Sunday, March 18, 2012

We're In The Final Stretch!

































So I am four weeks out from my first solo show and actually enjoying the pressure to finalize four new paintings, each 44 x 52”. The above composition was taken from a photo I took of a sunflower farm just north of Elmira, NY with my good friend, Lori. We came around a bend while on state route 13 and were chit-chatting away until we both saw the acres and acres of sunflowers and I immediately hit the breaks and pulled over. We took several pictures and yet this one, because it also included a barn (and you know how I love to paint them ole’ barns!), was one of my favorites. I had planned to paint this last Fall but ran out of time and it wasn't until another friend and loyal blog follower, Ellen, reminded me of it that gave me the push to get to work on it in time for the show.  
The underpainting was done loosely with a brush and thin green paint that I let run down the canvas which created an almost watercolor effect so I decided to leave some of the nice lines for the stems and in others areas that aren't apparent until you see it in person (hint hint). And instead of the expected yellow I went with a soft yellowy green and used orange for the centers to help connect you to the barn and the clothesline.  It may be done but I am letting it “set a spell” in the studio while I work on the others. 
Speaking of which, I am counting on ALL of you to come to the opening reception of my solo exhibition, “The Clothesline Project” where the gallery will once again be transformed and filled with clotheslines as well as new barn and boat paintings. Alongside the fresh paintings will be plenty of wine, food and local live music. It's all served up as part of Hollingsworth’s Second Saturdays in the growing Palm Coast Arts District...and it's sure to be a blast! 
The Clothesline Project: 
New & Selected Works by Christine Sullivan
April 14th from 6 - 9 PM
Hollingsworth Gallery
Located on the 2nd Level of City Marketplace
160 Cypress Point Parkway 
Palm Coast, FL 32164

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Hollingsworth Drives Palm Coast's Growing Arts District, Holds Another Exciting Party



PETER A. CERRETA: A RETROSPECTIVE
Opening Reception Saturday, March 10 6 - 9PM
Hollingsworth Gallery, Palm Coast, FL


Evidenced by last month's turn out, word is quickly spreading about the new Arts District here in Palm Coast driven by Hollingsworth Gallery's Co-Directors, John J.J. Graham and Mercedez McCartney. Their continued dedication to bringing the best contemporary art and artists to their galleries and studios, as well as their fun and inspiring Art Parties, which are open to the community the SECOND SATURDAY of each month, has built such a following that those coming late to the party had a difficult time finding a place to park. And if you've ever been to City Marketplace, which is built outside-in - meaning the building rides along the road and encircles within a very large and typically lonesome parking lot - you'd understand. I hear often from visitors who "pop in" to the gallery and/or my studio mid-afternoon that they have heard of the gallery but a) had a difficult time finding City Marketplace (poor signage by the initial builders, we typically have to say it's right after/before the turn to Wal-Mart...not the best image-setter but helpful) and b) once here they are astonished by it's size and the level/quality of art, and c) how they never knew "all this was here." Which still sounds kinda funny to me as over 500 people did find the last art reception where you could feel the energy and excitement bouncing off the walls as a number of paintings were quickly tagged with "red dots" and sold. It was a night of celebration for the three artists, two in the main gallery and one who held a retrospective of 85 works for her 85th birthday, Alice Johnson, in Hollingsworth's S.E.C.C.A. Tree Gallery, had a marvelous party and sold many pieces as well.


Speaking of celebrations, this Saturday Hollingsworth Gallery celebrates the work of award-winning painter / sculptor Peter Cerreta with an opening reception this Saturday from 6 - 9PM. This retrospective spans the last three decades of Peter's art.  Cerreta's whimsical narratives and modern depictions of the plights of men and women and their relationships to society are both thought provoking and often humorous. 
Peter Cerreta's "In The Scheme of Things"


Peter is not only a wonderful artist he was the very first artist appointed the "Flagler County Artist of the Year" in 2000 by the Gargiulo Art Foundation, is a beloved and inspiring teacher of both painting and sculpture at Hollingsworth's S.E.C.C.A. School of Art and Outgoing President of the Beaux Arts of Volusia. His work is widely collected and locally he is one of the featured artists at Hollingsworth's Mini-Gallery within Three Dogs Grille Restaurant in Palm Coast (and I highly recommend the salmon or anything off their specials menu...simply "to die for"...as well as their yummy hamburger and fries plates - YUM!). 


