2014 The Year in Review

Paintings SOLD in 2014!

Happy New Year! And it was a very Happy Old Year!

It's been very busy and exciting!

As I get ready to say farewell to 2014, it's helpful for me to look back and celebrate the year – the things I learned, the places I went, the achievements big and small.

Here's a recap:

• An artist's “bucket-list” trip to The Olson House in Cushing, Maine, two trips to the Fine Art Museum of Boston to see the AMAZING Jamie Wyeth exhibit, a great quilt show and the Sargent exhibit. (If you haven't seen the Jamie Wyeth exhibit, its next stop is The Brandywine - mid-January through April. PS: The Wyeths have become my new obsession.)
• Several classes and workshops (most notably a pastel workshop at Acadia Workshop Center in Bernard, Maine with Michael Chesley Johnson) have (I hope) improved my skills as an artist. I've met some really wonderful new artists and friends.
• I've been given the opportunity to work as the Associate Executive Director of The Art Guild. I hope I can learn the ropes quickly and take on more responsibility in in the new year. It's been wonderful to be back in our building and we've planned classes for kids and adults beginning in January as well as photography and landscapes exhibits. 
• Though I sort of floundered though September's 30/30 Challenge, I did paint a lot and sold quite a number of paintings this year. Two commissioned paintings of the Locust Valley Fire Department was a nice surprise. Twelve 6"x6" paintings from the 30/30 Challenges sold via my Etsy shop.
• Most important (to me), was my very first solo show in my "Hometown" (East Islip) at the Public Library in November. It was a huge challenge - and I painted a number of pieces specifically for that show and the work did pay off! It was wonderful to have the support of friends and family who made the effort to stop by and say "Hi!" at the reception. Thank you to everyone who left a nice comment in the guest book - there were some familiar names in there. And a HUGE thank you to everyone who purchased a painting. It was a terrific validation of my growth as an artist and I'm delighted!

What I'm looking forward to in 2015

• January 1 starts the first 30/30 Challenge of 2015. Do you think I'm ready? LOL!
• Painting a new mermaid for 2015's GSBMF should be a little less stressful this year as there were two good choices last spring. The one not chosen was actually the one I preferred, so I'm looking forward to painting it. (Look for posts on the painting of last year's mermaid, coming in February.)
• I'm looking forward to seeing some interesting museum shows. It might be fun to see the Matisse Cut Outs Exhibit (through Feb10) and The Paris of Toulouse-Lautrec: Prints and Posters (through March 22), at MOMA. I doubt I'll make it to the Brandywine to see the Andrew Wyeth: Lines of Thought exhibit. Does anyone have any recommendations?
• I'm looking forward to helping plan some fun art/painting events at the Art Guild. We have lots of ideas! We hope to do an "art gallery swap" show with another art group on Long Island, that should be really fun!
• I'm looking forward to my annual trip to Maine. Not sure which workshop I'll be taking, but there are some good ones to choose from. 
• Painting, learning, creating, exploring!

If it wasn't for the support of friends and family...

I wouldn't be doing any of this. I'd like to thank my friends and family, everyone who follows my facebook page, blog and emails, for their love and support. Being an artist is often a solitary affair – so your comments and feedback are always important to me. I am thankful and honored to share my work with you. Please share with your friends, come to shows, and tell me how you feel about my posts.

Farnsworth & Olson House - The Wyeth Pilgrimage

The Olson House

Maine Re-cap Part 2

Up bright and early on a not bright and sunny Saturday and headed off for the Farnsworth Museum and the Olson House. A quick stop at the museum to get my admission ticket for the Olson House and on my way to Cushing, Maine.
There were so many interesting things to stop and look at, but because my time was somewhat limited, I hurried on.

The house looms up as you round the bend sitting atop what used to be a nearly treeless hill. 100 years ago you could see Monhegan Island from here and the sea captain who built the house (Captain Hathorn) conducted a successful business shipping up and down the river and down the coast. On this day it's very quiet in the fog and misty rain.

I am in the first tour of the day with an older couple and a really nice and knowledgeable docent named Chris. He first gave us an overall history of the house and then we walked through it, room by room. He had some interesting back stories about how the house came into the Farnsworth's collection, local gossip that Walter Anderson was also the town peeping-Tom, and Andrew Wyeth's anger at Betsy for buying a house! He also described what the Olson house was like back when Wyeth painted here (a disaster for the most part), his and Betsy's relationship with the Olsons, and Christina's disabilities.

The house is mostly unfurnished and undecorated - the original furnishings and other items were auctioned off back in the '60s. But the light and autumn colors through the windows (especially on this dreary day) evokes a quiet, austere, rustic, Maine-ness and you can almost imagine Wyeth looking out those windows and painting in those rooms.

Front room on the right

Back of house, second floor, left side

Back of house, second floor, left side

Third floor, right side looking at kitchen chimney. Wyeth painted this view of the kitchen chimney.

Back of house, facing front door

Back of house, looking into first room

Kitchen room where Christina and her brother Alvaro spent much of their time.

Outside - kitchen window

Christina's grave

Christina's parent's grave. Katie Hathorn was the great daughter of the sea captain that built the original two-story house. 

The view from the cemetery of the house

The cemetery with Andrew Wyeth's grave at the front

After absorbing as much as I possibly could I headed back to the Farnsworth to have a look around - check out the exhibits at the Wyeth Center and generally immerse myself in more Wyeth.

Yes, I did. Wasses (Famous) Hot Dogs. OMG Delicious! Mmmmm - Grilled onions! Cheese! I should have gotten TWO! This is the one south of Rockland on Hwy 1.

At the Museum

Stopped at Wyeth Center to see The Wyeths, Maine and the Sea. This exhibit includes includes a selection of paintings by James G. Babbidge, George Bellows, Walter Dean, James Fitzgerald, Rockwell Kent, Fitz Henry Lane, William Edward Norton, William Pierce Stubbs, Frederick Waugh, and Andrew Winter, as well as the Wyeths – and a selection of ship models that include the (ghost ship) Mary Celeste, the seven masted schooner Thomas Lawson, and more.

NC Wyeth

Andrew Winter, Sequin Island Light

Eric Hudson, An Island Harbor

Robert Henri, Monhegan Island

Mary Celeste

NC Wyeth

Jan Domelia, Monhegan Harbor

Frederick Waugh

I would highly recommend this pilgrimage to any artist and painter heading to Maine. I would love to visit again and perhaps on a less dreary, drippy day, drive around and have a look at the rest of the area surrounding Cushing. It is quite beautiful and full of potential paintings!