July - Artist of the Month
Suzanne DeGeorge
Suzanne DeGeorge has made capturing the picturesque scenes of our coastal communities her passion. After settling in Newburyport, MA years ago, Suzanne realized photography was her true calling. Although photographing people, pets and even food have filled her with joy, the beauty of our landscapes and seascapes have proven to be her favorites to photograph.
Photography is what Suzanne lives for. It grounds her, forces her to slow down, live in the moment and focus on the beauty around her.
Perhaps best known for her published photographs in the Newburyport Guidebook for twelve years running, (four of which have graced the cover,) through her camera, Suzanne has brought to us the best of our beautiful coastal communities.
A member of both the Photographic Society of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and the Newburyport Art Association, Suzanne has deeply rooted herself not just in the community, but in the art of photography as well.
If it is to be said " a picture is worth a thousand words," Suzanne's photography should render us all speechless.
April - Artist of the Month
Christine Molitor Johnson
Christine Molitor Johnson began studying art in the fall of 1994. Working with oil as her medium, Christine captures nature, landscapes, skies and sea perfectly with carefully executed brushstrokes, depth, colors, shadows and texture.
After receiving her BA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and her MEd from Leslie University, Cambridge, MA, Christine began an over twenty year long study of en plein air and studio painting from various artists.
Today, Christine's paintings can be found in private collections on the North and South Shore, Maine, Chicago, Boston, Cape Cod, Rye, New York City, Texas, Washington D.C, Philadelphia, Florida, Bermuda, Ireland and England.
A member to multiple organizations including The National Association Of Women Artists, in multiple states, along with winning numerous awards, Christine has truly made painting her passion. As Christine simply states, "painting has become one of the most fulfilling and meaningful experiences of my life."
March - Artist of the Month
Anne Stuer
Anne grew up in southern New Hampshire and currently lives in Norway, Maine. She took classes in drawing and painting as a child, and her love of art grew with her into adulthood. After moving to Maine in 1994, she took many art classes with artists Aria Patch, and explored watercolor, acrylic, pastels, mask-making, clay and more.
Anne signed up for her first encaustic workshop with artist Kim Bernard and Dietlind Vander at the Maine College of Art in Portland in March, 2015. This ancient art medium ignited a new creative passion within her. To broaden her encaustic skills, Anne took workshops with encaustic artist Emma Ashby in Portsmouth, NH and Jorge Luis Bernal in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She also attended the Maine Coast Encaustic Workshop Retreat in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Encaustic painting incorporates elements from many of the techniques Anne learned over the years. She continues to explore new ideas and ways of working with wax to keep her art fresh and contemporary.
Encaustic painting is an ancient technique using beeswax, tree sap snf pigment. The beeswax "paint" is melted on a hot plate and then brushed in thin layers onto a solid, absorbent surface, usually wood panels. The layers are fused together using a hot air gun, torch, or iron.
Beeswax is resistant to moisture, so encaustic paintings are durable and archival. They should be handled with care as they can scratch easI willily. Exposure to extreme temperatures is not recommended.
February - Artist of the Month
Raymond Plouffe
Raymond of Edgewood Designs is the creator of unique, one of a kind, serving boards. Each serving board is made of either Maple, Cherry or Walnut. Used to serve and display cheeses, charcuterie, breads, hour d' oeurves, sushi and much more, these serving boards will no doubt be the talk of your entertainment presentation.
Ray, now a retired finishing carpenter for high end, up scale restaurants in Boston, is also good friends with the owner of Cheers. So when the city of Boston, due to an insect infestation, scheduled the removal of several cherry trees in front of Cheers, the owner quickly asked Ray if there was any part to the trees he wanted. Ray replied, " just give me the trunks and I will figure out something to do with them." An so the one of a kind serving boards were born.
Perfect for house warming and holiday gifts, these boards also make a beautiful accent piece to any kitchen or dining room.
Ray's boards are available in both our Newburyport and Portsmouth locations.
January - Artist of the Month
Bonnie Anderson
Bonnie Anderson of Practical Pieces is the creator of one-of-a-kind wooden mosaics. A biologist, full time high school biology teacher and artist, Bonnie loves being busy and loves a good artistic challenge.
All of Bonnie's artwork begins as a random group of little pieces. She cuts every piece individually and sands them by hand. Working in batches of three hundred pieces or more at a time, Bonnie meticulously arranges the piece according to the shapes and designs beginning to transform in front of her. Once the design is completed, the painting begins.
Each piece is painted with two coats of acrylic paint or stained. Much like putting a puzzle together, each segment is then glued into place. Some pieces such as trays and tables are covered with a protective plexiglass or tempered glass top.
Bonnie is also passionate about repurposing old furniture into works of art. If an old piece of furniture has "good bones"then it can be upcycled into a beautiful, functional work of art.
From decorative trays that can also hang on the wall to key holders, Bonnie's creations are uniquely one of a kind. And because Bonnie is always up to a challenge, custom orders are always welcome.
Bonnie Anderson's artwork is available at our Newburyport location only.
July - Artist of the Month
It is my honor and privilege to present our first Artist Of The Month, Jacqueline Harrington.
Jacqueline Harrington of Mon Jardin (My Garden,) named for her love of teaching the French language, is the creator of unique, one of a kind botanical artwork. Jacqueline's love of presses flowers originally began when she decided to incorporate them into a calligraphy piece for a client. Eighteen years later, Jacqueline had won numerous awards for her artwork.
A member of the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild, she taught pressed flower art in several states across the country, as well as England. Jacqueline was also an international judge.
Not limited to pressed flowers alone, Jacqueline also incorporated other materials such as leaves, bark, roots and plant vegetable skins into her pieces, lending the term pressed plant material.
A few years ago Jacqueline had explored another form of botanical art called Eco Printing. This process uses various metallic waters and heat to open the pores of the leaves and flowers, allowing their inner tannins to be released and imprinted onto paper or fabric. It is a fascinating way to appreciate the beauty of the plant world. And as Jacqueline, in her own words so eloquently says, " it's wonderful to be able to preserve the beauty of my garden in a piece of art."