Who has more FUN than us?

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Hello Sweet T & fabuloso friends!

I just added two new swell things to my jar. It is important for me to stay diligent in recognizing and appreciating the goodness around me. One of the things I am truly grateful for is the grand adventure I had to the Country Living Fair and my time with my good friend Sue. They just added Rhinebeck, NY as a location for the fair so we were able to drive (they are usually in Ohio & Atlanta). It took us about three and a half hours in the POURING RAIN to get there in there but our time went by in a blink as we talked our ENTIRE ride! It reminded me of when you and I get together and fill each other up with dreams and ideas for moving forward in our lives.

There was SO MUCH to do and see! They had many celebrity guests lined up for demos and talks. Our favorites included, Cari Cucksey from HGTV’s Cash & Cari and Sue’s idol, Sarah Gray Miller, the editor of Country Living Magazine. What a fun, down to earth gal! I love this picture of us. Can’t you just feel our beaming energy?

We adopted the Sisters on the Fly motto, “we have more fun than anyone” and seriously mean it! “Sister Q” took a picture of us in front of her AWESOME camper. I think we both left dreaming about what it would be like to restore an old camper and ride in the Sisters caravan of fun. In fact, I was so excited thinking about it I even looked up some that were for sale when I got home. I have seen campers transformed for artists and always thought they were the COOLEST things!

Sue & I schlopped around in the rain all day on Friday not caring at all that we were soaking wet and frozen to the bone. The weather took a dramatic change the next day so we were able to look more closely at everything and see all the barns we missed the day before. We both have an affinity for vintage finds which were plentiful. People went all out decorating their booths and we bookmarked the inspiration. I told Sue she should consider getting a booth at a fair like this. She has an affinity for display and styling up everything, including her home, her online shop, The Collected Cottage as well as a groovy new space in Rhode Island where she sells some pretty spectacular vintage items. I love listening to the stories Sue always has. It makes me think of all of your stories Tina.

Well, I do have more to share but that is all for now. I am hoping to have Sue as a guest blogger as I really want you to meet her! Sending you the most magical warm breeze with the sweet scent of peonies…love, Laura

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Laura’s Open Studio & raffle winner!

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Dear Tina & friends,

Thought I would share a few pictures from my recent Open Studio. The painting on the easel is a new painting I am working on. Right now it reads, “Have a Vision, what you believe you will become.” It is a spin on a mantra I have said to myself for years, “Your thoughts create your destiny.”

Friday night was alive at the studio with friendly faces, art, music and an amazing energy hard to describe.

These are little watercolor fish I painted. They each have sayings that go with them cut from old book pages.

As you may know, my friend Sue & I have a love for vintage items. She gave me this gorgeous window display for my work and I just love it!

The big armoire is from an antique shop in NH. It was originally from Poland which spoke to me as I am part Polish.

I mingled in some of my smaller work with this large painting. I am happy to say it is finally finished as it took me awhile! I am calling it “Connections”.

I had fine art giclee prints for sale and will be working with my printer to make some more which I will have available in my Etsy shop.

I am always curious to know what people take from my paintings and try to find new ways to learn and grow from my work. It is always interesting to me when someone finds something in a painting I may not have thought of.

I decided to have a print giveaway to get some feedback and asked people to look at my new work and share their thoughts on which painting was their favorite and why. It was so so fun getting feedback and opening doors for conversation. I have found over the years it can be intimidating for people to talk with artists. I am not sure why this is. Most artists welcome a conversation or questions about their work and are delighted you are taking an interest in our work. I know for myself, I have so many stories to share but don’t want to be pushy sharing them.

The most “favorited” painting from the raffle was, “The Wave”. This painting started out with a collage background and I built up layers of paint from there. I had sketched the flowers that were in my garden but changed the color of them. It is actually more vibrant in person.

“The Wave” mixed media 12 x 12 inches ©laura gaffke *available

work in progress

I had Michelle pic the raffle winner….

