Upcoming Artsy Stuff

There are two art shows coming up that include my work - woohoo! Just in time, too; my life needed something other than college class essays and crises from my four-year-old.

Coming up on November 19th is the opening of Creative Maine: The Works of Local Artists. Monkitree in Gardiner, Maine will be featuring the works of 30 Maine artists throughout the holiday season. Pieces are available for immediate purchase (as in, you can grab it right off the wall and walk out with it - no waiting 'til the end of the show!). With pieces coming and going as work is purchased and replaced, Creative Maine will be a dynamic show right through to its closing. My photograph, Junkyard, is included in the show. The opening is November 19th (a Friday night) and runs from 5:30pm to 9:00pm at Monkitree, which is located at 263 Water Street in beautiful downtown Gardiner.



The same weekend, The Higher Grounds in Hallowell is hosting what is shaping up to be an awesome and eclectic Artisans' Trunk Show. The trunk show will feature work from six amazingly creative endeavors of local artists (including yours truly, with CozInk Printed Goods). This is going to be a cozy little holiday shopping event, where you can grab a drink, listen to some live music by Harold Bailey, and do a little shopping for local art! Available goods will include hand-printed cards and totes (from me); pottery; handcrafted fine jewelry; original art; bath and body products; homemade jellies and goodies; and scarves. The show is Sunday, November 21st, from 11am-5pm at The Higher Grounds, located at 119 Water Street in Hallowell.

Help fund Arborea's next record!

A message from Arborea about their current Kickstarter.org project:

Hello, This is Buck and Shanti of the Indie folk duo Arborea.

Thanks so much for visiting our project page! Shanti and I have been working extremely hard since our debut cd in 2006...writing, recording, touring as much as possible throughout the US, UK, and Europe. If you aren't familiar with our music here are a few press quotes we've received for our past releases.

"Shanti and Buck Curran get it right, with memorable songs that linger in the ether long after the last track ends." - NPR

"Maine folk duo Arborea creates timeless music" - Dirty Linen Magazine

"Arborea's brand of folk music is ethereal, bone-chilling, and beautiful all at once!" - Performing Songwriter Magazine

"Husband and wife team, Buck and Shanti Curran, construct a fragile, resonant world with a lingering Americana after-taste, shimmering with the same wide-open spaces Ry Cooder’s
captured so well on Paris, Texas." - BBC

"Singer/banjo player Shanti Curran has an ethereal, frequently otherworldly voice that reminds of Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval, but with considerably more gravitas and soul" - Lucid Culture

"A Magical Mystery Tour" - Boston Globe

"Singularly breathtaking" - Portland Phoenix

...Each year we've had a little more success...becoming more independent along the way, leading us to our current project. We've spent the past year writing and recording, and now we are working hard to finish up the record but we need help, so we're reaching out to fans to help make this the most successful and creative release possible!

We are asking you to help raise money so that we can complete the final stages of producing and pressing the record...that includes mastering and manufacturing the cd. If we raise $2000 over our goal we'd also love to master and press vinyl...which is something we always wanted to do and also something a lot of fans have been asking about. Even a $1 to $5 dollar pledge would make a huge difference and helping us achieve our goal.

The other important reason for doing a Kickstarter project is the Best part...hitting the road and bringing the music to you guys! Shanti and I love sharing the intimate part of making the music come alive through performance and we are committed to traveling in America, Ireland, the UK, and Europe...but we'll need extra pledge funds to help us all get there. We also need to purchase some microphones to improve the 'acoustic' presentation of our live performances. Also, on tour we hope to make a special video to document our journey. All of this takes an incredible amount of hard work and resources!

We are also the parents of two great kids who are home-schooled, so they'll be traveling with us on tour and that will also be a major part of their lessons (think Road-schooling!). We traveled with them across the U.S. last spring and it was a wonderful experience as a family.

We've set our goal to the bare minimum of $2,500, but we can certainly use as much help as possible beyond that...because mastering, and pressing a cd can be expensive enough, add to that all the funds needed to help press vinyl, promotion, and go on tour (motels, food, fuel, oil changes, etc) and it can add up to well over $10,000!

