It's Time!

I was inspired today reading an op-ed piece by Congress woman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly. As they point out so clearly, 

“In response to a horrific series of shootings that has sown terror in our communities, victimized tens of thousands of Americans, and left one of its own bleeding and near death in a Tucson parking lot, Congress has done something quite extraordinary — nothing at all.”

I have been thinking a lot about the mass shootings that have taken place in the country and been reading up on the subject. It is a complex problem fraught on all sides with emotion, history, old grudges and new found idealism. But I think its time we stop shaking our heads and not getting involved because the problem is too complicated.

As Giffords and Kelly so aptly say in their article,

“This country is known for using its determination and ingenuity to solve problems, big and small. Wise policy has conquered disease, protected us from dangerous products and substances, and made transportation safer. But when it comes to protecting our communities from gun violence, we're not even trying...”

I think it is time we started looking for solutions. Put away the standard lines and arguments. Look at the results of our current situation and say, “how can we make it better.” We won’t tolerate our kids being killed by bad peanut butter or spinach, cars without safety restraints, cribs or car seats or toys that are dangerous. We take action, we do something. We must look for sensible solutions. We must share ideas and find something that attacks this problem on all levels. It’s Time!

Here is a way you can participate in the process. 

http://americansforresponsiblesolutions.org

Change...

Change...

Of all the things we face in life change is the most difficult. Often our lives are changed for us. Natural disasters, accidents, business failures, health crisis, the list goes on, but all these make us change without choice. One minute our life was one thing and the next we must find new footing. Will we begin again? Will we start over? Will we move on? 

We watch wrenching stories on the news of natural disasters and see the people standing in front of ruined or destroyed homes or business and they all smile for the TV cameras and say, "We will rebuild, we are here to stay". Despite these bright smiles, as time passes, things intrude on this desire to be comfortable again, to stay in the same place and do the same thing. Sometimes, that just isn't possible.  Sometimes change takes us to uncharted territory. 

I am currently watching the Hurricane Sandy coverage. Lots of homes destroyed and property ruined and business lost. What these people will face to rebuild is enormous. First will come the insurance reality. If they didn't have Federal Flood Insurance nothing is covered. That's right, nothing. I know because I have been there. I was one of 16 lucky people who had Flood insurance when my business was destroyed by a flash flood. If you have Flood insurance it triggers other good things, low interest loans from FEMA, Business loans from the Small Business administration and gives people the ability to recover some of your loss. The paperwork is staggering but the help is there. For others life will change.

I just finished a road trip through Mississippi and Louisiana. You might think that all has been rebuilt after Katrina but I was astounded by the amount of vacant land where homes and business once stood. Outside of New Orleans, very little has been rebuilt. I think people in New York and New Jersey will face this same reality. If there is money to rebuild they will face new and tougher building standards near the ocean. Costly rebuilding becomes monumentally expensive when the new building regulations are enforced so, again, there may not be sufficient funds available to stay, to rebuild, to make it home again. 

So many of these people will face the cruel prospect of change. Yes, they will continue their lives but they will be markedly different in so many ways. You can again find a home, a business and a life where you can be comfortable again but it will take time.  Change is survivable.

Something for everyone?

Art has always been in the eye of the beholder. The person who loves his art is always my favorite. It doesn't matter what it is, the joy of owning something beautiful, fun, unique or wonderful is a very personal experience.

Take this last weekend. We are in Naples Florida. This is the capital of old money, but with large "middle class" tracts of new homes or as we called them in Arizona, McMansions. Stately mansions set on beautiful grounds with ocean views, with large docks and major yachts,etc. Bentley's, Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Lamborghini are common parked right next to the Lexus, Prius and Cadillacs. So it is no surprise that there are wonderful galleries and great art shows here.

