Crystal Blue, Angry Birds, Love Poems, and The Rock

Well, it has been a great week for photography. So far this week I have taken photos in and around Leavenworth, published photos of eagles and geese, taken photos of the show at Icicle Arts in Leavenworth, taken some really great winter view shots from Earhart Heights, of Saddle Rock and of the ice formations of plant life while snow shoeing in the hills above East Wenatchee.

Along with all of that I was able to use some of the art photos from Martha’s show in Leavenworth to create a GVENTS listing online and make a new flyer for her opening / reception coming up there on February 10^th.   Whew!!!

Meanwhile Martha has been a busy little beaver writing love poems to be read at the Two Rivers Gallery First Friday event for February as it is the month of Valentine’s Day… the month dedicated to LOVE. She has also reworked a poem that I need to print-up for her to take with us tonight to the Peggy Lewis Gallery in Yakima for the opening / reception. The show features the artwork that was created and donated by a number of artists, including Martha, that will go into the new Women’s Shelter at the YWCA in Yakima after the show. For more information on that project see the blog in the Wenatchee World Online at: http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/weblogs/arts-in-the-valley-and-beyond/2012/jan/24/art-events-from-quincy-and-yakima-to-leavenworth-a/

Here in town, Martha made a visit to Gallery 4South and chatted with owner Charlene Martin yesterday and purchased some pottery created by Karen Dean and Arlene Loomer.  

Also, here in town we have started the beginning low fire stage in what will be a very long slow firing of the Harvest Pride Farmer holding a basket of fresh produce.

This piece is large and need to be handled with care!!! We are firing it at our good friend Terry Johnsons Studio in Wenatchee and so while there I couldn’t help but to get some photos of a work in progress of his.

Among other things he is working on a painting of the Cottage Inn a local restaurant that shows the art of some of our Two Rivers Gallery members. And, as usual he is also working on some other very unique sculpted pottery pieces himself. One looks like a really crazy angry bird...a Pelican maybe.

This morning I took a few pictures of Saddle Rock from our high perch here on the opposite facing hills and posted one on Facebook which I see has already received some comments. I’m hoping to put together a small series of shots of Saddle Rock taken in each of the four seasons. Look for future pics of the Rock in upcoming blogs.

Later this morning Martha will head on over to Wenatchee, as it is her day to volunteer at Two Rivers Gallery. Then if the weather holds well, we’ll be off to Yakima for the reception at the Peggy Lewis Gallery. I’m really looking forward to that.

Well, it’s time to print-up that poem for tonight so; enough for now… and who knows maybe I’ll get some more great view shots of Saddle Rock in before the day is over.

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A Long and Winding Road of Art, Galleries and Openings

Well, it’s hard to believe that it’s been as long as it has since I last posted in this blog. In fact this is the first posting of the year.  The First Friday opening and Reception for Martha as featured artist at Two Rivers Gallery in Wenatchee was quite a success … lots of people came and enjoyed the art of all the artists and raved about Martha’s work. And on the morning of the opening in Wenatchee, I took more of Martha's paintings up a long and winding road to Bryan at the Icicle Arts Gallery in Leavenworth for yet another show where she is featured artist.

At the Two Rivers Gallery opening that night it was nice that folks who had never been in the gallery before came and some bought art from a number of the artist represented… including Martha and myself… Yeah!  Everybody had a really good time as well and that is always nice.  We were so happy that some friends from Seattle came for the show as well and stayed over the weekend.

Since that event we have been busy working on other projects like the large clay figure of a Hispanic farmer happily showing the fruits (vegetables) of his labor in a basket for the new Quincy library. Over the weekend it was time to install the Vicki Hillberg show at the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center.

On the twelfth was the board meeting for the Two Rivers Gallery which I attended. Jan Theriault the board president was very pleased to say that last week’s first Friday was the most well attended that he can recall.  He joked that he didn’t know that Martha knew so many people.

Among other things we discussed the ongoing development of the Troll under the bridge project. This was the first time we actually got to see the drawing by board member Russ Helper.  We also discussed the upcoming First Friday love theme as February is the month of Valentine’s day. Martha will continue to be featured artist and will recite some of her love poems. That should really make for another unique show.

Since then we have taken the clay figure she’s been working over to the Terry Johnson Studio as that is where it will have to be fired due to the large size of the piece.  We sent a photo to one of the prime members of the art committee for the Quincy Library and the response was outstandingly positive…yeah!  One idea was to make a mold of it and then make the final piece from cement, but Martha would really like to try firing it… so after hollowing it out to make it better for firing, we must now  just wait for the clay to dry and then fire it ever so slowly and ever so carefully. I really can’t wait to see how it turns out. While at Terry’s I got some last pics of the piece and of the small painting he did for his grandchild.

Meanwhile, Martha has continued to do her usual work teaching art to the folks at the emergency housing program and I have been firing the small clay figures that the students there make. Added to that Martha did a workshop for the kids (fifth graders I think) at the St. Joseph’s Catholic school in Wenatchee. That went well. The kids really liked it. And, for me, I have been working off again and on again on my acrylic painting of the Horse Lake House that I photographed just before it was torn down in the fall. You may recall that I also produced a video of the destruction - “Tearing Down the House” which is on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95WzkG615x8&list=UUNvpiC1XcVKVH-EiXJCMCsA&index=7&feature=plcp.

The Painting is coming along… getting certain aspects just right has been a bit of a challenge as I had various perspective and light/dark issues to contend with. On top of the fact that I just haven’t painted in so long and of course Martha is the REAL painter in the house, which has its plusses and minuses. On the plus she is a great critic and can give me good suggestions of how to solve a problem. On the other, I judge and compare what I’m doing to her work in my own head and will always come up short comparing my painting to Martha’s… note to self as artist … don’t compare my work to Martha’s.

Well, that’s probably enough for now, or this will be way to long. Happy new year to all and a very artful as well.

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