Left Bank Gallery

Jody Craven

2009-07-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

A high school boy came in to see Jody Craven's work today. He has taken Jody's art metal and jewelry classes at Nauset High School and is planning an independent for the fall.

Lucky bugger.

Hardwear by Renee

2009-07-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

In today's episode of What is Susan Freaking Out About in the Gallery Now? we meet this lovely Hardwear by Renee handbag:

Yes, the picture is taken at my house because I succumbed to the charms of this particular bag. In the background is the zucchini plant that is plotting world domination. But that is neither here nor there.

Things I love about my brandy spandy new Hardwear by Renee handbag:

It is made from leftover marine vinyl, which means it's environmentally friendly AND can be wiped off.
The bottom is wood, so it stays flat instead of flopping over and spilling its contents all over the place.
I get tons of compliments about it and everyone wants to know where I got it.

We don't have them up on the website (someone was too busy picking out which one she wanted to take pictures), but if you call the gallery, they can tell you what sizes and colors are available. 508-247-9172 (Orleans) or 508-349-7939 (Wellfleet)

And then you can just sit back and acknowledge the compliments.

Fobots

2009-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Fobots!

From the website:

Each Fobot is numbered, with a copper plate on its back bearing the word "FOBOT" and its individual number. We call them butt tags.
Warning: Fobots are not toys, they are not functional, and they will not go on a rampage while you sleep. May contain lead solder (duh!), so don't eat them.

You can see our Fobots here.

Jim Holland - sneak peek!

2009-06-30T11:02:00.001-07:00

While the new paintings won't arrive for another few days, you can see them ahead of time on our website!

The Jim's show opens at 10am on Saturday, with an artist reception from 6 to 8pm. Please come by!

The exhibit continues through July 17.

Jim Holland in American Art Collector

2009-06-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

"Being an artist is a very personal thing. For me, I tend to go for things that are iconic and emblematic."
- Jim Holland, in American Art Collector.

(click the picture to read the article)

New Brochure!

2009-06-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

We're saving trees and landfills and stamps, oh my!

Click the schedule, above, and you can see our 2009 brochure - online! This year we added statements from each artist, and because it's interactive, you can click through to their web pages and see new work as soon as it's posted.

Mark your calenders! We have some great shows lined up for you.

making art with art, for art

2009-06-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Cindy Knight created this gorgeous arrangement for the MFA's Art in Bloom, using a Willsea-O'Brien Funnel Vase.

2009 show schedule

2009-05-23T15:09:00.001-07:00

July 4 - 17
Jim Holland
Reception:
July 4, 6 to 8pm

July 18 - 31
Mary Bourke
Jennifer O’Connell
Amy Kaufman
Reception:
July 18, 6 to 8pm

August 1- 14
Ellen Granter
Graceann Warn
Reception:
August 1, 6 to 8pm

August 15 - 28
Del-Bourree Bach
Peter Batchelder
Steven Kennedy
Joyce Zavorskas
Reception:
August 15, 6 to 8pm

All shows are at 25 Commercial Street, Wellfleet

Paintings will be posted to the website for preview 48 hours before each show opens.

Ellen Welch Granter - 2009 show statement

2009-05-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

My paintings are an expression of my desire to create beautiful and pure images of my favorite subjects. For me, the point of painting them is not to create a souvenir image of a place, or an accurate illustration, but rather to try to capture the subject’s barest essence in a sparely composed way using a lush palette and rich textures.
The subjects of my paintings all come from my pesronal experience. My process usually begins with my own orignal photographs or sketches, then I strip away most of the details. I try to balance the composition over large luminous fields of layered color. I work quickly, in short bursts of concentration in an effort to allow the looseness and inspiration of the original idea to remain intact.
Using large fields of undifferentiated color, I am trying to concentrate attention on the subject, such as the heart-stoppingly delicate smallness of a bird in the vastness of the sky, or the constellation of a group of birds as they alight and take off, or the patterns of wriggiling turtles swimming around a pond. As a counterpoint to the color fields, I incorporate linear elements such as reeds, powerlines, fences, or branches to help bring the scale of the subjects into focus. By keeping some edges blurred and some crisp and building in varying levels of abstraction, the image stays in motion and comes to life.
What is interesting to me about my recent work is how the repetition of forms such as the house sparrow has allowed the myriad small variations and permutation that happen to become more important. This repetitive approach to my creative process has surprisingly multiplied for me the variety of ideas to explore.

Joyce Gardner Zavorskas - show statement

2009-05-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

My muse is shifting sand and clay, slipping and sliding, enduring then uncertain.

