Painted bodies, a “strong back”, friendship, collaboration & so much more…!

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Laura&Tina

focus on the good, colorful flowers in vase painting

This painting is currently part of the Regional Show at the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly. It will be on view until the end of the month along with so many other wonderful artists work. Stop in if you are in the area and see the diversity of the show.

Dear Tina,

It seems like both yesterday and a million years ago since I was in Charleston. I know some people learned of my unfortunate experience with strep throat and back problems from Facebook and I was completely overwhelmed with all the kind, healing words. All I can say is THANK YOU to everyone but especially YOU my dear! Thank you for making me so welcome in your home and sharing your wonderful family with me, thank you for taking care of me when I couldn’t move, for bringing me water, crackers and blueberries, for just being in the room with me, thank you for rearranging my flight so I could rest, thank you for your inspiration and writing our blog posts when all I could do was share my ideas from bed, thank you for being such a wonderful, inspiring friend and bringing so much clarity to my life! I cannot tell you how humbled I felt by this experience and I am grateful to have you in my life.

When I returned home I rested for a day and felt a little better. Michelle & Jesse came down from NH on friday and I felt up to going to FUSION, a fun, artful event complete with body painters, a live band, a Photo Booth as well as food & drink tastings. My friends Millie, Joy, Serena, Heather & Lisa all participated in the body painting and their creations were each so unique and fun! Here are a few pictures of Millie’s work. Not too shabby a “canvas” to work on I have to say! You can see more pictures from the night here.

I attempted a little dancing at Fusion and my back immediately regretted it the next day so I wasn’t moving too fast. Michelle & I laid low over the weekend and dreamed about the collaborative painting we will create next Saturday (May 25th from 1-4pm) at my Open Studio. We are SUPER EXCITED about it and I hope lots of people come to meet her and see all the fun things she is bringing down to share and will have available for sale. I am already filled with ideas on how I want to decorate and display my work for the kick off event Friday night (May 24th from 5:30-9pm).

Tomorrow I head to the Brimfield Antique Show bright and early with my friend Sue. It is an annual pilgrimage we make and this year we are being brave and driving Brett’s BIG TRUCK so we can fill it up with some larger items! I can already envision my new finds and working them into a display for my open studio. Sue has a wonderful online shop called, The Collected Cottage with some fabulous vintage items. Whoooo hoooo! I can hardly stand the wait!

I will leave you with some pictures Michelle & I took from my garden that we will use as inspiration for our painting. More to come!

Love, Laura

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Doing my best….

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Hello Sweet T (& friends),

I was looking at my calendar planning, organizing myself and getting ready for upcoming show submissions and realized I am coming to see you next week!!! Is that possible? In my mind it seemed so far away. I have some serious thinking, dreaming and pack a lackin’ to do before my trip. My mind has been focused on a new body of work for my upcoming solo show at the Lighthouse Gallery in New London. I don’t think I announced the show here on the blog but it hasn’t been far from my mind! It will run from the end of July through August and I can’t wait! Hopefully you will be able to see it when you come visit me in August. (stay tuned for more details!)

As you know “goddess Michelle” just left and now my friend Brigitte is currently en-route as we speak. I am invigorated by my time with them. Tomorrow will be a day of studio work and most likely a little self-discovery. Do you ever notice how you share different things with different people? Brigitte and I share an abundant love for books that help us grow in a very soulful way. She has been giving me snippets of them in our quick phone chats and I am looking forward to our reflective time together. I have tons of things swirling around in my head (don’t laugh! I know, I know, what else is new!).

One thing that helps ground me are the wise words in a little book called, “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. I have more to say about this favorite book of mine as it keeps coming up in conversation, even with Michelle when she was here. We joked that it would have made our younger years so much easier. One of the agreements is to “always do your best”. I am trying to do this right now with my current work. Part of that is having a vision for what I want in my life. This is being expressed in my artwork and I can feel it even in these meditative background paintings. I don’t know what it all means but it if feels right so I am just going to accept that as my best today. Sending so much love & creativity your way…love, Laura

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Focus on the good…

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Dear Tina (& friends)

I was thinking about my last post while working on this painting in the studio. I had started it some time ago and just couldn’t find my way back into it, then something just clicked and it all came together. It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it? I am only sharing the bottom corner of it as I want to sit with it a bit more before I declare it “finished” but I really like it and the sentiment, “focus on the good”. I try to remind myself of this daily especially if I find my mind wandering in another direction. I am usually able to turn things around and put another spin on it. This isn’t always easy, I feel better when I do.

Thinking of good things, I am excited to share the fun things I have been cooking up with my friend & “goddess sister” Michelle. She just left this morning and I miss her already! You might remember her from her guest post as well as the painting collaborations we did together. Well, another one is in the works and I think it will be our best one yet!!! It is SUPER exciting because YOU are invited to be a part of and will get to meet her! We are still working out the details but please consider the honor of gracing us with your company. You may want to double star the dates below on your calendar as both events are something truly special and surely not to be missed!

