Spotlight: Amy Thompson

My name is Amy Thompson. I weave together my love of the natural world though my art and gardening. My watercolors bring joy in from my garden and community to be appreciated year round. I am a juried member of the Potomac Valley Watercolorists society and a Master Gardener. I also hold a Masters degree in Social Work and have joined my group work experience with my love of art, as an Expressive Arts Facilitator. My groups, "Art from the Heart…For the Soul", provide an opportunity to explore one’s innate ability to be creative and discover new pathways to one's soul. Participation requires no recognizable artistic talent, just a curiosity and willingness to explore personal growth in a new and exciting way.

Amy Thompson, Artist

Spotlight: Verona Wine & Design

We are Mike and Colleen Gross. Our home is on Verona Island in Maine. Growing up in Maine has given us many blessings. We are able to enjoy the changing seasons of New England and all the natural beauty that surrounds us from the wooded mountains to the crystal clear and rugged coastal areas. One of our favorite retreats is a small family island in Stonington, Maine. It is there that we restore ourselves by drinking in the beauty and peacefulness of the ocean. Imagine a beach picnic basking in the warm sun with your toes in the sand and enjoying a delicious glass of wine that was created from the grapes you grew yourself. This is where the idea of “Verona Wine and Design” began.

Mike is a talented carpenter by trade and I am an occupational therapy practitioner. The nature of our careers requires that we are continually creative in our work. There is a limit however to our ability to express our passions through our jobs. Therefore, we needed an outlet for our artistic creativity to flow. We enjoy gardening, painting, the art of landscaping and designing items from reclaimed materials. Mike’s hobby of making wine (and my love of his product) inspired us to begin our business called “Verona Wine and Design”. So you might say, "our love for wine inspires design". Our intent is to offer wine enthusiasts finely crafted products relating to their love of wine as well as fun accents to their décor and dining experiences.

We hope you enjoy the fruits of our labor and develop your passions into joyful activities as well.

Welcome to our “Great Adventure”.

Cheers, Mike & Colleen

Please, visit Mike & Colleen Gross online at their web site, Etsy Shop, and find them on Facebook.  

Spot Light: Maine Scents and Seasons

When I was a little girl my Mom and Aunt used to make candles at Christmas time. They would pour them in quart milk cartons that they had cut the tops off. They would whip additional wax and dip the molded pillar they pulled from the milk carton into the frothy wax then sprinkle glitter on them. I thought that was so great! And I thought if they could do it so could I!

Over the years I have experimented and test burned a lot of different types of candles and found out that it is not as easy as it seems:) Many years and lots of trial and error later Maine Scents and Seasons was born. My business is a mix of my love for candles, nature, and the state of Maine. I will offer natural, rustic potpourris for simmering or setting out in beautiful bowls and baskets, soy candles to match my potpourri scents, as well as tarts for your warmers and so much more.

I am so honored and excited to join all these talented artisans in this Creatively Maine Pop Up Store adventure.

Tammy Hodgdon, Artisan
Maine Scents & Seasons

Please visit Tammy online at her web site, Maine Scents and at her Ebay shop. 

Spotlight: 3 Legged Dog Ink

Lyndsey Monroe Marston of 3 Legged Dog Ink creates unique drawings in ink and colored pencil. Her artwork celebrates nature and animals, through simple lines and bold colors. A Maine native, Lyndsey is inspired by the woods and waters near her home. Lyndsey began selling her artwork in 2009 while at home caring for her dog, Enza. 3 Legged Dog Ink is named for Enza, and Lyndsey continues to draw her as a way to remember her now that she's gone. Original drawings as well as prints, greeting cards, and holiday cards are available at www.3leggeddogink.com and in the Creatively Maine shop this holiday season!

Lyndsey Monroe Marston, Artisan
3 Legged Dog Ink

Spotlight: Glass Orchids

For my 13th birthday I asked for an oil painting set and was lucky enough to receive it; unlike the drum set requested a few years later. Art instead of music; that was probably a kind twist of fate because now I create objects of beauty instead of who knows what horrors of sound that might have been inflicted on others.

