Ames Art Walk 2009 Sneak Peak

May was a very busy month with special events and special visitors, so I've been away from this blog. Thanks to those who keep checking on me.

Tonight I will join my Tuesday night painting group, Artists of the Heart, to set up our exhibit at Chocolaterie Stam in Ames, Iowa. The annual Art Walk will be held in the downtown shopping district on Friday, June 5th from 5-8 p.m. This is a great venue to hold an open house because the atmosphere is cozy and the treats can't be beat... gelato and European chocolate. ~swoon~

Earlier this week I took paintings to the Swinging Bridge Studio in Story City. The annual Scandinavian Days festival is being held all weekend in Story City. I plan on spending some time at the studio and meeting fellow art-lovers.

The above image is cropped from my mixed media painting "Remember". I'm showing it at Stam. You can read more about it here.

I just finished reading "A Three Dog Life, A Memoir" by Abigail Thomas. Memory is a major theme in this book. Abigail's husband suffered a major brain injury when he was struck by a car one evening while out walking the dog. His skull was crushed and part of his brain was destroyed. He lost his short term memory. You would think this was a depressing read. Yes, there were aspects that were extremely sad, but Abigail does not wallow in sorrow. She is a woman of courage, loyalty and strength. The book stimulated a lot of thought for me.
I thought of the journey my Mom took with Dad as he was taken away gradually by Alzheimer's Disease. I wonder what lies in the future for my family. Where will AD show up again?
I am so grateful for the hope I find in Scripture. When fears nip at my heals, I remember Who will never forget me and find my comfort in Him.

Winter ArtFest AEDM2008

We had too much going on today to try get new photos of our exhibit at Chocolaterie Stam. I didn't use flash because of glass on our framed art. I knew I'd get a lot of reflections. So... here are some of the shots I took.

It was gently snowing yesterday. You could hear Christmas music outdoors. Giant lighted snowflakes lined the street.

Inside Stam, there was a lot of seating around cafe tables and on vintage sofas and rockers. Friends gathered to enjoy coffee, chocolate, and gelato. It was a wonderful setting for our art.

I enjoyed seeing friends and acquaintances who were making the circuit of shops hosting artists.

Later in the afternoon, I made my way to see some of the other artists. At Gallery 319, a basket weaver was making friendship knots to demonstrate a simple weaving techniques. She was handing them out to visitors, and I have one tucked in my sketchbook now.

As for our house project, Hubby and I took advantage of the warmer tempature (50's) that melted away yesterday's snow. He finished trim work on the front while I did touch up painting. All that is left for the front is to install the storm door and garage lights. We won't be installing the new garage door ourselves. The back of the garage has a little more work left. We are expecting some mild weather this week, and hope to complete the job.

I'm letting my latest painting sit tonight. We're watching the latest installment of "24" tonight.

Winterscape I AEDM2008

After contemplating adding some wildlife to the foreground, I decided to go with the atmospheric mood that developed during my first session on this painting. I think all the critters are hunkered down after a heavy snowstorm that hit the high country. I developed the mountains in the background and the snow-covered rocks in the foreground. After a bit of tweaking here & there, I decided to be done with this landscape. I really surprised myself, because this painting crept out of my imagination and the memories of the trips to Colorado the past few years. The process was a dance between the intuitiveness that comes from letting the memories flow and the voice that kept reminding me of composition, value & such. When I haven't painted for a while, I start to get nervous that I won't be able to make another painting that I'm happy with. That the last painting that I was pleased with was just a fluke.
I'm not saying that I'm completely happy with any of my work, but I can see that I have been making progress. And I don't think a painting must be perfect to be enjoyable.
I took the photo this evening & the lighting wasn't optimal. But I've got to get it in the frame I selected after work and take it to Chocolaterie Stam in Ames on Thursday. This weekend the downtown Ames merchants are having their Christmas shopping season kickoff. There will be special events all weekend. On Saturday afternoon, there will be an artist walk with the opportunity to meet artists in many of the shops. My painting group will be at Chocolaterie Stam. Yum! Good friends, art & European chocolate.