Some Like It Hot!

Some Like It Hot! is a new show at "the gallery at Toby Rosenberg Pottery", running thru February 28th. It features  artists who use "Heat In The Creative Process" plus a Special Jewelry Trunk Show, 10-5PM

with exquisite handcrafted silver from Susan Bryant Caron and an Artisanal Chocolate Tasting from Sweet Marguerites of South Portland, 1-4PM, on Sunday February 7th.

Many of you may have run into Meg Swoboda  and Sweet Marguerites Chocolates at Harvest On The Harbor or some similar event in the area. Her chocolates were just on Martha Stewart and can be found in several finer shops in the Portland area. For this Valentine's day she has created "Passion Hearts", a cinnamon chilli ganache inside of a dark chocolate exterior, dusted in an edible gold. The free tasting runs from 1-4PM.

The six week show has been featuring Diane Bowie Zaitlin's encaustic paintings & Melissa Mattes felt paintings,           

which are worth seeing because 1) they are very good and 2) you don't see this type of work everyday.  There is also stained glass from Allyson Humphrey and two potters. Betsy Levine, who works with salt and wood fired glazes and Toby Rosenberg's electric fired pottery.  A lot of the crafts. sculpture and photography regularly seen in the gallery will be on display as well. 

A show preview can be seen here:

Regular Winter hours: Sunday -Thursday 10-6 , Friday 10-5 

Saturday by appointment and chance

the gallery at toby rosenberg pottery

293 read street

portland, maine

tel. 207-878-4590

www.tobyrosenberg.com

Sweet! As in "Sweet Marguerites" Artisanal Chocolates

Sunday at the Toby Rosenberg Gallery was a fun day, with Meg Swoboda, whose passion it is to make and share the finest in handmade chocolates, on hand for a tasting of her latest creations.  The newest of which are a line of "Umami Chocolates".  These five chocolates, Sweet Potato Caramel, Plum Sake, Sesame Tahini, Green Tea & Ginger and Malted Bacon are based on the principle of Umami.  About a century ago a Japanese scientist started using the word umami to describe the fifth taste, beyond sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It is in the savory or full mouth sensation found in foods like sweet potatoes, green tea, soy sauce, meat and parmesan cheese.  Of course she hasn't forgotten more traditional bites featured in her assorted boxes, making her version of peanut butter cups, with Venezuelan milk chocolate, the creamy ganache center is a mix of milk chocolate and cashew butter, wrapped around a whole cashew.  Another offering that proved extremely popular was her chile and dark chocolate concoction made with layers of dark chocolate ganache, and ribbons of spicy orange gelee'.

The enthusiastic crowd got to not only try sweet Marguerites chocolates but lay their hands on some of Maine's finest crafts in an intimate setting at the Toby Rosenberg Gallery, which uses the downstairs parlor rooms of an 1890 Victorian, at 293 Read Street, just off Forest Avenue in Portland.  Among this seasons guest artists are Obadiah Buell - granite works, Lou Charlett - wood, Allyson Humphrey - stained glass, Betsy Levine - salt glazed & wood fired pottery, Melissa mattes - felt & fiber paintings, Diane Bowie Zaitin - encaustic paintings and Grey Dog Studio - glass & stainless serving pieces.  They join holdovers Funky Pretty - jewelry, Silk Bijou - scarfs, DoDa! Foto! - photography, Lenora Leibowitz - illuminated cards and of course Toby's functional pottery and fine judaica.

Also on hand during the afternoon with her sweetness was Erin Forbes of Overland Honey. Erin is one of only four master bee keepers in the state and by far the youngest.  From her backyard on Capisic Street in Portland she harvests honey from her many hives to make honey, which as the saying goes... "You are what you eat" and the bee eats different blooms, from spring to fall and the honey is accordingly different in color and taste with the seasons.  Erin also makes candles, luminaries and beeswax from her eager little workers.  Shes also available for consultations and offering encouragement to novice beekeepers.  Erin was once one of Toby's pottery students before growing up to become the "Queen Bee".

I took pictures of these little guys just last week in Erin's backyard.  They'll spend the winter inside their  hives, which get a tar paper wrap for protection, but otherwise are on their own to flap their wings trying to maintain a 90 degree temperature keeping the queen alive thru the winter.

So if you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet, stop by the Toby Rosenberg Gallery for Meg's chocolates, Erin's honey or to see art & handmade crafts from some of Maine's finest artists.

Toby Rosenberg Gallery, 293 Read Street, Portland  tel. 207-878-4590,  10-6 daily until the new year.

Blatant Plug, Buy Local, Update #1

Following the frantic goings on of last week, what with new stock arriving daily by UPS or being delivered by the artists; the gallery being turned upside down trying to figure where it all goes, rushing to get out postcards, hang flyers and do an emailing and with a trip to New Haven for Thanksgiving and shooting over 3000 images at the NE Amateur Boxing Finals ( posting thurs/fri ? ) things are coming together, sort of like the calm before the storm!

 3 days left before the official opening of the 2009 Holiday Show and things are going smoothly. Here's  is a look at the gallery as of today.

Now a tip to all you guys out there, two things women love, 1) jewelry... we have it, and

2) chocolate... ditto. In fact on Sunday December 6th from 1 to 4, you can really score big by skipping football (WTBF) and bringing your honey to a Chocolate Tasting, featuring Sweet Marguerites scrumptious chocolates!

Holiday Show Preview page is HERE

Also this weekend

Bradbury Mountain Arts at Mallett Hall, Rte 9, Pownell

The Wine Bar, on Sundaywill have some crafts

If your in Bethel, VT. Becca Van Fleet is opening her new Gallery, 123 Scammel lane

Next weekend

Fraser Art Studio, 81 Congress St.

Photo a Go-Go 10th Anniversary Show, December 11 6-8 with music by King Memphis

Blatant Plug, Buy Local

In my other life, when I'm not taking photos, I'm often helping out in my wife's pottery business and our Gallery.  We live in a small Victorian in the Deering section of the city just off Forest Ave on Read Street. A minutes walk from the Starbucks, where I never go for coffee.  Most years we are doing a craft show in Gaithersburg, MD in mid november and then home and back to New Haven for Thanksgiving Dinner at my sister-in-laws house, which leaves little time and less energy to put into the Gallery for the holiday season.  Some years we do a little and some years less.

BUT NOT THIS YEAR!!!  We decided to stay off the road and put our time and energy into "the gallery at Toby Rosenberg Pottery".  Here is what we have come up with. A show of exquisitely hand crafted gifts featuring local artists... Holiday Show Preview  In the last few days several more artists have brought items in that I haven't had time to photograph and I'll get to that this weekend and I'll add to this post early next week with some listings for other local holiday shows.