WHAT:

“A Summer Affair” Artist Open Studios with Featured artists:

Laura Gaffke, Millie Donovan, Lisa Szaro, Serena Bates & Charles Estabrooks

WHEN:

Friday, May 24th from 5:30-9pm

***SPECIAL EVENT***

Saturday, May 25th 1-4pm

LIVE COLLABORATIVE PAINTING & Open Studio

with “Yours Truly” (Laura) & guest artist, Michelle Dyson

both events taking place:

Above Elite Studios

181 Main Street, Westerly, RI

Stay tuned for more details in the upcoming weeks or find the latest information on my facebook page. Until then, Happy day to you!

Love, Laura

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A very FIRST for Laura…

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Hello Sweet T (& friends!)~

How are you? Do you remember writing the quote above? It still resonates with me and remains true. This is one of the slides I created for my very first Artist Talk~OMG!. I spent a good part of last week and the beginning of this week preparing for it. It is hard to believe it was almost a year ago that the Mystic Calligraphy Association asked me to come and talk to them about my work. My how time creeps up on you! I remember feeling honored and intimidated when they asked me. My first thought was, “How am I going to talk for 2 HOURS?!?!?” & “What do I have of value to contribute to such a prestigious group?” In preparing for it I asked myself what I wanted my outcome to be (thank you Tony Robbins for putting this thought in my head) and what I felt in my heart was that my journey as an artist has been one of TRUST and self-discovery. I wanted to share my growth in finding my creative voice in a way that was inspiring and up lifting.

I had a few technological learning curves along the way. My first one was learning how to create a slide show. I know this sounds so trivial but it was something I had never done. As you know my perfectionism can sometimes get the best of me and this was no exception as it took me many many days of formulating my ideas, going through thousands of pictures (yes thousands), grouping them in a way that made sense, editing them and then designing a layout for each image along with quotes and other images I felt added to the work. I ended up with 112 slides and I have to say I felt really good about what I had done. I started ahead of time so my thoughts were organized and I felt prepared. As you know I can be a bit of a procrastinator with some things so this felt BEYOND AMAZING! Like jump for joy, girl you are finally getting it together amazing! I just wanted to really do my very best and that was what I did.

I found that I had to shift my mindset in the process. In the beginning I found my self chatter went something like, “you are going to be SO nervous” “you aren’t ready” & “blah blah blah”. When I found myself doing this I simply changed my thoughts and it made all the difference. You would be so proud of me! It really is what you tell yourself that creates your reality. My new mantra was “speak from your heart and trust that sharing what you have learned may inspire others”. What happened was the nervousness turned to excitement and when I got up there to talk I felt right at home and welcomed my new friends.

I found looking back through all of the work I did in Grad school at Goddard up until now was really a gift as it allowed me to see clearly just how far I have come. I know now that I will always aspire to be better, to learn, stretch and grow. I also recognize the importance of sharing what I am learning with others. I am curious if you ever look back on your Graduate studies and are amazed by all you have accomplished not only in your personal practice, but with all of the ways we have stretched each other through this collaboration? I am grateful to share this journey with you. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Love, Laura

p.s. I loved revisiting Goddard’s Mission Statement. It still resonates deeply with me. I am forever changed and grateful to have been a part of such a progressive program. I found this video on their website of the fabulous Peter Hocking I thought you would like. He is so genuine and speaks so eloquently about our Goddard experience don’t you think?

LINK—>http://www.goddard.edu/people/videos/peter-hocking?tid=All&page=2%5C

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a “sort of a fairy tale”…and the giveaway winner!

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Soooooo…do you remember when I posted the giveaway for this AMAZING book HERE?

Indulge me while I share a little story with you from a time not so long ago….

(I will also plead for your forgiveness as I FINALLY announce the winner of the book and explain why it took me so long so read on….)

Christmas 2013

Once upon a time there was an easy going, fun loving, sassy, gal named Laura who had been striving to organize her life on many levels. She could be a bit flighty but it was never on purpose and she always did her best. Our story takes place Christmas week, a hectic time of year for sure. Laura felt like she finally had a moment to breathe after all the work was completed for the many holiday shows she felt fortunate to participate in (her favorite being her own Holiday Open Studio). She would find herself only now having time to shop, wrap and mail her holiday gifts. What didn’t need to be shipped was lovingly packed in her car awaiting a scenic drive to NH to spend the holiday with her family & friends. Although things were a bit chaotic she spent some time preplanning her blog post for the AMAZING BOOK GIVEAWAY which went off without a hitch. She could now enjoy the holiday with her handsome prince and far away friends. Her time in NH was rich in conversation, many delicious homemade goodies and above all love.

our cruise ship

Upon her return to her home in Connecticut she quickly unpacked and repacked her bags to fly to Florida where she would meet up with her wonderful in-laws and some friends of the family for a spectacular Caribbean cruise. As you can imagine there was much to enjoy on the cruise ship, the New Year’s celebration being one of her favorite memories. They sang and drank the night away listening to live music from a singer in high spirited, Irish pub on the ship. They also dipped their feet in the sparkly clear Caribbean water, enjoyed many, many delicious meals and returned home quite inspired by the experience.

What a crew!

