hanging and healing

I have three of my paintings in a Five Rivers Arts Alliance group show at Coastal Orthopedics in Brunswick! The show went up on Friday afternoon, and it looks really beautiful. The title of the show is "Autumn Splendor," which nearly scared me off from even applying. I thought, "Well, I don't have any work that would fall under that category," and I said as much to Sheila over at the Five Rivers office. She insisted that my colorful paintings were exactly what Coastal Orthopedics was looking for, and I'm glad I listened to her!

The show itself is fun and eclectic. There is work on display by Bill Tomsa, Catherine Worthington, Angie Blevins, Karl Salia, Ed McCartan, and ArtVan students. Plus, Coastal Orthopedics is a beautiful facility, and the people working there seem friendly and excited to have local art on display. I love the idea of having my artwork in a venue where healing is taking place! 

i had one of those flashes i'd been there before...

I hung a solo show of my paintings at Scarlet Begonias in Brunswick yesterday! 

The show will be up through the end of November. I am really happy with how it looks, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to show my work there once again. My previous show at Scarlet Begonias was during the summer of 2011: my work was there for two months, but I changed the show from one month to the next. This time, I'm going to keep the same work up for the full two months. 

If you haven't had a chance to eat there, you should make the trip. Scarlet Begonias is such a great little Brunswick institution! The food is great, the prices are reasonable, the staff is nice, and they are very supportive of local art and local artists. Plus, they always play good music! They had a George Harrison playlist going while I was there yesterday, which made me very happy. I also met a very nice couple there who recognized my work from my show at Cafe Creme, so that put a bit of a spring in my step as well! 

Here's a link to their website: www.scarletbegoniasmaine.com

Here's a link to their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Scarlet-Begonias/113703365320514

10x10 recap

Well, another 10x10 has come and gone, and once again, it was a fantastic night! Both St. Paul's and the Morrell Meeting Room at Curtis Memorial Library were packed with artists and art-lovers, and people were in a buying mood (artists with last names beginning with the letters A through M were at St. Paul's; L through Z artists were at the library). 104 pieces were sold, making it a successful night for Arts Are Elementary and many participating artists alike!

Doors to both venues opened at 5 pm. Terry and I arrived at St. Paul's at approximately 5:02. "Weathervane, Bowdoin College" was already gone! I was hoping to get a photo of me with both of my paintings, but that's okay- a sale is a good thing! Besides, they did something new this year, which I think is a fantastic idea: they printed out copies of all of the pieces on display, and hung copies behind each piece. In the past, whenever art was sold, a blank wall space would be left behind; this time, you were still able to see what the work looked like even if it was gone!

Anyway, right after I walked in and saw that my painting was gone, I ran into Mary Becker Weiss, who is an artist and, among other things, the official photographer for the 10x10 event. Mary told me that Linda, the woman who bought "Weathervane, Bowdoin College", was still there (she was in the process of finalizing the transaction) and she was hoping to meet me. Mary also mentioned that she had told Linda that I was just like my paintings: bright, happy, and radiating positive energy! Well, I'm not sure I can think of a nicer compliment to get as an artist, and I am happy to report that Linda ended up echoing Mary's statement! Linda and I had a lovely chat and I gave her a hug as soon as we were introduced. Mary captured the moment beautifully...in fact, I believe she's calling this photo "Magic Moment":

PHOTO CREDIT: MARY BECKER WEISS

Linda said she bought "Weathervane, Bowdoin College" as a wedding gift for her nephew and his new bride, who are both Bowdoin graduates. How fantastic to have my painting be a part of their new life together! 

