Art Tour Coming up November 5th and 6th

‘Tis the season and the RAAC Fall Art Tour is coming up soon! Still lots to do to get the Studio and Front Room Gallery ready but we’re excited about the great group of talented artists we will be featuring. Hope you can come by and visit us! We’re open 10 am to 5pm each day.

Here are some the artists we will be showing in the studio/gallery, each with multiple works exhibited. So much amazing and wonderful work in a variety of mediums. Some of the artists will be working in the studio while the tour is going on so feel free to take a look and get a close up view of their process, and feel free to ask questions!

Tom Mullany: Painting, Sculpture, Works on paper, etc

Kerrie Mullany: Linocut prints

Jennifer Tepper: Painting

Candace Clough: Mosaics

Jacque Towner: Mosaics

Beth Schmalz: Modern Embroidery/ Applied Textile Art

Holly Flowers: Mosaics

Nancy Kline: Mosaics/ Micro Mosaic Jewelry

Pat Reid: Mosaics

Still adding more work daily!

Postcards from Inside

Our mail art event online gallery is posted! Check it out here.

A Mail Art Event at The Studio School

          It’s been about 7 weeks since we closed down the studio due to Covid-19 and it looks like we’re going to be sheltering/staying at home a bit longer.  To be honest we are getting anxious to get back to making art together! So this is what we’re proposing- we’re not going to phone it in- we’re going to MAIL it in! MAIL Art aka Postal Art aka Correspondence Art is a thing. In the next few days I’ll be posting a bit about the history of Mail Art and examples, plus some how to video links. You can join our facebook event page for more discussion and postings as well.

      This studio event is titled “Postcards from Inside”, and we’re inviting everyone to submit/ mail us a piece of art in the form of a postcard, or piece of mail. Mail art can be any medium ( that’s mail-able) Collage, painting, fabric, drawing, photography etc. And the theme is whatever moves you at this unique moment in time. Beauty, mystery, gratitude, humor. Your choice of response is wide open.

     All pieces will be photographed for an online exhibit. This project will conclude with an exhibit in the studio gallery at some point. We will figure out later how best to allow viewing, possibly with a timed entry to gallery?

Who can participate: This event is open to all! Artists of all kinds, but also anyone from any walk of life with an idea who would like to send a postcard. We will have a young adult and children’s gallery as well.

How to participate: Make and Send a postcard to our studio ( specifications below)  Be sure your name is somewhere on there- or it will be labelled anonymous. Cost to participate is $5 per card to cover photography and managing the show. (see payment info below)

Also available for purchase are Mail Art Kits for $12. These packets will include your entry fee for one piece, several postcard sized card stock and boards, postage for 3 postcards, and for inspiration a grab bag packet of collage bits incl. decorative papers, magazine images, old book pages, ticket stubs, playing cards etc. Order mail kits here

ADDED INFO: We now have a PO Box so please send your postcard art to:

MAS The Studio School

PO Box 223

Flint Hill, Virginia, 22627

Deadline:  All mailed postcards should be received by June 5, 2020

Standard postcard sizes for the postal office are minimum 3.5x 5.5″ and maximum 4.5″ x6 ” to qualify for the .35 cent stamp.

    Although we realize there is the potential for damage – postcard art is usually mailed as a traditional postcard would be, on it’s own, with no envelope. Part of the reasoning is so that it receives the postmark with the time and date stamp and that becomes part of the beauty of it. Also, it is considered public art with the idea that everyone along the way in it’s delivery will view the artwork. Our local postal worker at the Flint Hill Post Office is already excited about this project!

Payment of $5 per card can be sent separately by check or cash in an envelop, through Paypal, or Venmo to kerriemullany

Feel free to message us if you have any questions.

A Memorial Tribute to Wilson Whitney

Owner and founder of Rhodeside Grill in Arlington, Va., along with many other restaurants in the northern Va area.

