Christmas Cards...

Woke up this morning with a poem/ode trying to force itself into my conciousness... don't worry, I won't try to recreate it here, or at least not now... not sure it's possible to retrieve anyway but seems there's something that needs to be said so I should probably give it some attention. These poetic overtures only surface once or twice a decade and the process seems to be worthwhile, a strictly personal benefit, but worthwhile none the less.

Speaking of 'every so often,' I scrolled down through recent posts (recent?) and realized I'm on a monthly entry of late and I will be out of step if I don't hurry and get Dec's entry posted. I'll use this opportunity (deadline? excuse?) to tackle a project that needs to be documented... posterity wouldn't be the same without, you understand... okay, give me some slack ;)


Back when I took up screen printing... um, that would be mid 70's... a side project was the creation of an annual Christmas card which I designed and printed for about ten or so years. When I quit serigraphy as an art medium, I quit the whole process so the original cards ceased. I haven't really enjoyed the ritual of mailing out cards since... store cards seemed so banal, even with the typed page of family updates that were a standard enclosure all the years there was much to talk about (like where are we stationed now and what are the kids up to?) I figure this blog serves the purpose these days... for better or for worse, it's here for the taking.

So reacquainted myself with the scanner, cranked it up and here are most of my old cards... sometimes the design wraps to the back, none were ever marketed, they were strictly for our own use. Still have a few leftovers which I use for family gift enclosures, and even those are down to the ones where ink smeared or had some sort of imperfection... I always kind of liked imperfections...

Back To Port Gibson

I drove four hours to Jackson, picked up the Natchez Trace and planned to exit just behind George Ann's house... but lost in the exquisite view, I soon found myself way past her exit. Correction made, we went on to what is becoming an annual ritual, a fine beet salad lunch then shopping for bread, cheese and fruit at Fresh Market... then took the Trace all the way to Port Gibson. Such a remarkable drive, slowed to 50 mph, watching for deer and having a good catch up conversation.

We arrived Friday afternoon in rain but awoke Sat morn to bright, crisp fall weather... so clean everything sparkled, making it hard to decide where we wanted to paint. We'd covered much of the historic elements in previous visits so this time drove toward the river (the Mississippi changed course many years ago, making the 'port' in Port Gibson just a historical curiosity.) After stopping for photographs several times, we elected to stay as a group and set up in Grand Gulf Military Park... as much for their convenient 'facilities' as for the assortment of artful views.


That left just half a day to produce... I matted all six of my efforts, though none deserved the effort. I really must do more watercolors so I'm not so hampered by unfamiliarity. I love the medium and spent years with w/c as my primary process... but it's unforgiving and carries a grudge when it doesn't get enough attention! My bad...


Small towns must watch scheduling conflicts, making sure the crowd you want to attract to your event isn't committed elsewhere... consequently, we again found ourselves competing with Halloween for the combination opening of the Fall Traveling Colony Show and Paint Day Auction. The setting was at Gallery 621, the special province of good friend and fine artist Constance Keith Alford. The last Halloween 'Paint Day' date proved successful with a fine attendance, but this year they were caught between the holiday, a BIG estate auction and, I understand, the funeral of a prominent local. The loyal friends of the gallery did attend and additional ambiance was provided by a local guitarist/singer who performed just outside in clear and slightly crisp weather. It was still light since clocks hadn't yet been turned back so with doors opened to the street and music, the expanded venue was all the more enjoyable.


This event in past years can be seen here: 2008, and 2007. Keith does such a great job organizing and hostessing, always such fun to be with her and the other artsy friends.


(My paintings buds were happy for me when I located my misplaced camera ;)

About Those Pylons...

On and off for the last 5-6 years I've been working with a series I call Pylons... long, narrow, wall hung boxes in sets of two or three, often in varying lengths. I don't recall what prompted the series but basically it was simply a matter of applying my same painting techniques to a different type of support. I noticed that sometimes my galleries would display them free standing but since the backs were open with hanging wire, placing them was problematic.

