Happy Autumn Holidays

Happy Halloween and Happy Thanksgiving too! Tonight I plan to meet friends in downtown West Palm for Moonfest. I’m going as a kid dressed in pajamas and carrying a teddy bear. Time keeps rushing by. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be putting up the Manalapan Library father/daughter show. I finished my book The Schreibers The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree, ordered it, and excitedly open the package when it arrived this week. I just have to make a few changes, but for the most part it’s fine.

In addition to working on the book, I finished a painting I’m submitting for Loxahatchee Visions, the Second Annual Juried Art Contest of Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge inspired artworks. The entries of original art (no photographs) will be on display and for sale from mid-November until January 8, 2012 giving novice (up to age 18) and adult artists a chance to win cash awards. The Visions contest exhibition will be open daily 9 – 4 in the refuge, and on Sunday November 20 at 1:00 p.m. there will be a Reception and Award Presentation. I would love to win an award, but will be happy to exhibit my work.

I also finished an 11” x 14” oil painting for A Unique Art Gallery’s November Exhibit. Chris Oakes, one of our resident artists, is getting his Masters in Fine Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and as part of his program he’s curating a show, The Sign of the Times, in the gallery. At our Second Wednesday Open House on November 9, 2011 we’re having a reveal. The exhibition will feature a unique art sales format in that the original artworks will be covered by brown paper and tied with twine with only the artist’s name and the price placed on the brown paper. An interested patron will have to look at other artwork the artists have hanging in the gallery to guess if they want to take a chance to purchase the piece before they are uncovered at 7:00 p.m. The exhibit is a fundraiser with 50% of the sale price benefiting the Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope, so we are hoping for a large turnout and lots of sales.

This past month, I was completely focused on putting my book together, preparing for my father/daughter shows, and finishing the paintings. I cut back on writing, covering the gallery, attending openings, and other assorted demands. Perhaps as a result, I’m actually ahead of schedule. I was able to start painting “Homage to Georgia O’Keefe,” a 24” x 30” collage style work. The beginning of a painting is always the best part for me. I begin a work feeling excited, eager to see my vision take shape. It’s not until the piece is almost done that I start to feel bored and doubtful. Since a painting this size generally takes at least a month to complete, here’s to a busy and happy November. Wishing everyone the same.

The photos above I took at A Unique Art Gallery's October Open House. Steve Lorenti's Hulk Pumpkin made it unto the first page of the Accent section in the Palm Beach Post.

Making and Taking Pictures

The past four weeks the art scene has been relatively quiet. There have been several openings, but nothing compared to Season. I’ve been extremely busy, however, so I dread when things fully gear up. I’m hoping that I can keep up, but I feel like a juggler. I’ve already starting preparing for my two Father/Daughter solo exhibitions this winter – small works mid-November to mid-February in the Manalapan Library and large works January in FAU.

The two shows inspired me to self-publish a book “The Schreibers: The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree,” a compilation of the paintings in both exhibits – 21 of my oils and 20 of Dad’s pastels. David Willison, a photographer, printmaker, and fellow member of the Artists Association of Jupiter has made several books for A Unique Art Gallery – a portfolio of members’ works with artists statements, a catalogue of the art in our “Small Works” exhibit, and one for “The Gray Area,” our black and white photography exhibit. He convinced me that I could use Book Smart on Blurb.com to do my own book.

To get decent photographs of our paintings, I treated myself to a Nikon D3000. Next I bought a tripod, and for the last couple of weeks I’ve been taking pictures, putting them into the computer, and working on Book Smart. Thanks to David and my friend Carrie Pasquale, I learned about things like settings, aperture, and ISO, all previously unknown to me. I still have a ton to learn. David is teaching a class on photographing your artwork at the Lighthouse ArtCenter. The class meets from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Saturday mornings. The class started in September, but I imagine people can still sign up for it.

I wish I were more excited about using the camera since photography is currently all the rage. There’s been one interesting photography exhibit after another for months. In September “Photo Now” opened at the Lighthouse ArtCenter, and just this week I wrote about “Wild Florida” in the Examiner. It’s a wildlife photography exhibit at the Boynton Beach City Library. I keep meeting really talented art photographers and artists who are doing fascinating digital work. Again, I wish photography would inspire me as a medium because I feel like oil painting may go the way of frescoes. Murals are still happening, but I doubt they are done using damp plaster. People are painting digitally now rather than with paint. Still, I love using a brush to draw, and I’m just not ready to give up my oils.

Above are the paintings I’ve chosen to put on the cover of “The Schreibers.” On the left is Dad’s pastel of Rockport and on the right is my oil painting.

End of Summer

September 1st is coming up soon. It’s hard to believe that the summer is practically over. Time is going much too fast. I remember when I was young and mature adults said the older you get, the faster time passes. Now I understand what they were talking about. Still, even when I was a kid and time took forever, I hated to see the end of the summer. This summer was wonderful. I took it easy, had time to travel, cut back on the writing, and painted at my leisure. I dread the fall and the even faster pace in the winter once “Season” is in full force.

