>Thank you, Geneva, IL!

>Geneva Fine Art Show: 168 artists. 4 2-D Awards of Excellence (instead of Best of Show, 1st, 2nd & 3rd place), and a nice little check. Wow! The prize patrol cart stopped in front of my booth Saturday afternoon. Really? Thank you!

Geneva residents responded too. Thank you to all of you who came by to chat, learn about hand-altered Polaroid photographs (no, they aren’t digital – not that’s there’s anything wrong with that!), and collect one or two images.

My new work (Ferris Wheel, Horse in the Smokies and White Haven) were well received and purchased. I started on those images during the Open Studios tour last weekend. Apparently, having guests in my studio as I work is a good thing!

Thank you again, Geneva! Great town, vibrant downtown, and an art-loving public. And thank you to my watercolorist friend Mary Lou O’Brien, and amazing gourmet-husband Bob, who hosted me for the weekend (and fed me so well! No starving artist here!)

Posted in Art, Awards, Fairs, Photography, Polaroid, Thank You | 1 Comment

>Open Studios Tour

>I did something I’ve never done before: invited people into my studio while I was working. What a terrific experience!

The occasion was the Contemporary Museum Open Studios tour. My studio was one of 40 or so open to the public last weekend. Despite being a little hard to find in the Benton Park neighborhood, I had a steady stream of people coming through. Thank you all who visited!

I was working on new hand-altered Polaroids and some pastels for a new body of work during the day. Most won’t be added to the collection, but three will be shown this weekend in Geneva, IL for the first time. Ferris Wheel, above, is my favorite of the three.

Posted in Art, Exhibits, NewWork, Photography, Polaroid | Leave a comment

>A Girl and Her Bridge

>I exhibited at the American Artisan Festival in Nashville last weekend. It’s a terrific fair run by Nancy Saturn, who owns the American Artisan Gallery in Nashville.

As soon as I drove into Centennial Park, I remembered an encounter I had there last year. It reminded me how important art is in our lives.

A little girl, about 11, came in to my booth. It was drizzling and I thought she was just coming in out of the rain. That’s fine. She examined my work very carefully. She reminded me of Hannah, my daughter of the same age, who loves art and takes it very seriously. I tried to talk to the girl, but she didn’t want a conversation. Lots of kids, especially girls, love my images of Horses, and I thought that’s the one that attracted her.

She started flipping through the bins, found what she was looking for and took it to the next booth to show her mother. Mom was engaged in a conversation with a jeweler and not interested in the girl’s selection.

She came back, hugging the picture. She tried for 10 minutes to get her mom’s attention.

I asked her to show me the picture she liked so much. I was surprised that it was Adventure Awaits, one of my favorites but a pretty sophisticated image for a tween.

Does that remind you of some place special, I asked.

She was so solemn, almost in tears. She nodded. “Home.”

Where’s home?

“New Hampshire,” she said. “And I’ll never see it again.” By this time, she was crying.

Obviously, the move to Tennessee had been hard. She had a $80 print in her hand but I was determined she was going home with that image, whether her parents would buy it or not.

Her parents did buy her a smaller version. I imagine it in her room, giving her comfort and easing her transition to a new place. It’s an amazing feeling when my work can touch someone so deeply.

THAT’S why I’m an artist.

Posted in Art, Exhibits, Polaroid, Stories | 1 Comment

>Inspiration Can Keep You Humble

>”The guys just love this picture! Especially the older men. It’s so inspirational! “

That was from a woman who bought six or eight of my photographs to decorate a new office.

I was beaming! This is shot of Lower Gooseberry Falls in Minnesota is not one of my best technically, but it’s ok. I’d like to get back there and reshoot it.

But hey! The guys like it! It’s a construction firm and they are getting inspiration from the out-of-doors. My work is done!

She continued: “It hangs right over the men’s urinal. The older guys find it very inspirational!”

I had to laugh out loud.

I try to do my part!

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>Amazing Weekend!

>Wow! What a weekend! ArtFest on Walnut Street in Springfield MO had the best weather in years. Normally this wonderful street show has rain for part of the show. The people come out anyway, but we’re always a little wet. There were five straight days of rain before the show.

ArtFest is an unusual show — not from the artists’ perspective (wonderful fine art from all over the country. No “pretend” art in this show), but unusual in the traffic it generates. It’s a tradition to bring your pet to ArtFest. Unlike other shows, it’s ENCOURAGED to bring your pet. Dogs of all breeds are common, of course. But Springfield pet owners are far more creative than just dogs and cats. This year walking by I saw three monkeys, one small ape, a chinchilla, a parrot, a big white bird of some kind, a turtle and a snake. I don’t think these folks were buying art, but they were entertaining.

Fortunately, other people were buying art. And this is a sophisticated art-buying public. They know art, appreciate it and want to collect it.

And, I have to say, the judges there are geniuses! Ok. And I don’t only think that because I won an award: Best of Show 2D! I have won several awards, including a couple of 1st places, but this is my first Best in Show. Photographers don’t often see Best in Show awards (have you seen all that amazing art out there?!!) and I’m very grateful for the recognition.

The prize money doesn’t hurt either. Thank you, Springfield!

