Blog

The River's On My Mind
It has been almost two months now since I left for my river rafting  and painting trip along the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.  While we were on the Colorado River, we often hiked to interesting areas such as this beautiful slot canyon called Blacktail Canyon around mile 121.  I just can't stop thinking about that trip, all the things I learned and the wonderful people I met.

Since I returned, my time has been spent catching up with what hadn't been done, blogging about the trip, doing my volunteer work for one of my local art clubs, and reading about John Wesley Powell's journey  called  "Down The Great Unknown" by Edward Dolnick.

Volunteer Work
This is my second year as the exhibition chairperson for the California Art League.  When I accepted the position, I thought we would have two shows a year.  It turned out this club has three.  So I survived the first year, but THIS year the club decided to have an OPEN show (so now we have FOUR shows... sigh).  This was advertised everywhere and had a wonderful well-known juror, Robert Burridge.  The venue is beautiful.  And it turned out that the show went very well.  We got a lot of new members and it was fun getting to know new people.   It was actually the very first show where we broke even financially.  I don't think most people who don't participate on the board of their local clubs realize that putting on a juried show is very expensive.   Even with all volunteer help, jury fees don't begin to cover the costs of renting a venue, paying the juror, paying for the reception food, paying for the awards, and paper goods, etc.  So we were very pleased with that show which will close next Saturday.

The trouble was that because of scheduling for the venues, we have had two shows practically back to back.  As soon as I had notified all the people who were juried in to the first show (the day I returned home from my river trip), I had to send out the prospectus for the second.  THAT show will open this weekend.  So this weekend I will be doing take-in for the work juried in to the second show on Friday and then on Sunday, I'll be doing pick-up duty for the first show.  CRAZY!!!    Happily my work was juried in to both shows, so at least I had something on display to show for all of my work.

AND...  take-in for another club is next Monday.  This painting, called "Blacktail" is one of two studio paintings I've created from studies I painted during my Colorado River / Grand Canyon trip that I'll be submitting to the juror.  I hope they are accepted. 

Then Tuesday is the day I need to take down those paintings that didn't sell from my one-woman show at the Colony Theatre Gallery.  My "spare" room will fill up again with paintings... sigh.

It's around NOW that I begin to wonder why I do this??  But really I know...  Many of you who commented on my last post know too.  We paint because we love creating...  but it is also nice to share what we have created.   I LOVED reading what everyone had to say...  If you didn't get the chance, go to my last post and read those comments.  Great thinking readers!!!

*****
Good News

Just before I left, a gallery in Arizona contacted me through my website and asked if I would consider hanging my work with them.  She saw one of my paintings on FASO's Daily Art Show and then began looking at all of my work.  After contacting me through my website and several back and forth emails, we came to an agreement, and I am proud to say that I am now represented by

WILDFIRE GALLERY
Owner/Director Janet Kelly
"Representing artists state-wide and beyond"

6501 E. Cave Creek Road Suite 3
Cave Creek, Arizona  85331
480.595.5188

ALSO...  I just got word that one of the paintings I painted en plein air while my work was showing at the Crane Gallery in the San Marino Library Complex will be on the cover of a recently published book by a new Italian author.   The author, Lucia Guida, was just web surfing and found my work.  She liked it and it fit with her story.  She contacted me through FASO... 

  (I love my website!!)  Pretty exciting, huh???

So... as always -- life is good.