don't be afraid of ghosts

Well, the Second Friday Art Walk for September has come and gone. Personally, I had a great art walk: I sold seven magnets (one of which is heading to Louisiana!), and there was a pretty good flow of people coming in and out of my room. Unfortunately, it was a rainy night, and many of the artists slated to be at 98 Maine Street just didn't show up, so it felt a bit like a ghost town. Thankfully, live music by Cumberland Crossing and Shanna Underwood kept everyone's spirits up, and those who were there had a good time. I am really hoping that the art lovers who made it out on Friday night will not let the reduced turnout of artists keep them from attending future events!

I know that it can be discouraging for artists when they put a lot of work into a show and people don't attend (or people attend but don't buy anything). Believe me, I have had plenty of shows when the only people who show up are just there for free food and wine; they don't even look at the art. It's hard, but I feel like it is all part of paying your dues. Getting your work and your name out there one way or another is essential, and there is no such thing as instant recognition. Even the Beatles played tons of gigs where no one was paying attention to them. They kept plugging away, and we all know how that worked out!

There is only one more Second Friday Art Walk this season (October 11th), and then we will have Arts Downtown and All Around the first weekend in December. Let's hope everyone will rally and make these events a success for artists and art lovers alike!

hang 10

I spent a little time on Tuesday hanging posters for the Brunswick 10x10, which is coming right up. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: every year, I am impressed by the well-oiled machine that is the Brunswick 10x10. From start to finish, things are organized, efficient, and professional: the drop off/pick up, the website, the advertising, and, of course, the reception. I am hoping to make it to one of the previews this year because I don't want to miss anything! Here is a link to the website: www.10x10brunswick.org . Hope to see you on Friday, September 27th!

counter productive

Well, I was able to make it over to Lewiston this week...here is a picture of my magnet display in its new home on the counter at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's! 

If you've never been to Guthrie's, they have yummy, healthy food, tasty drinks of all kinds, and great music. When you place an order, you stand in front of the register; when there is a line, it runs right along the length of this counter. Things get busy at Guthrie's, so it's not unusual for there to be a line, especially when there's a band performing. When I went there on Thursday morning, Heather gave me some very positive feedback. She said, "The magnets are fun, they're colorful, the display fits perfectly on the counter, and it gives people waiting on line something to look at!" Sounds good to me. By the way, if you're in Lewiston and you're craving an absolutely delicious iced mocha latte, look no further...

magnets, magnets everywhere

Happy September! Yes, once again, I've been remiss in my blogging...well, they say every day is a new chance to get it right, don't they?

August was a very busy month for me: my artwork was on display in five different places! I had two paintings in the "tiny, take two" show at Spindleworks (which runs through the end of September), I had six paintings in the Five Rivers group show at Thornton Oaks (which comes down tomorrow), I have paintings, mixed media, and even an oil pastel at Jai Yoga, I had my monthly appearance at 98 Maine for Second Friday Art Walk, and I had a solo show (again, paintings, mixed media, and even an oil pastel) at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's in Lewiston.

I took down my show at Guthrie's on Saturday morning, and I was happy to find out that I had sold several magnets during the month-long stint. When I got home, I sent Heather (the owner) an email thanking her again for the opportunity; today, I got an email from her saying that they would like to continue carrying my magnets even though my show there is over! I am very excited about this, and I'm planning on making a trip up to Lewiston sometime this week.

I had the opportunity to stop into Thornton Oaks a few weeks ago to bring by some magnets of my painting, "Old Fat Boy Sign," since several people there had been asking about them during the opening reception. Sure enough, I sold three of them to staff members almost as soon as I walked up to the office window! Marlise Swartz, the director of marketing at Thornton Oaks, was kind enough to post a photo of my painting to the Fat Boy Facebook page. I don't know how often they maintain this page, but I'm hoping that someone with the Fat Boy organization will come across the photo and get a kick out of it! We'll see.

coming up

Well, it's official: my painting, "Prentiss' Owl", is one of two runners up in the 10x10 Brunswick publicity contest! The press release arrived in my inbox first thing this morning and that was a wonderful way for me to start the day. I am excited that my painting made the top three, it feels great to be in such good company (Joe Godleski's painting was chosen to be on the poster, and a fiber art piece by Catherine Worthington was the other runner up), and I am really hoping that "Prentiss' Owl" makes it into the paper. We'll see what comes of this!

