Valerie's Gallery of Newburyport Blog

Thank You for a very successful Mug Trade-In Event

2011-10-24T21:05:00.000-04:00

Thanks to our many generous customers, our recent MUG TRADE-IN EVENT was a wonderful success! Customers celebrated the creativity of great American artists during American Craft Week by bringing in commercially made mass-produced mugs and canned goods to then receive in-store discounts off of brand new, handmade-in-America mugs.

The mass-produced mugs were donated to Wonderland charitable thrift store and the canned goods were donated to The Pettengill House Food Pantry. Both organizations were very appreciative of the donations.

Mug Trade-in Event

2011-10-06T14:10:00.000-04:00

Help Valerie's celebrate the creativity of great American artists during American Craft Week with our Mug Trade-in Event. Bring in a commercially made mass-produced mug between October 7th and 16th and receive 20% off a brand new handmade-in-America mug of your choice. The commercial mugs will be donated to a local charitable thrift store. To continue with the giving mood you can get an additional 10% off your handmade mug (for a total of 30%) if you bring in a canned good in addition to your commercial mug. Two mug limit per person.

Top row left to right: Natural Elements (first and second), Lorraine Dilmore, Dirty Dog Pottery. Bottom row left to right: Clay in Motion, Dirty Dog Pottery, Purple Sage Pottery (third and fourth), Dirty Dog Pottery

Price Range: $20-$30 (before discount)

As always, everything in Valerie's Gallery is handmade in the United States. We celebrate our many talented artists who work hard to create decorative and functional objects to enhance our homes, lives, and country. The purpose of American Craft week is to publicize and display the creations of these hardworking artists.

Come join us in this celebration and see the personal touch something as simple as a handmade mug can make in your home.

Read more about American Craft Week and find other participants here.

Art at Home

2011-07-06T12:26:00.000-04:00

We always love hearing about how our customers display or use their purchases from the gallery once they get home! One of our most popular items in the store are glass cabinet knobs made by Smart Glass in Georgia. These brightly colored knobs brighten up furniture and are easy to install. Carol from Newburyport recently shared with us some photos of how she used a few to add some color to a bathroom cabinet...they even match the tile in the shower perfectly! Thanks Carol!
~Amanda at Valerie's Gallery

ArtWalk and David Magdalenski

2011-06-30T20:54:00.001-04:00

If you’re familiar with the Newburyport and north shore area of Boston, you know there is no shortage of talented and creative people living and working in the region. Visitors flock to the coastline to experience the history and culture that makes New England unlike any other part of the country. The summer is a unique time to visit because, well, it’s summer! When a good portion of your year consists of snow, below freezing temperatures and rain, seeing that thermostat reach above seventy degrees makes us here in Newburyport appreciate even more the beauty we surrounded by in this historic town.

What better timing then to host the June ArtWalk downtown with other galleries and shops. We were fortunate to have artist David Magdalenski join us this past Saturday in the gallery, to demonstrate how he creates his beautiful pieces. David works with acrylics and many of his paintings are of recognizable streets and landmarks in Newburyport and the surrounding area. To see art hanging in a gallery is one thing, but to watch the artist in the process of creating makes you a part of its history. It was great to have David here to answer questions and share his talent with everyone, and we enjoyed welcoming old and new faces to Valerie’s Gallery! Stop in or check out our website to see more of David's work!
~Amanda at Valerie's Gallery

David gets a little help from some visitors!

ArtWalk is next Saturday with Jim Conley

2011-04-07T11:42:00.000-04:00

Jim Conley, silversmith and goldsmith, will be doing a jewelry-making demonstration from 3 to 6 pm at Valerie's Gallery. There will also be a wine and cheese reception for Jim from 6 to 8 pm. Please join us in this special event and also visit the artwalk website to see what else will be taking place around town.

Dichroic glass magnets

2011-03-29T09:13:00.000-04:00

Jane from New York City sent us this picture showing her use of the colorful dichroic glass magnets that she has purchased from us when she visits Newburyport. As a calligrapher of beautiful stationery and invitations, Jane has a trio of inspiration boards at her desk as she creates. Thanks for sharing the picture Jane! (I too have an inspiration board above my desk using dichroic glass pushpins also made by Nancy Tang of Maine.)

This clock looks right at home

2011-03-29T08:51:00.000-04:00

One of our favorite craftspeople is Leonie Lacouette from New York and her handmade copper clocks. This picture was emailed to us by Nora the other day. "I bought this clock from you about 3 years ago when we moved into our condo. It sits on a wall between the kitchen and dining area, and needless to say, I've received many compliments" Thanks for sharing Nora! And I love the warm wood cabinets with the clock.

New Work from Kathleen Buchanan and David Magdalenski

2011-02-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

We just received new pieces from Kathleen Buchanan to get us thinking about spring! Kathleen is a printmaker from Maine who creates peaceful and beautiful collagraphs.
Stop in or visit our website for a more examples of Kathleen's work!

April Fields

Spring Return

Two at Sea

We're also pleased to announce an artist new to the gallery, David Magdalenski of Amesbury, MA! David works with acrylics, watercolor paper and canvas to capture scenes from many recognizable places in the Newburyport area. Stop in or visit our website to see more examples of David's work!

