Officially Open for Business!

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Friday night was the soft opening of my new studio, in Rhinebeck, NY.  My studio is my working and teaching studio, as well as a gallery and wholesale/retail outlet for my cards. It is located at 18 Garden Street in Rhinebeck, and is upstairs from my good friend Judi Esmond's business Hudson Valley Pottery.   If you are a Facebook junkie like I am, you can find the FB page link to my studio's  on Hudson Valley Pottery's website link to me....HERE, as well as get a brief bio/description of my work. 

It was well attended, and I am always thrilled that my friends come to support me now, as they have for many years. I was not totally prepared - sales wise, as people wanted a price list of the art, which I had not gotten to yet. In my mind, it was not meant to be a "sale" opening, and I figured I would sell some cards/journals, but to my great surprise I sold two paintings and a mixed media collage!! I was so honestly unprepared for sales that I did NOT have any "red dots" and instead had to use hot pink loose leaf hole-reinforcements!

Saturday was the first Mini Workshop that I did in collaboration with Hudson Valley Pottery, called Made With Love. In Judi's studio, children made heart ornaments and bowls out of clay. Upstairs, in my studio, children, teens, and adults made Valentines based upon some from my antique collection. It was a busy time, and it bought me great joy to watch people make Valentine cards with much care and love!

I have to start writing up ideas for teaching more classes. One class that I want to do is Reclaiming Your Creativity, or, as someone suggested: "What Was Your Name Before Mom?" The other is Mixed Media, and I would love to teach an Intro to painting class. All of this takes time and prep, something I am not stranger to.

Hope you are surviving the snows and storms of February...this week looks like I will be home painting instead of traveling to my jobs part of the week!

PS> A thank you to Stephanie for taking photos of the studio before the party. My photographer husband was too busy partying to do it!

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