Thursday, August 31, 2017

Sallys Painting Party September 7, 2017

Carolina Creations Presents
Sally Sutton Painting Party
Garden Terrace 
Paint your own acrylic painting of this image on 11 x 14" canvas with artist Sally Sutton!
Thursday September 7 from 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Sip, snack and paint!
All supplies and snacks will be provided so all you need to do is be ready to enjoy some time with friends creating your own painting!

Sally will have the image drawn out on the canvas, she will lead you through painting it.
Wear clothing that is casual or bring an apron. Cost $55 

Location: Francoeur Studio, 229 E Front Street, New Bern "click here to see location on the map".  

Register here or by calling 252-633-4369.

If you get lost the evening of the party call 252-626-3376.
Due to the fact that the class size is limited cancelations must be made 48 house in advance so we can call people that are on our waiting list. For cancelations made less than 48 hours in advance - the fee will be held for you to use toward an upcoming painting party.
 $55 includes everything you need - refreshments and all supplies! 

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Mosaic Workshop in Philly with Isaiah Zagar

 I had a ball at a mosaic workshop with Isaiah Zagar in Philadelphia over the weekend.



I've been following his work for over 20 years and never imagined I would ever meet him no less do a mosaic with him!


We were doing the mosaic at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Philadelphia.


Isaiah, his grandson, and I.



We are outlining the drawing with mirror that we cut earlier in the day.



We were making such good progress he decided to add a mermaid.




We filled in with tiles that we had broken up into small pieces.



Here we are grouting.

Cleaning off the grout.

In a couple days Isaiah will come back and paint the lines back in you saw in the beginning!


A work in progress up stairs in his studio.



The outside of his studio on Watkins St.


Various mosaics around town.




The painted bride on Vine Street.


Back in the studio, upstairs apartment, he's got to get the floor done by tomorrow night!




Garage floor he drives on.



Every inch of his huge studio is covered with mosaic!!


More mosaics around town.


When in Philadelphia there are over 200 of his mosaics to see! And don't miss the Magic Garden on South Street - I've talked about it in an earlier blog post.

Now can't wait to try it on my own!!




Thursday, August 24, 2017

My visit to the NY Botanical Gardens and trip home

Viewed the Chihuly at the NY Botanical Gardens then drove to St Michaels to spend my last night on the road for this trip.

















Not a bad way to go to work.


Headed to St. Michaels.




I look for any excuse to go for a boat ride.


What a wonderful trip! Now it's time for me to get back to work..... well after the weekend. Look for the next post where I'll show you what I did over the weekend!


Monday, August 21, 2017

Sonnenberg Garden Cooperstown and another cider mill

The Sonnenberg Garden is beautiful. My photos do not in any way do it justice.

Sonnenberg is the former summer home of Frederick Ferris and Mary Clark Thompson. He was a NYC banker (think Citibank and JP Morgan Chase) and she the daughter of NY State Governor Myron H. Clark.

In 1863 the purchased a 300 acre farm named Sonnenberg (Sunny Hill) near Canandaigua Lake for their summer home. He died in 1899 and she turned the estate into the show place it is today

She traveled the world looking at gardens and she came home to create the gardens on the estate between 1902 and 1919.

In 1972, after years of neglect, the property was turned into a non profit and restoration began.  In 2006 it was purchased by the state.

My favorite story I heard was that Mrs Thompson requested that if someone wanted to bring a house gift when coming to visit she asked that they bring a tree. So the grounds are full of all different types of trees from all over the world.


I even love the fence!


When I walked up to the ticket booth and saw the green houses in the background and this garden, I thought it might be a waste of time - not - it was amazing. They are slowly restoring the estate.









This was an iron gazebo that has collapsed.



The Japanese Garden is said to be the first in the country. She imported a Japanese landscape architect  - my photos don't look like much but it was beautiful.



Very much worth a visit.

MacKenzie Childs studio. I stopped here on my way by, have been here before.


Of course I didn't try to take any photos in the shop but I used the bathroom and shot it! All the color you see is their tile.

I wish I had some peoples way with words. I can't always think of how to express how I feel. I so admire song writers and writers in general. That's why I quote people a lot!

The latest thing a friend just put into words for me is the fact I'm happiest when I have a vista to look at. The water, the mountains, a valley, a field, doesn't really matter what it is as long as I can see a long way. When she said "I need a vista", I thought to myself, wow, that's me, I never could put my finger on it before!

The vista from MacKenzie Childs.


I wasn't even going to mention that I visited MacKenzie Child studio because I have not been happy with some of their business practices in the past. I will say they are at lease making their original line in their studio in NY (not off shore). So the reason I decided to mention it is that in the next town I saw this beautiful house with garden and they had about 15 MacKenzie Child birdhouses hanging on their porch.


Next up - a Cider Mill - I can never pass one up.