We are on the radio just a few days before the Gardiner Open Studio Tour.

WKZE Radio Redhook interviews artist and chairman of the GOST

It was very exciting to do a radio interview this past week with radio host Will at WKZE Radio in Redhook NY. I'd actually never done a radio interview before and it was fun. It was definitely good to get the word out about the tour, which is this weekend.

The weather looks hopeful and the artists are all getting ready. So pick up a map and artist guide or download one from our website and go on tour!

If you want to learn more about the GOST and skip reading things, give a listen to this YouTube version of the radio interview with an accompanying slideshow of artists' work and shots of the #GOSTdoors.

Click here for the: WKZE Radio Interview and Slideshow for 2016 Gardiner Open Studio Tour

GOSTartists Profile: Marcia Cole - Encaustics and Painting

18 SHOWS IN 18 MONTHS

By Chaya Lakhiani

Marcia has always been an artist, both teaching and working in a wide variety of media. She holds many accolades for her art teaching over the years including an Art Travelship Award to France where she painted in the footsteps of Cezanne. During the past 18 months she has established a studio at Woodrock Studios in Gardiner, N.Y. Since then she's been on a roll with a solo show and work in 18 shows in the Hudson Valley. Her work with encaustic monotype was published in the book Authentic Visual Voices, by Catherine Nash, and last year the Middletown Art Society recognized her Encaustic Monotypes with an Award Of Excellence. This will be her second year as a member of The Gardiner Open Studio Tour, and she is delighted to announce that she has also joined Roost Studios in New Paltz, New York, where she will have a solo show running through August and September of this year.

“Mainly, I just love paint, all kinds of it! I’ve taught nearly every process to students from 3 to 73. I love seeing it, using brushes, pouring and printing with it, dragging paper and cloth through it, additive and subtractive processes, and the brainwork of harnessing it to express a concept that’s important to me.”

Marcia tends to work in series, exploring each media deeply and pushing her materials to achieve the desired effects. Currently, she is working with encaustic paint and watercolor, often incorporating gold and silver leaf into her works as well.

CHANTS 

In this year’s GOST TOUR she is featuring her Chants series. These are distinctive in shape – some are in square format to be arranged - that is hung or stacked, according to the owner’s preference - and some are tall, narrow and intimate pieces. They are spiritually inspired celebrations of color and nuance that vibrate with their own sense of energy. The inspiration for this work came from Marcia’s own more spiritual explorations, and from the sound of a dear friend’s chanting. In reaction to the attention they have received, Marcia has made more Chants in sizes ranging from 24” to 48”. It is her desire to make these works varied and unique, so that they can lend their energy to any setting and any space.

VISITORS AND CHANT OWNERS SAY:

“The colors are earthy, yet they resonate with a deep saturation that is very beautiful to behold. They remind me of buried treasures. Layer upon layer of richly textured civilizations, one builds on the other, creating a rhythm that is meditative. – Marcy Bernstein of Roost Studios

Visitors to the studio have commented:

“The tiny, detailed effects of the paint and trails of molten wax and gold and silver leaf catch the eye, begging you to slow down and linger.”

“They seem to resonate and enrich the space or setting in a personal way over time.” “They are like music for the eyes”.

For more information about the artist:

Marcia Cole

Woodrock Studios

Gardiner, N.Y. 

Marciacoleart@gmail.com

www.Marciacoleart.com

Ulster Savings Bank showcases work of the #GOSTartists of the Gardiner Open Studio Tour.

GOSTartists kick off a series of events leading up to the Spring 2016 Gardiner Open Studio Tour at the end of April.

This event was the first of two group shows and openings for the GOSTartists this Spring as leadin's to the Spring 2016 GOST. The next show will be at The Bakery in New Paltz beginning April 15, 2016, with a Paint-Out/Opening tentatively planned for April 23rd. Stay tuned.

The Ulster Savings Bank Exhibition Opening was held this past Friday with many of the GOSTartists in attendance as well as other visitors, friends and bank customers. Ulster Savings  has been a long time GOST sponsor and supporter.

The show continues through May 12, 2016. Eighteen works are on display at the bank throughout the public spaces. Some highlights include a fabulous mural sized painting by Meadow, show below, which brings a dynamic sense of pizzazz to the otherwise drab bank conference room, an eye catching piece by Marilyn Perry that hangs behind the teller's counter, and wonderful print by internationally collected artist, Lady Pink, which is near the bank manager's desk.

