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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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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Looking Back and Looking Forward

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Happy New Year!

These two women in this antique photo have always set a tone for our blog and work. They have become our logo of sorts to describe our collaboration, friendship, and intention to always have fun. This past summer we recreated this photo with some of Laura’s vintage aprons. Those bathing suits were one of a kind to recreate so we didn’t even go there (not to mention a bit frumpy).

In a few weeks Laura and I will be writing about this coming year~ our plans, goals, and hopes. For today we would like to share some highlights we discussed here on the blog in 2012 with links if you would like to tap into the conversation.

We started off 2012 with the One Little Word Project created by Ali Edwards. Find our little words at this post HERE. We have been discussing our new words for 2013 over the phone and will be posting them soon along with some reflections on our words from 2012.

We hit 90 posts for our original Vision/ReVision Project we started in graduate school. Now that is something to celebrate! We started with a simple intention to stay in touch in between our residencies at Goddard College and it has blossomed into a project that has produced over 100 pieces of art. It has proven to be our most successful collaborative project that is continuing today.

Laura has continued the collaborative spirit by starting collaborative paintings with her good friend Michelle. They have created numerous paintings during 2012. Read the post on one of their collaborations HERE. Michelle was also a guest blogger. Thanks for contributing to the conversation Michelle!

We have had many art exhibits along the road this year with our own studio work. Laura’s Spring Open Studio and Fall Open Studio (along with numerous of art festivals through the year!), Laura’s solo exhibition, Tina’s solo exhibition, and Tina’s experience of curating an exhibition.

We were nominated for a Liebster Blog Award and passed the award on to others we admire.

Although our T.A.O.S project is slow we have posted updates like this one HERE. We have some fresh ideas on making this project more productive for the New Year.

So…….

Here is a secret about why Laura and I work so well together…….we both value learning through creating art. That’s right….art geeks. This explains why we are always signing up for classes on our craft, business, and interests. It must be the educator in us. It is true that if you are a teacher, you are someone who is constantly interested in learning something new. This lead to our exploration with color for six months which you can see a post about HERE. It also redirected our Vision/ReVision project. After our visit in Connecticut we started talking about what we could learn from a redirection of the Vision/ReVision project. Read our thoughts HERE. We have since been pondering the meaning of HOME and will be shifting our focus to a new theme for 2013 (more on that later).

We had an amazing visit in August (it had been over a year since we had seen one another!). We posted every day about our exploits and wanderings from Connecticut to New York City. Check out Day One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six. We also posted about our Wish Ceremony which we always do upon our departure. This time we did this in Central Park, NYC.

We are very appreciative to everyone who has followed us on this journey over the years and wish you all good health, love, and friendship for 2013!

Cheers!

Laura Two Tina

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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!

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Getting ready….Open Studio Fiesta 2012!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Laura&Tina

Hello Friends!

I have been in quite a spin preparing for our Spring Open Studio Event! If you have been to one or our special events before you know how much time and effort we put into each one and this year is no exception. We started planning months ago and decided to go with a fiesta theme for Cinco de Mayo. I love this holiday as it conjures up images of good times, music, margarita’s, piñata’s, friendship and just plain FUN! What a perfect way to celebrate and introduce all of our NEW work to you!

Friday night we will kick off the festivities with the most FABULOUS LIVE musicians making this a true celebration of the arts! The next day will be a bit more low key and offer a wonderful opportunity to meet our artists and discuss their unique creative processes with you. Some will even have in-process work to share, allowing a rare glimpse into the evolution of their work. I for one will relish this, forever curious about the creative process and passionate about learning new things.

We timed our event close to Mother’s Day in case you wished to surprise your mother with something truly special and unique. There will also be some great ideas for weddings or your favorite teacher.

As always we appreciate you supporting the arts! Sooooo to reward you we will have a super cool piñata! It will be filled with THE MOST FUN things, including some miniature ORIGINAL artwork!!! With every purchase you will be given a chance to win it! How fun is that?!? We will be sharing glimpses of this goodness on our Above Elite Facebook Page so don’t forget to friend us if you haven’t already. I will also share special “secret stuff” on my Laura Gaffke Art page so feel free to friend me there as well to stay in the know! SO much more to share in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned!

Arriba! Arriba!

Laura

p.s. This event is open to the public and we would love to have you bring a friend. Introduce us and we will give you an extra chance to win the piñata, after all it is only through friends like you that our events are truly a success. Filled with gratitude…xo

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Down for the count but feeling the holiday spirit!

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Laura&Tina

I hope everyone had a really nice Thanksgiving!

I had the most lovely time in NH visiting my family. My niece and nephew are growing up before my eyes and I felt a little sad that I miss so much of their lives living so far away. I guess this just makes every moment I have with them extra special. I also got to spend time with my good friend Michelle who was able to join us for Thanksgiving dinner~what a treat! As if things couldn’t get better I had the EXTRA SPECIAL gift of seeing my friends Enid & Adrian from London! Brett & I joined them for an impromptu lunch before we headed out of town yesterday. We got to hear about their trip around the world, reminisce and just enjoy our time together. I truly am truly blessed in this world to have such wonderful people in my life! Even though we don’t see each other often, it was like no time had passed. There is something very special about the ease of old friends and family.

