busy, busy, busy

Things are getting very busy around here. I will have artwork on display in three different places next week! First, I have my solo show at Blue in Portland (which runs for the month of November); I will be hanging my work on Tuesday, November 2nd and the opening is on Friday, November 5th. Second, the Gorham Art Fair is on Saturday, November 6th, and I will be hanging that show right before I go to my opening at Blue on Friday evening. Third, I recently found out that one of my collectors has donated my "Buddha" painting to an upcoming auction: The Siddhartha School's 15th Annual Celebration takes place on Saturday, November 6th, from 5 pm to 8 pm at Frontier Gallery and Cafe in Brunswick. In addition to the silent auction, there will be food and live music; tickets are $10 and reservations are recommended. Please check the show listings page on my website (www.brushstrokesbymaria.com) for more information on these events. It's going to be a crazy week, that's for sure, but I am looking forward to it!

odds and ends

I feel like a lot of little things have been happening lately, so I will try to hit everything here!

First of all, I finally wrote and emailed in my statement for my upcoming solo show at Blue in Portland (I will have my paintings there for the month of November). I had to give the show a title; thankfully I told Heather about this struggle, and she immediately said "Spreading Light." It popped out of her so quickly and naturally, I figured it must be the right title! My next task was to write the statement itself. The email Terez from Blue sent me said the statement had to be 350 characters or less. This didn't immediately register with me (when I originally glanced at the email I thought it was 350 words or less) but thankfully I realized my error before getting too far into the process. It was a lot more difficult than you'd think to whittle a show statement down to 350 characters, not to mention how strange it was to sit and count each and every letter, space, and punctuation mark! I think I know which pieces I'll have on display at Blue, but I'm not positive. I guess I'll know for sure on November 2 (that's the day I'll be hanging everything)! I have to thank Anna Low for letting me know what her show at Blue was like (and for the suggestion to use mostly larger pieces)...it helps to have a little guidance sometimes!

I've already sent my check in to reserve my booth at the Gorham Art Fair (which will be on Saturday, November 6th, the day after my show at Blue opens). In fact, I sent it in quickly enough to qualify for the "early bird" discount. I am excited about participating again, and I am really hoping my friend Jen Moscone will be a part of this year's event, giving on-the-spot Tarot readings and selling gift certificates to those looking for a unique holiday present (http://www.interactivetarot.net/). Last year's turnout was better than the previous year's turnout, so I'm hoping that trend will continue this time around.

The Brunswick Art Collaborative met again this past Tuesday, and even though it was a small group, it was a fun evening. Two different people brought friends along, and it's always nice to have new faces around the table. I was working on three different collages that night: one that needed to be fixed, one that needed a "finishing touch", and another one that really started coming together. I feel good about the progress I made, and I am happy to report that the glue I picked up at JoAnn's (Beacon 527) seems to work really well. At first it didn't appear to be strong enough for what I was doing (the heavy rock I was trying to glue down kept sliding around), but later on that evening it bonded nicely. That was a relief because if that particular glue didn't work, I didn't know what would. Whew! I'm trying to get some more new collages ready to go for the Gorham Art Fair next month (and for the Arts Downtown and All Around festival in December)...hopefully things will keep moving in the right direction!

10x10 recap

I participated in this year's 10x10 Brunswick show, and I'm really glad to have been a part of it. The one-day show (a benefit for Arts Are Elementary) featured some very diverse work by 125 local artists, and the food at the opening was provided by 25 different Brunswick restaurants and caterers. I was fortunate enough to be standing in the exact right spot when someone brought over a giant plate of guacamole and a basket of fresh chips from my favorite, El Camino...YUM!!! The show was in two neighboring buildings (Curtis Memorial Library and St. Paul's) and the path between them was illuminated by little paper lanterns; volunteers with giant umbrellas escorted people back and forth through the rain. It was a beautiful evening and the rain only added to the atmosphere. Thankfully, it didn't seem to keep people away from the show.

I ran into my friend Trish and her boyfriend Damian, as well as Emily who was volunteering as a greeter. I also spoke with Lee from Five Rivers, who told me that when her husband saw my paintings, he said that it looked like "the work of the woman who was at Pecha Kucha". It's great to know that someone who doesn't know me was able to recognize my artwork! Bonnie, a 10x10 committee member, told me that one of my pieces had been in serious consideration for the poster advertising the event, so that was nice to hear as well.