Well, this was just the greatest way for my night to begin, and it ended up being a really fun evening. I chatted with a bunch of different artists, and although it can be tough to have a long conversation with anyone at an event like this, I feel like I was able to have some really nice moments with several different people. One artist who is a Facebook friend told me she really enjoys my posts, and another artist told me she wore a dress to the 10x10 because she knew I'd be dressed up! Her exact quote: "You caused me to elevate my game!" Everyone was so nice to me, it's a wonder I don't have a swelled head!

perfect 10

Since the 10x10 is this Friday, I figured I would make a list of ten reasons why you should attend this show and buy some art! (www.10x10brunswick.org)

10. Art is good for the soul.

9. The art is a STEAL! All pieces are $200; $100 goes to the artist, $100 goes to Arts Are Elementary.

8. You can feel good about supporting a wonderful charity AND a local artist at the same time.

7. It's proven that art can improve children's hand-eye coordination, creativity, concentration, and self-expression.

6. There's a lot of diverse work in one place (over 270 pieces by over 150 artists).

5. 10x10 art will fit easily into any space in need of beauty. Have a big space? Buy a few pieces!

4. The 10x10 is a fun Brunswick event that people look forward to every year. Be a part of it!

3. Did I mention how fantastic the food is?

2. Friday's forecast is clear, so if you're planning on waiting outside to get in as soon as the doors open, you won't need an umbrella!

1. It's a great way to meet local artists, including Robin Brooks, Catherine Worthington, Lucy Cooney, Hati Modr, Sarah Brayman, Jane-Page Conway, Caren-Marie Michel, Debbie Casterlin, Anna Low, Mary Becker Weiss, Peggy Kapisovsky, Bonnie Gilman, Connie Lundquist, Priscilla Nicholson, and of course...ME!

don't be afraid of ghosts

Well, the Second Friday Art Walk for September has come and gone. Personally, I had a great art walk: I sold seven magnets (one of which is heading to Louisiana!), and there was a pretty good flow of people coming in and out of my room. Unfortunately, it was a rainy night, and many of the artists slated to be at 98 Maine Street just didn't show up, so it felt a bit like a ghost town. Thankfully, live music by Cumberland Crossing and Shanna Underwood kept everyone's spirits up, and those who were there had a good time. I am really hoping that the art lovers who made it out on Friday night will not let the reduced turnout of artists keep them from attending future events!

I know that it can be discouraging for artists when they put a lot of work into a show and people don't attend (or people attend but don't buy anything). Believe me, I have had plenty of shows when the only people who show up are just there for free food and wine; they don't even look at the art. It's hard, but I feel like it is all part of paying your dues. Getting your work and your name out there one way or another is essential, and there is no such thing as instant recognition. Even the Beatles played tons of gigs where no one was paying attention to them. They kept plugging away, and we all know how that worked out!

There is only one more Second Friday Art Walk this season (October 11th), and then we will have Arts Downtown and All Around the first weekend in December. Let's hope everyone will rally and make these events a success for artists and art lovers alike!

hang 10

I spent a little time on Tuesday hanging posters for the Brunswick 10x10, which is coming right up. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: every year, I am impressed by the well-oiled machine that is the Brunswick 10x10. From start to finish, things are organized, efficient, and professional: the drop off/pick up, the website, the advertising, and, of course, the reception. I am hoping to make it to one of the previews this year because I don't want to miss anything! Here is a link to the website: www.10x10brunswick.org . Hope to see you on Friday, September 27th!

counter productive

Well, I was able to make it over to Lewiston this week...here is a picture of my magnet display in its new home on the counter at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's! 

If you've never been to Guthrie's, they have yummy, healthy food, tasty drinks of all kinds, and great music. When you place an order, you stand in front of the register; when there is a line, it runs right along the length of this counter. Things get busy at Guthrie's, so it's not unusual for there to be a line, especially when there's a band performing. When I went there on Thursday morning, Heather gave me some very positive feedback. She said, "The magnets are fun, they're colorful, the display fits perfectly on the counter, and it gives people waiting on line something to look at!" Sounds good to me. By the way, if you're in Lewiston and you're craving an absolutely delicious iced mocha latte, look no further...