As in all the prior shows, the diversity of the #GOSTartists group is easy to see in this show, but thanks to curation efforts by Lady Pink and Roger Smith, who hung the show, there is a sense of cohesiveness, and upbeat enthusiasm that the pieces all convey. The show's theme of "Creation" seems to have been taken to mean both the creation of art work and and "creation" as in, all the wild and wondrous energy of the world, which this selection of pieces seems to be channelling.

The show is open to the public during bank hours. Art is available for purchase. Simply contact the artist of your choice--their contact information is available in the Show Bio Book on the table in the Bank Conference Room, or you can also find contact information for individual artists on the group's website: www.GOSTartists.org.

Many thanks to Jared Cole and the staff of the Ulster Savings Bank for hosting the opening and supporting the GOSTartists and the Tour.

Finally, don't miss the upcoming Gardiner Open Studio Tour, Apr. 30 & May 1, 2016. More info on the website, or pickup a brochure at Ulster Savings and many other area locations.

JP

Meadow with her spectacular wall hanging at the show, Holland Tulips, Acrylic on canvas, 60” x 71”,  $2000

Left:  Abstract sunset by Andrea McFarland, Purple Sunset, Pastels, 16” x 20”, $700
Right: Jean Tansey, Aurora Borealis #1, Acrylic on wood, 24” x 32”, $125

DM Weil's work in the entry hallway. Coral Reef, Enhanced giclee print, 24” x 30”, $425

Stacie Flint with her very upbeat painting, Blooms, Oil on canvas, 24” x 30”, NFS

Lady Pink with her woman shaped cityscape, a print of a much larger original oil painting,
Queen Matilda, Giclee print on canvas, 36” x 24”, $450

Jonathan Pazer with his composite sunset photograph, which includes cloth for clouds and a phillips head screw for the sun.
"You never said you would return, that’s my fantasy", Chromaluxe print on aluminum, 24” x 36”,  $500.

Marilyn Perry with her piece, Lava, Acrylic on paper, 31” x 37.5”, $650

From Left to Right: Jared Cole--Ulster Savings Bank, GOSTArtists--Alexa Ginsburg,
Marilyn Perry, Meadow, Stacie Flint, Leonie Lacouette and Jonathan Pazer.

When you are a muralist, it takes a village!

Muralists always need something to paint on.

The #GOSTartists were drawn together by a desire to express ourselves in our community. When we got started thinking about the diverse array of talented and creative folks who lived unobtrusively here among us, we began to realize that there really were a lot of artists here in Gardiner. Wouldnt it be great if we could just draw them out. We first began meeting in 2012 and considering what we could do to promote the arts in our town. Back then, before the first tour, before the first #GOSTdoors were painted and displayed, before our first group show, we had no inkling of our future impact.

Over the years our efforts have been embraced by many residents in the village and throughout our area. This is particularly noticeable in that there are now four large murals painted by members of the GOSTartists right in Gardiner, NY.

The murals mentioned in the attached article from the Gardiner Gazette were painted by Lady Pink, and Annie O'Neill in the Spring of 2015, and they are on Arch Street opposite Pasquales Pizza in the very center of town.

Mural by Stacie Flint, Gardiner, NY Fall 2015

Stacie Flint's mural in Gardiner was not mentioned in this article from last summer because it had not yet been painted, early Fall of 2015. It was painted in anticipation of the Fall 2015 GOST on the side of a tool shed facing Main Street  (Rte. 44-55) a few streets North of Arch Street. All three of these works are quite different in style and in expression and yet they all convey a fresh and lively feel which is adding pizzaz to our town as it develops and grows more art and visitor friendly.

More recently another mural was painted at the Gardiner Recycling Center at the very end of Steve's Lane, by Roger Smith, another member of the GOSTartists.

These works are a direct result of the work of members of the GOSTartists to engage the community and put art out in the world. That is a very important part of the mission of the Gardiner Open Studio Tour. To bring people to art and to bring art to people.

