BEACH DAYS

August already! This blog has been ignored as if I have been on summer vacation.  Not really.  I will post more later about what I have been doing besides having beach thoughts.  Hope everyone is getting enough beach days this month.  And I could use more photos of a stretch of sand and salty surf.

MAINE PAINTING

In June I escaped to Maine.  Just to paint for two weeks.  And it was a fruitful two weeks as I was able to have a creative break through and to get a strong start on a new series of work.  They have yet to be photographed but once captured on film I can share my progress.  As inspiring as the Maine coast is for me my new paintings are not about the land and sea.

TALKING ABOUT ONE'S WORK

Tuesday night I was invited to be part of an artist panel discussion at the 2010 Art @ Bass Rocks reception in Gloucester.  Two of my paintings were juried into this loan program sponsored by SeARTS.  My work will hang in the club house of the Bass Rocks Golf Club for the year.

Carol Seitchik lead the panel discussion randomly choosing 8 artists out of 22 to talk briefly about their work. Carol, an artist and poet, developed a program to bring art to the workplace and curates several shows a year for employees of the New England Biolabs and Cell Signaling Technologies.

When I first received the invitation I thought "I can do this," - be part of a panel discussion except we were up there one by one.  Still having to talk about one's work makes one focused on the essence.  I could have said many things about the work and the process yet I found I was quite nervous and not sure if what I said made sense...however receiving positive feedback on the work alleviated some my fear. 

Both of these paintings were not planned and then executed.  Once the paint was applied after the gesso and graphite these works evolved.  And both reflect a place I once lived and loved living there... Manhattan.  West Side (below) represents the many nights I looked out at the city from my 8th floor apartment on the upper west side.  This is mystery and magic of a city at night.  Central Park reflects the many days and seasons this place was explored: walking through archways, over bridges, by the water and into the woods.  I lived in New York City for 18 years.  This painting, in essence, is a celebration of a journey.

What was worthwhile about the event was meeting the people who organized this exhibit and reception.  All of them are strong supporters of the arts and the community.  Also meeting the other artists and hearing those artists talk about their work initiates a deeper connection to the work.  And being part of a community celebrating a event, a place and witnessing a beautiful rainbow after a spring shower. 

ESSEX

Art delivery day was well worth it when I had the chance to stop by here and watch the tide ebb, the clouds build, the breeze play and nature sing.

ART IN THE BARN

Today is art delivery and art pick-up day. I am heading first to Gloucester to pick up my painting Channel Marker to my Heart that was in the new members’ exhibit for the Rocky Neck Gallery. From there I am driving to Essex to deliver new work for Art in the Barn.

Art in the Barn is a one weekend art exhibit and fund raiser. It takes place at the Cox Reservation and on display is a bounty of art from paintings & prints to sculptures, ceramics, and jewelry. Over 150 artists are juried in and the show attracts over 3500 art lovers. Due to the limited time (June 11 -13th) the works are on display the public is in a buying mood. Plus the added benefit is supporting the organization that sponsors the show: Essex County Greenbelt Association.


From their website http://www.ecga.org/ here is the description of the organization’s mission:

The Essex County Greenbelt Association is a member supported nonprofit land trust that has conserved nearly 13,000 acres of land in Essex County. Greenbelt works with local communities and landowners to acquire and protect ecological areas, farmland and scenic vistas. One of our major goals is the creation of "greenbelts" consisting of river, trail, and other natural corridors, coastal systems and visually intact landscapes.”

So I am delivering 2 new oil on canvas paintings: framed, signed, photographed and labeled, and 10 new (7” x 10”) oil on gessoed paper paintings: matted in 11 x 14, 6 ply archival matboard, and signed, photographed, labeled and shrink-wrapped.

The show runs:
Friday, June 11 from 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday, June 12 from 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday June 13 from 10:00 - 4:00 PM

I will be there Friday from 1 -4 PM  stop by and say hello.

oil on gessoed paper

11 x 14

BEACH DAY

Dune paintings

 oil on gessoed paper

11 x 14

BACK TO THE BEACH

more paintings of the dunes

oil on  gessoed paper, 11 x 14,  

for the upcoming Art in the Barn exhibit and fundraiser in Essex, MA.