Solo All Together

I do not understand artists who get together to paint.

It just doesn’t occur to me that a conversation could be had, jokes told and secrets shared while juggling issues of composition, color harmony, mixing paint and getting all the letters into my signature in the right order.

When I am at my easel I aim to be totally focused, either with what is on the easel, or in conversation with myself, or in wiping the paint off my elbow where I smeared it trying not to get it on my shoulder. ( I was close to getting paint on my shoulder because that’s where the painting was headed after it fell off the easel. That is a story for another day.)  I’ve tried it before. It seems I can either paint or converse somewhat coherently but I simply can’t do both at the same time.

I pace when I paint, talk to myself, wiggle and stagger. I’ve been told I whine and sigh a lot too.  

Now that I think of it, maybe it’s not so much that I would rather work alone but that others would rather not work with me. Either way…

In my world creativity, especially of the painting variety, is a solitary pursuit. 

Saturday I ditched the solo act and joined a whole roomful of amazing people. This was my first meeting with Impact, artists living in Nebraska who have made their mark on a national level.  Impact was created 27 years ago to give the public an opportunity to experience the wide variety of exceptional art created by Nebraska artists through a variety of group shows held across the United States. This is a plates spinning in the air while juggling experience; Impact keeps 4 shows with different themes going at any one time. It’s not for sissies.

To my great delight I was juried in to this group earlier this spring. Holy cow is right.

It was a real honor sitting among these highly accomplished artists. Meetings with creative people can be challenging, but not with this crowd. They are exceptionally professional and personable, on task and focused on the issues at had. It’ll be a perfect balance of solo work and thoughtful networking.

 

©2012 Patricia Scarborough  Bessey's Legacy, pastel, for Impact's Dead or Alive Exhibit

Our first exhibit just wrapped up at Rall Gallery on the Doane College Campus in Crete, Ne. That collection, Impact’s Best, will hang at Mid Plains Community College’s Wrightstone Gallery during the month of October. It’s a gorgeous show. In the meantime, Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Ne. is hosting “Dead or Alive”, art selections created to honor a notable Nebraskan of each member’s choice. You’ve got until the end of November 4^th to see who and how each artist met this challenge.

©Patricia Scarborough Broken Tree Line 8 x 10 pastel Currently available at Mary Mary Gallery

Also this weekend I’ll be greeting people at The Pour House’s Mary Mary Gallery in Friend, Ne.  during the afternoon.  After so much conversation and elbow-rubbing I’ll be ready to spend time alone again, pondering the deep questions of which blue to use with which yellow to get that elusive green.

And that’s a perfect balance for me.

Goodbye Hello

Autumn has officially arrived.  Today, Sunday September 23rd, the sky is that particular kind of blue that only this time of year can produce.  Nights now are quite chilly,  during the day the sun warms the air just enough. 

The end/start of a season requires a different pace.

There is a quickening that comes from preparing to complete one season while readying for the next.

For me, there is also a need to pause, to absorb the hue of the sky and the warmth of the sun. Soon both will be replaced by cold grey skies and arctic winds of a Nebraska winter.

©2012 Patricia Scarborough  working title - York County View 11 x 14 oil

I see a few more tweaks needed before I delare 'finis!'  It'll have to wait a few days though. It's just too darned nice out.

With your indulgence I will spend the day outside enjoying what may well be one of the more perfect days of autumn. All too soon there will be plenty of time to stay inside being bizzy.

 

 

Keep At It

 Climb every mountain!! Ford every stream!  Follow every rainbow!! Cue the aria,  and dramatic music sweeps over us, carrying us up higher and higher…

And when you reach the top of the mountain, what do you see?

More mountains.  More rivers. If you look closely, a few rainbows. For those of you old enough to remember phonograph records, this is where the needle skips and skids across the grooves in a high-pitched screech.

 ©2012 Patricia Scarborough  6x8 oil, Into the Woods

 Scale that mountain. Wade that stream. Track down that elusive rainbow.

