An Artistic Collaboration

It has been in the works for weeks, months, years, this latest collaboration

 between artist James Aponovich and Furniture Master David Lamb. This project 

 is the result two of creative minds and four skilled hands coming together in this place called New Hampshire and in this time.

The concept for this piece, The White Mountain Breakfront, began to churn after a visit several years ago to Bretton Woods and The Mount Washington Hotel. James and David were both attending an Arts conference when their conversation about a breakfront began. 

A layer was added when David, who lives with his wife Janet in an antique cape, began to take note of frost patterns that would form on the original old windows of the house in winter.

James, who was NH Artist Laureate at the time (  David Lamb currently holds that honored title), had been traveling around the state doing drawings and paintings  as he revisited sites painted by artists such as Cole, Church, Kensett and Bierstadt.

A meeting of minds one might say.

The concept was born for the newest 'Lambovich' collaboration, The White Mountain Breakfront.

Like the artists of the Renaissance, this project needed an additional element, a third participant to havethe saws, planes and brushes to be put to work. 

As Michelangelo needed Julius II, ( see previous blog post) or the artists of Florence needed the Medici's to commission works of art, the Aponovich / Lamb concept needed a patron to bring it into being.

And so it happened!

David's saws were put to work cutting New Hampshire birch

In James' studio a small mock up, that they refer to as "Punch & Judy" ( a reference to a puppet theatre show), with painted sketches of Lamb's frost doors and Aponovich's White Mountain still life.

Are you starting to get the picture?

Seasons in New England came and went........

The bottom case of the breakfront began to take shape.

Lamb and Aponovich both share a keen attention to detail in their work.

Here, as the piece progressed you can see the graceful feet and the splendid use of different wood that will give this breakfront a unique brilliance.

Many conversations and ideas were exchanged during this collaboration.

In David's Canterbury studio the breakfront case was being made, wood was being cut and  carefully selected.

In Hancock, James was busy at the easel painting the panels for the interior of the Breakfront.  James and I made several trips to the White Mountains where he  gathered ideas and did sketches in each season preparing for this three panel triptych.

Aponovich's paintings are a blend of reality, concept and fantasy. A peek at the White Mountain landscape with cliffs, mountains and a river flowing through the valley.

A detail of the largest central panel with clementine, grapes and a plum all are painted in Aponovich's distinct style of real and imagined.

The crown of the Breakfront  shown nearly complete in Lamb's studio. Note the contrasting woods and golden crotch NH birch. Remember the picture of the snow covered birch logs that David had cut?  Those logs were transformed into the arch shaped birch pattern spanning the crown.The white oval will be filled with an oval painted by James. 

Reveal and conceal....
There are 5 painted ovals, one on the crown and one on each of four lower doors.

The Aponovich ovals and the frieze of carving by David's hand on the crown refer to the 'aspects' of New Hampshire.

More on that soon.

I cannot give too much away right now and I can only show details due to the fact that The White Mountain Breakfront is to be unveiled at The Currier Museum of Art on November 1st.

I can tell you this........The White Mountain Breakfront is stunning.

Once the piece has been unveiled, I will show you the sum of all the parts  and details.

Stay tuned.