Back From the Abyss

Well, back from the brink at the edge of the abyss, back from so far down I missed what promised to be an excellent farewell party for a wonderful Russian artist on one weekend, but, back barely in time for the scariest weekend of the year and yes back by popular demand, your artful blogger is back in the saddle again. It was rough not being able to write. But, alas I am one of those who suffering from the flu (you know that illness you’re not supposed to get right after getting a flu shot) cannot think let alone write.

But here I am and glad to be able to think and to write again. And there certainly were artful things going on while I was out of commission. Martha for one has been given a commission to sculpt a piece for a wonder lady from Quincy and just shipped off a poster sized print of one of her most popular paintings,

 “Flowering Consciousness” to the Allied Arts of Yakima where it will then be framed and eventually adorn a new Family Shelter  facility in Yakima. It is really nice to know that this new family shelter will house a number of pieces of art that are inspirational hopeful and even enlightening as well as simply decorative. Martha is not the only artist that will be contributing to this project and I’m sure it will give a boost to the spirits of all the women and families who happen to stay there for a time.

Meanwhile here in town, our good friend Terry Johnson is well into his second week of his 38^th anniversary  art sale.

The day he was just getting it set up I was not quite down for the count yet and helped to set it up. He is really looking now after 38years to really change the focus of his business to his real love which is the art studio that his sign shop has slowly evolved into and now a gallery open to the public.

His idea is to not only continue making and selling his own pottery glassware and paintings but to open it up to other local artist to have a community based studio they can use to work on their art and a place to sell as well. He has already had some success selling a large painting of a Native American in full headdress.

And, Terry has taken orders for clay Salmons made for wall hanging.

Martha’s art is well represented there already and I have been working on some of my art there for some time. And, in fact, while I was ill Terry did the bisque firing of a small piece of pottery I was working on just before I got that infamous flu shot. I can’t wait to get back to work on that piece and get it all glazed up. Let’s hope it comes out well.

I for one need to work on a submission for a gallery in Orange County California, Martha has her dancing/painting gig coming up at the end of the month and we both of us need to get ready for our big home art sale on December the 4^th. Lots to do and only so much time to do it.

This weekend also looks to be a very full one as well.  Friday night we will be attending the Icicle Arts Member Appreciation Dinner, which looks to be a really great event at the Barn Beach Reserve in Leavenworth.

I do so love the beautiful grounds there.

Then Saturday the 5^th Martha will be involved with the Multicultural Fest 2011 at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. This is to be a celebration of our communities’ diverse cultures. It should be very entertaining with more than 20 local ethnic groups represented through music, dance, food and Martha will be doing crafts with the kids- making paper flowers and painting maracas.

Well, enough for now. Have a very artful day.

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Friday Night Fun, Lance Dooley Sculpture, Commemorative Watercolor and More Music by Selena

Well, I have to say that our experience at the Icicle Arts opening for the Lance Dooley exhibit on Friday was well worth the trip.  It came at the end of a fine day of art related activities for us. In the morning I had put some of my photos from our photo safari http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/weblogs/arts-in-the-valley-and-beyond/2011/jul/22/photo-safari/  into a blog that has produced a few complimentary responses from folks who have read it and enjoyed the pictures.

Later having worked on some projects at home with the materials that Terry Johnson, The Crazy Potter, had given to me I prepared to head out to Cashmere to help Artie Bowman put the gallery back together after they had new carpet installed. Martha who had an important meeting met up with me there awhile later.

While at the gallery I took a few pics of some of the artwork by Yuri Konyshev whom we had just met and attempted to speak with in Leavenworth the day before.

Yuri’s English is quite limited and we struggle to find a common language to communicate. Martha tried to speak with him in French as a lot of Russians study French in school there, but to no avail. He laughingly tried just as hard to communicate with us in German. Unfortunately my one year of German in High School failed me miserably, but we sure did enjoy his art and he was a quite a pleasant fellow that we would really have loved to speak with more successfully.

So, with that experience in mind, I made a point of snapping a few photos of his work at CAAC. I also,

got a few pics of some of the other watercolors there,

 before getting down to the business at hand of reinstalling much of the work that had been moved around due to the carpet install.

All good things coming to an end it was also the end of my showing on the Thank You Wall at CAAC.  So, as Martha was meeting us there to then go on to Leavenworth, I had her bring enough materials to pack up my work. I decided to bring it all home as I would like to bring some completely new work for the upcoming show there, and I really want to put some of the art I have had at CAAC into Two Rivers Gallery and change out the piece I have over at Amanda’s Book Store in Wenatchee.

After all the work in Cashmere, it was time to head out to Leavenworth to the Icicle arts Gallery. 

 The sculptures of Lance Dooley were really impressive. I really like his drawings as well.

The whole exhibit was well put together and included a video of Lance demonstrating how he works. And, of course the views from the gallery overlooking the Wenatchee River in Leavenworth only added to the ambiance of the gallery.

While we were there Martha met a number of folks she knew and in fact she and Lance recollected that they had met before and renewed their acquaintance.

Anna Miller, the Director of the Icicle Arts Gallery, was very pleased to meet Martha and spoke with her about showing there and teaching some classes as well.  Artie Bowman, met with Lance as well and had quite a conversation… a future Lance Dooley show in Cashmere perhaps… only time will tell.

Having had a really fine time in Leavenworth on Friday night, it was on to other things for Saturday. 

 Martha worked on a sad but meaningful project. A new friend had told her the story of how she lost a child some time back and asked Martha to produce a commemorative piece for her from some photos of her son. Martha put her heart into it a better part of the day Saturday… and I say it should be a fitting tribute to and memorable celebration of the life that was this young man.

Today, while watching the Tour de France, I posted yet another video of the young singer Selena Rose singing at the art opening at a previous opening at the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center where she had performed A Kiss of the Fist is Better Than None… http://www.youtube.com/user/56Daut?ob=5#p/u  I had skipped that one when I posted video of her previously. Having looked at it again I realized that it really needed to be posted so it is now on 56DAUT on Youtube along with the other songs she performed for the Scott Allen opening.

Well, enough for now, and on to more artful adventures and experience for Rod and Martha.

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