Sounds like a fairy tale doesn’t it? Well, it was until she realized she had forgotten something very important….

Laura returned from her trip and quickly adjusted to her “normal life”. Before she knew it she was going about her yearly goal setting and began a MAJOR cleaning of the many neglected places in her home. Things that she didn’t think about often like her refrigerator got scrubbed from top to bottom. She ruthlessly purged anything and everything unused, outdated or unnecessary. Everything came out of her kitchen cabinets and wiped clean. She scrubbed her bathrooms from top to bottom as well, including all the things you don’t “see” after a while like the walls, baseboards, door crevices and under the sink. She still has a ways to go but is waiting for her living room renovation to be finished. You see since October things have been displaced around her house. Her dining room furniture had been stored in the shed in order to accommodate a makeshift living room in the kitchen. Not ideal but will be worth it in the end when she has new windows that actually open, a transom window, built in bookcases and a fireplace in her new room!

living room renovation

The fairy tale comes to a drastic end when to Laura’s horror she only now JUST realized she had COMPLETELY forgotten to pick and announce the giveaway winner! This is where she hopes you will accept her apologies and CONGRATULATE the winner of the PDF version of Spark and Inspire who was chosen by random.org.

Congratulations! SHENA MEADOWCROFT!!!! You are our lucky winner!

Please email me your email address and I will have the book forwarded onto you! laura.gaffke@me.com

A huge thanks to everyone who participated and have already purchased the book. I feel honored to be a part of such a wonderful collaboration. Here is to the possibility of the NEW YEAR!

love, Laura

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Ready to be Inspired & Win an AWESOME book?

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Laura&Tina

photo ©Robin Norgren

Dear Tina & friends!

I have something I am BEYOND DELIGHTED to share with you! You might remember me writing this post about the life of an artist being uncertain, well being a part of Spark and Inspire by Robin Norgren helped me feel like I was less alone in this journey. I was completely flattered when Robin asked me to be a part of this wonderful collaboration and I have learned so much in the process. You can too when you read interviews from over 40 women (including me!) about what it is like to run a creative business.

Within these pages you will find the voices of over 40 creative entrepreneurs who

…run their businesses both online and in brick and mortar stores

…run workshops and sell in shows

…have a range of experiences and have been in business from 1 year to more than 25 years

…offer you no nonsense information on their processes and how they have been able to keep moving in tough economic times

…found a way to let good ideas go when the money was not in line with the dream.

A few of the questions include:

The hardest part about pursuing a dream…

Collaborations: A good idea?

What would you consider the ‘favorite’ mistake in your business?

I’m super excited to be offering a FREE PDF copy of this extraordinary book thanks to Robin’s generosity!

What you get…

237 pages sent to your inbox
Comprehensive insight from soulful creative entrepreneurs
41 artists
30 questions
Each question offers insight from AT LEAST 8 artists

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below with a way for me to reach you. If you feel generous I would love for you to share this post on Facebook if you have an account (I’m not going to check on this, but it would be super-cool if you did). The winner will be announced Sunday, January 30th. Can’t wait to win? Click here to purchase the book now!

Available in PDF Format here.
Available in paperback (which I highly recommend) and Kindle editions on Amazon.com
(disclosure: affiliate links)

Wishing you the best of luck and the warmest holiday wishes your way!

love, Laura

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Holiday Open Studio: A few highlights on a magical night…

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Dear Tina & friends~

I have to tell you the morning after my Open Studio I slept until almost 9:30! I rare treat let me tell you! If it wasn’t for our cat Teege scratching at my bedroom door I think I could have slept all morning. I have been SO tired lately and this whole week has been no exception. In fact, I am still not sleeping well and am not sure why. Maybe it’s the never ending “to do” lists we all have this time of year twirling about in my head? At any rate I wanted to share a few highlights from our Open Studio. It was a truly an enchanting evening…

Our entryway was adorned with fresh greens and a little sparkle. You can see a few of my paintings on the wall. Two are part of my wine series and the pears continue to be a favorite among visitors.

You are greeted by Santa when you enter my studio. Isn’t he cute? I love how lanky he is!

I get SUPER EXCITED anticipating my open studio for many reasons. First of all, I get to spend time decorating the space which is something that brings me great joy. I seriously get lost in time and know it takes me WAY longer than it should to create my displays and hang my work but I always want to mix things up and make it special for my guests.

As you know from my Brimfield excursions I am always on the look out for interesting vintage items like this chippy antique white case that my good friend Sue gifted me. It displays my little square block prints beautifully.

I have a collection of old wooden spools and acorns that I scattered about. Can you spot them? Do you have any favorite collections? I love Lisa Congdon’s book “A Collection a Day“. She photographed all of her collections on her blog for 365 days and it became a book! It just goes to show you that you never know where things can go with your art when you share it. It gives me hope for my work.

I love my twiggy tree. I can’t remember where I got it but I just love it. It is so simple with a burlap bottom. I tied a fun “laura colored” ribbon to and stacked the cute boxes my squares come in under the tree. I wanted them to look like the perfect gift packages just waiting to go to a good home. I still have a bunch to list in my Etsy shop so stay tuned!