I was away for the past five days at Wright by the Sea in Delray Beach where I gratefully enjoyed the beach, sun, and pool. We were so lucky that Hurricane Irene missed us. But I returned this morning to find a zillion emails on my computer with news about upcoming exhibitions. September already sounds like a busy month. Press releases are out for shows at the Lighthouse Art Center, Palm Beach State College, FAU, and several of the galleries. Talking about FAU, I’m attending an opening reception tomorrow August 31, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. for John Rachell’s “Garden Portraits” a one-man show on the Jupiter campus in the atrium of the Student Resources Building.

I recently wrote an article for the Examiner, “Artists triumph over disabilities” in which I talked about John. He’s a fellow artist at A Unique Art Gallery whom I met nearly two years ago when he had work in a show at 1608, a gallery on S. Dixie Hwy in West Palm Beach. I loved his work, wrote about him in the Examiner, and was pleased when he joined the Artists Association of Jupiter. I’m hoping that his opening tomorrow is a huge success. The work will be on display through September 30, 2011.

FAU’s Kathyrn Yates, who organized the exhibition, invited me to do a father/daughter show there this winter. I’m already trying to decide which pieces to put into the exhibit, and think I might include “The Journey” pictured above, a collage painting of my experience in Australia. It’s practically done, but I have to work on the finishing touches. I just finished “The Taos Pueblo” which is only 9” x 12” (also pictured above) much too small for the FAU atrium, but perfect for the Manalapan Library. I’m planning a father/daughter show there at the end of November until mid February. Indeed, the upcoming months will be busy and exciting, if they don’t become overwhelming. I’m trying to psych myself into remaining cool, calm, and relaxed.

That reminds me. I am also planning an Unleashing Creativity Workshop at A Unique Art Gallery in Jupiter on September 24, 2011 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. I gave myself the summer off and haven’t done a workshop since last May, but Susan Lorenti, gallery director, encouraged me to start up again. Using relaxation techniques, participants access the unconscious to release creative juices. Most artists don’t need help to free their creativity, but lots of other people do and even artists have periods of blocking. The workshops can prove to be helpful and inspiring. Now I just need to practice what I preach. Stay calm and relaxed in spite of the summer ending.

Being in New Mexico

Late Tuesday night I returned from a much needed ten day vacation in New Mexico with my sister, Jan. For years I’ve wanted to go there, so months before the trip I was excited when we put together the itinerary for Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos. Before I left, everyone I spoke to who had been there told me how much they loved it. Still, I was amazed by the magic in the air. What a place! If you’ve never been to the southwestern state, think about going. For artists and art lovers it’s heaven. I never experienced anything like it before except maybe in Florence, Italy. Art, art galleries, and museums are everywhere.

On the Turquoise Trail, the scenic drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, we stopped in a small town called Madrid, which was filled with beautiful art galleries. There I discovered Joyce Dant a New Mexican landscape artist whose work I adored. If I could have afforded one of her oils I would have bought one on the spot. She is someone I will follow. Madrid was the taste of what was yet to come in Santa Fe.

The museums in Santa Fe were a pleasure. Highlights were the American Indian Museum of Art and Culture and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and perhaps the most unusual was the International Folklore Museum. In the Indian Museum I discovered Tony Da, an amazing potter and painter who is actually quite well known but new to me. Indian art is everywhere in New Mexico. Jan suggested it may be the energy emanating from the many pueblos up and down the Rio Grande that has created the artistic scene and may explain Canyon Road.

Though Santa Fe has hundreds of galleries, the largest concentration is on Canyon Road which runs for blocks and is lined on either side of the street with one fabulous gallery after another. There are no shops or boutiques and very few restaurants, just paintings and sculpture. We spent hours exploring the galleries and taking photos of the street. Between the museums, fine art galleries, and abundant Indian art sold on the streets and in shops and studios, I don’t know when I have seen so much art in one place. It was inspiring. In fact, when we visited Georgia O’Keeffe’s home, studio, and Ghost Ranch and a few days later visited the Taos pueblo, home of the Tiwa tribe, I took many pictures that I may have to paint.

I have been working on a manuscript for over a year called The Fabulous Art Scene, A Guide to Fine Art in Florida’s Palm Beach County. I am really excited about the book and the art in Palm Beach County and on the Treasure Coast, but we have a long way to go to match the art community in New Mexico. Still I will remain in Florida and continue to publicize our art and artists with hopes that someday our region will be as impressive.

The photo above right is an adobe in the Taos pueblo. I can’t wait to paint the turquoise door and the bright blue sky against the light brown structure. The photo on the left is of a flower that reminded me of Georgia O’Keeffe. I think I will paint a collage style oil in homage to her.

Photography is Hot

It’s been a month since I “quit” my job. Of course I didn’t really quit. I’ve been painting, writing articles, and attending openings as much as usual, but since I published my desire to quit, I have been feeling much better. When I was a psychotherapist I encouraged people to express and explore their emotions to work out conflicts, depression or anxiety. The acknowledgement to myself and out loud to others of how overwhelmed I was feeling was a form of therapy. I’m still working but not nearly as hard as I was before, and that feels right.

Besides it’s summer, the season to sit back and enjoy the long, hot days and the light until night. Things definitely slow down in the summer including the art scene, which is affected by the end of “Season.” In spite of that, a lot has actually been happening in the art community. Photography particularly has been sprouting up all over the place.

