And In My Art World

Just submitted three paintings to the jury for an upcoming exhibit at the Rockport Art Association and Museum.  Notification on acceptance won't be until late June.  I wait. 

A Fresh New Look...

for Spring.  I'm going to make an attempt to be cheerful.  Hah!  But, yes, I'll give it a go.  It's got to be cheerful someplace so why not here.  I'm working on lots of keys for customers all around the states and as the warranty key person for KawaiUSA.  Thankfully it keeps me very busy and financially in the black after having to give up much of my tuning business.  I still tune for established customers in Rockport and Gloucester and by select referrals within the two towns.  Much of my time is devoted to caring (or trying to) for my mother who has dementia.  It's not fun.  It's draining, frustrating, tiring, exasperating.........
But, even though I don't get out much other than errands, a once every 3 week visit with a friend, and very rarely a quick breakfast or dinner out with Ray, I am managing to find time to paint.  While it requires a lot of thought and energy, it is not directed toward caring for someone else.  And....it is a calming and relaxing process.  When I get to it, I'll post some pics of my more recent work.

For now you'll have to be satisfied with a brighter blog look.

A Disappointing Show

In many ways. 
Today was the opening of the Contributing Members show at the art association.  What a disappointment.
Firstly, a lot of the work was iffy.  Now this is not a 'professional' show, nor is it juried.  So, they hang what ever is submitted.  In past years most of the work has been pretty darn good.  This year.......well, an off year, I guess.
However, that wasn't the worst of it.  The show itself was poorly hung.  Lack of care, lack of knowledge, or just bad.  Even the food was pathetic. Doesn't speak well of the organization.  Especially when the exhibitors have paid dues, paid an entry fee, and will have to fork over 40% of the sale if one is made.

There's mine, smooshed down in the center.  At least it shares this space with some decent work.  The painting above mine could have held its own space.  They should have traded it with the watercolor on the left and then given a bit more space between the upper and lower paintings.  Same goes for the spacing on the other pair.

And then.....

One of the two galleries. 

The Opening is held on the same day as Town Meeting.  Just plain dumb.  The show was poorly attended.

Title?

The latest from my easel.  Not my typical style...but I like it.  The big problem now?  What to title it?

A Day Early

The show had been set up at the RAA and I took Mom down to take a look.  I'll be going to the opening reception today, even though it will be in the midst of a NASCAR race.  I don't think I've seen one race in total yet this year.

The opening reception will be from 2 - 4 today, March 29.

But back to art...

My painting has a good spot!

The decision was made to title the painting "Night Lights the Motif".  I'm not wild about the title, but after listing a couple dozen options it won.  And after seeing the prices on some of the other art work being shown, I'm really not thrilled with my price decision of $750.00.  Too low, waaaayyyyyy too low.  Either that or a lot of folks have far too great thoughts of themselves.

Has the economy really bounced back that much?

I'll satisfy myself with the thought that I'm priced to sell.

Fun seeing the exhibit with Mom and discussing the good stuff and not so good stuff.

Yep, there it is and there I am.

Oh, the biggest revelation...evidently pencil, pastels, ink, etc. are considered graphic arts and therefore are a separate exhibit category.  Next year you can bet that I'll be entering a painting AND a graphic.  I love working in pastels.

Choosing a piece and seeing it up there at the RAA, seeing all the other art displayed, always inspires me to create more.  I've got some ideas formulating.  Now I've just got to find the time to get started and work them out.

Yearly Exhibit Option

The Contributing Members Show at the Rockport Art Association begins in one week.  Wednesday is the drop-off day for artwork.  ,I have one oil painting and one photograph that I plan on showing.  This year, between work and shoveling, I've only one oil painting.  Actually I have two oil paintings and one goauche that I would like to show...but that isn't allowed.  I have to pick just one.
So my selection for this year is:

#1 (maybe?)

Now the added problems of what to title it and how to price it.  I've had several titles chosen for this particular painting - The Moon's Motive, Moonlight Motive, My Motive.  On and on.  What one must understand with all these titles is that real Rockportoricans call the Motif the Motive.  I may just keep it short at "#1" (for its full name of Motif #1...or Motive #1).

Pricing is another dilemma when I must consider that the frame, alone, cost about $100, the painting is large-ish at 18 X 24, the entry fee is $5, yearly membership in order to exhibit in the one show is $40 (or maybe it was $35, I can't remember) and the BIGGIE, the RAA charges a 40% commission on sales.

