September Feature Artist My name is Chad Creighton. I am currently working and living in Portland, Maine with my Partner Melissa, our two dogs, two birds, cat, and numerous fish. I am a recent graduate of Maine College of Art with a degree in printmaking. I’m originally from Greenfield, New Hampshire where I lived for most of my life. Growing up in a small town in the country I found myself constantly immersed in nature with my head buried in field guides. I started working on pallet wood a year ago and immediately fell in love with the material. The idea of giving new life to an old, battered material is interesting to me. I like to think of where the pallet had been, or where it could have ended up while I pull the animals out of the wood(s).
Click HERE to get in touch with Chad or to see more of his work!!
If you are interested in having your art featured in our float center, please contact us! frontdesk@floatharder.com
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500 Washington Ave. Portland, ME SEPTEMBER 27th 2PM-10PM 28th 8AM-2PM  ABOUT The Lucia Light is a relaxation and consciousness exploration tool. Also known at a hypnagogic light, it is used seated or laying down and with eyes closed. Most people prefer to listen to music during their session. By using a wide spectrum of flashing white light at varying speeds, intensities and brightness, the light gently encourages the brain to go into harmonic brainwaves creating beautiful, relaxing states in the alpha and theta frequencies. Lucia N ° 03 is a neurostimulator, which combines 8 LEDs and a halogen light. White light passes through the retina to the pineal gland, and creates a unique visual experience for each person. Even though the light is used with your eyes closed, many people report having a uniquely visual experience, seeing varying colors and patterns during the session. The inner consciousness of the light traveler produces scenes of indescribable beauty. The light is safe to use as your eyes are closed during the experience, however, those with light sensitive epilepsy should not use a hypnagogic light as it does strobe. Some people have experienced a dissolution of the sense of time and a transcendence of the physical body. REPORTED BENEFITS: - Reduced anxiety, stress, fear and depression - Sense of wholeness/oneness - Increased creativity and intuition - Sense of awe and wonder One of these lovely light machines will be visiting Float Harder for two days! SEPTEMBER 27th 2PM-10PM 28th 8AM-2PM 30 minute light session - $25 To schedule an appointment, contact Lindsay at LindsayLuciaLight@gmail.com IMPORTANT NOTES!
This can be a wonderful, euphoric experience for those who are open to it, keep in mind it is not for everyone! The hypnagogic light is not recommended for those who: - have a history of epilepsy or seizures - are under 18 years of age - are pregnant For more information on the Lucia Light visit createcoherence.net Float for Philanthropy!
We hold Float for Philanthropy events four times a year and we announce it first to our email subscribers. If you aren't on our email list then get on it using the sign up in the lower right corner of our site. We only send one email per month and stand by our promise not to bombard your inbox with nonsense!  August Feature Artist
The name Taskafish is a combination of her family name and Gracelyn's most favorite subject matter. Gracelyn divides her time between Maine and Bermuda, where the Taska's have family ties.  She finds inpiration in the rocky coastline of Maine to the vivid blue waters, coastal reefs and pink sand beaches of Bermuda. When Gracelyn isn't busy creating, you can find her running, playing her Ukalele, advocating for the protection of coral reefs, having coffee with friends and most likely... smiling and laughing.  If you're interested in having your art featured in our float center,
feel free to contact us! frontdesk@floatharder.com July Feature Artist Kyl Owns was raised in the rotted woods of New England before leaving for NYC to attend the New York Film Academy. Upon completion, Kyl returned to the forest. During this hiatus, he began the creation of Vorticist, an experimental 7 album noise project, utilizing the cinematic style he learned at NYFA. In 2008, Kyl extracted himself from the woods, finding an attraction to the art and music scene in Portland, Maine. Hungry for a more immediate creative process, Kyl incorporated painting to his repertoire of avant-garde expression while continuing to evolve his skills in film and sound. In early 2018 Kyl began performing live haunting and improvisational auditory performances, he refers to as 'harsh acid ritual drone', under the name KØVVNS.
If you're interested in having your art featured in our float center,
feel free to contact us! frontdesk@floatharder.com Float for Philanthropy Recipients! Thank you to all who participated in yet another successful Float for Philanthropy event! We were able to raise $750 for the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program's Summer Food Service Program, supporting their efforts to provide lunches and snacks to children in need during school summer vacation. If you would like to learn more about MCHPP and their programs, click here. We hold Float for Philanthropy events four times a year and we announce it first to our email subscribers. If you aren't on our email list then get on it using the sign up in the lower right corner of our site. We only send one email per month and stand by our promise not to bombard your inbox with nonsense!
