Egret in the Morning 8 '10

 Egret in the Morning

Fall is a busy time of year for me. In addition to feeding the Island Gallery ten new paintings a  month,  have a lot of independent  art shows coming up in the next couple of months. I just took one large painting to the Prevost Gallery in Georgetown, and have two other shows to enter next month.  Most of  the local art organizations only allow one juried entry per show,  but one up-coming show allows three entries.  The thing is -- that show is being held in the center court of shopping mall.  I'm disappointed.  In the past the show has always been held in an art gallery.  The art organization that is sponsoring the exhibit decided that rent was less expensive and the works would get more visibility if the show was out in the open.  I am not so sure that was wise.  I suspect that most shoppers associate center court mall vendors with  low quality/cost items.  Not the best way to attract a well heeled buyer.  Plus the work is more at risk from inquisitive greasy fingered kiddies.  I'll have to think carefully about what to put in that show  (if I enter it at all).

Duh! There is a reason it is called an art business 8 '10

It' been a long week... filled with lots of tedious business activities.

My business plan calls for my spending one day a month updating my website  with photos of the newest paintings.  But I was on a roll and let it slide for nearly three months... FIRST MISTAKE.  By the time I got around to it  there was so much work to do that I decided to use my outdated but familiar Frontpage Publisher software.... SECOND BIG MISTAKE.   There's a reason that MS replaced Frontpage with Sharepoint.  Frontpage is so full of bugs that I wound up redoing each page  multiple times.  What should have been a two day effort took three and a half.  Next time I will stick to the plan with monthly updates and take the time to learn Sharepoint... It will be faster in the long

run..

Then it took me another day and a half to update all my business records ( Inventory, quickbook accounting, mileage reports, state quarterly tax filings, etc.)  Ugh... It is SO BORING .. but necessary if I want to run this as a business.   DUH!  There's a reason it's called a art business.

New Paintings on my Website

I finally got around to posting the past two months worth of new paintings on my website.   There are new oils paintings in the "Local Landmarks" series, and in the "State Parks" series.  And  you can check out some of the new work I have been doing with Golden's Open Acrylics in the "Nocturnes" and "This Side of Paradise" Series.  Enjoy.

WACG Beach Wash Workshop 8 '10

The Waccamah Arts and Crafts Guild sponsored a workshop on learning to do beach washes as backgrounds for artwork.

 The workshop leader came prepared with all of the materials we would need to learn the skillset

We all chose a spot on Myrtle Beach to listen to her directions

Then she had an experienced member demonstrate how to get a nice sand wash  resist pattern on the water color paper using the smaller waves at the edge of the tide.

Back on the dry beach we practiced pouring diluted acrylics over the sand wash

Until we were surrounded by a rainbow of brilliantly colored beach washed paper

Angel Oak Tree Aug 8 '10

Today we visited the Angel Oak Tree on John's Island, SC. 
Charleston art galleries say paintings of this icon of the South are very popular with tourists.

The Angel Oak Tree is a Southern live oak located in Angel Oak Park, on Johns Island near Charleston. The Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be in excess of 1500 years old, stands 66.5 ft tall, measures 28 ft  in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet. From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft. There is no way these facts can do this ancient giant justice.  Only when I was standing beneath its gnarled arms did I appreciate just how magnificent and special this tree is.

 The Angel Oak Tree is thought to be one of the oldest living things in the country. Standing below it  one gains a sense of how god must view time. The land where the Angel Oak Tree stands was part of Abraham Waight's 1717 land grant.  The Angel Oak's name can be traced back to the original owners Martha and Justis Angel. The tree and surrounding park have been owned by the city of Charleston since 1991. The Angel Oak is located at 3866 Angel Oak Road on Johns Island, SC

 Development is beginning to encroach on the site of the Angel Oak. In 2012, plans to build a 500-unit apartment complex that would be as close as 160 yards (150 m) to the Angel Oak. While the Oak is not in danger of being cut down, arborists caution that  the surrounding forest protects itst giant root system, shelters it from storms, affords if moisture and drainage, and filters out harmful pollutants before they reach the trees roots. The proposed development will be challenged in court by the  Coastal Conservation League, based upon concerns about the construction's effect on available groundwater and nutrients . 

CC visits Charleston Aug 10, 2010

I haveas been debating  with herself about  whether Ishould be seeking representation in second gallery.  In the end, the answer  boils down to economics.  Would a second galley  be likely to turn a profit, or not ? So on On Aug 11th I headed into Charleston for a walking tour of the Art Galleries along King and Broad Streets.  What she found is that the fees charged by the galleries in this section of the city are really very high, and that sales are slow.  So it is probably best for me to to continue looking.

 

 But that didn't spoil the day.  Along the way I got to  admire the city's beautiful architecture, and  explore the Unitarian Church's historic graveyard.

and got some beautiful reference photos for future paintings. Hmmm maybe a graveyard series  for October???

Bulldog Mascot 8 '10

I was in a local garden center a few days ago, taking photos of statuary to use as reference photos for still life paintings, when I ran across this adorable little statue of the Georgia’s Bulldog Mascot.  Now I’m not much of a football fan, but I am probably the only person in South Carolina who isn’t passionate about our local football teams.  Even I know that putting out  a statue that might be mistaken for Georgia’s  bulldog mascot   in the heart of  Clemson U and South Carolina U territory is a sure fire invitation to war.  I could just imagine  the owner of the nursery showing up in the morning to find the  Bulldog  ripped to pieces with Clemson Tiger footprints all about the remains … Or maybe it would be carried off entirely with  a few only South Carolina’s Gamecock feathers where the Bulldog had sat.  What is that nursery owner thinking?

Photo of statue at the True Blue Nursery

I laughed so hard that I had to paint a picture of the little guy while he was still in one piece.

My 12" x 12" oil painting of Bulldog Statue