My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail (like Monica Lewinsky's), but perhaps yours didn't.

While all of that marital mayhem is going down 30 minutes south of us in Rhinebeck, all is calm and cool over here in charming Stone Ridge, NY. Even though it's crawling with celebrities at the moment since they're shooting Jane Fonda's new flick, Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding down the road (I saw her at the local roller rink!) along with Chace Crawford (drool), and Catherine Keener. Barbarella is an avid blogger and you can read all about it at Janefonda.com. Oh, and a certain iconic music superstar and his supermodel wife work out at my gym, but if I named names I'd have to kill you. All highly unusual events in this sleepy burg. But I digress.

I've been working on a new series of abstract paintings on 1" thick pine planks featuring modernist Seussian silhouettes based on my ceramics. DNA-wise, they share inspirational roots via Alexander Girard's charming folk art figures, Calder's doodle-esque mobiles, and of course, conjoined twin superstars like Lori and Dori (aka Reba) and Abby and Brittany. (I just read that Brittany is engaged. Congrats!) They can be hung on the wall or stand alone on a table. They're monochromatic, so they look great mixed and matched in little groupings. Peruse them in person this weekend if you're in the 'hood, then after that I'm going to start putting a selection online since people have been asking for that.

Rural Modernist Studio

3780 Main Street (rear cottage)

Stone Ridge, NY 12484

Open weekends from 1-4 pm or by appointment

* Follow us on Facebarf and Twatter , too. And since you read all the way to the bottom of this post, here's Reba Schappell's video for The Fear of Being Alone. You're welcome.

"Got a dime?" The proprietors, Jason and J.R. working the ho' stroll right on Main Street. Real classy.

Are you in the Hudson Valley/Catskills area on this sultry, sweaty weekend? Take a break from fanning yourself dramatically like Blanche DuBois and stop by the Rural Modernist Studio before all of our soaps and candles melt into a messy yet fragrant puddle. Also, the Special Word of the Day is: BEDIZENED. Use it in a sentence when you come into the studio and get a special surprise!

Some of our still solid handmade soaps wrapped in vintage graph paper.

Trying out the Hipstamatic photo app on my new iPhone. Wow. That sounds super douchey doesn't it?

This is Ella, one of our fluffiest patrons.

We guarantee that all of our outsider art will not melt in 100% humidity.

Rural Modernist Studio

3780 Main Street (rear cottage)

Stone Ridge, NY 12484

Open weekends from 1-4 ish or by appointment

* Follow us on Facebarf and Twatter (I still don't know how to use it, but since everyone else is doing it I'll at least make an attempt) for the latest news, announcements, special offers, comments, suggestions, criticisms, previews, polls, dog pictures, gardening projects, etc. (And that's going to be the best way to find out when we're open, too.)

Welcome to the Rural Modernist Studio

It's always been a pipe dream of mine to have a little studio space of my own where I could work on my various extra curricular creative projects at my own leisurely pace and then throw the doors open to the public so they could peruse my various wares in one location. Finally, the dream has come true right here in Stone Ridge, New York in the Hudson Valley.

I still make my living as an illustrator, but I also do custom portraits, Rural Modernist Ceramics (and now handmade soaps and candles), Handsome Devil Press greeting cards, and Doodle Whore. And my partner, J.R. Craigmile, a production accountant for film and t.v. by day, is an avid collector of outsider art by night. When this space became available I just mashed it all together and somehow it all just works. If you find yourself in the Catskills/Hudson Valley 'hood on a weekend, come on over and say hello.

Rural Modernist Ceramics by Jason O'Malley takes center stage (at the moment). I blogged about taking my first pottery class almost two years ago and I'm still at it. You can see J.R.'s outsider art displayed salon style on the far wall.

Jason's Madonna Face Project is throwing shade from the back wall.

Gotta cigarette?

I've really stretched myself by adding matte black glaze to my usual color palette of high gloss white. Baby steps, people.

Rural Modernist soy candles wrapped in Eames-y mid-century flavored papers. They smell clean and fresh and mask a multitude of unpleasant odors with flair.

Rural Modernist Studio

3780 Main Street (rear cottage)

Stone Ridge, NY 12484

Open weekends from 1-5 pm or by appointment

* Follow us on Facebarf and Twatter (I still don't know how to use it, but since everyone else is doing it I'll at least make an attempt) for the latest news, announcements, special offers, comments, suggestions, criticisms, previews, polls, dog pictures, gardening projects, etc. (And that's going to be the best way to find out when we're open, too.)