Wednesday, November 29, 2017

all good things in time

Today's magic word is "time"! 

Remember when I posted back in May that "Strawberry" had sold and I was so excited? Remember when I blogged in August about how bummed out and embarrassed I was that the sale ended up falling through? Remember when I mused that perhaps this happened because "Strawberry" was meant for someone else? Well, thanks to Float Harder, "Strawberry" has found the right people! Thank you, Sam and Kate, for giving my work a good home! I'm happy to make your acquaintance! There are a couple of wonderful "firsts" here: Amy at Float Harder told me it's the first time they've sold any artwork, and Sam and Kate told me that "Strawberry" is the first painting they've ever bought! In fact, they said they previously had "no art at all" in their house. How cool is that? I feel so honored! 

so long, "Strawberry"! 


Last time I blogged here, I didn't mention where I was going to be showing my artwork in December, but I figure that now is as good a time as any to make those announcements! My 25th Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" will be on Saturday, December 9th at Selby Shoes Etc. in South Portland! Once again, the cause will be the Press Herald Toy Fund, and I'm calling it "The Art Of Giving 2"! As usual, I'll be painting for 8 hours straight (10am-6pm), and the finished 8"x8" acrylic painting will be raffled off at the end of the day. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10; 50% of raffle ticket sales and 10% of all art sold (excluding magnets, but including totes) will be donated to the Press Herald Toy Fund. It's hard to believe that December officially marks two years of Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon"s...it's been a fun and rewarding challenge, and I look forward to keeping it rolling! 


I'm also going to be one of 8 vendors at the Holiday Pop-Up Sale at the Merrymeeting Arts Center in Bowdoinham! This is a two-day show: Friday, December 15th from 6pm-8pm, and Saturday, December 16th from 9am-4pm. I'm excited because it will be my first time showing my work in Bowdoinham, and I think it will be a great opportunity for people to get in their last-minute holiday shopping. Stop by and say hello! Click this link for a list of vendors and information. 




Sunday, November 26th was the Meditative Walk With Mandala Making for Adults at the Cathance River Nature Preserve, and I'm grateful I was able to assist my dear friend Heather Goulette of Monarch Massage and Wellness with this program. The original date for this program was Sunday, November 19th, but due to a rainy and windy forecast, it was rescheduled for the weekend after Thanksgiving. This ended up being perfect...who couldn't use an opportunity to decompress right after a busy holiday (and right before another one)? I wrote all about it in my Curtis Creative Spaces blog, so rather than write it all out again, I'll just include the link and you can read it there. Spoiler alert: it was wonderful! 


Before I forget again, I'll close with two links to videos I meant to include in my previous blog post! First, the lovely and talented Rebecca Boothby Conley stopped by my studio to capture some footage for this Maine Public spot...thank you, my friend, for including me! Second, Chris Tucker has done it again with a wonderful video about the community in and around Curtis Memorial Library...I'm grateful to be a part of it! 


Tuesday, November 21, 2017

attitude of gratitude

Thanksgiving is this week! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it is all about gratitude. I try my best to cultivate an "attitude of gratitude" every day, and that's why I used that phrase as the title of my 24th Brushstrokes with Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon", which took place of Saturday, November 11th. "Attitude of Gratitude" was a fitting title for a number of reasons: this was my first event in Massachusetts, so I'm grateful for that; the cause was the Greater Boston Food Bank, which is an organization that helps so many people to have a happier Thanksgiving; Elizabeth at Birch St. House & Garden is lovely and kind and her adorable shop is a real community hub, so I'm happy she was such a warm, welcoming, gracious host; and I'm grateful that I was able to share my work with a whole new audience that I never would have been able to meet before. Plus, I now have a brand-new collector: I sold "Home In My Heart" (a little 3" x 3" painting) to a woman named Libby, who shared a story with me that made me get a bit emotional. Libby bought "Home In My Heart" as a housewarming present for a dear friend of hers who had lost his partner earlier this year...he was starting his life in a new place without his "other half," and she wanted to give him a meaningful gift as he began this major transition. As she told me the story, she said, "This is going to a very good home," which made me tear up, because that's always my hope whenever anyone buys my art, especially a painting! Well, you can imagine my joy when Libby's name was on the winning raffle ticket, and I'm happy to say that she was pretty excited when I called her with the news! Here are some photos from the day:



setting up


ready, set, go!


"Home In My Heart": SOLD!


"Not-So-Delicate Flower": finished in the nick of time!


winner winner! 


Thanks to everyone's support, together we were able to raise $105 for the Greater Boston Food Bank! This brings the total raised for national and local charities from two dozen (that's right, two dozen- another thing to be grateful for!) Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon"s to roughly $3700! I feel pretty good about that. Anyway, if you find yourself anywhere near Roslindale, please stop by Birch St. House & Garden to say hello and pick up something fun! That shop is as cute as can be, and you can find something for everyone on your list- including yourself! What's on tap for December, you might be asking? Stay tuned...I will fill you in next time! 


Thank you, Elizabeth! 


Another fun thing that is scheduled to happen this week (weather permitting, of course) is a Meditative Walk and Mandala-making workshop at the Cathance River Nature Alliance with my dear friend, Heather Goulette of Monarch Massage and Wellness! It's free, and it will be a wonderful way to decompress and get grounded in nature after and before the hustle and bustle of two major holidays. Join us! Here's a link to the Facebook event page. We would love to see you there! 








Friday, November 3, 2017

24 and there's so much more

My 23rd Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" was on Thursday, October 26th, and I had a fabulous time! The staff at Halcyon Yarn was welcoming, friendly, and helpful from start to finish,  the space was beautiful, and the music was great. Together, we were able to raise $100 for the Welcome Blanket Project, and the winner of that day's painting, "With Liberty And Pumpkin For All," was none other than Halcyon Yarn's very own, Gretchen Jaeger! Thank you, Gretchen, for giving my work a good home, and thank you to everyone at Halcyon Yarn for being so awesome!

the poster...

the set-up process...

the beginning...

...and the winner! 

So, #23 ("Blanket Statement!") was my first event in Bath, and I'm happy to say that the location for #24 will be another "first" for me: this month, I'm heading to Massachusetts! On Saturday, November 11th, I'll be at Birch St. House & Garden in Roslindale; I'll be painting from 10am-6pm, and in honor of Thanksgiving, I'm calling this "Paint-a-Thon" "Attitude Of Gratitude!", and I'll be raising money for the Greater Boston Food Bank! In case you're new to this blog, here's what I do: I set up my easel and paint for 8 hours straight; at the end of the day, I raffle off the completed 8" x 8" acrylic painting, and I donate half the raffle ticket proceeds (along with 10% of all art sold, excluding magnets) to that month's charity. Please come and see me...I'm excited to add another state to my list! 


I also had a solo show go up this week at Float Harder in Portland, and I'm pretty psyched about that as well. Have you ever floated in a sensory deprivation tank? Well, it's an incredible experience, and you can find out for yourself at Float Harder...and if you do it during the month of November, you'll be able to see my work in the waiting area! 


"Full Moon Through Pines," on view at Float Harder!