sweet memories and small studies

These acrylic paintings on luan are both 3 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches. I did them in 1996, around the time I spent a week at the Vermont Studio Center on a Vermont Artists week grant. It was a wonderful time to be alive and an artist. I got a studio right after that week at the center and shortly after turned it into a gallery, which I briefly shared with Ruth Pope, but mainly ran by myself under the name Shayna Gallery, for the following 10 months. It was a sweet little run, but not sustainable. Artists and art lovers in the area still remember it fondly, as do I.

I'm remembering that time and the studio/gallery now because a friend visited my studio recently who is interested in taking home a painting from the above series (it's larger and on canvas but the gesture/line is similar).

Part of the process, it seems.

(somewhere in here I think there's a hawthorn tree)

I spent the afternoon at the Goddard campus and downtown Plainfield yesterday.

I went back to the meadow I've been visiting, and when I came back up the trail and lay in the grass next to Flanders, where Earthwalk's offices are, I peaked around the back and saw that the director, Angela Gibbons and her cohorts were having a snack outside. So I went over to say hi and got a big hug from Angela, who I've known since 1991, when she first came into town. Just a lovely person. When I told her about the (seemingly) dozens of varied colored dragonflies I saw out in the meadow she heartily agreed the woods are magic, just - magic. She told me they call the meadow Hawthorn Meadow, because there's a couple of knarly old hawthorn trees there - the kind of tree you might want to give a wide berth, as it's branches are full of very sharp long thorns. So, that's where I've been spending spacious short outings - Hawthorn Meadow. The kids who attend the Earthwalk school (8-14 year olds, I think) go on Thursday and Friday mornings. Early in October there's going to be a community day where non-students are invited, which I am planning on attending.

An old friend of mine from early college days is on the campus this weekend to attend a conference and although she wasn't immediately available at 2:30, she was at 4:30, and in the meantime I visited the Plainfield Co-op, the used bookstore, the Blinking Light Gallery, and the beer making supply store (pretty bottles displayed in the window drew me in). When I found Kath, my old friend, we went out back to the swings behind Kilpatrick dorm and caught up, as much as is possible in an hour or so after, um, 24 years. !!! Anyway, she's a writer, is working on a memoir, and I found myself sharing my experiences with my family's story, which I haven't abandoned, but have given little of my attention lately. It felt good to see that sometimes that happens, and may in fact be a necessary part of the process.

Aunt Rose

One of the painting sketches I've been doing of relatives on my mom's side of the family. In this case my Aunt Rose, from a photobooth photo of her when she was about nine years old.

Update

Hi everybody. I have to get up early tomorrow morning, so I won't be long. Just want to keep myself from falling off the edge of the blogging universe with this little update.

I've been doing some drawings of my Aunt Rose from photographs, three so far. They are very rough so I won't be posting them, just want to say I'm doggedly making progress in my studio, one drawing at a time.

I went out and got a 17" LCD monitor (for my apt) and a new CD/radio (for my studio) - yay tax refunds! -, and found how listening to the radio helps me stay in my studio longer than without it. I kind of knew this, but actually experiencing it was unnerving.

My Aunt Elaine died last Saturday (she was my Dad's sister; Aunt Rose, also deceased, was my Mom's sister). I went to the funeral, in Philadelphia, where a lot of my family lives, and where my aunt lived her whole life, except the year she was pregnant and gave birth to my cousin Jancy, when she lived in Japan. The stories I will be needing to tell. You betcha.

In the meantime, think end-of-winter thoughts: Day light savings time starts this Sunday. It's gonna be light out at 6:45pm.

 

Valentines; mysterious and otherwise

I received three valentines today.

The first is the image, above, of a red stylized heart on a white ground. This image has been plastered all over the windows of my little city's downtown businesses for years and years. No one, or very few, know who the mystery lover is. But that just adds to the pleasure of coming downtown to the red and white love-liness of it all. 

The second was an orange shasta daisy (with a sprig of greens) given to me by my dear next door neighbors, fellow college alums, renters to me of my studio, and artists, not necessarily in the order. A gentle surprise and shining with pride of place on my kitchen butcher block table.

The third valentine I just discovered when I went over the studio to give my friends a reciprical valentine and to retrieve my water bottle from my studio. I was carefully walking across my very icy driveway when I saw a large piece of paper attached to my mailbox. What could it be? From a distance it didn't look like an ordinary advertizement. Ah, no, not an ad at all!

Actually, it's a limited edition valentine from my favorite small press printer - Kelly, of mayday studio. If you squint you can see she only made 15 of 'em. Such a select group! So sweet of her to think of me! I can't remember the last time I enjoyed Valentines Day so much.

Is it finally coming true that once I've let go of expectations I actually get what I want? I woke up grumbling a bit "Oh, yeah, it's valentine's day, whoopee." But I didn't expect anything from anybody (I had even momentarily forgotten about the downtown plasterer). So it's been pretty sweet saying Happy Valentine's Day and being greeted with equally friendly returns.

If you're reading this please consider yourself officially bestowed with a personal valentine's, from me.

Love,

Eva

Founders Keepers

I was just at SPA. There was a memorial exhibit for John Hanna, a Barre stone sculptor & community activist who passed away a few weeks ago. I thought I'd only be there for a few minutes, really, but ended up staying for a couple hours, catching up with people and generally having a good time. After, that is, I paid respects to John Hanna's memory and had a look at the exhibit and the slide show. And getting to cry a little over losing such a fine human being.

