Brewbakers Show

  

 OK, I appeared to have lost the thumb drive with the pictures of Brewbakers Cafe, so all you get is pictures from the exhibition. If you want to see the cafe you will just have to go and enjoy the coffee and the ambiance. 

 

As I start to write this we are on approach to Rome Italy.  We have an exciting three week itinerary ahead.  The only unfortunate thing is that I will be missing the early tastes of autumn in New England.  On our ride to the airport we already saw some early color, mostly along the road and in the marshy areas.  It should be a great season and I look forward to getting back just in time to lead what is now my annual Fall Foliage Workshop, October 13 – 15.  There is still one, maybe two slots available and I expect to have at least spotty email access on the trip to accept more participants. 

 On our trip, I expect I will have little time for blogging, so I will start with a mention of my show at Keene’s Brewbakers café, which continues in my absence.  Brewbakers is one of my favorite coffee stops in Keene and it is at its tables that I write the majority of my weekly blogs. Jeff Murphy runs a place that offers just the right combination of friendly atmosphere, unobtrusive staff and excellent coffee.  I enjoy the constant flow of interesting clientele, but I’m never as distracted as I am with all the options that I have at home.  I put on my noise cancelling headphones (their music is not my first choice) and settle into the work that needs to be done.

Several times a year I get the opportunity to show my work on Brewbakers walls.  The exhibitions are quite informal, but the lighting is good, the hanging system is easy to use and there is a good flow of visitors who, while siping their lattes, are forced to stare at my work. The café is a comfortable spot to unobtrusively enjoy eavesdropping to comments about my pictures – mostly. Twelve of my pictures, which include many of my newest work, will be hanging at Brewbakers through October 10th.  Sadly, no eavesdropping this time. We won’t be getting back until late on the 11th, but my good friend Steve Hooper has agreed to take down the pictures for me.  How is “good friend” better defined than as someone who is willing to take down your show.

Come by sometime over the next couple of weeks to check out my work at Brewbakers on Main Street in Keene, New Hampshire and, while you are there, settle back with their wide range of coffees, soups and sandwiches.  Enjoy the early fall for me and I will try to find ways to post a few pictures from our tour through, Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Bologna, Lake Como and Venice. 

Bel Autunno!

Jeff Newcomer, NEPG
jeffn49@myfairpoint.net
www.partridgebrookreflections.com




Art in the Park and the Autumn Photography Rush

 

It’s the end of another Art in the Park weekend and, as usual, after two full days of sitting and doing nothing, I am exhausted.

Art in the Park is Keene New Hampshire’s annual celebration of the arts in the Monadnock region and beyond. Every Labor Day weekend nearly 90 tents fill Ashuelot River Park with a broad range of artistic expression, painting, crafts, sculpture and off course photograph.

 

I have my 10 x 10 pop-up and a simply contrived, inelegant hanging system, but this is the only time each year that I do an art fair.  I typically sell enough to make it worthwhile, but the real reason to come back is for the opportunity to visit with friends and try to shame them into buying one more picture for their walls.  I enjoy sharing the stores behind my images and discussing my process, but it is a long couple of days.

It usually takes about two hours to set up the tent and attach my hanging system.  It is possible to spend hundreds of dollars on custom built hanging walls but I have settled on a more basic approach.  I suspend ordinary metal shelving from wood slates attached to the tent supports and arrange the pictures with simple S hooks.  I place my mated images in a couple of display stands, set up my table and chairs. I then settle down for hours of the pleasant occupation of talking about my work.

It's All About the Weather

Take Down

The weather is always a concern.  Early September is generally a great time to be outside, but we live in fear of thunderstorm related wind and torrential downpours.   This year hurricane Hermine drifted out to sea and we lucked out with beautiful early autumn weather.   The crowds tend to follow the weather and business was steady. 

 

It was a successful weekend, but I have to admit that it is a good feeling to pack up for another year.  My bins are cluttering the house awaiting the next to show; Kristen’s Café in October.  

Hectic Autumn

Autumn is my busiest time both for teaching and fall foliage shooting.  Next Tuesday, I’m traveling down to Framingham Massachusetts for a talk to the Gateway Camera Club on the working with the variety of light that we enjoy in New England.  In a couple of weeks, I’ll be starting another session of my Basic Digital Photography Course for Keene Community Education and, on the weekend of October 13-15^th, I will be offering a workshop focused on fall foliage photography.  It is an exciting and hectic time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Now I have to collapse in bed after all that doing nothing.

Jeff Newcomer

partridgebrookreflections.com

603-363-8338

Burdicks Show : Great Art and Even Greater Food

Graze the Fence, Alstead, NH

Earlier this week I hung a show of New England photography at the Restaurant at Burdicks in Walpole New Hampshire. Burdicks has always been one of my favorite exhibition locations and with the holiday spirit all around it is a great time to be offering the work. Burdicks is an elegant restaurant with excellent french inspired cuisine in the heart of beautiful historic Walpole. In a previous article I explored the desirable qualities of the perfect exhibition site which includes, good lighting, a flexible hanging system and an attentive audience, and Burdicks fulfills many of theses attributes.