The Palm Beach County Photo Salon opened an excellent new show, Florida In and Out of View, on June 25^th in the Kimbell Center in Hobe Sound’s Jonathan Dickinson State Park, which runs until August 15. The day before InFocus opened at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. I didn’t get to the InFocus reception, but I was happy to hear that Melinda Moore received the award for Best in Show. She opened a solo show of her art photography, Creative Focus, in Palm Beach Gardens City Hall on Wednesday, June 29th. InFocus is on until August 20^th and Melinda’s solo show runs through August 25^th.

Meantime, the Artists Association of Jupiter (I’m a member) has put out a Call for Artists for a juried photography exhibition, The Gray Area: Black, White and Somewhere In Between. The exhibit, which award winning fine art photographer Barry Seidman agreed to judge, will take place from August 5 to September 1, 2011 in Jupiter’s A Unique Art Gallery. Photographers are asked to submit black and white works no larger than 11” x 14.” Go to www.artistsassociationofjupiter.com, click on Events, and scroll down for submission information.

Our winter show, Small Works: Big Ideas was a huge success. Not only did we have a substantial number of submissions, but the show attracted many people into the gallery, and quite a few pieces sold. As a result, we are excited about the upcoming photography exhibit. Susan Lorenti, David Willison, and I put together the Call for Artists; so we have an investment in its success and are hoping for similar achievement. For the Gray Area, artists must submit their photographic work by July 16, 2011. I’m glad that the gallery decided not to have a Second Wednesday open house in July so we can devote our time to the task of dealing with submissions and preparing for the show in August.

Members of the Association are excluded from submitting work which suits me fine. I’m not a photographer, but I do use my photographs as inspiration for my paintings. Right now I’m working on a large canvas (36” x 48”), a collage style oil painting of Australia. I am completely excited about this piece. It naturally has kangaroos and koalas, but also a didgeridoo player, the Sydney Opera House and my own aboriginal painting within the painting. When I paint landscapes I transport myself back into the place and how I felt at the time. So far working on this painting is pure joy. I loved Australia and would return in a second if I could afford to go. Right now I have my photographs, and soon I will have a painting too.

Above photos I took in Australia. On right a black and white pic of a koala and center in Ayers Rock Resort.

I Quit?

This past month I have found myself wanting to quit my job. Of course I don’t really have a job in the true sense of the word. No one is paying my salary, and I am my own boss. Though I do sell my artwork now and then, I would literally starve to death if I depended on sales to remain alive. And the monies I earn for my writing, a more reliable steady income, would virtually leave me destitute if it were my only source of revenue. Still this low paying position of artist/writer takes up an inordinate amount of my time. For the thirty years that I practiced as a mental health professional, making a fairly decent income, I never worked as hard.

So truth be told I am just plain tired, exhausted really, burned out. I want to quit. Quit painting? Or writing? I don’t think so. What I want to quit is the business of being an artist – the marketing, networking, dealing with exhibits and galleries, going to openings, writing query letters, “building a platform.” Too much of my time is spent outside my studio dealing with other people and negotiating with the art/writing community, knowing and getting known, developing a reputation, tooting my horn so to speak. God, I’m sick of it.

The recluse, hermit, monk within is going insane. I want to stop complaining and being a grouch. Like Greta Garbo, “I want to be alone.” I want to retreat to my cave and paint pictures just because painting gives me pleasure. Or writing novels because I love the characters and stories I have created even if no one else ever reads the work. I want to stop thinking about what might sell, or how much I should charge, or about being more “cutting edge.” I’m tired of feeling competitive and of being self-critical when I spend too much thought on comparing myself to others. I want the time and space to express myself creatively, just because that’s what I want to do, without the pressure of earning a living, of having a job. And since I’m earning so little money anyway, why not quit?

I am officially giving notice to the world that I resign. For now, I am without a job – no more covering the gallery, running workshops, writing articles, or attending meetings, art openings, or writing groups unless I want to, and right now I don’t…

Who am I kidding? Next Friday night, June 3, 2011, is the opening reception for “The Art of Association.” It’s a collaborative exhibition of three local art groups: the Artists Association of Jupiter (AAoJ), Artists of Palm Beach County (APBC), and North County Art Association (NCAA) at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta. I’m in AAoJ and APBC, so five of my paintings are in the show and two of my Dad’s. I wouldn’t miss the opening for anything. And there is a fabulous 3D photographer, Art Siegel, whose work I got to know at the “Vivid Art” exhibition in 110 East Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach. I just have to write an Examiner article about him.

Let’s face it, being an artist/writer is not a job. It’s my life. I can’t quit. I’ll just have to find more balance, meditate more, find time to relax, listen to what my unconscious is telling me. Above left is a photograph I took of a Buddha at the Morikami encircled by a wire fence. My painting of him “Buddha at the Morikami” on the right, free of the fence, is more than halfway done.

Altered States

“Season” has come to an end. Today Sunfest begins in downtown West Palm Beach, a celebration of the “Season” being over, a time to party because the snowbirds have returned to the north. In recent years the mobs of people have made it feel less celebratory for me. I imagine many of them are in fact out-of-towners. And unfortunately, I’ve finally reached the age where most of the musical groups are foreign to me. The only group I’m eager to see is Earth, Wind, and Fire, and they won’t be performing until Sunday evening.

