Hey little Birdie

There were three baby birds in this knothole nest a short distance from my booth at the Lake Geneva show.  I could have watched them all day, but alas, I had an art fair to work, tee, hee.  They were so adorable and oh-so-needy as they cheeped incessantly for Mama's attention.   

Everything about the show was idyllic, right on the water, it just doesn't get much prettier.  And the weather -oh my - 70 degrees and sunny?!?!?!?  What a treat it was!  

I hung a bunch of abstracts in the booth to take a new booth photo, here is one of my set-ups.  I didn't leave the booth this way for the show, I kept moving stuff around (I had a corner!), but it gives you an idea of how an all abstract booth would look.  

See the big red one?  It's 44" across, 34" tall.  Gone, sold within the last half hour of the show to some fun and funny folks.  I so enjoyed talking with them and am happy they have the piece.  

And how about this dragonfly?  Isn't its coloring interesting - I had never seen one like that.  It hung out in my booth a lot (I swear it was the same one!?!?!).  Maybe brought me good luck because I won an award, yippee, that even included money.  I was also invited to come back to teach a workshop for the Art League.  I feel honored and blessed.  Life is indeed good.

The Big Boys are here

Since I am working with a gallery now (yeah, yeah, I need to share more details on that, announcements coming soon....) I need to start getting pieces framed.  Thankfully, a friend of mine has recently opened a framing biz, woohoo.  He has been trying to persuade me to frame my large pieces for a few months and I finally took the plunge.  Oh my----even I was impressed to see my work presented this way. I sat the paintings in my family room so you could get some perspective on how large they are.  Forty four inches tall with frame. 

 

They are all traveling to WI with me for the Lake Geneva Art in the Park show this weekend.  If you're in the greater Chicago area or in WI, come on over!!!  The weather is going to be divine!!

The second picture shows my recent work that has returned home from the Art Saint Louis show.  It is wonderful in our house, so perfect above John's chair that I don't think I can sell it.  This bottom piece is on Claybord.  The ones in the top picture are on canvas.  All are mixed media - acrylic, pastel, ink, collage, marker.

Message for the day

Signs of Progress

The Daniel Smith 2008-2009 catalogue arrived the other day.  I reverently placed it aside, waiting for the perfect time to peruse its pages.  And so this morning, with cup of coffee in hand, feet propped on desk, I started to go through it page by page.  Like a child with the Christmas catalogue, I have already turned down corners and marked certain "must have" items along with some real "dream on" stuff.  

Ahhhh, what a perfect rainy day activity.....

OK, since a number of you have written me about my crazy energy concoction.....

I get my yogurts at Whole Foods or at our local nutrition/health store.  I go to Cornerstone, which is out in Chesterfield Valley on Edison, right off of Long Road.  I prefer a low fat yogurt (rather than non fat), but that's just me.  Cornerstone stocks the Hemp Hearts too and truly I think they are the "guts" of this recipe - like if you only want to buy one thing.  For those of you out of town, I would suggest you call around to health food shops and I bet someone has them in your area.  

The Hemp Hearts are really tasty, at least I think so, but you may question my taste buds since I have admitted to enjoying pumpkin brownies.  They taste sort of like lightly ground walnuts.  Definitely a nutty flavor, good enough that you can grab a handful of them and eat them alone.  They have high calories, so I measure to make sure I don't max out and fix a 1000 calorie yogurt treat, ha!  

And finally, if you are at the nutrition store anyway, try CALM Plus Calcium.  I have been taking one dose of this stuff every night before bed (I buy the flavored one so I don't have to mix it with juice).  I swear it helps me "wind down" and have a good night's sleep.  I've been sleeping better that I have in years since using this stuff.  Now keep in mind it's not a sedative or sleeping pill - it just helps you chill.  Plus it's got good stuff in it like Magnesium (which is good if you have migraines) and Calcium, which we all need.  

It's been awhile since I've talked about any of my oddball eating habits.  Some of you may remember last summer when I ate yogurt with bee pollen every single day for lunch.  Naturally I can't give up my daily yogurt, but the ingredients have changed, plus I have switched from the Greek yogurt to artisan yogurts.   A couple I really like - Trader's Point Creamery and Seven Stars Farm are yummy.    

Anyhoo, here's my "recipe":

3/4 cup yogurt 

2 T. Hemp hearts

1 t. Chia seeds

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup Fiber One cereal

This is what I eat every single day for lunch.  Except for today when I had a partial lobotomy (apparently while I was having my hair cut) and drove through White Castle  on the way home.  One double cheeseburger, no onions thankyouverymuch.

The Hemp hearts rock though - they're a great source of protein, give you tons of energy and definitely curb your appetite.  I strongly recommend them!  The Chia seeds have a lot of Omega 3, are a good source of fiber, and are also believed to boost your immune system.  Though I will confess I have this vision I am growing little Chia plants in my belly, tee, hee.

Yesterday, in an effort to make a "healthy" chocolate dish, I baked this weird brownie/fudge concoction that I heard about.  You take a brownie mix and then add 2 cups of pumpkin.  Bake for 30 minutes, then refrigerate.  It is actually pretty good.  I often think box brownies are too sweet anyway, so this is a nice alternative.  The consistency is a bit odd, a tad rubbery.  But I like the flavor a lot. 

And I crossed off 2 more items from my To Do list, yippee!!! 

I've been trying to get ready for 3 back to back shows, all out of town.  It's going to be a crush and I know it's do-able, but I need to focus.  And have a lot of wildly productive days.  Today NOT being an example of that.  

Good grief, I was trying to do a layout for some new greeting cards in order to get them all printed.  I swear I had some sort of a brain fart and absolutely could not find any of my files, could not manage to use Photoshop like I normally do, etc, etc.  It was ridiculous.  After struggling along for hours on end, I eventually got the job done, but I ended up with a stiff neck and shoulders plus a headache.  And grumpy to boot.  It was only till about an hour ago that I realized I missed my second cup of coffee.  Well duh (smacks self in head) no wonder I was so befuddled!  

In addition to getting the cards under way, I also printed a bunch of the giclees (which I am going back to calling repros as people simply don't get it).  I matted them tonite while watching brainless TV.  Cross another item off the list, woo hoo!!!

I am really anxious to get going on some large pieces, I have prepped 2-30x40 canvasses and also 2-24x24 canvasses.  I have a local gallery that has taken some of my abstracts and they want more (hooray!) so it's time for some all nighters.  Can you say solo show.....stay tuned for more info on that, coming in 2009.  

