big love for shopping small

As I mentioned in my previous post, the holiday art show season is up and running! ADAA kicked things off, and I've got three other shows coming right up: the Brunswick Downtown Association's Small Business Saturday "pop-up" show, the UU Church of Brunswick's Holiday Art & Craft Fair, and the Holiday Open House show! Mark your calendars: the UU show is Saturday, December 6th, 9am-2pm, the Holiday Open House show is Friday, December 12th, 5pm-8pm, and Saturday, December 13th, 10am-2pm, and the BDA Small Business Saturday "pop-up" show is November 29th, 9am-5pm...otherwise known as THIS SATURDAY! Small Business Saturday should be quite the event...just look at the poster!

Supporting small businesses keeps Brunswick COOL. 

Downtown Brunswick is going to be hopping! Check it out: horse and carriage rides, hot chocolate and cookies, Santa and Frosty the Snowman, the annual tree lighting ceremony, sales and promotions at neighborhood shops and restaurants, and LOCAL ART! What more could you want? The "pop up" venue looks like it will be a good one, too: we will be at 90 Maine Street, in the former Agren Appliance building! Not only is this space big, it has great windows, wonderful visibility, and awesome neighbors, including the Gelato Fiasco and Big Top Deli! Take a peek at the list of participating artists...better yet, come and see us in person!  

Thanks to Mike Gorzka for snapping this photo! 

I am excited to be a part of Small Business Saturday, and I hope to see your smiling face on November 29th! Don't forget: shopping small has a BIG impact! Let's face it, Brunswick has a LOT of great independently-owned shops and restaurants. Supporting those shops and restaurants (and artists!) is what keeps Brunswick cool, different, and unlike any other town. Give Brunswick big love by shopping small! 

Shop small for BIG FUN! 

kicking things off!

Arts Downtown and All Around was last weekend, and it was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday art show season! I had a great time...and if you weren't able to make it out to ADAA, don't worry: I have three other shows coming right up! We're in the swing of things now, aren't we? First things first, though...allow me to do a little recapping! 

My heart is filled with gratitude for everyone who made ADAA a wonderful experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you to my fellow artists, to all the show-goers, to those who couldn't make it out but still offered their love and support in other ways, and to the event's very hard-working organizers and volunteers...as the kids are saying, "mad props" to Catherine Worthington, Lily Roy, and Joan Carney in particular. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, this year's ADAA group show was in the former Coleman Burke Gallery space right next to Frontier. This location turned out to be fantastic! The room itself was beautiful, with high ceilings, exposed brick, large windows, and good lighting; plus, the proximity to Frontier got us a lot of traffic that we may not have otherwise had. People started arriving while we were still setting up on Friday afternoon because they were either on their way to or coming from Frontier, and on Friday evening, when diners were waiting for their tables, the Frontier staff encouraged their patrons to make good use of their wait time by checking out the art! Thank you, Frontier peeps, for supporting local artists (and for making awesome food, too)! 

Twinkly lights make everything nicer, don't they? 

Things were busy right from the get-go, and the traffic all weekend was fairly steady. Not only were people in a good mood, but they were in the mood to shop! They were also in the mood to chat...allow me to share some stories that were shared with me!

*A couple bought an "El Camino" magnet and an "Old Fat Boy Sign" magnet to send off to their daughters who are currently living in California, but are homesick for Brunswick.

*A woman told me the magnet she bought was going to be the "pickle present" this year. I told her I didn't know what that was, so she filled me in! Evidently, this is a tradition in Polish families: you hide a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree, and whoever finds the pickle ornament gets the "pickle present"! I've seen pickle ornaments in stores before, but I just figured they were made for people who loved pickles (such as myself)...I didn't know there was a story behind them!

*A woman bought an "Old Fat Boy Sign" magnet as a stocking stuffer for her adult son. She told me that when he was a child, her son would get very upset when anyone in the family would say "Fat Boy," because it wasn't nice to call someone "fat". He insisted they refer to it as "The Restaurant By The Airport." It didn't stop them from eating there, of course! 

*A woman bought a couple of magnets and a mixed media piece from me. We started talking, and it turns out she is a collector of my work! She lives in the Gorham area, so we first crossed paths at the Gorham Art Fair a few years ago. I remembered that one of the pieces she bought from me a while back was called "You Are Eternal," and when I brought that up, she told me something that made the hair on my arms stand up: she gave "You Are Eternal" as a gift to her brother after he had been diagnosed with ALS. "He keeps it in his man-cave," she said, smiling. 

