Moosewalk Studios and Gallery would like to extend a personal invitation to all of our friends to visit our gallery as we join the Vermont Crafts Council in celebrating the 20th anniversary of  Vermont Open Studio Weekend. Moosewalk will be one of the 224 locations in Vermont (six here in the Mad River Valley) opening doors and welcoming guests for the ‘official’ start of the summer art season. As in the past, demonstrations will be going on throughout the weekend.

In addition to new work by Roarke and Gary, the gallery continues to show sculpture by Mark Schwabe, folk art by Lisa and Brent Hilliker and art pottery by Sharon Hosley. The gallery is also welcoming bird decoys by Mad River Decoy and the natural shed antler creations by Mad River Antler.

Our guest artist this year is watercolor artist Barbara Pafume who brings her special skills to the studio. Barbara is a superb painter and an excellent teacher who loves to talk with guests. New this year is a ‘Kids Kreation’ corner where kids of all ages are able to experiment with paints and brushes. Who knows where hidden talents might lie. Of course there will be refreshments!

Maps giving directions to participating studios can be found at numerous locations throughout the state and at participating galleries. Bright yellow signs along the roads and by-ways will be marking locations.

Open Studio Weekend is Saturday and Sunday, May 26 & 27 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Contact us through this web-site or by calling 802.583.2224 for more information.

Gary has just added SILVER BIRCH to the on-line gallery. This painting of the junction of Lincoln Brook and the Mad River here in Warren captures a quiet afternoon just before the leaves begin to appear on the trees.

Watch for the announcements of the watercolor and photography workshops scheduled for the Vermont Festival of the Arts in August.

Moosewalk Gallery is just about ready to welcome guests – watch for our re-opening in mid-May. In addition to the fine artists we already represent, we will be welcoming two additions to the gallery this summer. Ken Kenia of Mad River Antler will be exhibiting his creations and Mad River Decoy will be showing their outstanding bird sculptures.

The gallery will again be participating in the annual Vermont Open Studio Weekend on Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. Barbara Pafume, a fellow watercolor artist, will be joining us for the weekend. More details to follow.

The following review was written by Dotty Kyle, an accomplished Mad River Valley artist.

What is the result of Seven Vermont watercolor artists coming together in a relatively new gallery space? It’s the First Annual Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition at the Festival Gallery in Waitsfield.  The Valley Arts Foundation, operator of the gallery, anticipates it will become a popular, yearly watercolor exhibit.

The seven artists included in this year’s show each bring an individual approach to watercolor painting, giving a broad representation of the varied capabilities of the medium. Each of the 21 paintings, skillfully executed, belie the difficulties of the art form.

Upon entering the gallery, the viewer is immediately seized by one of the three stunning floral paintings by Robert O’Brien of Perkinsville. The luminosity of his colors in ‘Smiling Gold” brings a brilliance and delicacy to floral painting that is only possible with watercolor.

Peter Huntoon of Middletown Springs classifies himself as an ‘Expressionist Representationalist’ – a definition quite evident in his use of broad brush strokes and brilliant colors to interpret recognizable subjects. His painting of “Sugarbush”, with crisp white ski trails and cobalt blue mountains, evokes a cold, clear winter day one would experience approaching the resort area.

Barbara Pafume’s (Cambridge) skillful interpretation of a sun-dappled autumn lane – “Fairfax Falls” – leaves one saying “I’ve been there!”, while James Gardner’s (Vershire) “Tunbridge Icon” pictures the quintessential white church found in nearly every Vermont village. Either of these paintings would be perfect in a Vermount tourism brochure or on a proud collector’s living room wall.

Grafton artist Peter Jeziorski’s painting “My Spot” uses soft brush strokes and subtle color in his quiet interpretation of a fly fisherman casting his line on a foggy Vermont morning. His technique in painting the gently flowing stream is masterful while Robert Sydorowich of Andover uses bold brush work and vibrant, contrasting colors reminiscent of the late impressionist movement  in his painting “Davidson Farm”Two different approaches, one response – ‘Wonderful!’.

