Posts filed under 'life in New England'
I love it when galleries put on group exhibitions – it’s a great way to be introduced to a lot of fantastic art by artists both familiar and unknown.
“RSVP: Invited New England Artists” showcases over 90 works by 22 local artists at the George Marshall Store Gallery in York. Organized with no theme other than to highlight the work of local artists, the exhibition offers a lively and engaging survey of contemporary art in our region.
Found-object sculptures by Portsmouth artist Michael Stasiuk welcome visitors into the gallery with their humor and whimsy.
"The Cook" by Portland artist George Lloyd, ink on paper, 32" x 27"
“The Cook” by George Lloyd is a large, colorful piece accompanied by an ink drawing of the same name. Both date from the 1970s when the artist was living and working in the San Francisco Bay area. Two recent watercolors by Lloyd are also included in the exhibit, and display the influence of his time in California.
"Monte Lucretili from the Academy" by Grant Drumheller Oil on linen, 48" x 37"
Grant Drumheller is another local artist who spent time painting abroad. Three of his paintings from his time as visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome are on display.
"The Boat and its Shadow, Cuttyhunk" by Connie Hayes 10 x 10" Oil on panel
Maine artist Connie Hayes is represented by several oil paintings of quintessential Maine landscapes. Make some discoveries as well, with ceramic sculptures by NH artist Shaune McCarthy and landscapes by Roy Germon, both of whom are new to the gallery.
"Below" by Portland artist Roy Germon Mixed media, 12" x 12"
Also featured are works by Duncan Johnson, Susan Whalrab, Kate Emlen, Julia Zanes, Gary Haven Smith, Carol Stein, Don Williams, Tom Curry, Tom Glover, Bill Irvine, Rebecca Litt, Holly Meade, Charles Ramsburg, Donald Saaf, Carter Wentworth, and Jim Wilkinson.
The gallery is also presenting an exhibition of “Little Paintings,” 23 oil paintings by artist Stuart Ober.
The exhibitions continue through August 23. 207 351-1083
www.georgemarshallstoregallery.com
July 30th, 2009
I am Linda Hentschel of Renaissance Interiors of North Reading, MA and I’ve been selected to re-design a very interesting (read: odd!) area on the second floor of the McIntire Farm.
My space is quite a challenge- first of all it’s tiny - it’s only three feet wide and eleven feet long. In addition to that difficult size, add two doorways and one window. Hmmm. And the craziest thing is that I LOVE it! That’s because this awkward, unused space presents me with the perfect opportunity to explain my design philosophy without words and in action. I believe that any space can be and must be functional as well as beautiful. I love to create sophisticated, elegant and timeless spaces but these rooms must also be smart and work hard.
Secret Hideaway Before
Last February, designers from Boston to San Francisco were invited to preview the 1920’s farmhouse selected as the 20th Annual York Decorator Showhouse in order to create a plan for a space we’d like to design. From the minute I saw my little nook, I envisioned the ‘Secret Hideaway’. I am designing for an imaginary client that has a young boy, Jack, who wakes up too early in the morning. His clever parents have built the ‘Secret Hideaway’ - a kid sized space where Jack can spend quiet time with a good pirate picture book or a favorite stuffed animal and some imagination. As the designer, I’ve provided a comfortable, warm, enveloping space (the beautiful) that also has sturdy storage drawers built into the bench and a treasure chest to stow a young boys gear (the functional). My goal is to make the ‘Secret Hideaway’ come to life and show that with thoughtful design there is no such thing as unusable space- even if it is three feet by eleven feet.
Secret Hideaway Before
May 2, 2009
Last night was the Designer Reception and the opportunity to meet with my design partners. What an amazing collection of talent. And such dedication- from the volunteers that brought in food to the photographer that took a group photo- clearly everyone is committed to the success of this Showhouse. As a fund raiser for the Museums of Old York - supporting historic buildings - what designer could refuse such a great cause?
Today is the first chance I’ve had to see my space since I was there in February. It is even smaller that I remembered, but it has excellent light and great potential. We had lots of company today since the Showhouse was open to the public for ‘before’ tours for the first time in York Showhouse history.
