love is served

How is it the last day of May already? Time just seems to zip by when the warm weather is here!

This month's "Paint-a-Thon" (entitled Small But Mighty!) took place on Friday, May 20th at She Doesn't Like Guthries in Lewiston, and it was a beautiful day from beginning to end. Heather and the staff at Guthries kept me going with good music all day long- and they rewarded me with a lovely glass of red wine when I was finished! The winner of "Serving Love" was Chris Rose, who is now officially a collector of my work! Coincidentally, May 20th was Chris's birthday, so thanks to his kind contribution to the Good Shepherd Food Bank, I was able to contribute to his day of celebrations. Yay!

"Serving Love," moments after being signed!

My show at Guthries is still up for a few more days (I'll be taking it down the morning of Saturday, June 4th), so I won't have my final fundraising total until then...but I will certainly let you know what that number is when I have it!

Now that my May Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" has passed, I'm excited to announce the "Paint-a-Thon" that's coming up in June: Paint4TheCure Part Deux! The National Foundation for Cancer Research's "Play4TheCure" campaign was the charity I partnered with for my very first "Paint-a-Thon" event back in December 2015, and I'm happy to be working with NFCR once again! I will be setting up my easel in the front window of Wyler's (the venue that hosted me back in February for VANtastic!) on Friday, June 10th, and painting from 10am-6pm. The completed 8" x 8" painting will be raffled off at the end of the day, with 50% of the raffle ticket sales going to NFCR's "Play4TheCure" program. Stop by, say hello, buy a raffle ticket...and, as always, thank you for your support!

Here's the link to the public Facebook event page (feel free to share!): https://www.facebook.com/events/188376058225194/

...and here's the link to the Carii fundraising page:
https://www.carii.com/#/fundraising/paint-a-thonpaint4thecure-part-deux

may i catch up?

May 1st was the one-year anniversary of my mom's passing, and yesterday was Mother's Day. I can think of no better way for me to pay tribute to my mother than to dedicate my next Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" event to a cause that she was passionate about: feeding others. Every time my parents would go to the grocery store, my mom would have multiple items in her cart for the church's food bank (canned goods, peanut butter, sometimes even cookies). After they would get home, my dad would reach for a cookie (not realizing its intended destination) and she would scold him, saying, "That's for the poor!" to which he would reply, "Well, what's for the rich?" My dad had a million of 'em, including the phrase he used to describe my mom, "small but mighty," and that's the name I'm giving to this month's event. Please join me at She Doesn't Like Guthries on Friday, May 20th, from 10am-6pm; this month's charity is the Good Shepherd Food Bank! If you can't be there in person, that's okay: long-distance support is always appreciated! Here's the link for the Facebook event page (https://www.facebook.com/events/485366764982251/) and here's the link to buy raffle tickets online (https://www.carii.com/#/fundraising/paint-a-thonsmall-but-mighty). 

So...what else has been going on? Well, my dear friend Tim came to visit recently! We had a great time, and not only was he able to pick up "Earth Flower" (the painting he won in April's Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon"/Every Day is Like EARTH DAY), but he added "Mexicali Ganesh" to his collection as well! Talk about going to a good home...thank you, Tim, for your friendship and your support! I am grateful for you. 

saying "so long" in Brunswick...

...and "hello" from its new home in New York! 

Oh, yes: last week, I led my first-ever paint bar-style class at Curtis Memorial Library! I was nervous, but it went really well. I wrote about it in my most recent Curtis Creative Spaces blog post, so if you'd like to read that story, please click the link: http://curtiscreativespaces.com/its-a-hoot/. In the meantime, here's a picture!

photo credit: Sarah Brown

  

Finally, I'm happy to say that my May show at She Doesn't Like Guthries in Lewiston is a two-person show with Keith Spiro! Keith has been a collector and a friend, as well as an advocate for my Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) campaign, but we've never shown our work together until now. The show went up on Friday, May 6th, and we really packed the place! Please stop by sometime this month to see for yourself, and while you're at it, treat yourself to some tasty food! 

a taste of the show!

every day is like earth day

Yesterday was Earth Day...although I celebrated this holiday a week ago, with my Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" event, "Every Day Is Like EARTH DAY"! Yes, I was in the front window of Frosty's Donuts on Maine Street in Brunswick bright and early, painting away and raising money for the Cathance River Education Alliance. It was a gorgeous day, and although I was indoors, the warmth and beautiful light from the sun coming straight through that large window allowed me to enjoy it as if I had been standing directly on the sidewalk. I got there at about 7:45am, and the tireless Keith Spiro was already set up and working: he'd been there since they opened at 4am! WHAT?

