second friday art walk

I went to the Second Friday Art Walk in Brunswick last night, and I'm glad I did. I always come away from the Art Walk very inspired and full of hope. It's pretty cool that I live in a town where there is an Art Walk, and where so many different types of art and artists are represented. My favorite show of the ones I made it to had to be Emily Weir's exhibit of self-portrait photography from the last twenty years (her studio is above Estilo on Pleasant Street). Her work is personal, raw, and strong, and she is more than willing to make herself vulnerable for her art. Most people try to hide parts of themselves or their lives, but Emily does not and as a result her work is extremely powerful.

On a related note, can anyone tell me how the hell to get around inside Fort Andross? I know how to get to Jai Yoga and Frontier Gallery but that's about it. I kept getting lost while looking for different studios. A stranger was kind enough to lead me to the Art, Mind and Soul studio (where Patricia Boissevain has a space) but then he left and I was lost again. I kept trying but ended up going in circles and hitting dead ends. I had an Art Walk map but it didn't help. After wandering around for a while I finally had to admit defeat: you win this time, Fort Andross, but I'll be back.

brunswick arts collaborative

I belong to an informal group called the Brunswick Arts Collaborative (or "Brunswick Art Collaborative"...I'm not sure which is correct. I told you it was informal.) and I have to say it is a real blast. I love this group. We are a bunch of women (men are welcome, but none have joined us yet) who get together twice a month to talk, laugh, and create art. We are young, old and in between; we are professional, semi-professional and fledgling artists; we teach each other, learn from each other and goof off with each other. We support one another by going to each other's shows and sharing our supplies and ideas. There is no competition, only encouragement...and people who never considered themselves to be "artists" are finding that previously unknown part inside of them. I have gotten so inspired by this group and it's really fascinating to me what kind of work I have produced since joining. I have been exploring collage lately and that is a direct result of my being involved with the Brunswick Arts Collaborative. It's nice to do something a little different and to push my own boundaries a bit...and it's a lot of fun.

stop/start

I've been working on a couple of paintings lately that seem to have stalled, so I decided to begin working on a brand new piece. This is a relatively new thing for me, something I just started doing a couple of years ago. In the past I would start a painting and if I hit a brick wall, I'd just leave it alone for a while...but I wouldn't immediately start or work on anything else. This process proved to be extremely unproductive for me. More often than not the painting would remain stuck and eventually get classified as "perpetually unfinished", and I would fall into a funk because I felt bad about not doing anything for long stretches of time. When I get stuck now, I just start something new...and that always feels exciting and fresh to me. The working break seems to help the overall fate of the "stuck" painting, because I'm able to look at it with fresh eyes and I'm usually able to approach it in a different way. If that doesn't work, I can bring it to the Art Guru! Jeremy always gives great advice.

calm out of chaos

I have been doing a lot of painting lately...house painting, that is. Terry and I are painting the inside of our house and we have a fast-approaching deadline of August 7th...that's when our company arrives, my dear friends from high school. I know they don't care what the house looks like, but I care and I want it to look good (not just for them, but for us as well). Anyway, the other day I started painting the kitchen and I found myself in a bit of a frenzy. My mind was racing: Will we ever get it done in time? Why am I not faster at this? Why doesn't it look perfect? I was starting to panic and I could feel myself starting to unravel. I was afraid to stop for the day, but Terry convinced me that pacing myself was crucial, so I stopped.

I went upstairs to do my daily "paint-every-day-that-I'm-home" discipline, but I didn't feel like working on any of the pieces I currently have going. I grabbed a piece of primed paper, picked up a brush and just went for it, with no plan or preconceived notion. I expected that whatever would come out of me at that moment would be high-energy and jumbled. What did come out had a very gentle, peaceful flow, with lots of curves and softness. It resembles an abstract female form with her arms raised overhead in a joyful, receptive posture...and it made me feel better instantly.

a different sort of artist

I haven't been keeping up with my once-a-week-blog goal lately, but it's for a good reason. My father, Frank X. Castellano, passed away on July 2nd (about 6 weeks shy of what would have been his 88th birthday). Since then, my mind has been flooded with memories of my dad...some have made me cry, all have made me smile. He was a great storyteller and he always made his captive audiences laugh. One of the things he would love to say to me was, "You know, I'm an artist too." Then he would lean in conspiratorially, grin, and whisper, "A bullsh*t artist!" We would both have a good laugh and then move on to the next story. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I have to respectfully disagree. My dad was not a bullsh*t artist. Rather, my dad was an artist of life. He approached life with joy, faith, and optimism...not in a Pollyanna way, but in a very matter-of-fact manner. He was kind, generous, brave, honest, loving, funny, compassionate, and supportive. He touched so many people while he was here with his sense of humor, his good advice, and his giving spirit...he even saved a few lives as well. He made the world a better place and I will always be grateful for him. I miss you, Dad. I'm proud of you, and I love you so much. You were a true artist...no bullsh*t.

another show!

I am happy to say that I am in another group show! This one is at the Community Wellness Center in Farmingdale, ME...and once again, I need to thank my website designer, Erika (of Tenacious Designs). She forwarded a link to my site (www.brushstrokesbymaria.com) along to Lia Angelini (the owner of the Community Wellness Center); Lia liked my work and asked me to take part in their latest show, entitled "Beloved". I really like the idea of having my paintings displayed in a place that's all about good energy. The opening is this Friday (June 26th) from 6 pm to 8 pm, and the show runs for about 3 months...that's good because I just found out about it the other day. Once again, better late than never!

better late than never

Okay, so it's been a while...a long while. Stuff has been happening, I just haven't gotten around to blogging about it. That all changes now! Thank you to Erika Hoxie, my website designer, for giving me a much-needed kick in the pants (figuratively, of course). I will try my best to be more disciplined about keeping up with blogging. I may not be on here every day, but a few times a month would be a major improvement.

Right now, I am in a show at Freeport Square in Freeport, ME. It is a group show for members of Freeport Creative Arts (which I just joined), juried by Bruce Brown. I am really excited to be a part of this show, and equally bummed that I was out of town for the opening reception...something I have never done before. This was a last-minute show for me and the plans to visit with family out of state had already been made, so something had to give. At any rate, I want to thank Kathleen and Sebastian at Freeport Square for encouraging me to join FCA and therefore be eligible to take part in this wonderful group show. The gallery is absolutely beautiful: large windows, great light, and a wide open floor plan. Plus, it's right down the street from LL Bean, so you can't beat the location. This is my second group show at Freeport Square, the first being a UMVA (Union of Maine Visual Artists) group show that opened on Memorial Day weekend. That show was excellent as well--very diverse work by over 20 artists. I am hoping that I will have opportunities in the future to show there again. Fingers crossed!