Which is also why the #GOSTdoors will be back in town this year. Keep an eye out. Lady Pink Queen of Doors is working hard to see that we have lots of new doors this year to share with one and all.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  In the Gardiner Gazette Article, it is mentioned that The Gardiner Open Studio Tour is held each Spring and Fall. While that was correct at the time of the writing of the article, it is no longer the case. There will only be one Open Studio event each year, so don't miss it. The GOST will be held each Spring on the First Weekend in May. However, the GOSTartists will be doing other things throughout the year.

JP

www.GOSTartists.org


[Thanks to the Gardiner Gazette for permission to reprint their articles.]

ARTIST PROFILE: Meadow - Mixed-media, multi-talented, Meadow is nothing if not a bold and fearless art-maker, teacher, and charmer.

Wild flowers of ideas, bees buzzing among them make the honey of art.

Yes, 'Meadow' is the only name she has ever given me. I must say it seems fitting because she has always reminded me of a meadow in bloom, filled with ideas and energy made of wild flowers and the bees that buzz among them. Meadow has been a community oriented artist and arts organizer all of her life, from teaching at a college level in several disciplines, to running an artist loft community in NYC and lots else in between. Like many members of the #GOSTartists she has added her experience and enthusiasm for bringing art out of the studio and into the world through her participation with the #GOSTdoors, numerous other group exhibitions put on by the Gardiner Open Studio Tour, and by running an Artist Salon at the Pine Bush Library for several years. The Salon has provided a forum for the community to meet with area artists and hear about their work, their medium and what makes being an artist so interesting both for the artist and for the art appreciating public. -- JP

Keeping Up With Meadow!

By: Mike Bingham

Lucille from Meadow's Boid series.

It’s my privilege to provide a brief GOST artist narrative for Meadow, as a representative of Kiss My Face (a GOST sponsor), sharing what I’ve come to know of Meadow’s artistic history & prowess as a tenant of 3 1/2 years at her Woodrock Studios complex.

.....Mike Bingham

Meadow is one of those unique artists who is always great at any art media she touches! Which is a good thing since, as a mixed-media artist, she switches gears often! She is frequently found working on multiple two-dimensional and three-dimensional projects at the same time. Claiming to get bored or stale if she stays with one medium to long, she relishes in the challenge of something new. She says, “It keeps me excited and my blood flowing... I love the angst of a blank slate.”

Meadow usually produces her art in a series. She’ll work a particular idea through within one medium, constructing anywhere from 6-20 pieces before she feels like she’s producing a product or just repeating herself. For Meadow, switching mediums or being asked to participate in a new themed show is like stepping up to the batter’s plate... “You never know what will come at you or what the results will be!”

Meadow does sometimes return to explore past series to create a new work. However, the new work always has a little different slant and tone... be that an updated version, or an extension of the precious thematic work. Clay is a medium within which Meadow has worked for almost 60 years. Her work ranges significantly from eight-foot sculptures to two inch “Little Littles” and everything in between. She always seems to return to it as she finds it to be very grounding and forgiving... “You can make almost anything with clay.”

A recent revival from the past is her production of two large Wood Spirit Series installations for the Samuel Dorsky Museum “Hudson Valley Artist’s Show.” For this artistic endeavor, Meadow used the wood from a black walnut tree she had to take down, as it was too close to her house. She was able to use up most of the tiny limbs, small branches and logs that would normally just become firewood. In her reincarnation of the tree, she was honoring her passionate feelings and connection to trees... and particularly that tree that has graced the grounds of Woodrock for over 25 years.

Meadow has lots of “next batter-up artistic activities planned and underway. First up will be using her Boid Series to create a painted door, that will be displayed in Gardiner, as part of the live-advertising for the upcoming Gardiner Open Studio Tour, (GOST)... followed by new pieces from her Heritage Ceramics Series, also for the GOST event coming up at the end of April.

And right after that, she’ll be installing a large piece from the Written Word Series for the Hebrew Museum, as a featured artist in their new exhibition “Numbers”. In between all this she is mounting a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to self-publish the children’s books she has been writing for years. There seems to be no end to the creative ability and stamina that Meadow is able to sustain. It’s pretty amazing! You go Girl!!

Artist Profile: Annie O'Neill - whether in clay, grasping a paint brush or cutting metal for a sculpture, Annie O, leaves her mark!

While Annie was not born in Gardiner, she appears to know everyone, just ask around! 

