Janet Mait is an sculptor turned painter, moving from figure-based to large abstract works. She doesn't start painting with a plan, but instead has color combinations in mind. The final product comes from emotions and spontaneous brushwork. While abstract expressionism is often linked with the depression and gloom of the artists that made it famous, Mait's work is bright and optimistic. There is a real sense of joy in her work with their slashes of color and you can almost imagine her painting with a big grin on her face. In fact, she says that painting has been a great solace in the past. htttp://romanoffelements.com/
Light Blue Two Piece Layette Set with Crocheted Cars
Laurie McLaughlin
Laurie McLaughlin has been making her adorable children clothing through the label Winning Woolies since 1987. McLaughlin is a longtime knitter and uses 100% cotton for her sweaters and hats. The sizes range from newborn to eight years old and make great gifts. Sweaters for the littlest ones come striped or solid colored in pinks, blues, greens and cream with bears, cars or flowers as button decoration. With sweaters for older children, McLaughlin lets her creativity stretch; one blue sweater has trucks driving on roads. Animals are throughout a popular design. McLaughlin used to sell Winning Woolies at boutiques at department stores, but she has cut back to selling at craft and boutique shows in the New York tri-state area. We are pleased that the Armonk Outdoor Art Show is one that she will be attending. www.winningwoolies.com
Daniel Jones hails from New York and uses our state as a frequent subject matter in his black and white photographs. Photographing beaches, bridges (some big, some small), trees, Jones has a great eye for shape and pattern in landscapes where the man made fuses with nature. He notices the beauty in the reflection of a dock in still water or fences' shadows on a sandy beach, things others see all the time without stopping. The life he captures seems a blissful one. He also has several nudes, which are fascinating abstractions of the human body. http://www.danieljonesphotography.com/
"Amish Sneakers"
Andrea Z. Gill
While Andrea Z. Gill only became a full-time artist two years ago, she has been creating and pushing herself artistically for years while working in the corporate and educational art world. She visited many museums and galleries while living in New York City. Seeing new artists inspired her, especially the vivid large-scale watercolors of Carolyn Brady and Joseph Raffael. For her own style, she took an extra step from traditional oil painting to an utterly contemporary realism. Gill primarily works in watercolor and she loves using complimentary colors for her paintings of rural and city life. Gill continues to push into new territory and now that she paints full time, she feels like every day is her birthday. http://www.andreagillpaintings.com/
Mark Sudduth
Mark Sudduth acknowledges that there is an aspect to glass that is out of his control, even with his many years of experience, but he actually likes it that way. Sudduth works on hand blown and sculptural glass creations at a private studio, which he has operated since he graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1983. He prefers to work with thick glass because it more effectively shows depth, transparency, reflection and refraction. For his glass works Sudduth uses a spectrum of colors, but some of his most interesting work features colors fading into clear glass. There is also the frequent use of line and pattern, especially in his hand blown vases and cups. Sudduth's work is sleek and playful. He is the only exhibiting glass worker at 2011's Art Show, so definitely stop by his booth. http://www.sudduthglass.com/
Pottery
Robert Hessler
Robert Hessler's pottery comes in exquisite shapes, but it is the interplay of color that makes Hessler's work stand out. Shimmering streaks of color move up and down the works, complimented by floral-like circles. This coloring is similar to the aesthetic seen in glassblowing, and the overall look might be Asian-influenced. Hessler makes vases, bowls, jars, teapots and pitchers and some glassware. The works can be put to use in the home, or could just stand as decoration.