We first visited the Naples Art, Antique and Jewelry Show. It was a stunning and fanciful experience. The paintings were by VanGogh, Monet, Matisse, and other wonderful old masters. There were displays of stunning antique furniture, chests of silver flat ware, candelabra, Tiffany lamps and diamonds in all colors and designs by the carload. It was a show stunning in its quality and opulence. The only parking was valet at $8.00 a car plus tip. The entry fee was $15.00 per person per day. The exhibitors paid $15,000 per space per day!

Next day was the Ferrari club auto show on 5th Ave. Again, so many beautiful cars, old and new from GTO Muscle cars to sleek race cars of all vintages. WOW!

The following day we drove up the coast to a "street art show" at one of the shopping centers. The quality was mixed but the item with the biggest crowd was the welded metal dog that peed into a bucket. Yep, something for everyone!

Crystal Bridges = Great Museum

This metal tree sculpture, "Yield" by Roxy Paine, is the first work of art you see after a drive through the woods and down into the valley. You can't drive by it. You have to drive to it. You might think that a museum built of cement and copper would be cold but it is as magnificent as the Getty, only surrounded by nature not a city.

To enter you don't just open a door, you stroll through the woods, down a short trail and into a courtyard before you get to the main doors. The gift shop is separate from the rest of the museum. This is a view looking down into the courtyard and across the tops of the buildings. 

Like the Getty the mass plantings will be fabulous. They have used all native materials and with winter coming on they aren't as spectacular as they will be in Spring. 

Once inside the galleries hold great treasures of American Art. The easy thing would have been to buy an example of noted American artists and call it good but no, Ms Walton has chosen well. Nearly all the paintings in the collection are major examples of the artist work. You can travel through time from Peale through Moran and Cassatt, Homer,Sargent, Bellows, Benton, Rockwell, Nevelson, Rauschenberg and tons more in between. 

Worn out after half the galleries we stopped for lunch. Not only is the cafe area spectacular with the glass walls, wood beams with skylights and views of the pond and other galleries, but the food is great, creative and not over priced.  

The cost numbers are spectacular as well. It is said that the building alone cost 1.3Billion. The Walmart Foundation has created an endowment of over 800 million for art purchases. They do have some gaps. Nothing from Taos School and light on the impressionists. They also have a series of trails dotted with sculpture that aren't yet complete with sculpture by Paul Manship and Dan Ostermiller among others. There is lots of room for more great sculpture. 


If you can't get there visit the web site at www.crystalbridges.org
Plan to visit, it is worth the drive. Besides there are several other interesting museums in the Bentonville AR area including the original 5&10 where Walmart began. 

Buy American

I think we are all wondering at the moment what we as individuals can do to help pull our wonderful country out of this economic mess. As individuals we are not powerless. We are the most powerful force imaginable. Here is what I am doing in my own small way to help.

I am reading labels. Everything from toothpaste to clothes and trying to purchase as many things made in this country as possible. You might assume that that means paying more but don't assume, check it out because often that isn't the case or perhaps a few cents more. I got started on the quest watching the ABC News special series called Made in America. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/MadeInAmerica/

We need to encourage and support things made in this country if we hope to help create jobs, employ more people and boost our economy out of the crapper. It's up to us as individuals, not the government to help solve this mess. You can do your part. You can be part of the solution. 

Technology Love it/Hate it

Today I have been on the Merry Go Round of Technology. Yes, I am among the many who have a love/hate relationship with technology and all it's numerous devices. I have a Toshiba lap top, an i phone, a Blue-tooth printer, a HP office jet wireless printer and my husband has or shares all of the above and a new Android tablet he just got. We even have dongles. When it all works it is amazing and wonderful. When it fails, stalls, hiccups,sends error messages or crashes I want to throw things. You would think that all these genus computer geeks could make things that just work. That are easy to use and have clear and complete directions, but NO.

My theory is the companies are too big with too many people doing things and not talking to each other. So the Geek that creates the thing doesn't write the directions and the guy who writes the directions can't have ever used it or the directions would be better because with his directions you sure can't make it work. The sales people at the store are energetic and enthusiastic and, for a small fortune, will help you get started with actually using the stuff you just bought in addition to the extra warranties. No problem they say!