In other news, my cherry addiction is costing us upwards of $10 per week I swear.  I just love those dark sweet cherries though.  They have become my morning (before exercise) treat.  

I've been dog sitting the past few days.  It has been strangely relaxing.  There are so many times when I swear I prefer the company of animals.  Go figure.  

At any rate, I've been living at Claire's house and hanging out with the adorable and affable, Dudley, a large Labradoodle.  Unfortunately, we had a ton of rain during my stay and we didn't get to enjoy all the long hikes I had planned.  But I could tell he needed some exercise so on day two, I sucked it up and took him to the Dog Park in the rain.  I threw his ball so many times I lost count.  He ran like a beast retrieving his ball over and over, then wallowing in trenches of rain water.  I had to dry him off and comb him out once we got home.  And then he was utterly exhausted for the rest of the day.  Which undoubtedly explains his boredom with my Sound Bites, tee, hee.  

I am replenishing inventory for 3 (yes, that is THREE) shows in a row in August in case you are wondering.  

Meet John Gutoskey

Assemblage artist extraordinaire.  Pronounce it the art speak way.....ahhh-sem-blahj....because this guy is the real deal.  

I met John at the Krasl Art Fair a few weeks ago.  It was his first art fair ever.  He was a wreck from nerves, hadn't slept a wink, practically delirious from worrying about every little detail of the show.  I was doing my usual speed walk of the show, just to see if there was anyone new, something I hadn't seen before, art that jumped out at me. 

And oh my, did it ever.  The color, the intricacy of detail, the repetition.....kitschy yet symbolic, whimsical yet deeply moving.  You could study this work for a long time trying to unravel what it meant for the artist and for you, the viewer.  And I knew that this guy was not just another wannabee assemblage artist. 

Lucky for St. Louis, he will be here in September at the St. Louis Art Fair.  So go and see him there.  He's a doll and you will love the art. Obviously, don't forget to come over to Schlafly and see me too, wink, wink.

You can see more work at John's website......click here.   

Open Studios recap

It was beastly hot.  I never actually heard the final temperature, but let's say near 100?  The media kept talking about heat warnings, don't go out of the house, blahblahblah. 

But what did I do???

Well, I went to my Open Studio of course, in the alternative space provided by the Contemporary Art Museum (for those of us who have studios outside the city limits).  It was a very raw undeveloped space and I would love to have my real studio there......oh those perfect high ceilings....but alas, no air conditioning.  There were a couple large fans, luckily one was right near us.  

The first pic shows "my" corner and the second pic shows how the 3 of us(me, Heather, Greg) staged the entire space(that's Heather sitting at the table).  We, (Heather and I) gave Greg part of our walls because his space was in the middle and would have required him to bring walls, which would have been a total pain.  And we're just so nice we helped him out.  We even did all the drilling into those masonry walls for him because he had an opening over in KC and wasn't around during set up (which was a total horrendous pain in the rear, set up that is, not Greg's opening, but that's a story for another day).  Suffice to say I am not so swift with power tools.  Thank God for Heather.  

Anyhoo, Greg kept joking that we were "his bitches" doing his set up.  But he owes us big time now and Heather said it best, "he is our bitch now." 

Despite the heat, it was fun.  Yes, it really was.  We had beer.  We had margaritas for MB cause I'm not a beer drinker.  Pizza from Imo's.  Good tunes. And good friends.  We talked to folks, made connections with other artists, and just had fun.  Crazy I know. We tore down and had everything back in the vehicles in 37 minutes flat.  I nearly passed out in the back of the truck (under the camper shell) while trying to arrange stuff but nothing that some Gatoraid couldn't fix.  

The "after party" was a Bar-b-q at the museum.  And that was also a surprisingly good time which I only say because my butt was soooo dragging, I felt like I was wearing wet clothing (hmmm, probably because I was) and all I really wanted was a nice shower.  But I digress.  I "freshened up" in the ladies room, where I practically bathed in the sink and snuck my undies into my purse, tee, hee.  Ok, yeah, tmi, but I instantly felt better.  So I enjoyed catching up with lots of my artist friends and even meeting some collectors who attended the show.  We stayed a lot longer than I would have guessed, but then Heather & I left, flew home, I dropped her off, I finally made it into the shower and I swear I was sound asleep by 9:30pm.  

See that green painting of mine, 2nd from the left. leaning on the wall?  It's gone.  Sold to the most lovely couple, it now has the perfect home.   

And oh yeah, someone tried to buy my rug.

!!!!

At first it was really cute when Merlyn started kissing me on the lips.  He would press his little cat mouth up against mine and it was absolutely the sweetest thing in the world.  Since we've returned from vacation he has been more than needy and morning kisses now involve his very wet nose along with a simultaneous head/face butt action.  Over and over.      

Ugh, nothing like being slimed into consciousness each morning.  

I wonder if it's possible to teach a cat to air kiss.

This is my space for the Open Studio event on Sunday.  We are doing the set up tomorrow.  I have no idea how it's going to work as of yet.  Geez, I barely know how to handle a drill let alone this type of wall.  I mean what's up with that bracket thingie???

I do have the right drill bit and supplies though.  And you gotta love the windows!!  I am working with my friends Heather and Greg and we will actually combine our 3 assigned spaces into one group presentation.   All because we bought a keg of beer to share with our guests and we thought it would be easier to stage one "party."  Imagine that!?!  

So, come on by Sunday from 10-4 and see how we have transformed this space.  There will be a bunch of artists and I'm going to do demos and will have art supplies to play with.  Should be a lot of fun.  

Contemporary Open Studio - Alternative Space

Sunday, July 20 from 10-4

750 S. 4th Street

St. Louis, MO

Contemporary Preview party

Last night was the Preview party.  Here I am standing next to my piece - I love the way it looks like I am holding the name tag in my hand (thanks Darryl for taking the shot!). Yes, I stood right there in the museum and allowed myself to be photographed next to my piece. Cause who knows when I will next be in a museum show and I'm not too proud to be proud, tee, hee.  

This piece is 8" tall by 24" wide, titled Haven Knows - it was part of my show at Jacoby earlier this year.  It is so oddly reminiscent of my Stick a Fork in it Already piece of a couple years ago(click here if you would like to see a picture of it) and this landscape/body shape comes up over and over in my work.  I have come to accept it as a personal symbol.  Stick a fork in it piece hangs in my studio these days.  It is such a highly personal painting as it has a lot of journaling (right on the face of the art) about my struggle with weight, my stomach specifically, and how I really want to learn to accept and love my body.  Haven Knows is an abstracted continuation of those thoughts.  It comes from a more peaceful and grounded place.  