I am delighted to announce the WINNER from the raffle….da da da da…..ANN SERGIY!!!

She wrote, “the background is lively and the arrangement of the flowers do resemble a wave. Great color combinations!”

Congratulations Ann! I will be in touch with you!

Much love, Laura

p.s. You can see more pictures from the Open Studio HERE.

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The best intentions aren’t always realized…

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Michelle’s painted hands

Dear Friends,

How are you? I am catching up after a very busy weekend. As many of you know I had my Open Studio on Friday & Saturday. Everything was wonderful. The studio looked great. We had flowers everywhere, the heavenly music of Cyra Morgan, luscious food and libations galore. I was in fear of the rain being a deterrent but it didn’t seem to be. My friend Michelle arrived for the weekend straight from teaching all day in NH on friday (whew) and I couldn’t have been happier. She came with a bright smile and a big hug and I couldn’t wait for her to meet all my friends.

inspiration

As many of you know Michelle & I planned on doing another collaborative painting together on Saturday afternoon. We got to the studio early, cleaned up from the night before, set up our supplies and inspiration and were excited to paint. You can read about our first two collaborations HERE & HERE.

Beginning of Michelle’s painting

Michelle working on the painting

I was and am unbelievably grateful for all the people who traveled near and far to come out to support me and genuinely wanted to talk and share my work with them. My conflict was that I spent more time talking with my guests than painting, leaving Michelle to paint alone. I wasn’t sure how to divide my time and truly wanted to be in both places at the same time which of course isn’t possible. In the end I felt like I had neglected Michelle, my good friend who came all this way to create with me. We talked about it after as good friends do and what I take away from all of this is that combining an open studio event with a live painting collaboration was not my best idea ever. This was a great idea in theory and in our intention to share our work with the community but what I found was that in order to honor the sacred painting space Michelle and I shared in our last two paintings I needed to be 100% present and I simply could not be with the other events planned. In the end, our intentions for the painting were not realized and I take full responsibility for that. Maya Angelou says, “when you know better, you do better” and that is what I intend to do.

Michelle Dyson’s painting in progress

One thing I know about myself is that I am a better painter when I am still, when I am quiet and don’t have any distractions. Creating space for this is part of my creative process and how inspiration weaves it’s way into my heart and work. There is just no way to find this kind of stillness when you are inviting people into this space. It is my intention in the future to give Michelle this part of me in our next collaboration. I certainly learned a lot from this experience, both about collaboration as well as our personal needs for allowing creativity to flow.

Luckily, Michelle was wonderful about the whole thing and still loves me. She graciously took the lead on the painting and I have to say it is coming out brilliant! The pictures are of her work in process. I have more to share and will follow up this week with more pictures, the installation piece that will be sent to Tina to install in Charleston, the winner of the print giveaway, Tina’s & my “word” for the year as well as our long awaited new ReVision.

Sending brilliance & sunshine your way…love, Laura

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Live music, two “guests”, a painting collaboration & tiny little details…

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Signs hung! We are ready!

Okay everyone!

Things are looking quite spiffy at Above Elite Studios as we get ready for our Open Studio. We are in the process of creating a cute spot for Cyra Morgan who will be our wonderful performer on friday evening. WE ARE SO LUCKY! Honestly, I am always unbelievably grateful for the musicians we have had at our studio over the years. They are all going places! Music is such an intricate part of my life and live music is just the icing on the cake, adding a wonderful dimension to an all ready spectacular event.

Cyra says, “My style is an intimate acoustic folk and I am a romance junkie. For me there is nothing more rewarding than creating a piece of music that paints a picture of expression vivid enough for the listener to really feel what I’m saying….. or singing. If I can touch someone with my words, if I can make a listener feel like they are not alone, that is the greatest form of success for me.”

Pretty awesome, right? Here are two of Cyra’s videos (I couldn’t choose just one!) to woo you with while you read this AMAZINGLY thoughtful guest post from my friend Michelle.

