Bird Snake - New Quotation Card Design

Cynthia Emerlye:
Three of four quotation card designs are now finished. Hopefully, I will be sending these to the printer soon. Here is the latest: a watercolor rendition of snake, flowers, birds. I haven't yet decided which quotation will be on this card. Here are some prospects:

• "For this day's many gifts I give thanks."
• "Gather ye the fruits of your everyday labors and let them be sweet."
• "For this is the message ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."
• Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
• Art is to lift the wings of the soul, and to contemplate the good, the true, and the beautiful, and to lead the excellent life.

Photoshop Magic

There can be more to creating an image than pulling out paper and paint.

My food blog has presented new challenges in illustration. When cows unexpectedly visited my garden, I wrote a post and need an illustration.

I had a painting of a jersey cow.

And I had a painting of the garden gate.

Could I put the cow in the garden using the magic of Photoshop?

I began by creating a file that had the cow as a bottom layer and topped the cow with a garden gate layer. After I adjusted the scale and position of the cow, I selected the cow and erased areas in the garden gate painting where I wanted the cow to appear.

Success!

To read the post on my food blog *click here*

Carol Egbert

AVA Gallery Entries

It feels like time to enter work into some juried shows. Several years ago I was entering shows right and left, and then it got tiring putting together the slides or CDs, sending applications off, then needing to pack and send pieces that were accepted. So now the occasional easy-to-enter show seems more appealing.

Today I entered a couple of pieces into the AVA Gallery Annual Juried Summer Exhibition. This takes place in Lebanon, New Hampshire and has traditionally been an excellent, eclectic show. I decided to enter some of the rectangles I'm in the process of creating. I'll be interested to see whether the juror likes them.


Like any artist I have to remember that each juror in every show has his or her own take on art, so not to feel disappointed if I don't make the cut. But I'd sure like to!

New Quotation Card Design

Cynthia Emerlye:

Two designs down and two more to go.
I have been working on four new designs for my Quotations greeting card line. This is the second one (shown below with a quick snapshot.) In the center will be a quote by Dag Hammerskjold: "For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, Yes." That is, unless I come up with something better before having it printed.


My next step with this design is to digitize it and format it to fit a 5x7 card, lay out the card on Photoshop, and send the file to the printer to have a proof made.

I have already started painting design number three. Its about four movies away from being finished. The one you see here was an eight movie design - more than most.

Two Studios

I have two studios.  The one below is at home--certainly convenient but so small I can almost touch all four walls standing in the middle of the room.  No room for an easel or any large work and almost no natural light.  And after many years of having a home studio I realize it's way too easy for me to get distracted by household chores, gardening, email, etc. and set aside the painting.

The other studio, below, is at Tip Top in White River Junction, VT.  It is a shared space which I enjoy, has great light and is quite roomy.  There is nothing to do there BUT paint!  So I get a lot of work done when I go there. But it's thirty five minutes away.  

I  think complaining about the studio is a favorite thing for artists to do, because no studio situation is perfect.  The roof leaks, it's too small, too expensive, too remote, too noisy, too quiet!

But, in my case, despite the down side--mostly necessary materials in the other studio--I think I have an embarrassment of riches.  I know I am blessed to have even ONE place to work, no matter its size or convenience.   I remember reading awhile back about a very accomplished watercolor artist who had to give up his studio and was working with his paintings on a large piece of cardboard in his lap.  This enabled him to move the work in all directions and get a good flow of paint going when he wanted to work loosely.  Talk about making lemonade out of lemons!  So, I'm not going to complain.  Today, I am going to my home studio to finish two paintings and I am going to be grateful.

A day at the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center

I had a wonderful day yesterday re-introducing myself to my Great Blue Heron over at the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center.



I hope to finish it this week as I will again go over to Rutland on Thursday and Friday. I have been thinking about my upcoming show at the Woodstock Sculpturefest and although my original idea was to do some outdoor furniture in marble, I am now thinking about a series of swings using marble as the seat. I plan on hanging the swings from trees on the site of the property where the show will be. As the deadline looms I feel that little ember of panic begin to stir. I hope I will be able to just relax and enjoy the process of making pieces for this show. I have never had a show planned where I didn't already have a body of work ready to show. This sure is different!

-Anne Dean

Umpleby's

I've been wanting to exhibit work locally since we've relocated to Vermont, but don't have the time right now to put together a big show. There's a terrific cafe in Hanover, NH called the unusual name Umpleby's which has some nice space for displaying work. I had connected with Carolyn, the owner (an Australian), last fall, but we hadn't come up with a date for a show.


When in Hanover last week I happened to stop by and talk with her. She asked if I might be ready to exhibit starting late in July........I said "yes"! So I now have the happy task of choosing pieces and figuring out a theme. I actually have quite a bit of work ready to go and the space isn't huge, so it feels manageable.

I like the idea of hanging work in a public space that brings a lot of different people in. Having a cup of coffee or tea (and perhaps eating one of their famous Aussie meat pies) and happening on an interesting piece of art seems very appealing. I hope I can provide that experience for some Umpleby patrons!

Barbara Bartlett