New Paintings by Peter Batchelder

We are very excited to welcome Peter into our Gallery.I am really blown away by his work! Beautiful vibrant colors portray exquisite barn landscapes. He came in the gallery today with 10 paintings that make the gallery look spectacular. We plan to have a one man show for him this Winter. (Dates to be announced)

"Born in Beverly, MA on Boston’s North Shore, Peter has spent time living throughout New England in both coastal and western Massachusetts, Martha’s Vineyard, Vermont and, currently, New Hampshire.

Peter trained in studio art at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (BFA 1987) under artists Jack Coughlin, Lionel Gongora, John Grillo, and Hanlon Davies as well as Robert Cardinal at the Truro Center for the Arts.

After establishing himself as a successful graphic designer, Peter began pursuing his fine art career in 1992 on Martha’s Vineyard where he resided year-round for three years. Upon returning to the mainland he co-founded, as Creative Director, a web design and software company based in Bedford, NH. In the recent years he has achieved success as an artist with his representation at prestigious galleries in the Boston area, Vermont, Cape Cod, and the Monadnock, NH region."

New Employee!

Hey everyone! My name is Luke and I'm excited to work at The Davallia gallery! I'll be working on the website which will hopefully be up and running soon, but I'll also be in the shop making sales. Hopefully I can help make things a little easier for Mike and Jessie as the Christmas season starts up. Stop by and say hello!

Pumpkins, get your pumpkins!

Ahh, fall is almost here in Chester, VT. The maples are turning with the vibrant reds screaming first. Crisp, clean air and cool mornings make you pull on that warm sweater before the sun warms the earth. We love fall and we are gearing up for a fantastic one here at DaVallia.

We have three artists that are overflowing the gallery with fabulous fall energy, pumpkins, and fall decors.

We have clay jack-o-lantern pumpkins by artist Noelle VanHendrick and Eric Hendrick. This is our season to be funky and fun. Scattered throughout the gallery you will find these spooky and silly faces. Each pumpkin is a one-of-a-kind and they last a life time. It is fun to collect a new pumpkin every year.

Karl Neubauer’s work always brings a smile to my face. His personality is in every wood carved sculpture and ornament. Karl hand carves and paints these spooky Halloween sculptures. Pumpkins, ghosts and headless men and women are fun and collectable. Each piece is engraved by the artist with his signature and date.

John Churchman’s fall photography show will be on display at DaVallia September 21-October 31. Beautiful photographs of Vermont landscapes will cover the walls. The artist reception will be help October 8 from 6-8pm. Please join us for some warm apple cider and meet the man behind these amazing photographs.

Plan a weekend or day trip to lovely Chester and enjoy the beauty, bounty, and creativity around you!

A Lilttle Southern Art in VT...

We are thrilled to have art work by Dolan Geiman in DaVallia. Dolan is a nationally recognized mixed media artist creating original paintings, collages, constructions, and limited-edition reproductions. Produced from salvaged wood, found objects, and other recycled materials, Geiman's eco-friendly artwork emerges from a folk art tradition infused with a contemporary, urban style.

Originally from Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, Geiman currently lives and works in Chicago along with wife and business partner Ali Marie Geiman. His artwork has broad appeal to collectors and decorators alike, successfully weaving together rural with urban, vintage with contemporary. Motifs such as birds, woodland creatures, music, and Americana are popular and recurring themes, creating an artwork that introduces a modern aesthetic while remaining true to its rustic roots.

Geiman’s mixed media works on wood are created on discarded wood panels, otherwise in route to the landfill.
The paint used in these works is recycled household paint available to the public via the City of Chicago’s paint exchange program. Silk screened images are produced via water-based inks.
Come by the gallery to see this beautiful collection of art!!

Reclaimed, Recycled, Reinvented......

The inspiration for Michael's newest furniture line comes from both the Industrial Era and Classic New England architecure. Combining old steel components with recycled timbers and barnwood from Vermont Barns, he is creating one-of-a-kind pieces. Each piece is filled with history and character. Clients also have the ability to be an active part of the creating process. The ability to design and digitally render a finished piece of furniture allows Michael to visual show a client what a rusty hunk of metal can be transformed into. Stop in the gallery to see what's new, as new pieces arrive weekly. If you would like to have a custom piece designed, please schedule an appointment to discuss your project.

New, Vintage Wall ARt.......

There is something so lovely about old barn boards,vintage accents and rusty metal! I just finished this run of mixed media wall art this week. I used vintage industrial molds and old VT maple syrup taps. The key/ coat racks have such a nice feel. I rubbed the 100 year old hemlock boards with linseed oil to bring out its natural rich color. Add some one-of- a-kind art to your home that has function and style!

Earth, METAL, Wood!!