So... I asked my fabricator (that would be J.) to build a set of three that would stand alone, not be hung. The problem to either solve or ignore was how would I stabilize these forms so they would stay upright and not tip over and cause havoc! One thought was small additions to the lower sides to broaden the base just a bit... this is still a thought in progress as you can see, it's still subject to tipping. Geeze... !


So... I took them to Alabama Art Colony, not only to work on but to pick the brains of both artist peers and mentors. Consequently, I came away overloaded with ideas... if I followed through on all, I could field quite a large show of nothing but pylons! Once home, I found my equilibrium and I realized I would need to follow my own lead, let these suggestions gel for awhile and then proceed with what feels right. They could be called close to finished, I'm not displeased but at the same time, not satisfied that the are all they can be. Here is a detail of the bases... I haven't made good photos and don't know if I will... not just yet anyway.

On another note, I've happened upon an artist I had not known of before... Anne Truitt, a relativly unknown minimalist of the DC Color Painters (Kenneth Noland, etc) who worked primarily on this same type of structure... would love to see the exhibit of her work which is being shown now at the Hirshorn in DC! She's not only a fine artist but kept journals (now published) detailing her career which began after marriage and children... a bunch of us would connect with that!

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Alabama Art Colony

The Convention Center at Children's Harbor where Alabama Art Colony is held.

The cabins...

The main workshop area...

Harbor House which the Independent group used.

Interior of Harbor House... before all arrived.

I've been an active member of Mississippi Art Colony (MAC) since 1987 and credit the high level of expertise by the artists who are regulars and the excellent invited artists who come twice a year to critique with my continued growth and development. Career momentum took hold and I slacked off for a few years, participating in few art gatherings but recently began to realize this is not good for the artistic soul... one MUST be part of an intellectual give and take or this 'one' gets very stale. So I not only returned to MAC but also signed up for another Colony which is only an hour and half away... Alabama Art Colony (AAC). The two groups are very similar but also very different.

At AAC, two workshops are normally given, this year Harry Ally conducted the contemporary painters and Dot Svensen worked with the plein air painters. For the first time, an Independent Group was added and I was one of the twelve painters included. Hugh Williams, Professor Emeritus Auburn University, has been instrumental to the development of both the Mississippi and Alabama venues which explains the high standards and expectations at both. He suggested the Independent Group and it will evolve year by year to best suit all involved. I simply ate it up and hope to be a regular at the annual fall sessions and still attend MAC as often as possible.

The facilities are fantastic! It's a fairly new 'camp' designed for seriously ill children and their families... corporate, big budget sponsored and kept super clean due to the needs of delicate immune systems. So okay... I'll learn to spread drop cloths and not sling paint! The photos above don't begin to do the area justice... but you get the idea...

Named and Documented...

2009 - Revolve - 48 x 36

2009 - Scotch - 60 x 48

Finishing up these two... trying to get a handle of a back log of unfinished works so I can refresh inventories in several states. I sometimes wish I was the type to follow through with one idea from beginning to end but that's not the way I do things. Have to try it every-which-way, and often wishing I had a 'control-Z' option to get back to a previous state. But then... the sun breaks through the clouds of indecision and it all comes together. These two paintings hark back to a long time mode of geometrics heavily dependent on the ruled line. There's nothing new here, I could point to dozens of similar works on my site and if an artist needs to claim a 'body of work'... this would be mine, I suppose.

In the 'storage' hallway outside my studio there are at least a dozen unfinished paintings... most headed in the newer boshuko direction. When the mood strikes, and it will, I'll once again feverishly pursue their final layers... but that series has yet to find it's audience so they are mostly just for my serious side. Not that the above paintings aren't considered serious... they are serious inventory bets, believe me... and if they were formulatic they would have been finished weeks ago without all the anguish that seems to be part of my process.

Melange...

Here's the challenge... transform these two horizontal paintings to verticals with a stronger reference to the hill country of Texas. Hey... I can do that ;) What I can't do is take really good photos that capture color as they should, but you'll get the idea. Next, I'll roll and ship to Texas!

MELANGE, 48 x 60, the original thought...