In truth, this past month I have been enjoying guests visiting from around the country – family and friends from New York, Chicago, Boston, and California. When my friend Ronna was here a couple of weeks ago, I took her to the Norton Museum of Art. She’s heard me talk about it a great deal in the past and was curious to see the museum I have proudly espoused. Not having been to the Norton in a few weeks, Ronna’s visit offered me the opportunity to see the latest exhibits, but first I showed her the Dale Chihuly room. Ronna was excited by the current exhibit of his fabulous glasswork and paintings in the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, and his ocean themed ceiling installation at the Norton was a treat for her.

Though she was impressed with the permanent collection and the Fabulous Fakes exhibit of jewelry designed by Kenneth Jay Lane, she had no desire to see the Egyptian Treasures. Instead we concentrated on exploring Altered States: Jose Alvarez, Yayoi Kusama, Fred Tomaselli and Leo Villareal which began on April 2 and runs through July 17, 2011. Made up of collages, paintings, and installations by this select group of artists, the exhibit offers a transformative experience. The psychedelic colors and peacock feathers used by Alvarez, the detailed works by Kusama, and the intriguing drug filled collages by Tomaselli transport the viewer to an altered perception of reality.

Two years ago when I was in Sydney, Australia I had the good fortune to see an exhibit of Kusama’s work. At the time I found her paintings interesting, but her installations were unforgettable. Mirrored rooms filled with tiny lights created a feeling of being in outer space and witnessing infinity. I hoped to someday see an exhibit of her work in Florida. The Norton show includes several of her paintings, but perhaps the most impressive piece is her sculpture of a standing, nude, Barbie doll-like figure with a brown wig and covered with polka dots.

The installation at the Norton is by Leo Villareal. “Firmament II” welcomes the viewer’s participation, and the Norton has helped by providing wide comfortable chaise lounges to recline on while one views the changing lights above. Fred Tomaselli is quoted as believing that “art is obligated to transport the viewer… to the sublime.” Villareal’s piece has the power to do just that. Ronna and I must have remained on the chaise for at least a half hour where together we were transported to the heavens.

Later we took a long walk at MacArthurs Beach State Park where I showed off the natural beauty of my chosen state, and Ronna took a picture of the two of us on the boardwalk leading to the beach.

Capturing the Light

The light, the light, capturing the light eludes me. Paintings that do catch the light are the most effective. Or at least that’s what I learned in school. It’s the reason why Kinkade, whose work I find saccharine, is so successful. It’s why Rembrandt is considered one of the greatest painters who ever lived. I never cared for his work either, which I find much too dark, and his subject matter, primarily portraits and biblical scenes, doesn’t grab me. Yet Vermeer mostly painted portraits, and he’s one of my all time favorites. Vermeer really knew how to paint the light. His studies of women in domestic scenes take my breath away.

Yesterday, I showed my painter friend, Han, a photo I took of orchids at the recent Hatsume Fair at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden. I was excited about the photograph not for its photographic value, but because I thought the orchid would make a good watercolor. Han shook his head when he saw it. “Not enough light,” he said. “I could paint the light,” I replied knowing that I just have to paint that orchid.

My paintings often have too much light. It’s the shadows I ignore. Nancy Jones, a photographer and the wife of Bill Jones who is an exhibiting woodturner at A Unique Art Gallery, stopped by last week when I was covering the gallery. We talked about artworks, and she said the shadows interest her the most. So perhaps it’s the shadows I need to concentrate on. By focusing on the shadows, the light will emerge and will be more striking in contrast to the dark. Sounds awfully philosophical to me.

Above is the picture of the orchid I hope to paint and also a photo of my recent work, “Wakodahatchee November.” It was the colors that inspired me to paint the scene on a 30” x 40” canvas, one of my larger pieces. I’m exhibiting it in Vivid Art, a show in Delray Beach, which begins next week, April 4 and runs through June 3, 2011 at 110 East Atlantic Avenue. 110 is a commercial office building on four floors with a lot of wall space and an open atrium that can accommodate paintings up to 72 inches high and 60 inches wide. The building nestled between Café de France and Blue Fish restaurants is an exciting new venue for local art groups. Talking about light, the open atrium is bright and inviting. Here’s hoping it will draw affluent viewers eager to buy art.

Taking Flight

The very talented artist known as Han has been teaching Photo Reference Watercolor, Oil, or Acrylic Painting at A Unique Art Gallery in Jupiter for the past few months. I met Han in July when he joined the art collective, and the two of us became friends. He began teaching his class on Saturday mornings, which is the day I mostly cover the gallery.

Originally on the first Saturday but more recently on the third Saturday of the month, I run an Unleashing Creativity workshop. Han took part in a couple of workshops, so I decided to take his class. We figured that way neither one of us would have to pay. We would just exchange services. My sister, Jan, was studying watercolor with him, and I decided to try it myself.

A hundred years ago when I was in college, watercolor was a medium I did not enjoy. I’ve been oil painting since my early twenties, and I’ve always thought that oils are much easier to use than watercolors. After all, you can correct mistakes in oils but with watercolor you have to get it right from the start. So I was nervous when I started taking Han’s class.

