Changes at Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing

Hello, art and framing friends ~

I wanted to let everyone know that I am no longer maintaining this blog.

The gallery and frame shop have been sold to Bill LaPorte. I invite you to support his move to his new location on Walnut Street (main street) in Spooner. Bill is doing great things with the shop, and I know you'll get the same great service you've come to expect from Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing.

Thank you for your continued patronage!

Sincerely,
JoAnn Martin

2010 Fall Splendor Art Meander - our region's first!

Hello, Art Lovers!

Yes, it's true! Northwest Wisconsin now has an art tour!

Mark your calendars for September 24 & 25, 2010. At left is a thumbnail of the map, featuring 13 locations representing dozens of artists and galleries. (I'm sorry I can't make it bigger--Blogger won't allow it.)

If you'd like a PDF version of the Fall Splendor Art Meander map e-mailed to you (to use while you're driving), please type "Art Meander Map" in the Subject line of your e-mail message to JoAnn@BlackIrisFraming.com.

A few of the studios on this map will be open to the public for the very first time!

With Spooner and Shell Lake galleries in the north, and Cameron and Chetek studios in the south--plus several GREAT art stops along the way including in Brill, Barronett, and Cumberland--you won't want to miss this once-a-year event!

See you at the 2010 Fall Splender Art Meander. Enjoy our area's fall colors....buy fantastic art....munch on yummy appetizers....watch artists at work in their working studios....and sign up for door prizes at every location along the way.

Happy (Art) Trails to you!

Sincerely,
JoAnn Martin
Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing
Spooner, WI
http://www.BlackIrisFraming.com

I Love Santa Fe! (Part 2 of 3)

This is Part 2 of my tribute to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I love it there! Here are two reasons why.

My two favorite things about Santa Fe are entirely entwined with each other: I love its food and its people. Of course Santa Fe's cuisine comes from its people--its strong Native American, Spanish, and Mexican populations.

Did you know that Santa Fe is literally America's oldest, official city? It was founded an entire decade before the British colonials even landed on Plymouth Rock. No offense intended, but the Spanish colonials got here first, and thank goodness.
With such a long and diverse (and yes, tumultuous) history, nearly every cafe, barista, pub, club, diner and restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, features the foods and spices of the city's past and present: Native American flat breads, Spanish tapas, French pastries, Mexican everything, and yes, even American food is here--and it's always fresh, tasty, and easy to find. No hunting in the phone book for ethnic food--just walk down the sidewalk, choose an eatery, and open the door. You'll find some of the best tasting food in the world. (In my last post I mentioned some of my travels. Having eaten on cruise ships and in Europe, I can tell you that Santa Fe beats them both.)


If you're a locavore like I am (you choose to eat locally produced food when possible), the best part of Santa Fe is the Santa Fe Farmer's Market, open year-round. You can buy everything from chile peppers (all varieties, from mild to 3-alarm) to standard and exotic fruits and vegetables. You can buy locally produced cheeses, wines, and even art at this market (yes, art!). And you will hear local street musicians, called buskers, too. The Santa Fe Farmer's Market is more than a market--it's a community event and gathering place.

My favorite breakfast place in Santa Fe is called the Horseman's Haven. We usually heard two or three languages spoken here each morning, and the huevos rancheros were the best we had all week (and large enough to share or save half for lunch). Speaking of lunch, we recommend Pasqual's, located on Santa Fe's famous Plaza (more on The Plaza in Part 3). For dinner you must go to Canyon Road (you'll be there anyway for its dozens of art galleries) and eat at El Farol's. It's pricey, but worth it. Save this restaurant for a special evening with a special someone. Andrew and I loved their tapas selection.

If you get hooked on Southwestern cuisine (I have always loved Mexican food, but the Southwest's flavors are even better), check out the Santa Fe School of Cooking. You can learn how to roast a chile and wrap a tamale, and then go home and repeat it in your own kitchen.

If you like to meet people who are different from you, go to Santa Fe. If you like foods that look and taste differently from what you normally eat, go to Santa Fe. If you love to learn and want to grow personally, go to Santa Fe and don't come back until you're a better person. It won't take long. Santa Fe will enrich you.


