Thursday, October 28, 2010
busy, busy, busy
Things are getting very busy around here. I will have artwork on display in three different places next week! First, I have my solo show at Blue in Portland (which runs for the month of November); I will be hanging my work on Tuesday, November 2nd and the opening is on Friday, November 5th. Second, the Gorham Art Fair is on Saturday, November 6th, and I will be hanging that show right before I go to my opening at Blue on Friday evening. Third, I recently found out that one of my collectors has donated my "Buddha" painting to an upcoming auction: The Siddhartha School's 15th Annual Celebration takes place on Saturday, November 6th, from 5 pm to 8 pm at Frontier Gallery and Cafe in Brunswick. In addition to the silent auction, there will be food and live music; tickets are $10 and reservations are recommended. Please check the show listings page on my website (www.brushstrokesbymaria.com) for more information on these events. It's going to be a crazy week, that's for sure, but I am looking forward to it!
Friday, October 15, 2010
odds and ends
I feel like a lot of little things have been happening lately, so I will try to hit everything here!
First of all, I finally wrote and emailed in my statement for my upcoming solo show at Blue in Portland (I will have my paintings there for the month of November). I had to give the show a title; thankfully I told Heather about this struggle, and she immediately said "Spreading Light." It popped out of her so quickly and naturally, I figured it must be the right title! My next task was to write the statement itself. The email Terez from Blue sent me said the statement had to be 350 characters or less. This didn't immediately register with me (when I originally glanced at the email I thought it was 350 words or less) but thankfully I realized my error before getting too far into the process. It was a lot more difficult than you'd think to whittle a show statement down to 350 characters, not to mention how strange it was to sit and count each and every letter, space, and punctuation mark! I think I know which pieces I'll have on display at Blue, but I'm not positive. I guess I'll know for sure on November 2 (that's the day I'll be hanging everything)! I have to thank Anna Low for letting me know what her show at Blue was like (and for the suggestion to use mostly larger pieces)...it helps to have a little guidance sometimes!
I've already sent my check in to reserve my booth at the Gorham Art Fair (which will be on Saturday, November 6th, the day after my show at Blue opens). In fact, I sent it in quickly enough to qualify for the "early bird" discount. I am excited about participating again, and I am really hoping my friend Jen Moscone will be a part of this year's event, giving on-the-spot Tarot readings and selling gift certificates to those looking for a unique holiday present (http://www.interactivetarot.net/). Last year's turnout was better than the previous year's turnout, so I'm hoping that trend will continue this time around.
The Brunswick Art Collaborative met again this past Tuesday, and even though it was a small group, it was a fun evening. Two different people brought friends along, and it's always nice to have new faces around the table. I was working on three different collages that night: one that needed to be fixed, one that needed a "finishing touch", and another one that really started coming together. I feel good about the progress I made, and I am happy to report that the glue I picked up at JoAnn's (Beacon 527) seems to work really well. At first it didn't appear to be strong enough for what I was doing (the heavy rock I was trying to glue down kept sliding around), but later on that evening it bonded nicely. That was a relief because if that particular glue didn't work, I didn't know what would. Whew! I'm trying to get some more new collages ready to go for the Gorham Art Fair next month (and for the Arts Downtown and All Around festival in December)...hopefully things will keep moving in the right direction!
First of all, I finally wrote and emailed in my statement for my upcoming solo show at Blue in Portland (I will have my paintings there for the month of November). I had to give the show a title; thankfully I told Heather about this struggle, and she immediately said "Spreading Light." It popped out of her so quickly and naturally, I figured it must be the right title! My next task was to write the statement itself. The email Terez from Blue sent me said the statement had to be 350 characters or less. This didn't immediately register with me (when I originally glanced at the email I thought it was 350 words or less) but thankfully I realized my error before getting too far into the process. It was a lot more difficult than you'd think to whittle a show statement down to 350 characters, not to mention how strange it was to sit and count each and every letter, space, and punctuation mark! I think I know which pieces I'll have on display at Blue, but I'm not positive. I guess I'll know for sure on November 2 (that's the day I'll be hanging everything)! I have to thank Anna Low for letting me know what her show at Blue was like (and for the suggestion to use mostly larger pieces)...it helps to have a little guidance sometimes!
I've already sent my check in to reserve my booth at the Gorham Art Fair (which will be on Saturday, November 6th, the day after my show at Blue opens). In fact, I sent it in quickly enough to qualify for the "early bird" discount. I am excited about participating again, and I am really hoping my friend Jen Moscone will be a part of this year's event, giving on-the-spot Tarot readings and selling gift certificates to those looking for a unique holiday present (http://www.interactivetarot.net/). Last year's turnout was better than the previous year's turnout, so I'm hoping that trend will continue this time around.
The Brunswick Art Collaborative met again this past Tuesday, and even though it was a small group, it was a fun evening. Two different people brought friends along, and it's always nice to have new faces around the table. I was working on three different collages that night: one that needed to be fixed, one that needed a "finishing touch", and another one that really started coming together. I feel good about the progress I made, and I am happy to report that the glue I picked up at JoAnn's (Beacon 527) seems to work really well. At first it didn't appear to be strong enough for what I was doing (the heavy rock I was trying to glue down kept sliding around), but later on that evening it bonded nicely. That was a relief because if that particular glue didn't work, I didn't know what would. Whew! I'm trying to get some more new collages ready to go for the Gorham Art Fair next month (and for the Arts Downtown and All Around festival in December)...hopefully things will keep moving in the right direction!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
10x10 recap
I participated in this year's 10x10 Brunswick show, and I'm really glad to have been a part of it. The one-day show (a benefit for Arts Are Elementary) featured some very diverse work by 125 local artists, and the food at the opening was provided by 25 different Brunswick restaurants and caterers. I was fortunate enough to be standing in the exact right spot when someone brought over a giant plate of guacamole and a basket of fresh chips from my favorite, El Camino...YUM!!! The show was in two neighboring buildings (Curtis Memorial Library and St. Paul's) and the path between them was illuminated by little paper lanterns; volunteers with giant umbrellas escorted people back and forth through the rain. It was a beautiful evening and the rain only added to the atmosphere. Thankfully, it didn't seem to keep people away from the show.
I ran into my friend Trish and her boyfriend Damian, as well as Emily who was volunteering as a greeter. I also spoke with Lee from Five Rivers, who told me that when her husband saw my paintings, he said that it looked like "the work of the woman who was at Pecha Kucha". It's great to know that someone who doesn't know me was able to recognize my artwork! Bonnie, a 10x10 committee member, told me that one of my pieces had been in serious consideration for the poster advertising the event, so that was nice to hear as well.
I have to say, I was extremely impressed by how well-organized the 10x10 show was, from start to finish. The emails were informative, the drop off and the pick up ran smoothly, and the event was very well- advertised. I hope to be involved next year!
I ran into my friend Trish and her boyfriend Damian, as well as Emily who was volunteering as a greeter. I also spoke with Lee from Five Rivers, who told me that when her husband saw my paintings, he said that it looked like "the work of the woman who was at Pecha Kucha". It's great to know that someone who doesn't know me was able to recognize my artwork! Bonnie, a 10x10 committee member, told me that one of my pieces had been in serious consideration for the poster advertising the event, so that was nice to hear as well.
I have to say, I was extremely impressed by how well-organized the 10x10 show was, from start to finish. The emails were informative, the drop off and the pick up ran smoothly, and the event was very well- advertised. I hope to be involved next year!
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