Button Factory 26 Annual Open Studios

It's already here!!!  Good lord father time!!...The Button Factory studios annual Open artist studio event  begins this Friday evening, November 30 from 5-8 pm.  It's the 26th annual (6th for me personally)...Come down and say hello, I have wine, cream soda and goodies.  There are over 70 artist in the building with their doors open and art displayed...bring your checkbook, you cheapskate!...hehee.  I actually get some Christmas shopping done here myself, there are some very creative characters in this building.  It continues Saturday and Sunday from 11-5 each day.  I'm in studio #224, second floor, take a left, I'm the last studio at the end.  I hope to see you.

All the best,

Todd Bonita

Kennedy Gallery opening, Friday, November 30, 2012

"Midsummer Storm, Great Bay, New Hampshire" (6x8") oil on wood

This small oil study started as a plein air painting not far from my house in Greenland, NH. and was completed in my studio.  This will be part of a show I'm participating in with my good friend and fellow painter, Chris Volpe at the Kennedy Gallery in Portsmouth, NH this Friday night.  Both Chris and I will exhibit about 15 small paintings each, most of which are inspired by living by the sea.  Here is an article feature from todays Fosters Daily. 

The show will be part of Portsmouths Art Around town first Friday art walk.  Please feel free to come and say hello.  Alison and my mom will be there, Patty is bringing her world famous Baklava.  I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and having some wine and laughs...hope you can join me.

Living by the Sea.  

Paintings by Todd Bonita and Chris Volpe

Friday, November 30, 2012  (5 - 8pm)

Kennedy Gallery

41 Market Street

Portsmouth, NH

Father - Son Plein air painting in Woodstock, Maine

Max Bonita plein air painting in Woodstock, Maine

 I had a blast this weekend on a very special Father and Son trip up to Woodstock, Maine.   Painting, swimming, fishing, boating and treasure hunting with my five and a half year old son, Max.  Here he is slaying an 18x24" canvas....you can see his drawing of a hamburger already laid in.

Me in heaven.

A cheap stogie complimented my dram of Taliskers on a perfect painting day.  Photo taken by my good friend and painting buddy Chris Volpe, who brought along his five year old son Max too.  I'm closing my eyes rite now and I'm there again.

Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA opening

Bowersock Gallery postcard for Fridays opening with Darlou Gams n me.

Steve Bowersock and Mike from Bowersock gallery in Provincetown have done it again.  Those guys are awesome gallery owners and are flawless at all those little details that make them so successful at hosting supportive and well attended art exhibitions.  Last night was my opening for a two person show at the gallery with fellow seacoast artist Darlou Gams.  I was a fan of Darlous the first time I saw her dreamy landscapes in Portsmouth in 2006 and I'm honored to show with her for this second time.   The show went very well and a bunch of paintings found new homes and I met some wonderful art lovers and saw some old friends.  It was a perfect evening.

Steve Bowersock and myself at my Friday night gallery opening.  I opted for the hand in pocket look while Steve took a huge risk with the thumbs up...never a good idea but it didn't seem to effect the really awesome night we had.

The show opened Friday evening and will be up through July.  Bowersock gallery represents my work all year round so if you cannot stop in while this show is up, feel free to pop in any time throughout the year to see what I have on the walls.

Star Island plein air painting

Plein air painting on Star Island, NH (Isle of Shoals).

A small group of artist friends took a day boat from Rye, NH to Star Island today to paint in the footsteps of Child Hassam.  It was my first time visiting the Isle of Shoals and as I predicted, I was smitten.  Completely charmed by this rustic and nearly desolate island.  Despite the 94 degree temps by noon, and the kamikaze seagulls, there was no whining or moaning.

Chris Volpe banged out two plein air paintings today

This is my good friend Chris putting the hurt on a 16x20"canvas.  Its been fun watching Chris evolve, reinvent and blossom into a plein air painting maniac who is steadily developing his own unique artistic voice.  His consistency with plein air keepers is astonishing lately.   Chris Volpe's web site

Donald Jurney making it look easy-peazy

The joy of watching Donald make it look so easy every single time, painting after painting, is often contrasted by the reality of how far the rest of us have to go!  I'm still in awe of his brilliance.  Check out Donald Jurney's web site

 This is Mary Graham.  A helluva landscape painter...A thousand thank yous Mary for lending me a painting umbrella today, I would have shriveled into a raisin otherwise.  Check out Mary's web site here. 
Great bunch of painters...good times!!...We under stayed our welcome and in all likelihood will return again.

Plein air painting workshop, New Castle, NH

This is Rich, one of fifteen courageous artist who braved the 73 degree, sunny, with the most pleasant breeze off the ocean day of plein air painting today at Newcastle Commons in NH..  This is the second week of a new plein air painting workshop I'm teaching that begins the process outdoors, sketching and painting.  We then take our outdoor notes indoors for the last three weeks and develop a studio painting from our collective field gathering.  These first three Tuesdays we spend six hours outdoors at the Newcastle commons.  We are having an absolute blast and the work is looking strong.  This class is currently filled, but the positive grumblings have presented the possibility of a similar workshop in September.  Please visit my website and click on classes for updated workshop information.  If you wish to be notified of upcoming classes, please shoot me an email or phone call and I'll be happy to put you on my list. 