So here I was, at this party, thinking about all this stuff, like I do - brain of mine that I simply cannot manage to turn off for one moment, yee gads.  

We walked out of the museum and what do I find on the ground but one of Jennifer's wish pennies.  Click here to read more about her very interesting project.  The penny I found was about wishing to be thin without being anorexic.  That lil penny has provided a lot of food (yes I'm food obsessed, what can I say-smacks self in head) for thought and how synchronistic I found it just then.  

I have waaaayyyy digressed into other areas here, we can just call this the post that went astray, ha!   

Suffice to say the party was fun.  I caught up with several of my collectors, talked to other artists, just generally had a good time.  And my headband/grey root disguise worked marvelously.  

Summertime/Open Studio this weekend

Thought I would share one of my vacation photos today.  Isn't this a lovely little spot of paradise?

I am relaxed, energized and full of new ideas.  The show at Krasl was good - there is something kind of cool about going on vacation and ending it with a show so you come home with money in your pocket.  The sweet life indeed.  

We drove over 6 hours to get home last night.  Yeah, it's a little crazy, but I've got to get ready for the Open Studio event at The Contemporary.  While we were gone, I got an email that the alternative exhibition building (which is where I am showing my work and I've never seen the space) will be available for viewing today (Monday) from 11-1.  Well  duh, I obviously want to see it, measure my linear feet, check on what type of lighting I need, etc.  So, John and I boogied home as quickly as possible and I'm headed down there shortly.  Thank goodness for laptops and being connected.  It's absolutely vital when you are in biz for yourself, I swear.

I'm also going to check out spaces for my buddies Greg & Heather, who are also exhibiting on Sunday, but can't go today.  Greg has a photo shoot - imagine, he has a day job, tee, hee.  And Heather's van broke down coming home from her Chicago show.  Thank goodness Amie's with her, but their big adventure has gotten a lot bigger as they are now stuck in the middle of Illinois, camping until the van can be fixed.  I feel horrible as we apparently drove right by them last night.  Ugh, we talked on the phone later and nothing could have been done since our truck was packed to the gills and we couldn't have wedged them in if we had wanted.  Plus they more or less need to stay there to bring the van home.  But darn it anyway, wish we could have helped.......the least I can do is let Heather know what to expect from her space, so I will email her photos later today.  And keep my fingers crossed that her van can be fixed for a minimal cost and she and Amie get home soon, safe and sound.

SO....If you're here in St. Louis, definitely mark your calendar for this SUNDAY, July 20th from 10-4 when I will exhibit at Chouteau's Landing, 750 South 4th Street from 10am-4pm.  The building will be jammed with all us "alternative space" artists so it's a great opportunity to see a bunch of art under one roof.  I'm bringing a variety of new works plus I'll do demos and serve snacks and drinks (yes, some of us went crazy and bought a keg!).  Expect an art party.

And, while you're at it, come on down to The Contemporary on Tuesday night for the Preview Party.  It should be a blast; it was last year - 5:30-9:30 at the museum.  I'll be one of the many artists spazzin' out about seeing their work on a museum wall.  

Doors open and close

We are heading out on vacation, woo hoo, yippe, ki- yay, and all that stuff.  A few days in Saugutuck, MI and I should be back to normal whatever that might be.  Then I'm in the Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff.  You can click on the link over there in the sidebar for more information.

I have packed a tote bag of books like you can't believe, most from the library, but a few art books that I own and want to study at length.  I have trained myself to read while John is driving, so I hope to move through a few of them at least.  Plus my journal for writing and my journal for art.  Plus my knitting.  Plus CD's, etc, etc.  You might think I was going to be in the car for weeks the way I have packed.  And I suppose I could also do these things on the beach too, but I know what will happen......I will hear the lull of the surf.....and immediately fall to sleep.

Click on over to Artsmith's to read about a show that I recently attended.  If you're in St. Louis, check it out.  If you're in MI, come see me at Krasl.  And I'll see you all back here in a week or so.  

Happy Happy!!!!

Click here for more information on this incredible quilt.  Sure wish I knew how to make one.   And yes, those are my adorable grandchildren and their parents at the neighborhood parade this morning.  How sweet is that!?!?!?

(ps........this is a part of my self taught Photoshop training.  I know it looks rudimentary, but I am happy with how it turned out)

  

You might wonder where I've been.  I'm still here, just fiercely busy getting ready for my next show, trying to get ready for vacation(I am sooooo ready!) and also juggling to make work for the Contemporary Art Museum's Open Studio event.  Plus my parents were here.  Plus I have pieces in 2 shows.  Plus new works wanted by galleries.  Plus I have a commission pending. Blah.Blah.Blah. It's all good.

I do have news though!!  I am thrilled to announce I will be teaching 2 classes at Artfest in 2009. Yippee!!  Watch my blog for more detail; the Artfest website, with the entire class list will be posted on August 1st.  I am teaching the same Claybord class from last year, plus a new claybord class that will have even more techniques.  They are stand alone classes, or you can do both of them.  Details coming soon...

And in other news, I painted with Kool-aid tonite.  Yep, I really did.  It was a project my step daughter heard about.  So easy - basically you take 2 tablespoons of water and mix with a package of Kool-aid.  We made up 5 colors.  After they are dry, all the painted spots become scratch and sniff!?!?!?  Isn't that cool?  Seriously, it was way fun.  Too bad I can't find a way to work that it into my usual repertoire.

Chris Jordan, Photographer

Every once in awhile I hear about something that makes me so very proud to be an artist.  Proud to be part of something bigger than myself.  Because I like the idea that I am part of an ongoing commentary that has existed for thousands of years.  It is my belief that artists, when performing at their highest levels, offer a mirror to society, through their art.  

Of course I don't do it all the time, but with my Common Denominator series, I have tried to explore something deeper.  Sure, the work is light and funny, but there is more beneath the surface.  It's fundamentally about people and how we are all more the same than different.  People of different times and circumstances, the same, just people.  

And my trash work is a commentary.  An attempt to forge beauty out of trash.  To challenge myself to re-use material, take every day objects, the discards of life - and view them through different eyes. 

