Dennis Poirier oil painting demo (Sat, Nov 12, (2-3pm) Portsmouth Gallery.

Join us for an afternoon with a live oil painting demonstration by local Plein air painter, Dennis Poirier. Dennis Poirier grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The colors, sights, and sounds of the busy port and fishing fleet inspired Dennis. His earliest memory is of his father drawing his portrait. Dennis says his parents always supported his art and that gave him confidence.
Dennis began to paint and soon became a part of the long line of Cape Ann’s contribution to American impressionist painters. He feels proud and fortunate to be part of the Cape Ann legacy. 

Dennis began his studies in high school and then went to Butera School of Art in Boston. He returned to Cape Ann to become the first student studying the Atelier System with John C. Terelak and Ted Goerschner at the newly formed Gloucester Academy of Fine Arts. Later he moved to New York City to study at the Arts Student League winning the Charles J. Romans Memorial Award at his very first national exhibit at the Allied Artists of America Show. 

He treasures his time, memories, and inspiration from artists Don Stone, David A. Leffel, John C. Terelak, Salvatore Fortunato Grasso,Tom Nicholas and Paul Strisik. This will be a blast, hope to see you. Refreshments, treats, arts and friends.

www.ToddBonitaGallery.com

"Doggin it" (6x12") New Giclee (Win this giclee, raise funds for GPO)

"Doggin It" (6x12") Limited edition, signed and framed Giclee on canvas.

New Giclee
Raising funds for Greenland, Central School Parents Organization. Win this giclee for $5 and support my kids school.
I love my kids, the small New Hampshire town we live in and the school my son goes to; Greenland Central School.  The Greenland Parents Organization is raising funds for their program, as little as $5 will enable a chance to win this (6x12") signed and framed, limited edition giclee on canvas titled, "Doggin It".  How can you not get on board with the GPO mission:  "To insure that students have the opportunities to grow and develop as caring, active, enlightened citizens and civic leaders."...Simple as that!  Here is a link to the GPO web page where you can show your support and buy a raffle ticket to win this giclee or one of their other items in the fundraiser. CLICK HERE
                           

Title this Donald Jurney Painting and it's yours!!!! (Jurney Fellowship Benefit)

"Title this Painting" (8x12") oil on wood panel by Donald Jurney

Be part of the creative process and submit a title for this painting.  If your title is chosen, it's yours.  The painting is (8x12") oil on wood panel,  painted by living master, Donald Jurney.  It retails for $2,400. It comes as shown in a beautiful, custom, handmade frame by PS Art frame in Providence, Rhode Island.  An unbiased, non-affiliated judge will chose a winner on October 30, 2016 and the winner will be announced on Halloween.  Winner announced on my website: www.ToddBonitaGallery.com.

$20 Per Chance

100% goes to the Donald and Kim Jurney traveling fellowship.  The Fellowship provides one grant per year to an emerging or mid-career artist, working in a traditional representational manner, for painting or study in Europe during the year following application. The award to the winning Fellow is $5000

WHAT:  TITLE THIS PAINTING and WIN IT!!

WHERE:  The painting is on display at the Todd Bonita Gallery.  39 Ceres Street, Portsmouth, NH. (Across from the Tug boats)

HOW:  $20 Per chance.  Write your title, along with your contact information, Send it with a check for $20 made out to Donald Jurney and mail to: 

Todd Bonita Gallery.  

39 Ceres Street, 

Portsmouth, NH 03801

.....OR, come to the gallery in person and submit your title.  Cash, check and CC accepted.  You may also phone in your title with a credit card, feel free to call (603) 819-9100.

WHEN:  Contest ends October 30, 2016.  Winner announced Halloween (October 31, 2016) on my website: www.ToddBonitaGallery.com....and here on this blog as well.