Tech support is in India, the Philippines, Mexico, or some other foreign country where the folks on the phone have never used or seen the device and are trying to use the same directions written for you to fix your problem. Please, can someone just make it all work?

We are stuck with it. No going back now the genie is out of the bottle.

I once had dinner with astronaut Alan Bean and he was telling the story of how they figured out how to write in space. After numerous pens, technical devices etc. they finally settled on the old fashioned pencil. It never ran out of batteries, didn't need gravity and yes, it just worked. We are creating lots of new stuff that has lots of whiz bang features but just doesn't do what they say it will do when the average consumer, unlike my 12 year old neighbor, gets their hands on it.

Of all the devices I use the best, easiest and most reliable is my I phone. It works, I can figure it out and the directions are written by someone who actually uses the device. It is even Cool, according to my grandchildren. So, for future purchases I my stick with Apple.

The Circus Museum

Today I remembered that at age 10 I wanted to be a "flyer". That was the beautiful girl in the skimpy costume that got flung between hunky guys who were "catchers" on the death defying trapeze. Yep, it was a trip to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus that prompted this short lived idea. I also was reminded today as we wandered through the Circus Museum that is was the first place I saw an Elelphant, Lion and a Tiger. Zoos weren't prevalent then and this was my first African animal sighting. I vividly recall the elephants raising on their hind legs and then leaning their front legs on the elephants ahead of them while beautiful women in feathers headdresses and sequins perched on their backs. I was awe struck!

In it's hey day the circus traveled by train and stopped at all the small and large towns along the way. Staying only one day and moving on. It was a spectacular event in every town. The massive event makes today's road shows look puny with a couple of semi trucks. We are talking rail cars filled with circus wagons. 5 wagons per rail car. Filled with exotic animals, costumes, people, tents, horses, blacksmith shops, kitchens in other words an entire city plus hundreds of horses to pull all the wagons and hundreds of people to put up the tents and keep the whole show moving along. The circus was so good and so efficient at logistics that the military studied how they did it!

Where is the art you might ask. The circus wagons were pieces of art filled with hand carved figures and painted with exciting scenes. The circus posters were used to advertise the circus was coming to your town and were papered like wall paper on walls of buildings in each town. Those that survive are worth a in fortune. It was a time when the circus owners lived in luxury, traveled the world and, like the Ringling's, collected everything from Greek artifacts to Peter Paul Rubens paintings. In addition to the Circus Museums there is an art museum housing their collection and their palatial estate all available for your enjoyment here in Sarasota Florida. Don't miss the experience if you are down this way.

2011 Another New Year

Taken with my i phone in NY.

I am welcoming the new year today and thinking back, as us old folks do, to how things have changed throughout our lives. Let's take radio. When I was growing up in Estes Park CO we couldn't get the Denver radio stations because we were in the mountains but at night we listened to KOMA in Oklahoma City that played the latest Rock and Roll! We missed a few curfews because of the time difference but we loved the music. Now we have I phones, that with a clever app, we can tune in radio stations throughout the world. Last night we were listening to a jazz station in Paris.

How about photography. I began taking pictures with a brownie box camera. Over the years I have used all sorts of cameras including slide cameras and even 8mm movie cameras as the kids were growing up. Now I use only digital cameras and the camera in my i phone that can send photos in a matter of seconds to friends and family. In order to salvage the early years of photos I now have to find someone to convert the slides to digital format, many are so old the film has darkened to just black blurs.

Then there is TV. The first television show I saw was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. One hotel in Estes Park had a TV and everyone was invited to come see this exciting broadcast. It was grainy black and white but we all thought it was amazing and wonderful. Now we are about to hook up a device to our HD TV that will allow us to use the internet on the TV so my husband can watch live streaming Nebraska football and other things we haven't even considered yet, because over 300 TV channels just isn't enough.

With the advent of Bluetooth we can have wireless keyboards and mice for our computers, ear roaches and hands free conversations in the car. We can have tiny stereo systems that will play the music or radio stations on our iphones.