Thoughts & ideas from Michelle Dyson on collaboration & the LIVE painting we will create together on Saturday at my studio:

©Michelle Dyson 2013

My best thoughts and ideas always come to me in the car driving or in the middle of the night while desperately trying to sleep. Now as I struggle to remember those amazing images and words they are gone, a lost memory but I will give it my best. Laura asks me,

“What are our intentions for this painting?” and I respond with “I just want to play and have fun.” After teaching all week I’m not always interested in having a plan when I paint. What I do want to do is be in a playful, peaceful, safe painting place within myself.

©Michelle Dyson 2013

When painting in collaboration Laura and I flow in and out of the work with respect for each others space and technique without words. We both are inspired by color and texture. We are inspired by flowers and music. We are inspired by the ocean and sand in our toes. We will both come to this painting with sketches of our favorite inspirational items. The music will play and with open hearts we will dive into our third collaborative painting. We decided to make this a live painting to encourage anyone who wants to watch our process the opportunity to. Sometimes it takes just a peek into the magic that is a painting in progress to invigorate the creativity of others into action. We want there to be more artists in the world. We want you to be a witness to the joy it is to let go of restrictions that can be a deterrent in art making and experience the freedom of a painting done out of friendship, relationships and the beauty of the world surrounding us.

I hope you come out to see us and look for pictures of our work on our Facebook and web pages.

Many thanks for all who support our dream!

Smiles,

Michelle

***We are both looking forward to seeing you! If you can’t make it on Saturday you can meet Michelle at the Open Studio on Friday from 5:30 -9pm and see the first two paintings we created together. Getting PUMPED!!! Event details HERE.

SO looking forward to seeing you!

love, Laura

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Art display, an Open Studio & a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Laura&Tina

my apron collection

A joyful hello!

I had such a wonderful day yesterday preparing for our Open Studio. There is a lot to do before an event like this which often takes months to plan, not to mention all the time creating new work. Today I worked on my favorite task besides painting which is rearranging my studio! It takes awhile to do this and often I make a HUGE mess in the process but love doing it. I start by laying out all my new paintings and taking a look at them. Seeing them all together makes me realize how hard I have worked and appreciate all the time and effort I put into creating them (I have been known to wrestle with the “I haven’t done enough” & “I could have done more” when in fact I have done a lot which Tina can always point out to me). I then take almost everything off the walls and shelves, clean and get to work creating new displays for them. I have an affinity for vintage items as many of you already know from my Brimfield excursions and I try to intermingle them with my artwork.

This teapot is from Brett’s side of the family and I thought it looked cute with my little paintings and business cards. I paint a lot of teacups and coffee mugs and see them as a metaphor for connection and conversation. I have been blessed to have had many great conversations over coffee, tea and of course wine! Time with friends helps me grow, stretch, gather new ideas and see the world a little differently which I am immensely grateful for.

These card packs are popular as teacher & hostess gifts as well as being fun to send.

These card packs are popular as teacher & hostess gifts as well as just being fun to send.

On a different note, Tina and I have some SUPER EXCITING news! We just found out we have been accepted to create an installation art piece at a one day arts event in June at 1600 Meeting Street in Charleston. The organization, Enough Pie is “ushering in an era of arts-driven community collaboration for the upper peninsula.” We wrote the proposal for it when we were together and now that we know we have been accepted I can create a small installation at my studio that will work in conjunction with the piece in Charleston. We will post our proposal and work samples, but essentially we want YOU to to participate. More soon….

Here is a glimmer of something in the beginning stages for this project. It may change a bit but I wanted to have an element of nature in the work and a place for people to write and share their ideas.

That is all for now. I will check back soon with more fun things to share, including a special blog post from my friend Michelle about our special LIVE painting on Saturday.

Cheery Smiles your way…love, Laura

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A little gardening, decorating & A Summer Affair…

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Hello Sweet T & friends!