Random patterns and rhythms appear and disappear, earth without embellishment, elusive and uncertain. Cliffs, after storms, are scoured and blasted battlefields, canvases with nature’s wrath and fury etched on their facades. Restless and uprooted fragments of organic matter, like discarded trash, litter their slopes. Bearing witness to a changing world, the cliffs endure, our silent ocean sentinels.

The experience of being in the landscape provides an amphitheater of natural phenomena, an arena of complex, naked earth. Things in nature are in metamorphosis, transmuting minute by minute; a serene refuge of the spirit one day, drastically altered and menacing the next. Crusted layers of pigment on canvas or luminous etching ink on gritted plates relate to layers of land observed over time. Revisiting landscape close to home builds familiarity and personal connection, and that understanding reveals aspects of my identity in the world and my place within it.

Hiking to remote areas to sketch and paint on site provides my initial reference material, edited to essentials in the studio. Retreating to the studio provides distance from observation, an opportunity to edit and explore with more diverse materials, brushstrokes, brayers or wax. Canvas is activated with crusted layered surfaces, sanded and painted many times, as are the layered monoprint plates, uniquely inked and wiped, letting go of specificity and allowing pigment to create the work in both media.

Observed phenomena documents fragments of time, intuitively and spontaneously. These paintings journal my familiar, my origins, the places on earth visited since childhood. I feel a reverence for these authentic, iconic and evolving natural monuments; birthplace for cliff swallows and soul-place for me.

Explorer's Guide

2009-05-08T19:18:00.001-07:00

We're recommended!

2009-04-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Look at all the things people do around here!

emergency broadcast - retiring artist!

2009-04-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

There are some things you think will always be around.

Arthur Bauman's mobiles have been a signature of our Commercial Street gallery for years. When visitors talk about this location, they often refer to it as "the gallery with the mobiles." That's about to change. If you've been putting off picking out the one you'd like, the time is now!

Arthur recently told us he's retiring after many years of making mobiles - a career which follows an already full career in the Foreign Service.

We have mobiles in the Orleans gallery and in the Commercial Street, Wellfleet, gallery. There are also some smaller, table pieces available in Wellfleet. You can see them on the web, although it is by no means a complete representation of the hanging pieces. They are the dickens to photograph, so we haven't posted all of them.

If there's one you're interested in, please give us a call soon. When they're gone, they're gone!

We wish Arthur and his wife a very happy (and well-deserved) retirement.

hot off the press

2009-04-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Have you been getting our newsletters? They're riveting. Subscribe here so you don't miss the next one!

Niche interview

2009-04-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our award, NICHE magazine interviewed Audrey recently. Here's what she had to say (the interview is here):

What is your best-selling medium and price range?
Our best-selling medium is ceramics, and our best-selling price range is $30 to $150. We have a very diverse collection of ceramics, from decorative to what we call the “potter’s pottery.” We offer functional pieces that enhance your everyday life and make you feel connected to the artisan.

What is your most surprising best seller?
Ed and Kate Coleman’s pottery. Their tiles show their creative spirit, and our clients love putting sets of three or six together.

Do you see more tourist or local traffic? What do you do to appeal to these groups?
We are basically in a seasonal area. Our summer traffic is our busiest season, with a shoulder season on both ends. We are fortunate to also represent a collection of fine art paintings of all styles. This gives us an opportunity to have a wider audience of buyers.

Have you had to change your marketing campaign in light of the current economy?
We have not changed our focus in what we purchase. We find our clients know us for our outstanding collection of ceramics, and they seek us out when purchasing gifts that they know are handcrafted.

Have you altered your budget in light of the current economy?
We have altered our budget somewhat, as far as the size of our orders. We have not changed our price points. We would never change the quality of the work carry.

What is your local economy like now? How are you altering your business model to reflect this?
Our clients are being very cautious, but they are still buying. We are giving incentives like holiday sales and free shipping. We try to encourage a dialogue with our clients to help them understand the crafts we sell. We love telling them stories about our artists and their accomplishments.

Gail Bessette - new paintings!

2009-04-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

We have several new, small Gail Bessette paintings in Orleans (and on our website)! The prices are not listed online because they are Very Well Priced and we are not permitted to advertise the prices.*

Please call the Orleans gallery if you'd like more information on any of these paintings: 508.247.9172.

*under two thousand dollars!

where we are

2009-03-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

In the words of Monty Python, we're not dead yet!

Late last year, we decided it was time to close the Orleans gallery. We put the building on the market and started saying our goodbyes.

Since it's easier to sell than pack, we kept the gallery open whenever anyone needed to be in the building. We had a great January. And then we had a great February. While the building hasn't sold, a lot of paintings, jewelry and crafts have!

For those of you who have not had the chance to stop us in the grocery store and ask what on earth is going on with the gallery: we're still here.

