Old Orchard Beach/Saco Adult & Community Education

The Old Orchard Beach/Saco Adult and Community Education Booklet is out and classes begin in January. This session has some great offerings from local artists.

Introduction to Acrylics & Water-based Oils

Iona (Tate) Desmond is instructing this 5 week course for beginner or experienced artists on Tuesday evenings. Desmond is a MECA graduate with 38 years of teaching experience. She's an active member of the The Saco Bay Artists and her work has been shown in numerous galleries and collections. See a more detailed description of her class here.

From the book, A Mother's Dream by David Packhem, Jr and illustrated by Iona Desmond

Town Square Sanford, Pastel

Inspirations in Drawing

Russ Whitten is offering this 6 week beginner-advanced drawing class on Monday evenings beginning in February. Russ is also a MECA graduate and he continued his studies at Haystack, Heartwood College of Art and The Art Students League of New York as well as privately with artists in New York and Maine. He is also a life member of the Ogunquit Art Association, Maine's oldest artists' group. See more information about the course here.

Self Portrait with Adora

Power Lines, Saco Train Station

This is an exciting opportunity to learn from some of our best local artists. Both are so talented and well-known, the classes are sure to fill up so sign up early! Then swing by Sam's Place and we'll have all the supplies you'll need. Explore your artistic side and give us a call if you need any more information.

-Jenna

Talented, Caring Women

Last week, volunteers from nonprofit corporation Designing Women exhibited work in Freeport. Donations at the door benefited the Coastal Studies for Girls Organization, a science and leadership semester school for 10th grade girls. The artisans and crafters presented an astounding array of gift items for giving to loved ones of gifting yourself.


December 12th, at Woodford's Church in Portland the Designing Women are at it again. The $2.00 donation at the door will benefit Women Unlimited, a nonprofit providing technical training and resources for Maine women, minorities and disadvantaged workers. There will also be a luncheon offer if you work up an appetite shopping. It promises to be a fun "girls day out".


The designing women, as you will see on their website, work in many mediums: soft sculpture, glass, note cards, jewelry, paper, soaps, pottery, wearable art, porcelain and fine art. The wonderful part is that their work is so individual. When you give a gift from Designing Women you know you are giving something original from a Maine Artisan. Not only do you gift with pride, you are also helping the Designing Women give back, with the donations made at the door to very worthy organizations.


Visit the Designing Women show December 12, 2009 from 9am-4pm at Woodfords Church at 202 Woodford Street.


View Larger Map

-Kathryn

Diane Bowie-Zaitlin to Offer Workshop

Encaustic by Diane Bowie-Zaitlin

Local artist Diane Bowie-Zaitlin is offering an encaustic workshop at her studio December 5th & 6th from 10am-3pm. In this contemporary approach to encaustic painting, classes will work with color, transparency, manipulation and texturing of the wax surface, layering, oil stick, collage and mixed media. Classes are small and flexible to accomodate the various interests of the students.

Encaustic painting is also known as wax painting. Pigment is added to hot beeswax and applied to a panel with metal tools before it cools. This artform dates back to ancient egyptian mummy portraits! Paintings can be abstract and layered like a collage or can be similar to oil/acrylic in complexity and style.

6th-Century Encaustic Icon

For more information on the workshop, email Diane.

Priscille Verrier's Saturday Class

You may know Priscille Verrier is teaching a "Hue Can Do It" class, for the Biddeford Adult Education. You may know she taught a "Learning to "See" Like an Artist" Watercolor Workshop recently, but did you know she is offering continuous Saturday watercolor classes at Highland Home Gallery? Highland Home Gallery is right across from Aquaboggin on route 1. The idea at Highland is for artists to learn tips and tricks to jump-start their creativity. If you've always wanted to try watercolor, this is a perfect way to get started with a teacher-artist who wants your imagination to soar.

-Kathryn

Why Archival Matters – Part 2

When preserving your fine art, your child's masterpiece or a family heirloom archival is best.

Archival materials are best because they:

1. Slow paper degradation,
2. Neutralize acid by-products,
3. Protect against damaging pollutants,
4. Are fade and bleed resistant,
5. Buffered to maintain alkaline pH,
6. Are acid free and lignin free.