 


Audience

Ferrier's Touch

Restaurants that encourage relaxed dining provide an atmosphere which is conducive to looking up from the food and, at the risk of sounding pretentious, Burdicks seems to attract customers who are more likely notice and appreciate the art on the walls. I have nothing against a busy pizza parlor, but in those venues my concern is less about a beautiful display of my images and more about keeping the the pictures high enough to avoid being splattered by cheese and beer.

 






Hanging

Orchard Wall, Dublin, NH

I hate pounding nails into crumbling plaster. Burdicks has a nice hanging system that allows easy adjustment of the pictures for uniform spacing and height. From the restaurant's perspective, hanging systems such as this require an initial expense, but they are simple to install, allow neat professional displays and, perhaps most importantly, avoid the periodic need for costly repairs to the walls. I am still amazed by how many venues still allow artist to damage their walls with haphazard and insecure nails. 







Let There Be Light 
  The one problem with the Burdicks has always been the lighting. This is a common difficulty in restaurants, that try to maintain a dark romantic atmosphere illuminated by candles, and leaving the walls in murky shadow. Burdicks attracts some wonderful art to its wall. It is an important part of the decor and to hide it is a disservice to the artists as well as to the patrons (see below).  I have long argued that spots casting focused light on the walls could enhance the interest and beauty of the environment without intruding on the soft ambiance at the tables. 

Romantic Dining  Low Light of  Previous Show

Onward, Chesterfield, NH

For this show there has been an improvement in this issue. The restaurant has been recently remodeled and, at least for the holidays, sparking lights, attached to networks of branches have been suspended from the ceiling. The effect is festive and provides a modest general increase in illumination which I think may be continued after the holidays. It is improvement, but a few spots would make an amazing difference.

 








Choosing the Show

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Selecting images for any show is always a struggle. I rely on lists from previous exhibitions to give me an idea of about how many pictures will be needed and then I bring about 50% more than seems necessary. I have displayed my work at Burdicks four or five times so I knew I needed between 12 and 14 pictures. I wanted to show only new images and it was a great opportunity to work on prints of some of my more recent work. I ended up printing 5 new pictures and framing another that had been previously matted.

Super Moon, Saybrook Lighthouse

I'm not sure that it was a clear intention, but the images are mostly of recent autumn color in our region. Two prominent exceptions are the image of the majestic full "super" moon rising behind the Saybrook Lighthouse in Old Saybrook Connecticut and the mystical Multnomah double waterfall along Oregon's Columbia River valley. I alway agonize about the pictures I have to leave out from a show, but in the end I was very pleased with selections and how they fit into the wall space. 

Giant Sugar Maple, Guilford, Vermont

Of Course It Comes Down To the Food AND the Chocolate

Burdicks Chocolates Cafe

Many of my exhibition venues turn out to be restaurants and in talking about the attributes of a great site I always come back to the food. After lauding L.A. Burdick's cuisine for lunch and dinner it would be tragic to neglect to mention the chocolate. Connected to the restaurant is L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolate. Burdick's chocolate is renowned. 

Add caption

The shop and cafe have also been remodeled and is a warm comfortable environment for a cup of coffee or a diet crunching dive into the many tempting deserts, pastries and, of course, chocolates in all sorts of configurations. It is fast becoming one of my favorite places to settle in to write. I just grab a coffee and try to find a corner to hide from the treats.

Ashuelot Floaters, Keene, NH

 

So if you are near Walpole during this month, drop by Burdicks for great food, amazing deserts, and of course, spectacular photography. The hours for the restaurant and chocolate are listed below. Both are well worth the trip 

For more pictures of Burdicks and the full show, check out the gallery on my New England Reflections web site:

Restaurant at Burdicks Show

  

 







And if you find yourself short of 2016 calendars for the holidays, the  

New England Reflections Calendar 

 is available at the Walpole Grocery, right next door.

 










Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

2015 Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour

The autumn color is coming on fast and that means that it is time for the Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour in the Monadnock Region.

Art and Foliage
For some years a group of superb area artists have hosted a self-guided tour of their studios throughout the region during the Columbus Day Weekend. The group has included artists working in sculpture, painting, jewelry, fiber glass pottery and wood turning and this is the second year that I am participating as the only photographer. The tour includes the studios of 23 artists spread from New Ipswich in the southeast, to Stoddard in the north. Keene and Swanzey are well represented and I hold the western frontier in Spofford. The tour will run from 10am to 5pm, October 10th and 11th.  In each location you will be able to meet the artists, learn about their processes and enjoy their work. Given the distribution of locations, it will be a great chance to bask in the autumn beauty of our region while seeing some great art. More information is available in the brochures scattered everywhere and on the Tour Web Site and Facebook page.


