Join the Club

I promised you photos of yesterday's closing reception, and you shall have them.  Handsome Husband and I are pooped and exhilarated, and deeply grateful for all the support we received from family, friends and the staff at Stuhr Museum.
Oh, and we made the 10/11 News channel twice; here, and here.

Lots of good friends braved gorgeous temps outside to spend the afternoon with us...

... to catch up on friendships ...

... and renew acquaintances ...

... and to enjoy being seranaded by local talent Helen Johnson.

Oh yes, and to spend time appreciating not only my Land Marks exhibit, but the Wings Over the Platte exhibit as well.

©Patricia Scarborough  Birch Moon  10 x 8 oil on panel   Recently added to a Private Collection

Nearly a third of the paintings from the Land Marks exhibit ended up in the collections of discriminating patrons. Pleased beyond belief barely scratches the surface of describing the feeling.

I have always painted for myself, which is a risk. I have no idea if my work is acceptable to the market or prevailing decorating schemes or next year's colors. When someone adds my work to their collection it is profoundly satisfying because it is based on something deeper than a passing fad.

It's like getting the secret password to an awesome private club, complete with a covert handshake and sly wink. Pretty exclusive. Very special.

If you'd like to join the club, it's not too late.  Membership is limited, but we can make an exception for you. See Land Marks here for a short time only.

Big Reveal

 Greetings All -

I promised those of you who attended my final Stuhr Museum demonstration that I would post the finished painting from that event.

In my studio, all alone with myself, my mind is completely engaged in the work of my hand, analyzing color and value immediately as it is applied. I can mumble and talk to myself without the burden of actually making sense. I get to wear comfy clothes. Distractions are at a minimum.

Demos are different.

Those of you who have taken on the role of painting demonstrator and lived to tell about it understand that its a challenge to focus both on the creative act and the conversational element.

Its a bit unnerving to know there are people behind me watching my every move. I felt a tremendous urge to be good, really good at what I do. I was also acutely aware of the fact that I needed a haircut and that my cowlick was unusually rowdy that morning. The cute top I chose to wear felt funny on my neck; the bowl of chocolate covered pomegranates nearby whispered my name repeatedly. 

For those of you who weren't there, this is where we ended up after nearly 3 hours of painting, laughing, conversing and nibbling some delicious snacks.

 It's a fairly decent start but needs lots of help.  After considerable thought, I swept off a few overworked areas and gave the entire piece a spray of workable fixative.  My plan was to darken the darks without adding more pastel, which the fixative does, and re-work some areas that felt clumsy.

...several hours later I'm calling it done. This part of the process takes time, and it's time mostly spent making a mark, pondering, making another mark, and pondering that. There's probably more thinking than painting going on. Which, during a demo, can be dull as toast, and why many paintings don't get finished during these events. 

( closeup ) 

To see paintings that are actually finished and framed, stop by Stuhr Museum, in Grand Island, Ne.  Land Marks and Wings Over the Platte are on view during regular business hours until then.  Consider coming to the closing reception on April 1st from 2 to 4, just to say hello. It'd be great to see you there, and I'm fairly certain that my cowlick will be under control.

Happy Dancing

Greetings Dear Reader-

Hooooo-ey what a week its been!  I have had more fun the last 7days than a person has a right to, and  the exciting thing is I'm not done yet. 

Wednesday I was interviewed on NTV's Good Life, a morning news program featuring local folks doing fun and interesting things.  Since I am both fun and interesting (at least in my world) I spent a few minutes with hosts Carol and Roni visiting about my Land Marks exhibit, and other upcoming events.

(An admission:  After spending entirely too long trying to embed the video of the interview, I surrender and provide links.  It worked once and has since refused to cooperate.  I had hoped to impress you not only with my interview skills but with my internet tech skills.   My feet are firmly planted in reality now, thankyew very much.)

Surprise, NTV's videos are only available for a few days! You'll just have to imagine how fabulous I was... 

The first part of the interview:

And then we retired to the set "kitchen" for some painting fun:

On Saturday I shared a 3-hour pastel demonstration at Crane Trust Nature Center.  Visitors from far and wide have been stopping there to witness one of nature's great migratory events so there were lots of interesting folks to visit with.

Painting in front of an audience is always a challenge. Part performance art, part education,  it involves accessing both halves of my already sizzling brain at the same time, thus causing a traffic jam of epic proportion. It's a bit like two fat people trying to squeeze through a doorway at the same time going different directions; with a little thought and preparation it can be done, but a a certain point there's just going to be some shoving and pushing and someone's gonna look a little silly.

Even got a little television action from local Channel 5 in Hastings....

And the fun continues.  Next weekend I'll be teaching a one-day pastel workshop at Stuhr Museum, and the Sunday after that I'll be doing another demo, also at Stuhr.

I'm living my dream. I'm grateful to you, Dear Reader, to Handsome Husband, to the fine folks at Stuhr Museum, Crane Trust Nature Center and Nebraska Arts Council for helping it become a reality.

I'm all a-grin and doing a happy dance across the room.

What kind of happy dance are you doing?

Finding Truth

Ugh. As I sit down to write this post Syria is going to war against its own citizens. Journalists have been killed; innocent civilians by unknown numbers have been murdered by their own government. There is no end in sight.

Our president is apologizing for a boneheaded mistake by our military, and those who were offended are themselves offending in retaliation.

A woman living near my town is accused of murdering her husband. Someone left the scene of a terrible accident. Children leave school with backpacks full of food for the weekend because the cupboards at home are empty.

Often I wonder: Am I lame for painting pretty pictures? As an artist, isn’t it my job to pull back the curtain and reveal to the world the truth?  Shouldn't I be bearing a harder burden?

