Old Dan's Records

So, Saturday was my 39th birthday! To celebrate, my brother came up from Las Cruces and joined Aaron and I at the Gordon Lightfoot concert here in town. It was just amazing! I have loved his music since I was a kid, basically, I was raised with his music. He has always been a favorite. My dad loved his music too, which is how I was introduced.

I knew that my dad would have loved to see this concert, which is part of the reason, when I found out it was happening on my birthday, that I just had to go! I called my brother and told him about it and of course he was in. The entire concert was great, but the best part was saved for last. The last song of the night, 'Old Dan's Records', was proof to us that my dad was there with us. See, for those who don't know this, my dad's name is Dan, and his lifelong passion was collecting records! We just recently finished building shelves for those records in our house (lucky me, I inherited them all!) and have been waiting for a new record needle to come in so we could listen to those records. So, the encore song of the concert was all too fitting! There are a couple of lines that really hit home for us, 'dig out old dan's records...if old dan was still around, you know he'd be so proud'. It made me bawl the night of the concert and it still brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. The only thing that would have made my birthday any better is if my dad would have been there with us, I still miss him oh so much! I found the video above on you tube, apparently, ours was not the only show he closed with that particular song. Thanks Gordon!

Insert Clever Title Here:

Grateful, 48 x 48" oil on canvas, available on Absolute Arts

The Calm Before...., oils on canvas, available on Absolute Arts

It's usually difficult to come up with new titles for my blog posts, but when it's just a rambling post with no real direction, it's even more difficult! I have been slogging thru life these days. Had some emotionally draining personal experiences, moved my studio, had a last minute art show to put together, now putting together another art show, trying to fit painting back into my schedule, run a gallery and a household, nurse my sick husband, etc, etc and the list goes on. I know, cry me a river. I hate to whine, really I do! :0

I'm looking forward to this election being over and done with. HOPEfully with the right outcome this time! My 18 year old son is actually old enough to vote AND he's registered! Kinda scary considering he can't seem to find and job and take care of himself! Either way, I'm happy to say that this family has at least 4 votes going to the right candidate this year.

I'm loving my new studio, though I miss my big windows looking down on Route 66/Central Ave. Plus, I'm the only one down here with the gallery, so I'm feeling a little cut off from all the other artists. I don't miss going up and down the stairs everyday!

I finished the large painting I was working on for 4 months or so, it's actually hanging in the gallery now. I just started a new medium sized(20"square) painting that I'm really happy with. I have another 48" square canvas waiting to be painted, but I am fumbling for an idea to start with. Which is why I skipped to the medium sized canvas for now. The photos I'm posting today are of a couple of my newest large paintings. One is "Grateful", I think I posted a progress photo of it at some point, and it is 48" square. Huge for me! The other one is called "The Calm Before..." and it is the large painting I was finishing up when I got the call about my dad's death. I don't think it will ever be totally finished, so I've hung it and called it done. It's been hard for me to even look at, too many sad memories.

Both were posted in my photos of the gallery, but these are better shots. I will list them in my Absolute Arts portfolio shortly. 

Last but not least, here is a video tour of the new gallery that I put together last week. The background music is the title track from my husband's new cd "Space Travel". Incidently, the cd release party is this Friday at Chroma Gallery from 6-8pm!

I hope everyone is having a beautiful, wonderful, happy day, week, month and year!

Obama's Art Policy

I was just sent this information in an email from the Albuquerque Arts Business Association. Very interesting and informative! Supposedly, the person who sent it to the AABA is searching for McCain's Art policy. I wonder if he even has an art policy. If anyone knows of it, please respond with a link. I have already decided to vote for Obama, but this just makes the choice even better for me.

Our nation’s creativity has filled the world’s libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces

with works of genius. The arts embody the American spirit of self-definition. As the author of two best-selling

books – Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope – Barack Obama uniquely appreciates the role and

value of creative expression.

A PLATFORM IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS

Reinvest in Arts Education: To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the

kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children’s

creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new

global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts

education. Unfortunately, many school districts are cutting instructional time for art and music education.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the arts should be a central part of effective teaching and learning.

The Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts recently said “The purpose of arts education is not to

produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human

beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.” To support greater arts education,

Obama will:

􀂾 Expand Public/Private Partnerships Between Schools and Arts Organizations: Barack Obama and

Joe Biden will increase resources for the U.S. Department of Education’s Arts Education Model

Development and Dissemination Grants, which develop public/private partnerships between schools and

arts organizations. They will also engage the foundation and corporate community to increase support

for public/private partnerships.

􀂾 Create an Artist Corps: Barack Obama and Joe Biden support the creation of an “Artists Corps” of

young artists trained to work in low-income schools and their communities. Studies in Chicago have

demonstrated that test scores improved faster for students enrolled in low-income schools that link arts

across the curriculum than scores for students in schools lacking such programs.

􀂾 Publicly Champion the Importance of Arts Education: As president, Barack Obama will use the

bully pulpit and the example he will set in the White House to promote the importance of arts and arts

education in America. Not only is arts education indispensable for success in a rapidly changing, high

skill, information economy, but studies show that arts education raises test scores in other subject areas

as well.

Support Increased Funding for the NEA: Over the last 15 years, government funding for the National

Endowment for the Arts has been slashed from $175 million annually in 1992 to $125 million today. Barack

Obama and Joe Biden support increased funding for the NEA, the support of which enriches schools and

neighborhoods all across the nation and helps to promote the economic development of countless communities.

