A Glance at Our Holiday Open House and Book Signing Event!

Authors Lorraine LaJoie and Robin Taylor-Chiarello 

 Last Saturday, November 29th, we had our Annual Holiday Open House and Book Signing Event, We had several artists here roaming the gallery including Tom Merriam, Sandy Bell, Sandy Crowell, Bert Weiss and Authors Lorraine Lajoie a and Robin Taylor-Chiarello mingling with our guests and signing books. A great time was had by all and we especially loved the wine, sparkling water, and homecooked hors d'oeuvres made by Bill and the Elves.

Artists Tom Merriam and Sandy Crowell enjoying the work of  fellow artist Jean Swan Gordon

Bill and Sandy pause for a candid!

Thank you ALL for yet another wonderful event at Harvest Gold Gallery!

Annual Artist Open House and Book Signing with Lorraine LaJoie

Harvest Gold Gallery’s 
Annual Holiday Open House & Book Signing!

Please Join Us at our Annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, November 29th 1:00pm to 5:00pm It's that time of year again! We love fall here in beautiful Center Lovell. The air is crisp, and snow is just around the corner. It also means its time for our Annual Holiday Open House! Gather your friends and family and join us for wine, refreshments, book signings, art, and joy!

Author Lorraine LaJoie will be at the Reception signing copy's of her book The Need For Balance: Body, Mind, Spirit

Lorraine has over 20 years experience in energy work. Her latest book offers a guided meditation to align the chakras. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Harvest Gold Gallery: On the Road! Show Dates and Schedule

Harvest Gold Gallery

Holiday Craft Fair and Show Schedule

2014

 Saturday, November 15th    10-4pm

 Sunday, November 16th      10-3pm

- USM Craft Show @

The Costello Sports Complex Field House @ 

USM Gorham Campus. 

37 College Ave.

Gorham, ME 04038 

                                                                                                

                                    -Free Parking

                                    -Children's Craft Area

                     

                  Donations will be accepted for admission to Benefit the Athletics Department

                    

           For more information visit their Facebook page at:  www.facebook.com/USMCraftShows

 Saturday, November 22nd      9-3pm

- Casco Bay High School 8th Annual Craft Fair @

Casco Bay High School

196 Allen Avenue

Portland, ME 04103

                                  -Silent Auction

                                  -Free Admission

                                  -Free Entertainment 

 For more information please visit: www.myfairsandfestivals.com

 Sunday, November 23rd      9:30am  

- Fryeburg Academy Teacher's Association Craft Fair @

Wadsworth Arena 

Fryeburg Academy

745 Main Street

Fryeburg, ME 04037

                                  -Raffle Drawing @ 3pm

 For more information contact: fpouzol@fryeburgacademy.org

 Friday, November 28th      9-4pm

- Wares Fair @

Bethel Inn Resort's Conference Center

Bethel Inn Resort

 21 Broad Street

Bethel, ME 04217

                                 - Free Wagon Rides from 1-3pm

 Saturday, December 6th     9-4pm

 Sunday, December 7th      10-3pm 

- United Maine Craftsmen 37th Annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Show @

USM Sullivan Gym

 66 Falmouth Rd

Portland, ME 04103

                                  -$2 Admission - Tickets will be sold at the door

                                  -Children under 12 Free Admission

                                  -Free Gift Wrapping

                                  -Door Prizes

                           For more information you can visit:  www.unitedmainecraftsmen.com

 Sunday, December 7th      10-4pm

                                  

- Stone Mountain Arts Center's Annual Christmas Craft Fair and Open House

Stone Mountain Arts Center

695 Dugway Rd

Brownfield, ME 04010

                                  -Free Admission

                                  -Food and Spirits

                                 - AND SANTA!!

                                                              

                           For more information you can visit: www.stonemountainartscenter.com                                                   

                                                

Murad Sayen: Painting From The Heart

Murad Sayen at Harvest Gold Gallery

  

Murad Sayen is an oil painter based in Maine whose job has been to tell stories with his brush about what it means to be a human on earth in the 21^st century.  By portraying ordinary people doing mundane things in everyday places, Murad’s hope is that the observer will be aware of the preciousness of every moment in life; for in every moment there is a source of knowledge that can give us a sense of peacefulness.