Posted in Art, Awards, Fairs, Thank You | 1 Comment

>Outside the Comfort Zone

>
Every once in a while a shoot outside my comfort zone. I know nothing about horses, but these two wild horses in the Smoky Mountains National Park caught my attention last March. I was on a shooting vacation, searching for the relaxing time with my family and a little exercise hiking up mountain trails in search of the perfect waterfall photograph. I found this instead. I think I got a good deal.

I don’t know if it will ever see the lights of an exhibit and it doesn’t fit into my current body of work, or even my new work, but I like it and I can share it here.

Posted in Animal, Art, NewWork, Photography | 2 Comments

>Franklin This Weekend

>I’m deep into editing, printing, matting and framing in preparation for my first outdoor art fair of the season. The show is in Franklin TN April 28-29. Last year a torrential thunderstorm wiped out about half the booths. Mine was fine, but the show closed early. The forecasters are predicting beautiful weather this year. Please stop by!

Franklin is a beautiful old town south of Nashville. I love my Tennessee customers. I have never felt so welcomed and appreciated as an artist as when I do a show in Tennessee. Talk about Southern charm and hospitality! Almost more than this Yankee girl knows what to do with!

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>Venus Envy, Concluded

>Absolutely wonderful show this year! Thank you to all the VE 07 Artists, Performers, Board and volunteers for making my job as exhibition co-chair so easy in such a challenging space. I won’t belabor details (we got electricity a few hours before the Preview Party opened — I was ready with flashlights!) The weather did not cooperate. Our cute little artist outfits were covered in coats. It was cold, but the community supported us. The art was terrific and the performances were amazing.

And my new work was well received — and purchased. Again, thank you!

If you missed it, aren’t you sorry? If you were there, please leave me a comment about your experience.

I have personal “thank yous” to Robin, Cathi, Rob & Sherri, Shane & Justin, Ilene & Scott, Jack & Florine (my fabulous in-laws who didn’t know what they would see, but braved it anyway to support us), Harold, Nancy, Kim & Rick, Jessica & Elliana, Laura & Maryann, Walt & Sheila, Cindy, Jane, and Ilene & Scott — many of whom are fabulous artists themselves. I’ve linked those who have sites. Ilene — you need one! St. Louisans known Ilene’s terrific public sculpture at CRC, Jefferson School and Adams School, among others. Thanks everyone for coming to the show.

I didn’t have much time to take pictures, but snapped a few of my daughter Hannah with her henna, created by mehndi artist Suman Chandel. She’ll be the coolest kid in 5th grade tomorrow. I hate to admit that her’s looks better than mine. Fifty-year-old skin doesn’t compare to 11-year-olds!

There were some amazing artists there. Of course, my friends Mary Beth Shaw (collage) and Rhonda Cearlock (clay) exhibited and sold tons! The paintings of Sukanya Mani are just beautiful, as is the work of Amy Van Donsel and Holly Gallaher. Sukanya and Holly had there first show at Venus, as did a few other young women.

Whew! Now, let’s get ready for VE ’08!

Posted in Art, Exhibits, Venus Envy, Women | 2 Comments

>Venus Envy, Part II

>The space looks terrific! April Seager and I are Exhibition Co-Chairs again this year and we (and dozens of others) have been working up to 12 hours a day installing the work, lights and generally preparing the raw, donated space. (Thanks, Nick, for installing the beams for the lights!)

Yes, my daughter wants to know who is that woman who drags in, exhausted, late every night. She thought it was cool to have an artist mom (she gets to go to all the gallery openings and eat her weight in fancy cookies!), but now she knows it just means that mom keeps weird hours and weird friends. Good thing that dad is normal.

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>Venus Envy This Weekend!

>This is my fourth year to be selected to exhibit in Venus Envy. Each year I produce new work, just for this show. This year I will be exhibiting a series of 12 sepia photographs titled “White.”
The series is 12 images of white found in the natural world, and representative of purity. The sepia is an ironic commentary on the nature of women and purity.

You never know what you’ll see at Venus, but you know it will be interesting. There are more than 40 artists and performers.

Venus Envy St. Louis is an all-female art event showcasing painting, sculpture, installations, collage, music, and dance. The Venus Envy event is open to the public. The content of all shows is intended for mature audiences.

VENUS ENVY
Friday and Saturday, April 13 – 14, 2007 In the Locust Business district at 3001 and 3016 Locus
7 PM to midnight
Parking: Free lot at Garrison and Locust
$5 admission or $10 for admission plus two drink tickets

Venus Envy 2007 Visual Artists
Cate Anevski, Melissa Bales, Amy Lee Bell, Rhonda Cearlock, Brooke Center-Wise, Melissa Chasnoff, Joyce M. Cooks, Erin K. Cork, Stacy Davis, Renee Deall, Christa G. Denney, Holly Gallaher, Heather Haymart, Theresa M. Hopkins, Aunia Kahn, Courtney Kennedy, Connie Lambert, JJ Lane, Sukanya Mani, Rebecca McDonald, Sarah Elizabeth Miller, Sandy Miller, Deborah Moellering, Natalie Nauert, Kacie Nichols, Rebecca Orf, Elena Rodriguez, Mary Beth Shaw, Rochelle Steffen, Amy VanDonsel, Jeane Vogel, Lula Von Troy, Jennifer Weigel, Linda Wiggen Kraft and Michelle Zielinski

Posted in Art, Entertainment, Exhibits, Photography, Venus Envy, Women | 3 Comments