sweet sweet visit w/KT, lovely drive home. Nice day today, went to the Y, busboys & poets for lunch, juried the show in old town and now off to see Jane Jerardi's piece Chance tonight.

Second Street Gallery

Fascinating installation by Susanne Kessler "Synaptic Drawings" at Second Street Gallery

Really beautiful, delicate and yet commanding - it works both upon close inspection and as a large work that occupies the same space as the viewer. Beautifully lit, the shadows lend a ethereal linear quality.

beautiful full moon last night. Susan and I have had a great visit and lots of work done. Today we are heading off to the outpatient care center to take some pictures. Then I'm hoping to go by Harrisonburg and see KT. Saturday I jury the show in Old Town.

Randall David Tipton

Seems like I fall in love w/something every time I go into Migration Gallery. Yesterday it was this gorgeous painting by Randall David Tipton. Love what he says in his artist statement about "trying to expose and explore the transcendental relationship we have with the natural world". Very painterly, lovely color.

such a beautiful sunrise on the drive this morning. Susan and I did our installation of artwork in the morning. went to Miller's for lunch. Nice outside but no fountain - due to the drought. Then went to McGuffy, Migration and Second Street. more posts on the shows tomorrow.

long day at NIH, tomorrow off to Cville until Friday.

Early morning meeting at the USBG to work on our November show - photographs of winter scenes by Roger Foley & Barbara Southworth, should be beautiful!

Go see Suzanne Stryk's show if you can, it is so very lovely.

Elizabeth Kendall

Elizabeth was one of the charming artists I met last Saturday at Red Dirt Studios we are hoping to exhibit her lovely functional work at NIH in 2008. More dirt to come...

Artist Statement
My past is present in my work. The old family photos that entertained me as a child are rich with textured fabrics, puffy sleeves, and even floppy hair bows that offer myriad ideas about form and shape. But, when I look at a photograph I see so much more than ideas for pattern and shape, much more than the event portrayed. Remembered stories and phases blend to become unintentional poetry that must be expressed.

With these images as a starting point and using both the tools and techniques of the sewing room and the clay studio I can create forms that are objects in their own right or building blocks for other constructions. As both bricks and windows the work can obscure or reveal.

Half-finished pieces, and broken bits, even the play of light and shadow within the work draw my ideas through unexpected doorways. A change in material or scale offers a different perspective, influencing the conversation between my hand and the clay. Elizabeth's web site here

you'll forgive me for not blogging the last few days, its been a race. Thursday we had a great meeting with Novie and Philip for the Children's Inn commission. Then I went downtown to Ellerbe for a design meeting for a hospital in NYC. On the way back to the car I stopped by the Options 2007 show, noisy but really pretty entertaining if you ask me.

also went by Flashpoint to see E. Brady Robinson : Shift. Really liked both the way the photographs were presented and installed. Reminded me of Mark Isaac's early photos from the train series

sounds like a charmed life....

September 18, 2007
How to make a happy cellist
Watching the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in concert at the famous Opera House a couple of weeks back, I thought the principal cellist looked a bit familiar.

'Who's that?' I whispered.
'Nathan Waks,' said my neighbour.
'Never!,' I exclaimed.

The last time I was in Sydney, in 1995, Nathan Waks was head of music at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a man of influence and authority. I could hardly imagine a BBC executive giving up the trappings and going back to play in an orchestra where he once held powers of hire and fire - and that's assuming anybody in the BBC would pass an audition to play any instrument in an orchestra of international quality. rest of the story here

what a treat!

we had some kind of obnoxious odor from the roofers in the office so they suggested we leave early. I went by Strathmore to pick up my work and see the beautiful Maryland pastel society show. Had a delightful visit w/Millie, then headed over to AU to see their shows. I really enjoyed All in the Family, AU Alumni, how fun to see both Elaine Langerman and Margaret Kranking who we also have on exhibit at NIH right now. Clifford Enright who is at the Washington Cancer Institute, and so many old friends, Yolanda Frederikse, Ellouise Schoettler, Pat Segnan, Martha Seigel, Gail Watkins. I also loved Keiko Hara's Topophilia Imbuing.

lots of great stuff to blog but not much time. working tonight to correct an artists' image for the SF card. hopefully will have time tomorrow to catch up.

