September 2017

How To Get Ready For A Show – Kinda

Artwork, September 2017
MothPoster

The 30 Moth Poster $20 plus shipping. Please Contact me to order. 

I’m happy to announce 8 of my Moth paintings and 2 ink drawings of Ornamental Gourds will be headed to The Little Pink Gallery, a micro-gallery located in Genesee, Idaho. LPG is owned by Ellen M. Vieth, an amazing artist and curator – she opens the Gallery a few times a year for exquisite shows. So of course, I am delighted to participate.

But… I’m on the other side of Washington. (It was a much shorter commute when I lived in Lewiston, ID)

So how to you get ready for a show?

First, gather the selected works. Check.

Second, does the work need framing? Mats? Yes? Research frames and mats. Find frames that will complement the work, but not break the bank. Check. Find that Franken Frames will cut mats for you for a super reasonable price. Score.

Wait.

While waiting, figure out the prices of your work. Don’t forget to include the gallery commission, the price of frames and mats. Fight the urge to undersell yourself. Double check your numbers. And one more time, just to be sure. If you are really efficient, create your Word Document with all your tag info (Artist, Medium, Title, Price). Send to Gallery. (ok this didn’t happen for me until I started packing the works)

The frames and mats arrive on time! Awesome! But the mat color is just not quite right. The cut is perfect. It’s user error, because I had to guess the right white. Have you ever tried to do that? Go to the paint swatch section at your local hardware store. Try to find “white”. I picked a “Snow White” which seemed right, but apparently, I needed “Bright White”. Yeah.

Run down to the local frame shop and pray they have the mat color I need. Score! They do. But not enough. So they order another sheet, arrived the next day, so still in good time. Spend the afternoon cutting mats and assembling framed art. Admire the final product.

2017-10-18 16.02.32

“Crooked” Gourd Ink Drawing, Matted & Framed. 

Work always looks great in a frame. Guaranteed.

2017-10-18 15.28.07

Mock-Up – Moth Artwork matted & framed, on my home wall. Sweet!

Measure your framed work and work out what size shipping box you will need. (Don’t forget to include the cushioning space)

Go to the UPS Store to pick up shipping boxes, listen politely to the staff as they explain all they can do to help. Get back home, assemble boxes. Make labels for the backs of the artwork. Dig your hoarded packing materials out of your storage room. Start wrapping artwork. Seal box. Feel proud.

Forgot to label the artworks. Snap.

Unseal box. Unwrap all the framed work. Match and attach the tags. Re-wrap the artwork. Seal boxes.

I forgot to include the inventory list. Thank goodness, Ellen has a copy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 30 Moths of September

Artwork, September 2017
FinalMothCollage

30 Moths of September, Each 6×6 Acrylics on Paper

Here they are, in all their glory – virtually! Thankful to have completed this set. I learned a lot about acrylics, and learned I have a lot more to learn.

I would like to announce that my artist friend, Ellen Vieth, has picked 8 of my Moths for the November show at her gallery – Little Pink House Gallery, Genesee, ID. Yippee! Thanks, Ellen!

What’s on for NEXT month? I’m thinking about gouache. Not sure what subject. But it IS October. Stay tuned!

9/29 – Joseph’s Coat Moth

September 2017
Moth29

9/29 Joseph’s Coat Moth, 6×6 Acrylics on Paper

As a child my parents took us to a bunch of musicals. I remember them fondly. As an adult I realize how expensive they were! But what an experience, which I remember to this day. We saw Joseph and the Multi Colored Dream Coat, and I would like to say that Donny Osmond was Joseph, but I can’t be sure.

Bellingham Plein Air Paint Out, 2017

Artwork, Plein Air, September 2017

Mid September I participated in the 2017 Plein Air Paint Out in Bellingham, WA. It was hosted by the viviacious, vibrant artist, Trish Harding. I believe there were around 15 artists. It was a two day event, I painted for both mornings but family commitments had me headed home by noon or so. I painted Five paintings total, but only two made the cut. The PAPO show will open First Friday in October. If you are in the area, come on by! More info soon, here and on FB.

 

RocketDonuts

Rocket Donuts, 12″x6″ Oil on MDF Panel

This being my first Bellingham paint out, I was drawn to the cool Rocket outside of the local Rocket Donut Shop. Great donuts, btw. Apparently EVERYONE has painted this rocket. Seriously, how could I resist?

CleptoGraffiti

“Clepto” Was Here, 5″x4″ Oils on canvasboard

We were encouraged to paint anything along Holly Street, a main commercial street in Bellingham, with charming shops and older buildings. This graffiti was on the side wall of a frame shop, surrounded by weeds and neglect. In order to paint it I stood in a small strip of wild sweet peas and most likely a lot of dog poop. The things we do for an interesting image. “Clepto”‘s graffiti is not uncommon – you can look him/her up on google. I liked the contrast of the brick, chipped paint and the smooth funky writing.

 

 

 

 

9/24 – Oleander Hawk Moth

Artwork, September 2017
Moth24

9/24 – Oleander Hawk Moth, 6×6 acrylics on paper

I love the common name of this moth. Oleander reminds me of a Southern ghost story, of a servant slave girl who tried to come back to favor to her owners by baking a cake for the children (and their mother). She added oleander leaves into the cake mix to make them sick so that she could nurse them back to health, but tragically added too much, and poisoned them instead. The ghost of the servant girl, and the children, are said to haunt the plantation.