Jeff League is not the first to realize the power in the image of a bird's black silhouette. While many of us associate birds waiting on telephone wires and tree branches with a certain thriller from the 1960s, League goes farther back for the source of his iconography. All the way back to the ancient Greeks, who saw crows as messengers. League casts crows as modern-day messengers in his mixed media works, with his crows delivering the message to the audience of environmental awareness. He combines photography with encaustic painting, a material made up of bee's wax and resin. This process allows him to build up layers, adding texture and exploring his imagination. He even has plans of adding glass to the mixture. http://jeffleague.com/
"Egg Shells"
Ning Lee
Ning Lee studied painting at the School of Fine Arts at Southwest Normal University in China, focusing on the realistic approach. While he picked up the skills to execute different types of paintings, his true joy comes from still lifes. He specifically sites Renaissance and seventeenth century Dutch masters as inspiration for his impressive oils. Lee's paintings are austere and quiet, but the objects brim with an energy thanks to his use of light and shadow. He paints flowers, fruits, pitchers and plates, much what you would expect in a still life. One of his most popular subjects, interestingly, are eggs. With broken eggshells, the draw might be from the possibility of a rounded edge suddenly becoming jagged. His landscapes are just as intriguing.
Edward Loedding, another new artist for the 2011 Art Show, dubs himself a visual choreographer. He combines elements of photography and painting and works largely in a digital context. For his subjects, Loedding seeks geometrics in reality. He categorizes his portfolio into two topics: "White" and "Vermont." The whites in question are white flowers and "Vermont" features images of his homestate resplendent in color. The flowers especially gain strength through shape and repetition. There are works of just one flower and some with groups. Loedding sites the digital process as perfect for his re-interpretations of reality and an "In Progress" section of his website showcases his unique process step-by-step. http://www.edwardloedding.com/index.html
"Venice Rooftops"
Ruth Raskin
Ruth Raskin is another new artist for 2011, in the photography category. Raskin gives an enigmatic bio statement, quoting George Eliot that "there should be some unknown regions preserved as hunting-grounds for the poetic imagination." So she lets her black and whites speak for themselves. She photographs her travels, showcasing the streets and objects of European cities like Prague and Barcelona. Interesting angles abound: rooftops photographed from above, statues and mirrors shot from below. Shapes and patterns also are featured for the viewer's delight. Raskin also photographs signs, both in English and other languages. The graphic wholeness of the text works well with her crisp style. www.groundglassphoto.org/Raskin/.htm
"Winter Farm" 29x35
Gary Stretar
Gary Stretar paints quiet landscapes full of emotions. Living and working in rural Ohio, Stretar paints with both watercolor and oil. He finds his intriguing locations both locally and during his travels. The sky fills much of the canvas, and human life comes in through houses and boats. When he works in watercolor, he lays down a wet wash and then paints wet on wet for the sky. The subject is initially sketched in a semi-opaque wash and then finished with a dry brush. For oil, the sky and body is done first and often allowed to dry before adding color, highlights and detail. He captures scenes from different seasons and each is brimming with mood. The houses look to be full of secrets. Stretar won second prize in Armonk Outdoor Art Show's Oils/Acrylics last year.
Eugenie Torgerson creates the most fantastical of works. Torgerson works with paper, glass, found objects and metal, among other materials, there seems to be no limit to her imagination. She splits her work into three categories: Book Objects, Hanging Pieces and Metal Work. The Book Objects are three dimensional delights celebrating the essence of books and boxes. The Hanging Pieces, reminiscent of Joseph Cornell's boxes, make the Book Object something that can be hung, with book parts, digital imagery and related objects. The metal works are also able to be hung on the wall. Torgerson creates an image in Photoshop combining photographs, maps and drawings and is then printed onto a steel plate and mounted onto a black backboard. The overall affect is both dreamy and nostalgic. Torgerson often focuses on themes of place and movement. Her recent work features images found in the Hudson River Valley; the familiar Tappan Zee Bridge has never looked so stunning.