We can appreciate those precious treasures now and we can, with just a little knowledge, safeguard those same dear memories for our great-great grandchildren.

Why Archival Matters - Part 1

Precious family treasures like Grammy’s Christening Gown, Great Auntie’s Sampler or Grandad’s Medals seem to be appreciated more in these trying times. While we are putting greater value on the links to our past, we realize that we need to preserve these heirlooms for the generations to come. To take the guess work out of that process, we need to know some simple things about protection.

First, you want to learn anything you can about the object: who made it, when, any interesting story that relates to the object, where it fits in historically, if that applies. For example, a 2nd cousin wrote down the story of how a 1st paycheck from the phone company at the St. Louis Worlds’ Fair ended up inside a goat. She illustrated the story with a photo of a 1900’s Switchboard, a Fair Program and a photo of the goat with our great grandfather. So remember to label paper times with a soft pencil. Then you should scan the photo. Take photos of bulky items and store them on CDs. If you make a few extras, relatives can store them too.

Secondly, purchase an inexpensive light meter and hydrometer, to check humidity and the amount of light. Store those treasures away from direct sunlight and in an environment between 40 – 50 % humidity, at 68 degrees. Books within those light and humidity guidelines can be stored on shelving if given generous space. Squeezing too many books in too small a space, can damage the book spines. Avoid basements, attics or outside walls. Use acid-free mats, backboards, acid-free albums and boxes.

Every six months, examine your heirlooms for holes and sawdust. Wear cotton gloves or handle as little as possible with clean hands. Never store your treasures in wooden chests, because the sap they exude can stain and spoil. Never store in plastic drycleaner's bags because they trap moisture. Remove all pins, paper clips and staples, to avoid rust. These Archival tips matter because your family’s story should be preserved. It matters to your generation and the ones to come.

-Kathryn

Bakery Blog

Sam's Place hosted the Harvestfest's Pie Contest this past Sunday. It was organized by Saco Spirit Board Member Sally Howe. We were lucky to meet some of Saco's enthusiastic bakers, who were willing to share their pie recipes!

Sally Howe with Pie Contest winner Laura Mooney

Blue ribbon winner Laura Mooney won 9 Saco Spirit Christmas Ornaments for her Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie. Red ribbon winner Dianna Hill won a gift certificate for Women's Terapeutic Massage. White ribbon winner Diane Lamber won a gift certificate to The Candy Garden for her Carmel-Pecan Pumpkin Pie.

Their recipes are as follows:

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie

Crust:
1 3/4C Chocolate Wafer Crumbs
6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, Melted
3 Tbsp Packed Dark Brown Sugar
Dash of Salt

Note: Do not use store bought pre-made crusts as they are too small for the amount of filling in the recipe

Filling:
6 Oz Cream Cheese, Softened
3/4 C Confectioner's Sugar
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/4C Smooth Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
2C Heavy Cream
1 Oz Dark Chocolate, Melted (for decorating top)
2 Tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter, Melted (for decorating top)

1) Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wafer crumbs, butter, brown sugar & salt. Press mixture firmly into bottom & upsides of 9" deep dish pie plate. Bake 8-10 mins until set. Let cool completely on rack.

2) Make filling: Beat cream cheese, confectioner's sugar & salt with a mixer on medium. Speed until fluffy. Beat in peanut butter and vanilla.

3) In a seperate bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Whisk 1/3 of whipped cream into peanut butter mixture, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream. Spoon into crust. Freeze uncovered at least 4 hours (or overnight covered with plastic wrap).

4) Before serving: Place melted chocolate in resealable sandwich baggie. Snip tip from one corner of bag to make a small hole. Hold about 5" above pie and drizzle over top. Repeat with peanut butter. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Caramel-Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

1/2 Pkg Ready-made Pie Crust

Filling:

2 Eggs, Lightly Mixed

1 15oz Can Pumpkin Pie

1/4C Light Cream or Half/Half

1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Tbsp Flour

Topping:

1/2C Chopped Pecans

2 Tbsp Softened Butter

1/2C Brown Sugar

3/4C Sugar

1/2 Vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare crust and place in 8" or 9" pie plate. Fold, crimp & decorate pie edge. In large bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, cream, spice, flour, sugar & vanilla until blended. Pour into pie shell. Cover pie edges with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and cover pie filling with topping. Bake another 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Refrigerate 2 hours after cooling. Best served with ice cream or whipped cream.