Sorry I digressed for a moment there, talking about my own work.  I mainly want to share this amazing video clip with you.  Because here is an artist who is doing it.  Someone who is making art that offers social commentary and allows us to all take a look at where we are.  His work is absolutely amazing and thought provoking.  It's an 11 minute video and is well worth your time.  It made me think.  And think.  And think.  

To watch, CLICK HERE.  

Weirder than weird

I have set up Google alerts for my name (MB Shaw and Mary Beth Shaw) so I know every time someone "talks" about me on the Internet.  It is actually pretty cool cause then I know when I am mentioned in other blogs, etc.  I've made some interesting contacts and have been able to acknowledge and thank folks for mentioning me.  

BUT.

Yesterday, then again today, I got the weirdest ones ever.  Both were blog mentions from two young people - I have no idea their age or location - who are at summer camp.  They had participated in an evening of scary activity, campfire, stories,  ghost walk, etc.  Remember that kind of stuff from camp, where the counselors try to scare the piss out of the youngsters?  

At any rate, the "ghost" was named......yes, you guessed it......Mary Beth Shaw.

Yee gads.

The Princess (that would be me) rarely puts gas in her own car.  Yes, it's true.  My sweet husband anticipates the need and somehow always has my car tanked up and ready.  Just like he always has a wallet full of money and serves as my personal ATM machine.  

But anyhoo, we had been out of town (at shows, duh) and the car needed gas.  I drove it on Monday and saw that it was low.  Tuesday it was still low and the gas price had dropped down a bit, but I thought I would wait.  

Stupid.

Wednesday I definitely needed gas and so I filled up the tank at $4.15 per gallon (I use the middle grade).  It cost $57.  Yikes, I couldn't believe it.  

Thursday we were driving to Ian's t-ball game and the price had gone down 2 cents.  Now why do they even bother to patronize us with that!??!?!

Last week when I was working round the clock, it occurred to me what a very strange life I lead. I had barely slept at all when I awoke quite early and stumbled into the studio wearing my nightie.  I find that viewing my art very first thing in the morning helps me find a fresh approach.  After one look at the painting, I knew what I needed to do.  I grabbed a paintbrush out of the filthy water (yeah I know, leaving them in water is not recommended) and peeled a used Tootsie pop stick off the tarp to mix my colors.  Seemingly minutes later (really more than an hour) I had fixed it. Of course I also had paint on yet another item of clothing and on top of my toenail polish.  

That last 40x30 sold in Nashville by the way.  It's all about big abstracts lately.  Which is fine with me as I love to paint them.  

  

I'm a celebrity in my own mind

John and I are in Nashville, TN this weekend, at the American Artisan show. There are 4 of us from the St. Louis area and we all ate Cuban food last night, yum, yum. The restaurant, Calypso Cafe, is one block from our hotel and I swear I'm just going to eat there all weekend.
We are so wiped out from recent shows that we both crashed at 10 pm last night; the room cooled to meat locker temp and the puffy bed provided perfect sleep conditions. Now I am energized and back in action, ready to roll!

So, I got an early phone call advising that I have been featured in the local paper. OMG. Who knew!??! John ran downstairs to find a copy for me.....geez, Louise, it rocks. I think I love Nashville!

So, if you are here, check the Tennessean - the Weekend section. And come see me at the show in Centennial Park -Friday, Saturday, Sunday. If you want to check out the article online, here's a link.

Chicago rocked, despite the unbelievable winds and rain.  Needless to say, I got to witness the integrity of my tent first hand as John and I huddled inside during the onslaught.  

We are headed to Nashville this week, see the sidebar for details.  The show is in Centennial Park. I am really looking forward to it; I'll be able to catch up with my friend Rhonda and another friend, Jeane Vogel, will also be there.  That makes it so nice, to hook up with other artists.  Chicago was like that too, lots of people I knew.  John and I had the opportunity to be with Mary Smith and her hubby Gary.  They are lots of fun and easy to hang out with.  We had many laughs; some of the "misery loves company" type regarding the weather.    

Here are some booth shots from recent shows - I've been changing the layout slightly each week, hanging the art differently.  I enjoy switching it around.  It is also interesting for me to see how the abstracts blend in with the rest of my work.  You can see I am still playing around with this green/yellow palette.  All the diptychs shown have already sold - in fact, everything on the back wall (in the first picture) sold this past weekend, yikes!  Needless to say I'm at work on some more abstracts but it's questionable whether any of them will be done before we leave.  I may have to varnish on the fly.

Patterns & Pixels at Art Saint Louis/57th Street

Finally, here is the triptych that is in the Art St. Louis show.  The Preview party was terrific tonight, extremely well attended.  I thought the show was quite nice and the new gallery is fantastic, a huge upgrade with amazing high ceilings.  Just beautiful.  I felt proud to be part of the show.

The piece is 30x30, each section is 10" wide by 30" tall, on claybord.  They are acrylic, collage, molding paste, ink, spray paint.  The title is "Wondering and Wandering on the Lunar Path."  We were invited to submit a brief artist statement if so desired and here is what I said about my work.  

"I have a nearly obsessive interest in cycles, repetitions enacted and observed daily.  marks on canvas - intentional, intuitive - what is random?"

If you happen to be in Chicago this weekend, come see me at the 57th Street Art Fair.  A link can be found at my sidebar.  If you happen to be in St. Louis this weekend, go support Art Saint Louis with their official gallery opening on Saturday, link also on the sidebar.

New Diptych

If you've been paying attention, you will see similarities between this one and the recent one I sold at 4 Bridges.

I wanted to work with the same colors.  I'm still trying to make a piece for our family room, so one of these days I may get to keep one.  I have to say I really dig these colors plus this hieroglyphic marking thing I have going on right now.  I just can't.stop. doing.it.

Go figure.

Each piece is 24x24 on canvas.  It's acrylic, collage, molding paste, ink, marker, spray paint.

It needs a name.  Ideas?  I was thinking about patterns and pixels as I painted, not as the name, but as the subject matter, you know what I mean.  That was the theme of the last show I painted for and I can't get it out of my head.  The one where I delivered it to the gallery and forgot to shoot it first. With a camera, not a gun.  But you knew that.  A photo will be forthcoming after Thursday night.  Which reminds me.....I need to tell you about the Patterns & Pixels opening and the brand new Art Saint Louis Gallery.....  

