Gone to the Dogs

Every year the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor puts on a big auction and gala to help raise funds for their great children's museum. This year they provided artists with a neat wooden storage container that is 24 inches high, has a lid and is suitable for all kinds of things. I'm a little late with mine but finished just in time for the auction and dinner which will be held Nov. 6. at the Bangor Hilton. Preview is at 5, then at 5:30 the fun begins with the "Not So Silent" Auction and a scrumptious 4 course dinner at 7.. Tickets are $50 a person with RSVP by October 29th. For more info click onto http://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/ . While on their site be sure to check out the fabulous containers painted by all the other Maine artists who participated ..their versions blow me away!

There are so many dog lovers out there that I thought this theme would have broad appeal...4 very different dogs, doing 4 different things...

Tray Chic-Maine Discovery Museum Auction

The "Tray Chic Auction Catalog" is up and most of the tray tables for the auction are ready for viewing...and bidding. The contributing artists put their hearts and souls into the furniture pieces this year which makes it so hard to choose from but I'm putting my money on two that really strike me.

At the last minute I decided to add my reading glasses to the tray before it was sent off. It's impossible to see much or paint without them, and that includes reading the books that I use for reference painted on the table top... so there you have it....Some of my favorite things.

Check out the other great tables in the catalog...the rest are on their way and will be posted very soon...Pick your favorite and make a bid. It's for a great cause because this museum encourages children of all ages(my age too) to explore and enjoy the world around us. The bidding ends in November with a dinner bash at the museum. Check the site for details.

The table was primed then painted with two coats of a high quality latex. The images were sealed with two coats of an acrylic sealer for protection. I signed the bottom of the tray and the table. Good luck with your bids!

My favorite painters

The Maine Discovery Museum's asked 60 Maine artists to paint butler tables with trays for this year's annual auction called, "Tray Chic". What a clever name!

Last year my dog theme was a great success on a bench but this time I wanted to pay homage to painters who's work I admire very much. I have a small library of art books, so two books were chosen for the tray top..There will be a little surprise under the tray on the table top..and that come's later.

Trompe l'oeil, or "fool the eye", is a painting technique that looks three dimensional and I wanted the books to look real...even the tattered edges were added on the upper left corner of the book "Wonderous Strange", that features work by Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, and Andrew and Jamie Wyeth.... one of my most often used reference books. The book of Remington's nocturnal paintings is just amazing..he was so good at capturing the subtleties of night light, regardless of the subject matter.

I'll post more info about bidding on the auction tables as November draws near, which is when the bidding will end. There will be on line bidding for those who can't view them in person at the museum or who can't attend the opening reception and the link will be provided here.

I used cornflower blue as the base color for this piece.

Nothing like a good book to read.

Save Me A Seat

I'm thrilled to be included in a fund raising art auction for the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor, Maine. The MDM is the largest children's museum north of Boston and offers a wide range of programs for students and teachers statewide. The museum is a valuable resource that supports teachers with active hands on experiences for their students, encouraging creativity and exploration.
For this year's event called "Save me a Seat", they have chosen the chair as the "canvas" for artistic expression. Each artist is asked to transform a chair of their choice(or one will be provided by the museum) into a work of art going to the highest bidder at the fall '08 auction in November. All proceeds go to scholarship admissions and the museum's operating costs.
There are so many possibilities for chairs and my mind has been conjuring up all kinds of ideas for such an interesting project...I'll keep you posted once the chair has been chosen..
This painting is done in casein and available for purchase...was this image a harbinger of things to come ..?