In Hollingsworth's S.E.C.C.A. Tree Gallery, just two doors down from the main gallery, you will delight in the rich color, alluring textures and dimensional work of Kate Miller and Loretta YoungmanBoth artists have a strong following, long list of awards and soon will be teaching adult classes at Hollingsworth's SECCA School of Art. Also on display, an installation of wood and copper works by artist Scott Kuszik. Scott's pieces make a rich statement as they exude quality and beauty and have been well received by many collectors. Come on out this Saturday evening and experience the art as well as a stroll around Palm Coast's growing Arts District...just remember you may want to arrive a little earlier for the best parking. See you there!
Kate Miller's "Panic Attack"
Loretta Youngman's "Sahn"

Works by Scott Kuszik



















Friday, March 2, 2012

Another Attempt At Plan B



Hi there! I have received a few emails wondering "where I've been" as I have not been blogging, golfing or out in public much if at all this year. Well, first let me say thank you for noticing and for the supportive emails and comments I continue to receive. And to answer the question, Yes, I have been and will continue to be "under the radar" or better said "off the radar" as I continue to lock myself in my studio for the final push before my upcoming show.

Another reason is that I still do not have my camera. And this clogs the blog drain as posting articles related to any progress or set backs of my work just doesn't work without images. So today I am posting a painting in progress using my cell phone camera.  And I am quick to add that I do not own an iPhone or one of the latest phones that take just as good if not better pictures than most digital cameras.

But the lessen here goes much deeper.

Last November, while leaving my parents house on Cape Cod after a 27-day stint to help clear it out before it went on the market, I had my SUV packed to the gills and even after scouring the house to be sure I "had everything" I unknowingly left two very valuable camera components buried in a kitchen cabinet: (1) the power cord, which is mandatory to recharge the batteries/use the camera and (2) the usb cord, which is mandatory to transfer the digital images from camera to my computer.  Oops!

Many weeks later my sweet 90 year plus 1 dad went back over to the house to look for them and somehow found the black camera bag and cords in one of the cabinets and mailed them to me. Yeah! But, when I opened the box, only the usb cord was there. No power cord. So what does a girl do? Go to plan B.

MacMillan Wharf (P'Town) 30 x 40" Oil


But the B, trying to convince my dear husband that it would just be easier to purchase a new, small, inexpensive digital camera at Staples, wasn't working either.  You see my family has gone through a number of digital cameras over the years. Some were lost (dad I'm positive I didn't leave it at so-and-so's house - we found it years later), some mistreated as in oops it fell in the pool! or oops it was stolen out of our car (it was a rainy day when we somehow forgot to lock it)...and one just outlived its usefulness close to our daughter's birthday (oh come ON Dad, 1 megapixel cameras just don't cut it in a world of 5 megapixels!?!).

Now back up to just three years ago when I was a proud mom in full panic mode before our daughter's high school graduation just after discovering our video camera, purchased when she was born (!), had crapped out - my loving husband spent a good deal of change on a new video camera that also takes still pictures and is what I have been using to take photos for posting on the web & blog ever since. 

And so you see my dilemma, here we are again, staring down another oops! left the cords at my parents house dear (insert me smiling at said husband with an angel halo over me) situation. But I haven't given up yet. I mean as recent as last week, in one more attempt at Plan B, I was explaining to my husband how even the cheapest cameras are now 12 meg and that since the video camera "only takes 4 meg" don't you think it would be worth it to just buy a new one? Honey? Honey??? Oh geeze, he left hours ago.

Oops. Get the picture?

P.S. You are cordially invited to the reception & opening of my solo show, "The Clothesline Project" at Hollingsworth Gallery in Palm Coast, FL on April 14th from 6 - 9PM.