Gary Eckhart of Warren, a well respected Valley watercolorist, once again proves his expertise in the depiction of many different textural qualities. His image of a rusty latch on a rickety old barn door is a masterful interpretation of textures. The contrast of light and shadow gives a depth to the surface of the paper, giving one the urge to reach up and flick off the ‘peeling paint’.

Next year’s show is already scheduled for June 22 to July 29 in a much larger venue. If it matches the quality and diversity of this year’s exhibition, it is not to be missed. The current Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition runs throughout May 4 at the Festival Gallery, 2 Village Square shopping center in Waitsfield. Contact the Valley ArtsFoundation Director, Karen Nevin at 802-496-6682

Peter Huntoon's "Pure Vermont" is one of 21 paintings in the Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition

or karen@vermontartfest.com.

Gary is one of seven watercolor artists showing work in the first annual Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition at the Festival Gallery in Waitsfield. All seven artists are members of the Vermont Watercolor Society and were selected for their diverse styles of painting. The show presents a broad picture of the various techniques capable of the watercolor medium to create subject matter from landscapes to florals to still life. The six artists in addition to Gary are James Gardner, Peter Jeziorski, Peter Huntoon, Barbara Pafume, Robert O’Brien and Peter Sydorowich all of Vermont.

The Festival Gallery is operated by the Valley Arts Foundation and has recently undergone renovation with the addition of new display space and expanded lighting. The work was done specifically to accommodate the watercolor show and was made possible by a grant from an anonymous donor. The Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition runs thru May 4. The Gallery is located in the Village Square Shopping Center on Route 100 in Waitsfield. 802.496.6682

Gary's watercolor painting ORANGES is one of the 21 paintings in the Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition

Chris, the very talented carpenter from Turtle Creek Builders, has again worked miracles for Moosewalk Studios. By removing a door frame and enlarging the opening to the photo lab we are now able to increase the gallery wall space.  The change, complete with additional lighting, gives us more than 30 feet of continuous wall space for displaying the large format prints that Roarke is able to produce on the archival printer. The galleries are also going to receive a fresh coat of paint for a brighter appearance.

New construction at Moosewalk

Moosewalk Studios and Gallery are open by appointment throughout the winter months and will be reopening with regular hours in May. Our work is also available down in the Valley at both the Parade Gallery in Warren and Bridge Street Emporium and Gallery in Waitsfield.

Anyone, yes anyone, interested in water media as an art form should make it a point to go out of their way to see the spectacular solo show of Lisa Beach’s paintings currently occupying the East Gallery at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, VT. Lisa is an absolute master of composition, design and color and uses all three superbly to translate her ideas on to paper both in traditional watercolor and acrylics. She has also mastered the use of negative space to develop very dynamic forms in both her representative and abstractive works. The inclusion of a few intimate, almost realistic pencil and ink studies lets one know that she totally understands form and structure in nature and that the abstracts are not merely flukes but well thought out plans.

The show runs through November 27.

COLORS OF AUTUMN 

Autumn, with its dazzling display of color has inspired artists for eons and one would be hard pressed to find a better example of this than in the show Colors of Autumn currently on display at the Festival Gallery in Waitsfield. Twenty-seven Vermont artists, mostly from the Mad River Valley, have come together to show their interpretation of autumn through paintings, photography, glass and ceramics in a stunning collection of work. Gary and Roarke each have a piece of art as part of the exhibit.

A ‘meet the artists’ reception is planned for Saturday, November 26 from 5 to 7 pm.

The show, presented by the Valley Arts Foundation, is free and open to the public at the Festival Gallery, 2 Village Square (next to Tempest Book Store) Monday thru Friday during normal business hours. 802-496-6682 for more information.

Gary recently found out that his watercolor painting DERELICT was accepted into the North East Watercolor Society’s 35th Annual International Exhibition.

