My Photography

I now can say that my art is on display! We hung my first pieces in Johnson City, TN, at the new Mi Si Bella Salon. Hanging my art in a location such as this benefits both of us. I get exposure, and possibly a sale or two, and Krista gets free art for her walls. Mi Si Bella's web site is not yet up, but if you are a Facebooker, check her fan page out here. Below are some photos of the installation. Michael and Quinn came along. Truth be known, Michael did all of the manual labor.

I now am listing the photographs on Etsy. I will be adding a new one daily, today I added "What Lies Beneath" both the print and the wood block wall hanging. I just love all of these photos hung together... the grouping looks so very cool! <--Okay, surely I could have come up with a better adjective than that, oh well. Quinn likes the photos...

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Working in the Studio

Working in the Studio
Originally uploaded by talinaripperarts

Jacob staining foot rests with Michael. "Yep, put 'em to work!" That is what we say. No, really, it has always been our dream to create with children underfoot, and look... We are living our dream!

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Gallery Opening a HUGE Success!

A special thanks to everyone who helped set up and serve. We appreciate every one's kind words and well wishes. And for those of you who came out to support us on opening night, well, words don't quite seem adequate in expressing our thanks and appreciation. We had a great turnout! We'd especially like to recognize Tony Vines who played for us. Our facebook page has more photos for you to see!

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Jeffrey Stoner

My photography feature this week is a photographer that will be showing/selling his work in the gallery. He is a very talented artist! Visit his web site to see slide shows of his work. Visit his blog to hear the story behind the picture. Jeff is also on facebook and Twitter.

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Write up on A!

Go to this link: http://artsmagazine.info/calendar.php?view=detail&id=200905042114033649

And read below (post from earlier today).

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Gallery Opening!!!

Cindy Saadeh Fine Art is having a gallery opening reception this Friday, May 8th. I can't believe the day is almost here! In actuality, we've been open for almost 3 weeks (3 weeks on Saturday to be exact). Michael continues to work feverishly in his studio and is constantly being pulled away to do this or that (sorry, baby) in the gallery, so, needless to say, there hasn't been much creating... But he has made some cheese knives and cutting boards. We will be at the Racks by the Tracks in Downtown Kingsport next weekend. I have been creating these cool crochet cozies to sell and Michael will have cutting boards, and I am hoping some cool wooden coasters as well. The only other events on the calendar is Blue Plum Festival and then Kingsport's Summer Concert Series (Twilight Alive on Thursdays and Bluegrass on Broad on Fridays). I'm sure the latter will keep us VERY busy. Anyway, come fall, I hope that we will be having OUR gallery opening for Ripper Arts. :) To follow us on facebook: Cindy Saadeh Fine Art and Ripper Arts Studio and Gallery Are you on facebook? Become a fan!

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Cindy Saadeh Fine Art

Not only is Cindy the building and current gallery owner, she is also a fellow Etsian! I thought I would feature her work on our blog today. Here is a little bit about Cindy from her web site http://www.cindysaadeh.com/ take a moment to visit her web site and see additional works by her.

Saadeh is a native of Winston-Salem, NC. She had the fortunate opportunity to study with artist Richard Palomino in Montpellier, France for 2 ½ years. Palomino is self-taught in the Dutch Master technique. He made all materials by hand, including grinding and mixing pigments, stretching canvas with rabbit skin glue, and making mediums out of copal and amber. She learned the technique of painting with “glassis”, or thin layers of paint to achieve depth in the painting. During this period she painted mostly still lifes set up with one light source as the Masters did. These early works were extremely realistic. Upon her return to the US, she moved to Charleston, SC for it’s rich abundance of subjects to paint, from historical architecture to beautiful marshes. After painting for many years, she has developed a softer, less realistic and more interpretive style. She currently resides in Kingsport, Tennessee with her husband and son and continues to search for the light in the southern sky.

Visit us in person at 128 E. Market St., Downtown Kingsport, TN Hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10-4.

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Michael is "Setting Up Shop"

He has been in his studio for a week now (since we got our occupancy certificate, aka OC) getting his wood equipment cleaned up and running, organizing his tools, and even managing to design and cut some mahogany knives! He is even working on displays for my crochet chokers. I love my baby! He is such a hard worker! I have been leaving the gallery at 2, to go to my job as a nurse, and it is then he takes over the gallery and entertains Quinn. Considering the actual hours he is been in his wood shop/art studio, it is AMAZING the work he has gotten done! He took these pictures:

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Thankful for our FIRST SALE

We celebrated our first sale at Cindy Saadeh Fine Art (brick and mortar art gallery) opening week! Paul and Amber Vachon were our first official customers. We'd like to say thank you and link to their Downtown Kingsport business Appalachian Medical Massage Associates. They purchased the cutting board pictured. See more of Michael's cutting boards in the gallery located at 128 E. Market St., Downtown Kingsport, or online at http://ripperarts.etsy.com/.

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We Are Open for Business!!!