Unfortunately I have been fighting a cold for the past few days and just don’t seem to feel any better. I keep telling myself ”I am on the upswing” as there is NO amount of energy I would like to give this bug. I have decided I will embrace being sick as a “gift” and take some time to rest but I am finding it quite difficult as my insides are just bursting with excitement thinking about my upcoming Open Studio!!! Last week I spent quite a bit of time rearranging my studio, cleaning and just being filled up with the anticipation of it all! I have SO much to share with you but this will have to wait as Brett is forcing me to take today to rest and heal. With any luck I will feel better tomorrow. Until then, I will leave you with your “official” invitation to our Open Studio. Please help us in spreading the word and joining us for all the festivities! (it’s easy with the share button at the bottom of this post) Looking forward to seeing YOU! Until then, lots of love and holiday cheer your way…laura

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Vision 75

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Laura&Tina

Vision 75

Dear Tina,

I guess it is ME who is behind in my Vision for the week! As you know our Open Studio was this past weekend (TWO whole days filled with friendship & magic-whoo hoo! I will share more soon!) and as soon as it ended it was time to catch up on the mundane chores I had been avoiding around the house and prepare for my trip to San Francisco where I will delight in seeing our fabulous Goddard friend, Magical Marlene. I have been feeling SO GOOD about this trip, filled to the brim with the anticipation of visiting a place I have never been and seeing Marlene.

When I captured the light in this picture I knew it would be my Vision for the week as it represents for me a sign of good things to come. It also is a reminder to follow my own inner light. I planned my trip in conjunction with a workshop I will be attending with Flora Bowley. Being surrounded by so many talented artists can be intimidating, yet right now I don’t feel that for some reason. I feels like I am right where I am supposed to be, with like-minded, creative, spirits. Tons to share I am sure so stay tuned for more on our adventures. Until then…xoLaura

Tina's Vision

Dear Laura,

Wishing you blue skies as you travel to and from California!

Tina

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Vision 61

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Laura&Tina

Learn more about Laura & Tina’s Vision/ReVision Project

Laura's Vision 61

A jolly hello to you Sweet T~

I am finally feeling the holiday spirit and thinking of the simple beauty of your branches from your Vision last week. My friend Sarah cut these GORGEOUS red branches for our Open Studio and I loved the simple beauty of them with the cranberries. (I wish I could remember what kind of shrub they came from~anyone?) I am infused with ideas reading Holiday with Matthew Mead and love his simple decorating style. He often uses vintage items (another love of mine) so I thought I would use my new “photoshop skills” and try to make my photo look vintage. Jolly HOLIDAY! What do you think?

xoLaura

Vision 61 Tina

Dear Laura,

December always proves to be a challenging month getting into the studio. Family, errands, teaching, and other events always seem to keep me too busy and distracted. This week I am returning to the studio and this afternoon I spent a brief hour taking out all my work, organizing, writing, and making lists (this photo is of what I took out and put on my table). Tomorrow is one whole day just for me and my work. I….will…..not…..let…..anything….else….distract….me. I have set aside two more days this week just to be. Be here. Listen. Create. Yes.

Tina

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The anticipation is killing me!

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Laura&Tina

The FABULOUS Kori Eryn is performing LIVE at our Open Studio this friday night and I cannot get enough of her youtube videos. Thought I would treat you to her gem of a voice. We are SO lucky! Thank you Kori!
Enjoy my friends…Laura

p.s. Let’s try to spread the word about this amazing lady by sharing this with your friends. The links at the bottom make it easy. Thanks!

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Vision 60

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Laura&Tina

Learn more about Laura & Tina’s Vision/ReVision Project.

Laura's Vision 60

Dear Tina,

As you know I have been ridiculously busy preparing for my open studio this week which is enlivening me. I have SO enjoyed working with our guest artists and decorating as well as preparing for all of the wonderful things L2T will have to share. In the process I realized I have been less mindful of the things that ground me and actually allow creative flow into my life. Nature is one of those things. This morning I allowed for 5 minutes of stillness while sitting with my coffee admiring our Christmas cactus which is putting on quite a show. I am glad to not have missed this beauty and know in some small way this moment will escort me into a productive day. Sometimes it is in these moments of quiet you are led to places you never imagined. xoLaura

Vision 60 Tina

Dear Laura,

Look how similar our images are this week. Perhaps there is some sort of synchronicity afoot. I have been photographing and collecting seeds in my neighborhood (I posted one of these pictures as our ReVision 59 from last week). Since I was not in my studio last week at all, I caught a few moments of slow looking while on my daily walks. These seeds are now going to become part of a larger series of work I am creating. I will post more on this once they are ready to be photographed. Keep this photo in mind- I will probably reference it again soon.

Tina

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Prints or Originals?

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Laura&Tina

NEW cards (from original artwork) 5" x 7 " Laura Gaffke, 2010

Hello Tina & dear friends!