We keep in touch with friends and family via facebook, email and digital photos. I even play scrabble with my daughter, who can be far away even traveling in foreign countries. I do have a couple of friends who don't own computers so we stay in touch the old fashioned way, letters written by hand and phone calls.

We are moving so fast that technology we buy today will be passe by Christmas. I wonder what new things these clever 20 something inventors will bring us this year.

The Migration

The migration is beginning. Tires on trailers are being checked, paintings are being finished, tools are being gathered, lists are being made. Artists from around the country are getting ready for their journey to Scottsdale Arizona for the 21st annual Celebration of Fine Art. Many have made this journey for years and others will do it for the first time.

They will pack up their easels, sculpture stands, pottery wheels, torches, tools of their trade, art work and in some cases families and children to make this journey. They will spend 10 weeks together creating and exhibiting some of the most beautiful art in the country. When they arrive they will begin building their own personal studio inside the big white tents. A place that they feel will display their art to the best advantage for collectors and visitors to the Celebration to buy. They will paint walls, lay carpet and hook up lighting. By the time they are finished and the art is hung no one will notice they are inside a tent. People are awe struck being in such a magnificent gallery with over 100 individual and unique studios where you can talk to the artists and see them at work creating.


The minute you walk in the door you can feel the high energy. The place sizzles with joy, enthusiasm and creativity. This isn't some quiet stuck up cold gallery experience. Brace yourself to have the time of your life with some of the greatest people and art you will ever meet.

Celebrate with them starting January 15th in Scottsdale.

Grab your fire extinguisher!

After all the coverage of the Quran burning this week and all the recent election diatribe I just have to say it is time for everyone to grab a fire extinguisher! The hate rhetoric needs to stop. There seems to be a new culture, enhanced by the 24/7 media, that supports more and more inflammatory talk. It's time to dial it back.

The gift we have of free speech in this country will go away if we can't have reasoned debate with strong opinions expressed on all sides with out personal attacks, threats and calls to destroy or kill or burn. Whipping mobs into a hate filled frenzy seems easier and easier. The various political opponents and religious zelots have gotten into a "can you top this" frenzie to attract the media which covers the event with delight at having something filled with action video to fill their 24/7 vacuum.

It is up to each of us to get out our fire extinguishers and say STOP! Don't support individuals who try these mob tactics to get support. Express your own opinions with reasoned and information filled discussion. Don't just parrot someone else. Do some basic research and find out the facts before you join the crowd. Be respectful of others opinions. You have the right to disagree with people but not the right to incite riots and continue the pattern of violent rhetoric.

Take a breath, figure out what to say calmly and with passion but without harming others. Keep your fire extinguisher handy.

Make up your mind!

I had an experience yesterday that illustrates so much in life. I had lunch at a restaurant called the Firkin and Crown, the English Pub name and decor were front and center but then things turned.

The place was filled with TV screens like a big sports bar, there was loud hard rock playing from the speakers and then the menu came. It had everything from pot pies and bangers and mash to quesadillas, hummus, hamburgers and stir fry! This was a place that really couldn't make up its mind what it was, who it's customer was or what to do with its self.

I have had this same experience with artists. They present to a gallery or jury for a show and present everything they have done in every medium and every style. This is a sure way to not achieve success. You have to pick something and stick with it, to do otherwise is just confusing your audience. You need consistency.

Let me be clear that artists should always experiment and reach for new ideas, use new mediums and try new things. But the path to success (selling your art) is to present consistency
in your art. Do research before you present to the gallery, show or exhibit, know what they expect. If a gallery sells only watercolors they aren't interested in your oil paintings. If they sell only contemporary work your landscapes and still life subjects probably aren't going to be a good fit. You have to make up your mind! Stick with it, find your niche and work it!

In life your path may have many choices and you can try to juggle all those choices hoping to be a great success but never have time, energy or focus to achieve a successful goal because you are split in too many directions. Make up your mind! Pick a path and follow it! Work it!