I will be juring the Art in City Hall this September

Art in City Hall
Call to Artists
October 9, 2007 – March 14, 2008

The Art League, the Del Ray Artisans, Springwater Fiber Workshop, and the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association are partnering with the City of Alexandria, in conjunction with the Mayor’s initiative to promote the arts citywide in Alexandria, in coordinating a rotating fine art exhibit. This fourth exhibit will enhance the environment of Alexandria’s City Hall and promote the talent of local artists. The exhibit will be juried by an outside, independent expert in the arts, and will hang for six months in City Hall.

Receiving: Saturday, September 29, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Alexandria City Hall, 2nd floor (Please use the Cameron St. entrance at the 300 block of Cameron)

Work not selected: Must be picked up Sunday, September 30, Noon -- 4:00 pm
(Artists may call 703-683-1780, Noon - 4:00 pm on Sunday, to determine if they need to pick up work. Work not picked up will be delivered to Springwater Fiber Workshop (SFW) at 4:00 pm, and a $5 per day per piece storage fee will be charged.)

Reception: Tuesday, October 23, 2007; 5:30 – 7:00pm, Room 2000

Exhibition Dates: October 9, 2007 – March 14, 2008

Exhibition Hours: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday

End of Show Pick up: Saturday, March 15, 2008, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (Work not picked up will be delivered to SFW at 2:00 pm, and a $5 per day per piece storage fee will be charged.)

Eligibility: Open to members of the above listed organizations. Non-members may join the above listed organizations, except The Torpedo Factory Artists, at the time of delivery of artwork.

Entry Fee: $3.00 per piece, up to three pieces of original work.

Juror: The jurying process will be based upon originality, quality, execution of subject matter and amount of exhibition space. The juror will be Lillian Fitzgerald, Director, Fitzgerald Fine Art.

Submitting Work: All work must be ready for display, securely framed with screw eyes and wires firmly attached. No taped or clip style frames are allowed. Works on paper should have a protective covering of glass or Plexiglas. Work will be eliminated if poorly prepared or wet. All work must be original; no giclee reproductions will be accepted. Works cannot have been juried into previous Bi-Annual Art in City Hall Juried Exhibitions.

3-D artists are asked to contact Springwater Fiber Workshop to discuss presentation issues. Artists may review the exhibit space (during regular City Hall hours) in advance; please note that corridors have only eight-foot high ceilings. Artists are advised that the exhibition space is a government office building open to all members of the public, including children, and are asked to submit work appropriate to this venue.

Sales: Work may be for sale or marked NFS (Not For Sale). If NFS, a value must be stated in the Loan Agreement form for insurance purposes. A 25% commission applies to all artwork sold. Accepted artwork (not including duplicate works) may NOT be sold directly by artists or their representatives (including through their websites) for the duration of the Exhibition.

Loan Agreement: Artists are required to provide a completed and signed Loan Agreement Form, upon delivery of artwork. “2007-08 Alexandria Art in City Hall Loan Agreement” forms will be available at The Art League gallery, the Del Ray Artisans gallery, Springwater Fiber Workshop, The Torpedo Factory Arts Center, public libraries, and the Office of Citizen Assistance in City Hall. Permission to photograph any artwork for publicity purposes is considered granted unless otherwise stated in writing. The City, The Art League, the Del Ray Artisans, Springwater Fiber Workshop and the Torpedo Factory Artists Association are not liable for theft or damage to submitted artwork.

Awards: The juror will select works for monetary awards.

More Information: Call The Art League gallery at 703-683-1780, Del Ray Artisans at 703-838-4827, Springwater Fiber Workshop at 703-549-3634, or the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association at 703-401-0963 for more information.



