Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Where There's hope There's Art




The UMVA exhibition is up and ready for the public to view at Freeport Square Gallery on Main Street in Freeport, Maine. The show runs through June 1 and the artist reception is coming up on this Sunday, the 24th, between 4-6 p.m.. Members from southern most Maine all the way to Bar Harbor submitted work for this show. It includes paintings, photography, encaustic, sculptures in wood, clay and mixed media.
Many thanks to Caren Marie Michel for her help and to Maria Castellano-Usery, Ken Sahr and Nicole Herz for use of their artwork for show PR.
If you're in the Freeport area this sunday please stop in to check out the show, meet some of the artists and share some food and refreshments.
Here's a listing of the artists in the show. Please check out these websites for more artwork by some very talented and dedicated Maine artists.

















If you're in the Freeport area, please stop by on Sunday to meet the artists, check out the show and share a bit of food and refreshment with us...

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Scratching in the Dirt






Writing my statement has always been a problem and as my work evolves the statement should too. I'm in a transition period right now...kind of like closing one door behind me and slowly opening another, but not knowing what's on the other side. So I attended a small workshop to help artists define their statements...good timing.
It was very interesting to hear the statements of others and they all had a good handle on the reasons why they create or perform. When it was my turn to speak... I was stumped.
The conversations of that meeting churned through my head for several days while I tried to pin down verbally my own reason for painting.
I wondered...why are we so different than non artistic people and driven to express ourselves visually? Could it be that artists are closer kin to the individuals who painted animals on cave walls, or who carved the history of their civilization into stone and wood, or made up dances and music that told stories of important earthly events that would be passed down from generation to generation. Our earliest ancient human history has been preserved through those types of visual arts. It was all created by the artists of those times and predates the developement of the written word.
Just think..thousands of years ago, the first artist picked up a stick, scribbled a symbol into the dirt and communicated an idea to another human.
We, artists that is, are moved to communicate visually because there are elements of our existance that still can't be expressed through words. First pictures..then words.
My statement is starting to take shape..but sometimes..it feels like I'm just scratching in the dirt..

Friday, May 8, 2009

My friend Kathi


This is a recent portrait of me in casein done by my best friend and artist Kathi Peters. Kathi is most well known for her contemporary realist equine work but she is adept in all genres including the figure as shown here. Kathi's in Lexington tonight with her husband Les, attending the opening of her first really important solo show called, "Finding My Voice", at Gallery B and I'm thinking of her now....
Kathi's story is an inspiration to me and everyone who knows her. She suffered a stroke a couple of years ago and has traveled a long and arduous road back to recovery. I'm in awe of the courage and determination she's shown during this period because she's had to overcome many serious physical and emotional obstacles that come as the result of a stroke. One of her most remarkable accomplishments is that her artwork has become more powerful, focused and better than ever.
Please click here to see her story and more of her paintings, drawings and papercuts.
http://www.cobcottage.blogspot.com/
Since her stroke she's become an advocate for other stroke victims and is dedicated to getting the word out about stroke symptoms and warning signs.
I hope she's having the greatest time this evening and enjoying the limelight that she so deserves.