Not only am I grateful for the excellent turnout and for the great sales I made at ADAA, but I feel really good about all the wonderful interactions I had with show-goers and artists alike. It is a privilege to be able to connect with others through my art, and for that, I am thankful...and if you're reading this blog, I am thankful for YOU! 

no office? no problem!

In addition to being an all-around awesome guy, my brother-in-law, Marc, is a patent attorney in Boston. Marc is also a big supporter of my artwork. Here is some photographic evidence:

Case in point!

He recently changed firms, and although Marc is much happier where he is working now, he doesn't have the private office (and therefore, the walls) he used to. Thankfully, that hasn't stopped him from enhancing his work space with my art! Check this out: 

Art transcends the gobbledy-gook of everyday life. 

"Oil And Water" is now suspended between Marc's two computer monitors. Not only is that a super-clever solution to the "no walls" issue, but the painting's placement allows Marc to enjoy it pretty much any time he is sitting at his desk! Smart, right? I told you he was awesome.

If you have a small space that you'd like to adorn with some tiny original art (or some magnets, or prints, or larger original art!), please come and see me at one of my upcoming shows! This weekend is Arts Downtown and All Around! This three-day holiday art show and sale usually takes place in December, but this time, it's in November...and it's in a new location, too: the former Coleman Burke gallery space (right outside of Frontier), Fort Andross, Brunswick! Kick off your holiday shopping season right: support local, independent artists! 

The holidays are coming...

artoberfest, carb-tober-fest!

Holy cow, October is almost over! It feels like the month has just flown by. This October has been filled with wonderfulness, though, don't you think? The first half of the month featured my painting workshop at Maine Behavioral Healthcare and the final Second Friday Art Walk of the 2014 season; the second half of the month brought the Yarmouth Art Festival, ARToberfest, and a last-minute development, too: a solo show at Mister Bagel in Brunswick!

ARToberfest was, fun, fun, and more fun! It turned out to be a wonderful community event, just like the Gorham Art Fair had been in years past. There was a nice mix of arts and crafts, and no two booths were quite the same. ARToberfest provided all participants with 8 feet of pegboard, so I didn't have to worry about schlepping and assembling (and then disassembling) my metal racks, which was really nice. Of course, I filled that 8 feet about as much as I possibly could have!

No wasted space! 

When I arrived to set up on Friday afternoon, I was thrilled to find that I had been assigned to the space directly across from the Think Greene booth! Sabrina Thiemke-Greene and her husband, Jeremy Greene, are dear friends who I haven't seen in quite some time. Not only are Sabrina's wares beautiful and thoughtfully crafted (making them a joy to look at all weekend), but I knew that if there was any downtime at all, we'd fill it easily with conversation and catching-up.

Think Greene! 

My first sale of the weekend came on Friday evening. A little boy and his dad stopped at my booth when they first arrived at the show. The little boy told his dad he wanted to buy a magnet, and his dad suggested they walk through the show first before making any decisions. Sure enough, a little while later, they came back and he made his choice. I think it's a big compliment when little kids like your work, and I'm happy he still wanted to get something from me after seeing all of the other possible choices at the show! 

Art for all ages! 

I started Saturday morning off with my first-ever iced Rocket Fuel, courtesy of the Gorham Grind! I can tell you it will most certainly not be my last, either...it was delicious! If you find yourself in Gorham and you need a pick-me-up, stop by the Gorham Grind. You will not be disappointed! Carson Lynch is fantastic at what he does, providing service with a smile to all those who are in need of caffeine. Thank you, Carson! That Rocket Fuel did the trick, too...it kept me going all day long. Good thing, because it was busy, busy, busy! 

Starting the day off right! 

I had a wonderful day on Saturday, filled with lots of laughter, time spent with old and new friends, time spent with family (yes, it's true: my sister, Addie, and her husband, Marc, came all the way from Boston for ARToberfest!), pleasant conversations, and lots of sales, too! I sold a mixed media piece, a bunch of magnets, and three paintings! WOO HOO! I even treated myself to a Think Greene t-shirt and, in turn, Sabrina and Jeremy treated themselves to a couple of magnets!

What a deal! 

Artists supporting artists! 