We first met Wilson in 1995 when he called us up after seeing our “Wake up and Smell the Roses” mural on his drive to the site of the future Rhodeside Grill.  He simply said “It looks like you can do what I’m looking for”. He went on to say he wanted a mural with lots of people, eating and drinking, and the feel of the city.  Thus began one of the most exciting projects Mullany Art Studios had ever had up to that point. 

Over the years we would go on to work with Wilson on many major mural projects as well as commissioned paintings of all sizes (we’ve counted over 40 various painting commissions). We were always excited to get that phone call from him as he opened restaurant after restaurant including Rhodeside Grill in Rosslyn Va., Rhodeside Grill II in Fairfax,Va.,  Argias in Falls Church, and William Jeffries Tavern on Columbia Pike in Arlington, Va.  His success in the restaurant business was without a doubt. He was also the best of the best in terms of the kind of people to work for when art is being commissioned.  He would come to us with his concepts and then listen and trust our ideas as well.  

Tom worked closely with Wilson on each project and always enjoyed the process. 

“I owe so much to Wilson.  Professionally, he is rightly renowned as a restauranteur,  but I’d like to call attention to his role as a Patron of the Arts.  I once called him that and he, of course, rolled his eyes and shrugged it off.  He had no patience for pretention and I loved that about him.  I’ve tried, with no luck, to emulate some of Wilson’s most admirable traits: his great mixture of high energy and calm steadfastness, his thoughtful brevity in speaking.   I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

Looking back on what Wilson accomplished and hearing other’s stories about him it’s clear he brought a joy of life to everything he was involved with;  family,  friends,  business, music, and art. He made his world a better place and he will be missed.  

-Tom and Kerrie Mullany

Below are some photos of the restaurant murals he commissioned.

 

 

Rhodeside Grill

Rhodeside Grill

Argias

Rhodeside Grill II

Wilson on the job

Detail: William Jeffries Tavern

Wilson and Tom on the job site

William Jeffries Tavern

for more info:

Rhodeside Grill

Ragtime

William Jeffries Tavern

Obit: Ragtime and Rhodeside Grill Owner 

Video on vimeo

Last weekend was our annual 3D/ 3 Day ( Lightweight) Cement Garden Sculpture Workshop with Candace Clough and we hosted artists from near and as far away as North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Florida!  We had a great time, three days of carving and sculpting polystyrene ( aka styrofoam) , wrapping in mesh, and then applying layers of cement. Lots of fun spending time with new friends and old acquaintances! So great to have all these amazing artists  in the studio, bringing their energy and creativity to their projects. You can check out this video for quick inside look at some of their work.  https://vimeo.com/272581255 

A new season, another beginning.

Before I do any recap of the summer’s activities or list our new fall/winter classes,  the first thing on my agenda is to invite everyone to come join us to celebrate our 5th anniversary and view a new show of artwork on September 30, from 5pm- 8pm! Along with a show of paintings, mosaics, drawings, collage and sculptures made by students who have participated in our classes over the years, we will also be trying out some art games, holding a drawing for a drawing, giving away other free stuff, and of course, there’ll be food, music, and drink. We hope you can come by and see the show and have some fun.

I’m also putting together a slide show of studio photos from over the years that I’ll show sometime later but for now here’s an interesting pairing: On the left side, Then (a lonely me painting studio walls, pre-opening, Aug 2012)  and on the right, Now (a studio full of new and old friends making art during last week’s mosaic workshop, Sept 2017) .  I like now better!

Then

Now

For those interested in looking at what’s on the schedule so far ( more will be added later) you can have a look on our Workshops and Classes page.  As always, thanks for looking and we hope to see you in a class this year, whether it’s your first, or your fiftieth. ( yes, some of our students have been to 50 classes, or more!)

And one more thing. If you’re not sure how to be an artist here ‘s a sweet little graphic I found to help you figure it out 😀 ( sorry could not find attribution)  See you in the studio! Kerrie M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaning into Summer

As we enjoy these first few weeks of spring the need for planning ahead requires that my thoughts already lean towards summer.  But the school year really is winding to a close, final exams are on the horizon, graduations and transitions are upon us.