Truth is life on this planet can get pretty ugly. It is also true that we as humans are woven together not just by tragedy, but by shared joy, by experiences of common delight and wonder. The sun rises and burns through mist on the horizon revealing the earth patiently waiting on us humans to get our act together. Trees rise from verdant fields with arms that spread wide and envelope us under shared memories, worries and hopes.

If it is important that we understand how depraved a human being can be, it is also important to express the magnificence of our every day-ness.

©2012 Patricia Scarborough  Fullness of Summer 30 x 40 oil

During the opening reception for Land Marks at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Ne, many patrons shared warm feelings inspired by my paintings. Memories of kicking dirt on county roads, camping out in the pasture by the creek, watching the sun rise over a fresh new day.

I, and others like me, do pull the curtain back to reveal the truth, which is that while we humans can be a pretty nasty bunch, this planet is a place of wonder. HH just said to me, "your work is a time out, a precious moment to forget about all the ugliness around me and to enjoy a calm pause in my day." Thanks Sweetie.

To connect with another human being in an emotional way, to thread experiences together of a kinder place, to share that truth, is a burden I am willing to bear.

Land Marks and other Events

What a weekend!

As you recall, the festivities began with the opening reception for the “Wings Over the Platte” Juried Exhibition and Sale, and my Featured Artist Exhibit, “Land Marks”.

Stuhr Museum knows how to treat a crowd. Chocolate was flowing, roses were given out and the exhibit was beautifully hung.  Congratulations to those artists who won awards at the "Wings" exhibit.  There was so much beautiful art expressing a deep appreciation of the Platte River and the wildlife that inhabits this area.

Thanks to all the patrons who came out to greet me and purchase paintings. I’m still grinning like a nut. 

A sampling of the evening ...

The central display room of the Stuhr Building is elegant.  The "Wings Over the Platte" exhibit is hung in this room.

Just in case you weren't sure where you were ...

A few quiet moments before the crowds rolled in...

 Sharing a laugh with fellow artists Sheila and Jane...

crowds were substantial, and very appreciative...

Huge thanks to Lynn, good friend and reception photographer...

Four paintings so far have found new homes with lovely people. I can’t tell you how really happy I am about that. Knowing my work is appreciated and will be taken care of means a lot.

In addition to reveling in friendships new and old at Stuhr, I enjoyed a quick trip out to San Francisco to share in a wedding celebration between two very wonderful people.

I was a tourist of the first order, going so far as to make a dash out on the beach to stick my hand in the ocean despite chilly 45 mph winds and a raging surf. I may have even made squealing sounds as the tide rushed in and I rushed away to avoid getting soaked. I walked around with my neck craned and my mouth wide open absolutely enjoying every aspect of our tour of the city.

So, that was my weekend. What did you do?

Same Thing Only Different

Back when I was in 3^rd grade we were initiated into the world of maps and geography. It was year to study the Fifty Nifty Yoo-nited States.  On a map pulled down like a heavy window shade our teacher would reveal our country to us in rainbow of hues; Nebraska was green, South Dakota was pretty pink,Iowa daffodil yellow.

As a  child who relied on adults for most of my information about the world, you can imagine my surprise to find out, as a 4^th grader crossing the Mighty Missouri into Iowa on vacation, that the Missouri River was not bright blue nor very mighty, and Iowa was not, in fact, a pretty shade of yellow.

I felt a little of that even last week as Handsome Husband and I jetted across the central United States on our way to a conference in Phoenix, Az. As we flew thousands of feet above the earth I looked vainly for those large black dots indicating cities, the dotted and dashed lines showing boundaries, and yes, the subtle but sure colors that would differentiate Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona. It’s a concept that gets filed with the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Hairy Scratch, which is to say that some of us agree not to talk about it in the presence of others, but we know inside it’s real.

While HH was busy at his conference I walked the downtown Phoenix area and marveled at how beautiful that part of the city was. Together  we enjoyed browsing through  Scottsdale galleries filled with stunning landscapes, abstracts and sculptures.  We were both delighted at the color and vibrant brushwork of a collection of Russian Impressionist paintings, and equally intrigued in how current artists view our modern world.

Of course, we managed to do a bit of tourist-y sightseeing as well...

In the land of summer all year long the contrast between metropolitan living and my hometown was vast. Our hotel probably employed more people than populate our entire community.
Yet there were some amazing similarities...

Both Arizona and Nebraska have lovely trees...

. . . both Phoenix and Geneva have government buildings...

 

                                                                         

 ... both places have nice paths and roadways ...

... we've got rivers ... so do they...

... and artists the world over find ways to share their artistic endeavors ...

It was good to get away, and equally good to come home.  Since returning I've been putting the finishing touches on a few paintings before packing them up for my upcoming exhibit. 

I'll be the featured artist at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Ne. during the museum's annual Wings Over the Platte Juried Art Exhibit.  My exhibit is titled Land Marks, a reference to both the method of creating a landscape as well as the natural features unique to the Platte River Valley.  

All of this coincides with the highly anticipated return of the sandhill cranes on their migratory path this spring. This event brings people from all over the world to witness the incredible spectacle of hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes funneling themselves through this vital area of the Platte River. 

Wings Over the Platte and my exhibit, Land Marks, open Thursday February 16th and will be available until Sunday, April 1st.

Your call to action?  Head out to the Grand Island Ne. area, watch cranes , hear their amazing warbling and enjoy their dance. Then scoot over to Stuhr Museum and see how artists from across the country, interpret the Platte River Valley in a variety of media.

Arizona can't match that.