It'll all get decided by Wednesday and per my norm, I will not be satisfied with any of it!

The Motive

The latest and probably the painting that will be exhibited this Spring at the Rockport Art Association.  It is from a night photo that I took of Motif #1, which is often referred to as the motive by native Rockporters.

"Are you willing to sell it?" I was asked today. 
"That's why it is called The Motive, rather than Motif 1."

It's Spring, So That Means...

My annual exhibit time begins! Tomorrow is the opening reception of the Contributing Members show at the Rockport Art Association. This is my entry titled "Quiet Morning" (11 X 14, oils, priced at the RAA at $580.00). I didn't enter a photograph this year. After seeing some of the photo entries...maybe I should have...well, there is next year. Anyway, it's difficult to capture the true look of an oil painting with a photograph, but you get the general idea. You can see it in real life, and all the other artist's works, tomorrow through April 19th.

What to Call It?

I'm welcoming title suggestions for my most recent oil painting.

So What Is Doing?

Sometimes I think...."Waaayyyyy too much."  I can't seem to stop the doings, though.  They just keep coming!

Overhead at the tuning!

First, back to my last post.  They still haven't paid for the tuning.  I'll be sending a second notice to them as soon as I buy stamps.

Oh yeah...I've got to go to the post office for stamps, including enough for sending Christmas cards (some need airmail Europe) but that won't happen until probably Tuesday.  Monday I've got to drive my mom to and from day surgery.  A shot for pain in her back.  It's nothing serious, they just won't let you drive yourself.  It's an hour drive each way and she will be there for a few hours...

Monday is shot (hahahaha).

Okay, so back to what HAS been going on...

A 'fire road' leading along Waring Field and in to the South Woods

R and I have started our SundaythereisnohuntingonSundays walks in the woods.  They haven't been too exciting.  No great discoveries - rocks and trees.  Just different rocks and trees from previous walks.  We need a change!

'Discovered' rock art near the Tarr Trail

Nothing is happening with the Haskins Park project.  I can't get anyone in charge at the town level to even correspond with me about the project.  I'm now waiting until after the first of the year to re-approach them with the topic.  Hopefully it will still be on their list and they'll be more willing to discuss it as a new year project.

Work has been steady.  More tunings and repairs as the holidays approach and keys still continue to arrive.

Out of the blue I received a call from the SC neighbors to my cousin's property.  I think that I mentioned here, long ago, that there was a big mess over the handling of his estate and the care of my aunt.  Well, evidently things have not been satisfactorily handled at that end (no surprise) and now I feel obligated to involve myself as much as I am able.  So, many phone calls and much online research later, I am trying to locate long lost relatives.  It's not easy, folks!  And even if I find these relatives, it is guaranteed to be a bumpy road to clear everything up at the SC end of things.  I'll do my best to resolve it...but no promises!

This is BIG.  The white areas, seen below at the edge of the marsh, are houses.

We have something new on the horizon.  An extremely large wind turbine is atop Railcut Hill.  While I'm not convinced of its successful supplementation of power for the business where it is located, I do kind of like the looks of it up there! There are to be two more nearby supposedly to be tied to Gloucester's grid.

Lots and lots of supplies for the price.

Yesterday, R and I went to an indoor yard sale at a small auction house.  Mostly, it was a pile of junk.  However, I did make a great buy with a lot of art supplies for only $15!  The lot included many unused tubes of artists oils and a handful of  brand new paint brushes.  There's a large collection of ink pens and nibs that I may use someday, too.  Considering the current price at the store for these items...I got a super deal!

Work, walks, paperwork (I did get my business books up-to-date and balanced the check books), phone calls, Christmas cards written, some shopping, errands, and the Sandy Bay Historical Society meetings...I've been busy!

New-sy

Well, the first thing is trying out the 'new' Blogger.  Not thinking that I like it much, but like most other changes it will become routine after a while.

This week, or so, has been/will be birthday week.  Mom's came first this past Tuesday and A's will be this coming Tuesday.  As normal, and to avoid too much baking and eating out, we combined the two, celebrating on Thursday with a trip to Skip's (they had opened for the season on Wednesday).  We came home for presents and cake. Thursday was the only evening available in A's schedule.  She had an extra load of hours at work this week.  39 hours when she's supposed to be part time.  Her boss claims it was because of another clerk being on vacation.  Weird that everyone else only had between 15 - 20 hours though.