I teach in my creativity workshops not to worry about the product and instead to enjoy the process of creating. If the process (the creative experience) is good, it will more likely result in a meaningful, worthwhile finished product. Though I try to practice what I preach, I’m not immune from an internal judge, who can be very critical of my work. Still I didn’t allow my self-criticism to inhibit me from trying to paint with watercolor, and the result has been a new love.

Next Wednesday, March 9, 2011, A Unique Art Gallery and our neighbor Unique Glass Art, are benefiting the Audubon Society of the Everglades on our Second Wednesday open house from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. The theme is “Taking Flight,” which is the feeling I get working with watercolors.

Jan and I have been bird lovers our entire lives. Our mother was not a dog or cat lover, so our

childhood pet was a brilliant parakeet. We are convinced that Skippy, who had a huge vocabulary and spoke in sentences, was a reincarnated human. He was a bird who flew away from home and found his way back.

Ten years ago when I started painting again after not painting for nearly twenty years, I began with a painting of Baby, my parakeet at that time, in a hibiscus tree. So I suppose it’s not surprising that the Audubon fundraiser inspired me to spend the last month using watercolors to paint birds. I’m hoping that the fundraiser is a huge success and that people will want to buy my new watercolors.

A Unique Art Gallery and Unique Glass Art are located at 226 Center St., one block west of Alt A1A, next to the Jupiter Ale House. Learn more about the organization, its artists and programs on the Association’s website, www.artistsassociationofjupiter.com. For more information on this event call Susan Lorenti at (954) 588-7275 or Carolyn Austin at (561) 747-2024.

Time is passing

Season is here, and life is busy. Too busy sometimes. Last week the Women in the Visual Arts exhibit opened at 110 East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. The office complex on four floors with a lot of wall space and an open atrium that can accommodate paintings up to 72 inches high and 60 inches wide is an exciting new venue for WITVA. This exhibition was open to non-members, all Florida artists, both males and females over the age of 18. I was thrilled to receive an Invitational Award to show six of my oil paintings in another exhibition in the building. I’ll have to decide which pieces to put in.

Meantime, I’ve been so preoccupied with A Unique Art Gallery and the Small Spaces: Big Ideas, Small Works Show that I haven’t been painting as much as I like. The show is opening on February 3rd, and though it was time consuming, it’s amazing how easy it went. A lot is involved putting on an exhibition. We had to put out a call for artists, organize the submissions, get them to JB Berkow, the juror, then notify the artists, receive the accepted works, and finally hang the forty-four wall pieces and set up pedestals for the six 3-dimensional works. The opening is next week 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 9, 2011. Everyone is invited to 226 Center Street just west of Alternate A1A in Jupiter for wine, refreshments, socializing, and viewing and purchasing art.

Next week will be especially busy since Wednesday is the gallery open house and Thursday night is the Pink Cocktail Party and Fashion Show at the Lighthouse Art Center, 373 Tequesta Drive in Tequesta where the ArtyBras will be auctioned. Last year $5,000 was raised for breast cancer research, and this year the art bras will benefit the Ella Milbank Foshay Cancer Center at the Jupiter Medical Center and the Lighthouse ArtCenter. I have AlgeBra in the show, which I will be modeling.

Saturday, February 12 is Everglades Day. I volunteered to sell T-shirts at the annual event that begins in the morning, but I will have to leave early because Rare Earth Gallery, 41 S.W. Flagler Avenue in Stuart is having its 2^nd annual fundraising event to benefit Treasure Coast Hospice. They entitled this special day: "HEARTS for HOSPICE." I donated an item for the auction and also volunteered to participate at the event. So I will have to leave Everglades Day by noon and head up to Stuart. On the way home, I plan to stop at my friend David Willison’s solo exhibit opening in the Art on Park Gallery, 800 Park Avenue in Lake Park. The exhibit began on February 6th and runs until March 3^rd, but the 12^th is the big night from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. I imagine I’ll be exhausted by the time I get home, but it should be fun.

New Beginnings

On December 8, 2010 my friends, Carrie and Mike, delivered their new baby boy, Joey, who is now two weeks old. I wish I could say that I took the photograph of him and his father. When I saw it, I knew I had to paint it. Carrie emailed me the image, and though I never paint portraits, this one of Mike and Joey is an exception. I started the under painting a few days ago, and I think I may be able to pull it off.

It struck me as very coincidental because “New Beginnings” is the theme of the Second Wednesday Open House at A Unique Gallery on January 12, 2011. I realized that if I can finish the painting in time, it would be perfect to exhibit in the show. This Second Wednesday is particularly important to me because the proceeds of sales and the raffle will benefit the Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County (MHA). The theme was chosen to acknowledge the opportunities in the New Year for the recently established artists collective, the recipients of MHA’s services, and everyone’s chance at a new beginning.

Since 1949, MHA has been dedicated to improving the lives of people who are touched by mental illness. Through advocacy, education, research and outreach, the organization reduces the stigma of seeking mental health treatment and leads a community collaborative effort to increase access to care. My original involvement with the association began over twenty years ago when I owned my private psychotherapy practice. As a healthcare provider I appreciated the support I received from MHA, and now I’m pleased that it will be the recipient of the gallery’s fundraising.