Can we talk about the way the air smells inside Frosty's? Holy cow...the donuts, the coffee...it was difficult to resist! Generally speaking, I am not a donut eater, but OH MY GOD. I left with a twist at the end of the day and because I love my husband, Terry, I shared it with him...but let me tell you: the only thing that slowed down my inhalation of that delicious treat was me feeling the need to exclaim "This is SO good! How can this be so good?" every few bites.

sunny skies and yummy scents!

I don't know if it's because I was nervous or if it was because of the early start, but I worked like a demon and actually finished my painting around 3:15. The winning ticket was drawn just before 4pm, and I'm happy to say that the winner of "Earth Flower" is one of my oldest and dearest friends (and one of my most prolific collectors, too), Tim Molloy! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to see me that day, to Frosty's for hosting me, to everyone who helped to share/promote the event, and to everyone who bought raffle tickets online or in person. Together, we were able to raise $130 for the Cathance River Education Alliance (thank you, CREA, for all your wonderful work)! Consistent, small steps can make a big difference: after five Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" events, we've raised over $1000 for charity! Woo hoo! 

"Earth Flower" waiting to go to its new home!

nurture nature

In case you were wondering (and even if you weren't), my fifth Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" event is happening this Saturday, April 16th! I will be at Frosty's Donuts (54 Maine Street, Brunswick), and I will be painting from 8am-4pm...an early start for me (eek!), but not for the fearless bakers at Frosty's: they will have been there for four hours before I arrive! Anyway, I'm calling it "Every Day Is Like EARTH DAY," and the charity I will be donating 50% of the raffle ticket sales (and 10% of all art sold, excluding magnets) this time around will be the Cathance River Education Alliance! I am a VERY big fan of the Cathance River Nature Preserve trails in Topsham, and I am happy to be able to show my support for what they do. I hope to see you on Saturday...and if you can't be there in person, you can always show long-distance support by purchasing raffle tickets online ($5 each or 3 for $10)! Here's the link: https://www.carii.com/#/fundraising/every-day-is-like-earth-day.

In other news, I was pleasantly surprised to see my work in this month's edition of The Cryer- not once, but twice! Not only are the photos great, but there is a wonderful article as well. Take a peek! Thank you again, Keith Spiro! It's nice to have your help and support.

community & collaboration! 

painting and grooving

Also, here's my most recent post for the Curtis Memorial Library blog...I hope you enjoy it! http://curtiscreativespaces.com/blog/

back in the saddle again

Happy April, everyone! Yes, this blog post is overdue...life got busy, and then I got sick (a rare occurrence)...but I'm back in the saddle again! Here's a recap of what's been going on.

Saturday, March 19th was my most recent Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" event, St. CATrick's Day at Wild Oats Bakery and Cafe in Brunswick, and it was a lot of fun! I'm grateful to all of the friends, family, and friendly strangers who stopped by to support me (and to everyone who showed long-distance support by purchasing raffle tickets online, too: Lisa, Amy, Tim, and Julia- thank you). Together, we were able to raise nearly $170 for Coastal Humane Society! If you weren't able to make it, here are some photos of the event:

my setup!

saying "so long" to "Dragonfly Trinity"! 

nearing the finish line (photo by my fabulous sister, Addie Evans)

The tireless Keith Spiro was there for most of the day, documenting the event and promoting away; my sister, Addie, my brother-in-law, Marc, and my nieces, Hayley and Ella, made the trip all the way from Boston; my friend Amy came by to give me an early-morning hug; local musician Lorel Nazarro dropped in on her way out of town for the weekend; and my dear friend Heather Goulette of Monarch Massage and Yoga provided hugs, laughs, and a yummy chai latte! Naturally, my husband Terry was there to provide support (set-up help, hugs, calming my frayed nerves, the usual). Mike Gorzka from Curtis Memorial Library even stopped by to capture some video footage of the event! Can you tell I'm running on adrenaline? Thanks, Mike! I'm grateful to all of you...and I'm grateful to the owners and staff at Wild Oats for hosting me and making me feel so welcome. I must also give a hearty "thank you" and "congratulations" to the winner of "Green Lucky Cat," Kathleen Powers Vermaelen! It's nice knowing that my art has gone to a good home. Yay! Perhaps I'll even be able to visit the little guy one day...

thankfully, the paint on Kathleen's thumb is from another activity! 

In other news, some of you might recall that I've been asked to blog bi-weekly for Curtis Memorial Library. My most recent post is all about my current obsession with Tom Petty and the Warren Zanes book, "Petty: The Biography", so I took a shot and tweeted the link out to Warren Zanes himself. Imagine my surprise when he gave it a "like" and a "re-tweet"! The internet is an interesting place, isn't it? 

this made me happy. 