Each of my art squares comes with a note from me explaining how they are made. Brett cuts the wood for me then I prime, paint, sand the sides and corners to distress them, stamp the sides with vintage text and put the hangers on the back. You might remember them making their debut at our Spring Fling Fiesta. I love that Brett is willing to help me with my work. He is presently working on some new panels that I am really excited about!

I did end up leaving my worktable a little messy as Tina had suggested in THIS post of her work.

I put out bits of our collaboration in a cigar box Brett gave me. I wanted people to see our process. It was fun to share.

I displayed my new calendars on this fun red screen in the window. I just love how nice they came out and am unbelievably grateful for how well received they were! I only have a few left so if you would like one you can find them in my shop.

A couple studio views…

I still have so much more to share but will stop for now and end with gratitude as this is becoming a long post. You can see more pictures of the evening including the work of our guest artists on my facebook fan page (make sure to hover over the ‘like’ button and choose ‘get notifications’, too. That’s important!) It was such a magical night and I cannot thank everyone enough who came out and supported us. This is what makes the hard work worth all the effort!

With appreciation & love, Laura

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In Process…to Completion

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Dear Laura,

You had asked yesterday if you should leave a table in your studio with process work and my answer is a definite YES! In fact, I enjoy seeing this more than the final work because this is where the real joy lives. It demonstrates how we play, experiment, think, ask questions, understand, edit and revise (and then edit and revise again- we are such perfectionists!). Above is a picture of several of my pieces in my exhibition as I was laying them out and arranging into a composition. This took many weeks to decide. I ended up sewing many of these elements together. For folks in Charleston, you can come see these with me at my artist reception TONIGHT. Details are listed below.

Laura, post more pictures of your open studio event throughout the weekend please, even if it is a quick picture on our facebook page or your facebook page. Best wishes for your success at your Open Studio! Cheers!

