Christmas Market

It was a perfect weather day for the Christmas market at Graceway Gourmet yesterday.  Our table was dressed in the holiday spirit with pine wreaths and capeze shell ornaments in addition to the usual goodies.

A good showing of vendors brought nice variety for shoppers.

Lucie Winton Stubbs and Emma Halliday at their tables.

Melissa Willcocks of Orion Creations shared a table with Paradise Arts Ceramics.

 Sara Kauffman was all smiles in her elf outfit for the Middle Caicos Co-Op table.

Chrystel Loyer Kendrew had made beautiful handmade cards with her photographs especially for the holiday season.

Atelys Handcrafted jewelry was a very popular table, anything in her collections would have made for a special stocking surprise.  The whole day was great fun, so good to see so many creative people under the same tent with everyone was in the holiday spirit! Shoppers should feel great about choosing local products made by local people and the vendors should feel good about a portion of proceeds benefiting local charities (this market went to the Kidney Foundation).

Art Expo this Saturday!

Come one, come all, to the biggest and brightest gathering of local Turks and Caicos artistic talent around!  The white top tent in Turtle Cove will be bursting at the seams with beautiful handcrafted pieces perfect for holiday gift giving or displaying at home.  A small teaser from a few of the participating artists:

 LWS Designs

Krystin Frank Mann

 Chrystel Loyer Kendrew

Atelys Handcrafted Jewelry

All images via facebook

I will have additional driftwood sculptures, a few new items I am excited to share, the usual past favorites, and even a box of half priced items ready for quick sell!

Drift No. 8 base 5"dia x 21"h

Drift No. 9 base 12"w x 6"d x 23"h

Drift No. 10 base 6.5"dia x 34"h

 Drift No. 11 base 6"dia x 30.5"h x 37"w

New Work and Artist Reception at Framing Grace Gallery

Get your Black Friday fix at Framing Grace Gallery!  There will be a welcome reception tomorrow evening for recently arrived to Provo oil painter Charlotte Readhead in addition to new work from many resident gallery artists.  I will be debuting my first sculpture series; "Drift":

Drift No. 4 base 6"dia x 37"h

 Drift No. 1 base 6" dia x 21"h

Drift No. 2 base 6"dia x  27"h

 Drift No. 3 base 6" x 29"h

Drift No. 5 base 5"dia x 16"h

Drift No. 6 base 5"dia x 20"h

Drift No. 7 base 6" dia x 41"h

I also have a hot off the press abstract waterscape painting that will be shown for the first time in public (pictured below).  Please join us from 6-8pm for martinis, meet the artists, and holiday cheer!  The Regent Village will be aglow with holiday lights and  Flowers by Environmental Arts will have  open doors for the celebration so there will be plenty of lovely around to look at!  We hope to see you there!

Waterscape 36"w x 50"h x 3"d

UPDATE!

A few images from the evening!

Neighboring Environmental Arts Flower Shop filled with goodies and heavenly scents for the holidays.

The gallery reception was even better attended than expected, there were moments when crossing the room simply wasn't an option!  So nice to have so many people come out in support of our local art community, the room was absolutely abuzz with conversation.

Many thanks to all my friends who came to show their support!

Congratulations to Joelle and Neil on their beautiful new space and wonderful location in the Regent Village and many thanks for hosting such a great evening at the gallery!

Amazing Grace Waterscape

 "Amazing Grace Waterscape" 2012 copyright Stacie J. Steensland

At the beginning of this year I did a proposal for Amazing Grace, highlighting what a major impact art and accessories could achieve in such beautifully boned home.  We decided on a commissioned painting for the dining room as a takeoff point.  

To begin, I looked at the predominant color palette within the home; seafoam greens paired with oceanic aquas and denim blues.  A touch of lavender greys, and layer after layer of glaze, completed the first stage of the painting (above).

The next step, detail above, was to add silver leafing to add drama and dimension.  

The series of four photographs above demonstrate how the painting looks different from every angle, additionally with various quantities of light, due to the reflective nature of the silver leaf.

The final step was a thick, hyper high gloss top coat, that holds the eternal appearance of looking wet to the touch; the perfect finish for a painting inspired by the sea.  This type of finish adds a whole other dimension to a work of art, a dimension that is next to impossible to portray in photographs.

 

What you see here pales in comparison to what you would see standing before it in person.

I do hope my clients love it as much as I do, my favorite abstract to date!

Happy Birthday Brother

Image copyright Stacie J. Steensland

Twenty-six years young . . . on a beach in Ha-wa-ai-ii!

Happy Mother's Day!

Image copyright Stacie J. Steensland

Working on a series of collages using my photographs from Turks and Caicos combined with inspirational quotes. More to come . . .

Commissioned works and modifications

Before

The above painting sat idly at Framing Grace Gallery for several months, when all of the other paintings within this series flew off the wall as fast as I could finish them.  Gallery proprietor Joelle Behlmaier and I agreed to modify the colors from less emerald and royal to more tiffany box blue based on the feedback from gallery guests.

Mid-way

As I primarily paint on finished plywood frames, I am able to quickly sand layers away and add new without the risk of damaging canvas.  I wanted to soften this piece overall and also add more life to the bottom corner that felt a bit empty before.

After

This piece demonstrates nicely that with my paintings, the work is never set in stone! Clients are more than welcome to provide input throughout the creation of a commissioned work.  Texture, design, layout, and color can all be modified to meet your every expectation.  Even in the case of part time residents who are not able to visit the studio, progress reports and photographs may be corresponded through e-mail.

Guest Post from Arcadian Lighting, Arts and Crafts Style

Hello! I'm Jessica, a writer for Arcadian Lighting, a blog and website specializing in lighting fixtures and interior design ideas. I'm delighted to be guest posting today for Pepper and Pikey because I'm going to be sharing a particular interior design style known as Arts and Crafts. This style emerged in the 1860s as a reaction to the industrial revolution where many products and furnishings were suddenly mass produced. Arts and Crafts interiors are all about simple designs, traditional hand crafted furniture or built-in, and a muted, natural color palette of green, brown or plum. I hope you enjoy!

The rudimentary wooden furniture and nature-inspired patterns in this Manhattan apartment create a handsome example of Arts and Crafts style. The intricate, floral ceiling light and Tiffany lamp are classic choices from the turn of the century.

The beige and pale green color palette in this room is typical for traditional Arts and Crafts interior designs, as is the built-in fire place and mantle in the corner.

This gorgeous built-in shelving and fireplace in the living room provides a warm, inviting focal point for the room. It demonstrates the simple, linear design aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts style.

The charming, simple tile work and a soft green and yellow color palette give this kitchen a fresh, cozy atmosphere. I really love the cupboard doors.

Another handsome Arts and Crafts fireplace, this one features a beautiful collection of vegetal-inspired pottery and accent tiles. The bronze fire shield has a swirling, intricate bird design that's a little more Art Nouveau, but still appropriate given both Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau were popular during the same time.

I love this chic, traditional master bathroom especially for its skylight and tiled floor. The circular design on the skylight, floor and counter creates a cohesive scene, and subtle green accents work beautifully with the wood cupboards.

This light-filled kitchen is so bright and energetic with all of it's vibrant green and yellow accents. The open shelving provides an excellent place to display the most beautiful ceramics and dishware.

Everything about this dining room is warm and inviting thanks to abundant use of solid mahogany. The tone of the wood picks up nicely on the yellow colors in the unique ceiling light and matching wall sconce.

Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

What do you think of this very cozy, handsome and organic interior design style? If you're looking for more design inspiration and a light fixture or two inspired by days gone by, check out Arcadian Lighting.