For those of you not familiar with Kickstarter, here's how it works:
We've set a minimum goal of $2,500, and you can pledge any amount you'd like! In return for your contribution, you'll get great rewards like an advance signed copy of the cds, concert tickets, a tour dvd, your name in the liner notes of our CD, or in some cases a special performance just for you (the rewards are listed to your right). The catch with Kickstarter is it's an all or nothing project...so unless we raise At Least $2,500 by the project deadline...the project won't happen and all our hard work over the past year will not see fruition.

Thanks in advance for all your support and faith in our music, film, and art!

Note: The film used for our project page is one of Shanti's creations (with some filming done by me). We hope to get a better video camera to make ever better films! (It was shot with a small Sony Bloggie)
Also, the song is from our third record 'House of Sticks' and is called 'In the Tall Grass'

Project location: Lewiston, ME

Upcoming Show for Arborea

Arborea, recently back from their UK tour, will be playing a show this Saturday at the University of Maine at Farmington. The show will take place at 8pm in The Landing (found in the Olsen Student Center).

from Maine #7

Photo by Shanti Curran. (c) all rights reserved.

Jan Mayes & Jerry Joe Carrier - video of Friday's gig

Video of Friday's gig at Holly's Own Deli in Auburn, Maine (fyi - we had dinner there as well and it was sooo good). Sitting in with Jan and Jerry is Mark Pendleton on flute and soprano sax. This was the first time Mark had played along with Jan & Jerry, so I believe most of his playing was on-the-spot improvisation, making it all the more impressive.

Knockin' On Heaven's Door:

Since the Beginning (original song written by Jan Mayes):

Pay Me My Money Down:

There are a few more videos from the performance, which can all be seen at the CozInk Collective YouTube channel, along with videos from past performances of Jan, Arborea, and Old Man Forest.

Buck and Shanti left Maine today and set out on Arborea's UK tour - wishing them happy travels and good crowds.

Careless Love

A new track from Arborea today, available for listening on SoundCloud - "Careless Love"

etsy updates

Handcrafts Trunk Show - Aug. 14th, Augusta, Maine

Come and join us on Saturday, August 14th at Chase Farm Bakery! From 8am to noon, the bakery will play host to a Handcrafts Trunk Show, featuring three small Maine art/craft businesses. The artists behind these creations will be present to chat with, and their work will be on display and available for sale all morning.

Come check out original handcrafted creations from the following:

Sweet Mojo Apothecary: Specializing in "indulgence for the body and soul," the girls at Sweet Mojo work together to create bath and body products that are "meant to leave your skin soft and pretty, your soul soothed, and your senses revived." Stop by to pick up some of their wonderfully scented perfume oils, emulsified sugar scrubs, hot oil hair treatments, and more!

Littleput Land: Wearable art! Littleput Land's Scrabble tile pendants are unique, affordable, and beautiful pieces of jewelry. Using rich washi, chiyogami, or Italian papers, Casie creates each pendant by hand using reclaimed Scrabble tiles. Each pendant comes on an 18" organza necklace and in a coordinating tin. Littleput Land also makes Scrabble tile magnets and other goods that can be found at the trunk show!

CozInk Printed Goods: Grace of CozInk uses real Maine plants, flowers, and leaves to create one-of-a-kind usable art in the form of handmade note cards, bookplates, and more. In the past year, she has also branched out and begun creating unique tote bags and fabric goods, which are also each created with real pieces of nature. Each piece is carefully hand printed using a monotype printmaking technique, making each card truly one-of-a-kind. Each one is an affordable, original, and MAILABLE piece of original art!

And while you're browsing the work of these talented crafters, take a moment to enjoy Chase Farm Bakery's delicious menu. Specialties include homemade doughnuts, pies, breads, and more. Each bakery item is made carefully from scratch, NEVER with pre-packaged mixes or store-bought fillings!

Everyone is encouraged to stop by during the trunk show and enter our raffle - we will be raffling off a gift basket at noon that includes items from all three of the shops above! Also taking place on August 14th, Stacy's Hallmark (just a few feet down Water Street from the bakery) is holding an artist signing with Hallmark Keepsake Ornament artist Tammy Haddix from 10am-noon and 1pm to 3pm.