Time and chance are funny things. I received that oil painting set on my birthday which was celebrated in Maine during the family vacation. Now, more years later than I’m going to divulge, I am an adult creating art objects in Maine.

I am the first one in my family to obtain a 4 year college degree. I was pre-med, then changed to fine arts, then had to get a job and eventually wound up as a computer programmer until finally landing back here in the arts. I went from Wall Street to Rural Route and have never been happier. I do not regret a thing. Everything I experienced and learned helps me today. The little girl who would not look you in the eye has become a woman who can teach a class and work a trade show.

What drives my creativity? Why do I do what I do? Where did I study and what awards have I won? These are the things I’m supposed to tell you in a bio but I probably won’t. Creativity is innate in each of us; sometimes it finds an outlet in cooking, building, singing or in fishing. For me it is in creating with color and light. I began as a painter working in oils. Along the way while working on Wall Street I discovered fused glass and bought myself a little kit to play with. Being type ‘A’ (and yes I’ve been tested), has brought me where I am today… a barn full of equipment and glass.

Warm glass is an amazing medium to work with; the technology is growing and what was once unobtainable financially is now as easy to get as a toaster. New techniques are unfolding all the time and ancient techniques can be revisited. Glass is an ancient magical material with endless possibilities and dichroic glass is a newish material impossible without 20th century technology.

Nature offers boundless inspiration in form and color. She stills the mind and soothes the soul and if you are lucky will whisper in your ear and play the muse. If red and purple can be beautiful in a flower then they can work in jewelry and that is my yardstick. I look to my garden, the fields and forests for inspiration. The combination of ancient techniques, modern technology and the artistry of nature is where my passion blooms.

I am honored and humbled that so many find my creations pleasing enough to spend their hard earned money to take them home. Without you those creations would not exist.

~Love and Light, Nancy

Nancy Tang, Artisan
Glass Orchids

Visit Glass Orchids online at their web site and find them on Facebook.

Spotlight: Maine Lights Collection

The Artists of the Maine Lights Collection have over 45 years of painting experience and 20 years of polymer clay sculpting between them. Sandy Clement is the creator of Mussel Men which are carefully sculpted polymer faces on various sized shells. Linda Leach specializes in mixed media sculptures and jewelry. Working together for over twenty years as well as teaching a variety of arts through the local adult ed program, they are constantly challenging their imaginations in order to create new art. They are also members of the International Polymer Clay Association, Made in Maine & the Maine Crafts Association.

Please visit Maine Lights Collection online at their web site and find them on Facebook.

Sandy Clement, Artisan
Linda Leach, Artisan
Maine Lights Collection

Spotlight: Tricia Griffith Arts

Tricia Griffith Arts

I have been drawing since I was five years old, and spent my childhood drawing stick horses and coloring on the margins of books. In school, my notebooks were filled with more doodles than notes, and art was my favorite class. My largest body of work is a collection of nature inspired watercolors, but in recent years I’ve been focusing on creating three dimensional art using corrugated cardboard and acrylic paint. This results in colorful acrylic paintings that literally pop out of the canvas, ranging from trees to birds and other animals. Each piece takes many hours to create, but the collection grows steadily.

I also offer commissioned pet portrait artwork in graphite, colored pencil and assorted paint mediums, and have been expanding my love of photography-including candid farm photos, product photography, and of course plenty of nature photography.

I have a degree in graphic design, but my true love is just freely creating art. Nature and wildlife are my biggest inspirations, and most of my work features trees, animals, or organic abstract images. I like my art to be organic, spiritual, and evoke feelings of peace, passion, and spirit. Art is a spiritual, creative, and healing journey for me, and I hope that my work brings a bit of that experience to its viewers.

Tricia Griffith, Artist
Tricia Griffith Arts

See more of Tricia's creations on her web page, at her Etsy shop and on Facebook.