A leg up.

Just another quick grandchildren post.

A sample of my oldest grandson's art.

And his youngest brother's art from the Oil Heritage Art Show

And...... the middle grandson's art.  (And he thinks he can't do art!)  This is his 5th ribbon (three of those being first place and one being best of show.)

The piece is entitled "Volcanic Eruption."  He finished it a couple of nights before the drop off date.  That night I was trying to explain to him what a focal point was.  It seemed he was getting the concept pretty well.  At some point this piece just didn't have "it" and I didn't think he should enter it.  He kept asking why, hence the discussion of design elements and principles.  When he left that night it wasn't going to be entered.  It was propped up on my kitchen table and as I kept looking at it (probably with my hands on hips and my head cocked) I realized how much energy and depth it had.  So, I texted his mother to tell him to go ahead and enter the painting.  

The next morning I got a text from him asking...... Where's the vocal point?  

Needless to say, I'm glad I listened to him and let him enter it.  

A Showing of Friends

Saturday, October 13th was the opening of the exhibit  "Shared Experiences" by Margaret Brostrom and her friends from California.  A very nice show!

The exhibit can be seen in the Graffiti Gallery and  lasts until Nov. 3.  The Gallery is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00-7:00.  If you are in the Oil City area stop in and visit.

This coming Friday at 5:30, Margaret and her friends are holding an artist's talk in the Gallery.  Everyone is invited.

"Turn Around"

My second entry to the Junk Art Show is titled "Turn Around."  The theme of this piece is grandchildren.  Now, I'll just mention right from the start that I don't consider this piece finished.

My method of working seems to be.... get an idea, begin working, change my mind, work some more, decide that "it's" not working, set aside and live with it for awhile until the piece tells me what's missing.  Sometimes this "tell me what you need stage" lasts a few days or occasionally it's been a few years.  When I started this piece I had three days.  (There's that procrastinator in me again!)

I suspect the idea began forming on the day that I attended my Granddaughter's kindergarten program, followed by rushing home to attend my Grandson's preschool program.  During both of these programs there was a slide presentation showing all the little ones through the previous year.  Of course the slide shows were accompanied by music that reminded us to enjoy them now because they grow so fast.

For this piece, I went in search of junk to use.  (Unlike the previous piece which just jumped out at me.)  Since I did a major cleaning out earlier in the year, there wasn't much for me to choose from.  In looking around the grandchildren's game room I noticed all the puzzle pieces which they'd outgrown.  (Sniff, sniff.)  So, that was my starting point.

At first I was going to use the puzzle pieces as is, but decided instead to paint them.   (Although there are a couple that are the original color.)  Pink for the granddaughter and blue for the grandsons.  I put in quite a few hours, arranging and rearranging the pieces (stressing about it as I knew time was running out.)  There are painted-on puzzle shapes that bend around the canvas to the edges and actual pieces glued on to the edges.

Besides the puzzle pieces is a handless clock face (trying to stop the clock..... to no avail) and puzzle shapes cut out of sheet music.  Here is where only "oldies" like me might get the title "Turn around."
The song was written by Malvina Reynolds, Allen Greene and Harry Belfonte and was a hit for the Kingston Trio in 1964.  (I'm including the lyrics for anyone not familiar with it.)

"Turn Around"  Puzzle pieces, acrylic paint, sheet music, watch face

"6 x 6"

I liked the idea, but didn't really feel the piece was successful.  So..... after the show, I will live with it and see if I can figure out the direction it wants to go.

"Turn Around" as written by Malvina Reynolds.

Where are you going, my little one, little one, Where are you going, my baby, my own? Turn around and you're two, Turn around and you're four, Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door. Turn around, turn around, Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door. Where are you going, my little one, little one, Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?2 Turn around and you're tiny, Turn around and you're grown, Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own. Turn around, turn around, Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own.

Friends of the Transit

Last Saturday night the artists of the Transit Building held their first annual Friends of the Transit Award Event in the Graffiti Gallery.  As a newly created subdivision of the Civic Center, the artists Maureen James, John Manders and myself created the Friends of the Transit Program.

The purpose of the program is to bring the community into the Transit Buildings and with a membership become a part of what is going on there.  Not everyone feels they have artistic ability but they may have an interest in the arts and the program will allow them to help develop the arts in Oil City.  They can do this by helping out with promoting the art events, volunteering to work in the Graffiti Gallery as a sales associate, helping artists in their studios, giving tours of the building, etc.   Any money generated through a membership in the Friends program will be passed onto the Civic Center and will be used to preserve, restore and upgrade the buildings.  

So, Saturday night was our kick off event.  It was a fun filled and busy evening.  (I do apologize for the photos.  Took them with my phone and wasn't very diligent about checking what I was doing.)

Festivities began at 5:00 (after our usual Second Saturday Open Studios) with a social time for people to look at the artwork in the Gallery, have a little something to eat and drink.  From 5-6:00 Mitch Littler, a young man from the area (oh Oil City has so much talent) played his guitar and sang.  He shared his music with us again from 7:00-8:00.  

Mitch Littler

At 5:30, four of the building's artists took part in what was called the "12 1/2 Minute Painting."  Abby Bunnell, George Cooley, Shon Gaworski and Carol McDonald each shared their unique styles and vision by beginning and completing a painting in the time it took to play a rousing song.  At the end of the evening the works were given away to some of the participants.  

Shon Gaworski

Abby Bunnell

George Cooley

Carol McDonald

At 6:00 I gave a basic demo on metal clay, complete with a torch firing demo.  

The award presentation to Dr. Robert DeShong was given at 6:30.  Dr. DeShong has put in many hours doing physical work at the buildings as well as donating funds to help with various projects.  He gave a very nice speech following the presentation (which I can't remember but I remember thinking how nice it was.  I was cleaning up my area so John could do his caricatures there and I was listening but not totally catching everything that was going on then.  Didn't even get a picture of it.... darn!)

6:45 to 7:45 John Manders, our resident book illustrator did caricatures of many of the attendees.  (Sorry, didn't catch a picture of that either as I was upstairs at the Forestwood Performing Arts Academy learning how to do the cha cha.)

At 7:00 Darin Paden, owner of  the Forestwood  Performing Arts Academy on the fourth floor of the Transit Annex, gave a mini-class in the cha cha and a demo on the 4 step swing.  I gave the cha cha a try and it really was pretty easy.  Darin did a great job of breaking it down and taking it slowly.  I was doing okay until he added a turn and twist (which right now is not too good for my bum knee.)

The evening was full of good people, good art, music, dance and food.  (All donated by the Transit Artists.)  What a party!

Anissa Gage's center piece made from vegetables and dried plants