~Tina~

Charleston Digital Corridor

Flagship Gallery

475-A East Bay Street

Charleston SC

5:30-8:00pm

~~~~First 25 people take home a handcrafted gift from me~~~~

1 Reply

Cupcakes, Champagne & Art…

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Laura&Tina

photo credit: Millie Donovan

Last night we had our very first studio Champagne & Cupcake “Preview Party”and I have to say it was quite delightful! Things are very lively during an Open Studio so this gave us a moment to pause and enjoy our guests before the weekend. There is something special about cupcakes & champagne on a tuesday night, don’t you think? I still have a lot to do but feel really good about how everything looks on the walls. Our guest artists did a splendid job making sure each of their spaces are impeccably beautiful. It is always exciting to see what new things they have been creating. I am a flutter thinking about sharing some of my new paintings and seeing how they will be received. Thought I would give you a little “tease” of my new work…

Two new paintings in my “Above & Below the Surface” Series

You will have to come and see what the whole “poem” says!

My messy desk with some small paintings to finish!

Although most of my studio is all spiffed up and decorated I am still working so my table is still a mess! Although I won’t leave it this messy I was thinking about leaving some things out so people could see my “process”. Do you think this would be interesting or better to have it clean for the night? Would love your thoughts…

Millie & I have had very long days preparing everything, even working until the wee hours of the morning one night which I have not done in some time. I think it is hitting me today actually! Oh no, the silliness may take over so watch out! I think our attention to detail and the energy we feel will bring everything together. Hope to see you and your friends this weekend for all the fun!

Love, Laura

p.s. Here are the details. If you are not on my mailing list and would like to be just email me your contact information at laura.gaffke@me.com and I will keep you “in the know”!

p.s.s. In case you are in the area the Westerly Holiday Stroll is this evening! You can find me strolling along at The Artist’s Cooperative Gallery (which I have work in), The Hoxie Gallery & the Red Couch Studio! Hoping to see Santa!

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May you wake with gratitude…

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Laura&Tina

This painting is by Lori Portka

Dear Tina & friends,

I found this quote on Jessica Swift’s blog and loved it so much I wanted to share it with you. The picture is by artist Lori Portka and I just love the bright, fun colors and saying. Although I keep a daily gratitude journal my entries haven’t been as “daily” as would like due to my NH adventures as well as getting ready for my open studio and the holiday bazaar in Guilford. I believe this is when I need to reflect the most. Life is hectic for everyone but if we don’t take the time to slow down, appreciate and savor all the goodness that surrounds us, what is the point?

“gratitude is the hearts memory…”, mixed media 6 x 6 inches Print available HERE (Original SOLD)

Last week I wrote this on my Facebook page and wanted to share it with you here as I know not everyone is on Facebook.

They say to live the life of an artist you live a life of uncertainty and I can certainly attest to that, which is why each time you share my work with your friends, buy a painting or leave a kind word it ignites my heart and inspires me to keep moving forward.

It is important to me that you all know this. Today I am overwhelmingly grateful for Tina who always listens to me even when I am neurotic, and am unsure of myself. I am also grateful to all of YOU who come here, read our blog and leave us a kind word. These seemingly small things propel us to keep doing our best even when things are uncertain and it would be easy to give up. I just wanted to acknowledge that and THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

Love, Laura

1 Reply

Do schools kill creativity?

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Hey there~

I am in what I call “studio disaster” creative mode getting ready for my display at the Mystic Arts Center. They will have 30 artisan’s showing their work until the end of December including my friend Dora’s BEAUTIFUL jewelry. I still need to finish inventorying everything. I am close but it takes longer than you think! While working I have been enjoying some TED talks. Do you know of them? There are SO many good ones! If you have any favorites please let me know as I am always looking for something with good content to inspire me while I work. I really enjoyed this one and wondered what you thought? I found him super entertaining, humorous and insightful. Please share your thoughts in the comments. It will make me feel connected to you and I always enjoy what you have to say.

Happy Day to you!

love, Laura

p.s. I will be at the Holiday Gala tomorrow night at the Mystic Arts Center. This is the opening reception with the artists in attendance (Friday November 16^th, 6 to 8pm). The night of the Gala is also a fundraiser for the Mystic Art Center and includes gift wrapping, light fair and wine for $40, please see MAC’s website for details.

The rest of the show is FREE to attend from November 17^th to December 29^th and is open daily from 11 am to 5pm.

Friday, November 16^th to December 29^th11:00am- 5:00pm

Artisan Gift Salon At the Mystic Art Center in Mystic, CT

www.mysticarts.org

Directions: http://mysticarts.org/visit/directions/

4 Replies

This is what kept my head twirling since 3:00am…

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Laura&Tina

I know I look a little dorky here but I wanted to give you an idea of how BIG this space is!

Dear tina (& friends),

So I have been up since 3:00 am with my head still twirling from the weekend and wanting to share it with you before it fades into my memory. As you know I was in Hartford for the weekend for their annual Open Studios. It was a A LOT of hard work driving up to Hartford and back three days in a row but truly worth the effort. Joy & I spent Friday setting up and Saturday & Sunday meeting a lot of lovley people. Last year we were on the second floor of ArtSpace and this year we were relocated to the first floor which made it MUCH easier to lug our many bins in and out. Thank goodness Joy can pack a car because this is a skill that is lost on me! Even taking trips I leave the packing to Brett as he will inevitable reorganize my chaos. It is funny because I am pretty organized when it comes to decorating, display or rearranging things but not spaciously fitting everything in a car!

Joy & I were being goofy taking pictures next to the Open Studio sign

Upon arriving I realized that our space to set up was right outside my friend Balam Soto’s studio. Balam was also chosen as a RAW artist and participated with me this past September for RAW Hartford. Let me tell you, his work drew people in! It is SO COOL and edgy and everyone wanted to try creating their own sound and light. It is described as “merging existing and custom digital technology with artistic concepts and aesthetics to create exploratory works, including interactive art installations, murals, art video and performance.”

Balam

