20 year celebration

she's been doing it for 20 years?

it is hard to believe that in just a couple of months i will have been creating game boards for 20 years.  i picked up my first piece of wood and began creating game boards only for the reason that i thought they were really neat and i wanted a group of them on my wall... but as i began making them i just didn't want to stop for i began to dream of a day where i could make them for your homes.

when i began i had a tiny area on my porch where i had set everything up....i learned to not only paint, but to saw, hammer and sand. i learned so much about layout and design.  my only background was pretty much my belief in that if i wanted to do it then i could....(thanks mom and dad for self esteem and confidence, the two greatest gifts you gave us kids, much needed for cliff diving in life.)

when you have a small art business, so to speak, you are the wearer of many hats...not only do you design and create you also are the resident painter, mathematician and woodworker.  you are the task manager; accountant, web designer, blogger, research department, shipping department, purchasing department and cleaning service.  you are the doer of all, the dancer of building your own life...

many of you have been with me for all of these twenty years; you've been with me for my move from texas to these appalachian mountains, that i knew i would love and that is now finally called 'home', and from what was the back porch to a studio more than big enough to be somewhat organized....we have laughed with each others stories, and shared our fears and sadness....we've watched each others kids grow...and many of you are now enjoying your 'retirement years', which is so much fun for me to witness...

and sometimes we were lucky enough to have been able to meet face to face - already feeling like old friends...

i thank all of you for this....for wishes do come true...

to visit my site; which really you did help to create, here's the link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

below:  "big top, bullseye and gypsy"

http://dallison.squarespace.com/round-game-boards/

new summer game board for your collection...

for months and months i've wanted to create this reproduction piece....i actually had planned on having it for my 1st web show...but as life does every now and then, it interrupted...but summer is now here and it is the most fun season of the year for me....freedom freedom and more freedom...which then, as you know, just encourages more fun and creative things to happen...

i wanted to do a new piece to celebrate summer, and thought this was the perfect time to make it...i absolutely loved the original piece, but i was unable to find the date on any research that i sought...but based on the auction price from 2003, i would have to state it was probably from the 1800's.

the above piece was auctioned by new york's christie's in 2003, it was originally from the rose anna and john kolar's collection. the kolar's felt that christie's had the track record when it came to auctioning pennsylvania german folk art. game boards were winners at this auction, "the most expensive one (above) boldly juxtaposed pinwheels with mondrianlike grids of color", as it was described from an article.


the original piece sold for $41,825.

my rendition of this piece takes on a slightly different mood, a little deeper and a little richer. my original intent was to have a 'bright summery' feel, to the piece, but later found that my piece was less light hearted and more intense...it had more depth and a story to tell....








i spoke to a new artist friend of mine; carlin davis, about my thoughts of the piece and this is what she had to say:





"Summer is vibrant but it also has its peaceful, lush, restful places, too. Places where you can have a respite from the breath-snatching heat and humidity and relax in the soft shadows and cool burbling waters."



and i liked that - her interpretation of summer is really mine as well, for i might 'think and visualize' bright color and play, but what i really see are all of the shades of summer....







there are so many shades to summer...summer to me is awaiting and then breathing in the new blooms in my garden, days of swimming at the town pool, hikes in the shade of the mountains and sitting under my massive oak trees in the shade....so in my initial disappointment of not creating what was in my mind, i created what was before my eyes....thanks for that insight carlin...




"shades of summer" is a limited edition of only 10 pieces.....warm shades of olive yellow, dark forest green, black, rose, pink and a golden yellow



19" x 19" - limited edition of 10 pieces (only 7 still available)
$245.00 + shipping

just email me or give me a call if you would like to order one for your home....

dianeallison@charter.net


or if you would like to browse my site for another piece to collect, here's your link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

2 new reproduction game board designs added...

if you didn't see your latest email - the two pieces are finally done and available for you to view. the first piece is an oversized board but is also available in the 19" x 19" size if you would rather have a smaller piece. it's namesake, charlie, is after my grandpa who sat on the floor playing hours and hours of games with me, my inspiration for my company, to say the least. it is full of the warmest of colors, as he was; terracotta, gold, green, black and an off-white...i'm not sure of the date of the original piece that inspired me, but i'm guessing 1920-1930 at the very latest.







the 2nd piece i'm guessing dates back to the late 1800's - and my son named it "the beagle board", so we negotiated on that a bit and named it belle after our beagle, for she deserves everything in the world as far as we are all concerned, even a board named after her...

and the big announcement is: all future game boards (including the above) will be Limited Editions....i've decided that i will make 35 of each design and then it will be retired. this will benefit you, for the pieces will be more collectible than ever, and the benefit to me is i will be adding more new designs more often...so if you see a NEW piece, be sure to snatch it up!

to view these boards, here is a link to my site: www.dallisongameboards.com