Our view from our car.  The parking lot was near capacity.

Our timing for Skip's was good, arriving before it got too busy.  As you might notice by the picture, by the time we were nearly ready to leave, the line was out the door.  I'll add that the line started inside, to the far right, about where it says Skip's.  Tradition dictates that we eat in the car.  The weather was beautiful.  In the mid 70's.

Which does bring today's weather to mind.  It's now in the mid 40's...and raining.  It's going to rain tomorrow, as well.  A real Nor'easter, they claim.  We do need the rain.  We're somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 - 8 inches shy of norm this year.  Beats getting a late season snow like upstate New York and western Pennsylvania (hi Norma!).  The bad weather has brought a halt to a search for a little girl missing from Long Beach since Thursday noon.  A tragic story that can be best read through the Gloucester newspaper.

It's been a bit over a week since I got a copy of the book that's new in my sidebar.  Mark Carlotto had written "The Dogtown Guide".  "The Island Woods" is his newest book.  Guess who got an acknowledgement?  Guess who also wrote a 'blurb' for the back cover?  Did you guess?  Did ya?  Yep, me!  And you can bet I got my copy autographed by Mark. Why my presence?  Well, through the historic society I was able to read the proof of the book.  When I emailed Mark with some comments (mostly praise), he asked if I would contribute the back cover blurb.  I had no idea that my comment about an additional D.T. Sq. boulder would earn me the acknowledgement.  I'm very pleased.

In other news...things are looking pretty favorable for a contract on a Mason & Hamlin reed organ rebuild for a Boston church.  Tomorrow I will be pricing out some movers for them and sending along the contract for the work.  Fingers crossed.

This morning, as I looked out my kitchen window, sipping the first of my coffee, I spotted this rather large bunny hopping down the front walk.  He (or she, I guess) sat at the end of the walk for a couple minutes looking around before hopping on into my mother's front garden.

Bart the bunny

Indoors, we started our vegetable seeds a few weeks ago.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and pumpkins. It's been about a 50/50 success rate and I've planted more seeds...just in case.  We've been carrying the tray of seedlings outdoors on sunny warm days and they do look better for it.  At worst, the garden will be mediocre.  At best, we will also have a second crop later in the summer. 

I'm still working on my web site.  I wrote the text and R is doing the editing.  I've accumulated a few more pictures and I've picked a template on a web hosting site.  As soon as a large, uninterrupted block of time is available I'll be getting it done.  Yay!

Today was the day to take artwork out of the Rockport Art Association Contributing Member's  Show.  R and I went down at noon to retrieve the painting and the photograph that I had exhibited.  No sale this year.  At least it keeps my name in circulation.

Haskins Hospital depicted on an early Rockport postcard

In a couple weeks, I'll be running a PowerPoint presentation on the former Leander M. Haskins Hospital of Rockport.  Another SBHS member will be doing the talking.  I'll be doing a bit of explaining about what remains of the property...now a town park.  Getting all the photos scanned and also exploring and taking current photos, not to mention a heck of a lot of research has kept me busy for weeks.  I am happy with the photos and hope that the entire presentation is a good one. It should be.

So, there you have it...I think.  Pretty much what has been going on around here recently.

Art Is Good Day

So...'R' and I headed on down to the UU Church to pick up the craft stuff that I had set up for their Christmas Sale.  Not my usual venue (that being the PTO sale that I kinda boycotted this year) and I wasn't hopeful for much interest in my hand-painted ivory jewelry or miniatures on easels.  The sale ran for three Saturdays and all I had to do was set up a small table and provide an inventory of my items.  Well....a superb Christmas surprise awaited me this morning.  Yep, stuff sold.  I totaled as much in sales as if I had participated in the PTO sale and spent the day sitting there minding the table!  I'm real happy.  Sign me up for next year!

Another Monday bonus was waiting just for me (not really, could have been for anyone), at the supermarket.  We need a larger bin for hats, scarfs, gloves and mittens now that our household is larger.  I found a slightly overpriced woven bin on the top shelf near the laundry detergents.  So I thought oh well, we need it so I'll pay a bit too much to get it.  We headed through the checkout with the bin as a separate item from the groceries that 'R' was getting.  Lo and behold it rang up as higher priced than the tag said it should be!  Ahemmmm....excuse me 'M', who was cashiering.  'M' called the manager over and guess what?  Store policy - pricing error and you get the item free!