Hope you had a delightful weekend. I got up early on Saturday and hit my favorite plant sale in Ledyard with my friend Sue where I scored some really pretty perennials. I always buy WAY more than I intend to but the prices are just too good to pass up. Between the two of us the car was packed to the brim with all these delights.

Sue & I have a common love for many things including antiquing, gardening and decorating. After our plant sale excursion she helped me “redecorate” my home with my new Brimfield finds and “shopping my house,” rearranging things. Sometimes just moving things to new places gives your home a fresh, new look. Do you ever do that?

You might remember that we recently had our living room renovated and put bead board in. We loved it so much we decided to add it to our kitchen and repainted it, giving it a fresh, cottage look. We have the most AMAZING contractor who offered to help me hang some of my larger pieces so it was time to “commit” to where I wanted things. Sue was the patient pair of eyes I needed to see my house again. She has a gift for that. I just love everything we did and am SO anxious to finish decorating my house which will have to be put on hold until next week.

This week will be all about getting ready for our “Summer Affair” Open Studio. It is making me a bit giddy thinking about it! We have never done an Open Studio this time of year and timed it with the Virtu Art Festival taking place in Wilcox Park over the weekend. It will be a great arts celebration for sure!

Our show opens Friday night (May 24th) from 5:30-9pm and on Saturday I will be doing a very special LIVE painting collaboration with my friend Michelle. We are going to paint a BIG canvas together and share our thoughts, ideas and inspiration as two artists who have grown together in creativity for over 20 years! This will take place on Saturday, May 25th from 1-4pm. I have so much to share with you, including many new paintings and a special project I am working on with Tina so stay tuned for more details throughout the week. I hope you will save the date and come on over to say hello, I would love to see you! Off to get crack a lackin’ on some work….xoLaura

p.s. I am looking for someone who would be willing to bartend on Friday night for any amount of time as well as someone who might be willing to help me with sales on Saturday from 1-4pm while I am painting. If you think you can help with either of these things email me at laura.gaffke@me.com. Many many THANKS!

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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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Choosing LOVE…

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Laura&Tina

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
-Buddha

Dear Tina (& friends),

I am not sure I have the “right words” but I felt compelled to write after hearing about the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. Boston is so close geographically and I have visited often over the years. Seeing and hearing the stories of why people feel compelled to run this marathon and the training involved is awe-inspiring. I can just imagine how it would feel being there at the finish line, cheering for someone you knew running not just any race but that race. This time last year Brett & I were sitting in a bar downtown talking with parents whose son was running the race. They were SO PROUD! You having lived in Boston and being a runner must connect to this emotionally as well?

I heard the news last night driving home from the studio, I had called my sister and was in THE BEST MOOD after having a great day of painting. I casually asked her what she was up to and she said, “Trying not to watch the news.” My heart sank, What now?!?!? This is when she told me about the explosions in Boston. Going through a range of emotions I woke this morning and made a decision to choose optimism over hopelessness. My intention both in my artwork and in life is to do my best to see the good in the world. I believe most people are good. This tragedy will not alter this belief. It will make me go out of my way to be kinder, to do something nice for someone else, to smile extra bright & take action TODAY to let the people in my life know how much I care about them. It may seem like such a simple thing at such a tragic time but I believe this is when we need to express and share kindness even more. I believe through our actions, however large or small, collectively we can make a difference.

Today I choose LOVE because my heart could not bear it otherwise…xoLaura

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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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Strange Birds…

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Dear Tina (& friends),

I have just returned from a lovely trip with Brett to Florida to visit his parents. Although the weather wasn’t as warm as I had hoped (no tan here~boo hoo!) it certainly wasn’t as cold as it is here in New England so I will not complain. Brett & I went tooling around in the golf cart and kept seeing these funny birds. I was very much amused by the way they walked. They made me think of your Vision and the quirkiness of Dr. Suess (ReVision soon to come~very inspired!).

