#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.
The Collage Artists of America membership show, “Just your Imagination” was held at the San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center. The show runs Sept 4-29th and the reception was on Sept 7th. As part of my contribution to the show, I sat in the gallery on the afternoon before the reception. It was quite during much of the afternoon though there were several families turned up with kids to have an art lesson.
I had forgotten my kindle so I had plenty of time to enjoy the exhibit in detail.
My entry was right next to the front door!
Assemblage is allowed, so we have sculpture too.
My show favorite is on the left there. I also serendipitously met with a friend who came to see the show, and this was her favorite too. It did not win an award.
A lot of figurative and portrait work.
I did like the tree piece and the one on the right, which also contained a tree.
The large green creation near to us took second place. My pic of the winner did not come out well, sorry.
I talked to this lady at length as we were the only ones in the gallery early on.
Getting ready for the reception.
Loved the piece on the right, though I felt it was more painting than collage.
Great crowd at the reception! I still didn’t win an award….
Ha – got so busy for a while, I forgot to post this month’s newsletter!
On Sunday after my painting class with Mary I went over to the Chaffey Community Museum of Art to attend the reception for the 10th annual Southern California Collage Society membership show. The reception was well attended and the walls were filled with an awesome show of collage, mixed media and assemblage.
A lot of people asked whether I’d measured the space between the window before creating ‘Rose Ochre Morning’.
There had been several sales already – including one created by Janelle Lowry, who is the chief receptionist at the museum.
Someone actually played the piano for a while. I didn’t quite have the audacity to show what a bad player I could be….
For the second year I entered a painting into the Riverside Art Museum.
Arriving at the reception. Quite well attended.
I got there a little after the reception started and soon got talking to a lady named Anita Sylvestri. She is a docent at the museum and has a painting in the show.
Quite a variety of mediums!
Anita had a mixed media collage in the show.
Anita Sylvestri with ‘The Impossible Dream’
We both explained our work to each other.
She returned the favor and took a pic of me with my painting.
When the awards were given, Anita won best of show!
It has been a little while since I blogged – sorry – busy then away for a while. Actually ‘off the net’ which pretty much equates to vanished!
Tuesday June 4th I set off for Escondido Municipal Gallery where I hung a solo show in a single room that, when I first stepped into it seemed small, but yes, the dimensions did work out as the plan said and all the paintings I bought fit in nicely as planned. Actually I had some extra space on the outside I hadn’t know about, but that was easily handled because I brought more smaller paintings than I thought I’d have room for, so it ended up perfect! Just took me two hours instead of one. Then it was pedal to the metal to catch the plane (which was eventually cancelled and I ended up leaving the next day, but that’s another story entirely).
Box city arrives
…and a little table for promo materials and a bin.
Now it’s starting to take shape. At this point one of the local artists came by and liked my work and wanted to buy a book.
…line em up!
You can see that I like to work barefoot where possible.
Now that looks like a show
One on each side of the door
Looking good! Books and cards went into the gift shop at the front.
The back wall is concrete and the gallerists gave me special nails that go in the wall, my regular nails were turning into L-shapes!
I spent so much time getting the quadtych level! It’s so much easier in a booth.
Almost ready. One more sign to go up, and that box of nails to go back into storage
I entered three paintings into the Collage Artists of America show ‘Reality is Overrated’ and one was accepted. I was delighted that I was able to make the reception at the Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center in Burbank. Amazingly I arrived on time after setting up for the art fair in Calabasas, with a little help from my Airbnb host on confirming that my alternate route would be good.
There was quite a crowd there that evening.
There were awards (though I didn’t get one)
Just thought I’d take a photo op with my child.
