Art vs Oil Spill

This is a cropped version of a painting I did last year . I have loaded it to a Face Book group that hopes to raise money for the Gulf Spill victims. Paul Jackson from Missouri is leading the way and I invite all my artist friends to get on the site and upload an image. Not many of us can drive to the Gulf to help clean up...esp when the hole is still leaking,no, spewing oil and will for a couple more months! As artists, this what we can do and all of us, I dare say, have a spiritual connection with nature and this what we should do... if not more.
Please spread the word and do what you can to help. It effects the whole world.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=124568567574068

I Heart New York

Friday, April 30,2010, The Baltimore Water Color Society took the annual trip to NYC to the American Water Color Society's show in NYC. What a beautiful, sunny, warm, Spring day we had to walk around Manhattan. The water color show was almost an after thought...almost.

" Partners in crime" were Debi Watson and Paul Kasmir from Landcaster,PA. Not sure who this other guy is that they picked up on the street...I'm guessing a spy..you can tell by the beard & sun glasses. They were actually waiting for me after crossing the street. (I was busy taking people photos). They were very tolerant.

I've been to NYC a few times but I must not have looked up. I don't remember seeing these "cartoon" water tanks on the roofs before. And if you zoom in, they seem to be made of wood ! It made me wonder what a plumbers nightmare the city must be !

The watercolor show was, as always, exceptional and I could spend the entire day there. But part of the trip includes a stop at the Metropolitan Museum which is wonderful too. If I sound underwhelmed, it's because there was so much art in one day, it was sensory overload.

The day went by much too quickly. While we were waiting to board the bus back to MD, I stopped to look at what the street venders were offering and found a great photo (not a print) in sepia of this winter in Central Park.

Debi and Paul have posts on their blogs which offer a great capsule of the day and more art photos ( I guess I was captivated by those cartoon water tanks ). Please go over and check out their views of the day. http://www.debiwatson.com/ , http://paulkasmir.blogspot.com/

Link

von Furer Revisited

A little over a year ago, when I first started blogging, I wrote about an experience I had as a child. This was my first experience meeting a "real artist". I published the blog March 19, 2009 and I hope you dig back and look at it. Anyway, I found two photos from the time I wrote about and I'm very happy to share them with you. My dad took the photos, the first being one Mr. von Furer wanted to use in a promotion, the other just one of me and a girl my age from England who was vacationing with her family, too. For the record, I still stand with my hands in my pocket ,contrapositively, and I'm usually squinting at something !

Susan Murphy and Art House

Several weeks ago I met Susan Murphy from Sandy Spring, MD and got to see the most lovely art studio/gallery I've ever seen. About a year ago, the Gazette newspaper ran an article on Susan's gallery and I was so impressed and envious that I cut out that article and photos for my cork board, wishing "some day maybe ..." (to have such a studio )

I mean...LOOK AT THIS PLACE !

Fastforeward to this year and the Baltimore Water Color Society. I agreed to help line up workshops for the BWS in the next three years. I didn't know at the time I would be working with Susan and had quite forgotten about the article. The more I listened to her the more she seemed familar and then it all clicked to why I knew her.

Well, COLOR ME GITTY ! Not only is Susan an energetic volunteer and marvelously talented artist. She's an excellant teacher, open, funny,interesting person and she has two black cats ! ( Don't we all !? )

The Art House Gallery /Studio/School offers classes, framing, gilcee printing and much more. Stop in to meet Susan if you are coming through Maryland

and experience this place for yourself.

Untill then, you can visit her website :http://susanmurphy.blogspot.com/

Link

More Bat Wings, Twirrly & Other Things

More good news ! I was notified the other day that "Bat Wings & Twirrly Things" was chosen to be part of the Baltimore Water Color Society's Mid-Atlantic Regional show. Strange how these things play out. I like this painting for a few reasons, of course the colors and it fun to look at and find different things. But as for technical merit, it really is lacking. As it's creator, I feel I'm allowed to say that. I'm not sure at all why it was picked. There were 473 entries and I can't believe 377 others ( the show consists of 95 ) were of less interest. I have thought more than once that this could have or should have been painted in another medium. ( It still may.) Don't get me wrong, I am over joyed and excited to be included in this show ! I'm just surprised which painting was chosen. The other entry I submitted was of course Indian corn. So much for my reputation as the "Corn Lady". Ah Oh. No. I refuse to be the "Bat Lady".

I just returned from the UPS store to ship my painting to the MO Watercolor Society's national show. I'm so nervous I feel like when my son missed the bus from school on the first day and we had just moved to a new state not knowing anyone. ( It really happened ). I felt sure that I packaged it really well until I had to get in the car to come home. Self doubted all the way and a nap on the couch didn't help. I wouldn't give it a thought but I've seen others paintings arrive to shows in condition not hangable ( Bonny, is that a word ?) And it's ma baby. Sigh...I'll find out Wednesday. 'Tll then...

It's BOX SHOW time again at The Artists' Gallery, 4 East Church St, Frederick, MD. Once again I went for the humorous instead of the serious but I'm almost outta puns where boxes come into play. So this year I thought to do something totally "unbox" which would mean something sphere like and the result is "The Bowling Cube". As one friend said referring to her own bowling skill, "I couldn't do much worse with that than a regular bowling ball". The reactions have been "LOL" enthusiastic so I figure it's a successful project. Saturday evening is the opening reception 5:00 to 8:00. Stop in if your in town. But don't forget the closing reception and silent auction at the end of the month. It's always a blast.

Exciting news ! One of the newest corn paintings has been admitted to the Missouri Watercolor Society's national show this year. The show will take place April through May in Fulton, MO at the Winston Churchill Memorial .