Balam showing me how his art works. It is by touch which causes different sounds and lighting so in a sense you create your own piece of ephemeral art. COOL, huh?

For a large part of the weekend Balam’s lovely daughter Quetza sat at a little desk in his studio and drew.

She had her work for sale on the door and I couldn’t help but buy one of her originals! Didn’t she do a great job! I was drawn to the energy and the color. It just made me smile!

I was also impressed with Joyce’s work of JaDivaJoy. I met her the first day and immediately fell in love with this painting:

painting by JJoy

I am happy to say that it came home with me and will proudly grace the walls in my house (which are under construction by the way, more on that soon). There was something about it that drew me in, maybe it was the saying which reads, ”seeing all that is possible in a world filled with hope”. At first I thought it felt sort of sad the way the figure was hunched over but when I asked Joyce about it she told me that she thought of it as a majestic figure looking down from above thinking about how the world is filled with possibility. As you know this kind of optimism I look for in each day which made me love the painting even more! I want to encourage people to ask the artists what they were thinking about when they made the work. You just might be surprised at what they have to say.

Joy & I with our paintings

For example, I hadn’t had an opportunity to talk with Joy about her new tree series and was intrigued by the new acrylic technique she was using that looked like encaustic. In fact everyone who passed by her paintings stopped to ask her about them as they were so layered and rich. I appreciated being so close so I could listen in and learn.

Joy’s Zentangle’s and encaustic paintings

I have more I am excited to share so check back for part two of this post. I will leave you with a few pics from my booth…

part of my display

My new little paintings with my artist statement.

My new calendars! I just love how they came out. They are available HERE

I was trying out something new for my business cards. I found these vintage yardsticks and just loved them! I have a few more at my studio as decoration as well. What do you think?

Thanks for taking a look and sharing in my journey!

love, Laura

p.s. Please save the date for MY Open Studio, my favorite place to share my work! (see below) SO MUCH GOODNESS TO COME I can hardly stand the wait!

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You just never know…serendipity at it’s BEST!

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Laura&Tina

“Serendipitous Beauty” mixed media, 4 x 4 inches *Original available HERE

Sweet T & friends~

I am not sure if I expressed how nervous I was last year participating in Hartford Open Studio’s for the first time but I kind of was. It was all new territory for me and a HUGE learning curve. As prepared as I was I still don’t think I got my lighting right. Well, this year I am determined to make it better! Hartford Open Studio takes place November 10th & 11th from 11-5pm. I am really delighted to be a part of it again.

Taking this leap outside my usual demographic gave me the opportunity to meet and connect with some wonderful artists and meet many new, lovely friends. In addition to this some wonderful opportunities came my way. One was showing my work at Aetna with my friend Joy this summer. Aetna has a wonderful gallery and it was a pleasure to show our work there. While my work was on view I received a surprising email from artist and film maker Justin Wirtalla. He shared this inspiring video he created with two artists, Jean-Paul Jacquet & Bud Cook. It SO reminded me of Tina & I. These artists are AWESOME and it was really thrilling to hear them talk about their work and see there process. Although Tina & I don’t have a video of our work we have a similar process and I think you will appreciate how thoughtful, enriching and incredibly time consuming collaboration can be. I loved how they talked about how they were doing it for themselves rather than a pretty picture to hang over a couch. They mentioned their intention being quite meaningful which resonated with me as this is something Tina and I value deeply. Tina, can you see a video in the future?

Another wonderful thing came from the Hartford show. I was invited to show my work at the Simsbury LIbrary this past October. I got to meet Susan Prentice who was showing her work at the Library the same month. I loved her from the moment I met her and am quite partial to her whimsical chicken paintings. She shared my work with an artist friend of hers, Gail Mardfin who lives in New Jersey. Susan thought we had a similar aesthetic and intention behind our work. It became clear to me that she was right after I visited Gail’s website which is called, “See the good” if you can imagine! So up my alley, right? These are the moments I believe the Universe is working in my favor, somehow guiding me and letting me know I am on the right path. For this I am unbelievably grateful. Here is to serendipity and following your dreams! Hope to see you next weekend in Hartford! You can find me with Joy on the first floor.

Take care, love, Laura

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Moment to pause…

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Dear Tina (& friends),

I want you to know how EXCITED I am for your BIG show at the Flagship Gallery in Charleston! I hope you take lots of pictures and will share them for all of us to see. I am sure it will be AMAZING!

“Enjoy this Moment” mixed media, 4 x 4 inches ©laura gaffke *original available HERE

I have been working on a series of new work for my upcoming holiday shows that I am kind of in love with. They are small pieces which are always fun for me. You would think they would take less time to create but sometimes I think they take MORE time! All of the colors go together so they can be intermingled to create a really nice grouping on a wall or would look super cute on a desk, shelf or mantel. I have really loved using the cradled wood panels I discovered at that awesome art store you took me to in Charleston. Luckily I can order them online. They work well because they don’t need to be framed but can be if you like a different look. I painted the edges and then hand stamp them with some French text~don’t ask me what it says! If I had to guess it would be something fabulous about how awesome everything is in the world or something inspirational like embracing the moment and appreciating each other. I am going with that! At any rate I think it really finishes off the piece and gives it a nice whimsical touch.

“Intimate Conversation” mixed media, 4 x 4 inches ©laura gaffke *ORIGINAL available HERE

This series are about slowing down. With the hurricane I was forced to slow down. It was actually nice to have a little time to reflect and let my mind wander a bit. I have been thinking about how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and family in my life. Connecting with people is something I value and create time for. So much can be learned from enjoying a nice cup of coffee or tea with friends don’t you think?

