New Shows Added to the Schedule

Last week I put out a long overdue newsletter to all the the people on my contact list*. As a result I received some invites to shows, 2 of which I have done before. This should keep me busy for a while!

Black and White Border Collie

5x7 inches - watercolor

The first show of the season is the Allston Street Fair. This fun event takes place on Harvard Avenue between Cambridge Street and Brighton Avenue. They block off the road and turn it into a festival with art, food and live music. I attended this fair as a patron last year and loved the fact there were 2 stages and that I was able to rock out to some pretty decent bands. This year, I decided not only to go but show everyone my art as well. Allston has a reputation of being a pretty dirty place that's filled with hipsters and college kids that are just happy tearing up the place. While we do have hipsters, they make up a very small percent of the Allston community. I think participating in this event will help show that Allston has its own culture about it. September 25th, 12-6pm. For more information visit http://allstonvillagestreetfair.com/

Horse Behind Bars

8x10 inches - watercolor and Prismacolor pencil

Sunday, October 2nd is the day of the Harrington Fall Festival of the Arts.

This event is sure to be a fun time for all involved! I'm told that along with all HAND MADE arts that there will also be live entertainment, craft activities for children and a fall produce sale (Pumpkins!) This event runs from 12 to 4pm. For more information go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harrington-School-Fall-Festival-for-the-Arts/154389834645672?ref=ts&sk=wall

Saturday and Sunday November 12th -13th from 12 to 6 is the 25th Annual Allston Open Studios. This is the 25th annual anniversary of Open Studios in Allston and there will be a great reception for this event as well. This is a great opportunity to go inside the artist studio and see how we work! I will post more details as the event gets closer.

Irish Cows

5x7 inch, watercolor and colored pencils

And finally, just want to take a moment and thank Joan H., of Allen TX who bought "Irish Cows" last week via Etsy.com. Thank you so much, Joan, for supporting the arts! If you're interested in a piece of my original artwork, don't hesitate to contact me.

*If you would like to sign up for my contact list, please place a comment below with your email.

Kitten Art & Shows

If you don't love kittens, well, then you're no friend of mine. Just kidding, but really kittens are adorable :). Here are 2 of my latest out of the kitten art collection.

White kittens

watercolor & prismacolor pencil

5"x10"

3 Kittens 4 Bowls

watercolor and prismacolor pencil

5"x10"

I have been taking a break with outdoor shows. Back in 09-10, I did about 1 to 2 shows a month and I have to admit, I got burnt out.

Highlights of art fairs is that you meet people who are interested in your work. You get to talk about your work and in my case, your pets. You get to collaborate and meet other artists. You get tips on where all the other "good" shows are. And of course: Commissions and Sales

Downsides of art fairs is the weather is always unpredictable. I don't mind the rain as much as I mind the wind. The lugging of all your display and art from one town to the next. If your fortunate you'll have a great person next to you to watch your things while you go pee or whatever. But then sometimes you just have a person sitting there complaining. Most complainers talk about how there's no traffic at "this show". If I had a dollar for everyone who complained to me about a poorly attended show I'd be a rich woman. No doubt, I've had some pretty crappy shows but I try not to let it effect me anymore.

I used to do the South End Open Markets that happen every Sunday here in Boston. They were good, and from what I understand they're getting better. But for the life of me I can't get into these shows anymore and I think I know why. It was a rainy/windy day and my paintings kept falling off the display only to ding up or even smash my frames. Well, one point, I lost it. And I dropped a couple of F-bombs. Little did I know the organizer of the show was in the booth directly across from me. Now, I could be imagining things, but if I was the show organizer and I saw this woman across from me say F*CK! every time a painting fell I probably would feel the same way... We don't need this riff raff. So lesson learned.

This year I have entered my stuff in the Allston Street Fair that is happening on September 25th. It's a block party with live entertainment as well as food and art. I entered for 2 reasons. 1.) It's 5 minutes walking from my house

2.) Allston has this reputation for being a place where the hipsters hang out. College kids come in and live for a year or two and trash their apartments. I want to change that image. I've been living in Allston on and off for about 20 years. And yes, I was a college kid at the time I first came here. Allston has so much to offer! We are a mesh of all sorts of cultures from all over the world. We have a great music scene, a lot of restaurants in any ethnicity you can imagine and there is an art scene! So don't be a hater and come visit me at the Allston Street Fair. http://allstonvillagestreetfair.com/

Art and Music. It's what seperates us from all other animals.

