Random Thoughts

This is a photo of Jeremy who owns the best art store around: The Art Guru in Gorham at 104 Main Street. Phone: 207-839-6138, Fax: 207-839-6028 website: www.theartguru.com

Well, its almost a new year and I'm realizing the next painting I sign will be marked 2007... Pretty wild how fast the years go by. I keep an art journal - something I started many moons ago... over time the journals have gotten bigger and less controlled, kind of like the artwork I create. My boyfriend always poses the question, will you be able to get it out of the apartment when its done? I always assure him - oh yeh, no problem... I count on the bedroom window and ropes to lower the paintings down with, but I never say that. I also tend to make my art sturdier as the time goes by - its funny watching people treating it as though it is something fragile, its so not fragile. People approach slowly - almost on tiptoe, reaching out... I usually say something to the effect of - unless you run it over with your tractor, it'll be okay... that actually happened to one of my favorite pieces but we'll tell that story another time. On Saturday - tomorrow, I will purchase several sketchbooks and new oil pastels - the big box even though I really can't afford it and take it all with me into 2007.

Are We There Yet?

Lets take a minute and reflect - first, you'll need a huge cup of coffee and a cozy place to sit, if you have a dog, you'll want the beast with you for this. Maybe do some art, play some music, stay in your jammies...

Its almost 2007 and I'm staring at a new roll of canvas - Thanks Mom.

What I really like about this roll of canvas is where it comes from - a place called 'The Art Guru' in Gorham, Maine. The owner, Jeremy, is an amazing artist and started the business a few years ago. But aside from being amazing as an artist, Jeremy has the greatest energy... so, if you're in the neighborhood stop by and tell him Dj sent you.

Pretty sure you'll walk out of there smiling...

Okay, so back to the Studio- Gallery -
we have another show coming up in March...
Thinkin' maybe the solstice? What are people doing?
Any words of wisdom, crazy art, questions, comments?

As you wish

Here's the photo of the painting requested by our commenter on the last post. DJ is away from a computer right now, but she'll be back this Friday if you have any questions or comments for her.




Penny McAllister's Knitting Bags are made of quality materials with excellent details. They are on sale at the Gallery for $54. We have just five left! I have one and I love it for carrying my knitting with me - It sits flat, and it's shallow so I can see everything and it's the right length for knitting needles to lay flat. I have a confession to make, though. When we go on car trips, I take the knitting out, and put the maps, brochures, directions, snacks, tissues and other "ride necessities" in it and set it between us on the front seat. It's the best bag ever!


Jenna Daniels is the jewelry maker... and a knitter, photographer and a full-time college student - she's studying to become an elementary school teacher, and she'll be a great one - kids just love her. (She's also Jeanne's youngest sister!) We have a nice selection in the gallery- just $7 a pair until Christmas!


SOLD: As I was typing up this entry, Marilyn has left the building. Alex has a few images left on vinyl including Jimi Hendrix and a fantastic Frankenstein clock.



Any cardmakers out there? We would like to talk to you. We're looking for original art, photographs and collage note cards and greeting cards for consignment for our next group show in March. E-mail: jeannegraydove@yahoo.com for an appointment.

Buy Art

Okay, so the show's over but here's the deal - we still have art for sale... comments, questions, concerns, suggested titles are all welcome. The piece shown here is approximately 4 feet by 4 feet and is an acrylic piece on board, framed by my dad - please note he is currently on strike and refusing to frame my 4 by 8 foot piece... what can I say? I generally like to work large pieces.

A great opening!

Photos of the gallery-studio. Special thanks to our house band, Alex on steel resonator guitar, Seth on drums, Grant on bass and Bob on the mandolin... You guys were great!

DJ speaks: Well, the opening was fun, informative, and pretty freakin' remarkable! Each one of you brought so much to our gathering - Thank You. For those of you who were unable to attend I will try to describe it...