I think that's about it for now. If you're wondering when and where my next Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" event will be, stay tuned...details will be coming soon! 

help the helpers

If you are one of the millions of people who spend any time whatsoever on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other sites you can think of- hell, if you've ever been on the internet at all- chances are you've seen (and enjoyed, and shared) at least one cute animal video. I'm willing to bet you've seen (and enjoyed, and shared) more than one of these videos...a LOT more. Cats, dogs, owls, bats, eagles, hawks, bears, bunnies, whales, you name it. Unlikely interspecies friendships, reunions with humans who had been apart from their animal buddies, hurt critters being nursed back to health, and on and on. I've never met anyone who doesn't respond positively to a cute animal video.

A week ago, one of the "trending" topics Facebook lists on the right-hand side of their "home" page caught my eye: my hometown, Bellport, New York...it's been years since I lived there, but it's where I'm from. Bellport is a small town, and not one that often pops up in the news, especially for someone who is sitting in front of a computer in Maine. Sadly, Bellport wasn't in the news for a positive reason: a pit bull puppy had been found hanging from a tree, beaten and lifeless. Several days later, another story was making the rounds on Facebook. Once again, it was animal cruelty: a man had been arrested for beating a black lab puppy. This time, the location was my current hometown: Brunswick, Maine. 

While the case in Bellport has become an investigation, the case in Brunswick still has hope. The abused puppy, Buddy, was brought to The Coastal Humane Society to be nursed back to health. Buddy's leg was amputated, but he is in a caring environment and responding well to the love, kindness, and medical treatment he is receiving. 

It goes without saying that the people who committed these heinous acts should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It is difficult to even comprehend that anyone could be capable of such behavior. When things like this happen, I can't help but think of the famous quote from Mister Rogers:   

It is important to look for the helpers. Not only that, it is important to help the helpers. Before I had even heard about either of these incidents, I had decided to have the Coastal Humane Society in Brunswick as the charity I would split the proceeds from the raffle ticket sales for my next Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" event. I'm grateful for this opportunity to help the helpers. Would you like to join me? I will be at Wild Oats Bakery & Cafe (149 Maine Street, Brunswick- inside the Tontine Mall) on Saturday, March 19th, from 9am-5pm. Raffle tickets ($5 each, 3 for $10) will be available both in person and online on my Carii community page, Brushstrokes With Impact (tm)  (click the "fundraising" button on the left). Feel free to share the Facebook event page, if you'd like to spread the word- it's public: https://www.facebook.com/events/517333668439215/. 

marching forth

Time is zipping by! It's March already...not just that, but it's March 4th! I like the fact that today's date is also a command, a call to action. Before I "march forth," I must do a little recapping!

My most recent Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" was on Saturday, February 27th, and it was VANtastic, indeed! The staff at Wyler's made me feel so welcome: thank you, Sylvia, Sharon, and everyone else for all of your help! Visits and hugs from friends (and my very patient husband, Terry) helped to power me through the day, along with some excellent music. I had a wonderful time, and between all of the online and in person raffle ticket sales, together we were able to raise $340 for ArtVan! I'm incredibly grateful for all of the support. Thank you!

my setup at Wyler's! 

The winning raffle ticket was drawn, and on Monday, "Paint Tube" was mailed out to its new home in sunny South Carolina! Thank you, Chris- I hope you enjoy it! 

"Paint Tube"

The tireless Keith Spiro was with me for a huge chunk of the day on Saturday, documenting the event and being incredibly supportive, as usual. You may have seen some of Keith's photos in the papers recently...and if you haven't, allow me to share a couple of them with you!  My press release made it into the weekend edition of the Times Record (the photo is from my "pop-up" show at Cool As A Moose):

woo hoo! 

...and this is from the March issue of The Cryer, featuring photos from the Joy of Art reception at the Topsham Public Library! Clearly I wasn't the only one having fun that day. 

Action shots are all the rage! 

In case you were wondering, my next Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" is coming right up! Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 19th, otherwise known as St. CATrick's Day! Okay, March 19th is not really known as that, but in my little world, that's what I'm calling it! I will be setting up my easel at Wild Oats Bakery & Cafe and painting from 9am-5pm (an early start for me- eek!). This month's charity? The Coastal Humane Society! Here's the Facebook event page in case you'd like to share it: https://www.facebook.com/events/517333668439215/

...and here's the link to the Carii fundraising page! https://www.carii.com/#/fundraising/paint-a-thonst-catricks-day