Promote Cultural Diplomacy: American artists, performers and thinkers – representing our values and ideals

– can inspire people both at home and all over the world. Through efforts like that of the United States

Information Agency, America’s cultural leaders were deployed around the world during the Cold War as artistic

ambassadors and helped win the war of ideas by demonstrating to the world the promise of America. Artists

can be utilized again to help us win the war of ideas against Islamic extremism. Unfortunately, our resources

for cultural diplomacy are at their lowest level in a decade. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will work to reverse

this trend and improve and expand public-private partnerships to expand cultural and arts exchanges throughout

the world.

Attract Foreign Talent: The flipside to promoting American arts and culture abroad is welcoming members of

the foreign arts community to America. Opening America’s doors to students and professional artists provides

the kind of two-way cultural understanding that can break down the barriers that feed hatred and fear. As

America tightened visa restrictions after 9/11, the world’s most talented students and artists, who used to come

here, went elsewhere. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will streamline the visa process to return America to its

rightful place as the world’s top destination for artists and art students.

Provide Health Care to Artists: Finding affordable health coverage has often been one of the most vexing

obstacles for artists and those in the creative community. Since many artists work independently or have nontraditional

employment relationships, employer-based coverage is unavailable and individual policies are

financially out of reach. The Obama-Biden plan will provide all Americans with quality, affordable health care.

Their plan includes the creation of a new public program that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy

affordable health care similar to that available to federal employees. Their plan also creates a National Health

Insurance Exchange to reform the private insurance market and allow Americans to enroll in participating

private plans, which would have to provide comprehensive benefits, issue every applicant a policy, and charge

fair and stable premiums. For those who still cannot afford coverage, the government will provide a subsidy.

His health plan will lower costs for the typical American family by up to $2,500 per year.

Ensure Tax Fairness for Artists: Barack Obama supports the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, introduced by

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow artists to deduct the fair

market value of their work, rather than just the costs of the materials, when they make charitable contributions.

Paid for by Obama for America

Alyson Stanfield's Studio Tour

I am excited to announce that Art-marketing consultant and Art biz blogger Alyson B. Stanfield will be at Chroma Studios & Gallery on November 13th from 6-8 p.m. to talk about and sign her book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion, and to answer your questions.

I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion is for artists of all kinds. Painters, sculptors, ceramist, jewelers, photographers, and others will benefit from the easy-to-follow self-promotion practices in this book.

Author and art-marketing consultant Alyson B. Stanfield, of ArtBizCoach.com, focuses on sharing the artwork directly with potential buyers through electronic and traditional communication outlets—in a manner that is comfortable, not artificial. Artists match Internet marketing strategies with sincere personal skills to take charge of their art careers.

The book includes online worksheets and downloads.

My aching back!

Interior windows looking from front gallery into my studio with my smaller paintings

Featured art in the front gallery, my latest large painting, "Grateful", 48 x 48", oil on canvas

Another of my newer large paintings, "The Calm Before..", 40 x 40", oil on canvas

left side wall in front gallery, my painting "The Vortex", 40 x 40", oil on canvas

The inner gallery/classroom space and art by other studio artists

Back wall in the gallery, another large painting of mine, "Chroma Sunset", 48 x 48", oil on canvas

Aaron in the main gallery

Me talking with a high school friend I haven't seen in 10 years!

The show opening on Friday went very well. We added several new names to our mailing list and had a few sales. It was a long weekend as we had to sit the gallery for our posted business hours for the first time. The weather was cloudy and rainy, so not many visitors on Saturday and Sunday. The bottom two photos above were taken by one of the photographers in the show, Susan See. The others are pics I shot before the show opened.

Monday morning I woke up with a major pain in my back. Actually, it feels more like my hip. I can't tell if it's out of place or if I just pulled a muscle. Either way, the pain is making it difficult to get anything done today. I had planned on painting, but it hurts to stand at my easel. So, here I sit, blogging and basically avoiding pain as much as is possible! 

UPDATE: It seems after talking with my brother and mom, that a may actually have a kidney stone! Yikes! My brother suggested I try drinking some cranberry juice, which I did, and the pain subsided almost instantly! This stinks! Any other suggestions out there? I don't have health insurance, so I can't go to the doctor.

Need Something to do Tonight?

....Then come by Chroma Studios and Gallery for our "Feathers and Flowers" Show. This is our first show as a member of the Albuquerque Arts Crawl. We are excited about our new gallery which expands Chroma Studios into a downstairs space with easy access for everyone. We have plenty of free parking! Come by and have a peek into the working studios of our artists and see the featured work of Chroma founders, Josephine Brionez de Flores and Paula Manning-Lewis, along with the work of our studio artists.

When: Tonight! 5-8:30pm. Show runs through October 31st. We will also be open for the two weekends of Balloon Fiesta, Thursday - Sunday from 12 - 6 pm.

Where: Chroma Studios and Gallery, 1606 Central Ave SE, Suites 102 & 201, Albuquerque, NM

International Artist Day

Just read the latest post to the Art biz blog and found out that October 25th is now officially "International Artist Day". The cool thing about this for me is that it also happens to be my birthday! What a great gift! It also happens to be Picasso's birthday.

It's been another busy week, getting ready for our show opening on Friday. I will try to get back to more regular posting next week.