 Showing the Work

My involvement in the tour is again bitter sweat.  Last year I enjoyed meeting all the folks who took the trip out to Spofford, but I know that I am potentially missing two of the best foliage days of the season.  Of course the spectacular natural beauty is a big reason that we see so many people out on the tour and once again it appears that next weekend will be close to peak foliage.  I always talk about the importance of "showing the work" and there may be no better time to see some amazing art throughout what is the heart of New England. 


 






 




















Touring the "Studio"
 Of course, unlike the other artists on the tour, my "home studio" is a computer, two high definition monitors, a large format archival printer and piles of hard drives.  I will be happy to provide the "tour", but my plan is to show as much of my work as I can cram into the first floor of our house and be ready to demonstrate my editing and matting techniques if anyone is interested.  I will be highlighting new work and autumn images.  Of course, I will offer some nice refreshments.  Sadly, next weekend Susan will be away at her high school reunion, but once again this year she is excited by the event because it will force me to try to clean my office and pick up the downstairs rooms.

Directions
I hope you will drop by the house on your foliage explorations.  My "Studio" is at 373 Route 9a in Spofford.  Follow Route 9 West from Keene, NH, or East from Brattleboro, Vt.  Take the east entrance to Route 9a.  Our house is the second on the right past the Post Office, a greenish cape with a thick stone wall.  Look for the sign.  Feel free to park in the orchard across the street, but if you bash one of my apple trees, expect to buy LOTs of art.



Tour Web Site
 
Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

Sunflowers New England Photography Show

 A Warm Refuge from the Winter Chill
After several weeks of articles about enjoying and surviving the miserable winter cold, it is time for a word about warmth, hospitality, great food and of course New England photography. Once again I am honor to present an exhibition of my images at Sunflowers Restaurant in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.



 

What Makes a Great Venue
My criteria for a great venue for my work includes bright walls with good lighting, a modern hanging system and most importantly, friendly and appreciative owners. Of course, when hanging in restaurants, the quality of the food is a critical factor. Considering all these criteria, Sunflowers Restaurant is a great place to hang out, and an even better place to hang pictures. 

Jaffrey Meeting House & Mt. Monadnock

This is the second time I've had the opportunity to show my work at Sunflowers and whether it is at the restaurant or at the Jaffrey Civic Center, I always love exhibiting in Jaffrey.  It is a beautiful small town with a strong sense of community. I love any excuse to drive down Route 124, which I continue to believe is the best road for viewing Mount Monadnock.

Misty Hay Rake, Dummerston, Vermont

Carolyn's Welcome

Sunflowers is located on Jaffrey's Main Street just North of the intersection of Routes 124 with 137 North and 202 South. It is a cozy place with great breakfasts, lunches and dinners and has considerable wall 
space open to local artists of all persuasions. Carolyn Edwards, the restaurant's owner is wonderfully friendly and accommodating, and has a true appreciation for the artists who add color and interest to her walls.



Sunflowers has a good wire hanging system which keeps the walls clean and bright. The restaurant has a surprising expanse of wall space and although I always try to bring more pictures than I expect to be able to hang, on this occasion, I needed all 18 of the images that I had loaded into the car. I have come to expect that it will take at least two or three hours to hang a major show. I never know how I will arrange the pictures until I can lay them out and match the pictures to the wall spaces and the lighting. I always try to leave a show evenly spaced and plumbed, but I know that within a day or so that the carefully balanced perfection will be lost. This time, it was especially helpful to have Susan along to provide a fresh perspective on the arrangement and to assist in adjusting and cleaning the pictures.

Bucket Line, Westmoreland, NH

Whaleback Dawn

As usual the exhibition is dominated by local scenes from all seasons, but I also included a sunrise picture of Whaleback Lighthouse off of Portsmouth and the remarkable Multnomah Falls from the Columbia River Valley in Oregon. I have posted a gallery of the images on my web site, but, in this era of electronic everything, It is easy to forget the power and depth of the printed image. If you have a chance, I would encourage you to drop by to take a look. The show will be up through March 3rd. Sunflowers is open every day except Tuesday:



Hours:

• Breakfast 7-10:30

  

  Multnomah Falls

• Lunch 11-2
• Dinner 5-8 Mon, Wed, Thurs
• Dinner 5-9 Fri & Sat
• Sunday Brunch 9-3
• MONDAY & WEDNESDAY
• BISTRO NIGHTS 5-8 pm
• MEXICAN NIGHT every 4th WED
• PRIMO FRIDAYS - PRIME RIB
• Closed Tuesdays

 

So drop by beautiful Jaffrey. Its a lovely drive, the food is great and, of course, the photography is spectacular.

• Sunflowers Show Gallery
• Sunflowers Restaurant

Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com