If you're in the Spooner area this month, stop in see us at Black Iris Gallery (located between the stop lights on Hwy 63). We are currently showing Paul Oman's new watercolor art show called Landscapes & Cityscapes: Paul Oman 2010. Several of his award-winning pieces are on display now through the end of June. It's an impressive show and just as good as what I saw in Santa Fe. See above for a sample of his work.

Above: A Day in Bayfield, original watecolor, Paul Oman, 2010

See you soon at Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing!

Sincerely,
JoAnn
Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing
Spooner, WI
715-635-4548
http://www.blackirisframing.com/


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I Love Santa Fe, NM! (Part 1 of 3)

I can't stop myself. I have to share my love of Santa Fe with you!

If you're an art lover, but haven't yet traveled to Santa Fe, put it at the top of your travel list right now. You will be amazed by the foods, arts, and culture you'll find there.

And I'm not just talking about the visual arts. Yes, Santa Fe is full of galleries. Yes, you can buy a Georgia O'Keeffe print at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Yes, you will find Southwest art in the Southwest (of course), including "cowboys and indians" art. But if your assumptions about Santa Fe are limited to these stereotypes, you're missing the arts and culture experience of a lifetime.

Santa Fe is famous for much more than painters and paintings. It's also famous for weaving, black pottery, and opera. Yes, opera! The open-air Santa Fe Opera Campus is located in the valley between the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains--some of the most beautiful, colorful, and always changing mountains I have ever seen (and I've seen the Alps in Switzerland and Mt. McKinley in Alaska).

The performing arts in Santa Fe are amazingly diverse--from plays, concerts, and ballet to comedians, jam sessions, and poetry slams. If sports are your thing, try women's roller derby (no kidding!). The rivalry between the women of the Sante Fe Disco Brawlers and the Albequerque Dukes is growing as fast as their fan base.

If you're a movie buff and visiting Santa Fe, sometimes you can be an "extra" in a Hollywood movie or Indie film. Because of its long days, excellent light, and proximity to California, New Mexico in general and Santa Fe in particular are often chosen for on-location movie shoots. Alex Baldwin recently shot a movie there, which features the famous Loretto Church and its mysterious, winding staircase that was built in the late 1880s by just one man with only rustic hand tools and no nails. Even today's engineers and architects do not agree how the famous staircase remains upright and strong with no apparent vertical support.

Part 2 (coming soon!) of my tribute to Santa Fe, New Mexico, will focus on my two favorite things about this beautiful town. You might be surprised!

Forever in Love with Santa Fe,
JoAnn

Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing
Spooner, WI
715-635-4548









Above: A bank in Santa Fe, built adobe style. The city prefers all buildings to be built this way to preserve the historical architecture of the region.


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Meet Bill LaPorte, Photographer

Greetings, art lovers!

Please meet and greet local photographer Bill LaPorte (left) and welcome him to the Black Iris family.

Bill has worked here at Black Iris for nearly a year as my assistant framer. If you've had framing done in the last year, it was probably Bill who cut your mats and built your frame. He's very detail oriented and exact in his work, and I couldn't be happier to introduce you to one of his other passions--photography. Here is what Bill has to say about his camera work:

"I take pictures. I am always searching, questing, for the perfect photograph, and I hope I never get it. Once I do, I’ll be done, and I always want to be taking and sharing good photos.

Having lived in God's County all my life, I strive to capture the beautiful wildlife, flowers, and landscapes of northern Wisconsin and beyond. We live in heaven on earth, and that’s all anyone can ask for. Please visit my Web site for images of Zion National Park, Glacier National Park, the Rockys, the Smokeys, and more.

I also book photography sessions for individual portraits, family portraits, weddings, corporate photography, pet photos, and of course senior pictures for graduates of high school and college. If you need a professional photograph for personal or business use, please call me.

One of my specialties is using PhotoShop CS3 to restore vintage photographs. If you need an heirloom photo repaired or retouched, please let me know. I can reproduce your image, good as new, in several sizes on your choice of cotton, matte, glossy, or plain paper and even canvas.

