A gallery closes

I started working with Sm’Art gallery I think 3 years ago, maybe 4.  It was a strange start.  I received a cold-call email that sounded good, not the usual scam stuff, but the attachment wouldn’t open.  After some thought I replied.  It was a real offer, Alana had managed to have an email blast sent to the local attendees of ‘Art under the umbrellas’ show.

I signed up for the co-op gallery – we share the rent and working in the gallery.  I have made many good contacts and friends over the years, taught a lot of classes (Alana was instrumental in the design of the ‘Painting for Absolute Beginners’ class and the contact that let to a season of intermediate classes, the contents of which become follow on exercises for ‘Absolute Beginners’.

At the end of October, Alana decided to close the gallery.  A combination of factors came together at the end of the lease and we had our final evening.  Here are a couple photos from the first 20 minutes before the crowd got there.

Just getting set up. Holly had created some ‘Day of the Dead’ paintings.

Sitting around chatting. We did quite a bit of business that night, especially Janice – who is the one with the gray shirt, on her device.

Sonnet Challenge #35

Here’s another sonnet inspired by the work of my peers – Pete – another artist I know from art fairs in Southern California, creates kaliedoscopes.

 

Kaleidoscopes

They might be colored or quite plain outside;
all understate the beauty that’s within,
the most amazing starburst hid inside –
just put it to your eye and you begin
to see the fireworks bursting on your eyes,
riot of twinkles emphasized by sun
or lamp or kitchen light – always surprise
and never the same, but guaranteed, it’s fun.
Much better than taking some kind of bad drug –
and good for kids! No age limit to awe
of sparkles, vibrant dance of shapes, the tug
of gravity on confetti’s what you saw.
When stress is high and you don’t think you can cope,
sit down and pick up your kaleidoscope.

Newer Work #90

#1404 “Stretch” 7.5×5.5 watercolor collage in mat to 9×7. $45

“Stretch” is reminiscent of a painting I did in the early days where the tree reaches into the sun.  This one though has a poem – a haiku – written for it and into it:

Stretch into the light
My leaves are needing the sun
Food comes from the sky.

Glass Outhouse Gallery – ‘Fleeting Passions’

A few years ago I was introduced to the Glass Outhouse Gallery in Wonder Valley – just east of 29 Palms.  It is in the middle of nowhere, even more than I am, and has a small gallery where Laurel and Howard hold month-long 2-artist shows, and a sculpture garden made of recycled material art, created by Howard.

Four skies in the Glass Outhouse Gallery

I had a show there a few years ago with my Mixed Media work and am scheduled to have another show there with that medium in January 2021.  Yes, artists do plan ahead.

The cart shows that this is a hanging day.

As I have another body of work and enough Mixed Media to run two shows concurrently, I’m on their ‘waitlist’.  A list of artists who, in an emergency can put together a show in a couple days.  Last week I got the call.

The outgoing artist hadn’t picked up her work yet.

I had planned to take my oils and acrylics to the show in Monrovia this weekend, but with a quick call I managed to get that changed and this body of work was available for the month.

Nice little row, the last 4 ‘diamonds’

My fellow artist is Tami Wood.  We both joked that our names are two four-letter words.  Her work is made exclusively of recycled materials.  We’ve called our show ‘Fleeting Passions’ because we both explore ephemeral aspects of our environment.

And room for the bin, that holds paintings I did in or for paint and wine evenings that I’ve taught.

After the show in Newport I brought everything up and hung the show.  Howard will pin up the prices later.

I’m surprised the one on the left hadn’t sold at Newport, it had a lot of interest.

Because of existing commitments (Monrovia), I can’t be at the reception but Tami will handle that and I’ll do my share of gallery sitting during the month.

The painting on the right is one from my house – I’m down to the last few oils and acrylics and am selling at discount prices!

What I didn’t realize until I told another friend in 29 Palms about the late arrangement, I’d scored a show during the Highway 62 Art Tour – three of the four weekends in October, and the Glass Outhouse Gallery is one of the stops.  Wow, I’m sure glad I decided to go for it!

Almost exactly the right amount of space, there was only one suitable painting I didn’t put up!

I feel bless that because of various issues outside of my scope, I now have a show with both bodies of work on the Highway 62 tour – I have Mixed Media work at the High Desert Medical Center!

 

An award

I was happy to learn recently that in the 3rd Annual Skies Art Exhibition at Fusion Arts I received an Honorable Mention for the painting below.

“Sunrise with Creosote” Oil on canvas 30×40″. $1500.

 

A forever home in Flagstaff

A recent sale of one of my larger paintings resulted in this young couple hanging a beautiful view over their dining room table.

“Away we go” has the following poem written for it and painted in just below the horizon. (The birds that it refers to aren’t easily seen at this distance.) The days approach the dawns’ bright glow we stretch our wings away we go.

Geometry 101 Show

Terry Hastings juried and curated a wonderful show at the art gallery in University of California Riverside’s Palm Desert campus.

Entry point!

It’s always nice when you walk in and know a lot of the artists already. This is my good friend Michael Angelo (Hernandez). Yes, I hang with Michael Angelo….

Captures of the structures in downtown LA

More color.

I wonder if they hung those from the top….

There’s always more walls….

No photoshopping involved here except to adjust the lighting and crop. These ladies heads really did align completely with the top of the row of paintings. I didn’t realize it until I was cropping the photo!

Love the middle piece.

More big paintings.

Even the cheese was more geometric than at some openings.

Fabric inspiration.

Oh, do we see something familiar to the left there? The th ing that is unfamiliar are the 6 paintings to the right. They are by Diane Morgan (dianemorganpaints.com). Definitely something for this show and not*** her usual style. When she arrived I said she needed to readjust her medication!

I like this one too.

Lot of detail work….

From the right, Diane Morgan, Terry Hastings, Jeni Bate.

We had a little sculpture too. Actually not so little.

These are littler sculptures.

That’s about it! I didn’t realize how much art there really was until I processed the images. It was a HUGE show. Kudos Terry!