Murad also paints still life objects that convey the message of the simple power of beauty.  As Murad explains, we intuitively know from early childhood that beauty touches our heart and pulls us into the moment.

Several of Murad’s oil on panel paintings reside at Harvest Gold Gallery, including the still life Bittersweet and The Boat Ride.  Both paintings are framed.  About Bittersweet, the artist says he enjoyed painting the various items and was inspired by the way the bittersweet almost floats across the scene.  The Boatride is a painting about the love of a man and his dog. The artists’ effort was to capture the exchange of glances between them and some sense of how much they trust one another.

                                        

Born in 1945, Murad grew up in New Jersey, the oldest son of a manufacturer.  After spending three years in the U.S. Army Infantry, '64-'67, he attended a major state university where he majored in philosophy of ethics.  Murad has had a lifelong interest in history, particularly that of the Holocaust and aviation in the European theater of WWII.  For many years he was a craftsman of international reputation of one-of-a-kind ‘art knives’.

Besides being a master landscape and nature photographer, Murad is a writer and has published two novels and a photography book. Above and Beyond is a WWII era historical fiction novel and Skana is an ‘eco-thriller.’  The photography book, Maine, the Home Place, was published in 2003 and features ninety-six breathtaking and provocative color images.  These days, Murad’s writings are more along the lines of blogging and essays on art and society, some of which may be viewed at http://muradsayensblog.blogspot.com/.

We can't wait to share this with you so HERE'S A SNEAK PEEK!

What an exciting couple of weeks here at the Gallery, with the launch of our new website right around the corner we have been working diligently on getting some gorgeous pictures of all our jewelry ready for the launch!

Lynda and our Graphic Designer Aaron Tripp capturing the perfect shot

I was on Archiving Duty :)

A SNEAK PEEK AT SOME  FINISHED PHOTOS

The "Clever" Necklace is a 16in Peridot and Gold Beaded Necklace

The "Baroque"  22in Freshwater Pearl Strand





Kaishi Pearl Strands in "Autumn Harvest" and "Wedding White" (you can find these strands in our new Wedding section)

The "Scholar" Coin Pearl Strand (these are NATURAL colors) 17.5 in

The "Virtuous" Necklace is a 17in Pink Tourmaline and Coin Pearl Strand

Stay tuned friends our new Website is launching SOON!

Our new Website Logo :)

Trend Alert! This Season's MUST HAVE Jewelry: Romantic Rose Gold

This Season's MUST HAVE Jewelry: Romantic Rose Gold

Maine Ice Blue Tourmaline

This pink-hued precious metal is making a comeback that is here to stay! To be honest, how could it not, this happy accident is a fashionista's dream come true! Universally flattering, perfect to mix and match, layer and stack! With our recent trip to California, this color trend was popping up everywhere, from handbags to belts and shoes no wonder this rose gold trend is on the rise, and here at Harvest Gold Gallery we're staying on top of it! With Fall upon us, we're looking through rose colored lenses from our sweetly feminine and vintage designs to our more modern and organic creations.

Ladies Rose Gold Solitaire Ring

Pink is the color of Romance

&

Gold is a symbol of Strength

Rose Gold is the new "it" metal

We love working with our clients to create personalized hand carved cut-out rings.

If you were wondering whether Rose Gold is the color for you, indeed it is. Subtle and classy on anyone, and perfect for weddings due to its inherent romantic feel.

His and Hers Triple stacked wedding bands

Combining metals is a beautiful way to create a natural, everlasting contrast.

Real Maine Weddings Winner

                                     

                                        What a beautiful fall morning at Harvest Gold Gallery! 

Good Morning All! 
I wanted to take a minute and introduce myself as the newest addition to the Harvest Gold Gallery!  My name is Dianna.  I am overjoyed at the opportunity to work with Bill and Lynda in their utterly breathtaking Gallery, deceiving to the unseen eye, the gallery houses over 200 American Artists with 7 viewing rooms to explore. Did I mention the Welcoming committee!? 

The Welcoming Committee :)

My first day was quite surreal, I had the pleasure of meeting the radiant bride-to-be Tara, winner of the Real Maine Wedding of 2014! We were one of Tara's first stops to pick up her bridesmaids jewelry on her way to her destination wedding and might I just say, I couldn't Imagine a sweeter, more deserving Bride-to-be, just beautiful! We helped her pick out some additional gifts for her bridesmaids with a little help from our beloved "Cappy" (pictured above)

Tara picking out Bridesmaids Gifts

Making sure it is PERFECT! :-)

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!