We won't be going back to the restaurant because we were just uncomfortable. Too much confusion and not a place we fit. We will stick to the English pub that serves pub food and plays Irish music, it a longer drive but we like it there.

Never give up your pencil

We are slaves to technology. But nature and mans errors will always bring us to heel and remind us that we may have to go backward to stay even.

The astronauts learned this when first in space. Pens wouldn't write in space, so the answer became the old fashioned pencil which worked just fine. When sent to repair faulty equipment on the moon, despite lots of practice and specially made tools, they ended up using their Swiss Army knives to get the job done.

When the volcano in Iceland and the tragedy of 9/11 stopped air travel we had to revert to trains and buses to get where we needed or wanted to go. We have discovered that human hair can help soak up the oil spills.

Now our television is going to be disrupted by satellites crashing into each other. What will we do without our television? Do you even own a radio? I only have one in my car. I wonder how we will deal without instant news, no 24/7/365 updates on our games, celebrities, finances and tragedies.

I am keeping my pencil handy, even though I will have my iphone on my belt.

Florida and a great Art Show

We recently visited Naples Fl. A lovely place full of "mature" tourists, many mid westerners, some great art and good galleries and some delicious seafood.

We rented a house for a couple of weeks so we could just relax and enjoy the area. We took lots of day trips and spent lots of time just exploring. Our two big nature adventures were to the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the Everglades National Park.



At Corkscrew we walked a wooden raised trail and saw some great birds and got acquainted with the new and unique vegetation of the area. Banyan trees, air plants growing in the trees, ferns and other cool stuff. You could easily spot the wildlife by watching for the jam of people with big cameras and huge long lenses. While we were watching a lovely blue heron two of them got in to a loud argument about which lens to use and scared the bird away. Very funny.

I did some research about the best way to see Everglades by calling the National Park and asking questions about air boats and tours. Their answer is don't take an air boat, they scare the wild life and trample the vegetation. They are loud and except for the "thrill" of going fast through a swamp don't really let you see the Everglades. We opted instead for a boat tour that went out into the barrier islands. We got to see new islands in the making with Mangrove trees digging their roots into piles of shells and trapped sand. They grow slowly until the link with other islands getting bigger and bigger over time.



Then we drove to a pull out and walked a bit to get our gator photo. As we were driving along we actually saw several groups of gators and some cood birds but there was no way to pull off the narrow road and couldn't stop because of traffic.



The ranger station at Everglades is pretty sad. It was obviously damaged int he hurricanes of the last few years and is a simple 2 story building on stilts and wrapped in Tyvek.
The displays look mostly hand made with photos and posters in a room about 20 feet square. Some interesting information but obviously they are challenged for dollars to do better.

Most of the civilization and population in the very southern part of Florida has happened since the 1960's. Prior to that there were few roads, few people and tons of wildlife. We visited this cool old general store that was also the postoffice. In the old days (1950's) the owner would go get the mail by canoe and use a shell horn to announce the arrival of the days mail. They have turned the place into a museum, very cool, but they don't allow photos inside.



There are lots of good galleries in Naples. There is a wonderful Naples Art Museum that is combined with a philharmonic palace that will knock your socks off. They present all kinds of entertainment, all top notch. We also went to the Naples National Art Fair.

The Naples Art Fair is one of the best we have ever seen but WOW, 285 artists and thousand and thousands of people. You could hardly move and I can't imagine how the artists got much sold with so many people around.

Now to the food. You just can beat that part of the country for fresh seafood. Our favorite restaurant turned out to be right down the street from our rental house. Randy's Fishmarket Resturant. They have a long wait and don't take reservations but it is well worth the wait. We bought some, "OH MY GOD Shrimp" to grill and home too. YUM.

We plan to visit Naples again because there is always more to see and do.

Winter Adventures

It's winter in Georgia and all the leaves are gone. The trees are bare, storing up their energy for what should be a magnificent spring. It continues to rain and even snow. Unusual weather for the deep South.

