Bezos, you may look up to the moon and read “I want to market my budding space travel company.”

So, take these images of illegible text building the shape of a spaceship, which is residing in a vast, empty, meaningless void, and see what you can decipher from it.

I cannot wait to hear what you see.

Central Vermont Medical Center Summer Exhibition

The CVMC Art Gallery in Berlin, Vermont is exhibiting fourteen of my original monoprints during these summer months! I invite you to come see this collection, titled “Same World, Different Perspective”. Connect with the colorful, organic images that are strongly aligned with healing within the healthcare setting. The title expresses the new view that we all have adjusted to in this re-emergence back into the public world.

Key West Bound 82

(2013) 19” x 16”. Original Monoprint, $895

Vancouver Day 3

(2016) 14” x 7”. Original Monorprint, $695

Shelter From The Storm 3

(2016) 20” x 15”. Original Monoprint, $995

If you are in the area, I invite you to view these pieces in the CVMC art gallery, conveniently located in the lobby of the hospital. Thank you for supporting the arts! More info HERE

Pie’s World 19

(2009) 6” x 6”. Original Monoprint, $295