Janet Woodcock calls herself a traditional photographer. She uses film and works in the darkroom, printing from negatives onto silver gelatin prints. She is even using the same enlarger she bought when she was a teenager in Michigan. Her traditional approach and sharp eye won her first prize in the photography category at the Art Show in 2010. She often captures the natural world; most recently she has been photographing nests. Many of the nests are in trees, balanced on the ends of branches or snuggled in by the bark. There's one nestled amongst the stones of a wall. Another is nearly camouflaged at the center of cacti branches. She says she is drawn to nests because they are "a symbol of refuge and endurance". All her photographs have the sense of representing a larger story and one of her portfolios is even entitled "Short Stories." http://www.janetwoodcock.com/index.php
"Japanese Maple Leaf" 8" diameter
Rob Glebe
Rob Glebe has a lengthy background of working with metals, first as a tradesman and now as an artist. He uses steel to create his intricate "vessels", pottery-inspired works that would be a great addition to any home. Glebe makes wide use of repetition in his art, and seems particularly inspired by the natural world. He has been working as an artist since 2006 and already has an impressive body of work. In addition to his vessels, he also does wall art, which is also nature-inspired. Glebe's focus on organic shapes captured in metal might seem like a contradiction but they are truly memorable. www.robglebedesign.com
2011 Armonk Outdoor Art Show's Artists
By Amanda Boyle
"Closer"
Geoff Buddie and Chris Rom
Geoff Buddie and Chris Rom have been working together for fourteen years. While their style has evolved over that time, minimalism and a sense of fun are key to their work. Buddie and Rom present strongly geometric 3-D canvases. They have used a wide variety of materials, most recently favoring wood and milk paint. Milk paint is a non-toxic mixture of milk and lime. For Buddie and Rom, an important aspect of their art is in its ability to bring out their viewers' inner child--feelings of delight, curiosity, the willingness to explore and experiment. Many of their works invite viewer interaction. www.thebinaryproject.com
Simbercite Mandala Necklace Pendant
Robin McLaughlin
Robin McLaughlin of Stonecrop Beadworks had been beading for years before starting to sell beautiful jewelry. Like many artists, the process is more of an unavoidable passion than a 9 to 5. McLaughlin uses a mixture of semiprecious stones and Japanese beads and mostly works off-loom for creating the earrings, necklaces and bracelets. McLaughlin's husband, a retired teacher, makes silver pieces as clasps and details on the jewelry. McLaughlin finds a lot of inspiration in the gemstones themselves, but also, as a gardener, from flowers and plants. The results are vibrant, with bead patterns that compliment and enhance the beauty of the gemstones. http://www.stonecropbeadworks.com
Wool Jacket
Melanie Anderson
Melanie Anderson started her company Koochi Ku six years ago after the birth of her son. Koochi Ku offers jackets and vests for children and adults, handbags and home accessories, all made of the softest wool. Her fabric designs are colorful and feature wonderful patterns. Anderson chose wool for its warmth, breath-ability and for being both windproof and water-resistant, making her jackets practical and cozy! Her collections are made in her home state of Massachusetts, an aspect of the business that is important to her. As autumn kicks in with chilly air, it'd be perfect to bundle up in any one of Anderson's jackets, scarves or throws. http://www.koochiku.com/
"Red Amaryllis"
Larry Preston
Growing up, Larry Preston frequently visited the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Massachussetts. His favorite works there were the Flemish still life paintings, and these masterpieces still have a hold on him today. A self-taught artist, Preston experimented with surrealism and abstract art but ultimately his love for still life and landscapes continued to come forward. He chooses to paint everyday objects such as flowers, fruit and musical instruments. Doughnuts are a frequent subject, also, and certainly made this sweet tooth lick her lips. Preston starts his paintings with a sketch in charcoal and turpentine and then he applies layers of semi-transparent oil glazes to achieve his dramatic lighting and stand-out colors. www.larrypreston.com
"#856"
Ray Hartl