I am so happy I was able to participate in ARToberfest this year, and I'm already looking forward to the next one. Major thanks to everyone who was involved in putting this wonderful event together. Yay for community! Yay for ARToberfest! 

So, here's the Mister Bagel story: a few months ago, I got a Facebook message from my friend Linda saying, "I'm not sure if you're interested, but Robin at Mister Bagel has artwork on display all the time and she is looking for artists." I jumped at the chance and said, "Sure!" Linda gave me Robin's information, I emailed Robin, and sure enough, Robin felt my work would be a good fit. Lonie Ellis (who is wonderful!) was scheduled to have a show of her encaustics followed by a show of her fiber art, so we weren't quite sure exactly when my work would go up, but we knew a show was imminent. Sure enough, I received an email from Robin early in October (just before Second Friday Art Walk!), saying that they were thinking now would be a good time with the holidays approaching. I asked if I could wait until the end of the month because of ARToberfest, and thankfully, that worked out well for everyone! 

I heart carbs.

I am thrilled about the timing, and I am very happy to have my work up in such a sunny, new building. Mister Bagel gets a lot of traffic, so a lot of people of all ages will be seeing my work, and plus, I love their bagels! They have the best bagels I've found outside of New York, and that's no joke...and I'm not just saying that because they have my artwork up, I've been saying it for years! They are smaller than New York bagels (which is a good thing, I think!), but the taste and the texture are very similar, and that makes this carb-loving Lawn Guyland girl very, very happy.  

end of the season

I know, I know...this is yet another long overdue post. I've decided to stop beating myself up about this sort of thing, because that method clearly doesn't work...so, hey- that's progress, right? Let's get this party started!

The final Brunswick Second Friday Art Walk of 2014 is officially in the books, and my head is spinning! It feels like six months went by in an eye blink. Friday, October 10th, was the last Second Friday Art Walk of the season, and although it was a bit slow, I had another fantastic night. Solidifying his official "collector" status was Michael Gorzka, who stopped by (with the lovely Kat!) to purchase "Praying Mantis, Amy's House," the painting he was debating over during the 10x10! He felt that "Sugar Snap Peas" looked lonely without its friend, and I couldn't be happier about the two paintings being reunited...especially because they have found a very good home where they will be loved and appreciated!

Reunited and it feels so good...

So long, farewell...

Not only did I sell a painting that night, but I sold a handful of magnets as well...and I am happy to say that this means I managed to sell at least one item at each and every Second Friday Art Walk this year! Woo hoo! As we all know, when one season ends, another one begins...and there are all kinds of other shows coming right up, two of which are this week: the Yarmouth Art Festival and Artoberfest! Here's a brief rundown:

The 6th annual Yarmouth Art Festival is a juried show, with quite a bit of competition: nearly 350 pieces were submitted, and there were only 162 pieces chosen. My painting, "Clementine," made the cut! The Yarmouth Art Festival will be held at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church (396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth); the show runs Wednesday, October 22nd through Friday, October 24th, 10am-7pm, and Saturday, October 25th, 10am-3pm. There is an artists' reception (with music and refreshments!) on Thursday, October 23rd, 5:30pm-8pm. This is always a really well-attended show, and it feels good to participate: entry fees and sale commissions support St. Bartholomew's programs, including contributions and member support of local community services such as Friendship House, Yarmouth Community Food Pantry, and St. Elizabeth's Essentials Pantry in Portland.   

Artoberfest used to be known as the Gorham Art Fair, and I am glad it is back after taking a brief hiatus! It looks like this year's event should be another fun time, and giving back is a priority for this show as well: there will be over twenty different vendors, and each participant will be donating something for a raffle, with the proceeds raised going directly to fund student scholarships for after school and summer arts programs in the Gorham community. Want to check it out? Artoberfest takes place at the Shaw Gymnasium (behind Baxter Memorial Library), 75 South Street, Gorham; Friday, October 24th, 6pm-9pm, and Sarurday, October 25th, 9am-2pm! I would love to see you there! 

