new england artists

Susy Pilgrim Waters (also repped by Lilla) graciously hosted me in Boston after Surtex in her beautiful & color filled artist home. I love this picture below taken in her studio…

Susy took me to some great spots. A sweet shop in Brookline called pod and out for lunch at her dear friend’s restaurant Matt Murphy’s (YUM!) where she had beautiful bunny paintings up. Susy also has paintings up next door at Pomodoro (run by the same owner & i highly recommend both if you live in the boston area) and seen on her blog! Thank you Susy for so much fun!!

Later on in our vacation Hugh & I met up with another sweet & super talented artist friend Lisa De John (repped by Lilla too). We stayed with Lisa & her also super talented artist husband Scott to ring in 2010. Like Susy, Lisa & Scott’s home is gorgeous and filled with lots of art & mid-century modern style. Lisa gifted us this awesome owl which available in her etsy shop along with other treats!

While in Maine we popped over the bridge to Portsmouth, NH to Nahcotta one of my favorite shops to see the amazingly supportive & wicked inspiring owner Deb. I just read her mission statement on the shop blog. So good and inspiring me to write one!

We believe a sense of humor, compassion, art, integrity and pets are integral parts of a happy life. We believe in the importance of being inspired. We believe that the things that make you feel are just as important as the things that make you think. We believe in connecting – with our neighbors next door and across the world. We strive to make art accessible to anyone and everyone because things of beauty enrich our lives in ineffable ways. We love what we do.

Isn’t that good??! Half the reason I’m writing in this blog right now!

I also wanted to mention that Hugh and I bought these awesome placemats at Nahcotta illustrated by Jen Judd-McGee and another by Matte Stephens as a housewarming gift from my mom. Thanks, Mom! They are so cool– you can even color on them with markers 🙂 Perfect for when our nieces & nephews come over, but really we too are such kids at heart.

One night Deb and I drove up to Portland, ME to have dinner with the aforementioned Jen Judd-McGee & Betsy Thompson (fellow ETA show pals too!). I loved hanging out with all of them and what an easy connection you can have with folks you never see, but admire their work so.

I love the simplicity, color and composition of Betsy’s collage work. I can totally see a kid’s book in her future. This print available in her etsy shop is especially humorous: Sardines with Confucius

Jen’s work continues to amaze me with the intricacy and pattern and continual growth. She’s now illustrating maps for the beautiful Maine magazine now too. Go Jen! A while back I bought this print from Jen that frequently inspires me in my studio. Available in her etsy shop along with so many other beauties!

Last but not least, we hung out with my artist relatives Jamie & Marty and their incredibly talented daughter Daisy (she’s already seriously surpassing me in the drawing department at age 13!). Jamie gifted us this image of Hugh & I walking together after our wedding… in the Navarro river up in Philo, CA. Honored to have this hanging in our home.

Okay that’s a pretty good wrap of the artist friends we hung out with on our vacation back east!
xoxoox