Thursday, June 29, 2017

Home Coming

Hello again faithful Harvest Gold fans!

Ashanah here! You may not remember me. The one and only blog I ever wrote was to announce I was working around the gallery the summer before going off to college. Fast forward four years and, like most recent collage graduates, I'm looking for my purpose in life. Maybe that purpose is writing for Harvest Gold. Who knows?

I graduated in May with my BA in Apparel Design and Production with a minor in Business. Which is the fancy way I get to write "I'm a fashion designer!" on my resume. However, the key lessons learned at college do not end up on a resume. I'm talking about the lessons that help you figure out where you want to end up. My long term goal is to have my own little shop similar to Harvest Gold for my clothing.  Maybe that shop will be online, or maybe it will be a little boutique in LA (again, who knows). When I design I focus primarily on sustainable festival/ club attire for millennials which is a little different than elegant jewelry and stunning paintings that I work with in Harvest Gold. But, I learn a lot when I'm working at Harvest Gold. Hopefully this summer so will you as I continue my journey as a Harvest Gold Blogger.  








Sunday, June 25, 2017

New Artist: Kimberly Crichton

            Harvest Gold Gallery is excited to present to you the work of local textile artist, Kimberly Crichton. Formerly from Portland, Crichton moved away from the rush and bustle of the city to set up a studio in Bridgton. Crichton is one of our first abstract artists in the Gallery, and it is engaging to view her modern designs set against a backdrop of traditional art. “I am a self-taught artist, and advocate, and a strategist who is drawn to the power of relationships, the written word, and art and craft as vital tools of social change,” Crichton says. “I am most interested in processes of transition and transformation.”
            Crichton’s work is a long and slow process, most frequently undertaken as a meditative pastime during the slow winter months. The rice paper that is the base of each piece easily tears, so Crichton’s creative process forces her to slow down and work carefully and contemplatively. The rice paper is stamped with color on hand cut linoleum blocks, and then measured and marked in one-inch square increments. Each dot is made to represent a person as a solitary individual, and the thoughts and processes that that person feels when on their own.
            The dots are then connected through a carefully hand-sewn web of threads. The threads, made of various different fibers, seek to emulate traditional painting styles and blend the threads into the print beneath them. For instance, the fluffy mohair thread spreads out over the paper and looks like bleeding ink: thus merging both thread and paper. The web symbolizes the relationships and connections linking people and communities, and explores how a person’s internal patterns and thoughts shift and warp when reaching out to interact with another person.

            Crichton is not a formally trained artist: she has never attended an art school. However, she has taken several classes on traditional embroidery techniques. These techniques must be adapted to work on the medium of rice paper: many of the tight stitches and knots that can be worked on cloth will tear and crinkle the rice paper. However, that adaptation is what drives Crichton’s interest in art. Crichton desires to explore the relationships between men and women, past and present, traditional and modern craft. Crichton wants to use tools and methods that are traditionally feminine (such as embroidery) to mimic, critique, and challenge the large, abstract, and highly-praised work of 20th century male painters.
Kimberly Crichton in front of her work "Sweetest of Bridges"

16th Annual Artist Reception and Open House!



Save the Date! You are invited to Harvest Gold Gallery's 16th Annual Artist Reception and Open House!


      Harvest Gold is excited to announce that we are hosting our 16th annual Artist Reception and Open House on Friday, July 14th, from 3:00 to 6:00pm. Come view the artwork and jewelry in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, all while chatting and mingling with some of your favorite artists! We will be serving wine and Bill’s delicious hors-d’oeuvres, so bring your appetite along with your curiosity! 


     Give us a call at 207-925-6502 or shoot us an email at harvestgold@fairpoint.net to learn more about the Open House. Hope to see you there!


     

Friday, June 23, 2017

Email is Changing

We are changing our official Gallery contact email from our Fairpoint address to harvestgoldjewelry@gmail.com. Please make note of this change in your contact books! We will be sending out several notices about this change, and we apologize if this causes any inconvenience to you. Thank you!

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