i want you to want me

WOO-HOO! It's official: I am one of the artists in the group show for the GRAND OPENING of The Gallery at 11 Pleasant! Thank you, Janet Glatz, for the opportunity, for your interest, and for your belief in my work! 

Here's the story: I follow Janet on both Twitter and Facebook, and I'd been seeing her posts about opening a new and different gallery in Brunswick for a while. Janet said she is modeling The Gallery at 11 Pleasant after galleries in Europe: all artists are juried in, but there is no commission taken by the gallery; accepted artists can choose from a variety of space/price options and "rent" their area for a three-week period. Janet posted a "call for artists" on her page, and when I didn't contact her right away (I was swamped with other obligations at the time), she posted the call on my page. I looked at the application and noticed that attendance during Second Friday Art Walk was mandatory. "Shoot," I thought. I was already obligated as a pop-up artist down the street at Saint Paul's: the brochure had already gone to print, the space had been set aside for me, and I knew how much work had been put in to obtaining and planning the pop-up artist location. Plus, I know what it's like when you are a pop-up artist and other artists in the show don't attend when you are expecting them to do so, and I didn't want to do that to my fellow pop-ups. "Oh, well…maybe I can get into a show there after the art walk season is over," I thought. I called Janet to explain my situation, and she was amazing…she said, "Well, since we've had this discussion, I will make an exception for you." WOW! I was knocked out. I thanked her and told her that I would review the price options and get back to her.

I was looking at the calendar, and I thought that September would be a good month to have my work at The Gallery at 11 Pleasant: I am scheduled to be an "adopt-an-artist" for the month of September, so instead of having my work at Saint Paul's, I will be at Cool As A Moose. This means my display will be considerably smaller, so from an inventory standpoint, I will have more work to choose from, and I will feel like I'm not spreading myself too thin. Because of this, I didn't send my paperwork back to Janet right away (three months' notice is required for all display requests, with the exception of the opening show in May). This past Friday morning, I received an email from Janet asking if I was planning on being a part of the grand opening show in May because space was filling up. Before running out to get my taxes done (which is a long story I won't bore you with), I sent her back a quick email explaining my thinking regarding September, and figured that would be that. Well, late that afternoon, I checked my email again, and there was a message from Janet, saying that she understood my choice but that she had been looking forward to having my paintings in the grand opening show. What a wonderful compliment! I was totally knocked out, and I emailed her back as soon as I could, saying, "Well, when you put it that way, I really want to be a part of it if you still have room!" She replied in the affirmative, and we agreed to meet the next day to sign all the papers and so I could put down a deposit.

I had a work appointment on Saturday afternoon, so I met with Janet at the gallery on Saturday morning before I had to head out of town. I am happy to say that the space is absolutely beautiful, and I have a really good feeling about having my work on display there. After we chatted and signed all the papers (I put a deposit down for both May and September), I thanked Janet for the vote of confidence. I said, "You know, as an artist, you feel like you're scratching and clawing and desperately trying to get people to pay attention to your work, so when someone says, 'hey, we want you,' it feels really good." She smiled and said she hadn't been reaching out to too many people in that manner. Well, that put a major spring in my step! I gave her a hug and went on my way…with a very big smile on my face.

face it

Do you have a face? Would you like it to be painted? Well, I've been asked once again to do face painting at the Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick on Wednesday, April 16th as part of their annual "Scoop-A-Thon" to benefit the Teen Center at People Plus! I will be there from 11 am to 1 pm, which is the preschool time slot...but I'm sure if an adult wanted their face painted at that time, that would be okay! There will be all kinds of entertainment for the kiddies, including live music by Matt Loosigian, balloon animal-making by Dan Smith, and appearances by Sparky the Fire Dog, McGruff the Crime Dog, and Otto the Moose. Stop by for fun and the opportunity to contribute to a worthwhile cause!

lights, magnets, action!

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! My head is spinning trying to figure out how to properly update everyone with what's been going on in my neck of the woods. I'll do my best…

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

all in

YAY! Both paintings I submitted to the Maine Open Juried Art Show in Waterville were accepted! I almost didn't apply this year, but I am glad I did. Here's why:

I was talking with Bill Tomsa (another local artist) during the opening reception for the Joy of Art show in January, and he asked me if I was planning on submitting work to MOJAS. I said, "Well, I don't know…last year, I dropped off two paintings in the morning, then I had to be at work in Portland that afternoon, then I found out only one of my paintings got in, so I had to drive all the way back up to Waterville again to pick up the one that wasn't accepted…it's just so much driving. I spent five hours in my car that day going back and forth." He looked at me and said, "Really? I just spend the day up there. That way, if I need to pick anything up, it's only one trip." For some reason, it hadn't occurred to me to take this approach, so I decided to adopt Bill's idea and signed up to have my work considered once again.

