mirror image buoy

Francois Deschamps surprised me with a buoy last week.

Unassuming and understated like most of his art, this authentic buoy is a canvas for it's own mirror image. Francois is a photographer who takes a step further and incorporates his images into larger pieces of art, creating almost mini-installations.

Simple, elegant, with a touch of whimsy, you can see this buoy at the old 64 building!

the youngest buoy

This is the buoy I'd been looking forward to more than any other...I was very excited to see what Isa Raven would come up with for our buoy auction and I was not disappointed.

What a lovely buoy covered in my very favorite summer flower, lupines. 

Isa was almost completely responsible for the design apart from a few assists from her mom, Susan.

My absolute favorite part is that you can see her fingerprints in the petals of the lupines. Isa said she started with her thumbs first to make the petals at the bottom of the lupines and used smaller fingers as she went up, finishing with her pinky.

I have a feeling there will only be more exciting things to come out of this young artist in the upcoming years - surely this buoy is an early work and worthy investment in the future.

Thank you so much, Susan and Isa! This is definitely one of my very favorite buoys!

To see this buoy in person, stop by the old 64 building!

buoy babes

I don't know about you, but this is not what I was expecting from Alison Thibault, owner of Five Elements Gallery and creator of quintessential Vinalhaven jewelery.

However, somehow it seems perfect.

Alison put out a call for photographs of children with buoys and covered the buoy with them - I only wish I had a photo of Finn with a buoy before now!

We've got Sofia Delsandro, Javin Poole, Andrea Shane, Alex Day...

the list goes on.

Including one VERY cute photo of Alison herself as a kiddo with a wooden buoy of her own.

How personal, thoughtful, sweet and classy - just like Miss Alison herself ;)

sleeping buoy

Annalee Poe is many things - an artist is one of them.

I knew that part. What I didn't know was that she's a storyteller, a poet, and a humorist all in one.

"Cheesy" was how Anna described her buoy to me. "Brilliant" is how I describe it to you.

A combination of a carving into the buoy, a poem, a custom lobster trap, and (the piece de resistance) a fired ceramic mermaid, this buoy certainly has the greatest number of components

I wonder if the S.S. Crustacean could save her from her dire fate? 

s.s. crustacean

It It kind of looks like it's alive, doesn't it?

Meet S. S. Crustacean, the first submission by Josh Eckels to an island auction, and (I daresay) very likely not his last.

Eckels, a man of many talents, moved here with his wife and mother-in-law (both of whom have also created buoys!) in Spring of 2011, and when they're not working or helping to meticulously renovate their old farmhouse, they make art.

Beautiful, gorgeous, stunning art.

With a fully operational propeller, rudder, and eyepiece, this little sub is souped up and ready to roll.

The detail in this buoy is to die for and you can get an up close view of it in the old 64 building the next time you go past!

langoustina

Meet...Langoustina.

A sassy little lady with a sense of humor, Langoustina is the newest creation to come out of the collaboration between Kitty Wales and Matt Miner.

Who knew a buoy could be come something like this?

If you want to know what the button on the back does, you'll have to stop by the New Era Gallery to find out!

lobster crate buoy

This buoy is bigger than life and has been created out of a piece of Vinalhaven history - an old wooden lobster crate.

Currently residing in the window at the Haven, Torry instantly identified it as Bill's - Bill Chilles, to be precise.

The lobster crate was one that was once used by Bill's relative, Clyde Bickford, as is identified by his name, carved directly into the wood.

Bill has a great attention to detail and really thought this through.

Bill is the brains and brawn behind the scenes at so many shows at the Smith Hokanson Memorial Hall...is there anything this guy can't do?

Check it out in person - along with several other buoys, including one that hasn't made it onto the blog yet!