Way too Busy!

That is what September has been like - way too busy!

It started off with the last day of the Saturday Afternoon Summer Art Market. The market was a mixed success; some people did well and others did little or nothing. Visitor numbers were disappointing averaging about 15 each Saturday. I think there were a number of factors that contributed to the low numbers - time of day, morning would have been better - the weather, it was way too hot all summer and - the smoke, for much of the summer the valley was filled with smoke from fires near and far. Well, we tried and might try again next year - who knows!

The following weekend The Creston Art Club had its Annual Fall Show and Sale. Of course, I forgot to take photos as I seemed to be busy whenever I was there. I was lucky enough to sell a few things including one of my painted feathers.

I also sold a small painting that was done during January's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.

#981 - Train Coming - 5 x 7 watercolour

I had a nice visit with the lady who bought my painting and I told her and her sisters all about my Watercolour Painting Parties. That worked out really well as she and one sister came yesterday to my first party of the fall.

Sherry and Holly with their Lighthouse Vignettes

Eileen and Barb with their Vignettes

It was a small group (which I am beginning to think should be the norm) and, except for Eileen, none of the participants have painted for over 30 years. I think they were all surprised at how well they did. Holly commented that she hadn't planned on framing her painting but after seeing it completed and matted she said "I think I will frame it after all". How is that for a review?

So the month is nearly over and there still isn't time to relax. I am going to have to start cleaning up the gardens and flowers this week. I am also going for cataract surgery and then, I will be ending the month with another Painting Party.

H'mm - I wonder what October will bring!

A New Venture

Summer has arrived and, hopefully, the tourists will start coming too.

In our area many of the artists rely on the tourists for the bulk of sales. The valley (from Yahk to Riondel) is small town and rural with a total population around 15,000, many of whom are seniors.  To make it even harder to sell art we have a lot of artists and artisans in the area; and, while competition is supposed to be good for business, I am not sure if that applies to art.

This year a venue where I have displayed my art with good success in the past

has closed its art exhibit and I am going to try a new venture - A Summer Art Market!

The Art Market came about thanks to a small grant from the Creston Arts Council. Our first day will be tomorrow, July 1, and we will have 6 artists setting up to, hopefully, sell their art. The Market will only be held Saturday afternoons during the summer. I am hoping that we will get some traffic from the local Farmer's Market and from the Kunze Gallery both of which are just down the street from our location.

As the Art Market is my idea, I have been doing all the organizing - I can't seem to stop - lol. Anyway, I have sent out emails, posted on Facebook, created and ordered rack cards and made up and distributed a few posters. Now I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will get some visitors!

I have my boxes all packed with a wide selection of the things I make and paint: matted and bagged original watercolours and mixed media pieces, Hot Weather Scarves, a variety of my cards, my quilled ornaments and some of the stenciled signs and T-shirts I did last winter. I figure I have enough art and other things to display something new almost every week during the summer.

Although art is not a business for me, it is important to me to sell my work - mostly to make room for new art. I have made a few on-line sales but I am not into marketing and, frankly the Canadian Postal system is pretty expensive for shipping so I am not pursuing that avenue to any great degree. I am much happier just selling locally and am hoping for success in this new venture.

Back in the Groove!

At least I hope I am. Things have been pretty crazy here for the last few months and, although I kept thinking about writing, life just kept getting in the way.

In August I was busy getting some paintings ready for the Creston Art Club's Annual Fall Show. I was also working on plans for the Call to Artists for the Art in the Chamber and Art in the Library displays for 2017. Then my husband, Bob, had a heart attack. He is OK now after having a stent put in but things were pretty hairy for a while.

So, in between visits to the hospital, I was able to get some paintings framed and ready for the art show.

a visitor looking at some of my paintings

We have a pretty nice set-up for our shows and we usually have about 20 members displaying their art - lots of variety in both subject and media.

Visitors have the chance to sit and enjoy refreshments while they enjoy the art.

After the Art Show, I had to get ready for my Watercolour Painting Parties. I had one on September 17 and one today, September 24. The first party had a full compliment of 6 which I consider a good number to allow for lots of individual attention.