So with that, and not a moment too soon, here is our summer schedule,  hopefully there are some of you out there looking for a chance to get into the studio and make some art!   For kids we are again offering the Art Mini Camps on Wednesdays and Fridays. These sessions are mainly for ages 6-12. We also have Studio Art Tuesdays for older kids who are interested in studying art in a bit more depth. Let us know if you are interested in these! Class sizes are limited.

For much older kids ( adults 😀 ) we have numerous mosaic classes scheduled as well as a couple of great watercolor classes in May and June. Might add a bookmaking class in there -date yet to be determined, and Candace Clough and I are planning a wine and paint party for one of these summer nights- date and time also yet to be determined.

We also have the ongoing painting classes with Tom Mullany, Thursday and Friday evenings, and a Spontaneous Painting Workshop in July with Barbara Heile.

Add to that a bunch of Open Studio Sessions this summer. Stay tuned and check our Facebook Page for current info. You can also follow studio happenings on Instagram (@kerriemullany)

Hope to see you this season!

One more thing. We will be closed for a couple of weeks in August doing some renovations and updates on the space in anticipation of an open house and 5th anniversary party in September! (yeah, hard to believe it’s been 5 years! ) more on that later!!!

Kerrie

Studio Update! February 2017

So much going on in the studio, (and in the greater world too), that somehow we’re already well into the second month of this new year. And with the warm temperatures, it feels like spring? So confusing. At the start of each year I usually like to do a mini retrospective of the previous year’s activity. It’s always fun to review and remember all the cool stuff and fun times we’ve had together. It’s late but I’m going to do it anyway.

First off though, if you are mainly interested in the classes and workshops coming up, please see our Studio School page for current information. We hope you can find something of interest so you can come join us this year!

Looking back at all the great stuff that went on at the studio last year, I can definitely say our community is growing! Tom’s Thursday and Friday evening painting classes had new painters joining the regular crew. Mosaic classes continue to be a favorite. Open Studios on Sundays after workshops, and once a month Wednesday Night Mosaic Meet- ups have expanded our mosaic studio time. Candace knows a lot of mosaic artists from all around the country and some have travelled from as far as Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina and New Jersey to take her classes! We have scheduled at least one mosaic workshop each month.

Barbara Heile has a new format for her Spontaneous Painting classes. It is now two morning painting sessions in one weekend, and it seems to be working great.  Nina Sheperdson is still doing her incredible Pysanky , her next class is March 26th. Donna LaPré joined us for needle felting, and for the first ever in our studio, a flower printing class, which was loads of fun. Having the studio filled with huge piles of colorful flowers for printing was amazing.

I expanded the number of children’s classes I teach too, with Wednesday After School Arts and Crafts class, private lessons, and twice weekly Mini Art Camps in the summer. I really do love working with kids, especially now that mine have grown up and left home ( sniff sniff).

Add to all that, the new ARTIST Thrift Shop ( for secondhand and surplus art supplies) , a couple of Front Room gallery shows of student work, and the 2016 RAAC Art Tour, and I’d say we had an awesome year!

Finally, here are the photos I pulled from this last year’s activities. Seriously, too too many good ones to sort through so I ended up just picking a bunch at random. They all make me smile.  A heartfelt thank you to all the folks who have been with us taking classes, and to those who have been thinking they’d like to – do it!

We look forward to adding more classes and workshops this spring, summer, and next fall. Also in the works are a couple of exciting projects, more info will be announced down the road a bit. STAY TUNED.

Kerrie

Needle Felting with Donna

Fall classes are here!

 

I think we finally have ourselves a true fall day!  High 82 vs 92? I will take it!  Running three fans in the studio only goes so far.  Despite the summer heat, we had a great summer in the studio with several mosaic  and cement casting workshops, and some of the most successful, well attended, art mini camps ever!  ( will post some pics soon).

Also this summer, the Front Room Gallery  featured an exhibit of artwork from the studio called” The Animal ART Show” Many of the pieces are still on view so feel free to stop by and check it out.

