The Berkshire Salon, Eclipse Mill Gallery

Photo Credit - The Eclipse Mill http://www.eclipsemill.com/userPage_6_Directions.htm

While the list is long of dreamy places to live/work as an artist, the Eclipse Mill in North Adams, Mass. has made it to the short list. Since moving there any time soon is totally out of the question, I decided to participate in their Fifth Annual Berkshire Salon. And yes, I'm exhibiting another river rock painting there. I've recently sold half of the latest River Rock Series, so I'm busy creating more for an exhibit this August. That may very well be my last river rock exhbition.

I'm craving working on a mixed media piece to break things up a bit. I love the juxtaposition of representational work side by side some very abstract pieces. It keeps me balanced in some way that I can't explain.

a wonderful evening of art

It was just one week ago today that First Fridays Artswalk in Pittsfield, Mass. had its inaugural event. After months of planning led by Leo Mazzeo and Mary McGinnis,  Friday May 4th arrived. The rain stopped, the sun came out and a beautiful evening of art, friends and life in the city unfolded. Armed with a camera, George captured many wonderful moments that evening. And this is just the first of many Artswalk evenings to come. The first Friday of each month we will hold an Artswalk in downtown Pittsfield, so if you live near by or are visiting the area, we hope you'll stop by.

Pittsfield is Alive with ART - Come see what all the excitement is about!

happy new year

I wanted to give you a little head's up - I'm taking some time off to refocus my art efforts. We all have those moments when we need to draw inward to work out some creative challenge, right?
I'd like to leave you with this quote from The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown:

"The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity. If we want to make meaning, we need to make art....As long as we're creating, we're cultivating meaning."

Wishing you all a wonderful, creative and inspiring new year!

Hugs,
Susan

storefront artist project

It's with bittersweetness, that I share this news. After ten wonderful years, the Storefront Artist Project (SAP) in Pittsfield is closing its doors stating mission accomplished. "Our mission was to fill empty storefronts and forge a community of artists, entrepreneurs, businesses and residents" says founder, Maggie Mailer. There have been many wonderful changes to Pittsfield in the decade since SAP began as an experiment with a single artist's studio that grew into a community endeavor.

This coming Monday, December 12th will be the Closing Party and Final 12x12 Event, with all proceeds going to support arts education in the Pittsfield public schools. So, if you're in the area, stop by at 6:30 PM; tickets are just $25 and in addition to celebrating a wonderful movement, you'll take a home an original piece of artwork measuring 12x12 (of course!)

Thank you Maggie Mailer for your vision!

art + community = paradise

Whenever artists come together to build community, to share ideas and to collaborate, they bring a vibrancy and energy to their community that is palpable. While I've been fortunate enough to have shared in that kind of community here in the Berkshires, I'm also aware of the many ways artists can reap these benefits through online communities.

One of my favorites is the Visual Artists Street Team (VAST) through Etsy. "We are an eclectic group of artists motivated to create successful artistic shops. Our goal is to promote the extraordinary talent of artists selling on Etsy. We are excited to be able to open our doors to you and share our creative world!" Through group emails and blogging we have the opportunity to share the ups and downs of the working artist's life. We offer each other encouragement, understanding, critiques, networking opportunities, and share great tips and solutions to some of the inevitable bumps in the road.

It goes without saying really, that the blogging community is an incredible source of friendship, education, support and sharing, too. I'm thankful for the friends I've made and the generous sharing of information over the years.

Sometimes an artist's life can feel a bit lonely - working alone tucked away in a studio for hours, but through community connection, we combine the best of all worlds.

Rock It! Art Exhibit through the month of August 2011

Last week George and I hung my art exhibit at the Marketplace Cafe in Pittsfield. It's a popular spot on North Street right next door to the Beacon Cinema. There you'll find live music weekly, great coffee and food plus it hosts an artist of the month - which this month is me! It's the perfect place to show my obsession with river rocks.

I’ve always had a thing for river rocks. I love how solid they feel in my hands, how their colors and textures come alive when seen underwater in a riverbed. I’ve been known to fill my pockets from time to time with as many rocks as I can hold. Are river rocks inanimate objects or are they living things? Philosophers, spiritual leaders and scientists have debated this topic throughout the ages. Some believe all matter is alive in a cosmos of perpetual metamorphosis. Are rocks sentient beings? I’ll let you decide, but I have a hunch on this one.

 So if you are in the area, stop by to see more paintings in this collection,

maybe grab a bite to eat or just to hang out for a little while.

http://ourmarketplacecafe.com/

after the rain...

George and I spent the afternoon wandering some of our favorite country roads gathering inspiration for spring landscape paintings. But upon returning home, it was our own perenial garden that really inspired me. I love the luciousness of spring, the many shades of green, the wildly colorful spring flowers and the intoxicating smell of earth after a rainfall (of which we've had many lately).

As noted in my last post, this collage needed a few finishing touches. When I woke up yesterday morning and stumbled into my studio sans my usual cup of tea, I knew just how I wanted to finish this painting. Now it's ready to head off to its new owner.

I am working on some watercolor collages that are in their final stages - but need a little "something" before they are finished. I like the idea of repurposing old paintings that aren't destined to the framing table. Sometimes you can find a wonderful piece of a painting even when the overall painting doesn't work.

Additionally, I have just finished my latest painting in the river rocks series.

It's springtime in the Berkshires, or nearly springtime and I'm off to gather some inspiration and images for a new series of paintings.