Newburyport from Salisbury State Park

Sunday Morning at Todd's Farm

Salt Marsh

Lots of new ceramic bowls and mugs by James Guggina

2010-11-17T15:47:00.000-05:00

What a splash of color in this new group of James Guggina pottery that just came in! And everytime I see his pottery, I'm amazed at his technique of carving designs into the black border and his use of many different patterns. Right now, I'm finishing up a pottery class at Exeter Fine Crafts in NH and I've tried just a little bit of this sgraffito carving technique and it was impossible for me to have that kind of a steady hand and precision. Six colors, hundreds of black and white patterns!

Limited supply on quotation bracelets

2010-11-05T13:46:00.000-04:00

One of our most popular jewelry collections has been the quotation bangles by Nomi of New Mexico. Unfortunately, Nomi is retiring from making jewelry this fall. If you have been thinking of purchasing one for yourself or as a gift, stop by soon. We have received our final order and we have put all the ones we have up on our website.

New jewelry by Jim Conley

2010-10-15T15:05:00.000-04:00

Here are some photographs of Jim Conley's newest pieces. Above, a sterling silver ring with an 18K yellow bezel set Gel opal and 18K crowned disc accents, middle picture is a sterling silver ring with an 18K yellow bezel set pink sapphire, and a sterling silver 1.25" side raised bracelet. And, Jim is here on Saturday mornings from 10 am to 12:30 for custom jewelry and repairs.

Pretty new lockets

2010-10-08T12:56:00.000-04:00

Do you have a photo you cherish that you'd love to have in a locket? We now have three new handmade lockets. They are cast in pewter. Pictured above, two designs hold one photograph and one design below holds two photographs. They are priced $36-$48. If you would like to purchase one, call or visit our website.

New Cassavoy & Co Jewelry

2010-08-23T17:22:00.002-04:00

We are happy to have some new pieces from Jamie Cassavoy in the store and on our website! Located in Georgia, Jamie's jewelry is as unique as it is timeless and is special for any occasion. Paired with jeans and a blouse or with an evening dress for a night on the town, any of Cassavoy & Co.'s pieces add excitement to an outfit!

This sterling silver wire necklace with chrysoprase is a very organic and delicate piece and is even more stunning in person!

An oxidized sterling silver necklace with handmade orange blossom petals is a unique twist on the more commonly found sterling silver.

This beautiful earrings and necklace set of pearl and oxidized sterling silver is gorgeous and would be a great gift for someone special...or for yourself!

We have many other pieces in the store and online so make sure to stop in or visit our website!

League of NH Craftsmen Fair starts Saturday at Lake Sunapee

2010-08-05T17:44:00.000-04:00

If you've never been to this crafts fair, it's wonderful. So much to see and demonstrations, special clothing, outdoor sculpture and home exhibits. Over 200 craft booths: jewelry, wood accessories, pottery, fiber arts, prints and more. It runs August 7 through 15, 10-5 daily. Check out this link for details.

Beautiful lace bowls

2010-07-19T17:24:00.001-04:00

Visiting Newburyport one evening, potter Joy Friedman stopped by our gallery (and peered in the window as we were closed). Lucky for me, she sent me a nice email and shared pictures of her work. Now having her lace bowls here in person, they are even more amazing. Wheel-thrown, stoneware, some with scalloped edges, individually pierced, one-of-a-kind. When she sits down to cut out a lace bowl, even though she may have a motif in mind, the rhythm and the design emerge spontaneously as she works. We just love these -- and they would make a special wedding present.

A long-awaited new potter

2010-07-19T17:11:00.002-04:00

Many years ago I found James Guggina's pottery and began purchasing it for myself. I was drawn to the colors and the overall look of the pottery. Some say it's a bit southwestern, but I think if you're a color junkie at all, you'll be drawn to it. The colors are clear (not muddy) and bright. Perfect for a happy kitchen! Each piece has two colors (inside and outside) and a unique black sgraffito detail. For various reasons, we weren't able to carry it until now. So, today, I am very excited that we will now be carrying some of his work here. I hope you like it too!

*What is Sgraffito? It's the technique of incising through a layer of slip to the clay below. In James' case, this design is different on each piece. If you look closely, you'll see he has dozens of designs and each bowl and plate has a different pattern.

Lauren Pollaro earrings

2010-07-08T10:23:00.002-04:00

Lauren Pollaro is a well-known NH artist who creates who creates beautiful one-of-a-kind wall sculpture and "wearable art" jewelry. We've updated our website to include new earrings we have in the store. They are so intricate; many are paper assemblages, while others include metalwork or resin. If you are going to the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen's Fair in Sunapee, Lauren will be there and you can see her wall sculptures there.

A new store video

2010-07-08T10:17:00.003-04:00

It seems that more and more businesses have videos now on their website and lucky for me, my husband Bill has a film and video production business and he helped me to produce this short video introduction to my store. In addition to this new one, we've done lengthy in-person video interviews with Matthew Smith and Iris Minc of Purple Sage Pottery.

Q & A with Colleen Kidder

2010-07-06T07:45:00.002-04:00

This is part of an ongoing series we're doing to introduce you to our artists. Colleen Kidder is a local artist from Ipswich who has a background in art history, textile and jewelry design and owned a store "Eliza Gray's Goods" in Ipswich for many years which featured household goods and her paintings. She's passionate about art and continues to take classes and workshops.