WHAT ELSE:  The Donald and Kim Jurney traveling Fellowship.  For more information on this $5,000 traveling artist grant, CLICK HERE

WWW.TODDBONITAGALLERY.COM

Donald and Kim Jurney Fellowship ($5,000 Artist Grant)

The Donald and Kim Jurney Traveling Fellowship 
My good friend and art mentor, Donald Jurney has been an incredibly generous man for as long as I have known him.  He has always shared his artistic knowledge and time with so many artist.  I am proud to call him a friend and honored to share the news of his latest gift to the art world; along with his equally generous wife Kim, they have just launched The Donald and Kim Jurney Traveling Fellowship. 
The Fellowship provides one grant per year to an emerging or mid-career artist, working in a traditional representational manner, for painting or study in Europe during the year following application. The award to the winning Fellow is $5000. The painter need not be a landscape painter. The funds in the award are intended to defray costs of travel both to and within Europe, and to help to defray costs of lodging, meals, and art materials, etc.
CLICK HERE to go to the web site and apply, donate or learn more...

Dennis Perrin Solo Exhibition at my Portsmouth, NH Gallery, Thursday, October 6 (5-8pm) 2016

Artist reception: Thursday October 06, 2016.  (5-8pm)
First Friday Art Walk Opening: October 07, (5-8pm)
Artist Gallery Talk: Sunday, October 23, (2-3pm)
We are very excited to host the oil paintings of living master, Dennis Perrin in his first solo show in too many years. Dennis Perrin can best be described as a painter of light as it illuminates and describes the subject.  His style is a unique blend of brushwork and design best described as Painterly Realism.  Perrin will feature more than fifteen new oil paintings in our exhibition room throughout the month of October.  Join us for a special V.I.P. collectors Artist reception preview on Thursday, October 6 from 5-8pm.  We will also open our doors the next evening for Portsmouth's First Friday Art walk (5-8pm)...Dennis will also offer an Artist Gallery talk on Sunday, October 23, from (2-3pm).  Hope you can join us.  Exhibition runs the entire month of October, 2016

39 Ceres Street, Portsmouth, NH 

www.ToddBonitaGallery.com

Keepers Dory (24x36") oil on linen"Keepers

"Keepers Dory" (24x36") oil on linen.

This has been on the gallery wall since April but just getting around to taking a photo of it.  A painting from Monhegan that started as a plain air and eventually became this studio work.

Title this painting winner results!

"Title this Painting"...Oil by Todd Bonita 

On May 03, we concluded the month long Alastair Dacey benefit, "Title this Painting" competition with guest judge Bruce McMillan choosing a winner from over 70 entries.  Bruce is an accomplished Children's book Author and Photo-Illustrator with over forty-five published books to his credit.  He is also a Poet, Painter and all-around Creative Renaissance man.  We felt his unique combination of visual and language skills made him uniquely qualified for the task.  The titles were written on the outside of an envelope with the contestants names written on an enclosed card so that Bruce could not see who submitted the title.  This kept it anonymous and legit.  It was fun to watch Bruce narrow it down to his top five:

Top 5 (Alphabetical order)

Between Going and staying by Jenny Greenleaf

Dog Overboard by Karen Romagna

Morning Dory by Suzie Sauer

Orange you glad I didn’t paint a banana by Paul Noel

The Mooring After by Avory Resca

.....and then his top 2: Morning Dory by Suzie Sauer and The Mooring After by Avory Resca.

He waxed and wained and reasoned out loud, making a case for each title until finally....

 "The Mooring After" by Avory Resca 

from St. Croix Island was chosen.  Congratulations to Avory.  I love the title.  Thank you Bruce McMillan for your sense of humor and good will...Bruce's Website HERE

Thank you to everyone who submitted titled and contributed to the Alastair Dacey benefit.  It was a huge success because of you and your warm hearts, thank you sincerely.  Just for fun, here are just some of our favorites from this competition....