Ray Hartl discovered his love for photography during a college trip to the Soviet Union. From there, he took a course in darkroom technique and has been clicking away ever since. Hartl is avid about adventuring and discovering new things, both with traveling and within his work. He sees photography as an opportunity to discover the depth of reality that comes from pinning down a distinct moment or detail. Hartl has many subjects in his portfolio--nautical ships, the Maine landscape, European cities and old cars--but his present focus is on equine figure studies. Hartl had a long-time appreciation for the beauty of horses, and his photographs capture their majestic nature and the strength of their bodies. A compelling use of light and shadow gives an added touch. And while Hartl claims that he faced difficulties in dealing with a subject that won't take direction, some of the horses seem to be posing for him! http://www.rayhartl.com/
"15" made of 12x12 tiles
Natalie Blake
Natalie Blake's past includes formal training in ceramics and painting at Kenyon College and a wide array of experiences in Asia and South America. In Lombak, she worked with local women making water vessels with stones and paddles. In addition to the technical training, Blake picked up creative inspiration from her travels. The beauty of the landscapes and textiles are behind her work. She currently lives in Vermont, where she works with porcelain. She carves drawings into the porcelain, often spontaneously. Her images are fluid and mystical, the subjects are natural and the work is dreamlike. Blake creates images on tiles, which either come together to form a larger image or are grouped with related images to create a medley. http://www.natalieblake.com/
"Calmly Immersed" 20x20
Deborah T. Colter's
Deborah T. Colter's mixed media paintings take inspiration from airplane views of the land below. For those who have flown, there is a well-known delight in peering out the window to watch the quilt of baseball fields, sky scrapers, busy highways, twisting rivers, rows of houses and more. Colter abstracts these views, which she describes as possessing an "ordered sense of chaos", simplifying landmarks to shapes. Circles, squares and slim bars overlap and lay side-by-side in her colorful paintings. There's a wealth of detail here and, as in our own landscape, the open spaces are just as interesting as those with shapes. http://www.deborahcolter.com/index.php
"Camel"
Dave Taylor
Dave Taylor's metal animal sculptors are full of personality. Taylor has been creating sculptures for the past twenty-five years. While he originally worked with found materials, he has switched to new steel, which he purposely rusts and then cuts and welds by hand. His interpretations of animals give reality a shot of playfulness. You'll see many different animals at Taylor's tent, from the more domesticated cats and fish to wild giraffes and elk and even a dinosaur! Taylor's sculptures would feel at home both indoors and out, so this might be your opportunity to have that pet lion you always wanted. http://firesteelrust.com/index.php
"Green Leaf Bracelet"
Wendy Lin
Wendy Lin came to jewelry design by way of her passion for knitting. She used textile techniques to create her fun bracelets and necklaces. Those techniques create a texture and presence in Lin's jewelry. Her caterpillar bracelets are composed of a variety of beads small and large, within their separate color palettes. Her wide band bracelets are woven treasures also. Lin also offers a selection of lariats, a type of necklace that fastens in the front by way of knotting the tasseled ends of the necklace. Again these are beaded creations, which can be knotted for a shorter or longer length, depending on the outfit it is worn with. The beautiful colors of Lin's jewelry will add a spark to anyone's wardrobe. http://www.wendylindesigns.com/
"After Storm" 8x48
Bruce Peeso
Bruce Peeso sights the Hudson River School as a major inspiration for his landscape paintings. Like that 19th century group of artists, Peeso is enchanted by the American landscape. His paintings stretch wide in size, giving the impression of observing a scene on the horizon. In the rural settings, light and shadow play an integral part. Some landscapes are flooded with a warming light, and burst with yellow and red, while others have houses hid in blue-gray mist. The scenes are simple, but full of mood and possibility. Peeso uses acrylic for his paintings and has been working as a full-time artist for the last thirty-five years, traveling and showing throughout the country.
Hetty and Norman Metzger are obsessed with geometrics. They use the term "Paper Expressions" to describe their work: repeating geometric shapes made of paper and organized into a greater pattern. Neither is an academically trained artist, but Hetty has been creating for most of her life, citing Crayola crayons as an early inspiration. Her interest in color still stands. The Metzgers put together fascinating color combinations. Norman's artistic endeavors are more recent. Their collaborations are colorful and textured abstract originals that draw in the eye. The Metzgers describe their work as representing their life journey: their past and their future.