Q: What medium are you working in and for how long?
A. Right now I am working a lot with oil paints. It has always has been one of my favorite mediums. There is nothing like the feeling of it gliding across the canvas!

Q: What mediums did you work in before (if any)?
A. I tend to go back and forth working with different mediums. When I am traveling I like to bring my oil pastels and gouache. Being so portable this allows me to be spontaneous and capture a moment in time that I want to remember. Often I will do a sketch and then bring it back to my Studio and work from it with my oil paints.
Q: Why this subject matter?
A. I am most comfortable painting landscapes, marshes and beaches. Being outdoors and absorbing the natural world brings me a sense of calm and a feeling of peace. I try to transfer the beauty that I see onto my canvas so that I can share it with the viewer.

Q: Describe your workspace and how you get into the mindset:
A. My studio is a two story barn structure that we built on our property. It has wonderful views of fields and farm life. It's a place where I can go into my own world and create without distraction. Sometimes I'll meditate in silence before I begin to work...and then while I'm painting I'll play music that encourages me to put motion into my brushstrokes. Sometimes I even find myself dancing with the brushes in my hands! Emotion is an important part of painting for me.

Q: What hangs on your walls and/or what fine craft do you enjoy at home?
A. Over the year my husband and I have collected several landscape paintings that we enjoy. We share a mutual appreciation for paintings that have a simple composition and have an impressionistic feeling. A few of the pieces that we own were painted by woman artists in the 1920's which of course are very special to me. We also have paintings by Charles Woodbury who taught in Ogunquit, Maine at about that same time. These works are all a source of inspiration for me. Vintage pottery from the turn of the last century is also something that I have collected through the years. The matte glazes,and simple shapes and forms complement the paintings on the walls in our home.

Floorcloth demonstration

2010-06-30T21:02:00.002-04:00

During this past Saturday's ArtWalk on June 26, we were fortunate to have Eileen Whalen of Newburyport, here to show us the steps involved in painting floorcloths. Eileen sells her floorcloths and painted furniture at the store.

She begins with a pre-bound heavy canvas which she paints with an interior latex paint. Eileen then sponges and stipple brushes a darker blue acrylic paint on it to create a watery background.

In this next step (above) Eileen lays a mylar stencil she's created wtih a stencil burner over the entire floorcloth. You can see from previous uses which colors are generally used where.

Here, employee Amanda Breen applies the paint to one of the fish designs. Eileen then continues with other customers' help to add additional stencil overlays to create dimension to the little fish and then adds seaweed and bubble designs sporadically around.

The finished floorcloth! When fully dry, the floorcloth is then painted with four coats of a marine polyurethane to make the design waterproof and wear very well underfoot. Contact us for more information and pictures of available designs at 978-499-8444.

Q & A Interview with Deb DeCicco

2010-06-23T23:54:00.003-04:00

This is the first part of an ongoing series we'll be doing to introduce you to our artists. Deb DeCicco is printmaker who lives in Jaffrey, NH and creates floral woodblock prints using the Japanese 'hanga' method of printing without a mechanical press. A little background here is I used to work at the Sharon Arts Center in Peterborough, NH where Deb ran the school program. When I opened my gallery here in Newburyport, I originally sold beautiful bags that Deb made. She is a multi-talented person and I excited to share more of her art with you.

Q: What medium are you working in and for how long?
I’ve been making woodblock prints for 13 years and have been drawing for over 45 years.

Q: What mediums did you work in before (if any)?
I’ve worked in drawing, watercolor, collage, fiber art, book arts, and printmaking.

Q: Why this subject matter?
I draw flowers and plants because I am constantly amazed and inspired by the infinite beauty, and the infinite shapes of the natural world. I’m also interested in the way the flowers and plants reflect the circle of life and our human condition. On just one iris plant you can see one flower in full bloom, one curled and dying, one bud just coming out of the leaf and one bud that you know will burst open tomorrow. You see the strength of the leaves holding everything together at the base and you know that the roots are there, soaking up the water and nutrients. You can see flowers reaching out, turning away, bending over, struggling for enough light, happily blooming, clustered together or beautifully alone.

Q: Describe your workspace and how you get into the mindset:
The drawing is done any time and any place where there’s a plant or flower that I want to draw. I can ignore whatever’s going on around me because I’m totally absorbed in describing the shapes of the plant on the paper. The prints are done in a small studio in my apartment. The variety of processes involved, drawing, prepping the blocks and paper, carving, proofing and printing, framing and of course the administrative, marketing parts, are usually all going on at once with different images. This prevents boredom and gives me purposeful activity no matter how much time I have at the moment. The morning is my best time for critical decisions on composition, value, fine tuning the carving and color. The evenings seem better for printing when I’m slowing down and can be more careful.

Q: What hangs on your walls and/or what fine craft do you enjoy at home?
My home is filled with paintings, prints, drawings, pottery, books of poetry and jewelry made by my friends.

New pieces just in from Kathy Bransfield Jewelry

2010-06-21T17:29:00.004-04:00

We've just received a large collection of Kathy Bransfield jewelry.

