Today was the opening reception for the 4th annual Joy of Art juried show at the Topsham Public Library's Crooker Gallery, and I'm very happy to say that the turnout was quite good; plus, the live music by Bill and Kate Gray was great! I have two paintings in this show ("This Is The Year" and "Kat's Magical Snapdragon"), and Mandy Russell, a fellow member of Brunswick Art Collaborative (www.mandyrussell.com), has two mixed media pieces on display. Peggy Kapisovsky, also from Brunswick Art Collaborative, stopped by the opening reception to show her support, which is always appreciated! We had a lot of fun chatting and taking in all the different work. The only bummer for me was the fact that there are two typos in the program on my page. They left off the "y" in "Usery", and the price for "Kat's Magical Snapdragon" is listed as $400 instead of $450. Oh well...
Awards were presented by the jurors, but there is still a People's Choice category that hasn't been decided yet...so if you feel compelled to stop by and put my name in the ballot box, please do! The show runs through February 18th, but the People's Choice votes will be tallied up several days before the show's end (there will be a closing reception on the 18th). Here is a link to the Topsham Public Library website: www.topshamlibrary.org.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
space...the final frontier
I got a call the other day from my boss, Walter. When I saw his information on the caller ID, I figured it would be a work-related phone call. Not so. He said, "Hey, did you know that Space Gallery is having an unjuried show?" I grabbed a pencil and started taking down notes. "I saw it on Portland Buzz. The time period for entries is still going on, so I bet you could get in." I hung up and immediately ran over to the computer. Yes, he was right: an unjuried show at Space, and the deadline hadn't passed yet! The show is called Free For All, and it's an experimental show. They're opening it up to any and every artist who brings work by during the specific time periods they've set aside. Anyone who submits a piece to this show is in. How cool is that? So, today I dropped off "Believe". It's 12" x 36", so I hope they have an easy time finding a place to hang it. I know I won't be able to attend the opening reception (since that will correspond with the next First Friday Art Walk), but the show runs from Wednesday, January 25th through Friday, March 2nd, so that gives me more than enough time to stop by during their regular business hours. I'm really curious to see what kind of entries they get (and how they decide to hang everything)! If you're curious, here's a link to their website: www.space538.org
Sunday, January 8, 2012
happy new year, happy anniversary!
Well, this month's First Friday Art Walk was a lot busier than I thought it would be! It was the one-year anniversary of my rotating solo shows at the Closet Factory office/showroom, and it was a wonderful night. The traffic flow was heavier than last month's, which was a real surprise, and the people who did make it out were really engaged and paying attention to the artwork I had hanging. My dear friend Jennifer Moscone of Interactive Tarot (www.interactivetarot.net) even had a client come all the way from Bath just to get a reading! Several friends made it out (thank you Erica, Rebecca, and Jen C.), which is always nice, and many of the people who stopped by have become regulars or semi-regulars. I know it's not easy for people to come out when it's cold, so I'm very appreciative when it happens.
I got some wonderful feedback from Art Walkers, too. One little girl (who, with her parents, has become a regular) looked at a new collage and exclaimed, "Forty dollars? That's it? That's a really good price! If I made that, I'd charge five hundred dollars for it!" My favorite quote of the night may have been from Celine, though (by the way, I went to high school with Celine on Long Island and now we both live in Maine...how weird is that?). She walked in and said, "I came tonight because I needed to see COLOR!"
I got some wonderful feedback from Art Walkers, too. One little girl (who, with her parents, has become a regular) looked at a new collage and exclaimed, "Forty dollars? That's it? That's a really good price! If I made that, I'd charge five hundred dollars for it!" My favorite quote of the night may have been from Celine, though (by the way, I went to high school with Celine on Long Island and now we both live in Maine...how weird is that?). She walked in and said, "I came tonight because I needed to see COLOR!"
Saturday, December 31, 2011
it was a very good year
What a year 2011 was! When I look back on everything that's happened this year, I'm struck by how busy things were. Where do I start? Well, January marked my very first First Friday Art Walk solo show at the Closet Factory office/showroom on Congress Street. This was a trend that continued all year long, and I'm pleased to say that I didn't miss a single one (not even when we had that freak snowstorm on April Fool's Day). Hopefully next year will even better!