One more thing I must mention is that the studio just celebrated our 4th anniversary which means we are beginning our 5th year as a studio in Flint Hill! We are more excited than ever to keep moving forward, adding new classes, and working to maintain and even expand this wonderful space where we can share our processes and techniques, and be creative within a community.

And now, on to a few new things….

We are excited about all that we have to offer this fall! Mosaic workshops with Candace Clough, Figure Sculpture in Clay with Charles Flickinger, Landscape Painting with Tom Mullany, Pysanky with Nina Shepardson, Needle Felting with Donna LaPré, Spontaneous Painting with Barbara Heile, and a variety of children’s classes with me, and Tom continues to teach painting classes Thursday and Friday evenings.

Coming up next weekend is Corn Husk Dolls on Saturday, September 17th, and then the following weekend we’ll have  Polymer Clay and Tempered Glass Mosaic on September 24th. Come join us !

Also, mark your calendars for the annual Artists of Rappahannock Gallery and  Studio Tour the first weekend in November!

You can check out the Studio School Page on Facebook and Instagram too. Stay posted for new classes and updates on dates and times.

Hope to see you in the studio one of these days…

Kerrie M.

 

 

 

 

Spring Arrives

 

My last post ( 3 1/2 months ago) was about ringing in the new year and here it is already mid-April! The weather is a perfect 70 something outside, and I’ve just come in from working in the studio’s front garden for the first time.

It’s a start.

Would love to make a bigger show of plants there this year. Yes, hope springs eternal!  But this is the time of year when project ideas pile up and it is sometimes hard to stick to a plan.  I started today with some weeding and just a few flowering annuals. Will try to add more next week, but I might easily get distracted. There’s a lot going on!

It’s been a busy few months  in the studio since the new year began.  Lots of painting sessions, kids’ arts and crafts, needle felting, figure sculpture, our first Exploring Collage class, and of course, several mosaic workshops with Candace Clough. Our newest mosaic offering, Mixed Media Mosaic, happened in early March and had a record-breaking number of  participants, 15!  Our very own March Madness! Everyone loved designing a tree out of every sort of glass, tile, cloth, and object.  So many unique approaches- we will definitely offer this one again.

Last month we spent some time painting the front room of the studio and opened the ARTIST THRIFT shop, a corner of the gallery that is devoted to selling surplus and second-hand art and craft supplies. We’ll also consign items so if you have some odds and ends you don’t need anymore, consider selling them here. And stop in during a workshop and take a peek; you might find a little something that will help or inspire you on that next project!

More workshops are planned for this spring and summer: check out the listing on our Classes and Workshops page. We have Animal Portraits, Glass on Glass mosaic, building Cement Shapes, and Leaf casting with Candace Clough. Also, Barbara Heile is offering two opportunities to do Spontaneous Painting, one in May, and another in June.   For those interested in painting, Tom is once again offering a day-long workshop Painting the Landscape. This is a wonderful chance to get outside on a local farm and do some drawing and painting, then return to the studio for the afternoon to continue working.

In addition, this summer we have three exciting new offerings with expert gardener and artist, Donna LaPre, including some fabric dyeing with natural plant materials, and flower printing on fabric. More about those classes coming soon! See the photos below for a tease on what’s in the works.

photos by Donna LaPre

photos by Donna LaPre

photos by Donna LaPre

 

Also with summer come our MINI Art Camps for children. We have offered these for the past two years and I have really come to enjoy this time with the kids a lot. School is out and everyone is at ease, and the kids can enjoy making art, exploring, experimenting, and learning new techniques at a more relaxed pace. Our first session is June 15.

 

And there’s more. A show of art from our students in the Front Gallery opening in June featuring animals. And finally, at long last we are making a sign for the studio that will sit out by the road. We’ve needed this for a long time!

Hope to see you in a class soon. Or stop in during the week, and say hello. We’re in the studio way more often now that it’s warmer!

ps. both of us got on instagram recently so feel free to follow me ( and studio happenings) @kerriemullany  and Tom is fun to follow- he posts a lot of his current and past work, along with other interesting images he comes across @tom_mullany