Colors of America

If you have been in the shop lately, you've noticed the moving of some displays. The goal is to have like items closer together, to make sense of the space. For example, the paint chip display is closer the actual California Paint products that it's representing now.


Following that logic, the massive "Colors of America" circular display needed to be closer to the paints as well. These Fres~Coat sample pots had to be taken down and then replaced to facilitate the move.


While putting the paint sample jars back, the system of color names proved interesting. Under the heading, "Historic Colors", were the standard reliable names the summon up stable thoughts of founding fathers and mothers: Asher Benjamin, Hawthorne Green and Lady Banksia. These shades welcome autumn back safely into your home and everyone admires them.


Then we have the "Color Revolution" heading. These are the names that tickel and surprise. Under the subheading "Hipster" there's a vibrant orange called Coctail Hour and a lush blue called Trust Fund Baby that gives that tasteful, prosperous vibe. Under "Empty Nest" there's What Inheritance?, a creamy cool butter shade and a peachy Breakfast in Bed color that flatters everyone's complexion. "Bachelor's" subheading offers colors like Alpha Male brown and The Ego Has Landed red that are fun.


For next summer(yeah, thinking that far ahead), the calm serenity of the "sancuary" colors is going to be my staycation inspiration. Nourish will be good for the woodwork, as it's that perfect greeny-blue that whispers summer. Calm is a basic white whit a hint of green that will make a great accent wall. Bask, looking like a blush, will make a great powder room tint.

This is the decade of purple, the industry's colorists crow. Until Refuge and Harmony appeared, there was serious doubt. But both these colors have a muted, peaceful hie that makes them seem karmatic.


So as each season arrives, the Colors of America circular display is a good place to look for new ideas in Fres~Coat and sometimes a giggle as well.

-Kathryn

Virginia Garrity's Dolls

My Grammy, Virginia Garrity, has been creating dolls since the 70's. She was featured in Maine Today, in the "Where's Amy" segment on news channel 13 and has been taking ribbons at the Fryeburg Fair for over 30 years. Recently, her Michele Obama doll was featured August/September issue of Soft Dolls and Animals Magazine. She's got a Barack doll finished that I'll have to get some pictures of.

Grammy, or Ginny as her friends call her, is a member of local art group Uncommon Threads in Saco. They have had group shows at Dogfish Cafe in Portland and Ginny has shown her work at The Heart of Biddeford Community Center.

Congratulations Grammy!

Biddeford Chalk on the Walk 2009

Photo by Samantha Milliken

Saturday, September 26 was the 2009 Chalk on the Walk Festival in Biddeford. Jim was featured in the Portland Press Herald. Here are the photos they took:

Jim's photo is also in the album up at Maine Today

Photo by Caraslifka

Dan Adam's (Buzz) robot won the contest, this is his picture:

Things To Do: September 19/20

Saturday, September 19, 2009

An Evening with Maine's Finest Songwriters, 8pm, City Theatre, 205 Main St. Biddeford ($20 balcony, $25 floor)

Maine's Finest Songwriters including Pete Kilpatrick, Marie Moreshead, Pete Miller and Anni Clark will be in Biddeford performing original acoustic sets. Anni is terrific, she's been performing her folk music for years. You may have heard her singing her folky-bluesy songs at Bebe's in Biddeford or North Star on the east end of Portland and she works here in Saco. If you've got a couple bucks to spend, this show should be great and it's always nice to support your local musicians!

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David Wax Museum, 8pm, Hog Farm Studios 140 Main St Biddeford ($6)

Another show in Biddeford, Hog Farm presents a mexo-americana quartet, David Wax Museum. I wish I had some computer speakers here at Sam's Place so I could check these guys out! (hint hint, have any old speakers??) I don't know what this band's all about but I fully trust Hog Farms will bring a good show!

