Invitation: SIX RAPPAHANNOCK ARTISTS

Opening October 26th will be an exciting group exhibition of works 

entitled Six Rappahannock Artists.

Artists: Thomas Mullany, Janet Brome, Lisbeth Sabol, Viviane de Kosinsky, Robert H. Ballard, and Nora Harrington.  

An Opening Reception for the artists will take place on Sunday the 26th from 2:00-5:00pm.  

Wine and light fare will be served, all are welcome.

Thomas Mullany will show a wide range of new work from figurative drawings, figurative sculpture and local subject matter in his recent oil paintings.  Janet Brome will present new sculpture using her unique ability to create Animals and objects from screen and wire.  The plein air landscapes of Nora Harrington will be shown concentrating on the beauty of Rappahannock County.  Viviane de Kosinsky will feature recent hand colored etchings of Rappahannock as well as European scenes in her well known miniature style. Cast bronze and stone sculpture by new artist Lisbeth Sabol will be on view displaying her sensitive rendering of the figure.  Artist Robert H. Ballard will be exhibiting a series of recent acrylic paintings featuring inspired land and sky imagery with an emphasis on texture and color. In addition to this exhibit, sculpture by Nol Putnam and Hans Gerhard will be on display. The exhibition will be available for    viewing during the Tenth Annual “Artists of Rappahannock Studio and Gallery Tour”, Nov. 1-2, which showcases the vast range of talent in the region.  The r.h. ballard gallery is open 10am – 6pm daily except Wednesdays. For more information on upcoming shows, go to www.rhballardgallery.com or contact the gallery, 540-675-1411.

 Thomas Mullany

Viviane de Kosinsky

Lisbeth Sabol

Robert H. Ballard

DC by Design Visits R.H. Ballard Shop & Gallery

Today's post is something really wonderful. Jennifer Sergent, from DC's prominent blog called "DC by Design" (which I have been following for several years), wrote some kind words about our beloved shop & gallery. Jennifer is someone I feel I already knew even though we had never met (and she says the same!). Here's the post in it's entirety. Thank you again, Jenn!  Be sure to follow all of DC by Design's wonderful posts here:  http://dcbydesignblog.com/ 

Little Washington: R.H. Ballard Shop and Gallery

August 13, 2014   |   2 Comments

I’m sure every one of you have friends on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram who you consider to be really good friends, though you’ve never met them in person. Joanie Ballard, the other of R.H. Ballard, fits into that category for me — it seems like I’ve known her, and we’ve posted on each other’s accounts, for a long time—and it was surprising to realize that I’d never met her IRL (in real life).

Well, THAT ended on our jaunt out to Little Washington this month, when I got to hang out with Joanie and tour her gorgeous home interiors store and art gallery.

Joannie Ballard poses in front of her shop on Main Street.

Joanie and her husband Robert decided to move out here from the DC area several years ago, and never looked back. I can see why, in this elegant little town where everyone knows everyone and you’ve got views like this out your back window:

This is taken from the White Moose Inn, which is right next door to Ballard’s.

The store itself is filled with treasures from floor to ceiling—you could walk around for a long time and still not spot everything.

They’ve got a great collection of Moroccan rugs—and the table here sits on a base of grape vines—appropriate for this part of the country.

More rugs in the window

If you love French table linens, this is the place to go.

Don’t forget to look under the tabletops—several more levels of surprises are hiding underneath.

The store is memorable for its saturated colors.

Watches and wallets like candy!

And who could resist an entire table of John Derian….

Downstairs, under the store’s gorgeous coffered ceiling (which, unbelievably, was painted by the previous owner), is the art gallery.

My absolute favorite is this painting of Teddy Roosevelt at the top of the stairs. Can you spy Teddy posing for the sculptors at Mount Rushmore?

I also loved this painting downstairs, just leaning against the wall on the floor. I found myself staring at it for the longest time:

And does your spouse ever surprise you with something he or she totally falls for, which you never would have pegged for them? Well, here’s what caught Jim’s eye:

Across the street, the Ballards just acquired a piece of land next to the adorable Rappahannock News building, where they sell all manner of architectural salvage and sculpture:

“Artifacts” gives the newspaper building a built-in sculpture garden (to the left).

