My dear friend (and collector!) Tim bought a painting from me! It is called "Kuroda Lights," and it's my interpretation of the lighting at a Phish show. The photograph I used as my jumping-off point was one I took when Terry and I saw Phish perform in Worcester, MA, this past fall. "Kuroda Lights" was the first painting I finished this calendar year, and Tim snapped it up before I even had a chance to show it anywhere! He was planning on buying "Kuroda Lights" while he and Rick were visiting in late February/early March, but with all the confusion and running around typical of a visit, it slipped his mind until they were somewhere in New Hampshire on their way home. Well, I shipped it off to him, and, as always, I'm thrilled that another painting has found a good home…plus, I get to visit it!
Selling "Kuroda Lights" so quickly made me think that perhaps I ought to make a magnet of it, so that's exactly what I did! I've been feeling like I wanted to add some new magnet options to my Etsy page (and, of course, in anticipation of the approaching Second Friday Art Walk season), and the swift purchase of that particular painting made it an easy choice. I wanted to add another option as well, so I went with another new painting, entitled "Polar Bear, Bowdoin College." I thought this would be a good choice because "Polar Bear, Bowdoin College" will be featured on my Second Friday Art Walk poster for the month of July (yes, I was originally going to use "Old Fat Boy Sign" for the poster as well as the brochure, but I was encouraged to mix it up a little bit). I've already sold one of each, so I'll take that as a good sign! In case you're wondering what these two magnets look like, wonder no more:
"Kuroda Lights"
"Polar Bear, Bowdoin College"
Speaking of polar bears, a very interesting email found its way into my inbox, and all I can say is WOWIE-KAZOWIE!!! A man who survived a polar bear attack wants me to design a polar bear tattoo for him! He bought one of my "Weathervane, Bowdoin College" magnets from She Doesn't Like Guthrie's in Lewiston, and felt a connection to my work! I feel so honored! We spoke on the phone and he seems like an amazing guy. We are working on a time when we can meet in person, but I am really excited about this opportunity, and I will certainly keep you posted.
Here's another wildly unexpected thing that happened: I had just gotten home from a Five Rivers Arts Alliance members' meeting on Tuesday night (April Fool's Day!) and I was standing in my kitchen, re-heating leftovers for a late dinner and checking my Facebook page on my phone at the same time, when a post came up on my page from the very talented and energetic Christine DeTroy: "OKAY...SO WE NEED A MODEL TO MODEL A MECA STUDENT'S DRESS.....WOULD YA/COULD YA??? The venue is set for this Thursday 6-8ish...models and designers show up at 5pm...any chance???" Christine was referring to the Altered Couture fashion show (to benefit ArtVan), happening at Coleman Burke Gallery inside Fort Andross, which was taking place in less than 48 hours. I thought, "ME? A model? On a runway???" It was so crazy and surreal that I had to say "yes!" We got on the phone, and Christine thanked me for being so "spur of the moment". She gave me the MECA student's information (Jules Flores), so I sent him a text. Christine told me that there would be a rehearsal on Wednesday so I could practice walking to the song that Jules had chosen: "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. I groaned. I had never been a fan of that song, and besides that, how was I supposed to walk down a runway to something so slow and with such an unusual tempo? I figured I would take the "just go with it" approach and I'd worry about it during the rehearsal the next day. Anyway, I'm so glad I went to the rehearsal: all of the other participants who I spoke to were kind and supportive, and they really helped me to find my groove…but, holy cow, what a LONG runway it was! Thursday afternoon was the first time I met Jules, and he was a hoot: totally calm, completely confident, and very talented. Jules put together my dress in a matter of moments, and he only used one square of fabric to do so. I was blown away...not only by him, but by the amazing outfits being sported by the other models! Before too long, showtime was upon us. I was nervous, but I knew the crowd would be filled with friendly faces, so I just went for it…and, in spite of my nerves, I had fun. At the end of the night, I was struck by how fantastic the entire event was. Christine did an incredible job putting Altered Couture together, and it reinforced what a wonderfully vibrant and creative community Brunswick is. I am happy to have been a part of the whole experience...and I can now say that I've changed the way I feel about "In The Air Tonight!"
Altering more than just couture!
Me with Jules Flores
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