One of the golf cart paths was lined with these trees and I immediately thought how these trees are everywhere in Charleston aren’t they? It makes me even more anxious for our visit together next month. Hoping for warmer temperatures!

xoLaura

p.s. What kind of trees are these? Live Oaks? Do any of you happen to know what kind of birds these are?

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Blogs that ROCK!

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Laura&Tina

Dear Tina & sweet friends,

I have been in creativity OVERLOAD and LOVE IT! I just finished a rockin’ three day webinar on Creative Live with James Wedmore about You Tube and I couldn’t take notes fast enough. It was so inspiring I am actually entertaining learning how to create videos of my work. As you can imagine it will be a learning curve but one that juices me up when I think about it!

I am also taking a wonderful class called, Blog Boss with Holly Becker of Decor8. I have been learning, watching, absorbing and inspired, hoping to make our blog better. I am also entertaining starting a second blog and researching ways to make it special & meaningful (more to come!).

This weeks homework was to closely examine blogs we love and do a case study on them.

Here are 8 blogs I LOVE & why I think they ROCK!

Jessica Swift’s blog, Treasuring is amazingly colorful and FUN. I imagine her to be genuine and sweet and I am in love with her creative work. She shares her inspiration, snippets of her current work, the different series she writes and little bit of her daily life. She is one gal I would love to know.

Alyson Stanfield’s blog is wonderful not only for its ease in navigation but for the content as well. Her blog is about art business and she is amazingly generous with the information she shares. Alyson is current, stays on top of trends and is always re-evaluating, assessing and updating her own blog and business. She makes me strive for the same commitment to excellence she empowers.

I recently discovered Alisa Burke and love the clean layout of her blog. It is easy to navigate and her pictures are uniform and engaging. She has a unique font she uses for her titles and I am drawn to the sweet, hand drawn social media buttons with her artwork on them. Her many creative projects (which I LOVE) are photographed beautifully. This woman’s creativity never stops! SO very inspiring!

Kelly Rae’s blog rocks in so many ways. Visually, I love the white background with a pop of color in the border. You know right away what the blog is about from her description and get a sense of her style. Her social media buttons are in several places making it easy to navigate and she has created a clever list documenting her journey as both an artist and business woman. Kelly Rae is brilliant at authentically marketing her work, making you want to cheer her on in her journey.

I am a huge fan of Mae Chevrette’s artwork and since her blog documents her creative journey it makes for an inspiring read. It is well written, clean and inspiring. I also love her photographs and the cute kitties that she photographs in her studio. It makes me wish I had a studio cat!

I have followed Marisa of Creative Thursday for years now and am always inspired by her unique, authentic voice. She always seems to know just what I need to hear and is clear in her vision. She follows her intuition and shares the many different ways her artwork has evolved. She like me believes in the “thriving artist” but is realistic and honestly speaks about the ups and downs of being an artist. Marisa is thoughtful, encouraging, always evolving and refreshing.

I learned of Annetta Bosakova’s blog, Inspired from my class and I am blown away with her photographs! Her compositions, color and subject matter really resonate with me. I will enjoy following along in her journey and getting to know her better.

Now who wouldn’t like a blog named, “Likes to Smile“? It makes me wish I had thought of the name myself! This blog celebrates the good things in life. I really appreciate Stacey, the authors creativity and sense of style.

Hope you enjoy these blogs as much as me! What are your favorite blogs? Please share with us in the comments or if you write one of your own let us know and leave a link. We always enjoy learning and meeting new friends!

Sending cheery smiles your way…Laura

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We are here to…

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Laura&Tina

©laura gaffke 2013 “Morning Mist” acrylic, 9 x 9 inches *available for now

We are here to…………

shine

soar

grow

love

create bliss

serve with love

help each other

pave a path for those to follow

…fly high and low…. for that COLOR

Treasure every moment and grow

enjoy the moments

inspire

rock your face off!

help others in need

be kind, be creative, learn and teach

make a difference

I asked this question on my facebook page while I was working my ReVision 2 and as you can see I was overwhelmed with the responses! People were so generous with their thoughts. Working alone in the studio I am always curious how others will respond to the questions I ask of myself.