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Eric Bettencourt's CD Release, 9pm, Empire Dine & Dance 575 Congress St Portland ($5advance, $8door)

If you're looking for something to dance to, Eric won't disappoint. This is his second cd release this year!! He's got a great voice, can really play that guitar and his band, Giraffe Attack, is awesome too. Come out and enjoy this music...I can't say enought good things about Eric and his new albums.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Farmington Fair, 8:30a-?, Farmington Fairgrounds ($5, $1 ages8-11, free ages under 8)

Sunday is the opening day of the Farmington Fair. I know it's a drive, but if you've got the whole day free, do some early leaf-peeping and head to the fair. Here's the schedule for the day:

• 8:30 a.m. - Steer & Oxen Scooting Contest (boys and girls, ages 9 to 15) in the Pulling Ring


• 9:00 a.m. - Team Penning in the Show Ring


• 9:00 a.m. - Farmers Steer & Ox Scooting in the Pulling Ring


• 9:00 a.m. - (running until 6 p.m) Western Maine Beekeepers in the Museum


• 11:00 a.m. - 4-H Working Steer Show in the Worthley Arena


• 1:00 p.m. - Peter Tracy Homeowner Chainsaw training in the Worthley Arena


• 1:00 p.m. - Midway opens


• 1:00 p.m. - (running until 6 p.m.) Mike Chase "Alderun Wood Creations" in the Museum


• 1:00 p.m. - (running until 6 p.m.) Western Maine Blacksmiths in the Museum


• 1:00 p.m. - Lawn Mower Pull in the Pulling Ring


• 2:00 p.m. - Para Mutual Racing at the Race Grandstand


• 4:00 p.m. - Farmers Ox Pull in the Pulling Ring


• 6:30 p.m. - Miss Farmington Fair Pageant at the Stage

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Maine Roller Derby Try-Outs, 6-8pm, Happy Wheels, 331 Warren Ave Portland

If you can skate and want to meet some fun people while playing a crazy sport, think about roller derby. Here are some myths about derby from the Maine Roller Derby site:

• Fishnets and/or skirts are required


• It’s fake or staged. We are athletes who train rigorously to excel in our full-contact sport.


• Come watch a bout and you’ll never doubt it again


• Size is an issue


• It’s “violent.” Roller derby is an organized, aggressive, full-contact sport with legal checks and blocks and ways to contact opposing players. Illegal moves result in penalties

Whatever you end up doing, have a good weekend and let us know what awesome things you've been up to!

-Jenna

Art Classes in the Saco Bay Area

If you're interested in learning to paint or draw there are a number of classes in the area. We hear about these classes when art students come in to gather supplies (we offer a 10% discount on art supplies to art students and artists).

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Judith Kinsman's "Watercolor: Beginners & Beyond" class starting this Wednesday, September 16th through the Old Orchard Beach/Saco Adult Education. Classes are held at Old Orchard Beach High School.

Judith also has a watercolor class coming up at the Saco Museum. Beginning October 7, Wednesdays from 9a-noon, the class will go for 4 sessions. You can go for all 4 sessions or just drop-in when you can.

Students rave about Judith's classes and take them over and over. She makes painting an art anybody can enjoy. She's had work in several solo and juried exhibitions. We try and keep all her supplies in stock so let us know if there's anything else you need!

Judith Kinsman's Watercolor, Hydrangeas

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Russel Whitten's "Inspirations in Drawing" begins October 19th continuing for 6 sessions and is also through the Adult Ed. The class will emphasize tonal drawing, the perception and composition of the appearance of nature, and form drawing.

Russel studied at MECA and in NY among other places and is a member of the Art Guild of the Kennebunks and The Ogunquit Art Association.

Russel Whitten's Self-portrait

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Biddeford Adult Education is offering "Hue Can Do It" by Priscille Verrier, an introducation to watercolor for those who might be a little nervous about it. No need, just sign up for this 12 week class starting Tuesday, September 15 from 3-5pm. Classes are held at the Learning Center in Biddeford.

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If you know of any art classes, please let us know!
-Jenna

Not Another Color Blog: Mehndi

I think I'll take a break from exploring color (though it is the quickest, least expensive way to change a space). Instead I am exploring Mehndi, thanks to Jim and Jenna. Okay, so I did not know what Mehndi was, though I am a huge Bollywood fan.

I have always been intrigued by the bride's (there's always a bride in a Bollywood film) painted hands. There seems to be such ceremony and affection, as the bride's hands are lovingly decorated with rich brown, rust or red henna shades by the women in her own family and those of her groom's. It is art and an intense communal effort at the same time.