MELANGE 3, 60 x 48, the vertical interpretation.

GLIMPSE and SOL, diptych, 60 x 78, the original thought...

MELANGE 4, 60 x 48, the vertical intrepretation...

Matt Jones Installation...

Finally got down to the gallery and took photos of my wall space. They did a great job considering the paintings come from several different parts of my brain, not series work at all, they hang pretty well together. He said they are getting lots of attention and I appreciate that.

My 'fractured' landscape, 'Divide' is nearby.

I didn't used to favor paintings being grouped by artist in a gallery but this space is pretty much one big room, and really lends itself to this arrangement. I like it! I like seeing all my work together, knowing it's got a good chance of being seen and not lost in a back corner. Not all spaces work this way and you deal with what works best.

My flash wasn't working so these Pylons don't show up in their sunny window setting, but I'm told they are also getting lots of positive feedback. They were created as wall pieces but I really like the idea of free standing, four sided works and since I had my fabricator with me, we discussed a new project for him to begin. I feel something at the bottom is needed to keep them from being tip-prone but I don't want to do anything obvious... will have to think on it...

Catching Up...

Vermillion View - 60 x 48 - 2007

Good grief! Can't believe how bad I am at maintaining some kind of order around here! My intent was to follow the last infrequent blog entry with installation pics of my work in the new gallery... but one thing and another later, I've yet to make a photo shoot trip to see it myself! But signs of a routine reestablishing itself might make it possible. This week for sure!

So... if you don't read me on Facebook, the news is that an instate rep picked up a few paintings to try out at some fancy corporation digs... and at least one (above) might stick. No final word yet. Gotta say, this painting does not photograph well... even the rep remarked about how much better it looked in real time. Lots of nuances... layers, etc.

Am focused in the studio on transforming a couple of horizontal landscapes into big verticals for spots in a Texas hill country golf club setting... a new rep doing a good job! More on that as they come together.

So, artwise, all is well in some corners... but like many, holding my breath in others... some galleries are just flat out... well, flat. I am lucky to have a decent mix.

I'm still convinced that the Bokusho series has a future so I continue to start new efforts in that direction. Though they took off at the beginning, the follow through fell with the market (and with the closing of one gallery that had established and sold them very well.) Try as I may, when I present them first, the gallery or rep will still mix in regular abstracts or abstracted landscapes... so they never get a chance to stand alone, which is how they should be viewed. At least I did have one show of nothing but... wouldn't I love to work toward another!

To amuse myself, I recently tried to do a series of big white paintings (basically bokusho based.) That didn't last long. I've managed to introduce a softer look but white paintings remain a challenge that I accidentally attain from time to time.

And so it goes...

Fine Tuning...

Nordys Gallery, now closed

A year and a few months ago my local gallery closed it's doors after 7-8 years on the scene. They opened just as we moved to this area and had contacted me even before they knew I'd be a 'local'. It was a terrific space, large and lofty, perfect for exhibiting contemporary art. We honed a great relationship, I had several shows and sales were good. Personal reasons more than the economy necessitated the closing... I understood.

I contacted another prominent gallery in town and was invited to join. Sales started popping and things were looking good... and then the bottom fell out of the economy and you know the rest of the story. I've no doubt that on recovery, this gallery will be as strong as ever... but I've chosen to move on... I hope, with no hard feelings.

The first gallery so spoiled me with their contemporary setting... this second gallery had plenty of space but it was very traditional in feel... and I didn't think my work felt at home. There were other considerations but mainly... the arrangement just wasn't a good fit for them or for me.

Matt Jones Gallery

So... I approached another and will soon be represented by the Matt Jones Gallery. The visual arts in our city suffer from lack luster support and there is little cooperation between the galleries to promote themselves as a group. MJG is new in town and probably without the ties that most depend on... but they seem to be innovative and I love what they've done with their old warehouse space which replaced another gallery in this location. They gave it a completely new, contemporary look... the ambiance I feel best suits my work and challenges me to fit even better.

So... there are other options, other regional cities that might be better prospects but I can't imagine not having local representation. And here's to making that work...