Shaari Horowitz and Alistair Jones Shaari Horowitz and Alistair Jones bring their unique talents together to create beautiful painted wooden bowls. Horowitz is a longtime mural painter, specializing in trompe l'il, and Jones is a master furniture-maker, having created yacht interiors and custom furniture. They have put their respective skills together for smaller scale works, with big impact. They carve new bools or rework old ones and then hand-paint original designs. Horowitz and Jones look to the classical world--medieval manuscripts and Italian Frescoes--for inspiration. The end product is both pleasing to the eye and functional. We look forward to seeing these bowls in person for a really good look at the detailed patterns. http://www.shaarihorowitz.com/index.html
"Rice Terrace Dawn"
Paul Elson
Paul Elson worked as a commercial photographer for nearly three decades, traveling the world photographing for hotel chains, food and travel magazines, and other clients. In the late nineties, he began a new, more personal, career as an artist. Elson still works heavily within photography, and his prints are no less popular than before. He still travels widely for his work, and is interested in capturing different cultures of the world. He developed a new form he calls Photo Impressionism. He starts with an original photograph or watercolor, then scans it into a computer. He then digitally enhances certain elements and prints it out. Next, he will paint or draw on this print, then rephotograph it and rescan it. The process can be repeated several times for one work. The end result is often a sharpened dream-like scene. Originally from Manhattan, Elson has many prints that celebrate life in Central Park and Bryant Park. Even these spots familiar to New Yorkers will take on a new look through Elson's art. http://www.elson.cc/
"Anniversary Vessel Pair"
Peter Saenger
Peter Saenger's porcelain objects are sometimes for use and sometimes for decoration, but they are always lively. Saenger has been working with clay since 1970. He is still growing and learning as an artist, recently developing new color glazes to accent his primarily black and white palette. Overall, Saenger always aims to excite the viewer. Saenger Porcelain offers plates, tea sets, wall hangings and more. The work has a warmth to it, a sense of the familiar in a pleasing manner. For Star Trek, The Next Generation fans some designs might be very familiar: in the show Captain Picard used a Saenger porcelain all-white tea set, sugar bowl and creamer. http://saengerporcelain.com/about
Carolyn Shattuck is another mixed media artist with her mind on a million different things. Recent inspiration includes New England tombstones, whose folk art drawings she puts into her narrative and exuberant prints, and the terracotta warriors that she saw on a trip to China. As for her interest in printmaking, Shattuck lived in Japan for three years where she studied and enjoyed Japanese prints. Since then she has developed her own style and methods. She also makes book art, combining printmaking and drawing. The books take the dynamic shapes and colors of her prints and experiment with space. Of the many things that capture her attention and imagination, the relationship of life and death run throughout. Think of the tombstones: a monument for the dead, made and decorated by the living. http://www.shattuckgallery.com/
"City Sunrise"
Jennifer Gardner
When Jennifer Gardner moved from her native England to the United States in the late nineties, she also switched careers from lawyer to painter. Her interest in the arts wasn't new, though, but a childhood love. Gardner works in pastel and watercolor for her abstracts and place paintings. In her city and landscapes the lines are jaunty and shapes playful. Gardner says she is more interested in capturing the essence of a place than the "physical reality", as if she is painting to pull out the soul of a place. This impressionistic style of painting stems from her initial reactions to places she visits, the colors that leap out and grab her eye. The abstract landscapes follow along the same style, delectable color palettes that suggest a field or a sunset. http://www.jennifergardner.com/
"Wisteria Profusion"
Barbara Sandson
Barbara Sandson is another New Yorker, but you won't be seeing the Empire State in her photographs. A frequent traveler, Sandson combines her passions of French culture and photography to great success. She shot for twenty-two years solely in black and white before experimenting with color. The greens, reds and blues in her photographs of small French and Italian villages are exquisite. Sandson started photographing as a young girl when her father bought her a camera and an enlarger and she still does her own darkroom work. France and Italy are too big recent focuses but Sandson also has photographs from travels in Thailand, Greece, India and the United Kingdom, each textured and loving. People are infrequent subjects, but the human presence itches just off the edge of the frame. http://www.barbarasandson.com/