June Feature Artist
If you're interested in having your art featured in our float center,
feel free to contact us! frontdesk@floatharder.com May Feature Artist
Through a process of Surrealist inspired automatism I have come to produce a series of assemblages. Surrealist notions of dream imagery, games of chance, and the marriage of contraries are employed to meld incongruous forms which are then harmonized through ornamentation. I use symbolic forms of the Gothic while imbuing the inanimate with emotion, the allure of violence, the drive towards death, and the return to the primordial.  Click HERE to see more of Stacy's work!
If you're interested in having your art featured in our float center, feel free to contact us! frontdesk@floatharder.com  Floating takes practice.
Doing absolutely nothing for 90 minutes can prove to be a challenging task. The good news? It gets easier! The best but possibly most difficult aspect about your float is that YOU are in complete control of your float! The float tank is just the vessel that facilitates your experience. Although there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to achieving a "great float", here are a few pro-tips and tricks that you can use to help you get the most out of your float. Before your float: Eat a light meal. You definitely do not want to be hungry while you're in a float tank, nor do you want to be really full! When you take away all sensory input, your growling stomach can not only be uncomfortable but also incredibly distracting. Avoid caffeine. Its best to steer clear from caffeinated beverages a few hours before you float. Otherwise, you will find yourself bouncing off the walls (quite literally). Avoid shaving and cover any small cuts or scrapes. With over 1000 lbs. of Epsom salt in each float tank, any abrasion to the skin will sting at first. This only lasts a few minutes, but will help you to be much more comfortable when you get in. Be hydrated, but don't drink too much! Although you can get out at any time to use the restroom, you don't want to have to! Go work out! Epsom salt is known for its anti-inflammatory properties as well as moving lactic acid out of sore muscles. You can optimize the benefits of your float with a good work out right beforehand! Don't rush in. Create some time before and after your float to ensure that you're not rushing to relax. We have wonderful tea and great books to read in our lounge, you're welcome to come early and stay late. During your float: Keep a towel handy and avoid touching your face. Be Prepared! You want to be very careful not to get salt in your eyes, but it happens to the best of us. We recommend keeping your wash cloth next to the eye rinse spray bottle in case you do get salt in your eyes, everything you need is handy. Breath. You can start this before you even arrive! Tuning into your breath is a powerful tool to help you be more present and help calm your nervous system. Any deep breathing exercise is great, but if you don't already know one, we recommend slowly counting backwards from 100 with a BIG breath in between each count. Bet you don't make it far before finding yourself in a deeply relaxed state! Let go! Let go of any expectations about your experience. Everyone floats for different reasons, but the float tank will give you what you need. Falling asleep in a tank is not a wasted float! Once you think you've let go, let go a little more. After your float: Don't rush out. A lot of people don't realize how relaxed they are when they first jump out. Recent studies have found that the relaxation response and the full effects of your float can continue setting in up to 30 minutes after your float ends and can last for hours or even days after. So enjoy a cup of tea and relax in the lounge after your float. April Feature Artist Stephen Gleasner is a published writer, veteran woodturner, long distance cyclist and self proclaimed mad-man with over 25 years of experience in all four. Currently, he specializes in the carved and dyed wall pieces he calls “Plyscapes” and turned vessels that explore the patterning possibilities of Baltic Birch plywood. This material is imported from Finland and used in aeronautical applications. Its veneers are all “clear”, meaning free from knots and imperfections that may weaken the wood, and very thin. He uses a lathe for his vessels, and carves with hand tools to create the highly unusual, stunning plyscapes. He applies German dyes to the work when the actual constructing is done. This is a risky process that can quickly go wrong. No one else in the world – as far as we can find – has ever attempted this technique. Stephen considers his “tools” artistic implements as opposed to utilitarian items in his work – like paintbrushes to a painter.  Stephen considers his lathe much less a power tool and much more an artistic implement in his work. He literally sculpts into the wood until something resembling a horizon or landscape emerges. This may or may not happen, and whether a finished piece will result in the effort depends on the luck of the take. Typically there is about a 1/8″ relief in the carving, which is far greater than the thickness of the individual layers of wood that are laminated together. He then uses German dyes, as opposed to stain or paint, to create the color. He very carefully applies and removes the color until he achieves the desired result, sometimes mixing cocktails of several colors. This is a scary process that can make or break the piece. Finally, when all of the stars are aligned and a work of art has been completed, he makes his frames with traditional furniture making skills – by hand- to match. Each piece is entirely unique. Stephen Gleasner is now a full time Maine artist and writer. He has been a faculty member of the acclaimed Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockland, Maine since 2004. He has been featured in many publications nationally, including the renowned Robb Report and Luxury Home Magazines, and a full segment on the television program Made in Maine.  “There are layers in life. There are layers in plywood. Cutting through the layers in just the right way, results in a life worth living, or a piece of artwork worth owning.”
Works of art are available for purchase by contacting Stephen at 2motors@midcoast.com If you're interested in having your art featured in our float center, feel free to contact us! frontdesk@floatharder.com |