. . .

Blogging FB...

Five bokushos in progress... goal was white paintings but they have minds of their own.
The little landscapes along the top are leftovers from Colony...

*

Here's a blog link about one artist's discovery of Facebook... explains a lot ;)

I'm guilty... I've neglected this blog as well as reading many others that I really enjoy. FB does make staying in touch much easier and quicker... a short status update can often say as much as an entire blog post. There are times, however, when it doesn't... and the need to explore, untie the knots, really understand what I'm trying to sort out, can only be done by blogging.

So don't think I'm going away, this is too therapeutic to toss to the wind... plus it's my diary. Personal FB thoughts are lost after a page or two of status updates... probably still there but not searchable or neatly labeled (not that I label these posts anymore... I figure the Google blog search will find what I look for.)

Truth be told, I'm not certain that I have many goals left to track... I really thought with the economic turn-down that I'd quietly withdraw from the commercial scene and begin folding my studio tent... maybe retire to a hobby of sketching and watercolors. I still think this is a good plan... focus on setting records straight and maybe print out a book or two to pass down in the family... but basically, move on. Seems there's still a bit of momentum left in the career, however, and a new possibility sends me scurrying to see what I can catch... I'm as competitive as ever. Drat!

Family Fun

The second big summer event has come and gone... I won't bore you with details but this fun video pretty much says it all. Yes, I'm just recovering, it was exhausting but oh, so much fun!

Testing Mobile Entry

Check it out.

Sent from my iPhone

===============

AHA! It worked... I've learned a new tech trick ;)

I'd been meaning to figure out how to make blog posts from my iPhone and I think I have the right formula in place... so many times while downstairs in the studio, I think of something post-worthy and always have my phone handy... but by the time I'm back upstairs the thought is gone so nothing is said. Or we're off to the lake house and I can post from there... hopefully, because it will depend on phone connections rather than wi-fi. We'll see how it goes...

Painting Just For Me...

Archives - 1988 - Magnolia 5 - W/C - 22 x 30

Prepping for another surge of family at the lake house... will be out of pocket for the next week... but that's another story...

As most who follow these wanderings know, I'm not one to stay too long on a chosen path. At some point I must (briefly or not) shift directions and either explore something new or revisit something from the past. The latter is the current infatuation, a journey back into realism combined with a medium I've never really mastered but will give one more try... oils.

An FB friend mentioned this Josef Albers quote: "Knowledge does not destroy spontaneous work; rather, it ceates a solid base for it."

I consider this research for knowledge... painting directly from an old photograph, similar to the w/c above, but in oil. First I'll work as realistically as possible on a small canvas, sharpening eye/hand coordination, reaching back to a time when this was my primary way of working. I knew exactly what the finished work would look like: nearly identical to the photograph. Second purpose is to get the feel for oils again... not as a big-brush-palette-knife abstract process but an exploration in color mixing and detail application. If things work out, I'll move to larger supports.

Why? First, to make sure I can still make the calls... that I'm not controlled by habit and routine. Where's the creativity in that? Things have become so predictable in the studio the challenge has left the room. I've a large inventory spread across several states and I don't really need to keep growing it at this point. So now is the time to play... to see what I can still do, to entertain new thoughts that may lead to just time out to paint for me... or a new direction all together.

I'll take sketch and w/c materials with me this next week... since I won't really be in charge, maybe I'll find time to work on that eye/hand coordination thing...

Just Deal With It...

...clutterclutterclutter...

You may think I'm not blogging much these days but a look at my list of posts shows many drafts... unfinished thoughts or second thoughts, like "maybe this doesn't really need to be shared" kind of thoughts.

The same situation defines my studio... unfinished thoughts... works that, for one reason or another, aren't ready for prime time. In fact, that's possibly one of my weakest areas... unfinished projects of one sort or another. A current (and recurring) effort has me digging out, clearing out, sorting out... not only the studio and inventory, but all through the house. Just a shelf or drawer at a time... no need to rent a dumpster, or not a very big one. Goal: to be able to see everything in a room, closet or drawer in one glance. To cut ties with saved materials that will never see use and merely take up space. To have a clear and unobstructed view of what I really want to do next!