January’s Second Wednesday is also meaningful because my Dad was chosen to be one of the featured artists. If he were still alive, he would be joyful. Dad would have loved Carrie and Mike too, and he would have wanted to do the portrait of Mike and Joey which he would have captured with his pastels. He was great at drawing people, and perhaps that’s what held me back. There was always a bit of competition between us, and I was intimidated by his masterful work. Still, I haven’t really been motivated to do portraits, so perhaps my focus on landscapes had nothing to do with him.

Lupe Lawrence, my friend and a fellow landscape artist at the gallery, shared with me that someone told her she couldn’t paint portraits. That’s all she needed to hear and proceeded to begin painting them. She recently exhibited one of her powerful portraits in the “Peace on Earth” exhibit, which will be on display at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta until the end of December. I’m hoping my portrait turns out as well.

In any event, I’m looking forward to the “New Beginnings” open house and I’m inviting everyone to attend. It will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 226 Center Street in Jupiter just west of Alternate A1A next to the Ale House in Center Plaza. In addition to my Dad, Herman Schreiber, three other artists will be featured: sculptor Norm Gitzen, and painters Chris Oakes and Genevieve Johnson. Hope to see you there, and in the meantime have a joyous holiday. Happy New Year!

A Scary Gallery Experience

Last month, I wrote about gallery experiences without knowing that I was about to face the worst experience ever. Just days after writing the blog, my sister, Jan, suggested that we call the owner of a gallery in Boca Raton which had three of my late father’s pastels. We hadn’t heard from the gallery owner in a while, and Jan thought it made sense to check in with him before the “Season.” She called him on a Saturday and was surprised to get his voicemail and no return call to the message she left. By Monday when we still hadn’t heard from him, I tried calling and emailing.

Feeling slightly paranoid when he didn’t answer either the calls or the emails, I decided to look online. I freaked out when I discovered that the website was down. This did not bode well. Clearly the gallery was closed, and what happened to our paintings!?! After some research, we located the property manager who confirmed that the gallery was shut down, but he was not forthcoming with the whereabouts of our pastels. We were very anxious for a day or two and then decided to call the Boca police.

Our talk with a police officer prompted the gallery owner to return our calls. He sounded devastated about the loss of his gallery and explained that he owed the property management rent money so they were holding the artwork hostage. More calls to the property management went back and forth until we finally reached their lawyer. We informed him that we had a signed Consignment Agreement, a legal document which required him to return the pastels to us.

Thankfully, in just a little over a week we had Dad’s work back. I’m convinced that without the Consignment Agreement our work might still be in storage along with all the other artwork we saw the day we picked ours up. I’m writing this as a warning to any artist who has work in a gallery without a signed agreement. I’m very grateful to J.B. Berkow, a well-known local artist who wrote the book What They Don’t Teach You In Art School. It’s a must read, and the agreement I use came straight out of it.

On a happier note, I’ve been enjoying the Unleashing Creativity Workshops so much that I’ve decided to offer my services as a creativity coach to individuals for private sessions. I met with my first client and found it extremely rewarding.

I’m also pleased to announce that I’m a featured artist for December in a Unique Art Gallery, 226 Center Street in Jupiter, along with Han, Lupe Lawrence, and Nancy Fried-Tobin. Everyone is invited to our Second Wednesday Open House on December 8, 5:30 – 7:30 pm. The theme is “Nurturing,” and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Loggerhead MarineLife Center. Jan and I are happy to announce that we will be showing Dad’s pastels in the gallery beginning in December. Another reason to attend the open house. Happy Holidays!

For the nurturing theme, I’m exhibiting my orchid paintings. The above photos are “Orchids in the Entry” which I just finished and “Orchids On the Fence” from a couple of years ago.

Gallery experiences improve with Susan Lorenti's A Unique Art Gallery

The past six years, I have had both positive and negative experiences dealing with galleries that have exhibited my paintings. Rare Earth Gallery in Stuart this past year has been particularly pleasant, but nothing can compare to the experience in A Unique Art Gallery in Jupiter, the creation of businesswoman, Susan Lorenti.

Creating art has been a part of my life since the 1960s, and back then I exhibited work at the Cambridge Art Association in Massachusetts. For over two decades I focused on my mental health career, so it wasn’t until 2002 that I joined Women In The Visual Arts and began to exhibit my paintings again. In the past six years, my work has been for sale in eight galleries. The first, 2004 – 2005, was The Unknown Artist in downtown West Palm Beach, not the best experience. Pandora’s Hope, a lovely space in Pineapple Grove in downtown Delray Beach, was much better. Unfortunately the owners couldn’t make a go of it and closed the gallery six months after I joined, but I did have a solo show there in 2005.

Now I’m hoping for better luck in A Unique Art Gallery. Susan Lorenti, who has worked in galleries and frame stores for decades, decided last spring to open a gallery collective. She created the Artists Association of Jupiter (AAoJ) and opened A Unique Art Gallery at 226 Center Street in June 2010. Rather than take a commission on artwork, she charges rent for the wall or floor space an artist occupies. Though each artist has an investment in the success of the gallery, Susan is the director. She is a member of the four person team that she selected to jury in new artists, she hangs the work, and she does the daily gallery sitting. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Most importantly, she has brought together a wonderful group of artists, and like gallery owners of the more distant past, she nurtures and develops each one of us.