Speaking of shows, I was in a fair amount of interesting ones, including solo shows at Biddeford Savings Bank in Scarborough and Scarlet Begonia's in Brunswick, a group show at Thornton Oaks, and another appearance at the Gorham Art Fair. It was my second time running a collage workshop for kids at the Family Arts Festival (with help from Patricia Boissevain this year) and my first time participating in a benefit for The Gathering Place, a new day shelter in town.
Of course, the 10x10 Brunswick was a major event for me. My "Lemon" painting came in third place in the publicity contest, and as a result, I ended up on the radio as one of six artists promoting the show. Plus, an image of my painting ended up in the Portland Press Herald! At the end of the year, my "That Heavenly Coffee" painting was one of seven images used on the poster for the Downtown Moves Up show as well, so I think it would be fair to say that it was a good year for getting my work out in front of people.
Personally, I had a wonderful year. I was fortunate enough to share these and many other events with my wonderful friends and family members, and I was able to make connections with many new people through my art. I want to thank everyone for all the support, and I hope 2012 is filled with blessings of love, peace, joy, creativity, and prosperity for all of us! See you next year.
Speaking of shows, I was in a fair amount of interesting ones, including solo shows at Biddeford Savings Bank in Scarborough and Scarlet Begonia's in Brunswick, a group show at Thornton Oaks, and another appearance at the Gorham Art Fair. It was my second time running a collage workshop for kids at the Family Arts Festival (with help from Patricia Boissevain this year) and my first time participating in a benefit for The Gathering Place, a new day shelter in town.
Of course, the 10x10 Brunswick was a major event for me. My "Lemon" painting came in third place in the publicity contest, and as a result, I ended up on the radio as one of six artists promoting the show. Plus, an image of my painting ended up in the Portland Press Herald! At the end of the year, my "That Heavenly Coffee" painting was one of seven images used on the poster for the Downtown Moves Up show as well, so I think it would be fair to say that it was a good year for getting my work out in front of people.
Personally, I had a wonderful year. I was fortunate enough to share these and many other events with my wonderful friends and family members, and I was able to make connections with many new people through my art. I want to thank everyone for all the support, and I hope 2012 is filled with blessings of love, peace, joy, creativity, and prosperity for all of us! See you next year.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
year-end collaboration
The last meeting of the year for the Brunswick Art Collaborative was on Tuesday, and what a meeting it was! We had the biggest group we've had in quite a while, and it was a wide assortment of regulars, semi-regulars, and brand-new members. Normally I just work on my own stuff during these meetings, but this time I participated in the ornament-making project that was being taught by Amanda. I was having a hard time folding my paper properly, but Amanda was very patient and walked me through the process. I now have a Phish-themed ornament for my tree (I used a page from an old calendar for the images), although I have a feeling it's going to end up in my studio so I can enjoy it all year round! I started a new collage afterwards, so I feel good about that as well. January's First Friday will be here before you know it, so the more new work I can have ready, the better!
Anyone who is local and curious about the Brunswick Art Collaborative, please stop by sometime! We meet in the art room at Thornton Oaks in Brunswick (it's in the main building) on the second Tuesday of the month, 6 pm to 8 pm. We are a very laid-back group and all are welcome!
Anyone who is local and curious about the Brunswick Art Collaborative, please stop by sometime! We meet in the art room at Thornton Oaks in Brunswick (it's in the main building) on the second Tuesday of the month, 6 pm to 8 pm. We are a very laid-back group and all are welcome!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
whirlwind weekend
What a busy weekend! Things were fairly non-stop for me, as I'm sure it was for many artists. Portland's First Friday Art Walk kicked things off, and then Saturday and Sunday I was at the Downtown Moves Up show in Brunswick. Unfortunately I couldn't be in two places at once, so I missed the Friday night installment of Downtown Moves Up (and the free gelato that went with it), but that's okay! I sold pieces at both events, and I was very happy to see many familiar, smiling faces throughout the course of the weekend. This is always a crazy time of year, so it was great to be able to spend a little time with friends...thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello.