Theresa and her painting

Rosemarie, Eileen and Kathy

Ed and Cheryl

It is always so gratifying when someone who has never painted before is thrilled with their painting. Or, when they are so pleased with the whole process that they plan to come for lessons. And, when some of them have come back for a second Party. - How cool is that?

Today's party only had 4 participants as a few cancelled due to illness but we had a good time!

Jenny was so into it she did two!

Jeanette had never painted before

Alison and Betty - trouble along the way but happy at the end!

I really enjoy introducing people to the joys of watercolour painting and hope to do more parties in the future.

For now, it is back to planning. I will be displaying my paintings at two venues for the next few months so I have to figure out what is going where and then get it all cleaned up and ready to pack! No rest for the wicked!

Preparing for Art Shows

During the last two weeks of February I was busy getting some of my paintings ready for an art display at our local Chamber of Commerce. I am sharing the space with 4 other artists but I still needed around 14 pieces to hang.

The first step is to go through some of my unframed work to see if anything strikes me as 'right' for this exhibit. Once I have a selection of paintings I need to find frames and choose mats that compliment the artwork.
I always do my own matting and framing as it helps keep the cost down, for me and for customers.

I don't have a fancy framing set-up but it does the job. One neat thing is the little gizmo in the left photo - the pale blue and Plexiglas item. Although it is hard to see there are holes beside the black squiggles on the Plexiglas. The item is used for marking the 'border' on the mat before cutting . The holes go up by 1/4 " and the device is reversible so I can quickly mark standard mat sizes from 1 1/2 to 4 1/4 inches - a real time saver that my husband made for me.

 I am lucky to have a nice large table where I can work at one end while a work-in-progress takes up the other end.

 I clean glass, put frames together, seal the backs of canvases, add wires and labels to the backs of all of my paintings and, finally, figure out what price to put on the display cards.

Rocks & Icicles

Full Moon

  Here are a few of the paintings I have on display  until the end of April.

Marsh Autumn

Exploring

 This year I will be exhibiting my paintings in a number of shows with other artists. I try to have something different for every display so I will be  doing the whole preparing thing over again at the end of April and again at the end of June.

 I guess I had better get busy and do some more painting!

Busy, Busy, Busy

The month of June is always a very busy time. Between the garden, my flowers and getting art ready for the summer tourist season, I don't seem to have time for anything else.

Last week I took some art to the restaurant at the Kokanee Springs Golf Course as part of the Eastshore Art Connection which I joined this year.

Broken Trellis

Sunlight thru the Trees

I don't know how into art golfers are but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I also have to have a painting to - possibly- display at Wynwood Winery as part of the Eastshore artdrive. It is a challenge to pick something as I have heard that the lighting there is not great.

Into the Flames

Next I will be displaying two pieces at the Wynndel Canada Day celebration art display.

M'mm Good

 These pieces will go on to the exhibit at the Ingham Arts Center in Creston on July 2 and stay there for a few days.

I have never displayed big pieces in Wynndel before so it will be interesting to see what happens.




I am still organizing the Art in the Library display for the summer so that is cutting into my time to prepare for the Artistic Visions Summer Art Market. The Art Market is a cooperative with 14 artists in a variety of styles and media. Check out our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Artistic-Visions-Summer-Art-Market/325425777508572?ref=hl

I have been painting some local scenes that I hope will catch tourist's eyes and pocketbooks but I will also display some of my other new work.

From the Viewpoint

Hidden Below

Birds over Erickson

Catching up

As it has been quite some time since my last post, I have a fair bit of catching up to do. I managed to get a few of my mixed media pieces finished in time to include one in the Art Club's Fall show.

Feathers & Flowers

I started this piece at a workshop last February with local artist Win Dinn https://www.facebook.com/pages/Win-Dinn-Artist/138761966191277?fref=ts It took some time before I decided what to do with the start but I am very happy with the end result.

