Thursday, September 25, 2008

Reception at Active Art Salon

Gerri Govert and Bev Topa with me. I love the orange and yellow ceramic bowl by Brenda Farris. Three portraits by Gerri Govert.





Last week we (18 Artist.com) had our reception at the Active Art Salon. As usual it was fun! Jennifer Groh who always gives a wonderful reception with lots of very tasty food came through again. Normally she has beer and wine flowing at a reception but due to the ATF she could not supply it this year. Well, you can't have a reception without some beer and wine so a few of us brought several large bottles of wine which was legal as long as we poured our own and put our names on the bottles.( I must clarify that I gave my bottle to someone else to share and they put their name on the label of the bottle as well to make it LEGAL.) I felt like I was back in the prohibition era.
I am in the orange holding my granddaughter and my arm is around a very dear friend of mine. Next to her my daughter and her good friend Jessica in the stripes.
Below is my future son in law, husband and daughter.
This week-end my son from Memphis is coming up and we'll attend a White Sox game, go out to a bar for an after the game get together and crash at Shannon s. It's so cool to have your children be equals. It's a lot of fun which I will enjoy since it's so deserved!!!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Frustrated Artist


Alright...This time it will be the END. I touched this up again...Is it all artists or what...that I can't seem to ever be satisfied with what I produce. It's just never right...I have to learn to just "Let go". Every time I want to do something quirky or odd it always winds up looking so traditional. I am to the point where I do not like traditional work and yet I can't seem myself to break out.
I'm hoping to take a collage class in Chicago starting the end of October. I hate taking the drive in $$$ but guess I'll have to suck it up unfortunately. I have found I have become stagnate...not moving forward, or not feeling like I'm moving forward or making progress.

When I was in Richmond, Virginia visiting my good friend and while going from Gallery to Gallery we came upon an art shop. I bought some crayon watercolors and some top of the line oil pastels to play with. I'm like a kid in a candy shop when I see all the new materials. so I buy them and then...they sit there.
I swear I must be sick!

"Being an artist means that you have the ability to imagine yourself into all kinds of othernesses. Doing that, you can rearrange perspectives on things, which can provide a revelation."
-Eric Fischl
1948-

"The universe is real but you can't see it. You have to imagine it. Once you imagine it, you can be realistic about reproducing it."
-Alexander Calder
1898-1976

From "Artist to Artist"
Compiled by Clint Brown

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Awesome Meijers Sculpture Gardens!!!






Ron and I took a small day trip to Grand Rapids Michigan to see the Meijers Sculpture Gardens my friend had told us about. I was so blown away!!! It was a major treat for us. I want to share some pictures in case you could ever get up that way.

Take a hat and a water bottle and good shoes. There is over 100 acres of super large sculpture.
The picture of the man...It's so big it's unbelievable...but when you start to move around him he turns into a woman. It's just so wonderful to see these fabulous sculptures!!!
Also inside the glass conservatories there are exhibits of exotic plants and birds.