We look forward to seeing you!

Handcrafts Trunk Show - 8am to noon

Chase Farm Bakery

295 Water Street

(Old Federal Building)

Augusta, Maine 04330

Arborea in the Portland Press Herald

(Photo by Liam Curran)

There is a great piece about Arborea in today's Portland Press Herald, titled "Making Noise: Arborea's ethereal sound the fruit of rustic roots."

Mike Olcott writes: "Arborea's sound is just like dreams, only better. Despite the music's Celtic and Americana roots, to hear the husband-and-wife team of Buck and Shanti Curran is to be transported to another world.

The quiet vocals and rustic textures will fill the North Star Music Cafe at 8pm Saturday."

To read the rest of the article, please visit the Press Herald website here.


The next couple shows coming up are thus:
Friday, July 30th at 8pm: Arborea at The Starving Artist in Keene, NH.
Saturday, July 31st at 8pm: Arborea at the North Star Music Cafe in Portland, ME.

Shows coming up through 7/23 - 7/27

Friday night, July 23, Arborea will be playing at the Mayo Street Arts Center in Portland, Maine. 8pm. $8-$10.

Saturday and Sunday, July 24 - 25, CozInk Printed Goods / Grace Kendall will be selling work at an Art & Vintage Market in Whitefield, Maine. 9am-3pm on Saturday, and 10am-3pm on Sunday. Goods at the CozInk table are priced from $2 to $40.

Tuesday, July 27, Old Man Forest will be playing at the SPACE Gallery in Portland, Maine. Show starts at 7pm (they go on second, following Charles Burst). $5 suggested donation.

More information about all of these shows can be found by clicking the appropriate link in the events list to the right of the page.

Updates on a couple shows next weekend will follow in a few days. Hope to see you at one of these events!

Littleput Land

A few days ago, Casie from Littleput Land (and a member of the Etsy Maine Team) posted a contest on her Facebook fan page. It was to unveil her newest magnet set design, based on Maine lighthouses. The first person to name all four lighthouses included in the design would get a free magnet set. Having been married next to a Maine lighthouse, I guess I have a soft spot for them and for the Maine coast in general. I love the rockyness of it that is different than the sandy beaches that are traditionally associated with the ocean. I would rather climb over rocks in February than sit on a beach and cook myself in July. So I jumped at the chance to try naming them all. I managed to get them all right, and Casie must have mailed my set right out because I received them in my mailbox this morning.



If you want a set like this in particular, it can be found here. Casie's Etsy shop is full of other great magnet sets as well as scrabble tile necklaces and extras like organza ribbon necklaces. Visit her shop to see more.

sneak peek for the Art & Vintage Market this month

Following up on the post about CozInk Paper Goods at an Art & Vintage Market later this month, here is a sneak peek at some of the things that will be available there. As I posted before, I'm trying to focus on affordable art, so these prices are lower than I've had at other venues or on Etsy (thanks to Jes for making these prices possible with a very affordable and laid-back venue!).




Bookmarks for $2 each or three for $5. (p.s. the lovely tumbler that these bookmarks are displayed in was created by Kim at claypatties.etsy.com - Kim will also be at the sale later this month!)







Hand-printed cards - set of 8 for $15.

Below, a hand printed scarf. Printed with three oak leaves. $15

Below, hand-printed tote bags. Prices will range from $5-$15 depending on size and fabric. The one shown below is a 15" x 16" lightweight cotton tote for $13.

Some original framed prints, $35 each.

I'll also have some of my photographs, matted and framed, available for sale for $35 - $40. Looking forward to this sale, and hope to see you there!

-Grace

from maine #6

A short video of a stormy day in Maine, taken by Grace Kendall.

new event this month - art & vintage market

Although the Etsy shop is closed for the time being, I've still been making stuff, and just haven't had the time/inclination to go about hawking it on the web. However, the perfect, laid-back opportunity to sell some stuff presented itself in the form of this casual "art & vintage market" being held at a friend's house on July 24 & 25. CozInk Paper Goods (Grace Kendall) will be there with everything from cards (singles and sets), bookmarks, printed tote bags & fabric goods, and original art. I'm focusing lately on usable and affordable art, so goods at my tables will range from $2-$40. Nothing (including framed original artwork) will go over the $40 mark.

