Webcam heads up..

Heads up- I plan on setting up my webcam while I paint encaustic tonight- come check it out! I have a new series that I'm going to start working on- inspired by my painting below. They are still civil war focused but they'll be on long boards and looking more like mummies. I'm so excited! Hope it all works out tonight- I plan on turning on the webcam around 5:30pm. I'll update here when starting.
Live right now!
http://www.sweetlandretreat.com/blog.htm

B&W Exhibit

Two of my encaustic paintings are hanging at the Freeport Square Gallery in Freeport, ME. Both of my black & white Ghosts of the Past paintings for their B&W show. The gallery is absolutely beautiful and we also had the chance to see a live concert there last night- very cool!

Ghost hunter...


Animated gif of the progress of my latest painting.  It's still in progress, just one more day working on it and I think it'll be done.  I really like seeing how this one has moved along!  I kept changing my mind about what colors I wanted it to be and put this painting aside for a while.  Then I decided to turn Abe into a rooted being and it all started to come together.

Dreams coming true!


I am so excited to say that tomorrow is the first day of classes at Sweetland Retreat!!!!!!


It's been a long road of renovation and learning and growing but we've finally made it to this point!  There's still work to do in order to open as a Bed & Breakfast but our goal was to have classes started by this summer and here it is...2 weeks before the Summer Solstice.  Who would have thought we'd be ahead of schedule?

And to celebrate, we're offering a special discount of $10 off to anyone who takes both classes this Saturday and Sunday- The Reiki Atunement class (good for Reiki Level 1 or 2) and the Full Moon Ceremony & Drumming Circle.  

Craft Fair & friends

Yesterday was the Etsy Maine Team craft fair in Freeport, ME. It was SO much fun to put more faces to names and meet people like Pam that I've known online for about a year and a half! LOVE when that happens.

The quality of the work at this show far surpassed any other show that I've done. No "granny" items, no $1 store finds or prices, it was quality all the way with fair prices for everything. I was impressed and honored to be a part of it!

I even had some interest in my encaustic classes, which is the best part for me! I love explaining the process to people and seeing their eyes light up and have them ask if they can learn it :)

Anyway- for more Maine Team info look here!



Etsy
Buy Handmade
etsymaineteam

Thank a Vet...


While you're enjoying your Memorial Day this beautiful weekend, take some time and thank a Vet.  I promise you it'll mean the world to them.  Safe travels!


& thank you SSgt Samuel Erwin, Jr! ♥
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Here it is-- your moment of zen!

Intro to Encaustic Painting - Saturday June 20th, 10am - 2pm

at Sweetland Retreat: 256 Pond Rd, Manchester, ME

Learn the ancient art of encaustic painting! Encaustic is the use of beeswax and damar resin melted together and combined with dry pigments to create a unique painting medium. This paint is applied hot/molten and manipulated with a direct heat source. It makes for a lovely layered image into which objects and photographs can be added. If you've seen a Jasper Johns painting then you've seen an encaustic painting!

This class will cover a brief history of encaustic, supplies and where to buy them, setting up, basic encaustic painting including fusing, embedding objects, and creating texture, as well as cleaning up, and caring for your paintings. Participants will complete 1-2 small paintings. No painting experience necessary. Open to ages 15 and up.

$70 includes all supplies; feel free to bring along objects to incorporate (dried natural objects, paper, and photographs on plain paper work well)

Instructor: Jamie Ribisi-Braley, Manchester, ME (<-- That's me!)

Jamie is passionate about creating art and about sharing her techniques and knowledge. She loves to learn how the old masters created their supplies and how they used them. Jamie believes that once you have the foundations of a medium, you’ll know how to make it work for your voice.

Jamie is co-owner of Sweetland Retreat and received her BFA in Painting from Boston University. http://jamieribisi.com


Register now!

Workshops available at Sweetland Retreat

We are now offering our first set of workshops at Sweetland Retreat!! I'm so excited and can't wait to get the ball rolling on this! What an exciting time in our lives-- our dreams are now reality!

Our first class will be Reiki Attunement Class -Part 1 on Saturday June 6th, 1:30pm - 6:30pm

It is a 5 Hour course during which you will become a Reiki Practioner. This is the first of 3 steps in becoming a Reiki Master.  Being attuned to Reiki gives one the ability to easily access the Reiki (Universal Life Force) energy, for the purpose of healing a person or situation. 


Space is limited, so register now! More info and registration form available here: http://sweetlandretreat.com/workshops.htm

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Our second offering is a Full Moon Ceremony & Drumming Circle on Sunday June 7th, 7:30pm

In this special healing and releasing ceremony we will create a sacred space for healing and support and to raise a collective consciousness. 

More info and registration form available here: http://sweetlandretreat.com/workshops.htm

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I'll also be listing some Encaustic classes, too!  Just need to pick a date for that-- I'll post again with more info!

Please spread the word if you have friends that you think would enjoy our classes!  http://sweetlandretreat.com

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Commission Progress

I worked another session on this oil painting commission yesterday (and I secretly worked on it a little while ago, too! sshhh).  I laid some brighter colors on top of the dark underpainting and it's starting to have some more volume now.  


As I spoke about in my last progress post, I really love revisiting this composition and thinking of new colors to use.   My favorite part is this vivid blue -- I'm really enjoying how it's interacting with the deep dark blue underneath it and the pinks & white of the water next to it.

Sweetland Retreat- Featured in newspaper!

We were featured in the Kennebec Journal Woman's Quarterly today!  


This is a wonderful article about Sweetland Retreat, the Artist Retreat and B&B that my hubby & twin sister are about to start, written by Nancy McInnus and we think it portrays us exactly as we are! She really has a gift for words.  We didn't know exactly what she'd think of us giggling and rambling on about every idea we have for Sweetland and what we are trying to make it be.  But she captured it brilliantly.

Or you can see it on the KJ's flipbook here:  http://centralmaine.mainetoday.com/flipbooks/WQflip09Spring/
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