June 19, 2009
What a difference a month makes! I always tell my clients that paint provides the biggest impact in any space and today I was reminded how true that is. My extraordinary decorative painter, Steve, has transformed what he calls ‘our cocoon’ into a bright, livable space. He has invested 17 hours sanding, priming and painting all of the moldings, the walls and the ceiling. The results are amazing!
Secret Hideaway Sketch
June 27, 2009
I’m happy to report that my space is finally starting to look like a room. Since I am in North Reading, MA and an hour from the Showhouse, most of my work has been happening way behind the scenes, so my room has looked a bit deserted.
Today we installed a solid wood bench with a matching cabinet above. The custom furniture for the ‘Secret Hideaway’ was built in Haverhill. The size and style of the bench and cabinet were easily specified in May. The stain color, the maps, the hardware and the brass rivets all were selected with a bit more agonizing. The best part of custom building with the brilliant (and patient) Mark and Dave- we can continue to design as we build and the process is fluid, with each detail confirmed as we go. We also installed the one-of-a-kind light fixture — I think this is my favorite part of the room!
July 3, 2009
It is crunch time! The house is packed with people focused on delivering a spectacular experience for each visitor. It is fun and crazy and noisy and even productive.
The Secret Hideaway floor is going in today. Normally the floor installation would be done at the beginning of the project but a Showhouse creates unique scheduling issues and flexibility is key. We wanted something outstanding but not distracting and we literally stumbled upon our solution. You’ll want to take your shoes off to walk on the natural pebble floor we selected.
Linda Hentschel | Renaissance Interiors | P.O. Box 142, North Reading, MA 01864 | 978-664-0064 | LindaH@RenaissanceInteriors.com
July 13th, 2009
First of all, I would like to thank Accent Magazine for choosing my show house room from last year’s Museums of Old York Show House to grace the cover of their July/August issue! Yesterday was a day of mishaps for me. Coming home and finding Accent Magazine in my mailbox with my work on the cover made all the angst of the day disappear. (Well…most of it anyway…a martini washed away the rest!) I would also like to congratulate all of my peers who are included in the show house article. Great job everyone!
ACCENT July/August 09
Kitchen/Pantry Update
The new appliances, loaned to us by Best Buy of Newington, were delivered yesterday. The stainless steel LG appliances look right at home. The steel of the appliances blends in beautifully with the Irish Limestone counter tops.
Judy Dibble of Brookwood Designs also came to finish up her work on the kitchen walls. Judy gave the walls their final coat of Venetian plaster. The walls now resemble chocolate ganache, like something that one would hope to find on the walls of Willy Wonka’s factory, dark brown, deep and rich.
Two wing chairs that I am using in the seating area at the windows are also complete and at the house. The wing chairs have been salvaged from my archive of thirty or so chairs. I can never pass up a chair that I happen upon that has great proportion and form. The chairs have been upholstered in a mustard yellow and cream stripe matelasse fabric along with a complimenting brush fringe outlining the seat cushions for a little added interest.
The wall mount dish rack has also arrived, was painted and is installed. A wall mount dish rack not only looks great, but also it is one of my favorite and functional pieces to have in a kitchen.
So all in all, it’s all falling into place - slowly but surely.
Just waiting on the ceiling fixture for over the kitchen sink, the custom step back cupboard (still wavering on what color to paint it…), the curtains, the flowers (from the gals at Botanica in Portsmouth who have graciously worked with me on all of the florals) and I still need to shop for a few more accessories.
Lots to do; time is fleeting. The only good part about this weather is that I have the time to do what I need to get done.
Wishing everybody a safe and happy Fourth of July!!!!
Best,
Frank
F.D. Hodge Interiors | Boston, Mass. 02118 | 617-267-8103 | fdhodge@aol.com
July 2nd, 2009
Hello all!
Designer Frank Hodge
The countdown to the opening of the 2009 20th anniversary Museums of Old York show house has begun. This is the time when the show house gets busier and busier each day and all of the “magic” happens. My name is Frank Hodge and I am an interior designer based in Boston, Mass. You may have attended the MOY show house last year, in which I created the master bedroom suite.