Punkin Seed by Sara

Caramel Ripples by Susan

The way home by Heather and Marc

Norweigian Wood by Keller

S.S. Alastair by Pete and Deb

Untitled by Susan (heheee)

Sunnyside Up by Heidi

....Also noteworthy, there were four submissions for "Serenity", Three submissions for "Tranquil" and Two submissions each for "D'oro Dory", "Old Yellow", "Mellow Yellow" and "Awaiting".  Great fun, thank you again.

Title this painting and it's yours....(Contest ends May 03, 2016)

TITLE THIS PAINTING...and it's yours!
This is part of the April 1st grand opening benefit from our Portsmouth, NH gallery.  It's simple...Title this painting, if your title is chosen, you win the painting.
​It cost $20 per guess, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit artist Alastair Dacey who was displaced by a house fire in January.  The painting is a (6x8") oil on wood panel painting by Todd Bonita, framed as you see it here in the photo from our opening.  Retail value is $600.  An outside judge will choose the winning title.  Author, Illustrator, Artist, Photographer, Bruce McMillan, who has forty-five honored Childrens Book to his resume has been chosen to be the judge of the "Best Title" for this painting.  Bruce will not see the name of the person guessing, he will only see the title to insure an unbiased decision.  Submissions accepted until May 03, 2016 with winner announced Friday, May 06, 2016 at our First Friday Art walk event at our Portsmouth Gallery, 39 Ceres Street...Opening from 5 - 9.  We will announce the winner here and on our website; www.toddbonitagallery.com and include a list of some of our favorite titles as well.  Check back to see...
To Submit a guess:
* Come to the Gallery in person by May 03, noon.  
*Contact Todd Bonita via phone (603) 819-9100 or email at tmbonita@gmail.com.

Grand Opening of our new Gallery in Portsmouth, NH (April 1, 2016) Alastair Dacey Fundraiser Exhibition!!

Hanging the new sign on our Portsmouth, NH location.

Porstmouth Gallery Grand Opening 

39 Ceres Street, Portsmouth, NH   (April 1, 2016,  6pm)

Exhibition room: Alastair Dacey & Adan Irish Fundraiser

I am excited to announce the Grand Opening of our second location and the introduction of The Todd Bonita Gallery to my hometown, Portsmouth, New Hampshire on April 1, 2016.  This is a year-round space and will serve as my art studio and gallery showroom.  The Ogunquit gallery in Perkins Cove will remain open seasonally from May through October and my Portsmouth based, Button Factory art studio will remain open as a studio space for larger works, classroom space and the annual open studio holiday event.  This new gallery will showcase my original oil paintings along with the works of some of my teachers, mentors and nationally recognized oil painters, such as Alastair Dacey, Donald Jurney, Stan Moeller, J.C. Airoldi, David Lussier and others.  We are located at 39 Ceres street, across from Portsmouths iconic tugboats.
Beyond our showroom is an exhibition room that enables us to host featured shows with new offerings as part of Portsmouths First Friday Art Walks.
Featured in the Exhibition room during our grand opening will be a Fundraiser collection of artist works to show support for Alastair Dacey and Adam Irish who were recently displaced by a house fire in January.  Gallery and artist proceeds are generously donating up to 100% of sales from this exhibition for the month of April.  Alastair Dacey is a local artist with National recognition and Adam Irish is a Portsmouth treasure and the owner of Old as Adam haberdashery, coincidentally located next door to the new gallery here on Ceres Street.  Please join us on April 1 from 6-9 to show your support for them and to welcome our new gallery to Portsmouth.  Hope to see you.

Artist Alastair Dacey Fire (Go Fund Me)

Firefighters at the Edmond Tarbell house in Newcastle, NH Saturday night, January 23.

With prayers, hoping fellow artist and good willed spirits will help our good friends, artist Alastair Dacey and Adam Irish of Old as Adam, after the two alarm fire that devastated their home on Saturday evening in New Castle, New Hampshire.  So thankful everyone got out unharmed.  Article Here.

Here is a Go Fund page set up that you can contribute to our friends in need.  Please share.

GO FUND ME (Alastair Dacey / Adam Irish)