Tuesday, February 21, 2012

a little love from a local librarian

The "Joy of Art" show at the Topsham Public Library ended on Saturday. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the closing reception due to a work obligation, but I was able to pick up my paintings later in the day. I went up to the front desk and showed my ID to the librarian. She asked me to describe my paintings, so I started to say, "Well, they're very brightly colored..." She interrupted me with a big smile and said, "I know exactly which ones you're talking about!" When she returned with them, she exclaimed, "Oh, I love your paintings! I made a point to look at them every day...they just exude energy and joy!" I was so touched by her unexpected compliment...it kept a little smile on my face for the rest of the day.

Friday, February 17, 2012

another home for art

While I was at the Gorham Art Fair this past October, I had many conversations with a lot of different people. I gave out a bunch of business cards, but didn't really expect anyone to get back to me...so it was a very pleasant surprise when someone did!

I can remember my conversation with Jan Robinson (of Jan Robinson Interiors) that Saturday afternoon: She had been walking around at the Gorham Art Fair, collecting business cards from people whose art she liked. She was working on getting her new interior design space, EcoHome Studio in Portland, up and running, and was hoping to feature the work of local artists right from the start. The space was being completely renovated and that was quite a process, but things were starting to come together and she figured the shop would be open in early 2012. She took my card and told me I'd be hearing from her within the next few months.

True to her word, Jan emailed me a couple of weeks ago. She told me that EcoHome Studio would be opening in a matter of days, and to please contact her if I was still interested in displaying my artwork there. Naturally, I was, and this past Wednesday, I was able to stop by and check things out. Both Jan and Katherine (her assistant) are very nice, and the space is extremely inviting and absolutely beautiful. When we spoke on the phone earlier that day, Jan told me that she was looking for two or three pieces from each artist (small works would be best right now because things were filling up). I couldn't decide which two or three to bring, so I brought a bunch...and she ended up taking five!

For the locals reading this, EcoHome Studio is located at 334 Forest Avenue, right next to Oakhurst (where Pier One used to be); hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. They are hosting a grand opening reception on Friday, February 24th, from 4 pm to 8 pm (including wine, champagne, hors d'ouevres, and drawings for gift items) to introduce themselves to the community. Not a bad way to spend an evening!

Friday, February 10, 2012

...it just keeps on flowing

I'm overdue for a recap of what's been going on! The turnout for First Friday Art Walk was good; once again, it was nice to see so many smiling, familiar faces. I do believe I've become a regular stop for several different monthly art walkers (individuals and groups alike)! Special thanks to Jennifer Moscone of Interactive Tarot for making it a fun and exciting evening, as always (www.interactivetarot.net), and a very big thank you to Emily Weir for making the trip down from Brunswick and staying late to help with cleanup!
The "Free For All" show at Space Gallery is still going on, although I haven't had a chance to see it. I've heard that it looks really good, so I'm anxious to stop by sometime soon. Thankfully, it's up through early March! The "Joy of Art" show at the Topsham Public Library is winding down (closing reception: Sat., Feb. 18th), but there is still a little bit of time to get over there. I'm hoping to be able to make the closing reception, but I have a sneaking suspicion that a work-related commitment might prevent me from doing so. We'll see how the day works out!

This past Wednesday, Five Rivers Arts Alliance had their re-launch meeting at Frontier in Brunswick, and it turned out to be a very exciting evening for those who attended. Five Rivers has recently gone through a major restructuring and they are now a 100% volunteer-run organization. The people who are involved have breathed new life into Five Rivers, and it seems like the whole group is coming back stronger as a result. They introduced their new website on Wednesday evening (www.5raa.org) and it looks beautiful. There are many great new features on the site, including a calendar where members can post their art events (including out-of-town events, such as...oh, I don't know, First Friday Art Walk...yes, please!) and a members' gallery. Each member is entitled to their own gallery page, and I am very happy to say that my page is up and running! I have images of several paintings on my page, as well as contact information, an artist's statement, and a link to my website...all of which is included in the cost of membership to Five Rivers Arts Alliance. What a deal! Here's a link to the members' page, in case you're curious: http://5raa.org/directory/visual-arts/painting/. You can also find it by going to the home page, holding your mouse over "directory", then down to the "visual arts" category, then over to the "painting" category, and clicking on that. They are still working out the kinks, of course, but things look great, and it is very exciting to see the new, positive direction Five Rivers is headed in. There are other developments in the works, so stay tuned. If you're an artist in the mid-coast Maine area, check them out and become a member! You'll be happy you did.