Official Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Talina Ripper, 128 E. Market St., Kingsport, TN 37660, 423.737.0445, ripperarts [!at] gmail.com http://www.ripperarts.com/

MORE ART COMING TO DOWNTOWN KINGSPORT, TN
Artists Cindy Saadeh and Michael Ripper open studios on Commerce Street

Kingsport, TN, April 21, 2009

Saadeh is a native of Winston-Salem, NC. She had the fortunate opportunity to study with artist Richard Palomino in Montpellier, France for 2 ½ years. Palomino is self-taught in the Dutch Master technique. He made all materials by hand, including grinding and mixing pigments, stretching canvas with rabbit skin glue, and making mediums out of copal and amber. She learned the technique of painting with “glassis”, or thin layers of paint to achieve depth in the painting. During this period she painted mostly still lifes set up with one light source as the Masters did. These early works were extremely realistic. Upon Cindy’s return to the US, she moved to Charleston, SC for its rich abundance of subjects to paint, from historical architecture to beautiful marshes. After painting for many years, she has developed a softer, less realistic and more interpretive style. Cindy now resides in Kingsport, with her husband, Kris, and their son. She is excited about bringing more fine art to the area and providing opportunities for interactive learning through painting classes.

Ripper recently moved to the Tri-Cities from Avery County, NC. He has a formal education in the arts with a BFA in wood design and a BFA in ceramics, both from East Carolina University. Michael has always found an amazing beauty in nature, especially right here in the heart of the Blue Ridge. This is where most of his inspiration comes from. With his woodwork, in particular, Michael designs and arranges the grain of every species of wood so the viewer can see the real beauty and uniqueness of each piece. Whenever possible, Michael uses native Appalachian hardwood (Cherry, Maple, Walnut, and Poplar). Some of the wood is lumber that has been cleaned up from the many wind storms and floods. By using this wood and other recycled wood, he is helping to clean up our beautiful mountains and prevent forest fires. Through his art, Michael wants to share with other people the beauty that he sees, in just one very small piece of these glorious Appalachian Mountains. Michael, along with his wife Talina, their small son and her three sons, are thrilled about moving into their downtown loft and living their art in downtown Kingsport.

Both Cindy’s and Michael’s Studio are located at 210 Commerce Street, Downtown Kingsport. Art is on display and for sale at Cindy Saadeh Fine Art 128 E. Market St., Kingsport, TN 37660 Additional contacts Cindy Saadeh 423.782.9451 or Michael Ripper 828.406.1317.www.cindysaadeh.com

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Promised Pictures

Well, still no good news about inspection or permanent power hook up, so as far as opening, we don't know when that will happen. Yesterday, we did a lot of cleaning. More cleaning still needs to be done! Where does all of the dust come from? Today, we are running to Lowes to check out some additional wood equipment. We'll probably come back to the studio/gallery to work some more, or at least Michael will. I have to work 3-11 as a nurse today. So goes another day in the life of the Rippers, and the adventure of living our art!

These pictures are of us yesterday: in front of the gallery, Quinn in pack-n-play, Cindy's studio, which we did most of the cleaning in...

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Today is THE Day!

Michael and I are here! Working in the studio/gallery. It's not like we are making art as of yet. Heck, we are still operating on temporary power and waiting for final inspection to get our occupancy permit. But, we are both off today, and officially made it our first day working together in the studio/gallery. Granted, we are just sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, mopping, organizing, but we are working, HERE! It's official! It is SO exciting! I will post more pictures later today, so stay tuned.

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We aren't really MIA...

Just very, very busy with the brick and mortar (B&M) store. It's a good thing! I promise to post more tomorrow. Just bear with us! Thanks.

Also, setting up a makerspot.com site.

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Sitting in a Parking Lot

I am sitting in a parking lot typing this blog entry. It is only 10:25 in the morning. Michael and I met a notary earlier to sign the lease on the studio and gallery. Michael went to work (it is his last week working in the gallery in NC). Quinn and I drove to the county offices because not only do we need to file a business license with the city, which I did in November, but we also have to file a business license with the county. After filing with the county, Quinn and I drove back, stopping at apartment for a diaper change. We loaded back into the car to go back before the notary to sell a piece of property. That is where I am now. Sitting in the parking lot while he naps in the car, waiting to meet the buyer and exchange the deed for a cashier's check. After that, I have to drive to downtown Kingsport to meet Cindy Saadeh, to exchange the lease agreements and give her deposit and lease payment. AND after that (busy day, huh?), I have to go to the insurance agency to write a check for our business property insurance... Then, I will be running Quinn home to meet the sitter, so I can go to work my 3-11 shift. Whew!

I am sharing some pictures that were actually taken LAST weekend of the studio/gallery and the loft. We had three youngest with us when we walked through. As you can see, the boys were being quite silly.

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Michael's Studio

This past weekend, when we walked through the loft, we actually walked through Michael's studio and our future gallery first. The studio/gallery will be finished before our loft. We may even be moving in to the studio next weekend (March 28).

So the first picture is the outside. Where there is plastic, there are windows. They removed the paint from the exterior exposing the building's original brick. They are accenting with dry stack stone. The second photo is in Michael's studio. You can see the original tin ceiling and amazing entrance from the outside with windows to the ceiling. The third picture is taken from INSIDE Michael's studio looking into the gallery. Pictured is the building owner and artist Cindy Saadeh. She has an Etsy shop and a separate web site http://www.cindysaadeh.com/ She will also have a studio on the other side of Michael's studio in the back of the building. The carpenter was putting shelves into niches that were old windows that had been bricked up. In the final photo you see me and Quinn in the foreground watching the carpenter. You can really see the color of the brick. You can also see how they've painted the tin ceiling black. The last major thing needing to be finished is the acid staining of the concrete flooring and then we can begin to move in. This is how close the studio/gallery is to our loft:

See the yellow pins? The loft and studio/gallery are actually on the same city block! We are so excited! It is almost surreal that the time has arrived to begin planning to move in! Wow!

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