So please, stop by! Stock up on gifts! Buy a painting! Or buy the building, if you'd like. It's a beauty.

Michael Magyar - a studio visit

2009-03-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile we get out and about and do some visiting. Last week we dropped by to see Michael Magyar in his studio, Glass Studio on Cape Cod.

Unfortunately, we were not there on a glass blowing day. That meant they were able to chat with us a bit, but it also means we'll have to go back later for some awesome demonstration photos. Darn.

We love seeing where people work! To be in a space where they make the art we unpack and display at the gallery is kind of magical. Especially if you're a kid.

There's a box labeled "for kids only!" It's full of glass bobbles. Kids get to pick out a bobble to take home. It's important work, picking out the perfect one.

Everywhere you look there are ornaments and glasses, vases and lamps. Because we spend so much of our time with artists, we take some of this for granted. Despite the rose-colored glasses (no pun intended) through which we view the world, everything people use and buy is NOT made this way anymore. With mysterious looking tools and very hot fires, with techniques handed down through generations. It makes you look differently at your water glass.

Kathleen Masterson

2009-03-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Is it even possible to walk on the beach and not pick up a stone or two? There's something about them that makes you want to take the home with you. Especially if you're Kathleen Masterson.

Kathleen Masterson (aka KEM Design) makes jewelry out of the beach stones she picks up - earrings, bracelets, necklaces and some clever badge holders that can also be used as eyeglass keepers. You can see them on our website, or drop by the gallery so you can check them out in person!

And while you're browsing the web, be sure to read Stephanie Foster's terrific article about Kathleen Masterson in the Cape Codder!

Left Bank in the New York Times

2009-03-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, the secret's out.

A couple days ago there was an article in the New York Times about how peaceful Cape Cod is in the off season (Sounds of Silence on Cape Cod, by Laura M. Holson).

While the author stayed in Chatham, she did make her way down the Cape to Wellfleet for lunch at the Wicked Oyster. And what's a trip to Wellfleet without a visit to Left Bank Gallery? A travesty, that's what. A travesty she deftly avoided.

Ms. Holson describes finding her way to our Small Works gallery, where she bought a Christina Goodman brooch. My, what lovely taste she has!

The article made me want to go take a walk on the beach and explore some of the places she describes - especially the hot stone massage at CBI.

Our crocuses have come up, which means we won't have long to listen to those sounds of silence. In Ms. Holson's words:

"And along the shore, there is always the promise of spring, when small waves frozen in sand will retreat with the thaw and slip back to sea, waiting to embrace the crowds when they arrive once again."

Christina Goodman

2009-02-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

Freshly posted: a whole new collection of Christina Goodman jewelry!

sculptors sculpting

2009-02-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

If you've ever wondered about the casting process of sculpture, wonder no more. Bill Starke, whose works are at our gallery in Orleans, shared this website about an installation he did for Regis Jesuit High School.

Look here to see a slideshow of the casting, finishing, and installation of The Climbers. Each climber is about 32” long and weighs 20 pounds. Nine of them are on this 30' wall.

According to Bill, the installation is a "visual metaphor of the concept of climbing to the next level in life, the struggle to achieve and the journey to accomplish a goal. It also references the concept that the things we accomplish in life happen with the help of others."

The Evangelist

2009-02-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

A film crew is coming to the gallery! Nate Chapman is filming The Evangelist in Wellfleet, and will be using Left Bank in some of the scenes.

Here's a preview.

They are looking for people to fill supporting roles and bit parts. Casting calls are:

Wellfleet Public Library - 2/22: 10:00-6:00
Provincetown Art House - 2/14,2/15: 12:00-4:00

"The Evangelist": Gay middle-aged theater director has recently adopted a twelve-year old named Gideon Bellamont. Gideon soon reveals that he is a religious fanatic and wants to spend all of his time evangelizing to the local community. He drags Danny on his mission and it quickly starts to put a strain on the newly formed father-son relationship.

Groundhogs and Ospreys

2009-02-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

This painting, which is truly about as big as you see it here, is making me want to go kayaking. It reminds me of paddling through Town Cove in Orleans, and spotting an osprey nest in the distance.

Whatever that groundhog has to say about it, today feels decidedly springlike. Yes, it's supposed to snow tomorrow, but today is mild and sunny and we really just want to be flipping through seed catalogs. Darn groundhog.

above: Del-Bourree Bach, "The Nest" 8.75"x8.75" (framed) $485

Wellfleet Clock Company

2009-01-29T18:49:00.000-08:00

I was lurking on a random stranger's blog today and was struck speechless by this photo:

That, my friends, is one of Jeff Pozgay's time and tide clocks on the mantel. TwoBusy, we commend your taste.