july recap

I know, I know...this post is WAY overdue. It's not that I haven't been thinking about writing it, mind you...but you know how it is. Oh well, enough feeling bad about it...time to start writing!

Well, July's Second Friday Art Walk was, in a word, fan-freaking-tastic! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, which was really nice since the art walks in May and June had both been rather rainy. The turnout was excellent and it seemed like people were really happy to be out and about and enjoying all the wonderful art that Brunswick has to offer. The vibe at St. Paul's was fun and festive. The room was packed full of pop-up artists (the most we've had there so far this season), plus we were treated to the glorious musical stylings of GoldenOak! If you don't know GoldenOak, you should. Do yourself a favor and catch them while you can. Here is a link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GoldenOakband

GoldenOak performs! 

Thanks to the lovely and talented Cat Schwenk, I have a brand-new (and very fancy) magnet display! Cat's husband Jim had made this display for her a while back, but she wasn't using it anymore...I am thankful she thought of me instead of just tossing it out! It is made of wood, and it has fold-out legs in the back. The center is metal, and there are two nails on either side, which are perfect spots for displaying small mixed media pieces! 

This makes me feel fancy. 

Not only did I sell five magnets that night, but I also sold "That Heavenly Coffee"! "That Heavenly Coffee" was purchased by none other than Michael Gorzka, the digital librarian at Curtis Memorial Library, and the gentleman behind Curtis Creative Spaces. This makes me happy, because I know "That Heavenly Coffee" has found a very good home where it will be appreciated! Thank you, Michael, for your support! 

Spread your wings and fly.

Speaking of saying "thank you" to the folks at Curtis Memorial Library, I made the paper! I got an email a couple of weeks ago from Diana von Hallett, who said she was writing an article about Curtis Creative Spaces. I answered a few questions, I sent her some images of my work, and never thought to ask her where or when the article would be coming out...until this past Friday night, when I got a very excited tweet from Keith Spiro: "Wow every time I turn around in #midcoast #Maine, it's @ArtByMariaCU artwork everywhere CONGRATS". How cool is that?! Terry and I were both feeling unmotivated to cook dinner that night, and we had already decided to go out to Scarlet Begonias when the tweet came in, so our "we're feeling lazy" dinner ended up being a celebration. When I found out the article was in The Coastal Journal, I knew I could grab a copy right at Scarlet Begonias...so the whole evening felt very "meant-to-be." Click the link and go to page 21 of the July 24th edition! In case you were wondering, dinner was delicious, as always!

Yay!

have you seen this poster?

Did I mention that I have the Second Friday Art Walk poster this month? Here are some shots of it hanging around Brunswick!

In the window of Asian Garden...

...and in the window of Morning Glory Natural Foods

...and on the front door of The Gallery At 11 Pleasant

...and on the side of the freezer at The Gelato Fiasco

...and in the lobby of Flatbread in Portland!

stick around for joy

I know, I know...I haven't blogged in a while! June's Second Friday Art Walk (which landed on Friday the 13th, on a full moon, and with Mercury Retrograde in full swing) was pretty slow. Torrential rains kept most people indoors, so I am extra-grateful for everyone who did show up! My dear friend Heather stopped by St. Paul's to say hello, and she and Terry braved the rain to stroll up to The Gallery At 11 Pleasant. They were just in time to overhear a stranger say something nice about my art (I believe the quote was, "Her work exudes joy!"). I also had a visit from Emily and her little girl, Maya, and that was a major highlight of my evening. Maya is around four years old, and let me tell you, she is a fabulous audience to have looking at and appreciating your artwork! She was jumping up and down with excitement in front of several pieces, pointing at her favorites and images she recognized ("Kitty! Owl! Cake!"). She even gave me an idea for a new tiny painting! Before they left, she gave me an enormous hug, and I was really touched by her genuine enthusiasm: it made the slow night much easier to get through. I did manage to sell a magnet, though, so even though things were fairly dead, crowd-wise, my magnet-selling streak is still alive and well!

Here's my June pop-up display! 

Speaking of magnets, I was able to pay a visit to She Doesn't Like Guthrie's in Lewiston today! I brought along a bigger cookie sheet, which allowed me to add "Kuroda Lights" and "Polar Bear, Bowdoin College" to the rotation. The staff there is always so wonderful, and I am so grateful to have my work in such a cool spot. I treated myself to a delicious iced chai, and left with a Guthrie's bumper sticker proudly displayed on my car! In case you were wondering, here's a picture of my bigger, better, and fully restocked magnet display...better yet, pay Guthrie's a visit and see it in person! 

Sometimes bigger IS better!