Pictured are:
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” –Eleanor Roosevelt.
"Stillness is the greatest revelation"
"Peace" written out in 17 different languages

We love her pieces and the quotations she selects, funny, sweet and mostly inspiring. To see all her pieces, go to our website.

Now open Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings!

2010-06-17T17:45:00.000-04:00

We're now open Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings till 9 pm for the summer season!

Collagraph prints by Kathleen Buchanan

2010-06-15T12:19:00.000-04:00

I just love these by Maine printmaker Kathleen Buchanan. What is a collagraph print you're wondering? ... It's a type of printmaking where you start with a solid board such as masonite, and cut out shapes for your elements from some type of heavy paper. Then an acrylic gel medium is painted to add texture and details. This creates a single plate for part of the image. With Kathleen's prints, she usually creates three to four plates for each print (one plate per color). Then printer's inks are applied generously and then wiped off of the surface (leaving the ink to stay in some areas). The paper is slightly dampened and placed over each plate and the pair (painted plate with paper) is run through a press together. Kathleen limits her editions to 20 to 50. Her prints have a wonderful toned-down feeling about them and we're excited to show them.

Robin Luciano Beaty's show at the NAA

2010-06-04T19:05:00.001-04:00

If you haven't had a chance to view Robin's show at the Newburyport Art Association, I really recommend it. Robin's work is encaustic wax paintings and she's got a tremendous selection of very large paintings as well as groupings of her smaller 8" pieces. Her solo show runs through Sunday, June 6th.

Part of Jim Conley's collection

2010-06-03T14:47:00.002-04:00

Jim Conley and I were talking last weekend about his history in Newburyport with Conley's Goldsmiths Silversmiths and the variety of pieces he has made over the 20+ years for customers. In addition to rings and jewelry, Jim has crafted a chalice for a local church, as well as a beautiful commemorative box lined with zebra wood for a very grand wedding. If you would like to have your own beautiful custom piece made (like some of these people did), just let us know or stop by to see Jim in person on most Saturday mornings 10-12:30.

New photograph by John Geesink

2010-06-03T11:34:00.003-04:00

Every month or so Newburyport photographer John Geesink comes by the shop to bring me new photographs. This beautiful one is called "Team Flying" and was taken late one afternoon on Nelson Island in Rowley (part of the Federal Wildlife Refuge of Plum Island). The Canada Geese look powerful, and beautiful against the blurred soft colors of the background.

New cards by Sigrid Olsen art

2010-05-28T14:11:00.010-04:00

We're excited to showcase a new line of locally-made cards by Sigrid Olsen of Gloucester, Mass. Sigrid creates wonderful, color-saturated block prints and paintings; and prints card reproductions. We love them and hope you do too!

Visit to RSID/works

2010-05-28T14:08:00.003-04:00

RISD/works was awesome -- On a recent trip to RI, we stopped by the Rhode Island School of Design gift shop. All items made by RISD alumni. As always I was especially drawn to pottery -- particularly Loren Chen and Asya Palatova. And Herman Yu cards. Other functional modern pieces too, and lots of jewelry. Good to see one of our jewelry artists in their cases too: Devienna Anggraini. Great shop!

Spring Invitation Nights -- tomorrow!

2010-05-06T22:00:00.000-04:00

Friday, May 7 and Friday, May 14 are the Newburyport Spring Invitation Nights. From 6 to 9 pm, enjoy merchant hospitality as shops offer refreshments and a fun night of shopping. And, if you visit 10 shops during the week and have shop personnel initialize your Shop & Dine Card, you could win a bundle of $1000 different gift certificates, ($50 gift certificates from 20 different shops and restaurants).

Cute as a button -- this a.i. paper frame and pet rats

2010-04-30T06:25:00.001-04:00

We love pictures from our customers showing how they use and display merchandise from our store. This sweet picture was just sent to us from Gina in Salisbury, showing one of our new handmade paper frames from a.i. paper design with the sweetest picture of her two pet fancy rats "Autumn" and "Summer" -- thanks Gina for the beautiful picture! Check out other "art at home" submissions at our website.

Open Thurs. & Fri. till 7 pm

2010-04-19T14:26:00.000-04:00

We're now open till 7 pm on Thursday and Friday evenings -- we hope this makes us even more convenient for you. We asked in our e-newsletter about shopping hours at our store and Newburyport in general. The evening most people picked as being their first choice for later shopping was Thursday, followed by Friday. So, now we're doing both. Thank you for your input :) And hope to see you soon!

Plum Island -- 100th anniversary of flight

2010-04-19T14:12:00.000-04:00

Did you know the history of flight on PI is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week? Bruce Carter of Newburyport, has taken the aerial photographs that we have here in the gallery, and has been working on this beautiful diorama commemorating the 100th anniversary. A story appeared in Friday's The Daily News.

