Adagio

Adagio

 

 

Adagio - A tempo having slow movement; restful, at ease.

The deep snow at the edge of the fields demands that you move slowly and carefully, easing your way, quieting your spirit.
The dried milkweed pods softly rattle in the crisp bursts of wind creating soothing music like wooden wind chimes.
The low winter sun casts lengthy shadows, stretching toward...........spring. 
.

Ovid Elsie Print Project

Last December I was asked to do a demo of moku hanga for Ovid-Elsie National Arts Honor Society by teacher, Laura Weber.  It's one thing to do a demo but when in a school there has to be homework, right?  I gave the class small shina blocks from McClains Printmaking Supply and had them do a self portrait of their eye.  The worked on them over the holiday break, I picked them up a week ago and gluedd them down on a mat board.  This way they would all have each others work. Yesterday we printed.  A lot of the students had sports practices or drivers ed after school this day so it was a small class.  They all got to print a couple prints so that their classmates would have also one.

515 Gallery Opening

515 Gallery Management Class w/ me in the middle

 January 14, 2012 was the opening reception for the 515 Gallery exhibit, 

"women with a(rt) purpose". 

515 Gallery is run by the Gallery Management Class of Clare (MI) High School and their exceptional teacher, Kim Kleinhardt.  The students select the artists, do all communications & advertising, hang the show, man the reception, introduce the artists, take care of all sales - everything!  

I was amazed first by the concept of the Gallery Management Class.  Then I was completely taken with the professionalism of the gallery.  

They did a first class job that rivals any gallery I have been to.

Banner

 The city of Clare put up banners of the exhibit on the street lamps.

The gallery was packed!

Even though the day before there was enough snow to close schools and that this evening it was

4 degrees outside, I would guess over 200 people came to the opening reception!

 

 My prints were very nicely displayed.

 

 Katie Chichester beautifully expressive oil paintings of rural scenes. 

She is a graduate of the Gallery Management class.

Puppet Theater front

Carrie Anne Parks (faculty at Alma College) clay Puppet Theaters were so richly detailed.  Four of them were displayed so the front could be seen from outside the Gallery.  Here is the front & back of one theater.  (My camera fogged up a little when I went out to take pictures so the colors aren't as bright as in person.)

Puppet Theater back

 Winter hours for the Gallery are Saturdays, 1pm - 4pm.  This exhibit will be up until March 31.

Katie Chichester, Kim Kleinhardt, Carrie Parks, Linda Beeman

women with a(rt) purpose

"women with a(rt) purpose"

Featuring Linda J. Beeman, Carrie Parks-Kirby and Kate Chichester

Exhibit opening Saturday, January 14, 2012 with a reception from 6-9pm

515 Gallery

515 N. McEwan St.

Clare, Michigan

Holiday Cheer at Jordan Gallery

 

Tonight was an evening of refreshments, casual shopping and holiday cheer at the beautiful Jordan Gallery. I, along with photographer Michael D-L Jordan, textile artist Marti Liddle-Lameti, jewelry designer Janet Baugher and multi media artist Bonnie Brown, visited with guests and shared our work.

 

Linda and gallery owner, Mistie Jordan

Good flow of people all night long

My high school art teacher and now my friend, Bonnie Brown.  Her tulip painting is on the wall behind her.

Michael and Mistie Jordan with Michael's photography.

 The Jordan Gallery just opened this September in downtown Owosso.  A beautiful gallery with exposed old brink walls and hardwood floors, I am very pleased to have my work here.

Sundial

Sundial

It doesn't get much better than being able to watch both sunrise and sunset over water in the same state.  With over 11,000 inland lakes that would be Michigan!  You know, the Great Lakes State?
This tree serves as a "sundial" on the shore of Indian Lake, the 4th largest inland lake in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

November 11

November 11

This print is based on a small sepia photograph of my grandfather. This was the last photo of him before the train came that would take him off to World War I. 
I asked him about his service when he was 91 because I had never heard him talk about it. He was trained as a mechanic but ended up as an ambulance driver and the company bugler.  He said that while he was on the ship on the way to Europe, the armistice was signed.  When they got back home, he related they were given a ticket home and a "kick in the pants".  That was it.  And they got on with their life.
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that  reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” History of Veterans Day
According to grandpa, his company was not needed where the "action" was so for the most part he fixed equipment, drove the ambulance and played his trumpet with the company band at their post and in the local town.  I said to him, "So for the rest of your time there you basically just fooled around."  He laughed and said, "Well, I did a little of that too!"
I purposely kept his face in shadow because he represents thousands of young men (and women) who have served in the military without complaint or fanfare.  They do the every day grunt work - the clean up, the payroll ( my brother - U.S. Navy), the office work, the fixing of equipment, the musicians (my dad - U.S. Navy Blue Jacket Choir organist) and morale boosters.  They just do their job.  And get on with their life.
Thank you Veterans.