Bill and Lynda with Real Maine Wedding Winner Tara

Real Maine Wedding 2014 Bride-to-be, Tara picking up her Jewelry and Gifts from Harvest Gold Gallery

It was such a Joy meeting you Tara, I hope your day was as beautiful as you! Enjoy your honeymoon and take lots of pictures!

CONGRATULATIONS TARA AND TREVOR!

Restoration of Dr. Alonzo Garcelon Gold Capped Walking Stick

This cane came to us in two pieces with dust and dents.  We worked with hand tools to refurbish it to it's previous beauty.  The craftsmanship is amazing! 

Shown above is a 14k gold capped walking stick originally owned by Dr. Alonzo Garcelon. It was gifted to him upon retirement from the American Medical association 1903. The inscription reads:

Dr. Garcelon

From the members of the

Board of Trustees

AMA

5/6/03

Portrait of Dr. Alonzo Garcelon (courtesy Maine State Museum)

Dr. Garcelon served as Maine's General surgeon during the Civil war and later went on to become the Governor of Maine in 1879 serving two terms. His son Charles Garcelon built the large white house, known as The Garcelon Mansion, on Kezar lakes upper bay. 

A piece like this is highly collectable, luckily this beauty remains in the family and is now owned by Alonzo’s great great grandson who is a local of the Lovell area. We restored  the cap of this 111 year old cane to look good as new after it had remained in storage for several years. We must say Jim looked quite dapper on his way out of the gallery!

Tom Merriam, Lovell Artist

Harvest Gold Gallery Proudly Presents 

The paintings of Thomas Merriam

Merriam is a self-taught artist whose paintings reflect his roots as a Maine native. White growing up in the woodlands of North Berwick and along the shorelines of York Harbor, he developed a keen appreciation for the wonders of nature and wildlife and a heartfelt sense of American history.

As an apprentice to George Carpenter, the last surviving member of the Whiskey Water Color Association, Merriam received a unique grounding in a technique which he continues to build on even now. He was trained to use whiskey in the winter as a wash so his brushes would not freeze, allowing him to paint outside in almost any weather. Merriam also learned to work fast to catch the nuances of light in a scene and other atmospheric conditions before it changed or faded. Intricate details in his paintings offer a visual experience that tells a story, evokes memories and stores feelings in the viewer.

Harvest Gold Gallery displays a wide collection of Thomas Merriam's framed oil and watercolor paintings.  For more information about the artist and his work, as well as that of the more than 200 other American artists and craftspeople represented at Harvest Gold Gallery, please call 207-925-6502, visit us online at www.harvestgoldgallery.com, or better yet, stop by in person. We're open daily and located on Route 5 in Center Lovell, Maine overlooking beautiful Kezar Lake.

“If in this place we can find 
inspiration and true love, 
our passion becomes an 
effort and achievement of 
astounding proportions, 
with an energy worth 
causing pause, notice and 
admiration. With this great 
passion and talent, it is 
the goal to create that 
which others want and to 
an artist’s gratitude you 
shall possess a humble 
portion of us. I am so 
pleased that you have 
stopped here to look upon 
the world within me that I 
have created to share with 
you. May God bless you.” 
– Thomas Merriam

A fun day was had by all at our watching Tom work his magic in just a few hours!

A Little Maine Tourmaline History Lesson

The tourmaline industry in Maine began in 1820, the same year Maine became the 23rd state, upon the discovery of scattered deposits of the gemstone. Two students, Ezekiel Holmes and Elijah Hamlin were exploring the hills of south Paris in late august when a glimpse of green caught Elijah’s eye. They found several gemstones on Mt. Mica and continued returning to the site in the spring with more success. News spread of the gems and many villagers visited the mountain and specimens were sent to Yale University professor Benjamin Silliman who first identified them as tourmaline. The first mining of the mountain was a crude blast carried out by Elijah and his younger brothers Hannibal and Cyrus. They harvested more than twenty crystals of various greens and red colors, some larger than two inches long and one inch in diameter. Soon, the mountain became well known as the foremost mining site for minerals in the north, and is still considered to have the greatest potential for additional mining of gemstones and minerals. As recently as 1978, major deposits of large tourmaline have been found at Mount Mica.