My response to this question was:

“We are here to lift each other up”

I had intended on adding script to this painting but it had a mind of its own as you can see from its origin HERE. After I finished it decided I really liked how light and airy it was and decided not to add the text. I am often surprised by what happens when I trust my intuition.

The title of the painting is “Morning Mist”. Thank you Sue and everyone else who left a suggestion on my facebook page. I really appreciate it! Come on over and say hello.

love, Laura

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Send in the silly!

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Laura&Tina

“Eccentric Tea Party” acrylic, 18 x 18 inches ©laura gaffke 2013 *available*

Dear Sweet T & friends,

Do you remember when I started this painting? Yes, it was back in November and I was nestled in with my “goddess sister” Michelle in NH at a lovely cabin in the woods. It was the first snow of the season and just after Thanksgiving. You can read more about it HERE. Well, it sure has changed a lot since then….

I started out with these first layers of paint and a very red background

I wanted to mute some of the bold colors but found this to be too washed out so in the end I brought them back in. (see first painting above)

I wasn’t sure where this painting was going but as I got still and thought back to when I started it I was overwhelmed thinking about connection and all of the long lasting friendships I have like with you and Michelle. They mean the world to me and honestly I don’t know what I would do without them. When I look at the tea cups in this painting I see diverse personalities and bright, kindred spirits. They are brought out in the patterns on the cups and the beaming colors. I decided to call it,”eccentric tea party” because it reminds me of all the fun, silly times I have had with my family and friends who I know will love me no matter what. My friendships inspire me make me feel alive. They help me grow and strive to be a better person. It’s funny how you can look at something you have painted after it’s done and everything becomes clear. We need our friends & the silly sometimes don’t we? This painting is a tribute to the those fleeting moments that we hold so dear.

goddess sisters

I thought I would share a picture of one of the many “goddess parties” I had at my magical cottage when I lived in NH. Note the tiaras~a goddess MUST! Sending a little frivolousness your way on this chilly New England day…

love, Laura

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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

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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Finding the holiday spirit within…

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Laura&Tina

some of my handmade holiday gift tags

Dear Tina,

I have been feeling slightly glum this past week, trying to keep the holiday spirit in my heart when everyone’s heart is so heavy thinking about the Newtown tragedy. It makes things like not being able to decorate my house for the holidays completely insignificant, yet these traditions are what often grounds us, don’t you think? Unfortunately this year it is just not possible. Our house is under construction and with setbacks from Hurricane Sandy things are displaced everywhere and there is no hope for us even getting a Christmas tree. Although I was disappointed I am choosing to carry the holiday spirit in my heart and put my focus on others, knowing this is where the magic of the season truly lives.

Here is a picture of what our living room presently looks like. We live in one very small, old house. Brett is pretty sure it was a Sears Kit Home. He bought this house, gutted it and did a great job renovating it long before we got married. I am quite proud of him and glad I didn’t have to live through that renovation! Living close to Bluff Point makes it all the more special.

Bluff Point

Because it is so small we are always trying to find ways to add a bit of extra storage and charm, so when our street converted to natural gas this summer we jumped on the bandwagon. Because of this we are now able to have a fireplace! Although not a real wood burning fireplace like the one I grew up with I am really excited about it. We picked out a really nice one that looks as close to the real thing as we could get. Not only will it save us money on our heating bill it will make the room feel really cozy and warm.

Since we had to rip the wall apart to do it we decided to add built in bookcases for storage and display. The transom window above the entryway was an added addition to ventilate the room. It is already letting in SO much more light! I love it! The only window in this room prior to our renovation was a nice large window with a perfect ledge for my plants. The only problem was that it was just a big piece of glass that didn’t OPEN! Not ideal for steamy, summer New England days! If you look closely in the back of the picture you will notice two spots left for regular sized windows~yippee! I will have more to share so stay tuned!

love, Laura

1 Reply

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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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!