You see... I have this problem. Not uncommon but also not really fixable. Best I can do is deal with it... and that's where the cleansing comes in. The ole memory is not serving so well anymore. Nothing to get excited about, the usual age related dementia to be expected and most of us complain about (beginning the first time you lost your keys) and can be counted on to only get fuzzier with time.

Of our three kids, the oldest has the largest collection of my work through the years. (They all know they can have most anything they want.) He didn't realize he would pay the price by being designated 'Keeper/Manager of the Inventory' when I can't do it anymore. Because we had the job of dealing with both mother's belongings when they passed, I realize how daunting this job can be. So while I still have my wits about me, I will try to make better order and toss the nonsense.

This, of course, is not the first time for such an effort... seems to be another project that never gets finished!

And Then...

Conclusion: it was, for the most part, well done. You take six kids (seven, with a play date thrown in for the youngest) ranging from 8 to 14 and you aren't dealing with children anymore. There's the transition into teendom (Heaven help us all!) that I didn't fully prepare for and had memory prods of what an attitude I had at that age! The oldest flew home after the first week leaving two BFF (Best Friends Forever) pairs plus the youngest-who-will-not-be-ignored!

The all time favorite was tubing on the big lake with the old man successfully causing them to lose their grip and fly off... someone kept score but it wasn't me. Big grins all 'round. Our little lake saw a bit of action, but not much... thought the sail boat and kayak would be hits but not. The old golf cart made repeated hill climbs with various drivers and just about went up in smoke but survived... I think.

We did break out the watercolor kit but the assortment of Oops paint from Home Depot was more fun. When will I learn? I'd picked up some $1 frames from Michael's for them to paint and then went searching for odd scraps of wood which was just as fun to paint. Pollock would have been proud of their spattering. The local community had an Art Walk one night and we visited Kentuck Fine Craft Museum with all it's open studios, meeting artists and seeing demos... then made a gallery visit before rains washed us out.

The cooking camp part consisted of one evening of discussing a meal everyone would eat (vast taste differences) and settled on shrimp kabobs with grits. Big success in my book! They contributed whenever appropriate with other meals but I didn't push a big organized effort to control. We visited a resturant with a counter that viewed the kitchen and the owner took pains to entertain... we appreciated! I'd anticipated more involvement with daily cooking but, like Xmas, anticipation is where the real fun is!

Technology played a big role in this group... some were on their phones almost constantly... texting or talking... way into the night. No need to keep parents updated, they were probably more informed than I ;) I joked to one that there was no way I could mistreat them as they would tell on me immediately! But that's part of their lifestyle and I certainly understand, I'm hooked too.

There were some good side trips... the local Science Center has a great kid set-up of all kinds of exploration... and the University Museum of Natural History was more time well spent.

Conclusion... Good times and good memories were made. I love these girls, with all my heart! Always will. But as teens, I think I'll leave the details to their parents who understand better than I what today's society is all about. We had our turn and produced three really great kids I couldn't be more proud of! And they're doing a super job with their not-so-little ones... my hat is off to them!

Now... back to the studio where I think I might know something... if I haven't forgotten!

Moving Right Along...

Five of the six G-Chicks soon to arrive!
(Photo/scrapbook credit to my photographer daughter, Julia!)

So here's the deal... the next few posts will be mostly about g-kid worship. Although there is a lone g-guy in the younger set (another lone g-guy in the older tier) we have mostly g-girls... sometimes referred to as g-chicks as they are (or nearing) teeny bopper category. We have two here in town and will be driving to NOLA on Friday to pick up three more and bring back for a two week "camp" at the lake house... mostly. A sixth g-chick will fly in from Arkansas... making a total of six for the last week. The young man will visit later in the summer with a buddy of his... believe me, this is the most humane way to treat an outnumbered guy kid! Chicks can do a mean job on a lone young brother/cousin!

