Open Reception: Friday, April 12  6:30-9pm

This themed group show is a collaborative venture with Boston Figurative Art Center.  Invitational artists include: Damon Lehrer, Jon Nix, Leo Mancini-Hresko, Nick Ward, Rick Berry, Tony Apesos, Gene Dorgan, Paul Goodnight, Brett Gamache, Jim Burke, Freda Nemirovsky, Britt Snyder, Ann Hirsch, Tom Grady, Janet Monafo, Paul Rahilly, & Kelly Carmody.

On Friday evening, Sloane Merrill hosts an evening to chat with friends, meet new artists, and enjoy the collection of figurative works by internationally known and emerging regional figurative artists.

We’re pleased to have Rick’s oil painting, “Prototype A” (shown below), included in this exciting exhibition.

Please join us Friday! We look forward to seeing you there.

Sheila and Rick

Oil Painting on exhibit at BACK TO BACK  Invitational Group Show

The year long collaboration with Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra came to an exciting close a few weeks ago with their final concert right here at Boston’s Paradise Lounge. We had a great time, later visiting backstage with still newlyweds, Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman. The couple are making their home in Cambridge. Many may know that Amanda has blogged about canceling tours due to standing by a very sick friend.

This special long time friend happens to be a new author. Rick and I were fortunate to attend his book launch of Lunatic Heroes. just before Thanksgiving. Anthony Martignetti read 2 of his witty yet hard hitting stories, peppered with familiar Boston Italian / Catholic expressions and accents. Neil read from his novel to be published next year, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. So now we have to wait to know what happens! Amanda read her forward to Lunatic Heroes, and entertained us with ukulele and song. She was joined for a song by surprise musical guest, Jason Webley. In a rare appearance fully clothed, she looked beautiful in a 40′s style dress, perfect attire for her duet with Neil of that old favorite  “Making Whoopee”  Sweet! I just finished Lunatic Heroes and Rick’s grabbed it from my hands – raw, comic, real -recommended!

The paintings for this art exhibition series and book project will be returned to the invited artists early 2013. There is talk of an art auction, or paintings will be available for sale directly from the artists. When more information becomes available, we’ll send out a blog. If you want to be on preferred list, send me an email.

Happy Holidays!

Sheila

Neil Gaiman pre-concert, Rick Berry portrait of Amanda Palmer on wall

and in the book

"Berlin" without her bicycle

Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra perform their August art show at the Middle East Club in Cambridge

SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRICES

If you are in the Boston area, please stop in to see Rick’s series of new smaller oil paintings at True Grounds Cafe…and have a wonderful snack or meal at the cafe voted one of top 10 by USA Today.

Exhibition up through December. Please click on thumbnails below for pricing and details.

Online sales – Contact me at sheilaberry@braid.com. Thanks for taking time to view the new work – comments welcome!

717 Broadway, Ball Square Somerville   7am-6pm M-F/ 8am-6pm Sat+Sun

Please come by if you can-

image: Hanuman, oil by Rick Berry

All are invited! Artist Reception Monday, July 16th 4:30 – 7:30.

If you’re in the San Diego area, especially after the frenzy of International Comic Con, come on down to the show!

Yes, that's ocean and sky just beyond the library

 ”Cliff Dweller” ©Rick Berry 2012, oil on panel, 24 x 48

Neil Gaiman sent this response to Rick’s new works, a set of oils updating myth as metaphor in the metropolis. The Minotaur withdrawn in his maze, sits at the Fault Line, while Fury is the Cliff Dweller, urgent and teetering upon the tenement precipice. Both are available during “Sur-Realism”, June 16 – 30th at Arcadia Fine Arts Gallery, SoHo, New York.

 ”Fault Line” ©Rick Berry 2012, oil on panel, 24 x 48

Entering the Varnish Fine Art Gallery for the opening reception of “To have and have not”, the red dot tagged “FM Signal” as SOLD already. It was a wonderful show with work by artists we admire including Barron Storey, John Watkiss, Lee Ballad (also curator) and several more. Varnish Fine Art Gallery was packed with people enjoying the art and conversations, eventually spilling out into the warm San Francisco evening. More photos to come…in fact, send some if you have them to sheilaberry@braid.com -Thanks

Eccles Visiting Scholar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPUrzCLs5bE

100% proceeds benefit INVISIBLE CHILDREN charity!

Thank you bidders and all who will consider donating to this important cause. Happy Holidays from Sheila and Rick and our daughter and the other member’s of her high school who use this auction to help others. 

HAND + HEART Charity Auction features work by several community artists, Buckingham Brown & Nichols high school art faculty and their students to raise money for 4 IMPORTANT charities selected by the students. The silent auction is ongoing by email ltangusso@bbns.org or in person until the Closing Reception this Friday when you can speak with some of the artists and place final bids.

HAND + HEART  Closing Reception 3 -7pm this Friday, Dec. 9th.

BB&N Upper School Gallery is free, open to all, and wheelchair accessible.

80 Gerry’s Landing Road, Cambridge MA 02138  617-547-6100 (main office)

Rick Berry will donate 100% proceeds of his sale to INVISIBLE CHILDREN PROJECT. Our daughter and other students at BB&N, learned about how this project works to expand the radio tower early warning network in central Africa (esp Congo). These towers provide a desperately needed warning to villages when the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) are on the move. LRA massacre families in rural African villages and abduct children forcing them to be members of LRA—training them to kill others for their own survival. Our daughter feels very strongly about the importance of their work and will continue to donate her time and talents to help. She talked to Rick about this and together they selected this painting to offer for auction.

I hope you will consider bidding for this lovely jewel and help those families. The bidding is beginning low to give students a chance to start personal collections but the goal is raise as much as possible to help INVISIBLE CHILDREN project.

If you are in the area, please come in to see ALL the wonderful work for auction and hear about the other charities. Thank you! Sheila, Rick and KL

PS If unable to reach the school for any reason, or if you prefer, you can place bids with me by email and the time stamp will determine the winner. Thanks, sheilaberry@braid.com