Mountainside Market

I finally finished my Mountainside Market painting! I did the painting because, thanks to the owner Jill Zelley, I will be having my very first "Solo Show" there in October. The market is a lovely "little slice of California" tucked into the hills that surround Wachusett Mountain. The little road winds past the Market and meanders through the hills as depicted in the painting.

Mountainside Market

They have both a restaurant AND a market with an unusual atmosphere that just begs you to "hang out." It is a place that I have enjoyed having lunch with friends by the fire with kids in tow (VERY kid friendly with sofa, toys and food!) So I admit that this painting was done with both love and appreciation - and I think it shows.

My show at Mountainside Market begins October 1st. There will be an Opening Reception and wine tasting for the event. I hope to see you there!

Jumping off a cliff into the great unknown

Well this week will see my first foray into an Arts Festival. I will have 3 painting on exhibit (and for sale) at the Grafton Arts Festival 2011 which is being held March 25th through March 27th at the Grafton Municipal Building (30 Providence Road). The Friday night reception is from 7pm to 9pm when guests will be able to meet the artists and purchase art if they so desire. Wine and hors d'ouevres will be served.

I'll be honest; I'm pretty excited. I couldn't care less if any of my work sells. I'm just excited because this is obviously the first step to wherever this crazy "life as an artist" staircase leads. Life generally tries not to freak you out by throwing anything huge at you straight out of the gate. So my thought is that if this first step is an Art Festival, then later steps will only be bigger and more challenging!

I'm also encouraged because it's wonderful chance to get real feedback. I'm most interested in being able to see the reaction and response from art lovers that are strangers to me. I ADORE my friends but let's be honest - they love me so they are partial to what you do. It's like your Dad telling you that you're beautiful even though you are cross-eyed with a really bad case of acne. But complete strangers don't care! They'll have no problem talking about the good, the bad and the ugly right to your face. So really, it's smart to do this kind of market research since these are literally the people who would spend their money on "art."

Anyway, after I've gotten my education this weekend in how to set up, what to bring and what to do at an Arts Festival - I'll post for anyone in the future who like me is clueless. :D


WISH ME LUCK!

for more information about the Grafton Arts Festival, visit their website at GRAFTON ARTS FESTIVAL 2011

If you don't stretch to reach just a little..

Well tomorrow is D-day. For every artist, this is where the rubber really meets the road; the first juried group or exhibit means an artist has the audacity to throw their hat into the professional ring. A local group of professionals artisans which make up the Holden Art Ride (http://www.artrideholden.com)

are having a member drive tomorrow. It's juried, meaning they review samples of your work and spend a bit of time getting to know you. If you pass muster, you're in. I'm going for it and why not? What's the worst that could happen? I'll hear "No, thank you." I've never died from being told no and I've experienced plenty of rejection over the years. And I'm still standing. In fact I've come to suspect the universe/God/whatever throws the occasional "no" in there just to make sure I REALLY want what I'm trying to get. So ok, bring it on.
I've collected 4 paintings as samples of my work and crafted an Artist Statement (which apparently you need in order to be seriously considered). I've done all the leg-work (a.k.a. preparation) and to quote the old adage, "Success is when preparation meets opportunity." So tomorrow I'll trot off to meet opportunity. Wish me luck!

Here's the copy of my new Artist Statement

 

denyse dar

   Watercolor Artist

ARTIST STATEMENT

Painting has become my “down the rabbit hole”; my looking glass.

It started with a Scherenschnitte hybrid of my own creation. I would paint abstract florals then hand-cut negative spaces around the subject. It was a mindless relief from motherhood and domesticity but I confess I was not emotionally connected to my work at that time.

I then went through what I call my “White Rabbit” phase. A time when all my worry about the precarious world around me came rushing out. Giant mandalas and Aztec-like images filled with worry and angst sprang from me. Every piece was like labor but necessary to birth so that the path for my creativity could be cleared. Once this rabbit ran down the rabbit hole, my own artistic voice was revealed. And with each painting, my voice has become stronger, clearer and louder like Alice confronting the Queen of Hearts.

My themes are often the places around me; all I see here in my little Wonderland. The colors I choose are instinctive and seem to communicate the love and happiness I truly feel for this place. While I have always painted these scenes simply for my own pleasure, it has been shocking to see that my creations seem to resonate deeply with viewers and evoke joyful, happy emotion in them. I am both humbled and honored to give joy to others through my artwork.   

AFFILLIATIONS

Petersham Craft Center, 2010-present

Princeton Arts Society, 2010-present

Rutland Art Co-op, 2010 (founder)

COLLECTIONS & DISPLAYS

Petersham Craft Center, Petersham, MA

Revived Relics, West Boylston, MA

Rutland Print

I know I need to stop painting scenes of Rutland. I can't help it. I love the place. I admit wholeheartedly that the town does not really look the way I paint it. But I paint it the way *I* see it. No, scratch that. I paint it the way I FEEL about it. And honestly, there isn't any real reason I should love it the way I do. It was never a particularly welcoming place and it was certainly never kind to me. But it occurs to me that that has more to do with the people IN the town, than the town itself. Which may explain why I never paint people. LOL!

Anyway, I was supposed to be doing more paintings of Princeton and I took a little side trip fancy to create this. I scrapped the first version because I had painted several of the fields the wrong tone of color. So this is in fact my second copy.