"Train"
Luke Stretar
Luke Stretar comes from a family of artists and has studied painting for most of his life. His most recent focus has been on rural life, specifically wide-open landscapes and industrial objects. Even the occasional cow shows up. Stretar's paintings are heavy in mood, dark clouds are frequent. He both paints from far away, with trees resting like small dots on the horizon, and in close detail, taking in the markings and graffiti on train cars. Either way, you feel like you're standing watching the scene, that you could just reach out and touch the train car or pat the cow's head. http://www.lukestretar.artpickle.com/
"Welling Up"
Michele Renée Ledoux
Michele Renée Ledoux is a mixed media artist with an endless imagination. She uses encaustic (a beeswax mixture), recycled materials, solar plate intaglio, acrylics, photography, printmaking and incorporates poetry and found object frames. The mix makes for a unique product. Ledoux's work is subdued, done in natural colors, and brimming with an extra power. The textures, built up by layers of encaustic, are a highlight of her work. Recently, Ledoux has been working in the style and philosophical air of "rough luxe", which is actually the aesthetic juxtaposition the name suggests. In 2010, Ledoux was inducted into the National Association of Women Artists in New York City. http://www.mledoux.com/
"Two Rocks"
Scott Coulter
From afar, Scott Coulter's works might appear to be a photograph of a favorite childhood hangout spot in the woods. The shimmering water, the sunlight, the perfect stones for skipping. The locations might be close to your childhood home, but these aren't photographs. Coulter paints incredibly vivid acrylic nature scenes. He started painting wood scenes due to his love of fishing. On location, he'll take multiple digital photographs, to create a detailed painting from foreground to background. Sometimes, Coulter takes a more Hockney-esque approach, layering pictorial squares over the larger image. All of Coulter's paintings are lushly realistic. Even if these woods weren't your childhood, you'll be wishing they become part of your future. http://scottcoulter.net/
"Robyn/button set"
Britt Anderson
Britt Anderson offers a variety of jewelry options. He designs earrings, pendants and bracelets, in yellow, red and white golds. The jewelry twists and curves and the gold is often complimented with well-placed pearls. The sleek designs feel sometimes futuristic and sometimes as if they were inspired by Cleopatra's kohled feline eyes. Many of the designs have women's names, like the Sophia and Joan pendants, or the Rachel and Brooke earrings. This suggests that they were named after women close to Anderson, a loving touch. If they were inspired by a specific woman, they still have universal appeal, and will surely mesmerize many at the Art Show. http://www.BrittAndersonJewelry.com/
Impulse
Arny Weinstein
Arny Weinstein's kaleidoscopes are not the plastic tubes that you used as a kid. While those were pretty cool, Weinstein's handcrafted kaleidoscopes--or scopes--are awe-inspiring even before you peak into the view finder. Using hardwoods such as Peruvian walnut, cherry and birdseye maple, Weinstein creates smooth, multi-surfaced and highly imaginative exteriors. The smallest scopes, the "Jazz" trio named after three jazz greats, are 5 inches and the tallest scope, fittingly titled "Tall Tail", measures in at 17 inches. Weinstein's scopes have the traditional mandala images, which are flat, or 3-D images. Either way, the images create worlds that are dangerously easy to get lost in. Colorful and intricate, we'll expect to be hearing a lot of "oh"s and "ah"s from Weinstein's tent. http://www.awscopes.com/
Bleecker Street
Rochelle Weber
Rochelle Weber's subway paintings will bring a smile to any face, New Yorker or otherwise. Weber's acrylic paintings are a homage to the iconic New York City subway stations--each station housing different tiled art and topical posters that speak to the individual character of their neighborhood--and a feast for the geometric lovers amongst us. Weber has an especially tongue-in-cheek moment highlighting the repeating squares of the 77th Street station with Museum Mile art posters featuring Piet Mondrian's stacks of squares and rectangles and Charles Demuth's fractured and shooting shapes. Sometimes she just paints a close-up on the decoration of the station name, while others feature the work of a whole wall. Weber's work highlights the way humans decorate and define our surroundings, and how those surroundings come to take on the shape and personality of the people inhabiting them. After taking in her work, you'll find yourself taking a second look at those mosaics and posters underground. http://www.subwayart.com/VirtualGallery.html