So...Jim and Jen were making the rounds at the First Friday Art Walk in Portland. They met an amazing artist, Nev, and were totally enchanted by her and her intricate art. On their return to the shop, Jim showed me her promo card with her website: ReMarkable Blackbird and now I find myself immersed in her henna creations, researching Mehndi to my heart's content.

As I close this blog, I am going to steal a quote because it perfectly sums up my new found appreciation of an ancient art form: "Henna art is ephemeral and enduring...a journey of beauty, love, joy and luck." This is what Nev is exhibiting on her website and on her hands in her open studios on First Fridays in Portland.

-Kathryn

Note: All photos are Nev's. This is her beautiful work!

Feng Shui Bagua

This blog is continuing the conversation about color, specifically Feng Shui Bagua. You know Feng Shui, but the Bagua component makes it easier to color your own home. The Bagua is a map for decorating, using a nine-panel grid breaking up your home into sections. These sections correspond to desirable aspects of life.

For example: the "front-middle" is the entrance of the house and it is also the "career & life journey" aspect of your life. So, if you want to enhance your life within a certain aspect, you color that area to attract that. The ideal Bagua is as follows:

The 9 Sections of Bagua in your Home

"Front-Left"

Wisdom & Knowledge

Add Calming Blue

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"Front-Middle"

Career & Life Journey

Add Sophisticated Black

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"Front-Right"

Helpful People

Add Universal Gray

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"Middle-Left"

Community & Family Harmony

Add Peaceful Green

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"Middle-Middle"

Health & Well-being

Add Sunshiney Yellow

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"Middle-Right"

Creativity & Children

Add Centered White

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"Rear-Left"

Prosperity & Abundance

Add Royal Purple

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"Rear-Middle"

Fame & Reputation

Add Passionate Red

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"Rear-Right"

Love & Relationships

Add Romantic Pink

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So if you are feeling adventurous, or are just plain bored with your surroundings and cannot move house, do try this at home.

-Kathryn

Color Personalities

How do the consultants to the rich & famous zone in on their clients color personalities?

Tom Scheerer looks at the wardrobe and the closet for clues to their color affinity. Once their favorite color is identified Tom chooses a complementary color, to keep the color scheme from being too obvious. A color wheel is a good tool, so he can cull the opposiste color and build out their colored space from there.

Alessandra Branca sends her clients off to museums. Their environment is their living art. She encourages them to look for feelings of balance, flow and happiness in these public spaces and report back to her so she can start to build their color preferences into the space she is decorating for them.

Phobe Howard starts with portfolios, divided into neutrals and colors. If that leaves the clients still unsure of color, she has them sort through bundles of fabrics in various colors. If they are still feeling color shy, she walks them through a retail space touching colors and saying, "like", "don't like" until they've figured out ther color preferences..

Here are some questions to ask yourself when thinking about color from House Beautiful. We answered most of them just for fun.

What color would you like to try, but are scared to? (Red! Jenna says she isn't scared of colors, some she just doesn't like)
What color makes you grind your teeth? (Jenna and I agree on neon colors)
What color calms you? (peach, Jenna says a zen-like green)
What color brings you down? (I'd say black, Jim says medium grey, Jenna says black or combinations of black and red)
What color makes you happiest? (Aqua makes me happiest, Jenna says sunset colors, Jim says turquoise)
What is your favorite flower? (Mine is peach colored rose, Jenna's is a tiger-lily)
What's your favorite gemstone? (Mine is a diamond...so...silver? Jenna's is a black pearl which is more grey and isn't a gem stone at all)
What color was your prom dress? (I didn't go! I wore an aqua blue dress to several weddings though. Jenna's was black, but not your basic black. Think I dream of Jeanne in black and rhinestones...kind of)
What color is your car? (Mine is forest green, Michael's bronze, Paul's is blue, Jenna's and Jim's silver)
What color was your favorite crayon as a child? (Mine was red or purple because I didn't get to wear those colors much! Jenna's were pink, blue and purple- all pastel colors she hates now, Trista always reached for red)
What color are your sheets? (Mine are off white, Jenna's are dark orange, Jim's teal blue)
What color was your bedroom when you were growing up? (Jenna and Trista had a jungle mural on the wall)
What color is your lipstick? (We wear chapstick...so very little color at all!)
What color gets you the most compliments? (Mine is navy blue, Jenna says colors she hates like pink)
What color do you wear when you want to feel pretty? (I wear soft blue, Jenna likes a dusty rose but doesn't actually own anything that color, Jim always feels pretty)
What color do you never wear? (Yellow! Jenna won't wear easter egg colors.)
What color do you wear the most? (Jenna, Michael and I all wear a lot of brown, beige, green, grey and blue, Jim wears black and blue jeans exclusively :)
What color are your eyes? (Mine are a deep blue like ultra-marine, Jenna's a grey-blue outlined in navy, Jim's are blue with other shades of grey and flecks of lighter blue, Trista's are blueish/greenish with yellow which makes them appear more green.)


