Bike/Art Video, Awards, Classes and More

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Oh what a busy and wonderful few weeks it has been for art and artful living for Martha and me. While I have been riding my bike like crazy but still getting art into that activity as well… more on that in a bit, Martha has been teaching art like crazy and other art projects have been progressing… some slower or faster than others.

From July 8^th through the 12^th Martha was up at the Barn of the Barn Beach Reserve in Leavenworth teaching her ‘I am the Earth’ art class to a great bunch of kids and her two helpers as well. Some real talent may be developing in this group. After that from July 22^nd through the 25^th she was teaching clay modeling, painting and drawing at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center in Wenatchee. And, as I write she is preparing to teach more classes in Leavenworth today.

On the 17^th of July we headed on out to Soap Lake for the Soap Lake Art Guild’s Third Wednesday presentation for which Martha was invited to come to be one of the presenters. There, we met a tremendously talented young artist who was also presenting that night by the name of Michael Bosnar. We expect to see and hear more of him in the future. He is not only a wonderfully creative visual artist, though, admittedly still developing as to his own style and focus; he is a very good presenter and public speaker. On the way back from Soap Lake we stopped in Ephrata to get a glimpse of the large movie themed mural he is in the process of doing on the side of the movie theater

there. Later that week I rode my bicycle from East Wenatchee to Ephrata to get a photo of the movie mural… it was worth the ride in the heat.

In the middle of the month we went out to Prosser for the first time in order to meet Carol the owner of the 6^th Street Art Gallery, who was in charge of the art walk portion of the wine and art walk event they were having there. We were invited to participate but we had too many obligations to prepare for that, but will likely participate there next summer and Carol wants to exhibit Martha’s art in her gallery in the meanwhile. While there we visited with David Vasquez who has moved out that way and was participating in the street event.

One of those slower art projects referenced above was the production of a movie of the video clips and still shots I took on the day of the Two Rivers Gallery Plein-air Paint-out which I took from my bicycle. The paint-out was to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Apple Capital Loop Trail. The video was completed yesterday, and it is now up on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1QpNZuedtY&feature=youtu.be  It took a bit of editing to get 27 minutes of video down to a manageable 4 minutes or so and get the right mix of action while still showcasing the artist and the great venue that is the Loop Trail in our valley. And, of course the rock’n music pulls it all together.

And, on a related note, the day of the paint-out I had a print made of a digital art piece I had created a year ago of Dr. Ed Farrar riding his hand powered trike on the Loop trail. This I matted and framed and delivered to him at Arlberg’s Sports Center where Ed keeps his trike. He and all the ‘B’ Team riders were very happy with the water color like digital photo.

Later in the month on the 28^th of July to be precise, we took a few of my photos out to Soap Lake to enter into the Art Guild of the Soap Lake Area’s Smokiam Photography Show 2013. Then, on Friday August 2^nd while attending the First Friday reception at Two Rivers Gallery in Wenatchee, we bumped into Rose and Al Lundberg of the Soap Lake Art Guild, and Al dropped a hint that he might have to ‘mention my name’ at the award ceremony for the photo contest the following night. So; of course we made sure we made it out there on Saturday. As it turned out we walked in the door just as Al was announcing my name as the winner of the Best Traditional Award for my 'Pelican' photo. Hey, that was great and what timing.

We had a grand time visiting with the other artists like Brent Blake and the great young photographer Gavin Seim who as it turns out has an interest in opening a gallery in Leavenworth. Best of luck Gavin on that and please keep us updated on the progress of that too. Later Al and Rose invited us out to dinner at one of their favorite local restaurants and we were treated to all the latest updates on the progress of the Giant Lava Lamp project as well as a fine dinner – Thanks, Al and Rose. I really hope that Lava Lamp project happens. From what we heard, it seems that they have made some serious progress on design, engineering and drawing up contracts and gaining rights etc… It just comes down to the mayor signing the final contract. WOW! There could be a giant 60 foot Lava Lamp in Soap Lake’s future yet. That would really put Soap Lake bake on the map.

Then, on top of everything else Soap Lake related, the Guild have invited me to be one of their presenters at the August 3^rd Wednesday presentation. So; I will be showing some of my traditional and digital photo art and the progression from one to the other and how I am now doing in some cases digital painting using my original photos as the palette from which to paint.

Well, that probably is enough for now as it is time to hit the trail and pick up my training for my grand tour bike ride… more on that at another time.  So; bye for now and have a very artful day and keep in mind the words of Oscar Wilde who said, “No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If, he did, he would cease to be an artist.”

Tweet