New artist: Colleen Kidder

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!.