PLEASE NOTE: Artists are responsible for transport and removal of artwork(s) to and from City Hall.
No accepted work may be removed for the duration of the show. Artists are required to
pick up works at the times stated. A storage fee of $5.00 per day per piece will be assessed for any artwork not picked up or removed as required.


About the Sponsors

The Art League is a private non-profit membership organization, which provides continuous opportunity for artists to have their work juried by professional metropolitan area teachers, curators, critics and gallery owners in monthly shows. Located in the Torpedo Factory at 105 North Union St, Alexandria, Virginia, www.theartleague.org.

Del Ray Artisans is a non-profit, membership, art organization featuring monthly visual and functional arts exhibits, artist receptions, special arts events and workshops at their gallery in the Colasanto Center at 2704 Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia, www.thedelrayartisans.org

Springwater Fiber Workshop is a multicultural community organization that seeks to promote and preserve historic and contemporary fiber arts, located at 808 North Fairfax St., Alexandria, Virginia, www.springwaterfiber.org.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center welcomes visitors daily into the working studios, galleries, and workshops of over a hundred fine artists and craftsmen in a wide variety of media. The Art Center is operated by the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association by arrangement with the City of Alexandria, www.torpedofactory.org.

Alexandria Commission for the Arts is a City Council appointed 16 member commission responsible for allocating public funds to support the arts and advising Council on arts related policies. The Commission also works on other arts initiatives, such as the Annual Alex awards, and a new initiative for Alexandria—Percent for Arts program. The Commission oversees Public Art and has instituted the Mayor’s Gallery, Council Gallery and City Manager’s Gallery. www.alexandriacommissionforthearts.org.

Happiest of birthdays legal E!

this article has caused quite a stir among my fellow SAH members

Does art have a place in hospitals?

Grayson Perry

I was having dinner the other night with some friends, a married couple. They were consultants, she for art, he for the heart. He’s a surgeon. We got chatting about art in hospitals. He said that in the anteroom to his operating theatre there was an interactive video installation. It is there to distract patients from the thought that they are about to have someone up to his elbows in their chest cavity. read the rest of it here

My favorite response was : Grayson Perry can put his fears to rest, chances are he'll be under the flicker of florescent lighting and staring at grim putty-colored walls

I've been researching banners for the job in bldg 35. I'd love them to have this feeling. Today and tonight I'm juring the "Expressions of Courage" exhibit for SAH, and tomorrow a meeting with Bill Mould and Anne Massoni about their Smith Farm Center show next January.

How lovely, I heard from Tati Kaupp another of those great Red Dirt Studio artists. She is having an opening at Cross Mackenzie Ceramic Arts on Saturday 21 and a baby ! any minute. Heartfelt congratulations!

what a day... lots to do at the USBG install, raced to the NIH meeting.. which was cancelled just as I got there and then back to USBG. Suzanne's exhibit is so very beautiful go see it!

Today we will start installing Suzanne Stryk's "Green Evolution" at the USBG.

nature boy in the west courtyard

we had such a good time last night at Smith Farm Center... come to the next opening. they are great!

pc my dear friend... coming both to the Smith Farm Center opening last night and the Festival for the Arts in Alexandria today. We have had a great time and she bought lovely things at the festival.

the show I help jury in FLA every year is this weekend in old town. Come see it!