There will be several other vendors there, including goods such as jewelry, tie-dye, pottery, art, vintage finds, etc. The promo poster (including directions) is below:


This event is being held on the same weekend as the Pittston Fair, and right along the same route to get to the fair, so you could always make a day of it by picking up some original pieces before heading to a horse pull!

monotype print simplicity

Not very chatty lately, huh? Wordy posts will pick up again soon, I'm sure, but for now there's just another image.



Gelatin monotype print and digital post-processing by Grace Kendall, 2010.

works in progress

A handful of cases for the new Old Man Forest self-titled release - hand-printed by Grace Kendall / CozInk Paper Goods.

from Maine #5

Sunset in Mount Vernon, Maine, taken on June 24, 2010.

Photo by Grace Kendall.

Arborea - Ides of March

Video for Arborea's song, Ides of March, filmed and edited by Buck and Shanti Curran. You can check out a few other videos that Buck and Shanti have created at their YouTube channel, and don't forget to check out the CozInk channel, too!

Old Man Forest from Valhalla Fest

We had a great time at the 2010 Valhalla Fields Festival on Saturday! Here are a few moments from Old Man Forest's performance that afternoon:

Old Man Forest live on the radio [[right now]]

http://portsmouthcommunityradio.org/listen

Old Man Forest is playing live for the next hour on The Red Telephone, Portsmouth Community Radio. Click above to listen to it streaming online.

Fern Knight video by Shanti Curran

"Hawk Mountain" from Fern Knight's 2007 self-titled album. Video by Shanti Curran, using footage from Arborea's 2010 US tour.

from Maine #4

"All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world." -- E.B. White

E.B. White was born in New York, but began visiting the Belgrade Lakes area of Maine as a boy. He bought a farm in Brooklin, Maine in 1933. He is quoted as saying "I would really rather feel bad in Maine than good anywhere else."

New Arborea show (next week!) and video

Off to Belfast again! Arborea has a new show scheduled with our old friends at Roots & Tendrils in Belfast, Maine. Covered by the Bangor Daily News, the show is scheduled for Friday, June 11. The performance is scheduled for 7:30pm at Roots & Tendrils, 2 Cross Street, Belfast, Maine (view map) - cover charge is $5.

Also new is the official lo-fi video for Seadrift, from Arborea's 2008 self-titled album. Film by Shanti Curran. Footage from Arborea's 2010 US tour, specifically Oregon and Northern California.

Help get a youth center for Lewiston/Auburn!

Please take a few moments to help support the youth of Lewiston/Auburn!

A local group known as YADA (Youth + Adults + Dialogue = Action) in Lewiston, Maine is working to establish a community youth center that will be accessible by foot from both downtown Lewiston and downtown Auburn. As many of you may know from news coverage, youth in L/A can expect a lot of upheaval in the next year or so as their schools go through drastic changes to qualify for Race to the Top federal funding. Support is very much needed for this reason and others. From Molly Ladd, YADA organizer:

"Lewiston was recently ranked as the city with the highest rate of childhood poverty in the State of Maine (41.68% of children under 18 reporterly live below national poverty standard.) There are very few after school programs available for teens, let alone free or low-cost programs. This is why a devoted group of youth and adults have been working since 2007 to plan and generate community support for a youth center.

Now, we are excited to announce that YADA successfully submitted an application to the Pepsi Refresh grant project for $50,000 to rent, staff, and outfit a youth center within walking distance of both Lewiston and Auburn downtown districts. We need YOU to help us win the grant! It's easy: all we need to do is get enough online votes in JUNE to rank in the top 10 out of approximately 400 grants in our category.

Voting is as easy as:

1. Go to www.refresheverything.com/YADA

2. Register to vote with your e-mail account (about 30 seconds) or sign in instantly with a pre-existing Facebook login and password

3. Vote for the YADA Center EVERY DAY in June!

It will only take a few seconds out of your day, but it will make a huge difference for hundreds of youth in the Lewiston-Auburn community! Please try to vote for the YADA Youth Center EVERY DAY in JUNE."

