(Exit followed by a bear)

The Magpie held out hope ("here, take this piece of beauty") for as long as was possible. The red bear was not to be bribed by something it couldn't eat. And so we are packing up, to close in our Dryden Court location at the end of June.

So much good happened that we intend to be back in the public eye, somewhere else, asap. The bear's cubs have chosen to come to live with us.

A proper farewell blog, replete with thanks, will come at the right time.

[Above, Louis Wain's "For What We Are About To Receive" on three 8" x 8" ceramic tiles]

Why Not Live With Art instead of Design?

The technology of printing reproductions now extends onto functional objects, from bathroom tiles to zazzle's sneakers. Pleased with the lovely translation of Lynne Taetzsch's painting "I flit through life" into the functional language of a textured glass tile, which can be installed as a tile or, with its rubber bumpons on, used as a trivet or even a cutting board, I still paused, concerned with whether this type of reproduction had filtered out so much of the original image that what was left to please me was now Design or Graphic Art. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Per se. I will ask the artist, of course, and she is the decider in this case. But, this ultimatum aside, the question in the title of today's blog is also raised.

Dan Bacich "Thinking Outside the Box"

Harvard graduate in comparative theology and son of a Syracuse pieman, Dan Bacich is a Complex Simon. His autumn leaves paintings attract both former leaf-peepers exiled to southern states and connoisseurs of art as line, color, and composition. "Death is the mother of beauty," so Wallace Stevens.

As this youtube video reveals, Dan's muse expects a lot from him--litters of three-dimensional assemblages, viewable in their magical variety this week in Baldwinsville as the exhibit "Thinking Outside the Box." A number of the boxes will be exhibited at a major art museum in New York State starting in 2010.

We've had the pleasure of producing tiles and tile murals of Dan Bacich's paintings for the past two years (above top, 6" x 8" of "Ugly is Beautiful"). It was Phil "Loudeac Tile Studio" McCray who had the idea of putting Dan's assemblages on tile. Nothing can vie with the real things, but their photographic reproduction printed on tile produces delectable simulacra with their own appeal. (A detail from the assemblage "Little Vampire" appears above.)

You can see an example of this translation in the exquisite 12" x 12" ceramic tile of "Newton's Law" hanging at Magpie. Or visit one of Dan's shows this summer.

Lynne Taetzsch Making the Walls Sing

Above, "Culmination" by Lynne Taetzsch; top, Taetzsch's "Earth Songs" on 8" x 8" tile.
Lynne Taetzsch, a masterful abstract painter with a tremendous following, residing right here in Ithaca, has hung five of her original paintings in Magpie, some favorites, some new creations. From now until the end of June, you are welcome to come take in Lynne's work from 11-6 Tuesday-Saturday. Ceramic tiles of the paintings on display will also be available--ready to hang and to make your walls sing too!

You can also order a tile mural of one of Lynne Taetzsch's works. Check out the selection of images available on tile at our Loudeac Tile Studio web site.

We apologize for an unexpected closure on Tuesday. If you stopped by, please do come again soon.

Book Cover Coasters

Strain. The distortion set up in a material by the action of an external force.

Strength. The ability to resist physical forces imposed during handling or use.

Stress. Internal forces set up in a material by the action of an external force. (Materials Handbook: An Encyclopedia for Purchasing Agents, Engineers, Executives, and Foremen, George S. Brady, McGraw-Hill, 1944)
This old leather bound book serves as an antidote to the stresses of virtuality. I couldn't resist making some tiles 4.25" tiles of the embossed images of tools on the cover: the microscope, sickle, cog, and telescope. They might make a good Father's Day gift: coasters or a wall trio for the right nook. I will try to put them up in our online boutique this weekend.

Kazusuma Ogawa florals on tile

blown glass trinkets

A young fellow from Owego, NY, Eric Johnson, makes these blown glass ornaments. As pendants, they can be worn as jewelry or hung from your rear view mirror. We have two pretty pipes, also, one pictured above.