My friend Dion Hitchings is traveling this month, so I am watching his gallery for him. If you’re in the area and love wonderful and strange art, drop in and see the gallery and meet me. I will also be showing some of my own art there today and all this month as well as working on my new drawings.

The Outsider Art Gallery is located on Front Street in Frenchtown. The actual address is 10 Bridge Street, Suite #4. See our Google Map below. Look for the sign on the corner and the florescent deer in front of the gallery.

Outsider Art Gallery in Frenchtown, New Jersey

You can also read the original interview that I did with Dion a few years back. Here is a short segment from Dion’s art bio in his own words, in his own style:

i was born in saint louis, missouri on december 22, 1958 (almost a xmas baby).
my mother found out she was pregnant with me, two weeks after my father’s funeral.
took up drawing at age 3 and never put down the crayons.
I have never considered myself to fit in the “normal” world,
so I looked to leave the midwest as soon as possible.
i went to washington university in saint louis/school of fine arts,
where I graduated with a bachelor of fine arts.
luckily, i landed one of the only art related jobs in saint louis,
hired as a fashion illustrator at jeans west,
which i did for the next 3 years.
i also developed my skills into be

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My mother passed away long before her time and I miss her deeply. I always thought she would be there. She died before we had the time to grow past our differences. I was her special child and she always held me a bit too close. It was a true struggle to learn to stand on my own. There were many times that I hurt her deeply because I went too far in trying to make her stand her distance. We never resolved these things. If there is an afterlife and Mom has seen the progress I’ve made recently, I know she understands why I did what I did and that I never stopped loving her.

My Mother’s Day message is really for every son and daughter out there that might run across this message. Don’t put off telling her you love her. Don’t put off resolving your differences as best you can. However you do it, stand your ground, be proud and independent and at the same time respectful and loving toward your mother today. She may not be here tomorrow.

Happy Mother’s Day from BesrtofNJ.com

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Frenchtown students' 'Comedy of Errors' benefits Jersey Shore school (via Cranford Chronicle)

Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors will be presented by the Frenchtown 4th and 5th grades on May 22, at the Frenchtown School in Frenchtown. Curtain is at 7 p.m. and features a Shakespearean curtain warmer by the 3rd grade. This year’s production marks the 11th annual production of Shakespeare produced…

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Princeton exhibit features Jersey Shore paintings from 1871-1940 (via NewsWorks)

May 9, 2013 By Ilene Dube, of The Artful Blogger This is part of a series from Ilene Dube of The Artful Blogger. I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a newly completed boardwalk and a sand dune near where I might lie. The wrath of Hurricane Sandy made even…

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Special Edition of THIS OLD HOUSE® Features Jersey Shore Recovery (via PR Newswire)

America’s most trusted home improvement experts focus on NJ restorations and highlight best practices for coastal building CONCORD, Mass., May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Months after Superstorm Sandy devastated shorelines on the East Coast, affected homeowners are still determining how to rebuild…

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Jersey Shore Painters at Morven Museum & Garden (via NJ Today on NJTV)

By Susan Wallner State of the Arts Hurricane Sandy violently changed much of the New Jersey coast. We are still in mourning for what is gone, but the loss also reminds us of what makes the Jersey Shore so special, and so loved. An exhibition now at Morven Museum & Garden proves that the unique beauty…

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I started covering bridal shows a few weeks ago at the Red Bank Wedding Walk. This week, I’ve got a virtual tour of the Wedding Road Show on Long Beach Island.

This show featured exhibitors from Forked River, Beach Haven, Manahawkin, Tuckerton and beyond.

Click on any photo for more information and to scroll though the gallery. See our notes below the photo grid.

Here are some of the highlights from the show:

The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce did a great job with the Wedding Road Show. It was a great opportunity for brides to check out possible wedding venues, to see the work of local photographers, and to sample the work of local caterers and bakers. The show brochure was beautiful, organized and informative. The Road Show was a great photo-op for me to see the wedding venues all dressed for a wedding and to get some great wedding cake shots.

A Sweet Memory Cake Shoppe in Forked River presented me with colorful visual treats. The cake pops, wedding cakes and whimsical Jersey Shore cookies were irresistible eye candy. I tried two of their mini cupcakes and both were delicious. I can’t wait to make a trip down to Forked River and do a photo feature on them.

The Mallard Island Yacht Club has revolutionized my view of what a wedding venue can be and what it can offer. I was simply stunned by this place. The ballroom is gorgeous with it’s Tiffany blue coffered ceiling, chandeliers and expansive view of Barnegat Bay and Long Beach Island. The boathouse chapel complete with a 360 degree view of the bay, a huge fireplace and exceptionally long wedding processional aisle breezeway is unique in New Jersey and the region. The grand staircase on the front of the building is a wedding photographers dream. And finally the 3,000 square foot bridal suite is something you simply have to experience yourself. The space writes its own story.

The Gables Hotel & Restaurant in Beach Haven is a beautiful little hotel with outstanding appointments and detail. The inn features 5 guestrooms with period antiques, marble bathrooms and fireplaces. The highly acclaimed restaurant offers Sunday brunch and dinner nightly during the summer. I will be returning to the Gables this week for an extended feature, so stay tuned.

Chamber President Lori Penenella gave us a personal tour of several wedding venues and introduced us to local photographers, inn owners, caterers and bakers. I learned a lot about the region and got some great leads on stories that I want to bring to you soon.

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BestofNJ.com traveled to Perfect Christmas Tree Farm in Phillipsburg today to check out their Earth Day celebration. It was one gorgeous spring day to celebrate and honor the earth. The event featured a drum circle, face painting, hayrides, live music, a movie, green workshops and vendors selling recycled goods, local nonprofit agencies and food vendors. Here are some highlights from the day in our virtual tour photo gallery.

You might want to check out the festivities tomorrow as Earth Day Weekend continues Sunday, April 28, 2013 from 9 to 4.

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WNBC40.net has a report from the Wildwoods about the progress being made in restoring business to normal after the devastation brought on by Hurricane Sandy.

NBC40.net

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The Best of NJ

It has been over a week since I made my last post and it’s high time that I let everyone know what’s going on. I have always worked on the site by myself with very little consultation with anyone else. Recently I have been trying to overcome shyness. I’ve been getting out and talking to people from all over the state about what the site has to offer them. My perspective on BestofNJ.com is shifting because I’m able to see the site more as other people see it. I realize that I’ve been working inside my own little box at my own little computer for far too long. With this new perspective I will be implementing some big changes.

I want all of you to be able to access the truly useful parts of the site more easily. Navigation here is really bad and needs fixing. I’ve been working with my partner Val to make some structural changes. I’ve also done some looking over my Google Analytics and I’ve noticed that I’m loosing a lot of you simply because you don’t know where to click to find what you’re looking for. Finding the calendar for the entire state or the calendar for your county or your town is way too complicated. Right now you have to click through multiple screens to get where you want to go. What I thought I set up as logical was just too complicated.

With Val’s help, and your suggestions, BestofNJ.com is getting smarter, simpler and leaner. I would love to have your feedback.

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