The 10x10 is on Friday, September 27th, from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Memorial Library, and the Parish Hall, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Brunswick. For more information, check out the website: www.10x10brunswick.org. Mark your calendars now!

i do like guthrie's!

This morning, I hung my solo show at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's in Lewiston. Let me tell you, it was a fan-freaking-tastic experience! Heather (the owner) could not have been friendlier, I was able to park right in front, and the show went up quickly, thanks to their fabulous hanging system: two simple wooden cleats along the wall. The cleats made it very easy to line things up, and they keep the walls free of nail holes, which makes everything look a whole lot nicer. No fuss, no muss. I would highly recommend this system to any business or establishment that displays art. Oh, and yeah...they're offering my magnets for sale as well! Woo-hoo!

I was originally scheduled to hang my work tomorrow morning, but the artist who had the show before mine is heading out of town this weekend, so I was given the option to come in today instead if it was convenient. Not only did it work out better for my schedule for me to go in this morning, but it gives my work an extra day to be on display; plus, Fridays are very popular at Guthrie's, so it would have been foolish to pass up the opportunity. I am excited about this show for several different reasons. First of all, the space is beautiful. Second, they get great live music at Guthrie's. Third, the food is yummy and the menu is different...and how often do you see a Pixies reference when you're ordering food? Fourth, the staff is friendly, and Heather has been an absolute pleasure to work with.

Please stop by sometime this month if you're in the Lewiston area, and if you're not in the area, make a special trip! Support an independently owned business: treat your body to some healthy food, treat your ears to some good music, and treat your eyes to some art! Here's their website: http://www.guthriesplace.com

fairy fill in

In early July, I got an email from crafter extraordinaire Heidi Boyd asking me if I'd be willing and able to fill in for her at a "build your own fairy" children's workshop at Curtis Memorial Library here in Brunswick. I was thrilled that she thought of me, so I immediately said, "Yeah, why not? That sounds fun!" Heidi is very well known for her crafting prowess: she writes books (http://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Boyd/e/B001JP8G5G/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1375376559&sr=1-2-ent) and she has a very successful business (https://www.facebook.com/HeidiBoydWhimsyKits), so to say that she's got some pretty big shoes to fill is not an understatement. We met last week so she could give me a crash course in Fairy Building. I took copious notes, I photographed each step of the process, and, of course, I got nervous about the whole thing...but most of all, I had fun, and that's the spirit I wanted to bring to the workshop. She assured me I would be fine and that the kids would be a very open, receptive audience; she also told me I would have help from at least one librarian and a high school student with volunteer experience. All of this made me feel better, and I started to get excited.

Well, the workshop was yesterday morning, and WOW- what a whirlwind! There were at least 25 kids there and they were all very eager to build their own fairy. My helpers were amazing: Robyn, a librarian, and Kathryn, a teen volunteer. The three of us set up the room and got all the supplies ready before the kids arrived. When the start time rolled around, I introduced myself to the crowd, showed my Art Walk poster (as Heidi suggested), and went through the fairy-building steps. I then asked the kids to repeat the steps back to me one at a time (again, as Heidi suggested); they had obviously been paying attention because lots of hands shot up into the air every time I said, "Okay, what's next?" When it was time to get down to business, the kids swarmed the table for supplies. I turned to Kathryn and said, "Uh oh...have I lost control already?" She smiled knowingly and said, "Don't worry. This is normal." Kathryn and Robyn were on glue gun duty, and I helped kids who asked for a hand. I had intended to take pictures, but I just got so wrapped up in what I was doing, I didn't even touch my phone. Before I knew it, the room was mostly empty, and there were just a few more kids waiting to get their fairy's wings glued on! It was all over in just 30 minutes, everyone left happy, and the room was fairly clean. That's what I call a successful workshop!