Blogstah Roll...

  • A Conversation with Artists Rev. Dr. Gina Rose Halpern and George Mason

    Gratitude may seem an unlikely word after 2020, a year that took so much. Jobs, school days, gatherings with friends and family, and many lives were lost in a year suddenly and unexpectedly. Among the heartache and struggle, fear and frustration, there were also moments of brightness leading us onward.

    Connections grew from unexpected means like virtual family reunions, birthday parades, virtual book club meetings, and Zoom. We rose again to speak up against racial injustice, masked and marching through cities and towns across the world. Our country saw voter turnout like never before with so many voices ready to be heard. Amidst collective grief, we did and still are coming together and learning to experience gratitude and joy with new perspective.

    Below is a heartfelt conversation that is at its essence the reason why we started The Good Supply. Artists George Mason and Rev. Dr. Gina Rose Halpern have been friends for years, and we would not know one without the other. Here, they speak profoundly about gratitude and how it relates to the body - how it can be free of the mind much like "color needs no words." We invite you to be a fly on the wall as these friends share wisdom and explore ideas. Please warm up to it and allow 5 minutes to move beyond our curator Catherine's nervous introduction! If you let it, we promise it will be time well spent:

    More About Our Ethos & The 'Why'

    Connection is at the heart of the human condition. We aren't solitary creatures by design. Learning and growing together, building community through shared experience is the root of society. So in a time when separation and isolation are necessary to protect that community, how do we stay connected? How do we find solace in solitude? What is there to be grateful for when so much suffering exists?

    We return to the root, to the simple, to the spark. Looking inward, simplifying, remembering what's truly important. Nourishment for our souls exists everywhere if we make space for our bodies to feel gratitude by just being and experiencing. 

    We are lucky here at The Good Supply to have relationships with so any artists and makers. So much of what it means to be alive can be conveyed through art. The meeting of hands, heart, and mind is the source of endless possibility and opportunity. The existence of color and texture are gifts to our senses.

    In pursuit of constant growth and inspiration we look to the artist. In our community we are blessed to have two members whose connections to compassion, joy, gratitude, and each other is truly inspiring. Reverend Dr. Gina Rose Halpern and George Mason along with his wife Susan, have been friends for many years.

    We asked them to meet for a (you guessed it) Zoom meeting to talk about their thoughts on creativity, gratitude, spiritual growth, and the joy of a good swim among other things.

    Their conversation goes back to that root, that ember of truth and question that drives not only the artist but the collective. We are so grateful for them both, for their art and inspiring words. Maybe you will find something in their discussion to aid in this time of transition, out with the old and in with the new. Your thoughts and inquiries are welcome. Please contact Juliana at social@thegoodsupply.org if you are willing to share your reaction to this offering.

    We don't know what 2021 holds for us. We can only hope for a year built on the foundation of what we left behind. May we have the knowledge and strength to start a new chapter, one of health, peace, and supporting one another through good times and bad. May we soon safely gather and remain open to gratitude and joy. From us to you, Happy New Year.

  • 'Art in the Barn' with Kate and Jonathan Mess

    Kate and Jonathan Mess mean so much to The Good Supply. It's difficult to believe, but there was a time in our history when Kate's intricate art forms representing sea life and flirting with the concept of human adornment and Jonathan's strong reminder to take care with earthly resources did not guide our small business they way they do now.

    Now, our ethos is so wrapped up in theirs we can clearly state our values include environment, education, and the freedom to create with curiosity and care. Knowing them helped generate our Good Mood You-topia compass, and we are beyond grateful to present their work publicly singing  - or perhaps whistling - their praises! 

    Here's a little insight into what makes the Mess Family the Mess Family:

  • Celebrating the Autumnal Equinox in Maine

    There seems to be a consensus these days that time is moving in unfamiliar ways... Our usual work and school routines have been disrupted and look very different due to COVID-19. 

    The Good Supply Midcoast Artisan Store Made in Maine USA Lobster Boat Scene

    The markings of what makes a day, a week, month, are consistent only in nature.

    We have a calendar here at the Good Supply, a few calendars actually. Each tracks different projects through blocks of time. A smaller weekly calendar sits on top of the monthly as a magnifier, you are here. 

    The Good Supply Midcoast Artisan Store Made in Maine USA Red Leaves in Fall

    Our monthly calendar is the heart of our office. It is an omnipresent reminder of our message and keeps us from straying too far off course.

    Our curator Catherine is an enthusiastic doodler. Days are marked in bright marker with little drawings scattered across the pages. Holidays, meetings, election days, birthdays, events - all have their own flare. 

    The Good Supply Midcoast Artisan Store Made in Maine USA Calendar

    This year, however, the true art on those monthly pages was created by mandala artist and photographer Kathy Klein. We purchased her 2020 calendar Dānmālā, by Gladstone Media, at Rising Tide Food Coop in Damariscotta.

    Each month features a new intricate mandala created entirely with elements from nature. Flower petals, stamens, leaves, shells, seeds, and rocks are arranged in a perfect outward reaching circle full of color and texture. The images are beautiful and grounding providing a vibrant place to land each morning to go over the day to come. 

    The Good Supply Midcoast Artisan Store Made in Maine USA Fall Mandala

    The Autumnal Equinox inspired us to create a mandala in reference to Kathy's work for the coming season. Fall in Maine is upon us, and the need for sweaters and wool hats in the barn is an honest reminder. The changing leaves and Fall flowers, along with treasures from the barn, helped us create our own offering. We focused on color, vibrancy, texture, and room to breathe.

    Along with elements collected from our dooryard, we integrated pieces from eight artists: Enamel necklaces in mustard yellow oyster silhouette by Kate Mess, Porcelain palm-sized oval bowls by Monohonako, Sustainably-harvested wooden mosaic design tiles and cardinal doorstops by Maple Landmark, Recycled lobster rope garland by Cape Porpoise Trading Company, Iron 'S' hooks by Bitters Co., Crocheted silk and oxidized silver scalloped necklace by Bent Metal, Brass serving spoons by Erica Moody, and Beeswax birthday candles by Danica Design

    The Good Supply Midcoast Artisan Store Made in Maine USA Dancing on the Beach in Fall

    Here’s to finding a new rhythm and holding the golden light of the shortening days! Welcome Fall 2020!