  

sunflowers = smiles

Today was my first-ever painting workshop at Maine Behavioral Healthcare in Brunswick, and I feel really good about how it went! About a month and a half ago, I received an email from Kate at Maine Behavioral Healthcare. Kate said she came across my work in the Second Friday Art Walk brochure, and reached out to see if I'd be interested in being a "guest artist" for an afternoon. I called Kate and said, "Well, I'm not really a teacher, but I could certainly be a facilitator of sorts, and I think I could help them to have fun and realize that art isn't scary." Thankfully, Kate loved the idea, and she booked me for a Monday afternoon in late September. We ended up having to reschedule for today, but I think it worked out perfectly: this past weekend, Terry and I visited his sister, Heather, in New Hampshire, and while we were there, we stopped by a local farm. They had giant sunflowers for sale (only $1 each!) and I knew they had to be a part of my workshop!

                                                   

Getting them in the car was a bit of a challenge!  

So, I set up an autumn still life, with eight giant sunflowers, two gourds, five apples, and two decorative pieces of fabric. The sunflowers were so big, I had to keep them in the oversized plastic bucket Heather loaned me so I could get them home from New Hampshire! There were five people in the group today, and everyone's face lit up when they saw the bucket full of sunflowers. They were even more excited when I told them they could each take one home with them at the end of our session! I started off with a quick introduction (including showing the group examples of my work in magnet form just so they could get a sense of who I was and what I did), and then I passed out paint, palettes, paper towels, water cups, and canvas panels to each person. I also put a giant pile of brushes in the middle of the table so everyone could choose their own. They were a bit tentative at first, which makes sense (painting isn't something that was very familiar to them, and sometimes a blank canvas can be intimidating to even the most experienced of artists), but as you can see, they turned out some pretty nice (and very individual) work! 

different points of view

The afternoon went by quickly, and before too long, it was time to clean up. One woman in particular asked if she could work on her painting the next time they met, which I thought was great! Everyone thanked me for coming, and I thanked everyone for spending their afternoon creating with me. I hope all of the people who attended this workshop today will look back on the experience as being a positive one. I know I certainly will! 

a september to remember

It's the last day of September already! Where did the time go? I have to say, it has been an awesome September, filled with fun, new experiences, and a bunch of different venues showing my art (such as Cool As A Moose,  St. Joe's Coffee, The Gallery At 11 Pleasant, and The Cupcakery)! I think it's safe to say that I will remember this month very fondly.

So...the 10x10 Brunswick was this past Friday, and once again, it was a fantastic evening. Every year I am impressed with how professional, beautiful, well-attended, and well-organized the 10x10 is, and this time around was no different. Well done, 10x10 volunteers and committee members! You make it look easy, and I know it's not.

Anyway, I've never been able to get it together to arrive early to the 10x10 before, but this year was different...another first! I was able to witness the line of people forming to get into the show as soon as the doors opened, which was so cool!

sneaking in early!

Anyway, I was very happy to see a familiar face waiting on line at Curtis Memorial Library: Michael Gorzka, digital librarian, children's book author, and the man behind "Curtis Creative Spaces"!  Terry and I waved at Mike, so he knew we were inside already. The doors opened, and Mike and his lovely friend Kat were among the first ones to get in. Mike hurried over to my paintings, threw his hand into the air, turned to Terry, and said, "Which one should I choose? I can't decide!" Terry said, "Go with your gut!" A few nearby art lovers saw that Mike was plagued with indecision, so they chimed in with their vote: "Sugar Snap Peas"! 

choices, choices! 

The choice was made, and a 10x10 volunteer was on the scene immediately to remove the painting from the wall and escort its new owner over to the checkout line. Yay! 

"Sugar Snap Peas": SOLD! 

I am excited about this purchase for a variety of reasons, and I will list two here: 1. I know that "Sugar Snap Peas" has gone to a good home, where it will be loved and appreciated, and 2. this is the second painting of mine that Mike has purchased, so it's official: I have another COLLECTOR! Woo-hoo! 

Terry and I hung out for a while enjoying all the wonderful and very diverse art...at one point, Terry turned to me and said, "There's a lot of really nice work here...I think this show gets better every year!" We were also able to spend some time chatting with other artists in the show, including Hati Modr, Mandy Russell, Sarah Brayman, Catherine Worthington (who sold both of her pieces as soon as the doors opened!), Mary Becker Weiss, and Debbie Casterlin (who cracked me up by saying, "I've been reading your blog! Is that okay?"), among others! We ended the evening with a quick trip to El Camino so I could have a celebratory mojito (and a microbrew for Terry), and then we grabbed some takeout from Shere Punjab so we could enjoy a laid-back dinner on the couch in our pjs. What a fun night...I'm already looking forward to next year's 10x10!