Terry also had the day off on Saturday, so he agreed to keep me company. After dropping my paintings off at the Waterville Public Library just before 11 am (and receiving a note with a phone number and a time to call for the jury's results), we headed over to Bull Moose for some browsing; then it was off to Mainely Brews for a very tasty lunch. The results wouldn't be available until 3:15, and there were no movies playing in the area we were interested in seeing, so we decided to pop over to the Colby College Museum of Art. WOW! What a beautiful place! If you love art and you're planning on being in the Waterville area, or even if you're just looking for a fun little road-trip destination, check out this museum. The building itself is gorgeous, the work they have is incredible, and it's FREE! Before we knew it, it was almost time to head back to the library area…but first, a quick stop at Holy Cannoli was in order...they certainly did not disappoint, either!

I made my call to the phone number provided at the appropriate time, and I was given the good news that both of my paintings had gotten in. I guess we didn't have to spend the day in Waterville after all, but we're both really glad we did, and we definitely plan on doing it again before too long! If you'd like to explore Waterville, here's a link to their website: http://www.watervillemainstreet.org. Have fun!

branching out

A lot has been going on lately, and I feel like I've been branching out all over the place! Here's the scoop:

First of all, I do believe I jumped the gun on making that "Curtis Creative Spaces" announcement! I had thought everything was finished, but evidently, it wasn't. Whoops! I've put up what I believe is the correct link for my page...I fixed it on my previous post, but here it is again, just in case you don't feel like going back to find it: www.curtiscreativespaces.com/maria-castellano-usery/.  If things change again, I will let you know!

Terry and I made it out to Lewiston on Friday for some magnet restocking and a tasty lunch at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's...here's the newly-filled display:

menus and magnets

If you haven't had lunch at Guthrie's yet, you need to change that! Terry and I both ordered burritos, and when Heather (the owner) brought them over to our table, I said, "This is huge. There's no way I'm going to finish." Well, I ended up eating every bite because it was so delicious, and since they use natural, organic, and healthy ingredients, I didn't feel ridiculously stuffed afterwards! By the way: get the guacamole...it is SO yummy. 

In other news, I am thrilled to announce that I now have magnets for sale at Dahlia in North Berwick! If you find yourself in North Berwick, please stop by! Dahlia is absolutely adorable, and Kerri Moriarty Morton (Dahlia's owner) has all kinds of cool stuff to offer, including soaps, candles, lotions, art, antiques, pillows, cards, etc., etc., etc., many of which are made by local/independent artists/artisans. Thank you, Kerri, for the opportunity, and thank you to my friend, Posey, for making the online introduction! It feels really good to be able to add another town to the list of places where my work can be found. 

Today, North Berwick; tomorrow, the world! 

I finally finished my submission for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick's "Chair-ity Auction"! You might be wondering, "Didn't you already donate artwork to an auction?" Well, yes, but that was a different auction for a different cause (Portland Public Schools' Multilingual and Multicultural Center's 9th Annual "Rock Around the World!" event, which takes place on Friday, March 21st). The Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick's "Chair-ity Auction" takes place on Saturday, May 3rd, and proceeds go to the Oasis Health Clinic and MidCoast Hunger Prevention. The chairs are provided, prepped, and primed by the UU church volunteers, and right now, my painted chair is waiting to be polyurethaned: I delivered it this afternoon! The deadline to turn in a completed chair is March 31st, so if you're interested in being a part of this event, you'd better get on the stick (http://5raa.org/paint-a-chair/ fmi). They're planning to display some of the submissions in area shops to raise awareness and interest in the event and their causes...fingers crossed mine will be one of them! Here are some pictures of my chair: 

Here's the front...

...and here's the back!

This chair was a lot of fun to work on! It took a while to do, but I had a great time with it, and I'm pleased with how it came out. The quote ("When happiness shows up, always give it a comfortable seat.") comes from the 1999 film version of "A Christmas Carol". I love this quote, and when I first heard about the auction, I knew that's what I would end up painting on my chair. 

It is now very late ("So late, it's early," as Terry would say), so I will end this post here. Hopefully I'll be back before too long with more to share! 

curtis creative spaces!

WOO-HOO! I am happy to announce that I'm one of the first featured artists on "Curtis Creative Spaces"! Thank you, Curtis Memorial Library, for your support! 