Please join Molly and L/A community is voicing support for YADA - please vote daily!

Watch the video below to hear from L/A youth about why this center is needed:

Lewistunning Dragapalooza

A fabulous Lewiston drag show featuring local pros as well as amateurs is being held at Schaeffer Theater at Bates College. $5 for students/seniors, $10 general admission, with proceeds benefiting Outright L/A. For more information visit www.outrightla.org or call (207) 795-8956, OR visit the event page on facebook.

New Show Scheduled & U.K. Press

I just added a new show for May to the events list. Jan Mayes and Jerry Joe Carrier will be performing live at Holly's Own Deli in Lewiston, Maine on Saturday, May 8th. The show starts at 6:30 and is expected to wrap up around 9:45; Jan and Jerry will be playing original music as well as some familiar covers. Holly's is a great local venue, offering a classic full deli menu, a cozy eat-in atmosphere, wine and local brews, and free wi-fi. Holly is an appreciated supporter of the local music, culture, and art scenes (check out weekly open mic nights on Wednesdays, and Holly's Deli hosting local belly dancers in the summer).

----------------------------------------------

Folk Radio UK recently blogged about Arborea's newest recording, a cover of Tim Buckley's Phantasmagoria in Two. Folk Radio UK created a lovely write-up about the duo and their recent projects, and also included some great videos of Arborea's live performance in Paris from their European tour this Jan./Feb. There are several videos included, one can be seen below:



Remember, there is an Old Man Forest show NEXT Saturday (May 1st). It's a daytime show, at a local bakery, so feel free to bring kiddos and enjoy some locally baked goodies.

from Maine #3

our family camp (photo by Jessy Kendall)

We are all one, in the sun.

Following up the last compilation Arborea curated, Leaves of Life, Buck Curran has curated another compilation album called We are All One, In the Sun. This album is a tribute to the late Robbie Basho, American guitarist, musician, composer, and one of the early pioneers of the acoustic steel string guitar in the US.

From the album's info page at Important Records:

"We are All One, In the Sun: a Tribute to Robbie Basho, represents a humble tribute to this truly original and passionate American guitarist, musician and composer.This labor of love curated and realized by musician, producer, and acoustic guitar maker Buck Curran (along with his wife Shanti performs as the duo Arborea) who after first hearing Basho, many moons ago, instantaneously felt Kindred Spirit to his music. This tribute (a collection of both original compositions and new interpretations of Basho songs) befittingly begins and ends with German guitarist and painter Steffen Basho Junghans, who has devoted almost 20 years to composing guitar music in the spirit of Robbie Basho, and who's own compositions reflect a spiraling poetic universe like Basho's, creations of majestic musical vistas"

Also appearing on the album are Arborea themselves, Glenn Jones, Fern Knight, Meg Baird, Helena Espvall, Cian Nugent, and Rahim AlHaj. The digital version of the album will include bonus tracks from Joseba Irazoki and Israeli Yair Yona, and young and promising English guitarist Cam Deaz.

"Robbie Basho was a true American Original, a free thinking passionate intellectual and a musical pioneer whose body of works deserves the kind of recognition and glorious platform that will enable generations of young musicians from around the world to draw inspiration from. We are All One, In the Sun represents the first of hopefully many tributes and works inspired by the life and music of Robbie Basho. In Basho's own words "Don't be afraid to feel anything" and his credo "Soul first, technique later." We arrive at simple Zen like mantras by which all of us can live."

The album is due to be released on May 11, 2010. Visiting the album's page will offer more information, a track listing, as well as audio samples of some of the tracks.

New Old Man Forest show scheduled for Augusta!

Details have just been hammered out for an intimate Old Man Forest show at a lovely local bakery in Augusta, Maine.