Can you imagine what those folks who drug wagons and families over the front range of the Rocky Mountains thought when they reached the top and saw more rocks and cliffs, peaks and crags as far as they could see? 

I’ll tell you what they thought. They gathered their fears, doubts and dreams together and sat down to rest. And then they said, “okay, let’s get going”. And they did.

 © Patricia Scarborough 6x8 oil Sandhills Trail

It’s been a grand climb so far. Being a solo-preneur has been more satisfying, challenging, exciting, scary, ridiculous and sublime than I ever imagined.

As I write this I am preparing for my last exhibit of 2012 at the Norfolk Arts Center in Norfolk, Nebraska.  At the same time, I’m preparing for several other events timed to coordinate with the coming holiday season.

It’s been a grand climb so far, and I’m feeling a little weary today. Heavy clouds have blanketed us against the summer sun. It feels good today to curl up and rest.

                                                     © Patricia Scarborough 6x8 oil Fresh Light

So I will.  And in a few days I’ll gather myself up against the next magnificent ascent with renewed vigor and excitement. 

Many of you are hard at it, challenging yourselves daily to climb the next mountain range.  How do you keep at it when the phonograph needle starts to skip?

I'm Back - Again

Woo hoo!

Many thanks and a birthday hug to a Fine Young California Man for recommending a quick fix so this blog can get up and running again.

Gee...After all that, I wish I had something amazing to say.

And I do!

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of spending the afternoon at the Mary Mary-Quite Contrary Gallery.  This beautiful new space sits right next to the San Carlo Room, which sits right underneath the old Friend Opera House, which sits right next to The Pour House Tasting Room, which is the premier hangout for wine lovers and conversationalists, all of which sits under the massive historic roof of the Warren Building in beautiful - and friendly - Friend, Nebraska.

The Mary Mary is beautifully refurbished from what was once a furniture/hardware store. You'd never know it, with it's warm wood floors and spacious, airy feel.

 Omaha artist Shelly Bartek, and Carey Potter, Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

Other artists who joined in were Megan Moffett and Alycia Tieman Brady, and Gary Martin.

Even with a large apron, I managed to get paint on most everything I wore - including my socks.

I got a fair start on a small painting while patrons and friends milled around the building enjoying glasses of wine, some beautiful artwork, and lots of great conversation.

 It was a magical mix of ceramics, laughter, bronze, good wine, fantastic and varied art forms, seeing old friends and making new ones.  After several months spent working in my studio, it was a terrific way to wrap up the summer and prepare for autumn opportunities.

Which leads me to -

Impact's Dead Or Alive exhibit is now available at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Ne through November  4th.

Impact's Best is now showing at Rall Gallery on the Doane College Campus in Crete, Ne. through September 29th.
I've been invited to participate at the Museum of Nebraska Art's Kaleidoscope of Art event the weekend of November 3-4 in Kearney, Ne. More on that coming soon.
And, a new exhibit, "Common Ground", is coming soon at the Norfolk Arts Center in Norfolk, Ne. Lots more on that soon.

Whew, just reading that makes me want to wander back to the Pour House for just one more little glass of wine.

I'm Almost Home

In the immortal words of my Handsome Husband, "Honey, I'm Hooooooome!"

As you know, I took the month of August away from this blog.  It was lovely and a little wicked feeling to purposefully not post something weekly after having done so for four years.

I won't be jumping back in with both feet just yet.  I've been having some major computer issues lately that have stymied the experts (yeah, I'm talking about you, computer guy).  I'm typing this on my ancient desk top which is groaning under the weight of the simple tasks I am requesting.  As this moment it is all I can manage to get Great-Grandma Dell here to create letters on the screen.  Argh.  Images?  Out of the question.

There are some items of interest I'd like you to know about.  I'll be attempting to post on my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pscarborougharts if the computer fairies will allow it.  There's some cool stuff happening.

Hopefully I'll be back here next week, although I'm learning that in the wild world of computer technology there are few assurances (yeah, I'm talking to you, computer guy).

Here's hoping for a fresh start next week...