We are very excited to welcome Richard Gillis to our family of artists. Richard, a local metal artist hand-forges cold hard steel into timeless, beautiful furniture, sculpture, lamps, and home accents.
Rich is currently exhibiting this beautiful table at the Gilford Welcome Center along with DaVallia's exclusive furniture line. This is a must see for anyone who doesn't want to sacrifice function, style, and beauty in small places.

The table based is made of forged and welded steel, finished with a linseed oil based finish to bring out the natural characteristics and beauty of the metal.

The hand planed table top is constructed of quarter sawn hard maple, which is very durable and less susceptible to warping than flat sawn wood.

The finish is a custom blended stain followed by multiple coats of polyurethane. Brass hinges with a dark patina connect the 2 pieces of wood along with custom hardware created to align the table top in the appropriate open and closed positions. This table can seat 4 people in the closed position and up to 8 people in the open position. 6 for dining.

The table measures 32" W x 32"L x 29" H closed

and 32"W x 64"L x 28" H open.

DaVallia exclusives- small runs of cool art!

Not only do we love creating and designing, we love multiples of cool things. There is something so rewarding about seeing a table filled with finished jewelry, a dozen candle holders, birdhouses piled high, and a stack of furniture made and ready for a new life. But as you know, it is no fun doing production and making the same things over and over again. One of the main reasons that we opened our own store was to have creative freedom. The freedom to create and make anything we wanted. After years of doing production in my own jewelry business I wanted nothing more than to devote my days making one of kind art. We are slowly starting DaVallia Exclusives, where we make small runs (6- 12) of art and furniture. This works perfect for us because 90% of our art is made with recycled and reclaimed materials. Each piece of art we make is a one of a kind. Textures, colors, sizes, and adornments vary but the feel is always consistent.

Birdhouses of Summer!

Michael and I had a blast making these one of a kind birdhouses.Renewable, functional, and sustainable art is our mission! Each birdhouse is hand crafted from wood that Michael salvaged from local Southern Vermont barns. The roof of the birdhouses are constructed from an original slate roof from a 1840's Chester, Vermont home. Each piece of slate was careful cut and hinged on the birdhouse for easy spring time cleaning.. The birdhouses are adorn with salvaged hardware, remnants of a 1800's piano, and early 1900's keys and stars.
These birdhouses are a unique, eco-friendly and sustainable work of art to gift as a wedding, housewarming, or birthday gift, or to enjoy in your own home. Price: $36.00

Gotta Love that concrete and wood!

Mike believes that the sexiest furniture is the kind made out of wood and concrete. This table has been a vision for Mike for awhile now and it finally has come to life! Working with concrete is a favorite for Mike because of the diversity it offers. He can sculpt pieces of furniture in away you are unable to do with wood, stone, or glass alone.

The top of this table is forest green and cast with mother of pearl. It is slightly arched creating a contemporary feel. He has created butterfly key joints in the concrete that are joined by mahogany.The base of the table is made out of vertical grain cedar which makes this a perfect table for out doors or a 3 season room.

This gorgeous table is currently on display at the Gilford Welcome center for the month of July and August. It is a must see!

DaVallia presents photography by John Churchman

When I think about Vermont I think of home, I think of beauty.We are surrounded by color, mountains, farms, community, tranquility, and nature. Sometimes the landscape can take your breath away.
DaVallia's newest Artist/Photographer John Churchman has captured these moments of incredible beauty that surround us.

He and his family live on a small family farm in Northern Vermont. Many of his current images are about the "farm to table" movement and growing sustainable food. So expect images of heritage turkeys, happy hens, roosters, ducks, geese, pigs , lambs, sheep, organic gardens, free range chickens, and life on the farm.

John Churchman trained as a photographer and photo retoucher(before photoshop) in New York City. He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria ,Virginia. Then attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, graduating in 1979 with a year abroad at the University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland, where he developed his golf game and appreciation of fine scotch. He has worked as a commercial airbrush artist, photo retoucher,illustrator and graphic designer.
Stop by the gallery to see this beautiful collection of work by John Churchman!

Inspiration

Inspiration can come from the smallest of elements. Inspiration can be sparked by the way a flower curls into itself, the sweet morning light reflecting off the dew on your front lawn, your child’s smile or the color of a perfect cup of coffee.
Inspiration for me comes in so many forms but especially in colors, light, music, and the small textures in natural elements. I find myself collecting and holding onto little bits of nature. I've been collecting thick birch paper because I love its color and textures and special rocks I have piled around the orchards because they have these wonderful patterns. Mike also collects, but he is holding onto objects lost and forgotten. Mike has been collecting old TV's from the 40’s, old clocks, pieces of rusted metal, broken windows, and bricks from old factories. We are filling up our studio with all this inspiration, actually it is over flowing!

This month we have been busy creating with all these treasures lost and forgotten in our studio. This old junk has a new purpose adoring beautiful pottery, glass, sculpture and jewelry. It has been reborn into beautiful own-of-a-kind furniture!