There are two reasons behind the painting of DERELICT. Old barns are disappearing far too quickly as are the Mail Pouch Tobacco signs that once graced the barns. Mail Pouch Tobacco painted barns free or for minimal cost if they could paint their colorful ads on the side. Most times this was the only way a farmer could afford to have a barn painted. Many barns are disappearing from the landscape because they are too costly to maintain. The barn that is the subject of this painting was found in the village of Wurtsboro, NY. The barn did not have the tobacco sign painted on its side. I used artistic license and added it. Unfortunately, the barn was torn down shortly after the painting was completed.

The 35th Annual International Exhibition will be held at the Gallery at the Kent Art Association in Kent, Connecticut. The show opens with a public reception on Sunday, October 23 (2:00 to 4:00 pm) and closes on Sunday, November 6. Hours are noon to 4:00 daily.

A flood just can’t beat the people of Vermont and the Mad River Valley. While work continues at a feverish pace at many locations, most of the Mad River Valley is back in business. We lament the temporary loss of three favorite restaurants (Tracks at the Pitcher Inn in Warren and Mint and the Green Cup in Waitsfield) but there are many other restaurants open and ready to serve while these three continue their cleaning. The Lareau Farm and American Flatbread go back into production Friday which means the Big Red Barn Art Show will once again be welcoming guests. There are more than 140 works of art in this show – none damaged by the flood.

On Bridge Street in Waitsfield you will find Artisan’s Gallery and The Bridge Street Emporium cleaned and ready for customers. None of the photos in VINTAGE VERMONT at the Emporium were damaged and this is the last week to see these images in their first printing since the early 1900′s. Across the street All Thing’s Bright and Beautiful have their European glass ornaments all sparkling next to Gaelic’s hand painted ornaments, cats, dogs and Santas. Just be careful not to step into the 10 foot ravine the river so carefully carved out of their driveway next to their side porch.

The 41st annual Mad River Valley Craft Fair will go on as planned at Kenyon’s Field on Saturday and Sunday 10 to 5. Moosewalk Studios will be joining Mad River Antler for the first time at the fair. Gary will be working the Craft Fair while Roarke keeps the home gallery open. Moosewalk Gallery will be open noon to 5:00 Saturday and Sunday. We will be taking Labor Day off this year

Join the Flood Fund-raising Block Party on Bridge Street this Saturday starting at 5:00. The Detonators will be playing for dancing and you can see the 1833 covered bridge still standing proud.

Route 100 is now open from Interstate 89. Lincoln Gap Road, Route 17 through the Appalachian Gap and the Roxbury Gap are also open. You cannot access the Valley by Route 100 from the south.

I would also like to take a moment to thank the hundreds of people who are helping the Valley recover – visitors, locals, utility workers from near and far and, especially, the students from the Green Mountain School who have been working steadily since Monday morning. In addition, a huge thank you to the moms and kids who have been baking cookies and cakes and distributing them to the workers. Those treats from a hand connected to a big smile mean so much.

Hope to see you!

The river is not quite so mad today, but what is left is a mess in the towns of Waitsfield and Moretown. Bridges are gone but the locals are finding back roads to make it around detours, hundreds of locals and tourists have turned out to help clean and the Valley is coming back to life. All Things Bright and Beautiful, Artisans’ Gallery and the Bridge Street Emporium are cleaned up and ready to go. The students from the Green Mountain School showed up to remove debris and load dumpsters, farmers came with their plows and moved dirt and volunteers washed dishes and equipment from restaurants. Dozens showed up to help American Flatbread recover from the 3 feet of water that invaded their restaurant and inn – both of which will be open for the weekend.

What does the Valley need now? Well, most events for the Vermont Festival of the Arts will resume Thursday, shops are cleaned and ready to re-open, roads are being repaired, Sugarbush activities are going and the gulf course is open, the Craft Fair and duck race will go on as scheduled, the Green Mountain Stage Race (bicycle) will run on an altered route and the residents and business people are optimistic – so we need you to come to the Valley and support the business community and where else can you see 3 covered bridges – one from 1833 – still standing after being battered by walls of water?

The Mad River pummeling the side of the Waitsfield Covered Bridge.