There's a Preview Party this Thursday night between 5-8pm.  I will be attending it if you care to stop by.  I need to photograph my piece, ha, but seriously, I also want to see the show and especially the new digs!  If you think you might go on Thurs, please rsvp to kate@artstlouis.org 

And don't forget the real opening Saturday night from 6-9pm.  I'm sure it will be great fun but I'll be in Chicago at 57th Street.  Also having great fun, at least I hope.  

Patterns and Pixels

Art Saint Louis

555 Washington Blvd, Suite 150

I'll have whatever she's having

I don't venture into the political arena on my blog, but I need to say something about Hillary Clinton.  

And it's probably not what you are expecting.    

I want to know what she's ON?????  

And what kind of make up she wears.    

Geez Louise, after campaigning like a maniac for God only knows how many months, she looks better than ever before, perfect make up at all times.  Plus she has some other-worldly energizer bunny thing going on.  Which strikes me as so unusual for a woman who must certainly be menopausal or peri-menopausal.   

OK, rant over.

Check out my Calendar of events in the right-hand sidebar.  LOTS of new events have been added, yikes, I need to get busy, huh?  What am I doing writing this blog anyway!??!      

Inside Out

There are times I wish I still lived in The City.  That being San Francisco of course, the only city I've ever really known.  But New York would suffice.  Or possibly Chicago or LA.  My desire is primarily about availability of stuff that adds to an interesting life experience.  Stuff like Art - Movies - More diversity in Ethnic Food - New Theater - A wider range of Incredibly Fresh Fish.  Things that don't make it to my part of the country, that being the Midwest, a place where coastal types (possibly) imagine we are all naive and so un-hip we wouldn't know what to do with a leading edge lifestyle.  Hmmm, I guess maybe I hang with a different group, but I know lots of us who would enjoy such a lifestyle.   

But I digress.  

We subscribe to the NY Times so I can read about all this stuff I'm missing.  Like a new exhibition at MOMA (NY, not SF) called "Glossolalia: Languages of Drawing."  It is described as a mix of drawings by "outsider" artists and "insider" artists - professionals who have been conventionally trained.  There are no such labels on the art nor is it segregated in any such way.  The link-up for the show is the simple premise that all the exhibiting artists work from internal inspiration and that each artist "has created a unique language with which to express his or her own experience."  

I am interested in seeing the show because this is how I work.  It all comes from inside, sometimes with little rhyme of reason.  I am still working on my "language" as I find it develops more and more  each year.  I have never called myself an outsider per se, although I supposed I am on the cusp since I lack conventional training such as an MFA.  But I have sought foundational training such as the drawing classes I took at UC Berkeley, plus I have taken workshops here and there.  My painting, though, is largely self taught - kind of "girl let loose with art supplies."  

An interesting distinction about "outsiders" (at least per the article - here is a LINK if you want to read it) is that "outsiders seem not to worry too much about how their creations will appear to others..."  I find this fascinating and it also distinguishes me from outsiders as I do tend to care how my work is perceived.  

I have seen a lot of outsider art during my last 2 years exhibiting at Kentuck.  The art I have observed there (at Kentuck) is all so completely raw.  I admire the artist's ability to reach deep within and to express themselves with no apparent edit function.  Personally, I love this loose approach, but I know there are folks, such as my husband, who simply don't get it.  They prefer their art to be more easily accessible.  

I think I admire the raw and loose so much because I have this insane tendency to work and overwork and even, perish the though, think about my work.  I finished (perhaps) a new diptych yesterday and displayed it for friends last night at dinner.  I talked to my friend Bud about whether it was finished and he said yes.  I said I wasn't sure.  He probed for my reasons and I admitted somewhat sheepishly that I hadn't bled on it enough.  I felt I should have struggled more and messed it up, then salvaged it before pronouncing it done.  He just shook his head.   

Something a little twisted about that, eh?   

Layers of Color store opening June 1st

It's almost time, so I want to give a shout-out to my blog buddy Laura who is opening her brand new shop on June 1st.....she draws fantastic detailed designs that are now being offered as clear stamps.  She's such a doll she sent me a set of the architectural ones.  They are so cool!  I've never used clear stamps before (geez, I don't get out much) but you just stick them to a hunk of lucite and shazam, you have a stamp.  The architectural ones are absolutely gorgeous and right up my alley.  I can't believe how clean they stamp with all that detail!  The straight edges in combination with the clear stamp allow you to easily line things up so you can create larger images.  Click on over to Laura's store and take a look for yourself.  Check out her samples and her cards.  She has great color and design sense - her creations are lovely.

I wish her absolutely the *best* of luck with the store! 

Louis Armstrong, who knew??I

Thanks to my friend Jeff for this link regarding Louis Armstrong's collage work.  No, you didn't read wrong,  Satchmo made collages in his spare time.  Click here to read the article and see some examples.  Of course now I want the whole issue of Paris Match so I can see the rest of the article and pictures.  Looking at Louis' work allows me a brief glimpse inside his head.  I love the image of him cutting and taping (that old yellowed tape is divine!) these works together.  

So sweet.  

Through new eyes

On Friday I took my 6 year old grandson to the St. Louis Art Museum.  It was his first time; he's been talking about it for awhile, wanting to go, so I was thrilled to be his guide.  One of the great things about St. Louis is that so many of the museums are free.  Yes.  As in No money required.  I just love that.    

Anyhoo, back to Aidan.  We rambled somewhat aimlessly and checked out art in several areas.  He is particularly drawn to paintings that depict nature so we looked at a range of styles, from very traditional to more folk art and modern.  We saw Monet and Seurat and I talked about fuzzy pictures (that's what his Papa calls them) and all the dots/points of paint in the Seurat.  I had to pick him up to view this close and then we backed away so he could see the full effect.  He loved one of my favorite pieces which is a tree sculpture by Roxy Paine, you can see it by clicking here.  

He was also intrigued to see artists sketching in the galleries and perhaps he and I will do that when he is a bit older.  One of my defining experiences (when I was a child) was at the Cincinnati Art Museum.  I was taking an art class and they set us up in the middle of a gallery, right on the floor.  We were each given a huge piece of paper - in my mind I'm thinking it was bigger than my body, but I suspect it was just a 24x30 or some such thing.  At any rate, I had never even seen paper that large and I couldn't believe I was allowed to draw on the entire page.   

After the museum, I took Aidan to Artmart, our locally owned art store.  He had never been there either and his eyes were saucers when he spotted the 5 and 6 foot tall canvasses.  He said that he would paint the ocean on one of them. He looked at all the paints and markers - his tools of choice - and when I saw the desire in his eyes, I knew this urge for cool supplies must be innate.  He navigated right over to the mongo set of Copic markers (this kid has good taste!) that were waaaayyyyy out of my price range at $400+.  