With the cold weather here I had a flashback to my childhood. I remembered how it felt to come in from a long day of playing in the snow and my mom welcoming my sisters and I with hot tea and something delicious she had baked for us (my mom is a fabulous baker). She had made us each a special mug in her ceramics class. They were all different colors but each one had a little girl with a dress and bonnet reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie. I loved these mugs. Mine was green and yellow and I think I have it packed away here somewhere. Maybe I will look for it as I continue to organize.

“Swirling Conversation” acrylic 4 x 4 inches ©laura gaffke 2012 *ORIGINAL available HERE

I decided to put a few of my new paintings in my shop (I already sold one~yippee!) and will have other new work available at my upcoming shows.

Hartford Open Studios: November 10th & 11th 11am – 5pm. 1st floor

Hygienic Art=Gift Show

The Mystic Arts Center Holiday Show

The Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly

My Open Studio with resident & guest artists at ABOVE ELITE STUDIOS: December 7th from 5:30-9pm and Saturday, December 8th from 3-7pm.

SO much goodness to come!

Happy Day to you… love, Laura

Surviving a hurricane…what’s a girl to do?

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Brett took this picture of the moon the night of hurricane Sandy.

Why hello there!

I sincerely hope everyone is safe and doing well. For all of my east coast friends~whew! Can you believe that hurricane Sandy? She has a nerve! I know there have been several deaths and many, many people who have suffered terrible damage and still many more who are living without power. Being without power myself I had NO idea what was going on with the rest of the world or even in my surrounding towns! It was kind of strange actually.

The storm arrived on Sunday and Brett & I did everything we could to prepare for a situation we had no control over. There were evacuations all around us but we opted to stay and have a “hurricane party”. Brett concocted some yummy hurricane drinks and we nestled in with our neighbors and played board games by candlelight, only venturing out to see how the river behind our house and the bridges were doing. It was a little scary to see how high and rapidly the river rose.

Our surrounding bridges quickly got washed out making us “an island”. In true Jimmy Buffett fashion we mixed up more island drinks and enjoyed our time together. I love the name of some of the drinks~the island painkiller, the knee bender and of course the hurricane. We are slowly getting back to “normal”. In some ways I am glad we didn’t have the TV news to scare us. For a moment we were able to live on our own little “happy island”.

I wish to send out heartfelt wishes to those who were not as fortunate as we were and hope that you will consider making a donation to the American Red Cross to help in their aid.

Many thanks!

Laura

p.s. I managed to paint six new happy paintings during the storm (some by candlelight) so you can plan on a little color coming your way soon…

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What I am learning…

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Laura&Tina

“jazzy leaf” mixed media 6 x 6 inches *original available HERE

Hi ya!

Last night was spent in part drooling over picture books and the many unique artists renderings. Some of the books I knew and loved and many were new to me. I must say It had been a long time since I had looked at an Ezra Jack Keats book! He is most known for his book, “The Snowy Day“. I was reminded how much can be learned looking and pondering how an artist creates something. Picture books were often a tool I used in my classroom when I was teaching art full time to children and I still haven’t been able to give up my collection of beloved books. I love Ezra Jack Keats for his wonderful collages. Here is a little video on him I thought you may enjoy…

I wish to thank my friend and former student for bringing in the books to share. She is part of a new creative community I have started at my studio two tuesday evenings a month. It came about as I found people were craving a dedicated time for their artistry and I happened to have a fabulous space to share. The group is very informal, people bring what they want to work on and I serve as a guide when needed. I have been loving it! It is a small, intimate, safe place for sharing ideas, getting to know new people and allowing time to nurture our passions. Let me know if you are interested in joining us as we would love to have you! I would also love to hear what your favorite picture books are so please do share!

Sending creativity & love your way…Laura

p.s. Our group has been known to bring snacks and share a bottle of vino from time to time…just saying!

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gratitude is the heart’s memory…

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Hello Sweet T & friends!

How was your weekend? I had the most heavenly time with two of my goddess sisters, Brigitte & Michelle. We went to college together and although I see them each often on my own, we hadn’t all been together in years. Throw their peachy husbands in the mix with their sense of humor and quick wit and well, you can guess the ruckus we may have caused. It was a weekend of celebration! Brigitte & Charlie were celebrating their 20 year anniversary (Michelle & I were at they’re wedding all those years ago). We also toasted Brett’s Birthday, had many succulent desserts, including an ice cream cake, lemon squares, magic bars and yummy smores roasted by a blazing fire. We took long walks at Bluff Point, played darts in Brett’s newly built shed, relaxed and as always had many laughs and meaningful conversation. I can hardly stand how full my heart is having such wonderful friends in my life!

After everyone left today I popped over to the studio for an art lesson and some studio time. I have been working on some new pieces I couldn’t wait to get back to. They are for the rapidly approaching show I will be a part of with the Stonington Printmaking Society. It takes place at the Hygienic Gallery in New London which runs from october 20th- november 17th. The artists opening reception will be October 20th from 5-10pm. I am really looking forward to seeing all the new work from this high caliber, innovative group!

I have been carving some new blocks and experimenting with layering and merging my painting style with printmaking. As you may know my paintings have many layers and often start off with what I consider a “meditative painting”. This is where I try to slow down my busy brain, let go of my ongoing “to do list” and allow the paint lead me. I think of my paintings as a type of gratitude journal and focus on things I am thankful for or something positive I wish to put in the world. From here I build up layers of either paint, collage or both.

The printmaking shows ALWAYS challenge me to work in new ways. For the piece above, “gratitude is the heart’s memory.” I layered my block carvings on top of my meditative painting and then painted around the block prints so the painting would show through.

I then layered textures and printed my funky poppy pods on top. I cut out words and phrases from an old book to make the found poem which became the horizon line in this piece. It reads,

gratitude is the hearts memory

today find a few minutes to get quiet and journey within

love