Yay! Yippeeeeeeee!

And finally, a new painting has been added to the collection.
The remains of the Cape Ann Tool Company as seen from Pigeon Cove, Rockport.

At Other Times

Times that I haven't been working or out and about, I've done a couple new paintings.  In gouache.  The first was done back in September and is based on a wonderful photograph that 'R' took of the Annisquam River.

The second I just finished and is from a photo I took up in Newburyport.

They need titles before I can post them to the Flickr account.

I've started on an oil painting that should, if all goes as planned, be an interesting, textural view of the Cape Ann Tool Company.

Schooner or Later...

if you take thousands upon thousands of photos you are bound to get at least one or two that are worthy of being called 'artsy'. 

This morning 'R' and I went to the Parade of Sail which precedes the annual schooner races.  I took 130 photographs.  There are a few decent ones.  But then there is this one.........

The One.  The One has been printed and shall gain framing.  It may even get a spot in the Contributing Members Show at the RAA this Spring.

In Case Anyone's Wondering

I don't imagine that this has been a pressing question interrupting the flow of any of your days....
but...
Here's little gouache painting number two:

It's just 5 X 7  (8 X 10 with matte and frame). It looks better in person...really.  Actually it's just occurred to me, since the gouache paintings are small and on paper, I could scan them into the computer rather than photograph them.  Might  turn out better. Dumb me.

I haven't titled it yet.  Any suggestions?

Solo

News Flash!  Deb has been asked to have a one person exhibit of her artwork!

Yippeeeee!  Until suddenly she realizes that she may not have enough stuff.

It's not a big show.  It's not even a formal gallery show.  But nevertheless it will be being seen in Rockport and at a location that seems to have made a 'thing' of their small 'gallery'.  More on all that when the month...September...gets closer.

Right now Deb is trying to put together enough to fill the walls.  She has gone through her oil paintings, large and small, and her photographs.  Currently she is working on a small selection of sell-able-sized paintings in gouache.  Gouache is an opaque watercolor.  (It sort of feels like working with liquid chalk!) These might sell well as the size (6 X 9 plus matte and frame should bring it to 9 X 12) and pricing will be good.

Here's the first (huh, it lost some of the blue-gray sky and clouds) of probably a half dozen or so:

The Estate

It Just Goes to Show Ya...

You can't believe everything you read.

The new issue of Cape Ann Magazine is out and, yes, they put in some photographs of the Opening Reception of the Contributing Members Show at the RAA.
This kind of thing evidently gets put in their Party People section.

Hardly.  While I do enjoy getting together with friends, small social gatherings, or even meeting up with colleagues at a 'convention', I would not consider myself a party person.  Mom definitely isn't.

(Photo credit: Brianna Moore)

So...there I am on the left, next to my painting.  That's mom on the right.  'A' didn't want to be in the photograph.  Of course and as you may recall, Mom and I weren't too keen on participating, either. 

Free publicity wins over hating to be photographed.

The Exhibitionist

Not what you think.

This morning a friend emailed and a part of her email exclaimed, "FRONT PAGE!"  Well of course I had to check it out.  Sure enough, there on the front page of our local, weekly, free newspaper was a photo as part of a story about the elementary school's new science center.  And in that photo...
It soars again!

The photo above is copyrighted material (Beacon) and is shown here for personal use only

And that was just the start of a pretty swell day. 

Mid day was consumed with tuning jobs and late day demanded my attendance at the Rockport Art Association Contributing Members opening.  Once again I'm showing an oil painting.

Beyond the Oaks

And a photograph.

American Spirit

The three gals showed up just after five o'clock to check out the exhibit and to nibble on finger food.  While standing around chatting, we were approached by a photographer who inquired about being photographed for Cape Ann Magazine.  We hesitated and then a thought came to me.  "Sure, we'd be glad to as long as the photo is taken in front of my painting."  'A' didn't want to, but mom and I did the photo thing and the photographer jotted down our names AND the title of the painting. 

Just maybe a bit of publicity, huh?

Envelope Art...Again

For Veteran's Day...

With love from my Uncle Hughie who was killed on a B-17E training flight near Gowen Field, Idaho on April 3, 1942.

In Response

to my last self-portrait post may I present two historic title references.

The first, the Van Gogh (without bandage, without hat, Scribbs)

And another title example, a self portrait by Gustave Corbet.

For those of you wondering what on earth I'm talking about...you haven't read the previous post.  Go read!