In the back room, a.k.a. the studio, there were amazing and unexpected things happening - Jeanne coaching Cindy, Marion and Ashley through the art of book making while Alex and friends were playing guitars, tubes, drums and mandolins¦ Love the mohawk, Grant. Margaret joined in on guitar and Tiffany - did I mention Tiffany? Tiffany, our beloved premed student and Alexander's muse wove in and out bringing us all coffee and conversation throughout the day! Curt and Mary arrived with a picnic basket full of wine and settled in for an afternoon visit and so many artists! Mission accomplished. The place came to life. The weekend was a beautiful thing, the weather even held. I think Jeanne and I are both ready for a long winter's nap and then on to the next gathering, after we fill in the blank spots on the gallery walls. Thanks again to all who supported us in our Studio-Gallery endeavor.

So there I was, sitting in a classroom sketching in order to sit still and the Swirly Girls were born! The lecture was on power, privilege and oppression and Swirly Girls were my response. They're all about the celebration of being female and all that goes with it. Jeanne and I soon brought them to life, using copper and torches and Friday nights. We took turns playing the role of "Fire Girl" and solved many of life's big mysteries...okay, we really didn't solve anything but art is healing and I think we did heal from the week spent in the day to day struggles.

Welcome!

Open House this weekend!
Sat. 10-5
Sun. 1-4

12 Main Street
Gray, Maine
plenty of parking

DJ and Alex are showing new works. Penny McAllister is bringing her fantastic bags, and Joe McAllister has promised us young bonsai trees plus the swirly girls and other works! I am setting up the studio for "Drop-In Book Making" and Alex will entertain us in the afternoon with acoustic guitar. Saturday at lunch time DJ has promised to make her famous chili, refreshments all day.

photo: Girls who play with fire..... making the swirly girls. photo by Jeanne Adams

Ghosts in the studio

Photo: Thanksgiving at Mom's - she's an accomplished quiltmaker and along with my sister the chef serves an amazing feast every year. Jeanne Adams photo.
______

Now that we have the studio set up, I can schedule art. I will announce grandly to myself, "After dinner I will be in the studio." This is the opposite of what has been happening the last 10 years, when all the art stuff was splattered around the kitchen.... . The amount of activity in my kitchen could be astounding. My teenage son and his friends, my 9 year old and her friends. Two cats and a dog. Everyone would end up doing what I was doing, or "helping" me. Painting, paper making, plaster casting, paper marbling, cast paper, paste paper, painting, sculpey clay, tie dying. We've learned how to do it all. There was always food and music and talking. At the end of the day I'd have a really big mess to clean up and feel sad because I didn't get anything "done". My friends were creating art, wonderful pieces. All I was accomplishing was adding to an amazing pile of "stuff that's going to be something someday."

The last couple of weeks having the studio has been amazing. I finally mastered a two needle sewing technique on a more complicated book structure than I've ever done before. I love it! I'm thrilled. My tools don't disappear! Funny things don't happen to my work if I leave it on the table!

But the studio is really quiet. Zoe occasionally does her homework in there with me, and Alex will sometimes teach a guitar lesson in the gallery, or come in and play me a tune, but it's not the same. Too scheduled, too organized. Too quiet. I can hear the ghosts of the kitchen past laughing. I see an 8 year old in the "zone" squirting dye onto a t-shirt and her pure joy and amazement as the final design is revealed. We had 5 people dyeing and made over 45 shirts that day. Plus pizza, two dogs, two cats, telephones ringing, print shop customers, friends in and out plus a trip to WalMart for more shirts.

It's not going to be that spontaneous anymore. The kids are growing up. It's okay that I didn't finish much "art". It's okay, because my kids became artists, and musicians and chefs in that kitchen! I think about my friends who have tried something new with me in that kitchen and gone on to accomplished works.


I'm enjoying the new studio immensely, but without my ghosts and joyful, noisy, messy memories and the "amazing pile of stuff" to keep me company it wouldn't be half so much fun. Now, where's that black and gray paste paper we made three years ago?