I’m already looking forward to going back to Little Washington, if nothing else for the wineries we get to stop at along the way, which is the subject of the next post… stay tuned.

artifacts-on-main: something new has arrived in town

Robert and I have opened an exciting new business across the street from r.h. ballard shop & gallery, and it is called artifacts-on-main.

Sculpture and objects for the home and garden, including unique and vintage architectural elements from the US and Europe, and also functional outdoor containers and furniture. 

Nol Putnam's iron sculpture,"West 3 Wind" 

We have been passionate about architectural elements for many years and have always sold them at r.h. ballard shop & gallery. Well, now we get to sell both outdoor sculpture and larger iron and architectural elements in a much larger venue. 

Hans Gerhard, iron sculpture "Mirror, Mirror"

I am personally fascinated by hand carved sandstone and terracotta from another era. Just using one vintage piece to your garden or home adds history and warmth.  I love thinking about who designed these amazing elements, who created them and installed them on the buildings that are now not here. These decorative elements are one way of keeping a bit of history alive after a beautiful building is gone. The spirit of a building remains alive, just in a smaller way.

My Mom liked to tell a story about when I was a baby in St. Louis during one hot summer. She would sit with me outside (me in a crib) underneath a large oak tree in our back yard. This particular summer there were several construction workers building a house next door. They would all wave at me and I would smile and laugh. Mom said I would just sit and watch quietly as they hammered away at the house, and eventually I would fall asleep in the crib. I still love watching homes being renovated or being built, and I became a "This Old House" junkie when it was first on television. 

Finding and picking all of the iron, ceramic, sandstone,and terracotta elements for our new business is incredibly fun and rich with discoveries. Robert and I sourced many suppliers of salvage and vintage pieces throughout the United States. Most items are one-of-kind, vintage or antique, and hand-carved. When possible, we acquire a set of 2 or more elements from the same demolished building. Perfect pieces for designing a garden wall or for re-purposing as a table base, or even using as a stand alone artifact in a home or office..

 I hope you will come and visit our new shop in Little Washington. We are located in an outdoor setting right on Main Street in the middle of town. You can also check out our website. Here are a few more enticing images below from artifacts-on-main.

Vintage Terracotta Floral Medallion

Vintage Art Nouveau Iron Gate

Vintage Large Limestone Capitols

Vintage Floral Terracotta Bas Relief

Iron Trellis created from old stair railings

Hand Carved Vintage Limestone Cherub Face

John Derian Now at r.h. ballard

I have been a fan of John Derian since I first saw his work many years ago. When I saw pictures of his retail shop in NYC I was smitten with the artful charm and edginess of the merchandise, vignettes, and the cool mix of products.

It was not hard for me to fall in love with his vintage inspired aesthetic and the innate creativity he brought to all of his choices for his unique brick and mortar.

Well, now I get to sell his beautiful decoupage paperweights, trays and coasters in my own shop. Yay!

Here are a few of his amazing pieces on display at r.h. ballard --paperweights, ovals, large and small glass trays, and melamine dessert plates. True eye-candy.

MEMORIAL DAY SALE ALL WEEK LONG

SALE Now Through Memorial Day ____________________________________________________________  Come celebrate with us all week long! 20% Off throughout main street shop May 19 - 26 - tableware, linen, home decor - select deeper discounts - can't make it to the shop?  give us a call!

r. h.  b a l l a r d   g a l l e r y                                                     307 main street                                                    washington, va  22747                                                       540-675-1411                                            open 7 days -10am - 6pm

Artist MARK POSS at r.h. ballard gallery

You are invited to an exhibition of new paintings by Mark Poss which opens at the r.h. ballard gallery with a Reception for the Artist, Saturday May 24, 4-7pm. This is Mark Poss' first solo show in our gallery after showing with us for the last two years. 

Mark Poss' work is included in a multiple corporate collections throughout the United States. He was an artist in the Art in the Embassy Program and has exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions on the east coast. He studied at University of Texas at Austin.

Poss' influences in the traditional realm include 17th Century Dutch, 19th Century French, Corot in particular, and 19th Century American with George Inness as a major influence.  Artistic influence in the abstract world includes Gerhard Richter and Clyfford Still. 

Here are few pieces from the show at r.h. ballard gallery: