The BEST Four-Letter Word

And that would be SOLD.

Yes indeedly, can we say the Art Show was a resounding success?

Let's.

In all the years I've been involved with our little local Art Show (and that's been close to 20 years...eesh!) this is the first time I've sold all pieces submitted. Sweet. (and the Bank is v.v. happy too) The show also made history by being the first show to make a substantial amount of money with more works and big ticket ones at that, being sold. There are some 'kicking-myself' artists around here for not entering today I'll bet. I'm sure a lot of the success has to do with the new venue of the Black Rock Resort here in lil' ol' Ukee. What a grand place! I thought when the show was in the Pacific Rim Park Info Center on Wickaninnish Beach that nothing would be able to top it....well, I stand corrected.

It makes having to tackle my income tax 'files' (that's a loose term - picture proverbial 'shoebox') (not kidding) almost pleasurable.

And it feels good to know all the hard work of setting up/taking down has paid off so handsomely.

Hi-YO ! I'm over here!

In my eternal quest to garner some recognition for my art, I posted some paintings on a site promising recognition and etc etc etc. Admitting to some alot of scepticism in this kind of thing I was pleasantly surprised to get the following today:

Dear Marla,


Thank you for sharing your work and your story by submitting to The Power of Self. The Self-portrait, in any medium or interpretation, is an incredibly powerful means of personal expression. We recognize the great amount of reflection it takes to create a work of self portraiture and we’d like to offer you some feedback on your Power of Self submission.
Your portfolio is an intriguing interpretation of the portrait in the painting genre. I find it fascinating how you are using the old photographs of your mother as inspiration and creating totally new paintings. I love the graphic element in your work and how you mix all kinds of opposing patterns together! That is so successful. I especially like how in Beginning you blend the subject's hair into the pattern of the flower. Your work is really strong and I look forward to seeing it progress even further!
Our amazing panel of judges will decide our Grand Prize Winner, however, People’s Choice voting is now open, so share your portfolio with all your friends, family and social network and ask them to vote for you!
Your Portfolio Link:  Share this Link!

http://Marlathirsk.see.me/aw2011

By sharing your link and gathering votes/feedback you will increase your chances at winning the $2,500 cash prize and the publicity that comes with the People’s Choice Award.
Thanks,


Marietta Davis
Guest Curator
Artists Wanted
curator@artistswanted.org
http://www.artistswanted.org/


.....well, it is a kind of 'pat-yer-own-back' feeling to get folks to vote for you but if you do feel I deserve some wee bit of notice, could you swing over there and click on the number of stars you feel I warrant.
Goddessofallartisticendeavors knows I could stand the monetary handout.
I thank you.

The Mixed Bag Edition

Hello-o-o-o kiddies!
Just because you've been so good and waited so patiently, I have a BIG bag of all-sorts-of-things-to-blather-on-about! Oh Joy! Oh Happiest of Readers! Oh Shut Up!
Ok, lots has been going on; from the ridiculous to the sublime.....and where shall we start?
Let's begin with the yearly local Art Show. Every year in my little part of the world the yearly Art Show gets put on. I've been a part of this for a goooood many years in one form or another, so it was no big thing to offer to help when I dropped off my work on Monday. As per usual I get drafted into 'making the tags' because I have nice printing. When your Gr. 1 teacher writes this on your report card, beware. You are doomed to forever after to be the one who gets all the 'printing' jobs, but I digress.....
As I'm bent over carefully scribing I get to also watch the other work being delivered.
Mother-of-all-things-calling-themselves-Artists!! Is there NO pride in what you've created?! The vast majority of work is so sloppily framed or presented it makes me cringe. Without a word of a lie, I saw one piece where the artist had glued her work to pieces of driftwood and put in screw eyes and wire from a stripped twist tie. Of course my 'professionalism' gets on it's high horse and tells these souls that they need to learn to 'frame' properly and, most understandably, they get miffed. Shut Up, Marla.
I know it's expensive to go to a frame shop; I was a picture framer for 15 years, I get that, but but but! If you are going to charge BIG prices for your work then by all that is aesthetic! learn! to! present! your! work! like a professional!
If this kind of thing was delivered to the Sooke fine Arts show it would be summarily rejected. Because we are in a small community, it treads a fine line with 'not wanting to offend' anyone. But this show will FOREVER be a craft/art/small potatoes show because of this. I am offering to put on a seminar about this but I may have alienated so many 'artists' that no-one will show....serves me right, huh.
Let's calm down and go to our favorite feline for comic relief shall we?
Jams has been slowing down - age is creeping up on my furry sister...as it does to us all. I could insert the latest personal body decreptitude anecdote but let's not. So, as we are wont to do, Jams and I are lying in bed - I am reading, she is not. Now, I keep the window cracked open wide enough so that Jams can flit out for a midnight reconioter if she so wishes. I heard rustling outside but paid no attention. In my little world, it's pretty par for the course to have deer stroll by 2 feet from my bedroom window, although there have been the occaisional bear or two. So, I pay no heed to the movement out there. However, I DID look up when I realized the 'creature' was actually approaching my open window. Suddenly two bright eyes appear surrounded by a dark mask.....RACOON! The world exploded right then because JAMS caught on to what was going down and literally flew through the air towards the window and the 'intruder' - I launched myself in the same direction too and the collision at the narrow but still open window was cataclysmic! I was smacking Jams down to keep her from propelling herself onto the racoon's person as she was mightly hissing and growling and at the same time I was also flinging my book at the creature to keep it from coming in. AND trying to slam the window shut. It promptly jammed, of course.
However it closed enough to keep Jams in and the night prowler out.
I believe this is all it took to scare that poor racoon into the furthest regions of somewhere else since I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since.
And the window now only opens 2".
PHEW*
In my own arty world, I have run out of old vintage photos......horrors for a few days as I had to flounder about trying to find new ideas. Maybe rework the photos? Perhaps use other vintage snaps? Maybe use contemporary poses in a vintage way? I put out a call through my FB cronies for old pics anyone had to see if there was anything but even though many fine fine examples were offered there wasn't anything that 'jump started' the creative muse....think she was sulking.....anywhatadarkmomentway, I was visited with inspiration. And because it's so fresh I'll try to show you how this process works.
I'm thinking about the old photos of mom and how the paintings have provided the 'mythology' of my life, if you will. This gets me musing on the whole thing of 'my life'. And 'myths'...mostly being the ones that have had impact on my own behavior. And what's my biggest warped viewpoint?
Relationships. (After 3 failed marriages and some decidedly poor choices in the opposite sex, I think that I can safely say that I'm processing some bad info. ) And where did I get my 'ideas about relationships' from?
Fairy Tales. Yepper, like: Cinderella (the Prince was gonna ride up and discover me and take me away), Red Riding Hood (the strong guy was always gonna protect me) and Alice in Wonderland (it was all magical and tralala and the Mad Hatter was the guy for me) (oh and drugs were yummy....NOT!) Boy, I'm telling you the richness of this vein makes my fingers itch!
 My next series are going to be on the theme of myths as applied to how they have shaped my life and I'm calling it "Living The Myth".
Just built and stretched and prepped the canvas to my biggest frame yet > 60" X 40"......can't wait! I'll keep you posted!
Picture is an illustration: "Mixed Bag Mythology" by Nigel Quarless....could I have found anything more perfect?

Oh Vincent, I understand....

Oh Vincent I understand. I really do. What a weary-ing life being an Artist is. You put your soul, your vision on canvas but it seems no one can see. You struggle and struggle to keep body and soul together. You debase yourself to just have food on the table; to pay the bills, the neverending bills. You give away your best work for the means to survive. You will paint souless dreck for the same reason. It's always more money needed for supplies. The people ignore what you've created or tell you patronizing little things that shrivel you up. You want to love, you want to just lay your head down on a comforting shoulder, but it's never there. Or in this desperate need to just feel a human touch once in a while, you choose unwisely and, yet again, become a fool for it. It is so endless. It is often just too much to bare any longer. You just need to paint; cannot anyone see or understand that and give you some recognition? So, yes Vincent, I understand why you got tired. Why it was beyond endurance any longer. But you are missed for what may have come later.
As for me, even though I am feeling tired-of-it-all today, the sun has come out and is casting a magnificent light across the distant mountains. And I am captured by thinking of how to paint that. My friends are helping me to find some new inspiration. And I know that this is the journey and it will be recognized. All is battle when you choose to live your life creating.

The painting: "Wheatfield With Crows" attributed to being Vincent's last painting before he took his life. Wrongly so, however. There is documented evidence that he painted 2 other paintings before his untimely demise. I think that folks pick this one because of the somewhat 'ominous' atmosphere that Van Gogh captured.

ORDINARY LIFE ( 2 )

36 x 42" ACRYLIC with painted collage.