Sponsor Shout-Out: R&F Handmade Paints—Many Colors, Many Facets…Many Thanks!

As painter Henri Matisse said “Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.”

When a creative person sets out to turn a passion into a business, these characteristics are all the more important—and anyone familiar with the history of R&F Handmade Paints can easily see that founder Richard Frumess has got the stuff! The business originally started out as an artist’s means to ensure the availability of his favorite medium –but 27 years later, the business is so much more: what R&F itself describes as “a multi-faceted paint company that is material-focused and artist-driven.” You don’t get to be multi-faceted without all the traits Matisse describes!

R&F hand-makes their specialty products in their midtown Kingston factory: which means that each batch is mixed with great attention to the medium and pigment, resulting in vivid paints that retain their brightness and translucent colors that maintain their tones. Their products—84 colors of encaustic paints (wax-based paints with ancient origins; encaustics are kept molten on a heated palette, then applied to an absorbent surface and fused by reheating), 94 colors of their original Pigment Sticks® oil sticks (which allow for painting directly on a surface without the use of brushes, palettes, tubes, or solvents), and their Encausticbord™ surfaces—are praised and trusted by award-winning artists. But that’s just one of the business’s many aforementioned facets.

R&F also offers a rich array of demonstrations and workshops, taught by acclaimed artists and instructors. Whether you’re looking for an introduction to encaustics or are an old pro, take a look at their diverse course offering here: http://www.rfpaints.com/workshops/upcoming-workshops. They also have a gallery and host exhibitions with fine artists (http://www.rfpaints.com/exhibitions/r-f-gallery) and have an impressive permanent collection well worth visiting as well. Studio space is available to artists on an hourly basis, and R&F’s website, www.rfpaints.com, is a wealth of information for artists.

When we met with representatives of the Midtown Arts District committee after last year’s Hullabaloo, Richard was interested in and enthusiastic about our event, and having his support means so much to us!  We thank R&F for sponsoring Hullabaloo 2015, and for all you do for our community!

Sponsor Shout-Out: “Walking the Line” with One Mile Gallery

What’s the difference between “art” and “craft”? This question can sometimes puzzle creative individuals—sometimes the line between the two is a fine one. Some sources define “art” as a form of work that expresses emotions or ideas, while “craft” is often defined as a skilled work that involves the application of a technique.  To some, “craft” has taken on a negative connotation, while the word “art” is sometimes misinterpreted as pretentious. Words like “artisanal,” and “maker” struggle to balance on the invisible line.

We believe that the separation is less cut-and-dry, and would assume that many of our vendors (especially the ones who hold fine arts degrees) would agree! We’ve seen some pretty big ideas and genuine emotion expressed by our “craft fair” vendors, using advanced skills and techniques…and we’ve seen some art work utilizing masterful techniques and expert skills with the artist’s medium.  Regardless of how you categorize a piece of work, we believe that things of beauty should be accessible to all in whatever forms they enjoy them, and that “fine art” and well-made “functional” or “decorative” handcrafted goods can co-exist peacefully.

That’s why the support of One Mile Gallery means so much to us: we really appreciate that a fine art gallery agrees with us that all types of creative endeavors—whether “fine art,” “craft,” or something in between—are valid and deserve an outlet, and that all creatives deserve an opportunity to share their work. And we’re SO glad that One Mile is there to provide this opportunity to so many amazing established and emerging fine artists, both local and worldwide.

One Mile Gallery is housed in one of the few remaining 18th century buildings in the historic Rondout district of Kingston, at 475 Abeel Street.  They’re open on Saturdays from noon until 5:00, as well as by appointment and for openings and special events. They showcase the works of painters, photographers, sculptors, mixed media artists and more, in regularly-changing exhibitions. We’re pretty psyched for “Greenhouse,” an exhibit that opens on October 17th and is on view until November 14th. This show features over 20 artists and all the work focuses on plant life. As the last of the leaves fall from the trees and winter sets in, a little plant life sounds like just the thing to remind us that spring will once again bloom. It’ll be the perfect way to spend a chilly Saturday!

One Mile also has an online shop (http://onemilegallery.com/shop), perfect for finding gifts for the fine art lover on your shopping list. Select from available work offered by past exhibiting artists, ranging from quirky illustrations to subversive paintings.

We want to thank One Mile Gallery for their support and for sharing our vision of a peaceable kingdom where “art” and “craft” comingle on hand-drawn blurred lines! Thank you for putting the “fine arty” in our party!