Well laid plans (you know how those go!) include a Cooking Camp and an Art Camp plus the usual boating, swimming and tubing that actually takes priority. My theory is that they will not just learn a few recipes, but how to plan and shop and put together a few decent meals for future reference in this kitchen... I want them to feel that this is THEIR house and their responsibility to make it function appropriately. Including the nitty gritty parts. I don't expect to play hostess/caretaker more than absolutely necessary!

I've probably gone overboard with art materials, but each will receive a wood box watercolor set, a palette, a spiral watercolor book and a newsprint tablet... and a Dollar Tree $1 bag (cute) to keep it all together. The idea is that they will keep a sketch journal of the time they are here. I remember seven or so years ago, I'd taken three of them to the zoo and had forgotten my camera... "don't worry, Grammie," the oldest said, whipping out a little notebook, "I'll just draw everything we see!" And she did, and my biggest regret is that I didn't keep the dozen pics she drew... thought she should have it and now it's lost. But I did keep these two pics:
The zoo animals are missing but she nailed the rugged climbing rocks and apparently there was a contrail in the sky with the sun... and I got the full treatment but my daughter only has the beginning of a head due to limited drawing time... can hardly wait to see what the journals produce!

Here's all nine from three years ago, not easy to get them all together anymore!

Is that a good looking bunch of G-Kids or what!?!
(They could have stayed that size! Or smaller!!!)

Uh, oh...

.....

The Grids 1 & 2 - 36 x 36@

I'm reminded of a blog post I made a few months back about an inquiry into three of my paintings... seems I was more than a bit leery of the writer's intentions and said so. My readers were divided as to whether I handled it appropriately... most of them having dealt with suspicious inquires at some point. Plus, I had a really bad head cold... I felt snotty and acted it.

So a few weeks ago I receive another email about my work. This time I don't have that underlying feeling of distrust and even if chances are it won't go anywhere I behave myself. Now, fast forward to today... and the above paintings are being shipped to California via the gallery to which I referred the potential buyer. What a vote of confidence this gives me... and a lesson!

Now see, Karen? That wasn't so hard! You don't really know if that other emailer might have been on the up-and-up! It's quite possible that you can't read minds and too quickly assume the negative.... I am humbled!

What Is A Colorist?

2009 - PIEDMONT - 48 x 64 - mixed media on canvas

So there I was... finishing up my FB status with the disclaimer: "I am NOT a colorist!" How surprising and encouraging to hear from several respected artist friends, including the artist/author/color expert Nita Leland, adamantly disagreeing with me. "You are too a colorist. Or have you given up loving red?" she sez...

Ah, the illusions we paint, the hidden struggles under those layers of unfortunate selections and assumptions. A real colorist can go straight to a properly selected and mixed hue, knowing it will juxtapose comfortably or excitedly with the whole. Perhaps what I consider to be my weak suit led indirectly to my exploration of abstraction... even with realist watercolor I painted in thin layers of glaze until everything merged appropriately. My abstract texture relies on many color trials (underpainting, it's professionally called) and if I get it right early on, I'm in big trouble because I need to keep on painting... probably missed a better option!

So, what about all that red paint? It's become my signature color in some circles, almost to the point of saturation! Is it a true love of the color? A lopsided proportion of sales of red paintings? A crutch?

Crutch! The ugly word from teachers of yore... must avoid crutches at all costs! A frequent and easy choice that eliminates real thought or imagination would probably qualify as a crutch. Am I considered a colorist because I use a lot of red? Umm... this does not fit my definition even with a broader palette. Seems to me a colorist would know and manipulate color with more ease... seems... or is a colorist one who is never satisfied with the color arrangement and always searching? Ha! Yeah, that would be me!

Manufacturing Deadlines...

Harry Ally and Karen Jacobs With Thistles
photo credit - Suzanne Ally

This morning my FB status read: "Three paintings in progress... with deadlines!" Okay, maybe that's a stretch, not the number of PIPs (probably three times that many at one stage of incomplete or another) but just what qualifies as a deadline?