If not for Susan I wouldn’t have a brochure or be giving thought to prints and giclees. She encouraged me to do a class, and now I’m running Unleashing Creativity workshops, which pays my rent and is good for my soul. Using my therapeutic skills and integrating the therapist and artist within me has been pure joy. Working with other artists has also been extremely worthwhile. Though I’ve been involved in the Artists of Palm Beach County for a couple of years and have been a board member for the past year, the experience of covering the gallery with Susan and collaborating on Second Wednesday monthly art openings with AAoJ members has been especially rewarding.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the “Season” will bring shoppers into the gallery. Our Second Wednesday theme on November 10, 2010 is “Returning and Re-Discovering Home,” which will showcase four of our artists, Mare, David Willison, Raymonde Tallyrand, and John Rachell. I look forward to this season with enthusiasm and feel grateful for Susan Lorenti and the Artists Association of Jupiter.

The photo above is of Susan Lorenti at the North Palm Beaches Cultural Alliance Event

Dealing With Rejection

It's only the end of September, but the season is beginning to rev up. Next Thursday, October 7, 2010 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. is the opening of Landscapes: Painters of Scenery at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta. Clay Surovek of John Surovek Gallery in Palm Beach juried the show, and I was pleased to have two of my paintings included in the exhibit. One is "Sin City," a large collage painting of my Las Vegas experience in 2008 (I used the image for a blog I wrote a couple of months ago). The other is "Sugar Sand Park Carousel," a 24" x 30" oil on canvas pictured to the left.

I was particularly pleased when I heard from the Lighthouse, because a couple of days before I received a rejection from “Land-Escape” for "Roman Sunset" (pictured to the right). Coincidentally, the Palm Beach County Art in Public Places exhibit at the airport is having an Artists Reception also on October 7th. In spite of the rejection, I’m nearly finished working on a 24” x 30” landscape of a waterfall and Japanese sculpture in the Morikami Garden, and I’m thinking about doing another collage painting. I decided to concentrate on painting for a while because the rejections from agents and publishers are more discouraging for the time being.

Before I went up north this summer for a two week vacation, I sent a query letter, table of contents, and a chapter of my non-fiction, The Fabulous Art Scene, A Guide to the Art Community in Palm Beach County Florida to Pineapple Press, which publishes books about Florida. I was very optimistic that they would be interested in my regional guide, a compilation of my articles in Examiner.com, so I was deeply disappointed when I received a standard rejection letter. Still the very next day, I emailed a query to Leapfrog Press about my novel, Spirit Seekers. The novel is currently a finalist for a Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Award.

Usually I have to wait weeks or even months to get a response to a query, but the very same day that I emailed the Leapfrog query, I received an email requesting a ten-page sample of the novel. I was so proud of myself that I hadn’t let the Pineapple Press rejection devastate me, and I decided that Leapfrog would be my publishing company. I went off to Massachusetts feeling confident, but not willing to look at email while I was away. I didn’t want to spoil my vacation in case I received a rejection, and I decided I could wait until my return home to check my email.

The rejection arrived last week. It was almost anti-climatic by the time I received it, because I already felt rejected. But I was so busy painting and covering A Unique Art Gallery for the Artists Association of Jupiter that it wasn’t until the actual rejection letter arrived that I realized I hadn’t sent out a query in weeks. I let the art scene (painting, the gallery, openings, and writing Examiner articles) distract me.

At some point though, I probably will again pursue publication. After all, the Florida Writers Conference is in three weeks, and who knows? I may win an award, and I love the manuscripts that are sitting in my closet. I really do believe that they deserve to be published. They may not be the best works ever written, but they are at least as good as much of the stuff out there. Blah, blah, blah… rejection stinks.

Back to the old grind

Yesterday, August 29, 2010, I returned home from a fabulous two-week vacation, and now I have to face going back to work. The first part of my break was spent on a trip up to Massachusetts where I visited with family and close friends in beautiful surroundings. My cousin, Ed, and my dear friend, Cherie, both live in central Mass. near Northampton. I enjoyed seeing pine tree filled neighborhoods, and Ed took me to a Peace Pagoda erected by Vietnamese priests and nuns in wooded Leverett.

As you walk around the perimeter of the large, white, rounded pagoda, you see four alcoves with statues of Buddha at different stages of his life. Adjacent to the pagoda, a beautiful temple is nearly completed, which was built for anyone and everyone who wishes to pray there, and a lily pond area for walking and meditation is decorated with colorful prayer flags. It was a lovely place to visit.

My main reason for the trip up north was a reunion on Martha’s Vineyard with five old friends, two of them, Bonnie and Carol, from childhood. The six of us had a wonderful time together exploring the island, visiting beaches, and reminiscing. Before and after the Vineyard, I spent time with two other good friends mostly eating in gourmet restaurants and seeing the sights – Bayside to Castle Island in South Boston with Bette and Longfellow’s House in Cambridge with Ronna. I had absolutely no desire to visit an art museum, and for the most part I avoided the art galleries on the Vineyard.

I don’t know if other artists/writers are as driven as I’ve been the last five years. I imagine most are, so I recommend a vacation like this one, which ended back at home with a five-day stay at the beach in Delray to celebrate my sister’s birthday. Wright By The Sea is an affordable resort just south of Linton Blvd on A1A with comfortable suites and wonderful views of the ocean. We were fortunate to have gorgeous weather until the last day, and that made it easier to return home.