I will let you know how the rest of the pieces come out but I have to say I am really pleased with this little painting! If you are local, save the date for the opening reception! Email me if you would like to “stay in the know” for future events or are interested in this painting at laura.gaffke@yahoo.com. Hope you had a nice weekend! Sending all things good your way…love, Laura

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what to tailgating & ART have in common?

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Our view at the Kenny Chesney concert! Can you find me?

Dear Tina & friends,

I recently went to see Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw with Brett & our awesome neighbors. What an AMAZING time! We tailgated before the show which I haven’t done since my last Jimmy Buffett concert. As I was packing up my artwork after RAW I couldn’t help thinking about all the musicians on tour like Kenny, Tim & Jimmy doing what they love. Even though it may be difficult being away from their homes and living on the road they do it because their music is their PASSION and they wish to share it with the world.

This is how I felt sharing my work at RAW. I hadn’t been in a bar atmosphere like the Russian Lady in years and wasn’t really sure what to expect from this venue. It turned out to be great! I felt honored to be a part of such an innovative collaboration and given the opportunity to share my work with a whole new audience.

*NOTE*

This venue was SO DARK so my apologies for how terrible all these pictures came out!

my booth at RAW

I was overwhelmed by how many people made the trek to Hartford! SO many wonderful friends came out to support me and I felt unbelievably loved! Below are my “homegirls” who helped me rock the night!

“my posse”: Krissy Rochelle, me, Sarah Acaveda & Sue Thomas
EVERY picture came out blurry! Can you imagine us not blurry?

I met so many amazingly talented artists including Ms. Kate who makes the most beautifully detailed necklaces which you can see in her shop.

I was super inspired by Tania Palermo’s work as well. Her photography is amazingly engaging, ethereal and thought provoking. I just love it! You can see more of her work HERE. There truly was something for everyone even my husband and his friend both bought tee shirts from Stock Boy designs. You can see all of the other artists as well as my artist profile HERE.

It was a non-stop magical night, alive with music, six fashion shows, fire dancers, roof top deck dancing, a vodka bar that would knock your socks off with the different varieties of infused vodka (I have to admit I tried the swedish fish vodka and LOVED it!~YUM!)

stage where they had all the fashion shows and music performances

I am still in awe of this night thinking back to my “rockstar” moment and welcome this kind of creativity, energy and adventure into my life as I stretch beyond the comfort of my studio. I wonder if this is how Kenny, Tim & Jimmy felt at the beginning of their careers…

Next up the “RAW Art Awards”! Details to come!

xoLaura

p.s. I saw a special on Kenny Chesney a while back and he talked about how he goes to the farthest seat at every concert and imagines what it would be like to be that person sitting there. It is his intention to reach EVERY person with his music. I loved hearing this and always want to be this thoughtful with sharing my work. It is my hope that my optimism and positive outlook will reach someone when they need it. Here is to music, tailgaiting and ART!

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RAW: An Innovative, Creative Collaboration for Artists

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Laura&Tina

The Russian Lady, Hartford CT

Dear Tina & friends~

I have some WONDERFUL news I wish to share with you! I have been chosen as one of RAW Hartford’s artists for 2012!!! RAW is an exciting collaborative event showcasing many up and coming artists for a ONE OF A KIND night of creativity. First off, I am honored to be considered as one of the artists and secondly, I TOTALLY fell in love with this FUN, innovative collaboration!

RAW’s mission is “to provide independent artists within 10 years of their career with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity.” They showcase work from visual artists, musicians, fashion designers, makeup artists, film and the performing arts all in one night! You can learn more about ENSEMBLE the showcase I am in HERE. I would love to know what you think of my artist page!

Each artist was asked to sell 20 tickets to offset the cost of the event. I am BEYOND delighted to say that I have sold MORE than the 20 tickets needed!!!! Words cannot explain how moved I am by the generosity people had in supporting such a wonderful event! Every penny from the proceeds after paying for the staff and venue goes right back into supporting future events like this, which in turn supports artists like ME! I will be sharing more about this exciting night, taking place THIS THURSDAY but wanted to let everyone know how much I APPRECIATE your ongoing support!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!

love, Laura

p.s. you can find me THURSDAY night in the VODKA ROOM!

p.s.s. You can still buy tickets BEFORE Thursday HERE for $10 each. If you wait they will be $15 at the door

Vodka Room, Russian Lady, Hartford CT

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Best place to be tonight? I know you are “Tempted “

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Hi ya friends!

Tina & I have both have busy teaching schedules this week. Tina just started back up with her college courses and I will be finishing my last week of summer art camp at the Mystic Arts Center (you can find my new fall classes here). In the midst of everything, we have both been sneaking in our creative work when we can.

Tomorrow will be the last evening of having my artwork in the VIP tent for the Bring Our Music Back Concert series. It should be a magical night of music under the stars. You can still get tickets at the door if you would like to come and it is for a great cause. These are a few pics of the first concert with the Temptations. My sweet husband surprised me and donated a table in support of B.O.M.B. Sometimes his thoughtfulness & generosity makes me swoon.

Our special table, right up front!

What made it even more special was that I could share it with my parents who had planned on coming down from NH for the evening. It was so nice be able to offer them something so memorable! Thank you honey!

My parents, Jeannine, Ron & I. Don’t we look happy? I think my mom’s dimple is so cute!

This is how some of my art looked in the tent. It was filled with many great donations, including the yummy food from the Bee & Thistle Inn. I just love the name!

We enjoyed some of these lovely vegetables…YUM! They reminded me of all the deliciousness I had in Italy. Ironically, one of the friends I made on that trip was in town for the night visiting and we happened to have an extra seat for her! How great is that?!?!?

Other great donations were from HOPE water, Grey Sail Brewing Co. & my personal favorite, Saltwater Farms Winery.

The fabulous Temptations! We had a great time dancing and grooving to their fun music.

The Temptations walking away into the moonlight…

This is the painting I created with my friend, Michelle special for the event. You can read about how it came about here. It was quite a meaningful process for the both of us! Hope to see you out tonight under the stars….love, Laura