As a member of the #GOSTartists she has proven over and over that she has the inside track around here. As an artist there is variety in her work, though her love of Mexican folk motifs appears no matter the medium she's working in. This folk art flavoring gives her painting and pottery a delightful playfulness that is the perfect antidote for people who feel intimidated by more formal styles of artistic expression.

Annie herself can also be vigorously irreverent which also serves her well in her work. If you see any of her #GOSTdoors you will recognize them right away.

Annie with of of her #GOSTdoors from the Fall 2015

Join the Gardiner Open Studio Tour, this April 30th & May 1st, and don't miss Annie's work on the tour.

Special Thanks to the Gardiner Gazette for permitting the printing of their articles for the #GOSTartists blog.

GOSTartist Profile: Alexa Ginsburg: A feltmaker and dyer, she purses her ancient craft with modern lighthearted results.

Alexa Ginsburg - A Feltmaker whose colorful creations are proof that a skilled artist can capture wonder in any medium.

Alexa, a native of NYC, grew up in a highly artistic family surrounded by art supplies from the time she was a youngster taking classes at MOMA and Pratt. She always looked forward to the start of a new school year when she'd get a new box of Crayola crayons. She eventually went to Cooper Union, majored in painting and did large colorful abstract canvases.

In her twenties she spent time in Isfahan, Iran where she taught art at the International School. Side trips to Pakistan and a stint manufacturing hand loomed skirts led to a fascination with hand-dyed and embellished textiles in local markets. A seed was planted from the riotous palette of cotton skeins and tribal embroideries she found in dusty villages. This seed would lie dormant for many years as she returned to the States and settled into domestic life, running a desktop publishing company, working as a graphic designer, illustrating and designing children's books and raising two children.

When she found time to return to her own creative work, it was feltmaking that was the perfect medium for her. She was always in search of a "resonating medium" and felting fulfilled everything she was looking for--it is very hands on, warm, soft and malleable. The vibrant colors appealed to her painting background, and it "felt" responsive to her needs as an artist. By taking workshops and joining a felting guild she gained technical skill that helped her realize her intense interest in color, design, form and craftsmanship. She has been working with felt for the last 15 years and it has taken over her life and house.

Alexa creates gorgeous scarves and wearable accessories as well as artful soft toys which appeal to both the young and young at heart! She works surrounded by a feast of colorful fiber-- mostly wool and silk in brilliant dyed colors. She also does a lot of hand dying and combines different fibers together for textural effects. Alexa sells her work at craft shows, by commission, and online (alexaginsburg.com). She constantly builds her skills through workshops with nationally and internationally known feltmakers. Her designs include felted herons, birds of prey, wolves, foxes, raccoons and other wildlife as well as sweeter domestic animals. Visiting her studio is like being in a candy store. She is surrounded by colors, creatures, and creativity.
Alexa reminisces that as a child she wanted to be Picasso or Geppetto-- but she turned out to be a multi-faceted creator of her own!

GOSTartists Profile: Pam and Craig Booth - Sculptures in Clay of Cars and Whimsy

CRAIG AND PAM BOOTH

Cars!  Cars!  Cars!

Clay sculpture, and painting give an active and dynamic feel.

When your passion becomes your life’s work, you are lucky indeed.  This is the case for ceramic sculptors Craig and Pam Booth, whose artistic creations for the past thirty years have focused on one primary subject – the AUTOMOBILE.   Their business, at 1112 Bruynswick Road in Gardiner, is called Car-Toons by Booth.  

Craig Booth and Pam Booth of Car-Toons by Booth, sculptors
who specialize in cars, and the people who love them.

Invention and whimsy typify a Booth car.  Made to order, each piece is typically about a foot long.  The model and color are shown to perfection, and it may also include a portrait of the owner in the driver’s seat, or a blonde in the rumble seat, or a dog racing alongside.  Or perhaps you’d like a wall piece that shows your car with racing flags or rounding a curve in a Prix de France town.  Or a full set of six-inch cars for your dining table.  The Booths can accommodate your fancy.  

And not only for cars.   A visit to their studio reveals many more ingenious ideas-in-clay on display, at many different scales.  They make fire-breathing aroma dragons (you add the incense smoke) and mugs (double-meaning) of pilots.  In a more serious vein, Pam Booth models 24-inch replicas of brides in their bridal gowns out of clay.   If you can imagine it, they can probably make it for you.  

www.cartoonsbybooth.net

Marilyn Perry

3-23-16