-Kathryn

Jenna's Picks for Super Fun this Weekend

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Friday, 8/28/09
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Biddeford Art Walk, Biddeford 5p-8p. Visit their site for a map of participating galleries.

• Oh Baby Cafe (140 Main St) will have live, low-key music and new art
• HFS Annex (140 Main St, 107 back alley) has music starting at 8pm after the walk...$6 cover, should be fun. Coco and Gil always are.

Yoko Ono & WBLM Present: Come Together: A Message of Optimism: The Art Work of John Lennon at the Dunaway Center, Ogunquit (23 School Street) 12p-7pF, 11a-7pSa, 11a-6pSu, $2 suggested donation.
This is where I'll be tonight, but if you can't get away this evening the show goes all weekend. I am really excited to see his work...it's the largest collection in the world and it's been travelling for 15 years raising money for various charities.

Alison Violette at Blue, Portland (650A Congress St) 7p-8:20p.
Blue is Portland's most intimate music venue featuring Celtic, Middle Eastern, Blues, Old Time, Jazz, and Folk music. The Maine Arts Commission says: Alison is a Native Maine Singer/Songwriter who began writing songs at the age of 18. In 2001, she released her debut album, ''Melancholy Blue'' (available at Acoustic Coffee, Portland, Maine, and through contacting her) and has since graced venues from coast to coast with her soothing and, sometimes eerie, vocals and steady guitar playing.
She's also one of the nicest and funniest people you'll ever meet, so introduce yourself during a break.

Sol.Illaquists of Sound at Space Gallery, Portland (538 Congress St) 9pm, $10 advance/$12 door.
If you're into hip hop, this show should be awesome. Space says: Backed by a powerful message of self-awareness, the Sol.Illaquists combine rapid-fire lyricism, jazz-tinged vocals, insightful poetry, and innovative live electronic performance.


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Saturday, 08/28/09
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LL Bean Sports Weekend at LL Bean (duh), Freeport (95 Main St, but you cannot miss it) Fri/Sat/Sun.
25% off a lot of stuff at LL Bean this weekend. Check out the schedule of events...there are a ton of workshops and demonstrations going on. My pick? Saturday from 11a-3p Geo-caching: Adventure Treasure Hunt. Yeah, it's a little nerdy, but I love me some gadgets and hidden treasure.

Dominic and the Lucid at Empire Dine and Dance, Portland (575 Congress St) 9pm, $5.
Portland Phoenix says: Lavoie and company have done something difficult in carving out a fairly unique sound that dabbles in everything from ’60s psychedelia to ’70s lounge to contemporary jam and brit-pop.
Anyway, these guys are really fun. Again, introduce yourselves if you get a chance. They're really friendly, down-to-earth dudes. The show should be a good time...music you can dance to. Also, they always know about after-parties.

Greetings from Lesbos, Maine at The St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center, Portland (76 Congress St) 8pmF&Sa $8/$5students.
The world premiere of a play by Maine playwright Carolyn Gage, adaptations of lesbian literary works and a choreographed trapeze act.
The first work is about Natalie Clifford Barney whom I adore. Reading about this woman is like a soap opera...except it's all true. She used to vacation in Bar Harbor and ride her horses bareback! This should be an interesting evening.


