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.

Tweet

Bicycle Art Tour - Hot Foxes, Coyote Ugly and Sensuous Bronze

Well, it’s been an interesting couple of days for Rod and Martha’s art projects.  Martha has become a member of yet another gallery and has had meetings and luncheons with folks interested in her and her art over the past week.  As I write she has presented some more clay work from the local emergency housing program in town to be fired in the kiln. And, she has been working tirelessly on some new two dimensional and three dimensional work of her own. I can’t wait to see how they come out.

For me I have been all over the map… literally really. As for my ongoing projects … I attached some critical elements to my recycled materials art project. I’d say it’s almost done.  I’ve begun putting together the artwork for next year’s calendar featuring Martha’s art work. Some folks are already requesting orders.  This year’s calendar can be viewed online at: http://www.livestream.com/artnewsnetwork?t=199057  And, I am working on getting Martha’s art book together so, I can forward it to my son in California to help me publish it on amazon.com.  Some things, I just need help with when it come to all the new technology. It’s good to have kids young enough to know how to do stuff and old enough to have patience with their old dad and be able to help get things done.

Yesterday, after writing up a blog for the Wenatchee World online … Arts in the Valley and Beyond:    http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/weblogs/arts-in-the-valley-and-beyond/2011/jul/27/buggy-nights-saddle-rockn-art-and-art-knowledge/  

 I then headed out for my morning bike ride. But, I did something a little different. I took my camera with me and made a point of taking photos of a lot of the Art on the Avenue sculptures, that I hadn’t already photographed previously and some other public art as well.  It was a lot of fun. I got pictures of the Coyote Brings the Salmon sculpture by Richard Beyer which technically predates the Art on the Avenue project. I also, got a shot of myself in front of the new mural on fifth Street that features Tyler Farrar- local bicycling hero and first American to win a stage of the tour de France on the Fourth of July… go Tyler!

As I progressed to town I got shots of a lot of very interesting sculptures… some quirky, some sensuous, some sentimental and

some abstract. I went back and forth from the art along the Apple Capital Loop Trail (the loop) and the art up on and around Wenatchee Avenue (known locally as just “the Avenue”). There were plenty of great pieces around the Performing Arts Center and the sunken sculpture garden and waterfall area there as well as along the streets of Wenatchee. 

Riding around town, though, I discovered and in some cases rediscovered pieces around town that I haven’t, or at least not often, noticed.  Some pieces around the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center were small and or

tucked away that by just driving by as I often do; I really hadn’t taken notice of them before. The same can be said for the work in front of City hall.  Some of the work that I didn’t photo yesterday, I skipped as I had featured them in recent blogs. Others I just missed and may have to go back and photo later.

I got a picture of these three hot foxes

 and, this ugly coyote.

After I returned home, I made a short movie of my bicycle art tour and posted it on Youtube. Readers can view the movie at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSSn-RkIpjM&feature=channel_video_title  Bicycle Public Art Tour . Then it was off to

Amanda’s Book store to in Wenatchee, to pick up the large framed photo “String Theory”, that I have had on display there for a couple of months or more and hang-up another piece in its place.  Then it was off to Cashmere Arts and Activities Center in Cashmere of course to install the piece I “String Theory” and three other framed pieces.  Artie Bowman, was very pleased to see me and my work, as the

 Charles Collins work has not arrived yet from Taos, New Mexico and the wall were looking a little bare. Hopefully

the art will arrive in the next couple of days so we can get it installed. I Can’t wait for that myself.  

Well, it’s time to get that clay work in the kiln and get off to another bicycle adventure.

Tweet

Back in the Saddle Again, Hot Glossy Pieces, Movie Making and Art Shows

Well, it’s been a busy and artful week for Rod and Martha. Martha has had me busy firing a number of pieces in the new kiln… I should say the rebuilt old kiln. The items are mostly stuff produced by the kids she works with at the emergency housing program in town. They are excited I’m sure to have their work turned into glossy fired art.

Martha has also been working on putting together the plans for the upcoming El Salvador Day in Wenatchee.

Meanwhile, I have been making movies all week bases on the photos and videos I took over the weekend covering the Two Rivers Gallery Plein-Air Paint-Out that was coordinated with the opening ceremony for the new Saddle Rock Park in the hills above Wenatchee. 

Artists were encouraged to paint Saddle Rock on the day of the dedication, Saturday July 16th. 10 Artists registered to compete for a $200 Best of show. Other prizes included two $50 gift certificates from Craft Warehouse & a $25 certificate from Nu Arts Gallery.

The painting had to be done in one day & Saturday turned out to be a real challenge. Clouds would let the sun shine only for a few minutes. As the city’s dedication ceremony ended large drops of rain began to fall. Rain became heavy at times into the afternoon, artists would run for cover & emerge again as the painting had to be returned to Two Rivers Gallery by 9pm.

For my part I showed up at Two Rivers Gallery after the painters had left for the event and videoed the gallery. After that I went to Saddle Rock photographing and videoing the hills and the event there. From this I made the first long versions of the movie for youtube.

Some people said it was too long, so I made some shorter versions focusing on the three parts 1) the gallery , 2) the ceremony for the opening and 3) the kids who performed a play for the crowd just be for the opening ceremony.

The Chelan Douglas Land Trust who were instrumental in creating the park later asked that I make a video even more specific for them, which I gladly did. The short movie can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWcycxFJnj4&feature=youtube_gdata

I also, had a big meeting on Friday for the possible opening of a youth center in Cashmere… not sure if that is going to happen.

Here at home I have been experimenting with chrome and glass in the kiln with an eye toward my entry into the Icicle Arts festival Icicle Prize which is to feature art made from recycled materials .

That has been interesting and fun. I think I have created the piece I have been in need of to finished the work I had mostly done but needed one certain bit yet. The art must be entered by august 15^th, so I still have a little time to work on this.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to attending  the opening for Lance Dooley at the Icicle Arts Gallery in Leavenworth on Friday.  Artie Bowman, the director of the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center Gallery had expressed interest in going as well and just called to ask for help earlier that same day to put up work that was moved for the galleries new carpet installation. So, it’ll be work at the gallery the off to Leavenworth for the opening there.

I’ve been invited to attend a birthday party at Gallery 4South that same night, but can’t be in two places at once. I haven’t figured that trick out yet.

Next week will be busy as well. On the 25^th

Scott Allen and his wife come to pick-up his art from CAAC and then the art of Charles Collins will arrive and need to be put up. About that same time it will be time to take most of

my work home from CAAC and put some pieces up at Two Rivers Gallery.

Well, enough for now, as it is back to working on my bicycle.

Tweet