We ended our day at Sonic where we ordered Lime-aides.  It was pretty perfect.

Alyson Stanfield Blog Tour & Free Book give-away

Today I am honored to be hosting Alyson Stanfield, author of I'd rather be in the studio! The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self Promotion.  I've been an Alyson groupie for years.  In fact, (and I'm sure Alyson doesn't even know this, tee hee) if you open my filing cabinet you will find her Visual Artist Kit plus class notes from  Shameless Self Promotion and Double Your Audience.  I value all of my "Alyson resources" so much and don't know how I could ever have written my first Artist Statement without an Alyson guide by my side.   

I am thrilled she has now written and published this amazing reference for the professional artist.  This book is a must-have!!  So, without further ado, I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to Alyson Stanfield - here today as part of the blog tour to help promote the book.  She is also giving away a free (did you'll hear that!?!?! ) copy of her book - more on that later.   

But first, she has kindly invited me to pick her brain for advice, so here goes.....

mb:  How can an artist transition into a different distribution area without losing income?  For instance, breaking into a wholesale business is an all-consuming venture that may require an artist to cut back on art fairs or other shows.  How is this best managed?

as:  Oh boy.  There is no easy answer to this one, Mary Beth.  It's kind of like the artist who is transitioning from a "safe" job that comes with a steady income to the "real" job of being an artist.  Both are, as you put it, all consuming.  

mb:  Well leave it to me to try the impossible :-)

as:  Before starting any new venture, I would encourage you to dig deep and make sure it's really what you want.  Because you have to want it badly enough in order to succeed.  And are you willing to give it 110%?  If the answer if Yes, you might need to decide what you're willing to give up.  Sleep?  Free time?  Time with family?  Money?  Then figure out what your limits are for each sacrifice.

To make the transition, start your new venture while you still have steady income.  You must realize that you will be overloaded.  You will basically be performing two jobs at once and you can't neglect either.  Commit to researching and taking classes that contribute to the knowledge you need for your challenging path.  Meet and talk to people who are involved in the direction you're headed.  This stuff is legwork.  With the results, you can create a business plan and put everything on paper.  

1.  Write down everything you need for your new business.  This would include people to hire ad help, training, equipment, materials, marketing matter, a Web site and so forth.  Estimate costs and a timeline for each.  Be realistic and question your assumptions.  

2.  Make a list of everything you do that someone else could do.  Whether it's priming a canvas, mowing the lawn, or cleaning the house, there are certain things you don't need to be spending your time on.  Estimate what it costs you to continue doing it and what it would cost you to hire someone else.  Prioritize these tasks (which you would release first, second, third, etc) and write a detailed description of the type of person you might hire to do each job.

3.  Plan to cut back on your other commitments.  What's bringing in the least amount of income?  Drop it first!  As you're cutting back......

4.  Start building your other business.  You can do it by task ("I'll research wholesale shows this month") or by time ("I'll spend two hours a day, five days a week wearing my wholesaling hat").

While you'll be working harder than ever, your transition doesn't have to be all-consuming . Balance and self discipline are required for any new venture.  But don't forget what is putting food on the table.  And don't forget about your well-being.  Take care of yourself--financially, emotionally, and physically--throughout the process.

mb:  Gosh, thanks so much, Alyson, what a terrific answer! 

Interested in winning a copy of I'd rather be in the studio! The Artist's Guide To No-Excuse Self Promotion?  All you need to do is CLICK HERE and follow the instructions.  You can visit other blog tour stops as well and read more questions/answers from Alyson.  And get the book.  Seriously.  If you strive for success with your art career, you need this book.

Thanks so much to Alsyon for sharing her expertise with us.   

57th Street here I come....

My first Chicago show, 57th Street, is coming up in just a few weeks.  As you might imagine, I have been working on lots of new inventory.  I am thrilled to finally be participating.  Since this show has a street jury each year, they only accept about 10% new artists and I've been trying for a few years to get in.  Woo hoo am I excited!  It will be nice because my friend Mary V. Smith also got into the show and our booths our next to each other.  

Check out the website to see some of the other artists who will be there; some great Mixed Media for sure and I look forward to catching up with folks I haven't seen yet this year.  

Check out Artsmiths to see how our members define themselves with ONE WORD. The art is fantastic and I love learning more about each person. It is quite interesting. Bet you'll never guess what word I use to describe myself?

Here is the art that I made. It started out as a piece from several years ago that I digitally altered. I have been reading this book, Scrapbooking Digitally. And yeah, yeah, it may look rudimentary, but it took me forever to figure this out. I am such a Photoshop novice I swear. This is a pretty cool book by the way, it uses Photoshop Elements and comes with a trial version plus some cool scrapbooking doodads. I have learned a lot with the examples shown.

To make this, I scanned my original art first and opened it in Photoshop. Then I dropped the background out of the photo of me (the little girl image) and added it to the previously made art. I got the swirl and the stars from the DVD with the book. Adjusted some color and I was done. Just that easy, about 3 hours is all. LOL.

Blog Tour

On May 20th, I will host Alyson Stanfield on the Blog Tour introducing her new book, I'd rather be in the studio! The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self Promotion.
The book is a must have for every artist's library. I haven't finished reading all of it, but suffice to say it's embarrassing how much I can relate (blush).

The book is organized, not by chapters, but by excuses, tee, hee, hee....I mean does Alyson know artists or what!?!?! And she not only anticipates, but then answers every single excuse you can think of, from "My art speaks for itself" to I'm an introvert" and "I don't know where to begin." So, no matter what your experience level, you will find loads of useful information in this excellent reference.

You can order it by clicking over to Alyson's site where you will see a link. Sign up for her newsletter while you're at it and be sure and stop back right here on May 20th! If you have any questions for Alyson, just let me know (via a comment) and I will make sure we get them answered.

New art

It strikes me that I haven't posted very many pictures lately, boo on me, bad artist!

Here is a pic of a piece I made for a friend who went through her Bat Mitzvah last week (as an adult, geez, that would be soooo hard, the Hebrew and all!!!). Thought you might enjoy seeing it. She is a dancer - hence the image - which is her(!) by the way.

I went wild with some doodling on the piece, as the spirit moved me and I felt like dancing with my pen.