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Sunday, 08/30/09
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If you want to relax after a busy weekend, maybe catch a matinee and save a couple bucks. Taking Woodstock comes out Friday and I want see it NOW. Right now! Or maybe Sunday since I'm at work. This film stars Demitri Martin (my favorite comedian ever!) and the ruggedly hansome (ok, hippie looking) Emile Hirsch. This movie isn't a comedy as you might expect from Martin, but it does look like great film about the people, the time and the place around the music festival. Let me know what you think if you see it.

-Jenna

Frame Enhancement

Last time I blogged, I was learning about preservation of work. Now I’ve learned about the choices that have to be made, to get the optimum appearance for your art.



Jim our resident framer, meets clients over his consulting table, to choose the type of glass, the matts (and how many), the molding (which we typically think of as the frame), the fillet or other specialized applications (more on that later).



Glass is just glass, right? Surprisingly, besides regular picture glass, there’s uv clear, uv non-glare types. (Plexiglas comes in uv clear and uv non glare too.) Then there’s museum glass which pulls you eye right into the artwork.


Matt choices enhance a piece of art through different texture (like suede, print…) or color (maybe a contrasting color on the bevel, which is the edge of the mat). Multi mats can be staggered over each other to bring out the colors in the art.


Another specialized application, the fillet can add depth to a work. It is a thin bead metal that rests between the image and the other layers, or matts. Think of fillet as a mini frame within the frame, as it is very thin.



If a piece has various sized items that need to be displayed, Jim can create a shadow box effect by building windows with in the matts. This particular application is good with family heirlooms and personal treasures.


Another specialized option is aptly called, “floating” an item. This is great for displaying team jerseys and memorabilia. Recently a customer had Jim create a frame for his girlfriend with a window for tickets, a double matt of the play’s program and float a prop newspaper headline from the play.


We at Sam’s were impressed with the customer’s choices and thoughtfulness towards his girlfriend and her gift. But not nearly as impressed as SHE WAS when he presented his framed memory to her.

-Kathryn

Some Window Treatment FAQ

My response to the 64 thousand dollar question, what is a window treatment? A window treatment is a window dressing that serves multiple purposes: light control, heat control, privacy and most of all aesthetics; yes a thing of beauty. The function of the window treatment can change with the control such as a "top-down, bottom-up" feature which allows the shade to be raised from the bottom and lowered from the top. This gives the versatility of covering one area, say the bottom for privacy, and leaving the top open for light.



And "Just what is R-factor?" you might ask. R-factor or R-value is the measurement of a product's ability to resist heat flow. Since today's homes typically have R-values of up to 25 in the walls and only 3.5 in the low-e double glazed glass, the windows become an energy sieve losing energy to the outside in winter and gaining energy in summer. So now we may have this consideration when choosing a window treatment. The best class of window treatments for R-factors is the honeycomb shade, also known as the cellular shade.

It is important to note that all window treatments have some R-factor and it is worth weighing all their features when making a decision about a window treatment.

-Paul

Review: Open House & Artist Reception at Bay View Company, August 20, 2009

Yesterday evening, Phil Grime held an open house for his new Bay View Company. There wasn’t a trace of the former tenant, Rosebud Tattoo Shop, anywhere. Phil has appointed his gallery space with the art of many talented local artists in various mediums, as well as some fine antique pieces. People were smiling over cheerfully appointed mirrors, and vibrant land and seascapes. There were scattered signs everywhere instructing, “please touch” the glazed pottery. One whimsical folk art piece constructed out of an umbrella, a haying scythe and some open-toed shoes encouraged lively discussion. When not taking in the sights, gallery goers reconnected with each other and sampled some stellar refreshments. If you’re in Saco, Phil’s at 5 Elm Street is worth a stop.

Bay View Company

5 Elm Street, Saco, Maine 04072

207-283-0074

-Kathryn

Preservation & Framing

Protecting Heirlooms

Recently I had the pleasure of watching Jim our custom art framer work on an antique frame. I mention it because it was unusual. It had a pieced wood frame - forming an oblong octagon. Another unusual feature: over the cherished hand tinted family photograph was the convex glass, that Jim gave a polish.

Jim explained that along with enhancing valuable pieces of art, framing is for protecting heirlooms. Jim uses archival conservation material – which are acid free, to prevent the dustcover (backing) from eating away the photograph over time. So when Jim sends a piece out he says, “Barring household accidents & acts of nature, bring it back in a hundred years, for a refit!”

-Kathryn