Sunday, February 23, 2014

sailing shoes

Okay...I know I said that I would write about my news as soon as I could, but things/life/whatnot in my neck of the woods got busy, and I'm just getting the chance to do it now. So, in case you've been wondering which painting I sold as a Valentine's Day present, the wait is over: it was "Sole Mate"!

Here's the story: Keith Spiro was taking photos at the Joy of Art opening reception, and we got to talking (I mentioned in my previous post that Keith had been discussing my Fluevogs with another photographer at the show: "Those are her confidence shoes!"). When Keith told me about this conversation, I laughed; then he asked me if I still had that painting. I said yes, and he said he wanted to surprise his wife with it for Valentine's Day. He said they both loved the painting from the first time they saw it at my Curtis Memorial Library solo show in January 2013, and that it had been "haunting him ever since." He kept seeing it in different forms (on magnets, on the July Second Friday Art Walk poster, on my Facebook page, on my Twitter page) and the more he saw it, the more he wanted the original. I was totally blown away by this! It is always a thrill to sell a painting or any type of artwork, but when it is bought by someone whose work you respect and admire, well...that just brings everything up a notch (or two)! We arranged a time to meet, and "Sole Mate" went off to a very good home...but not before I gave it a proper goodbye.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow..."

On my ride home, I got teary-eyed. That has never happened to me after selling a painting before. "Sole Mate" is on my business cards, and like I said, it was on the art walk poster, and it's currently on my Twitter home page. People have referred to it as my "signature piece," and it's how a lot of people know me, so saying goodbye was tough. However, selling a piece to someone you know does make things easier. I know that "Sole Mate" will be loved and appreciated by the Spiro family, and I am thrilled and honored to be able to have them on my list of collectors. Plus, Keith said I could have "visitation rights," and that makes me very happy.  

Does art make a great gift? Correctamundo! 

I will end this post with something that Keith wrote to me on Twitter after he had presented his lovely wife with her Valentine's Day gift: "Love is the one thing that, when you share it, you are immediately rewarded with more! Thanks for sharing!" Amen to that...and thank you, Keith, for your support! 

Sunday, February 2, 2014

recap, recap, recap

Well, today is Groundhog Day, and since I watched "Groundhog Day" again last night, it seems fitting that once again, I'm starting off a blog entry with the words "I'm overdue"! Well, just like Bill Murray's character in the film learns, perhaps this is another chance to get it right. I'm hearing "I Got You, Babe" in my head right now...

There's been a lot going on, some of which I can write about right now, some of which I can't. I suppose I should start with what I can write about, and explain what I can about the rest later.

Saturday, January 18th was a very busy day indeed. In the morning, Blake Hendrickson came by to shoot some video footage for a new project we are working on. He was here for about an hour, talking to me about how 2013 began, how it ended up, and everything in between...and WOW, was it a busy year! I listed all the different shows I participated in, all the new and different places where my work was on display, and, of course, the dawn of the magnet. I am excited about how this "sequel" is going to turn out, and I will be sure to keep you posted on the progress.

After Blake left, Terry and I went over to the Joy of Art opening reception at the Topsham Public Library's Crooker Gallery. The turnout was spectacular, especially for a snowy winter afternoon, and the work on display was really impressive. This is my third year participating in the Joy of Art show, and I think this is the best one yet. If you are local and you haven't had a chance to stop by, I encourage you to do so. You won't be disappointed. Anyway, when I arrived, I noticed there was a little spot on my "Old Fat Boy Sign" painting, so I naturally did what any artist would do: I licked my finger and tried to fix it. Eventually, I got the feeling I was being watched, and I turned around to see a very official-looking gentleman wearing a Topsham Public Library badge standing behind me. He said, "Are you allowed to do that?" I replied, quite seriously, "It's okay, it's my painting. I'm allowed to lick it." We had a very big laugh at the absurdity of this statement, and it struck me as so funny, I repeated it to Mary Becker Weiss, who couldn't resist having me pose for a photo:


Art that's tasty enough to lick. Photo by Mary Becker Weiss

By the way, besides being a talented photographer, Mary Becker Weiss won a blue ribbon for her piece, "Delicate Balance," in the mixed media category! Go Mary! Speaking of talented photographers, Keith Spiro was there, taking lots of pictures for the event. It is always fun to chat with Keith. He is full of great ideas and positive energy. If you are on Twitter, I recommend following him (@KeithSpiro). Anyway, we got to talking, and he told me that during the course of the show, one of the other photographers elbowed him and started pointing at me from across the room. Keith said, "Yeah, that's Maria, I know her." The photographer said, "No, look..." and Keith realized he was pointing at my shoes! Keith said, "Oh, yeah! Those are her confidence shoes!" The other photographer seemed a bit confused...clearly he didn't realize that Keith and I knew each other and had discussed my Fluevogs in the past! If you don't know Keith, you should change that: KeithSpiroPhoto.photoshelter.com!

I'm happy to say that I didn't see anyone besides me trying to lick my painting, but I did notice several people voting for my work in the "People's Choice" category. I have no idea how many votes I got (or how many anyone else got, for that matter), but it was nice to see that there was interest in my little corner. If you are local and you want to cast a ballot, please stop by and do so! Voting ends at noon on Wednesday, February 12th, and the winner will be announced at the closing reception on Saturday, February 15th. www.topshamlibrary.org

Good thing I'm not Baby...I like the corner.

Something else that's happening on Wednesday, February 12th is the Second Friday Art Walk Planning Party! Are you local? Do you want to be a part of making the 2014 Brunswick art walk season a smashing success? Please join us- we need you! 157 Park Row, Brunswick; Wednesday, February 12th, 6pm. Bring your ideas and enthusiasm...the refreshments will be provided! RSVP: http://5raa.org/ Want to participate, but you're unable to make it? Drop Five Rivers a line anyway! The more, the merrier!

So...the big news that I can't write about right now is this: I sold a painting! It is going to be a Valentine's Day gift for a very special someone, and I don't want to spoil the surprise, so I will leave it at that for right now, but stay tuned! I will fill you in on all the details when the time is right.