John bought me amazing flowers at TJ's and I added lilacs from the yard to make this lush arrangement. For some reason I've been a little blue - borderline tearful, that sort of thing, like a sappy commercial could set me off. But seeing these flowers and my one-eyed boy (Gilligan) cheered me up immensely. I am hopeful I will make some art this week, but I just couldn't summon the energy these past few days. We did manage to restore the house to its pre-rehab condition, so that is nice. Pics soon....

In the meantime, check out my contest below.

Contest news

Looking for a good read this morning? Head on over to Artsmiths and read Deb Trotter's Artist of the Month interview with Tiffini Electra X. It is oh so interesting; what a wildly talented gal she is! Her work is so amazing. Being a Photoshop wannabee, I cannot even fathom this level of digital expertise. I applaud Tex's accomplishments.

And keep checking in with Artsmiths over the next 2 weeks as our members post their response to the "One Word" challenge. Lelainia has already posted hers on the Home page. It is not only interesting and informative, but Gorgeous to boot - geez, nothing like really raising the bar, L!?!? I am still working on mine, but will post it soon. Anyone want to make a guess as to what my "One Word" will be???? If you get it right, I will send you a prize (my fellow Smithereens are excluded from this since I already told them). It will be a really good prize too cause it's gonna be tough. You have till May 10th to guess, multiple guesses encouraged.

And, just to keep you interested, if no one guesses right, I will pick my favorite "wish it were my word" word and that person will get a prize. I can't wait to hear what you'll say.....

Bonanza

I don't usually talk about this kind of stuff, but I've been thinking about the law of attraction lately. It's gotten a lot of play with the success of The Secret and, if you've studied this sort of thing, you know it's nothing new. In fact, I have been doing it (largely unintentionally) for years until I finally educated myself about 8-10 years ago.

Anyhoo.

After I sold that diptych that I loved so much (this one) I immediately wanted to paint another, a diptych that is, made up of 2 squares. I wanted to do 24x24 or above, I was thinking big. In fact, on the drive home, I thought about it a lot, trying to remember whether I had any more 24x24's in my storage area, concluded that I didn't and figured I would have to order some more.

So imagine my surprise when the very next morning, my friend Heather emails me about a local artist who is moving and selling a bunch of canvasses. I contacted the artist and wouldn't you know it, squares and more squares. BIG ONES. 54x54; 40x40 and my beloved 24x24. Plus some other assorted sizes. We struck a deal and I picked them up this week; nearly filled the truck there were so many.

I am in canvas heaven.......

A new record

What a fun weekend, I just love Louisville! Such a neat town filled with great restaurant and culture, beautiful landscape, gorgeous horses, and nicenicenice people, the kind where southern hospitality shines through. I think I could live there. Yes, I know I said this about Chattanooga, but both these towns are similar in certain ways, Louisville being more refined and "city" like but retaining that small town flavor that is just GOOD.

The show was good too and we escaped rain for the most part although it was creeping up on us during tear down. Which is when John and I broke a new record and completely tore down the booth, packed all the art and loaded the truck in under 45 minutes. He slammed the door right as the rain started. Whew. There is nothing quite so horrible as packing up a wet tent. Then unpacking a wet tent once you get home so we were playing an unspoken beat the clock game.

My best pal Rhonda was at the show and hit the proverbial artfair jackpot with a wonderful collector who loved her work and bought a hee-yuge amount of it for his Frank Lloyd Wright home. What an incredibly thrilling event for Rhonda as we are, after all, trying to earn our living. The timing couldn't have been better since Rhonda is having a ton of necessary plumbing work done on her home this week.

I had a good show too with great sales to cool people who got my work. Plus, it is extra special to be situated between neighbors you like and this was bonus week because I loved the people on both sides of me. Susan and Matt were on one side - fun(!) and funny people, they own and run Mountain Mist Soap Company, a home spun operation that makes bath and body stuff, mostly products with shea butter, the labels full of ingredients you have heard of - no chemical yuck in anything. Plus, they just happen to make a solid lotion bar, for which I have been searching. It creates a barrier between hands and water, just lasts forever and I didn't know where or how to find it. I couldn't believe it appeared right there next to me. Good grief!!! I stocked up, got all kinds of gifts and, needless to say, the truck smells really really nice now.

On our other side - Cheri Haney, the adorable and talented wiz behind Shadow Charms. She designs faboo metal products, some functional, some fine art. Check out her website and read about her process - it is really cool, plus I absolutely worship her marketing success, wow talk about inspiring!

And finally, last, but certainly not least (this is like the cherry on top) we got to hang out with Marilyn Werst and her hubby John. I met Marilyn through friends, while at Artfest, and was thrilled to find she lives in Louisville and would be in town for our visit. She and John are wonderful people, good doobies we used to call them years ago, but I am dating myself now. Seriously though, they are just really good people - smart, fun, funny, my three favorite things - plus they are KIND and do good stuff for others. I am so glad they have entered my life.

Now I am wallishing about in my own home. Wallowing and Relishing all mixed up together to make a happy experience. I feel especially blessed this morning.

Pamela has tagged me and I am going to play along because she is a newbie blogger and naturally I don't want to let her down :-) Plus just maybe, oh maybe it will be interesting to someone, 7 oddities about me, tee, hee, hee.

Here are the rules:

1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you. 2. Post the RULES on your blog. 3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog. 4. Tag 7 people and link to them. 5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Well, if you have been reading here very long you surely know I am a rule breaker, so I'm not going to tag anyone else, but here are my 7 weird random facts.

1. I am an occasional golfer (at best) yet won a contest to play in a Pro-Am several years back. In a fit of manic preparation that included daily practice with a coach, I managed to contribute to our team's effort and sink a couple vital puts. I also have a very large crystal trophy because my team WON the match.

2. I was a Junior Archer Champion when I was young....very young, like single digit young. Thus ends my sharing of athletic endeavors.

3. I will go for weeks and months on end eating the same thing every day. In fact, if my husband didn't cook, I would probably eat the exact same meal 3 times a day. Right now it's a yogurt concoction that I mix up from this faboo yogurt I get at Whole Foods plus dried tart cherries, walnuts & Fiber One cereal. Yes, delish you must be saying. Ok, I love it. And I eat it every single day for lunch, except when I am on the road.

4. I consider myself shy. I know, I know, seems crazy doesn't it? But I swear I am. Inside my own head I am shy and I have to push myself to be.out.there. Only my husband seems to understand this.