This year I signed on to do a guest bedroom/sitting room. The design of this room was inspired by a recent trip to Hillwood Museum and Gardens, the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Hillwood is an awe-inspiring place, and was created with an educated eye. My project was aptly named “Marjorie’s Room,” and I can only hope that Ms. Post would feel at home in room I created with her inspiration.
A few weeks into working on this guest bedroom/sitting room, I received a call from Carol Coles asking me if I would consider undertaking the kitchen/pantry project. No designers had presented proposals to design the kitchen and pantry, knowing what a daunting task it would be. As the kitchen is the heart of the home and I did not want to let it remain “undone,” I accepted the task.
Pantry
Kitchen, before, with bead board
Now with two and a half rooms to work on and design clients to keep happy, it was time to get into high gear. With help from my associate Weston Frederickson, we started the dirty work on the kitchen. (I am going to keep the guest room design as a total surprise to you all!)
The existing kitchen was a basic 40’s farmhouse kitchen- simple and serviceable. The kitchen has retained its original cabinets, counters and floor. The pantry was used as a laundry room/storage area.
I wanted to retain the charm of a farmhouse kitchen, so I started by undressing the rooms. Weston and I removed the bead board that sheathed the walls. The bead board was disproportionate for the room and gave the illusion of lower ceilings. We then removed the upper cabinets at the sink and a wall of cabinets on the cellar door wall. Though we lost some storage, the kitchen now has a larger, airier feel. Next went the Formica counter tops. You could hear the kitchen sigh with relief as we removed these counters.
Kitchen in progress
Always keeping the integrity of the house in mind, I wanted to create the kitchen and pantry with a relaxed farmhouse feeling. I wanted it to be a place to gather, talk, and enjoy family and friends.
The remaining original 40’s cabinets have been prepped, primed, and painted. They now look like new thanks to Weston’s expert paint job. Crown molding was added at the ceiling to add some interest and a more finished look to the room. The walls that were once bead boarded are being Venetian plastered in hues of chocolate brown. The walls now have texture and depth and appear to have been in situ for years and years.
Judy Dibble at work
Armstrong tile flooring has apparently never gone out of fashion! Much to my amazement, I was able to order new tiles to patch the places where the cabinets were removed and replace a few damaged tiles. The difference in color between the old and new is virtually seamless thanks to the expert cleaning and polishing job.
The countertops are being replaced with Irish Limestone, which is a richly colored grayish limestone that is reminiscent of your grandmother’s soapstone wash sink. It is perfect for a farmhouse kitchen. If you look closely at the kitchen counters, you can see the numerous fossils that the limestone holds.
The only modern touches will be the stainless steel appliances and kitchen sink and faucet. Please be advised that there will be no fridge in the kitchen, as it would impede the flow of traffic when visitors come to see the show house.
My inspiration for the color scheme of the kitchen and pantry was derived from the existing yellow and dark green linoleum checkerboard flooring.
Oak leaf fabric
As for the rest of the decoration, I hope that you make a trip to the show house to see what the finished rooms look like. If you may have any questions, or would like to meet me at the show house while it is open, please feel free to call or send me an email.
Many thanks, and I look forward to meeting you!
Frank Hodge | F. D. Hodge Interiors | Boston, Mass. 02118 | 617-267-8103 | fdhodge@aol.com
June 26th, 2009
Chuck Hugo, of Charles C. Hugo Landscape Design, writes in with this update from the Old York Designer Show House, where he is designing the entrance garden.
Entrance Garden Design
The YHS entrance garden is based on a 1920’s garden style, which is isn’t a style but rather drawing from many historical garden ideas and melding into a new hodgepodge, much like our country. The design is a mix of French parterre and English cottage with some Italian formalities. Ellen Bidddle Shipman was a landscape architect living in Plainfield, NH and worked throughout New England in the 20s and 30s. We took inspiration from her designs and incorporated our own style of plantings. Maya is doing some custom glass work for the arbor and we will be working with some antique granite pieces. And Lynn Felici Gallant is working her magic with annuals, vines and containers throughout.
Charles C. Hugo Landscape Design | PO Box 263, South Berwick ME 03908 | 207 384-5893 | www.charleshugo.com
June 16th, 2009
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