I have some excited arty things planned that I want to tell you about but first I have to let you know about one of the best things about living in Boston. The Music Scene. Ha, you scoff! Seriously, these past 2 weeks J & I have gone to 3 shows and a 4th coming up on Saturday. And there have been some highlights and some *ahem* lowlights. I have found my 2 new favorite local acts and saw them both.

Don't you love it when you go check out a band that you and your friends like and the other bands freakin rock? That's what happened when we went to Planetoid at the Middle East back in May. The ever so rockin' Sherman Burns opened up for them and dare I say it, I liked them better than Planetoid! They're a heavy, hard rock with twists and turns that take you everywhere. Oh and the lead singer kinda looks like J back when J was in his early 20's.

Sherman Burns

So we made the effort to go out and see them again at Great Scotts in Allston last week. Unfortunately Great Scott's doesn't have any air conditioning (or they just didn't that night?) so the place was a sweat box. Had it not been for these boys rockin' out, I would have left in a heart beat. Check out their page at http://shermanburns.net/ and you can download their music here: http://shermanburns.bandcamp.com/

So my friend B's brother, Mike, is in a band called Taiwan Typhoon. I went and saw these guys back in January at Church not knowing what to expect. In fact, I think I was expecting to be disappointed as I wasn't really a fan of M's last band. But hey, I'll support. Boy was I pleasantly surprised!

Taiwan Typhoon

From what I understand, these boys have been working, mastering and perfecting themselves for the last 2 years and have started playing out in 2011. I have seen them perform 4 times now and love them every time. Mix of some post-punk, heavy rock and surfer boy and that's what they are. Duel guitars give you a complete wall of sound while the singer, Larry, is as funny and animated as he is adorable. We saw them last night at TT the Bears and it was if I could not get enough. Can't wait to see them again. And sometimes they have free home made cookies with their merch! Check out there site at http://www.taiwantyphoonmusic.com/

And then there are my friends:

Beneath the Stone

If you like old Stone Temple Pilots, then BTS is right up your alley. They have some great solid riffs heavy, stoney and oh yeah.....

Al from Beneath The Stone

There's Al in all his sexiness. I have a thing for bald dudes with big noses (HA!). So when I go to the BTS show this Saturday at the Middle East, I'll be crossing my fingers that he takes his shirt off again..... yummy! I can't get myself too carried away since J will be there. (BTW J has a big nose and shaves his head as well.... I'm noticing a trend here). Check out Beneath the Stone here: http://www.beneaththestone.com/ (caution, they have the music playing as soon as you open the site).


All these bands can be found on Facebook and that is where I pulled all the photos from as well. Just so you know.

That 4th show I talked about was A Perfect Circle. What a f*ckin' disappointment. Top dollar tickets (my seats were excellent) but they played 5! covers. I can understand 1... I'll let 2 slide if it's done really well, but I was there to see them!! Not sing Elvis Costello!! Ugh! A day after the show, J had done some research and apparently they've recently come out with a whole album of covers with a whole War & Peace theme (hence the cover of Peace, Love & Understanding) but seriously.... They could have done a whole lot more of their own stuff and the show was only 1 hour long. Weak, in my book.

Okay on to the art!

I've been recently invited to show my work at the Discovery Center in Turners Falls MA! http://http//www.greatfallsma.org/ They saw my paintings on FineArtAmerica.com. The Discovery Center invites artists from the New England area to display there work here and I have the months of December 2012 and January 2013. Yea, it's a long way off, but still excited. And this way, I can create more current pieces like this one:

Dead Leaf with Stick

16x20

acrylic


I will keep you posted on that event as we draw closer......

The Canine Art Guild is soon to post it's latest people's choice show and this is one of my entries:

2 Mastiffs

5x7 inch watercolor and colored pencil

The theme is Ying and Yang which always meant perfect balance to me. I remember these dogs from a cook out that I went to years ago and they were the best of friends with each other. They balanced each other. Keep your eye out on the CAG website... the show will be posted by the end of this month. http://www.canineartguild.com/



And lastly, I will be exhibiting my work at the Allston/Brighton Street fair on Sunday September 25th in Allston right on Harvard Street. It's a huge block party with art, food and live music. I'm doing this show because I want people to know that Allston is just not a nasty college ghetto for Boston University and we have much more to offer the world besides bad hipster sightings. So I think for this show I'll be exhibiting a mix of work, but all current stuff done with in the last year. I don't know if I'll even put some magnets out.... maybe. But it won't be all pet portrait focused. In fact, I would love to display paintings like this one:

Gut Girl

10x8 black watercolor

we shall see.....