As I look through my list of completed art I am surprised (as always) by how much I have done. I number my paintings and since the middle of August I have gone from 670 to 709. I have done some acrylics:

Sunset Forest

Cypress Swamp

I have done some watercolors

Shadowed Stream

Old Barn in Autumn

And, I have painted on fabric with dyes at a workshop with another local artist Eileen Gidman. You can check out her work at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eileen-Gidman-Watercolour-and-Textile-Artist/310557619037972?ref=ts&fref=ts

Poplars in Fall

And finally, I have done a number of small (3 x 5) watercolors thinking they would make great Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers. To see more of these 'Little Gifts' check out the album on my Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mellowood-Studio-and-Art-Gallery/120412094734638?ref=hl

Winter Grove

A Decision to Make

I have decided to enter one of my paintings in a juried art show at Kimberley's Centre 64. I have to figure out what to exhibit and it is a problem because I really don't 'get' the jury process. I did not understand at all why the winners at the last juried show I attended were picked. I thought the 1st prize painting was awful.

Evolving

 However, nothing ventured etc...


I have tentatively chosen three paintings. 'Evolving' is an acrylic with  five sections depicting evolution from primordial ooze to a vague man-like form. It might be the best choice for a show called -
"Arts on the Edge"

Full Moon

  The next piece, 'Full Moon' is one of my favorites - which right there makes me think I shouldn't enter it as any painting I have liked in juried shows has never won. It is a watercolor started with the pour technique and ending with some detail in the mill and the bridge.

Broken Trellis

My third choice is 'Broken Trellis'. Again, this is a watercolor but I used a number of different techniques: masking with tape and masking fluid, pouring on paint and blowing thru a straw, negative and positive painting and using stencils. It is different but is it 'Art on the Edge'?


I don't know how many people look at this blog but I hope some of you will help me make this decision. Anyone, with experience in adjudicated exhibitions or not, might have a better idea than I do of which painting to choose.

What to display

I have spend part of today figuring out what art to display at the Artistic Visions Summer Art Market. It is a difficult job. I want to show  a variety of my work but I have to consider that a number of the people visiting the market will be tourists - tourists with limited space and possibly limited funds. That seems to indicate art that travels well like watercolors matted and bagged. On the other hand, people like to be able to take their purchase home and just hang it on the wall. I guess a combination is my best bet.

Now to subject matter!

Under the Skimmerhorn

Of course I want a number of local scenes. I have heard that tourists like to take home sights from their holidays and valley residents might like to have a familiar picture for their homes. That's two potential buyer types.

In Storage

Next I think should be nostalgia. Art that might evoke memories or dreams of a different time - some might say simpler but I like indoor plumbing. Nostalgia can include simple flowers like Columbine and Daisies or a scene that reminds one of camping trips in the mountains or at the lake. H'mm I have to think what I have that fits.

Which Way Up?

Finally, I think I will aim for fun. Bright, bold and colorful - paintings (and wall-hangings) that make people smile or just feel cheerful because of the colors. Thanks to the mixed media course I took with local artist Win Dinn, I have a number of pieces that fit this category.





Now that I have my guidelines figured out I can start my selection and hope there is room for everything I pick. Maybe, if lots of art sells I will be able to to display everything over the summer - wouldn't that be a miracle!

Getting ready for summer

Since early last winter I have been thinking and planning for this summer's Artistic Visions Summer Art Market. Attending marketing and grant workshops, starting Facebook pages, filling out grant applications and worrying have occupied a lot of my time. Now the time is almost here. The Summer Art Market will start on June 29 at the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Centre.

Decorative Bowl by Dora O'Brien

Bark Carving by Harry Miller

Creston Lights by Jeff Banman

 At this time, 14 artists will be displaying their art at the Market. We will have pottery, photography, carving, some jewelry, rock paintings, quilt hangings and, of course, the more traditional paintings.

Some of the art will be prints or Giclee(?) prints but most will be originals.

Snowbound by Val van der Poel

There will be paintings just matted and bagged - to make for easier traveling - but most of the art will be ready to hang on your wall when you get home.

And, just so you know, there will be art to fit most pocket-books and tastes. Come and see us at the Visitor Centre and maybe take something home with you.