We're Back!

After a brief hiatus, the Monsoon blog is back and better than ever! We've had a busy summer here at the gallery - we've launched a new website, lined up shows through December, and added a member to our gallery team, but more on that later.

We have a full lineup of shows planned for the fall, starting with Marty Desilets and his show "A Mirror With Memory" opening on September 4th. His digitally manipulated photographs transform everyday environments into surreal scenes. The skies in his photographs can be ethereal wisps of clouds or brooding storms on the horizon. Regardless of the subject, Marty’s work invites you in to his unique world.

October brings us local metal artist Dan Minnich. As an apprentice to world renowned artist Steve Tobin, Dan is learning from the best. He has his own unique style of painting landscapes - he paints with hot welded metal. Dan tries to utilize his steel skills in every creation by making every tree, and every part of the scene, out of steel, bronze, and stainless steel. Visit the gallery to see Dan’s view of nature in metal. His show opens October 2nd.

For November and December, we are once again partnering with the Pennsylvania Society of Goldsmiths for a special 2 month jewelry show. With jewelry artists from Pennsylvania and beyond, PSG’s artisans are some of the most talented in their field. With an array of jewelry in various mediums and price ranges, All That Glitters arrives just in time for the holidays. Artist receptions are on November 6th and December 4th, so be sure to stop by and meet the many talented jewelry artists who make the show possible.

Most of our summer here at the gallery has been devoted to launching our new website, Artfully Elegant. Artfully Elegant is a new, easier way to shop for jewelry and gifts for the home. It's more user-friendly than our Monsoon site - you can sort by price, artist, material, create a wish list to keep track of your favorite items, and lots more. Take a look over there and explore! All of us here at Monsoon have spent countless hours perfecting the site and we are all very proud of it. We hope you feel the same!

Last, but certainly not least, we are pleased to introduce the newest member of the Monsoon team, Wilco. Wilco is Rori's dog - he's part cattle dog, border collie, and husky. He's the friendliest dog you'll ever meet, so if you stop by the gallery sometime from Monday to Friday, you should be able to meet him! Check him out below!!

Khalil Allaik, Lara Bly, & Ranjeet Pawar on YouTube

Check out this YouTube video featuring owner Ranjeet Pawar and husband and wife artists Khalil Allaik and Lara Bly. The clip, shot by the al Alam channel in Dec. 2007, features Khalil's work at the Banana Factory and showcases Lara's show here at Monsoon. Quick note, Khalil's parts of the clip are in Arabic, but Ranjeet and Lara's interviews are in English. Enjoy!

New Artist - Alex Sepkus

Monsoon is very pleased to announce the addition of Alex Sepkus jewelry to our fine, handmade jewelry collection. A native of Vilnius, Lithuania, Alex received his graduate degree in industrial design from the Lithuanian Academy of Arts. His studies included interiors, glass making sculpture, etchings and graphics, but his graduate study was in jewelry design. While Alex's jewelry is beautiful to the naked eye, it becomes even more intricate when viewed under a magnifying glass. Each section of his jewelry has its own texture and pattern. With a strong respect for precision and balance, Alex developed a great passion for the intricacies of his craft, creating jewelry unlike any other.

Alex's organic shapes feature diamonds along with many semi-precious stones. We have a great selection of rings coming, along with a pair of earrings and 2 gorgeous pendants. Check out a sneak peek below of 2 great rings soon to be a part of Monsoon's collection. Look for the Sepkus line to debut in mid June!

Special Offers for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is right around the corner, so what better gift than a handmade piece of jewelry or one-of-a-kind work of art for that special woman in your life. Check out the coupon codes at the bottom of this post for some special savings, for your mom and you too!

Check out Figs and Ginger's family necklaces featuring birds, deer, and bunnies, they represent every member of the family - even dad! Check out another option pictured below!

Don't miss new jewelry artist Christine Mighion's Never Alone ring. It perfectly expresses the relationship between parent and child, husband and wife, siblings, best friends and more.

Why get your mother flowers when you can get here some of these paintings by Kate Birch? Unlike those bouquets, these lovely flowers will last forever and continue to brighten her day!

For the nature loving moms out there - check out mixed media metal artist Dan Minnich. His work strikes a balance between the heavy metals and the delicate trees. One work, Mixed Metal, is pictured below.

Use coupon code ForMomma to receive 20% off all work from Figs and Ginger, Christine Mighion, Todd Reed, Kathy Bransfield, Nature Crafts, Kate Birch, Dan Minnich, and Gary Benfield. Valid until May 11, 2009.

Use coupon code ForMe to receive 15% off all other work in the gallery and online store. Valid until May 11, 2009.

Current Coupon Codes!

As a special treat to our blog readers, here is a list of our current coupon codes for our online store. We've got a lot of good savings opportunities out there, so start shopping!

Jewelry20
20% off all jewelry
Expires: 4/30/09

REED10
10% off all Todd Reed jewelry
Expires: 12/31/09

Butterfly
15% off all Christopher Marley artwork
Expires: 4/30/09

Garcia15
15% off all Fidel Garcia artwork
Expires: 4/30/09

Lunchtime
20% off all Sergio Furnari artwork
Expires:4/30/09

Sway15Hoover
15% off all Albert Swayhoover artwork
Expires: 4/30/09

Ben20Gary
20% off all Gary Benfield artwork
Expires: 4/30/09

Reed20Todd
20% off all Todd Reed jewelry
Expires: 4/30/09

Monsoon20
20% off all jewelry & watches
Expires: 4/30/09

April First Friday Reminder!

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is First Friday on Bethlehem's Southside! While we don't have a dedicated new show, we do have new oils from Peter Krobath, new work from Kate Birch, new jewelry from Todd Reed, and new additions to our jewelry collection from Belle Brooke, Kathy Bransfield, Martha Sullivan and The Barber's Daughter (Gisele Theriault). Visit the artist's pages to see their new work or stop by the gallery tomorrow night to see everything in person. We hope to see you there!

Here's a sneak peek of new Todd Reed rings and a Belle Brooke necklace.

New Work from Peter Krobath

Peter Krobath has long been a favorite of all of us here at Monsoon, as well as visitors to the gallery. His photorealist works in oil and watercolor are highly detailed studies of landscape, florals, and everyday life. Peter stopped by the gallery on Tuesday and brought us 11 new oils. My favorites are Sunflowers and Sugar Maple Afternoon II, pictured below. Peter paints with a photographer's eye. His closeup studies of morning glories all contain an obvious understanding of depth of field, as different planes of the painting are in varying degrees of focus. Peter paints his landscapes from places that are familiar to him, like his home in the Hudson Valley to North Carolina to Lake Champlain in Vermont. Make sure you check out all of Peter's new work online or in person this Friday during Southside's First Friday celebration. We're open late until 10 so stop by and check out all of our new work!