New mirrors just arrived

2010-04-16T13:32:00.001-04:00

It's been a couple of years since we've had these mirrors by Old Pool Glassworks in Maine and I'm so excited to have them here again. The stained glass ones are really pretty with lots of blues and greens; and I love the beach rock one too. Mirrors are 16"x16" and range from $116-$146

New encaustic painting by Robin Luciano Beaty

2010-04-05T14:21:00.004-04:00

"Confluence #5" -- encaustic wax, 36"x36"

Artist demonstration with Matt Brown on Saturday, ArtWalk

2010-04-05T10:06:00.005-04:00

Reminder: This Saturday, 4/10, is the first ArtWalk special event for 2010 and we're excited that woodblock printmaker Matt Brown will be here doing a demonstration! Please join us between 4 and 7 pm. Matt makes his prints using the traditional Japanese hanga method, with a rope barren to rub the paper over multiple colored woodblocks. These are prints made by hand, without a press. Matt will offer a demonstration of this method. Please stop by to meet Matt, see more prints in person, and learn more about the process. Hope to see many of you here for this special event!

Open Later in Newburyport

2010-04-01T07:21:00.001-04:00

Did you know you can shop in the evening during the spring in Newburyport? Here's a list of all the stores that are open at least one night. (Please click on image to view larger.) Also, see this week's article in the Daily News of Newburyport...

New artist: Colleen Kidder

2010-03-31T14:43:00.006-04:00

We want to let everyone that we're now showing paintings by Ipswich, MA artist Colleen Kidder. Colleen studied art history and painting continuously throughout the 1970's in New York and Vermont. While in Boston during the 1980's she studied textile and jewelry design.
In 1992 she moved with her husband and two sons to Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1992 and opened "Eliza Gray's Goods," a retail shop dealing with merchandised home furnishings and antiques as well as her own jewelry designs and paintings.

In 2000 Colleen closed her shop and built a studio next to her home so that she could pursue her passion for painting. I love Colleen's fresh colors and the texture of the oil pastels of many of her paintings. Below are "In the Clouds" (oil pastel) and "On the Hill" (oil).

Handmade cards by local artist Gina Lee Kim now available!

2010-03-31T14:13:00.004-04:00

We're really pleased to now offer handmade cards by local artist Gina Lee Kim. These watercolor & mixed-media cards are 5" x 7" size - perfect for framing! Cards are $10 each and have a special backstory.

According to Gina's blog these are not prints but lovingly handmade, each-an-original mini-art cards with stitching, doilies, ribbon and fabric. Each one is slightly different. For more information on purchasing, please call (978) 499-8444.

Thursdays till 7 pm

2010-03-25T17:26:00.000-04:00

Beginning tonight our shop is now open Thursdays till 7 pm. Did you know that many other shops in downtown Newburyport are also open in the evening? Starting April 1, there are about 20 businesses that are open Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings in town. I didn't realize it myself until we compiled a list. Look for posters around town in the next week. And most importantly we hope this is convenient for you to stop by on your way home from work if you work in the city or just can't make it before 5:30 or 6 pm.

Valerie's Gallery custom designed new necklace

2010-03-25T17:16:00.001-04:00

This is kind of an exciting moment for us. One of our regular jewelry designers, Donnabeth Mitchell, has created a new colorway inspired by one of our suggestions. This is not the best photograph, but it gives you an idea. It's a very pretty lavender and light blue with a bit of green and sparkle of fuschia. Very soft colors. Thanks Donnabeth! It's so much prettier in person - please take a peek in person if you're in the shop.

New florals by Dorothy Kerper Monnelly

2010-03-25T17:10:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share two new beautiful photographs by Dorothy Kerper Monnelly. These are taken with a 4x5 medium format camera. I just love them!

Two new designs by Jim Conley

2010-03-10T08:55:00.002-05:00

Jeweler Jim Conley has just created two new beautiful rings. Just wanted to share a sneak peak of them to you.

ArtWalk guest artist: Matt Brown

2010-03-08T12:35:00.004-05:00

We're very excited to have woodblock printmaker Matt Brown here for the first ArtWalk for 2010. Look for Matt to be here around 4 or 5 pm on Saturday, April 10. Matt makes his prints using the traditional Japanese hanga method, with a rope barren to rub the paper over multiple colored woodblocks. These are prints made by hand, without a press. Matt will offer a demonstration of this method. Please stop by to meet Matt, see more prints in person, and learn more about the process. Hope to see many of you here for this special event!.

More online shopping

2010-02-08T12:30:00.014-05:00

We've been adding new collections to our website for online shopping. New jewelry by Donnabeth Mitchell, Philippa Roberts, Jill O'Reilly, Kathy Bransfield and Lauren Pollaro can now be purchased online. We're going to try really hard to keep it up-to-date so only those items for sale are pictures in the Online Shopping area. We know we're all busy and this, we hope, is a convenient step for customers who might not want to come out on these really cold days. We've also put up some mugs by Purple Sage Pottery and some of the new Beehive pewter kitchenware.

For example, click below to see some of the jewelry available to purchase online by...

Donnabeth Mitchell

Beehive pewter kitchenware

Introducing a new line of handmade cards!

2010-02-08T12:22:00.001-05:00

I'm very pleased to announce that Valerie's Gallery is now offering a new collection of very pretty, locally-made Weehah! cards by Louisa Wimberger. Louisa may seem familar to some of you as she sold her cards at the Tannery's Farmers' Market in Newburyport this past summer! Retail price per card is $3.95.

Thank you for a wonderful season

2010-01-04T07:13:00.000-05:00

To all our wonderful customers, thank you for your business and support this holiday season and throughout the year. We all appreciate it very much!

Iris Minc, Purple Sage Pottery videos

2009-09-23T09:35:00.003-04:00

We have a new pottery video interview/demonstration on our website. We've been selling the ceramic work of Iris Minc, owner of Purple Sage Pottery in Merrimac, Mass., for awhile now, and we sat down with her while she was throwing teacups on her pottery wheel. She talks about wheel thrown and slab pottery, her different glazes, and the kiln firing process. If you're new to pottery and would like to learn more about the work involved, from a local potter too, this is is terrific and fascinatng information.The interview is divided into four videos (one about her, and three about the craft). Click here to go to the videos page.

Color woodblock prints by Matt Brown

2009-09-23T09:22:00.002-04:00

Woodblock prints by Matt Brown are now hanging in our gallery. Using multiple blocks of wood, and carving different parts of the final image into each block, Matt creates layered pictorial scenes of the lakes, mountains and oceans. They're wonderful to see in person and I hope you'll stop in to take a look.

ArtWalk 10/24/09

2009-09-10T08:16:00.000-04:00

The next Newburyport ArtWalk is Saturday, 10/24 from 3 to 7 pm.

Invitation Nights 12/4 and 12/11

2009-09-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

The first two Friday nights of December are traditionally "Invitation Nights" here in Newburyport. Merchants stay open till 9 pm, serving refreshments and holiday spirit to begin the shopping season.

Introducing Two New Artists

2009-08-29T20:27:00.005-04:00

We are very pleased to annouce two wonderful new artists to our gallery. Steel and river rocks by Festa Lamps of California and wood shorebirds by Paul Beauregard of Georgetown, Massachusetts. We look forward to seeing you in our gallery or feel free to visit our website at http://www.valeriesgalleries.com/.

Featured artist: Robin Luciano Beaty

2009-08-25T18:06:00.007-04:00

Robin Luciano Beaty is our featured artist through Sept. 21. Stop by to see her newest encaustic paintings. Through photographs like this, one misses the beautiful luminosity of the encaustic wax and the three-dimensional effect of the various textures and elements she includes in her paintings. It's worth a visit to see the work in person so we hope you'll stop by soon.

Letterpress cards by B Designs

2009-08-17T11:27:00.010-04:00

I'm excited to now carry a wonderful little line of letterpress notecards by B Designs of Amesbury, Mass. We have dozens of designs (these are just a sample pictured) and they are sweet, subtle images of usually about 1" square on a 3x5 folded notecard. By using simple, unassuming vintage illustrations combined with carefully selected typography, and the letterpress technique, you get a clear, crisp image that is slightly raised to the touch, and unlike any other commercial printed cards. Cards are sold individually.

Meet Robin Luciano Beaty Aug. 22, 3-6 pm

2009-08-06T07:05:00.008-04:00

Here at Valerie's, Robin Luciano Beaty will have a featured show of her newest encaustic paintings from August 19 through Sept. 21. Come meet Robin during a special art opening during the upcoming ArtWalk on Saturday, August 22 from 3 to 6 pm. Robin uses encaustic wax mixed and mixed media to create wonderful, textural paintings. It's a fascinating medium to work with, requiring a warm palette for the "wax" paint and brushes, and materials such as a heat gun, and items to embed in her paintings. We hope you'll stop by to meet robin and see the show.

And back by popular demand...

2009-06-24T20:52:00.006-04:00

Well that's not exactly true, but Eileen's demonstration was very popular and fascinating for adults and children so we've asked her back. During the Saturday, June 27 ArtWalk, Eileen will once again be demonstrating how she paints floorcloths and other painting techniques. Eileen also does painted furniture, gilding, wall murals, and more. She will also be teaching upcoming classes at the Tannery at her new studio. Please come by; we'd love to show you her work.

Floorcloth demonstration

2009-05-23T11:06:00.004-04:00

Eileen Whalen was here on the second invitation night on May 9 to demonstrate floorcloth painting and gilding.

Store Anniversary & Retailer of the Year

2009-05-14T14:29:00.004-04:00

Sometime I can't quite believe it, but it's our store's 7th anniversary next week so we'll be celebrating with cake on Saturday, May 23. Please come in and enter to win a $50 store gift certificate. We have another reason to celebrate as we were just awarded "Newburyport Retailer of the Year" by the Chamber of Commerce yesterday! Thank you to all our customers for your business and friendship and to my staff who always provide helpful and friendly service: Diane, Danielle and Pauline

Chocolate Tour May 16

2009-05-14T14:26:00.003-04:00

We are excited to participate in this year's American Red Cross Chocolate Tour of Newburyport. Tickets are $15 and attendees get to go to 20+ merchants around town for a chocolate goodie. You can buy tickets that day at the Unitarian Church on Pleasant Street or in advance at The Ruby Slipper, Valentine's, and Ballotin Chocolates.

Artist Demo: Eileen Whalen -- May 8th (Friday)

2009-05-04T11:54:00.005-04:00

On Friday, May 8, from 6 to 8 pm, Eileen Whalen will be demonstrating how she paints her floorcloths.

In addition to canvas floorcloths, Eileen does a lot of faux finish treatments for walls, and painted furniture. Recently, one of our customers requested Eileen to make two "wall" paintings for her home. Pictured at left are the wall paintings just before being delivered to the customer. Also, pictured at top are the floorcloths Eileen has been creating for us. Come by to see Eileen's demonstration on Friday.

Matthew Smith, printmaker "Then and Now" at Valerie's Gallery on April 4

2009-03-16T10:59:00.013-04:00

For the first ArtWalk on Saturday, April 4, from 3 to 7 pm, we will present "Matthew Smith: Then and Now" -- Rare, earlier works by printmaker Matthew Smith, depicting whales with swirling waters and aurora borealis skies, will be featured. *** Matthew will also be at the gallery on Saturday, April 4 *** introducing his newest works as part of this special show which runs through April.

Master jeweler Jim Conley to work with Valerie's Gallery

2009-03-05T15:13:00.009-05:00

Special announcement -- I'm pleased to announce that Jim Conley, goldsmith and silversmith,will be working with us to offer his jewelry for sale, and to providerepairs and custom work. I've long admired Jim's quality workmanship and think this will be a wonderful addition to our shop. He brings expertise, experience, solid craftsmanship and due to his previous store, a following of customers. Many of you may remember when Jim owned Conley's Goldsmith in Market Square. After selling the business, he took some needed time off and has decided to work once again in a venue in Newburyport. Here is the link to the story about this in today's Newburyport Daily News. Jim will be at Valerie's Gallery on Saturday mornings for personal consultations and repairs beginningMarch 21.

http://www.newburyportnews.com/punews/local_story_063224954.html

Video interview with Matthew Smith

2009-02-13T07:47:00.002-05:00

Now available for viewing on our website is a special two-part interview with artist Matthew Smith. About the Artist describes Matthew's unique background as a commercial fisherman and what brought him to printmaking. About the Craft details his printmaking process while on location at his home studio in Nottingham, New Hampshire. Both videos can also be seen in their entirety at our store! The video can now be seen on our website by clicking here.

"Art at Home" on website

2009-02-12T11:37:00.006-05:00

Art at Home is a place on our website where some of our valued customers have emailed pictures of items they've purchased displayed in their home. The picture at left is from Gina in Salisbury, Mass. Check out the Art at Home page at
http://www.valeriesgalleries.com/artists/artathome.html

I'd love more pictures! Please submit your own pictures by emailing vgcontests@gmail.com. Send in your pictures and receive a $10 store coupon as a thank you.

Matthew Smith prints a smaller Striped Bass

2009-02-12T11:25:00.007-05:00

New Hampshire printmaker Matthew Smith has recently printed a new smaller Striper called "Northern Striped Bass." It's a beautifully done, very detailed print, that is a great alternative if you love Matthew's original larger Striped Bass prints. My photograph doesn't quite do the job for showing you how fine the detail is. Matthew's prints are first created by etching a copper plate and cutting the perimeter of the fish shape out. Each copper plate is then "painted" with printer's inks (lots of them, in different layers) and passed through the press one at a time. The 'Northern Striped Bass' is 11"x17" framed in cherry, and $150.

Poppy Bowls

2009-01-29T17:04:00.006-05:00

Potter Kristin Lemieux has just come in a few sets of her poppy bowls. They come as a set of three and all nest together. What a wonderful wedding gift or for entertaining. Shown is the Turquoise with Brown set which is a bit larger than the Turquoise with Cobalt set. Sets range from $90-$110.

Introducing Connie Rossetti

2009-01-29T16:51:00.009-05:00

New to the gallery is potter Connie Rossetti of Rowley, Mass. Connie makes these wonderful rattles that are spiritual in origin but also intricate works of art. (When shaken while encircling the body the rhythmic sounds of the rattle loosen negative patterns lodged in the aura that can later cause illness.) They are all different designs and even create different sounds when shaken. For Valentine's Day, Connie also has made some heart ornaments with dragonfly and bee designs. Connie has mermaid tiles and vases as well. Rattles range from $30-$35. Ornaments are $12.

Introducing Rachel Wilcox

2009-01-29T16:05:00.012-05:00

We're excited to introduce artist Rachel Wilcox. Rachel is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and paints regularly from her home studio in Newburyport. She loves living in Newburyport and walks around town daily. Her paintings are richly colored works of out-of-the-ordinary Newburyort neighborhoods. To see more of Rachel's paintings, please visit our website. To see some of Rachel's beautiful illustrations, please also visit her website http://www.raewilcox.com/.

Special promotion by Matthew Smith

2008-12-02T15:54:00.003-05:00

Are you a collector of Matthew Smith's etchings? If you are, or if you've been thinking about making your first purchase, Matthew is offering a special Collector's Discount of 10% off now through Christmas. These may be purchased online or in-store. This special is for open to all our customers so it's a great time to take advantage of a special promotion and purchase your next (or first) artwork! click here to go to our website or call us at (978) 499-8444

Photographs of downtown Newburyport

2008-12-02T15:42:00.013-05:00

As I looked through our selection of wintry Newburyport photographs, I'm reminded once again how special the holiday season feels here. Pictured are images by Dan Powers and Jim Scourletis which are available for purchase. Please inquire or visit our website. Jim also has created holiday cards of two of his photographs (the black and white Inn Street and the holiday tree in Market Square)

Invitation Nights - Dec. 5 and Dec. 12

2008-12-02T15:34:00.003-05:00

Don't forget that the first two Friday evenings in December are "Invitation Nights" at downtown Newburyport stores. We invite you and your friends to come out for these evenings of hospitality from 6 to 9 pm. Enjoy beverages and refreshments while you shop!