Chase Farm Bakery is run by some of my husband's very talented family and is located at 295 Water Street in Augusta. It is a real, honest-to-goodness bakery, where everything is homemade from scratch with no mixes, no buckets of filling, no preservatives, and no additives. Bakery specialties include homemade whoopie pies, doughnuts, breads and rolls, cookies, and the very popular pot pies. They also stock raw organic milk from their dairy farm in Whitefield, Maine, and Maine maple syrup from Hilton Head Farm (also in Whitefield, and also family). This is another perfect opportunity to support your local music scene, as well as local business and local agriculture!

The show is scheduled for Saturday, May 1st at 10:00AM. Please join us and enjoy live music and some locally baked goodies! This is a FREE show, but it's worth noting if you plan on grabbing some treats that Chase Farm Bakery only accepts cash or check for the time being, and no debit/credit cards. Go to the ATM- it's worth it! :-)

greetings from the road

So far so good on Buck & Shanti's US tour. Shanti said it's going great and they're having a wonderful time.

Somehow even with all the traveling, playing shows, and caring for the children, they still managed to set aside some time while they were in Austin, TX for SXSW, and recorded a new song! It's a cover of Tim Buckley's Phantasmagoria in Two, and can be heard on their website. It's the first song on the playlist, and it's beautiful.

Arborea returns to Maine on April 30th, when they'll be playing a show at North Star Cafe in Portland. North Star Music Cafe is an awesome little venue, and an excellent place to support the local economy (not to mention one of those rare places to find tasty vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options). They use local products, local food, and local talent to make their cafe a truly unique Maine experience. For more shows at North Star, take a look at their calender.

from Maine #2

(Photo by Grace Kendall)

New music from Denise Dill

Buck and Shanti of Arborea are in the midst of their US tour, and are currently playing SXSW in Austin, Texas. Here's hoping for continuously smooth sailing as they travel!

The blog has been a bit quieter than normal, perhaps we're in an early Spring lull. The weather has been so beautiful up here in Maine that no one is much inclined to sit in front of the computer for long. However, we're all still up to stuff- plans for new music shows are in the works, and will be updated as they firm up. The biggest reason for lack of news is that I started college in January, and I'm busy as hell, so I'm not as good as I used to be about tracking down news and sharing it. Hopefully I will strike a balance here pretty soon and be able to keep up on CozInk as well as homework and writing papers.

For today, I'll leave you with some new CDs from various projects that Denise Dill has been working on. Denise has several projects at any given time, and there are CDs from three of them available now. The first two are available for download through CDbaby, or if you would like a hard copy, leave a comment here and I will get back to you asap with Denise's info (hard copies can be mailed for $8). The first of these two CDs is a solo album called "City Cemeteries," and is available here. The second is a duo called The Shady Paw Paws, with Denise Dill and Sy Blumenthal, available here, and includes the song Make Love Like Slugs, that I posted last year (it's the second video in that post). Also available now is a CD from Old Man Forest. This one isn't available digitally, but if you'd like to purchase one for $8, but they're mailable! Just leave a comment here and I'll get back to you asap.

-Grace

Photos from Arborea's European Tour

Buck and Shanti made it home safe and sound after a tiring whirlwind European tour in January and February. They are home for a short time before starting out on their spring U.S. tour, which will take them across the entire country.

Visit Arborea's blog for some beautiful photos they've shared from their time in Europe.

Old Man Forest this Friday in Portland!

Old Man Forest has a pretty busy month in Feb. The next show is THIS Friday- Feb. 5th, in Portland, ME. This will be at the Sylvia Kania Gallery, at 148 High Street, starting at 6pm. Click on the link to read the gallery's kick ass manifesto.

And in case you needed a reminder of just why you'd want to make it out to this show, here is a video of Old Man Forest performing at Guthrie's back in November.




This show is a great opportunity to support local music, art, and business!

Shows coming up this weekend!

Just a quickie blog post to remind folks of two great shows coming up this Saturday, January 30th.



Saturday at 8:00PM, Old Man Forest will be performing at Roots & Tendrils in Belfast, Maine. Also performing at R&T that evening is Alexis Pastuhov. It also just *happens* to be the last day of the 30//30//30 exhibit at Roots, which includes my photograph, "Quiet Movement."



In central Maine on Saturday, you can also check out Jan Mayes and Jerry Joe Carrier playing live at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's on Middle Street in Lewiston. Joining them that night are Drew Heinonen and Jason Moreau. Super talented musicians, all of them!