1632 U Street NWWashington, DC 20009

First Friday! Opening Event and Artists’ Reception
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 7 5:30PM-8PM

Interesting post from Duane

Question: what colors do you use on your palette and what strategy to you use to find the right colors?
By Duane
Before I answer this, do a little experiment-- gesso a piece of paper and place all the colors you usually use out on a palette. Paint a 2" square of color on the paper. Make the color something complex-- a color that you have to think a few seconds about before you can give it a name. Then find someone who has little or no painting experience and have them paint another two inch square right next to yours, maybe two inches to the left or right of it-- and make them match your color exactly. You will need to give them a fresh palette so that they can't see the colors that you used. Usually they will be able to match the color in under five minutes-- with no color theory (other than maybe the basic color wheel) and no experience. If you watch them work you will see that they will eventually, through some trial and error, start to either hold their painted brushes up next to the color patch for comparison, or put test patches of the paper in order to see how it looks next to your patch. They will then make adjustments to the color on the palette. This is instinctive.I always tell my observational painting students, after this experiment, that the one question I do not want to hear for the rest of the semester is "how do I mix that color?"
This experiment proves they already know how to mix color-- the real question is "how do I see a color in relation to the colors around it?" This kind of takes the wind out of the sails of contrived systems of color mixing and elaborate palette schemes, and puts the emphasis on the moment before the brush touches the canvas-- the seeing part.My point being that there is no set system that I use... I use a basic palette, maybe 10 colors (the usual suspects) with several more exotic colors that I keep in the bullpen in case they are needed. I have no system that instructs be what colors to use, say in a shadow on the grass on a sunny day etc... those kinds of rules tend to get broken, shattered, every time I paint. The real world resists such simplifications. Duane's on painting web site here

very sweet to get a postcard from Istanbul, the boys are back! and I assume enjoying the cornucopia that is - America.

Today I am delivering some text panels for the Smith Farm opening tomorrow - btw if you missed our exhibit Like Perfume Poured Out, photographs by Charlottesville artist John Grant, you have another chance to see them at Kathleen Ewing Gallery in September.

Then I'm off to HHS for a meeting with an artist who will be exhibiting with us in November. Suzanne Stryk's show is coming down and Martha Oatway is going up.

Amy Lamb is on exhibit with us @ the USBG just through the weekend, and its gorgeous so get by and see it if you can! Amy's web site here. Click on exhibits and then USBG and you can see the show Pattern's in Nature

Jean Hirons @ NIH - beautiful pastels

I have been an artist most of my life, but only "professionally" since 2003 when I took early retirement from the Library of Congress to pursue pastel painting full time. Pastel has been my passion for the past 15 years and I am completely devoted to the medium. I teach the pastel course at the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College and this October will become president of the Maryland Pastel Society. I am also a member of Creative Partners Gallery in Bethesda.

My subject matter is the landscape. Since growing up in coastal Massachusetts, I have had a strong love for the natural environment. I am definitely "called" to paint what I see around me, whether it be here in Maryland, in Massachusetts, or places further afield where my husband and I have visited. I love finding compositions of strong shapes, values and color that mountains, prairie, and seaside afford. I paint both on site and from photographs in my studio. When I paint on site, I am more true to the natural environment; in the studio I feel freer to play with color and composition. Both forms of painting, I feel, are equally valid and critical to a successful landscape painter.

I have chosen pastel as my medium because it is the most immediate, brilliant, and permanent artist’s medium available. Working from sticks of pure pigment, I can create pictures with as much or as little detail as I desire. I have a wide assortment of the best pastels currently available, all lightfast. I also take advantage of the best of pastel surfaces. The paintings in this show use two surfaces. The 12 x 18s are painted on Wallis museum grade sanded paper. The 18 x 24’s are painted on boards with a surface I prepared. All are archival.

I paint what is beautiful and pleasing to my eye. My paintings are not political or message-driven, but are based instead on the "rules" of composition and color theory. I believe that these paintings will have enduring value as images of beauty and integrity.

Elaine Langerman @ NIH

Elaine has an enchanting show with us! We could not be more delighted - it is playful, full of color, a beauty!
Polaroid Series #21: "Betty"December, 20008 1/2" x 12 1/2"mixed media painted collage

Michael Janis @ Neptune

Michael had a one person show in Neptune's new gallery space. Can't wait to see it! Since that's right around the corner from NIH I'm planning to go to the opening, Sept 15, 7 -9.

sunday!