HISTORY AND LORE

Hannibal Hamlin, brother of Mt. Mica discoverer, Elijah Hamlin, eventually went on to be the first Vice President under Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Being such an important individual in state and national history, Hannibal has a well documented life growing up in Maine with his brothers. One of the most famous stories about his life connects him with native Maine Abenaki doctress and historical figure, Molly Ockett. During the winter of 1809-10, Molly Ockett was traveling through Paris, Maine when harsh weather forced her to seek shelter. She was turned away, until she came to the home of Dr. Cyrus Hamlin and his wife Anna who welcomed her. Molly, having befriended the couple, continued to return to their home, and one spring found Anna “sitting in her doorway one day, rocking her feeble infant”. The story then tells that Molly Ockett  looked at the child intently and said to feed the “papoose” warm milk from a cow, or he will die. Hannibal, the baby, once given the treatment, healed rapidly.

Molly Ockett

Molly Ockett was well known in Maine for giving her medical advice to those in need in return for shelter and other goods. Native American medical traditions she may have used include, herbal remedies, and possibly, the use of tourmaline. The gemstone may have been used in her work because it was traditionally known for its detoxifying properties for treating skin disorders, and cleansing and removing excess toxins from the body. Native Americans had many uses for tourmalines; green or pink tourmaline was used a funeral gift and schorl, or black tourmaline,  was thought to possess protective properties. Tourmaline does have unique scientific properties like pyroelectricity where the crystals become electrically charged when warmed, and piezoelectricity where the gem generates electrical charge when pressure is applied. They are still used in some healing practices today.

PLUMBAGO MOUNTAIN MINE

The preliminary discovery and exploration of the largest gem find in North America was made by George Hartman, Dale Sweatt, and James Young of August 1972 in Newry, Maine at Plumbago Mountain. By October 1972, Plumbago Mining Corporation was formed by George Hartman, Dale Sweatt, Frank Perham, and Dean McCrillis Sr., who then began mining the area and keeping a daily log of the events that ran through 1974. Upon their first day of mining their log reads “it appears the pocket [of tourmaline] may be large than we thought”-- and it was. As they continued the yield turned from a few good gems a day, to several hundred pounds of gem material. The team was persistent even through the autumn rains that washed out their only access road to the site. By November 5th 1972, they had opened several more pockets and had dug 25-30 feet into the mountain. The end yield of 1972 alone was over 1 metric ton of pure quality tourmaline gems, approximately 3.5 million carats worth. Through the winter of 1972-1973 they sorted their material and resumed in spring of 1973 with an opening of 8-10 more pockets. The 1972 Plumbago mountain find produced the largest, highest quality, and widest shade variety of pink tourmalines anywhere in the world, and put Maine back on the map of world tourmaline sites.

The Peary Necklace

PEARY NECKLACE

In 1913 arctic explorer, Admiral Peary, commissioned a Brunswick jeweler to craft a tourmaline necklace for his wife Josephine’s 50th birthday. Josephine would accompany Peary during most of his expeditions and he felt he needed to thank her with a one of a kind gift. The jeweler, John Towne, mined all 37.5 ct. of gems from Mt. Apatite in Auburn, and hand cut each stone. The entirety of the gold, approximately 0.5 oz. was panned from Swift River in Byron, Maine then melted by a Portland jeweler who then set the gems in it. The necklace is now on display in the Maine State Museum in Augusta.

HAMLIN NECKLACE

Augustus Choate Hamlin, relative of Elijah and Hannibal Hamlin, had this necklace made with stones from Mt. Mica. Hamlin had purchased Mount Mica farm to mine the pegmatite, a composition of intergrowths of quartz, feldspar, and lavender mica, and ended up constructing the finest collection of specimens known in his time. He was a distinguished physician, businessman, and later Mayor of Bangor, Maine. He was also an ardent lover of gem minerals and often illustrated the tourmaline crystals that turned up in his mine in watercolor and published several books of his illustrations. Most of the originals of his paintings are preserved in the Harvard Mineralogical Museum along with the Hamlin necklace.