The "Curtis Creative Spaces" project has been a long time in the making. I was initially contacted by Michael Gorzka, Curtis Memorial Library's digital librarian, back in the summer. He said I was one of the first artists they reached out to because my solo show at the Morrell Meeting Room in January 2013 was so well-received. Obviously, a lot of work went into making "Curtis Creative Spaces" happen, and it's now up and running! I am really excited to be a part of this project, and I am happy to finally be able to talk about it! As you know, it's not always easy for me to keep my mouth shut! 

I am grateful to Michael for thinking of me, and I'm grateful to the staff at Curtis Memorial Library for being so supportive of the artists who are living and working in Brunswick. So, without further ado, here is a link to my "Curtis Creative Spaces" page! http://www.curtislibrary.com/maria-castellano-usery/

march madness

It has been a busy week! Let the recapping begin!

A few weeks ago, I was asked by Nicole Rosenberg Myers if I would be interested in donating a piece of art for a silent auction to benefit the Portland Public Schools' Multilingual and Multicultural Center (as part of their "Rock Around The World" event). Nicole is great, and it sounded like a worthwhile cause, so I said, "Yes!" I got an idea right away for a 3" x 3" painting, which I entitled "Love Globally". I figured this would be a piece I could get done relatively quickly because of two things: 1. the size, and 2. the fact that I had a pretty clear vision of what it would look like. This was good because the "Rock Around The World" event is on March 21st, and I wanted to make sure I could get my painting into Nicole's hands with time to spare. I finished the painting I had been working on for the previous month (which is of the polar bear statue on the Bowdoin College campus!) and launched right into "Love Globally". Thankfully, "Love Globally" did come together quickly, and this past Monday, I was able to meet up with Nicole and hand it over to her (with plenty of time to spare)!

Love globally, act locally! 

I'm hoping the fact that it's small will make "Love Globally" appealing to prospective bidders. If you're interested in bidding on "Love Globally" and supporting the Portland Public Schools' Multilingual and Multicultural Center, please check out the "Rock Around The World" Facebook page!  https://www.facebook.com/multilingualportlandpublicschools

Another deadline that came and went this past week was the "early bird" discount date for Second Friday Art Walk applications! I am happy to say that after some image-related false starts, I was able to get my application completed and returned in time to take advantage of the discounted rate. I had no problems getting my forms filled out or choosing which painting I wanted to choose for the brochure ("Old Fat Boy Sign," in case you were wondering), but I had big-time issues with re-sizing my photos (72 vs. 300 dpi, 800x800). I stayed up very late one night working on it, and after quite some time staring at the computer screen and clicking various boxes, I thought I had it figured it out. I was very pleased with myself, and I emailed everything off to the Five Rivers office. To make a long story short, I didn't do it right. I tried to fix it, and that wasn't right either. I started to panic, and I did the only thing I could think to do: I went on Facebook and made an open-ended plea to my friends for help. Thankfully, my friend Donna (who is a graphic designer and a photographer!) happened to be on Facebook at the same time, and she replied right away with an offer to take care of it. I emailed her the images I had, and voila: within a matter of minutes, I had the re-sized images in my inbox! WHEW. Thank you, Donna, for coming through for me! I have to say, my friends are pretty awesome...Donna was the first to step up, but a bunch of people posted to that thread with offers of help and support, and that made me feel great. I do get by with a little help from my friends...

Speaking of friends, Tim and Rick visited from New York this week, and we had a blast! They were here from Wednesday evening through Sunday morning, and we packed our time with lots of laughter, food, friends, and art. We visited the lovely and talented Susan Mills at Markings Gallery in Bath (www.MarkingsGallery.com) and Tim walked out with one of Susan's newest vessels. While we were chatting, Susan mentioned that my picture made it into the March issue of The Cryer (www.thecryeronline.com)! I was very excited to hear this, and I made a mental note to keep my eyes peeled for a copy. Well, it wasn't long before I found one...not only is my picture in the paper, but there is a quote from me in an article about Second Friday Art Walk as well! Here's the article:

deadlines, deadlines...

and here is the picture:

Thanks to Keith Spiro and his ninja-like photo-taking skills!

What a nice surprise! I'm happy with the picture, and I'm glad that Terry is in it, too! Keith captured us in mid-conversation with Clay from El Camino, and running into her at the Joy Of Art opening reception was another nice surprise. I wasn't able to attend the "artist's talk" on Saturday because of previous commitments with my out-of-town company, but I'm really glad I was able to be at the opening (as if you couldn't tell from my smile)!