I look forward to hearing from you. To learn more, please visit my Web site at http://www.billlaportephotography.com/ or call 715-520-2203.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Bill LaPorte, Spooner, WI
http://www.billlaportephotography.com/
715-520-2203"

Please note: Bill's photography is now on display at Black Iris Gallery. You can buy his framed images, matted prints, and greeting cards at very reasonable prices. See you soon at Black Iris!

Yours in Art,
JoAnn Martin
Black Iris Gallery & Custom Framing
Hwy 63 * 410 N River Street
Spooner, WI 54801
Free Parking on Oak Street
715-635-4548
http://www.blackirisframing.com

The Framed Signature Mat - Not Just for Weddings

Hello, everyone! Today's post is about a new product I'm selling called the Engravable Signature Mat (see photos).

It's designed especially for brides and grooms, and it's called "The New Guestbook." It's a beautiful way to capture your wedding guests' signatures forever. You'll be able to enjoy your framed and signed wedding photograph in a way that you'll actually get to see and enjoy for years to come.

If someone you know is getting married this year, the Framed Engravable Signature Mat makes a very thoughtful gift.

What makes this Engravable Signature Mat so special is that it's made from a highly-polished metal alloy, not cardboard. The signatures will never smudge or fade, ever.

As a picture framer, I've framed many cardboard mats (you've seen them--white mats signed with black or red magic marker), and they often arrive in my frame shop in pretty bad shape. Not only do they sometimes smell like cigarette smoke, they are usually smudged or worse--they are water (beer?) stained. And within a couple of years, the signatures are usually quite faded.

The Engravable Signature Mat eliminates all those problems while giving the guest(s) of honor a very beautiful remembrance of their very special day.

But let's think beyond weddings--the Engravable Signature Mat is also a thoughtful way to capture the moment of a birthday, graduation, bat/bar mitzvah, retirement, baby shower, and more. Just pop in a photograph of the guest of honor, and everyone will know what to do.

The Engravable Signature Mat arrives at your door as a complete kit--framed and ready to display on an easel or table. It includes a free polishing cloth to wipe away finger prints, a free diamond-tipped scribe for your guests to sign their names (works much like a regular pen, just push a little harder), a free instruction card, and hanging hardware so you can hang your finished piece either horizontally or vertically. Voila!

Prices start at $195 for the 20 x 24 Framed Engravable Signature Mat and go down from there. If you've ever had custom framing done, you know what a good value this is.

To learn more or to place an order, please visit my Web site at http://www.blackirisframing.com/ where you can download an order form. You may also call me at 715-635-4548. I can take your credit card info right over the phone.

See (and sign!) the Engravable Signature Mat in person at Black Iris Gallery on Hwy 63 in Spooner, WI. I'll also be at the Rice Lake Bridal Show on Sunday, February 7, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Hope to see you there!

Happy Party Planning, everyone.

Sincerely,
JoAnn

"Superior Quetico Wilderness," original by Paul Oman

Greetings, Art Lovers!

Shown at left is a watercolor original called The Superior-Quetico Wilderness (65” x 45”).

Depicting one of our region’s finest natural treasures—the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of the United States and the Quetico Provincial Park of Canada—this large piece was painted by local artist and Lutheran pastor Paul Oman of Birchwood, WI. It now hangs at Black Iris Gallery in Spooner, WI.

The Superior-Quetico Wilderness comes matted and framed by the artist in dark oak. Until now, it was priced at $3,500 (framed; $2,450 unframed).

From now through the end of December 2009, you can take advantage of Paul’s 25% OFF Special. This means you can own this original watercolor for just $2,625 framed ($1,837.50 unframed).

Please let me know if you have questions or if you would like to schedule a private viewing of this rare, original artwork. It will make a beautiful addition to any home, cottage, cabin, or office.

Our Holiday Hours are Mon - Sat, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. We also take appointments for any other time--just gives us a call at 715-635-4548. See you soon at Black Iris Gallery on Hwy 63 in Spooner, WI. Free parking on Oak Street.

Happy Holidays to You!

Sincerely,
JoAnn

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