Quietly Hoping

Remember me?...This is "Quietly Hoping".  It's oil on linen...(A new and wonderful surface for me), I love this particular linen...it's Claussens 13 single primed.  I think I'm in love.  This is part of a show I'm part of at The Bowersock Gallery in Provincetown, opening reception this Friday evening at 5pm.

Shanty

This is "Shanty", oil on wood panel (11x14"). This started as a class demo a year ago and sat in my studio pleading for its completion. I'm beginning to be surrounded by almost finished paintings...can't help it...I get to a certain point and something new and exciting gets my attention. I need to get better at completing things that I started before I begin something new...at least find a better balance. There is some good in starting new things when your energy and art spirit is soaring. This painting is going to be on the walls of the Gallery at Camden Falls in Camden, Maine. I hope 2012 is good to you so far.

Reach for the Sky

"Reach for the sky pardna"...That might have been a slightly better title...who knows?...great fun painting this toy cow poke though. This is another antique toy painting I did exclusively for the Bowersock Gallery in Provincetown, Mass and now their new location in Mount Dora, Florida.

Thank you

Just a note to say thank you for coming out to the Button factory artist studio event and for your support throughout the year, it was another great one. I'm sincerely grateful for your patronage, support of the arts and encouragement. I'm excited about 2012 and anticipate another fun and creative year. There are three gallery shows already scheduled; Gingerbread Square gallery in Key West in March, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown this summer, Camden Falls Gallery, Camden, Maine in September. I'm also looking forward to my 4 day outdoor painting workshop on Monhegan island in August and a number of other events I'll disclose as the year progresses. My sincerest thanks to you all. Merry Christmas and happy holidays,
Todd Bonita

Thanks to Jeff Dachowski from Dachowski Photography in Manchester, NH for these incredible shots of our little ones, Max and Kate. He knocked it out of the park. Best photographer on the planet. See Jeffs blog here: Dachowski Blog

Button Factory Artist Open Studios Dec 02-04, 2012

It's that time again, open studios at the Button factory in Portsmouth, NH. Friday, Dec 02 from 5-8, Sat and Sun from 11-5. Each year we open our art studio doors for this annual holiday event. Please come by and see, meet and look, it's a wonderful event and I get some Christmas shopping done here too. There are jewelers, wood workers, sculptors, photographers, painters and crafters of all sorts. I'm in studio #224, second floor, take a left, I'm the last studio at the end. I have wine, beer and cream soda and whats left of my oil paintings for 2011. It's been my best year yet, thank you, come have a drink with me and say hello if you are in the neighborhood. Click on this link for more: BUTTON FACTORY OPEN STUDIOS

Rocket Racer and the very fabulous Bowersock Gallery.

This is "Rocket Racer", it's oil on wood panel (16x20") and is part of the toy series I have been painting for Bowersock gallery in Provincetown, Mass. This will be hanging in the Bowersock Gallery booth at the 15th annual Boston International Fine Art show opening in Boston today. I want to say thank you to Steve and Mike from the Bowersock gallery, these guys work so hard for their artist. The fact that they invest in this booth every year is testimony of their efforts to be one of the premier New England galleries. They also took out a small advertisement this month in Art Collector magazine with one of my paintings in the ad. Thanks again guys. They also put together a nice article as part of a feature of my toy paintings in this months American Art collector.

Flying without wings

This is an (11x14") oil on wood panel painting that I titled "Flying without Wings". It is another from the vintage toy series that I have been painting for the Bowersock Gallery in Provincetown and their new location in Mount Dora, Florida.

Monhegan Island, Maine painting workshop

Painting the surf at Lobster Cove on Monhegan Island.

This was two weeks ago and I'm finally getting around to assembling photos and posting a bunch from my recent workshop on Monhegan Island in Maine.
Monhegan Harbor and Dock

On the Tuesday after labor day, September 06, a group of painters gathered here on the Island for a four day painting workshop, I'm still floating from how much fun it was.
Here are some of the misfits, hooligans, crackpots and characters who helped make this one of the best weeks I ever had. That's Barb Bodin with the pink socks, Patty Bonita is behind her (my Mom), Rockport painter Jean Byrd, Me and standing is pack mule Roy Nickerson.
Surf at lobster Cove was quite a show thanks to hurricane Katia.

The Red house, Fish beach and Manana Island...
Pat Nickerson's Thalo Blue period...She even managed to get some on her feet.
Adirondack's in front of the Island Inn, overlooking the harbor and Atlantic.
Lighthouse with Dory
Pat and her husband Roy hosted a pasta dinner the first evening to meet, greet and eat. She rented a cottage on Fish beach overlooking the harbor and Manana Island.


Fish beach.
Color theory chat at lunch time on Pats porch.
Jamie Wyeth's house on Lobster Cove
Sunset.

Demo painting at the lighthouse.

The Village.

Barbara Bodin en plein air.

Patty (my Mom) and me at Port Clyde harbor before heading home. I will be hosting another workshop next year on Monhegan Island. The dates are tentative but in all likelihood will be August 28 - 31, 2012. Please contact me via email or phone for early registration. Check my web sight for updated information www.toddbonita.com.