Craig Riches at Harvest Gold!

Hello from Harvest Gold!

We were so excited to welcome back Alabama artist Craig Riches to the gallery this summer. Craig is a longtime friend and featured artist here at Harvest Gold. If you have visited our gallery before you are sure to have seen his mesmerizing twirling wind sculptures in and around our store.

Craig immersed himself into the world of sculpting after needing a break from his music career over 15 years ago. He began working with copper, hammering and sculpting the material into kinetic shapes that take on a life of their own when combined with the gentlest of breezes. The response to his art was immediate, after only two weeks of sculpting he found himself being asked to display his art in three galleries. Since then his talents have evolved into a full time career and include work in wire, concrete, and water fountains.

There is something very philosophical in Craig's designs, and after spending just a little bit of time with him it becomes easy to see that his art reflects his personality. "The hardest thing for me, is to START something, but yet, after I do, the PATHWAY has always provided the many insights that have, over the years, shaped my fundamental view of the world. Ideals like quality and grace and balance, the ability to listen and feel, have all come in due course, as my path  has created an ever growing connection with the universe." Those ideals of quality, grace and balance are unarguably present in Craig's art, and we are honored to have him as a part of our gallery.

When Craig originally brought his designs to us at Harvest Gold Gallery, Lynda and Bill shared a common interest in the flow and movement of the shapes that create his sculptures. Their original earring designs have a similar structure, and although they don't spin in the wind, the earrings give off a feeling of movement much like Craig's sculptures. This similarity gave the three an instant connection, and many talks of technique and artistry laid the foundation for a longtime friendship.

This year Craig brought some stunning new creations that you will find adorning our front yard, as well as a new stock of the designs he has been creating for years. He also brought his lovely friend Cheryl who we were so happy to meet. This was Cheryl's first trip to the Northeast, and she seemed amazed with her surroundings here (minus the mosquitos). She graced us with her true southern charm, and we were happy to show her the beauty that is Kezar Lake and the White Mountains.

Stop By Harvest Gold Gallery and see Craig's work in person!
http://harvestgoldgallery.com

Craig Riches and his Hypnotic Sculptures

From the Gulf of Alabama, Craig Riches came all the way to Harvest Gold Gallery in Center Lovell, ME  to share his Handmade Copper Kinetic Sculptures. 

With 15 years of creativity, Craig Riches has mastered the art of scuplting and is here to share his talent with the public. 15 years ago at his home in Tennessee, Craig needed a break from his music career and out of the blue felt a random compulsion to create sculptures. With no previous artistic background or training, within 2 weeks of sculpting Craig was already in 2 or 3 galleries across the country. With food as his motivation, his vision for  sculpting was rapidly growing until one day he found himself selling in almost 50 galleries throughout the country. 

Craigs sculptures or "turbines" catch the wind and spin in hypnotic motions that always sooth and intrigue its viewer. The Copper is treated with various patinas and are hand etched with a variety of custom designs. Constantly experimenting with his designs, Craig has been known to spray his sculptures with Miracle grow and to soak the copper in ammonia to achieve the desired affect he wants.

Craig not only creates Kinetic Copper Sculptures such as the ones displayed at Harvest Gold Gallery, but he also has a body of work in woven wire, such as this "Barbie Doll" made completely out of woven chicken wire with a green dress of barbed wire because "Every Girl I know has a few sharp edges!" 

Another example of Craig's work is this sculpted hand created from concrete holding one of his Copper turbines. 

Feeling landlocked at his Tennessee home with so much work to do, Craig moved to his current home in Alabama where he sells at outdoor art festivals across the country, and has narrowed his locations down to the very best, including Harvest Gold Gallery. 

We invite you to join us at Harvest Gold Gallery to view Craigs work and learn more about his adventures at our Gallery location on Rt 5 in Center Lovell, ME. 

  

Big Fish sighted in Center Lovell

Geoff Herguth Design outdoor art now at Harvest Gold Gallery
A recent addition to our Gallery is the new Sculptures by Geoff Herguth Design. Geoff Herguth and his assistant Jessie Redlon create custom sculptures including mermaids, fish, sharks, crustaceans, dogs, birds, and a three dimensional representation of the Maine State quarter. GHD also fabricates decorative iron work, sculptural signage, furniture, and cabinetry while also operating a commercial marine welding service providing custom boat building, repair and restoration.
Specializing in cast aluminum, stainless steel, copper and bronze, Geoff has been designing, welding and creating with metal for over 30 years. His sculptures and signage can be found as feature decor at restaurants and retail stores along the East Coast, and here at Harvest Gold Gallery.
Geoff uses a method of casting called Lost styrofoam casting. Lost styrofoam casting is a sand casting process where the original pattern is carved in styrofoam. The finished pattern is "rammed" or "packed" in casting sand in a container called a flask. Casting sand is a fine sand mixed with oil to allow it to pack tightly. The molten metal is poured into the flask and the styrofoam is vaporized and displaced. After cooling, the sand is broken away to reveal the cast metal. The Petrobond sand used is fine enough to pick up a finger print. A value added element to lost styrofoam casting is that each pattern is hand carved. Even if the subject is repeated it will be unique as no two patterns can be identically reproduced. The rough cast piece is then finished by a variety of techniques, sand blasting, grinding, polishing and "chasing" (hammering) the surfaces of the piece.
In our Gallery we are fortunate to have 4 of Geoff's origional pieces including the Mako Shark, Mermaid and Moon, Swordfish, and Mermaid. Each piece is original, although he make make a similar one, he creates and molds each one individually so no two structures are exactly the same. 

Mermaid

Swordfish

Mako Shark

Mermaid & Moon

Please feel free to stop by our shop anytime and check out the Biggest fish you're ever seen in Lovell, and our Mermaids! Can't make it to town? Check out our Website at http://harvestgoldgallery.com. 
And don't forget to check out the view!