Have you ever recreated your artwork into a card or print? I have always enjoyed creating one of a kind cards for the special people in my life and feel warm & giddy inside when I pop one in the mail, wondering how the person will react when they open their mailbox. This is one of the reasons I delight in our postcard project. I started thinking about printing my artwork onto cards and have been selling them at The Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly, at Artisans as well as open studio events. I am overjoyed and grateful for every one that sells and want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have helped support my creative dream. It means THE WORLD to me!

The images above are my latest cards, hot off the presses! They are from some of my new work and I wondered if you could take a moment to share which ones are your favorite? The print quality is great and they have a lovely glossy sheen. I was even able to put my website on the back! It made me feel so “official” ~Ha! I added the “be happy” stamp for extra fun! What do you think?

Back of cards

It has been on my mind to have some of my work printed larger on nice, archival paper which could then be framed. This is an area I don’t know much about and have been researching. I wondered what you thought of prints versus original artwork? Would you buy a print if you couldn’t afford the original? Do you own any prints? Have you printed your own artwork? If so, do you have any considerations or thoughts as to where to I could get them printed in a cost effective way? I TRULY value your thoughts and ideas and would GREATLY appreciate any feedback you have in the comments. YOU ARE THE BEST!!! Thank YOU!

love, Laura

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Laura Two Tina On Exhibit

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Laura&Tina

Our work will be on exhibit at Laura’s Open Studio Event this weekend at Above Elite Studios in Westerly, Connecticut.

We have mailed artwork back and forth to one another to prepare for the event. We will also have prints for sale of this co-created work. Here is a sample of our most recent work you will see there….

L2T Chickadee

L2T Heron

L2T Egret

IN ADDITION to this new work, you will also have a chance to see Laura and Tina’s original correspondence postcard art (which started our art-making together) and our collaboratively made book that is almost complete after TWO years in the works.

In May we will be introducing an Etsy shop online for those of you that can not get to Connecticut to see/support our work.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Laura for putting so much time and effort into this event for us and the other artists! (Tina wrote this part:) Hope you can make this wonderful event!

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Working Table

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Laura&Tina

Laura's Working Table

Laura’s Working Table notes:

I received a lovely package from Tina with the paintings I started which she collaged with drawings. She also sent along these wonderful wooden boxes for me to cover, along with maps and a few prints of our work. (We are testing out prints for our soon to be open Etsy shop). Today I worked on covering the boxes, preparing them for the artwork which will be mounted on them. It took a lot longer than you may imagine, as I was meticulous at making sure they were perfect and without any bubbles. I love the colors of the maps and how the images look juxtaposed on top of them. What you are seeing are the back of the boxes. They look like little shadow boxes. You can look forward to seeing them finished at the Open Studio in two weeks as well as at our soon to be Etsy shop opening soon-SO PSYCHED!

Tina's Working Table 4-13

Tina’s Working Table Notes:

Since moving my studio to my garage as a temporary spot, I have enjoyed the natural light, fresh air, and sounds of nature in my neighborhood. It is a very different feel than my current studio in an industrial area. A lot of work is coming together this month, which is good to feel finally. The small pieces of art I have been struggling with are finally getting completed, after reinventing them three times, and I actually like them. The picture on the right is a sneak peek at these which I will be posting on my website soon.

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studio goodness!

Posted on January 29, 2010 by lauratwotina

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzTvMxyKxpM]

the studio a bustle

Here I am with my good friends Carrie and Jackie (guest artist).

Jaclyn Murphy's diva display in my studio

Jaclyn Murphy's Jazzy Jewels

The Fabulous Sue Thomas's display at the studio

(from left to right) Kathy Johnson, Lisa Szaro, Jaclyn Murphy, Sue Thomas & I enjoying a glass of vino & having some fun painting some ornaments at the end of our busy day.

Our fun creations after a long day...

Dear Tina & friends,

WIth the hustle and bustle of the holidays and getting everything prepared for our Open Studio Extravaganza last month I realized I never shared the highlights of the magical event. Behind the scenes we were busy months before painting, cleaning, organizing & decorating to create an invitingly warm, festive atmosphere complete with bows, balls, greens and ribbons. We had a fantastic turnout and it was well worth all the hard work. Having the studios open for two days was new for us but allowed people to come who wouldn’t have been able to come otherwise. This included my mom and all of her sisters (my sweet aunties)!!! They traveled all the way from both NH and MA and I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to have them there. My heart was FULL and I was overwhelmed with gladness and joy! They were also able to stop into SOLE STUDIO and see some of the work my new friend, Julia the owner has let me display in her beautiful shop (if you get a chance stop in tell her hello!). Having guest artists in the studio for the first time brought many new faces along with a delightful energy. We are excited to be thinking and dreaming about our Spring Open Studio event that will take place around Mother’s Day.

In addition to all of this, we had the fabulous Steve Conn of Sconvideo at the studio to record the event and interview some of the artists. Steve is a dream to work with and graciously donated his time documenting our special day. We could not be more grateful! Thank you Steve!!! To see more of his work visit his website and see him work his magic on many different types of video.

I would love to know what you think, especially if you were able to attend the event. We would welcome any ideas you may have for our next “Extravaganza.”

Cheery Smiles & love, Laura