Have a great weekend!
-Grace

from Maine #1

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was born in Portland, Maine in 1807

Curran 'Butterfly' Model Guitar For Sale

For Sale 2006 Curran 'Butterfly' Model Acoustic Guitar. Pre-Owned in Excellent Plus Condition. German Spruce top, Gorgeous Australian Black Acacia Back and Sides, Custom Black Acacia 'Radial' pattern rosette, with gold Waverly tuners. This guitar is light weight and very responsive, with a gorgeous complex voice. Great for fingerstyle or flatpicking. Please contact Buck at arboreamusic@gmail.com for further details.

*I mentioned in a previous blog that Buck is a talented luthier. You can read more about his craft here- in the meantime, if you're in the market for a stunning guitar, contact Buck at the above email. I saw this guitar in person last week- it's friggin' beautiful. Really, really stunning craftsmanship.
-Grace

New Shows Added

Just a quick post to draw your attention to the events list at the right hand side of the blog. I keep the list as up-t0-date as possible, so even if there hasn't been a recent blog post, that list will get updated if I hear of a new show.


This week I've added two upcoming shows. There is a new show added for Old Man Forest; they're scheduled to play at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's in Lewiston on February 20th. The second new show leaves a bit of a choice to be made, because it's the same night as another CozInk performance (Old Man Forest at Roots & Tendrils). A new January 30th show has been added for Jan Mayes and Jerry Joe Carrier, who are also playing at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's.


Guthrie's is a nice pub-type atmosphere with great food, beer and wine, and really, really good hot cocoa. You can find them online at www.myspace.com/guthriesplace and in Lewiston, Maine at 115 Middle Street. You can also read some foodie reviews for Guthrie's at Urban Spoon. And thanks go out to Guthrie's for their consistent support of local indie music (particularly my family members! Thanks guys!).

drumming/dancing

A couple weeks ago several local cooperatives organized and held a Solidarity Supper to raise money for Outright L/A and the Treatment Action Campaign. At the event, Jessy Kendall did some drumming for an interpretive dancer. Here they are:

Video recorded by Craig Saddlemire, and you can see more of Craig's stuff on his youtube channel.

first shows of 2010

Happy New Year! Here's hoping everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve. I would add "warm", but that's asking for a bit much for Maine in January.

What better way to kick off a new decade than supporting some awesome indie art/music? There are several CozInk shows coming up in the next few weeks, so here's a rundown:

• Firstly, the 30//30//30 exhibit at Roots & Tendrils is showing through January, and includes my photograph, 'Quiet Movement'. The show ends on Jan. 30th (Jan. 30th is a good day to visit Roots & Tendrils, by the way... keep reading...).

• On January 8th, Arborea is playing at the Solidarity Center in Brewer, Maine. See the Events list at right for more details. This is Arborea's last local show before they embark on their latest European tour, which kicks off with a radio appearance Jan. 20th in Paris. Visit their website to see all their European dates/locations.

• On January 30th we head back to Belfast and our friends Meg and Bub at Roots & Tendrils, where Old Man Forest will be playing live along with Alex Pastuhov. A showtime for this event is TBA. Check back for updates.
  

• February 5th Old Man Forest will be playing in Portland, Maine. I know this, but not much more. More info will come asap! Keep checking the events listing at right for updates on this show.

• And finally, February 11th, Old Man Forest will be playing live at North Star Cafe in Portland, Maine at 7pm. North Star Cafe is a cozy cafe/coffee house and live music venue, and have played hosts to some great local indie music. Come out and thank them for supporting local musicians!

That's not everything, but you get the idea- you can see more shows on the events list, and I'm sure more will be added. On a side note, I'm going back to college in a couple weeks, and depending on how I do juggling school, a kiddo, and home, I don't know if my Etsy shop will stay open. I hope it will, but if you've been eying anything at CozInk Paper Goods, it might be a good idea to snag it now before I am too overwhelmed to keep up with the shop. Here's a small idea of what's in the shop right now:

Have a great 2010!
-Grace