5. I am oddly superstitious - wear lucky earrings on the 1st day of a show, that sort of thing.

6. I have trouble memorizing stuff. Always have. This was a real big issue when I competed in music - piano competitions and cello stuff. Once I was doing a piano competition at Miami University and completely forgot the music mid performance. I managed to play for a bit without pause, just making stuff up, and finally found my way back into the real piece. It was wildly embarrassing but I got decent marks for an ability to improvise.

7. I have been married 3 times. The third was truly the charm - John and I are perfect together and it will be 15 years this October. I warned him about the 4 year mark, as it has been very rocky for me in the past. Ha!

And........if you happen to be in Louisville, KY this weekend, you can find me at Cherokee Triangle. I have lots of cool art and would love to see you, so come on by.

There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.
-Pablo Picasso

This quote came up today on my iGoogle. It is definitely food for thought and has put me in a contemplative mode.

Nuff said

I love Alyson Stanfield's blog. She covers many topics that are just dead on relevant to an artist's life. Her current post, for instance, links up an article in the Wall Street Journal that talks about art commentary. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, art-speak language that makes you scratch your head and go, HUH? This kind of art talk troubles me because I strive to make my art accessible to all kinds of people. To me, confusing drivel-ish (ok, that's not really a word) explanations do the exact opposite and only serve to exclude. And there's nothing worse (imho) than uppity art.

Anyway, you can click here to read the article for yourself. There are some classic quotes that are absolutely hilarious. My favorite sentence is:
"Bove's 'settings' draw on the style, and substance, of certain time-specific materials to resuscitate their referential possibilities, to pull them out of historical stasis and return them to active symbolic duty, where new adjacencies might reactivate latent meanings."

Wow. That's a lot to ask from a piece of art.

Remember those 2 pieces from the last post? Well, they are gone
:-(
That didn't take long. A lovely lady walked into my booth at 4 Bridges and said she wanted to buy them. I stood there like a total goof because I was so smitten with the "newness" of them that I wasn't really ready to let them go. But she was paying a good price and I do need to earn a living (which is why I was *at* 4 Bridges after all, DUH) so.......she took them. She matched them up with a piece by Gina Cochran. It was ironic really since Gina and I had been talking just an hour or so before all this took place. I am glad they went to a good home.
The show was great by the way, tons of fun folks, unbelievably cool art, plus I sold lots which always makes it nice. Chattanooga is an awesome town and I believe I could live there if it weren't for some very special family members (you'll know who you are!) who live in St. Louis.
We head back home tomorrow and I am wiped out. Need some rest, but also need to paint some more work for the show next week. I want to paint B-I-G.

Zoned in

You know that zone? The painting one I mean, the one where you paint and paint and paint, barely stopping to breathe, certainly not stopping to pee because you are like an impatient child, just so excited about what the paint is doing, how a composition is developing and the actual moment of action, the placing of paint on the canvas and fascination with its texture and movement, especially the drips. Oh I could go on and on.

And I wish I could say life in the studio was always like this. But alas, it is not.

Monday started as ugly painting day. Color combinations turning to mud right before my eyes. Layouts falling apart, plans derailed - all when I really really really needed to crank and get some inventory together for these 2 back to back shows(isn't that how it always works, you fall apart when you are in a hurry). Somebody please tell me what I was thinking when I booked not one, but TWO shows during the same month as Artfest!?!?!?

Anyhoo, I digress. I stayed the course, not that I was at war with my paintings, but I mainly just kept going and going. I painted over. Moved to another. Painted over it. Moved back to the batch of 6x6's on the other table. Worked on them while the others dried. Moved across the room and prepped some 12x12's. Then into the other room, where I had a tarp down on the floor for some really wet stuff. Worked on that for awhile. In silence which is rare for me because I typically play music.

At about midnite, I finally stopped. I had a dyptych that I liked. I carried them upstairs to view in another setting. Yes, I still liked them. Hmmm. Two 24x24's. It was all I could do to not waken John when I finally fell into bed.

13 Squared

Remember a couple of months ago when I did that piece for a local fund raiser? Hmm, which fundraiser you might say? Well, it was for Viva Vox and the piece is one of my "trash" pieces, meaning that it was made from trash, hopefully it does not look like trash. That was during my trash phase awhile back - I was so convinced I wanted to do an entire new series all made from trash - it was going to be called "Talkin' Trash" until I Googled that phrase (and several derivatives) and found lots of porn stuff. Geez, am I naive or what!??!!

Well, anyhoo, the entire show is posted here if you want to check it out. Some extremely cool art including more than a few that I would buy. I have a feeling there is going to be a feeding frenzy at the opening because the pieces are set at one price (it's not an auction) and I seem to recall they are setting a low, affordable amount because they want to sell each and every one and guarantee a nice donation Viva Vox. Hmmm, it will be very embarrassing to have to tackle someone to get the piece I want.
Just joking...

If you want to read my original post, just click here.

The most amazing students

If you have been following along with my blog, you know I am a full time artist livin' the gypsy life schlepping my wares from city to city on the Art Fair circuit. You also know that I occasionally teach classes, mainly in my studio. Now let me tell you - teaching at Artfest is big time. For me, it was like leaping right into the fire and my oh my what a sweet fire it was. There were 600 people there, give or take a few, all simply champing at the bit to play and make art. The energy was palpable.

I had 24 students in my class and we worked on Claybord. As you can see from these photos, they were brilliant. I wanted to show them all, but alas, I'm a painter, not a photographer so some of the pics didn't come out right.

I think my student's work speaks for itself though, I mean just look at these pictures!!! They were all just amazing and I am so proud of the art they made. What a wonderful experience - I feel completely fulfilled on every level.

As a teacher and a student, all I have to say is ARTFEST R-O-C-K-S!!!!

I hopehopehope to teach again next year, so stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for me. In the meantime, I gotta go make some art cause I have a show coming up in 10 days. Luckily I am a mass of creative artistic energy right now, all inspired and ready to work.

PS.......I am so sorry I didn't get to see much of Show and Tell. I got caught up in town trying to beg the art store (thanks Mark!!) to mail a package for me. By the time I got back, it was winding down. But thanks to those of you who shared your art. I saw some gorgeous stuff.

I am back from Artfest and my first "bigtime" teaching gig was fantabulous. My sweet and talented students applauded at the end of class.
Awe.......shucks.......their works were stunning.
I am coming up for air right now and will report back with more detail and photos very soon.
In the meantime, I would encourage you to hop on over to Artsmiths to read the terrific article by Denise on Holga cameras.