But I didn't feel completely at ease until Sue Higby asked if anyone had a cork screw and Michael Sherman and I pulled out our Swiss Army knives at the same time. I ceded the honor to Michael and after that I felt right at home.

I saw a lot of familiar faces, including fellow SPA founders Janet Van Fleet, Maggie Neale, Georgia Landau, and Nancy Hanson, and a bunch of people from the stone sculpting community of central Vermont. Maggie and Georgia wanted to know if I would join them for a snow sculpture competition on January 31st. Georgia had this wonderful gleem in her eye and just about pounced on me while saying "It'll be great - we'll be the SPA Founders team!". She even got Janet to reluctantly agree to join in. Then Georgia and Nancy started talking about about what the sculpture might be, maybe an ear or an eye...or maybe a mermaid or a merman.

I haven't decided yet, but it might be fun, especially because I haven't been part of any group art activities for a long time, and I haven't done anything with the SPA founders for an even longer time. Yeah, it might be fun. We'll see.


Here's Georgia, me and Nancy circa 2003, at the "Puttin' On The Dog" show and annual winter gala, with a Rhoda Carrol painting in the background.

niece and nephew

Here are portraits of my niece and nephew, at my brother and sister-in-law's house at Thanksgiving. Happy December everybody!

new studio!

I just moved into this new studio today. I just brought a few things, stared out the windows (there's two), read a little bit, and took a nap while listening to my friend practice accordian and harmonica next door.

existential questions and Curtis Savard photographs

Curtis Savard took a bunch of photographs at Fort Can Gallery during the reception a few weeks ago. I've been chilling out, so am just getting around to posting about them now. But I have to say I love them. This one, above, is of my friend Amy and me in the gallery, mural of kissing couple in the background, portraits and other artwork in the foreground.



And this is a section of wall that includes the poster for the show, an abstract drawing a number of people particularly liked, and another view of the group portrait of Brian, Tara & Kelly. Can you read the writing? It says, in large letters "Is it too much?" and then in smaller lettering below, "Is it enough?" - questions I ask myself all the time. 

portrait Friday

I drew four portraits today, and anticipate drawing another four or five tomorrow. Andrew above.
 

I got to draw another portrait yesterday

And here she is. I had five people scheduled but only one was able to make it. I've rescheduled with two, one I've contacted and one I still need to call back. After getting off the phone with one of the rescheduled I felt so tired. As if the marathon I had anticipated all week (five portraits in five hours) had actually taken place. Anyway, next Saturday, the last of the exhibit, will be pretty busy with three portraits and a double portrait early in the day possible, and a reception in the afternoon. It's almost over and I feel like I'm just getting started.

Mild to Extra-Spicy

is the name of the exhibit I'll be having at the Fort Can Gallery, in Montpelier during the month of September. (If you go to the Fort Can site there won't be anything about my show yet, as we just pinned down the details yesterday, but you will get to see what's at the gallery now, as well as their philosophical take on art.)

I am inviting folks to visit the gallery, potentially have their portrait drawn, look at artwork I'm working on, and check out the letterhead press/book bindery, May Day Studio, that shares space with the gallery. Fort Can and May Day Studio are located at 190 River St. Montpelier, between The Restore and Trading Post Furniture.

Gallery hours are Saturdays, 10am-2pm and by appointment.

If folks are in the Montpelier area (and we haven't already made an appointment) and are interested in a fifteen minute to hour long portrait (and visiting an interesting gallery) let me know. I'll put you on the schedule. Otherwise, do stop by during gallery hours - I'd love to show y'all around.

P.S. See below for an example of "spicy".

I recently bought a book titled "Put What, Where?, Over 2000 Years of Bizarre Sex Advice" authored and annotated by John Nash, from the remainders bin of my local bookstore. I almost regretted buying it, but then realized I could make use of it as background for some spicy drawings.

 

more portraits!

These are three friends who lived in my town about ten years ago.






I'll be posting more portraits soon.

portrait gallery

I just scanned a bunch of portraits.


 
This is a sketch of faculty member Corrine Mattuck, probably in 1984.


I used caran d'ache crayons a lot in school - still love them. This is of a guy named Jon who was only around for a semester or two. All I can remember about him is he liked to drive his little red sports car really fast.
 

Minimalism was a happy result of hours and hours of gesture drawing during life drawing classes. This is of a fellow student, Karen Andress, who was taking her turn upon the occasional neccesity of standing in for a no-show model. 


I love the kinetic energy in this one. Gina, 1985


I wasn't even 18 yet! Ah, if I could go back and give myself a hug I would. Self portrait Nov. 20, 1983.


Lee Henry. So pretty.


I'll post more soon. This is fun.

More achive drawings

I started drawing musicians at Farmers' Markets and cafes a couple years ago...much more fun than going to a life drawing class, and musicians don't mind being drawn, as they're already expecting people to stare at them...these two were at the market.

P.S. Agnes, thanks for the encouragement!

Keeping out of trouble with Tara and Brian

I did a couple of drawings at the closing party for these two artists Tara Jensen and Brian Ziegler. I usually draw someone or something when I go down to the cafe. It keeps me out of trouble, usually.

here's something to munch on (illustration from Riding The Bus)