Jennifer of Interactive Tarot was offering readings at First Friday, as usual, and one lucky woman in particular who hadn't been able to get a reading previously was able to take advantage of the fantastic discount. To say this woman was excited is a bit of an understatement! It's always fun to see people emerge from the space where Jen does her readings.
I should take a minute to say thank you once again to Lee Cheever of Five Rivers Arts Alliance. Lee once again helped me to transport my hanging racks from the Five Rivers office to the Lincoln Building and back. This isn't a long distance as the crow flies, but there are lots of stairs involved in each building, so it's not exactly easy to do. She also let me borrow a rack from Five Rivers once again (I used it during last year's Arts Downtown and All Around show), and she helped me to set things up and break things down. Lee, you are my hero!
Jennifer of Interactive Tarot was offering readings at First Friday, as usual, and one lucky woman in particular who hadn't been able to get a reading previously was able to take advantage of the fantastic discount. To say this woman was excited is a bit of an understatement! It's always fun to see people emerge from the space where Jen does her readings.
I should take a minute to say thank you once again to Lee Cheever of Five Rivers Arts Alliance. Lee once again helped me to transport my hanging racks from the Five Rivers office to the Lincoln Building and back. This isn't a long distance as the crow flies, but there are lots of stairs involved in each building, so it's not exactly easy to do. She also let me borrow a rack from Five Rivers once again (I used it during last year's Arts Downtown and All Around show), and she helped me to set things up and break things down. Lee, you are my hero!
Friday, November 18, 2011
movin' on up
I was disappointed to find out a few weeks ago that the Arts Downtown and All Around event would not be happening this year; however, I was very pleased when I found out shortly afterwards that a group of artists were getting together to organize an alternative group show for the same weekend ADAA would normally take place (which is the first weekend in December). This new show is called Downtown Moves Up, and it will be right smack in the middle of Maine Street in Brunswick (#98 Maine Street, right between Nest and The UPS Store, to be specific). There will be at least twenty different artists participating, and it looks like it will be a fun, diverse group.
I ran into Lee Cheever of Five Rivers Arts Alliance at the grocery store today and we got to talking about the show. I told her I had gotten an email earlier in the day saying the posters were in, but I couldn't find any when I went to pick them up (I'm sure I was looking in the wrong place). She said, "Oh, I have a stack in my car! Would you like some?" Of course, I said yes, and we agreed to meet by the entrance when we were both finished with our shopping. We checked out at the same time and walked over to her car...and lo and behold, one of the seven images used on the poster was my painting, "That Heavenly Coffee"! I was so excited to see that one of my pieces had been chosen, and I was very happy about how great the poster looked. Whoever designed it did an excellent job: the fonts look good, it's well-composed, and it's very eye-catching. I set aside a big one for myself and two small cards (one for my mom, one for my dear friend Julia), and then proceeded to bring the rest to various shops and businesses in town. I will need to pick up more at some point because I managed to get rid of them all in a pretty short amount of time!
I ran into Lee Cheever of Five Rivers Arts Alliance at the grocery store today and we got to talking about the show. I told her I had gotten an email earlier in the day saying the posters were in, but I couldn't find any when I went to pick them up (I'm sure I was looking in the wrong place). She said, "Oh, I have a stack in my car! Would you like some?" Of course, I said yes, and we agreed to meet by the entrance when we were both finished with our shopping. We checked out at the same time and walked over to her car...and lo and behold, one of the seven images used on the poster was my painting, "That Heavenly Coffee"! I was so excited to see that one of my pieces had been chosen, and I was very happy about how great the poster looked. Whoever designed it did an excellent job: the fonts look good, it's well-composed, and it's very eye-catching. I set aside a big one for myself and two small cards (one for my mom, one for my dear friend Julia), and then proceeded to bring the rest to various shops and businesses in town. I will need to pick up more at some point because I managed to get rid of them all in a pretty short amount of time!
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