I did break my avoidance of all that is art by attending the opening, August 26^th, for the Artists of Palm Beach County exhibit at the Crest Theatre in Old School Square on Atlantic Avenue. The show is beautiful. It will be running until October 30^th and is definitely worth seeing.

Now I’m back in the studio/office ready to do the under painting on a 24” x 30” canvas thinking about what I will write next and happy, very happy, feeling blessed, for the two weeks and two days away from it all.

Photos: Top middle Peace Pagoda and lower left in Oak Bluffs in the Vineyard

Painting or writing, which to do?

Summer is speeding by, and at times I think I’ve been too busy to enjoy it, although I love the long days. Going out to the patio for a swim in the evening before the sun goes down, is definitely a pleasure I wish I could indulge in year round. This month has been as busy as last with writing, painting, covering the A Unique Art Gallery in Jupiter, going to art receptions, etc., etc.

I’m almost finished with a large collage style painting of Las Vegas that I’ve really been enjoying, but it’s gotten a lot of competition from my writing. I did mail off my novel for The Florida Writers Association 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition, which is now officially closed, and I’m pleased to announce that I am a Finalist for the Women’s Fiction Award. But I’ve already started another writing project that I am very excited about. In fact, earlier this week I mailed a proposal to Pineapple Press. I’m keeping my fingers crossed about all of the above.

The Florida Writers Association’s 9^th Annual Writers Conference is being held October 22 – October 24, 2010 in the Lake Mary Marriott. Early registration ends on July 31^st, and since I’m planning to attend I mailed my registration this week. Two years ago, I went to the conference and had a wonderful time meeting and networking with fellow writers. One of my writing group friends, Mark Adduci, sat next to me at the Royal Palm Award Banquet, and we were pleased to congratulate each other when thankfully, we both walked off with awards. His was for a suspense thriller Cursed Blessing: Book One of the Trilogy of the Chosen.

Mark did everything one should do to get an agent, but even without one he found a publisher. His book was recently released with his pseudonym J. M. LeDuc, and Mark has been busy doing book signings in bookstores and libraries up and down the east coast. Look for his thriller in local bookstores. A page turner that has an inspirational message of redemption, it’s a really well written book, and he’s a good guy who deserves success. An active member of the Florida Writers Association, Mark leads a critique group in the Wellington Library the second Wednesday of every month from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. I’m hoping I will see him again at this year’s conference.

For anyone who has been thinking about attending the conference but missed the early registration, you can still save some money. If you register by September 22, the cost is $309. After that late registration is $329. This conference promises to be the best one yet, and I would highly recommend it to any active or aspiring writers.

Above is "Sin City" my 36" x 48" soon to be finished oil on canvas.

The business of art

The past month, I have been busy beyond belief: painting, marketing the work, writing Examiner articles, and completing a major edit on a novel I submitted to the Florida Writers Association for a Royal Palm Literary Award. I’m keeping my fingers crossed about that, but whether or not I win an award I do plan to pursue agents and publishers. Writing and sending out query letters is grueling work, which I haven’t had the energy to begin yet, but it must be done.

Meantime, I spent two Saturdays covering A Unique Art Gallery (an art collective in Jupiter that opened on June 1) and hours afterwards putting together a binder for the gallery. Though I use the computer all the time, I’m still only semi computer literate, so it was a lengthy process sizing and laying out the photos of my work to make attractive pages in the gallery binder.

Summer is a difficult time for art galleries. There isn’t a whole lot of foot traffic, so the galleries I have contact with are trying to come up with ideas to get people in the door. At least two of the galleries told me that they want artists to come in and set up their easels. The theory is that people will enter the gallery to watch the artist work and then hopefully will purchase some art.

In the Jupiter gallery there’s room in the back for classes, and that’s certainly one way to attract some people to the gallery. I decided to teach a class on creativity, and I’m hoping that people will sign up for the two-hour workshop, Unleashing Creativity. The class is for the novice who longs for the opportunity to unleash creative potential and for the seasoned artist who wishes to deepen creative pathways and to learn tools for overcoming periods of blocking.

For me it’s the opportunity to use my psychotherapeutic skills without doing therapy. I closed my psychotherapy practice over five years ago, and though I don’t miss being a therapist I like the idea of integrating my new art career with my old expertise. I plan to use art therapy techniques to help participants tap into their unconscious and release their inner muse as well as overcome fears, self-doubts, and self-defeating messages which hamper people in expressing themselves artistically. More and more research indicates that physical and mental health is affected by our ability to perceive in a positive light. People can learn to be more positive. Opening up our creative juices and allowing them to flow freely is one of the pathways to establishing healthy minds and bodies.

Lupe Lawrence, one of my fellow gallery artists, teaches at the Center for Creative Education and at the Artists Showcase, both in West Palm Beach, where she inspires young people to express their artistic natures. She will bring her teaching skills to the A Unique Art Gallery as well. So if we don’t sell art at least we might earn some money helping others to create it.

(Photo by M. Schreiber of Lupe Lawrence and her work at the A Unique Art Gallery)