Customer "Art at Home" Contest!

2008-11-26T12:12:00.007-05:00

We're looking to add a section on our website to show customer snapshots of art and craft in their home, purchased from our shop.

Every entry will receive a $10 Valerie's Gallery gift certificate AND a chance to win a $50 restaurant gift certificate.

Ideas for what we're thinking of:
* Did you redo your kitchen or bath cabinets or furniture with the glassknobs?
* Did you hang two or three Matthew Smith prints together on a wall?
* Did you hang a large piece of art over a fireplace?
* Do you use a ceramic bowl as a centerpiece for a tabletop?
* Do you use a mousepad at your desk?
* Did you hang a hot air balloon or Salamandra Glass rondell in a special window?

We'd love to have your pictures on our website. It's great to see how customers use what they purchase in their home settings.

For your privacy, only your first name and town will be included on the web page.

Please email your pictures to: vgcontests@gmail.com -- Deadline: December 10, 2008

Have you hugged your mug today?

2008-11-20T17:25:00.008-05:00

Hand Warmer Mugs are here! If you have been looking for these mugs and appreciate their "warm" design, rest assured they can be purchased once again in Newburyport. (They were carried by both Newburyport Candle & Mug and Hog on Ice Gallery before they closed.) Clay in Motion in Oregon makes these wonderful mugs with their copyrighted design of a slip in handle that keeps your fingers toasty warm while drinking your cocoa or coffee. Try one out; also available in a leftie version.

New! Lauren Pollaro earrings

2008-11-09T16:24:00.024-05:00

We've just received our first order of earrings by Lauren Pollaro. Lauren is a member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and makes intricate collage earrings, some with just papers and others with silver, copper and gold-filled metal. She is an accomplished artist and designer and I'm excited to carry her work here. Her background in fine arts and graphic design led her originally to strike out on her own with a line of greeting cards with collages. At a show, many years ago, she made a simple pin from one of the collages and her jewelry has taken off every since.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T08:11:00.014-05:00

In Newburyport, we had a fun time with all the oh-so-cute trick or treaters who came by! On Halloween afternoon, downtown merchants and restaurants hosted this traditional Halloween activity for families. Pictured are employee Diane with her crazy glasses, and gloves. And little Kalla Lively and her friend Wyatt, and then a group of masked children. We had such a great with all the children!

Art Exchange with Ferry Wharf

2008-10-30T18:38:00.003-04:00

Rosalie Cuticchia, owner of Ferry Wharf Gallery in Newburyport, and I thought it might be a beneficial and innovative idea to swap some of our art to give our artists a different venue which might expose them to new customers. So, for a few weeks in November, the Ferry Wharf Gallery will be showing a collection of Matthew Smith etchings from our gallery, and we will be showing additional works by Karen Jones, Karen Lynch, Erik Minzner (Newburyport watercolor pictured) and Peggy Luderer from the Ferry Wharf Gallery.

Tin Woodsman all online!

2008-10-17T07:08:00.005-04:00

Do you love the fish measuring spoons and cups by the Tin Woodsman Pewter Company? For awhile now we have been offering their entire product line on our website. They are great at regularly introducing new items. Just check out this link. Jim and Deborah Chapman are the owners and original designers for the Tin Woodsman company. Along with their small group of employees, they create, cast and finish all their pieces on-site in Eugene, Oregon.

Floorcloths

2008-10-15T15:19:00.004-04:00

New item: Floorcloths by Eileen Cox of Newburyport. These are durable, painted floorcloths that are treated so to be stain-resistant so they can be cleaned with a damp sponge. She's painted an assortment of designs including crabs, starfish and graphic designs. Sizes are 2 ft x 3 ft and are selling for $175. If you're interested just let us know.

Newburyport ArtWalk 10/25

2008-10-15T15:16:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, Oct. 25 from 3 - 7 pm, the galleries of Newburyport will be hosting the final ArtWalk for 2008. At our gallery, please join us to meet artist Robin Luciano Beaty from 3 to 5 pm. Robin paints small encaustic paintings of winter trees in fields and ocean views in a series called "Above and Beyond."

Featured artist: Robin Luciano Beaty

2008-09-24T08:08:00.010-04:00

We are currently featuring paintings by Robin Luciano Beaty of Byfield, who is working with the encaustic medium of beeswax and dry pigment. We love her amazing results of soft and textured finishes and the smooth palette of color she uses.

New website design

2008-09-24T08:04:00.006-04:00

Well, we're on our way with a newly designed website. I wanted it to be more about our artists and us than about just shopping online. Look for bigger, more colorful pictures and more useful information about the care and use of pieces. We'll also be having more small featured shows from time to time in the store and those will be shown on the website. Also, new to the website will be a little video that will pan around the store and different works.