"Wood Stork" 24x34
John Costin
John Costin is a new artist in the printmaking category at the Art Show this year. As a resident of Tampa, Florida, Costin often shows in the south, but we're glad that he'll be making an extra trek north to share his work. His subject matter is also Florida-centric, specifically its birdlife. Costin has been using etching to express his art for many years, a process that combines painting, sculpture, printmaking and engineering. His bird portraits are incredibly detailed, crisp and alive with lush colors. The birds are full of personality; Costin even depicts many of them as if they were reacting to the viewer's presence and the large scale of the etchings enhances the immediacy of their looks. Costin hopes that he can give his audience the chance to see beautiful creatures that they might not have seen otherwise, and that seeing and admiring this wildlife could heighten peoples' awareness of how we treat the world we share with wildlife. http://www.costingraphics.com/
An Irene Plutnky-Goedecke metal and stone necklace
Irene Pluntky-Goedecke
The term "statement piece" might have been invented to describe Irene Pluntky-Goedecke's jewelry. Using metals and stones Plutnky-Goedecke creates necklaces, earrings and more made up of repeating shapes and surprising details. Her work is outré, but always wearable. Originally from Sweden, Plutnky-Goedecke's style is largely influenced by Scandinavian modernism, but she is an avid traveler and picks up inspiration from wherever she goes, from Japan to Barbados. She has also found inspiration in the work of fellow Swede Ingmar Bergman. But Pluntky-Goedecke's jewelry is ultimately her own look and style. There are strong references to nature, with leaf and shell shapes and silver seems to be her material of choice. Pluntky-Goedecke's designs are stunning in photographs, and we can only imagine they will be that much more so around the neck.
"Kentfield" Leather Bag
Greg Roche
Roche Leather Company has been making leather bags for over fifteen years. They have handbags, briefcases and backpacks. All bags are chic and high-quality--made from English leather and sturdy Italian hardware. Greg Roche is both designer and crafter. He cuts the leather and sews up the bag himself. In fact, Roche uses a technique called "stitch in the ditch" to bring together the pieces of leather in forming the bag. This technique involves stitching the binding twice, and shows the care that is put into each and every Roche Leather Company bag. Each style bag comes in many different colors and textures and there is a wide selection to choose from, some classic and some more funky. We imagine that this will make it hard for some people to choose which one they want. Often Greg starts a new design inspired by a customer request, so if you have a particular vision when you stop by their tent: don't be shy! http://www.rocheleather.com/
"Ice On The beach, Coney Island "
Ciarán Tully
Ciarán Tully is a new artist in the photography category for 2011's Outdoor Art Show. He shoots in three self-described categories: People, Places and Impressions. These categories often intersect and in fact, Impressions could be a useful description for his overall style. Tully makes frequent use of blurring affects in his quest to capture both the small and large moments of life. His photographic subjects range from iconic New York City locales, to a crowded barroom, to a duck and its blurry reflection on a pond. Working in both black and white and color, approaching from far away or close up, Tully puts a new lens and look to our everyday world. http://www.ciarantully.com/
"Besos de arriba..." 36"x48"
Dwight Baird
Last year Dwight Baird won 1st Prize in Oils/Acrylics, and it's easy to see why. Baird's paintings are a stylistic combination of photo-realism and cubism, creating a richness of subject. Baird's latest series of work is of Cuban life. The colors are lush and will draw you in. He is interested in capturing the beautiful hidden moments of life, moments that often go unseen. That beauty can come from happiness and hope, but also their compliments of sadness and despair. Baird is compelled by the fullness of life. His process is one of care also: he uses masonite panel, which is primed three times with gesso before use, and then paints in acrylic. www.dwightbaird.com