I have to say, I was extremely impressed by how well-organized the 10x10 show was, from start to finish. The emails were informative, the drop off and the pick up ran smoothly, and the event was very well- advertised. I hope to be involved next year!

one door closes

Today I picked up my artwork from the soon-to-be closed Community Wellness Center in Farmingdale. Lia Angelini will be moving her practice to "A Healing Place" in Gardiner, and for now it doesn't look like the other tenants in the new office building are very into the idea of participating in the community's art walk. I am a little bummed to hear this news since Lia has been so great about supporting local artists, but I am a firm believer in the "one door closes, another window opens" theory. I am sure another opportunity will come along soon, and I am grateful to Lia for having provided a regular venue for artists such as myself.

festival express

The Family Arts Festival was today, and WOW, did I have fun! It was a beautiful day to be on the mall in Brunswick: warm, sunny weather, good music, and lots of creative, positive energy everywhere. The collage workshop was a big hit, and I was impressed with the work that kids of all ages were turning out. There were a number of Bowdoin students volunteering at the festival and a lot of them spent time making collages side by side with the kids and their parents. I was so happy to see everyone having a great time and expressing themselves in their own unique way. The two hours flew by before I knew it. I hope to be able to participate in next year's event, and if that happens, I think I'd like to extend the workshop by about an hour or so. I felt bad having to tell people to stop working!

Today was so successful because of the help of many people. Harriet and Lee at Five Rivers were wonderful and I really enjoyed working with them throughout this process. They hooked me up with boxes, tacky glue, Mod Podge, brushes, mat board, old jewelry and decorative paper. A good portion of my supplies were generously donated by people in the community (Brunswick Plaza Dry Cleaners, Sherwin-Williams, Hancock Lumber, Morning Glory Natural Foods, and Elegance Interiors) and I am thankful for their kindness. My friend Heather was an absolutely amazing assistant and I am so grateful for her help. It was her idea to put the tables in a snake-like shape, which flowed really well. She was also able to delegate authority and direct people to keep things running efficiently and productively. Heather also took a bunch of pictures, which was great because I forgot my camera! She made a great day even better and I feel lucky to have such a wonderful friend.

one man's trash

This past Tuesday was the monthly meeting of the Brunswick Art Collaborative. While I was there, I brought up the fact that I'll be doing a collage workshop for the Brunswick Family Arts Festival next weekend. Some of the members have attended past events and some have even led workshops there, so they were giving me advice regarding what I should expect. "You don't want to run out of supplies," advised Heidi. "It can be a mob scene." Those sentences got me a little nervous, because I started thinking about what supplies I had collected so far...and how it wasn't going to be nearly enough for a possible mob of kids.

I started racking my brain for possible free (and/or cheap) supply resources...and I am happy to say I have gotten some great stuff. I called Brunswick Plaza Dry Cleaners to ask if they had any old buttons lying around that may have fallen off customers' garments...they gave me a big cookie tin filled with buttons of all shapes, sizes and styles. I visited my friend Trish at Bayview Gallery...she gave me a stack of old art magazines. I stopped by Sherwin-Williams...they gave me three wallpaper books. I went to Hancock Lumber...they cut enough scrap wood for me to fill a plastic tote. The biggest score of the day was at Elegance Interiors on Pleasant Street, though. Ann filled my trunk with wallpaper and fabric sample books, all the while saying that I was doing them a big favor by taking this old stuff off their hands! I am so blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people in this town. Everyone has been so eager to help, and everything so far has been absolutely free! My sincere gratitude goes out to all of you. Thanks!

release

I was angry the other night. I mean, really angry...fit to be tied, as they say. "Incredible Hulk" angry. Anyone who knows me knows that this is not the norm. I am typically a fairly laid-back, happy person...but I am a human being, and humans do get mad. Sometimes they get so mad that their neighbors might wonder if they're actually living next door to a lunatic. Anyway, after I was through ranting and raving, it dawned on me I hadn't yet painted that day, so I marched myself right up to my studio. I stood in front of the easel with my trembling hands and looked at the placid Buddha painting I've been working on. "Not tonight," I thought. I took out a piece of primed paper and attacked it. I filled it with slashing strokes of different colors, jagged and fully charged with the primal emotions running through my veins. I let the anger run its course, and then I enjoyed the sensation of release. I'm quite sure that piece will never be finished and it will never see the light of day, but it was important for me to get those feelings out of my system...and I am grateful to have an outlet that is both immediate and constructive.