One is a commission which will be delivered to NOLA when we drive that way at end of May (a dance recital plus bringing the g-chicks back determined the date.) So that's legitimate. Another painting has been a PIP for over a year... a good idea which just hasn't resolved itself as yet, but I want to get it to Atlanta along with a few others before I make the NOLA trip. That's a rather fluid deadline... could be scratched but really need to refresh the work there and this big one would fit nicely...

The third is another landscape with a much looser approach, trying to let Harry Ally's influence work with me... and it would give me another painting to deliver to NOLA along with the commission. Am really trying to loosen up... not happy with recent efforts, have overpainted a bunch that just got too real and precise... constipated, if you'll pardon the thought.

So there you have it... if I wait for others to set my deadlines, I'll float through life letting whatever strikes my mood have it's way with me. It's all about discipline and sometimes, especially in spring, especially when thoughts turn to upcoming g-kid visits, my will to work falters. Got to keep the ole momentum going one way or another!

BTW, the thistle bouquet has been on my kitchen counter since returning from Colony... today it burst forth with giant dandelion type seeds all over the sink ;)

It's Still A Good Time!

It was good... it was very, very good! From the NOLA side step to the spring drive through three states with one beautiful sweep of wildflowers after another. Two audio books held my attention and made the miles fly by. And then the welcoming hugs by both old and new friends at Colony... everyone needs a peer group like this to touch base with over the years! The guest artist, Harry Ally, was right up my alley... delighted to make his acquaintance and that of his artist wife, Suzanne (a new blog and Facebook friend!)

The painting went well... at least I proved to myself that oils are still a possibility, but I don't feel a strong pull in that direction... mainly just got it out of my system for the time being. Face facts, I couldn't find anything that suggested that oils would contribute anything to my process that acrylics couldn't do quicker, just as well and more intuitively. We're talking about MY process here... no offense to you oil enthusiasts out there, I admire it and wouldn't be continuously trying to make it work for me if I didn't appreciate the quality. But I've yet to make oil magic happen for me.

So here I am... home, but slightly still in transit. I'm pleased, very pleased, to have been awarded the important Purchase Award blue ribbon for work that has not been appreciated on it's round of galleries and had been absorbed into my own personal collection... you know the type, you love it and see it's worth but it's sales potential is, um... well... I was told that the corporation that sponsored the award has a really fine contemporary collection and will be happy with the judge's selection. I feel good about it's new home.

Now to figure out what's next...

Road Trip... Colony and Beyond...

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2008 - Construct 1 and 2 - 48x24 @ - mixed media

Monday morning I'll leave for NOLA with about a dozen paintings to deliver. I had planned to deliver a commission based on the Construct pieces above... but larger. Turns out they aren't in a hurry and we need to work together to be sure all is right with color nuances, etc. A deposit has been made and these people have bought other work of mine so I'm feeling good about the arrangement... and very relieved that I have more time to devote to the painting.

I'll also get a quick g-kid fix and on Tuesday I'll check in at Mississippi Art Colony, a return to a great art retreat after too long an absence. Located in central rural Mississippi, at the well appointed Camp Henry Jacobs (no relation.) Returning home the following Sunday.

The visiting artist for this session is Harry Ally, an artist whose work I've admired since spotting it in an Atlanta gallery years ago. It will be fun to meet and hear from the artist himself... and pick his brain for all it's worth! His wife, Suzanne, is also an artist and will be joining us. I've met her via Facebook and Twitter and I've no doubt she will add a fun element to the mix. She's promised to report with video and comments about the experience so if you're interest, sign up! Her blog link is on her website and you can get to FB and Twitter from there if interested in keeping up. I may be able to upload an occasional photo or blurb to FB but will focus on getting the most out of Colony and chatting it up with a bunch of good artist friends.

The amazing thing... and I'm sure this is true all over... is that really good art is not confined to the big galleries in big art centers... in fact, there are a good dozen or two in this group who could hold their own with any of the big $$$ artists you can name. I see this everywhere I go... and it's one of the disappointing aspects of visiting NYC or Santa Fe... like hey! I know people who paint better than this! It will be good to be with them again and feel that current! I'm going to be so jazzed!

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