To get some sun and visit family and friends we recently visited Scottsdale AZ and the Celebration of Fine Art. It's the 20th anniversary of this unique show. I am still awed by the talented artists who continue to grow and develop new and exciting work each year. Visitors say it is the best show yet and I have to agree. They have had some serious weather this year that took our our neighbors and friends tents at Russo and Steele. We have Jake Potje to thank for keeping our tents secure, grounded and dry! Here he is securing one of our many rain gutters.


We had a great time with my daughter and granddaughters. I just love teenagers. They are so full of introspection and energy and whirling around trying to find out what to do with it all. A time of great promise and opportunity. They are both great kids who are enjoying life. My daughter is keeping up amazingly well. I know I did that too but it seems like centuries ago. Aah, youth!

I am looking for opportunities to get involved here in Ga and have checked out many different places some in the arts some not. I think I may have hit on the opportunity for me. It is called The Hudgens Center for the Arts. I am meeting with their director this week to see if we are a match. The Hudgens just announced a competition for Georgia artists with a top prize of $50,000.00! They seem to have solid financial support and are doing some great things in education and exhibition both. Looks like a great organization.

My customer service rant and praise for the moment:
Praise for Amazon Kindle who responded to me within hours when I had a problem with a book.
Disgust for gallery minders who play computer games and surf the net while live warm bodies are in their galleries.
AAA disgust for home warrenty companies. I have yet to find one that will actually pay for stuff that breaks!

More adventures to come, a trip to Florida and the Everglades coming up.

We Broke the Drought and the 20th anniversary

In moving to Georgia we were faced again with severe water restrictions because of the drought conditions. I hired a landscaper to run drip irrigation lines (a process foreign to this area) to all the major plants and trees since sprinklers were outlawed. Then the rain began. It has now been one of the wettest years on record. The lakes are full, the streams are flooded and many roads and bridges have been wiped out during the big rains. So, we broke the drought.

Next we are off to Scottsdale to help celebrate the big 20th anniversary party for the Celebration of Fine Art. It is going to be a huge event. So far we have over 200 RSVP's and still growing. It is amazing looking back over the 20 years and remembering all the great artists that have participated in the show and all the loyal customers who have supported the artists and our efforts.
We are grateful for all of it. I can't wait to see the new art work and to meet the new artists.

In case you haven't seen it pick up the January issue of American Art Collector. The Celebration is well represented. It shows the breadth of the work created by the artists who participate in the Celebration.

As soon as I figure out my "new" photo image software that has magically and mysteriously appeared in my computer I will post on our last adventure to Chattanooga TN.

Highlands North Carolina

A trip to the mountains of North Carolina. The small town of Highlands is up winding mountain roads, no way around that, you get to slow down and enjoy the views. This town is the Souths equivalent of Carmel, CA or Aspen Co. It is charming and the city planners have held firm with the edict of no chain stores. Everything is small boutiques or galleries. It is filled with flowers and happy shop owners who greeted everyone with smiles and conversation. There were lots of license plates from Georgia, Florida and Tennessee as well as the Carolinas. The visitors mostly have summer homes or rent cabins for months at a time. The temperature is balmy and afternoon rain showers are the norm.

Highlands has wonderful restaurants. We are Italian and Continental and fish and beef yum!
We are breakfast at the pharmacy which has a great soda fountain and reminded us of our old days in Scottsdale, AZ when Lutz pharmacy had a small cafe and home made pie to die for.

In addition to several very nice galleries, they also have a wonderful brand new art center called The Bascom. They have exhibition space, classromms, a seperate huge ceramics studio and an additional building that holds the kilns. The building is wood from an old barn in Pennsylvania. They even have a covered bridge.
Here are some additional photos of the town, the ponds and the beautiful area. Plan a visit we sure enjoyed it.

On the left is Bucks Cafe our favorite coffee and breakfast stop.
On the right is charming Main Street shops, early in the morning before the crowds of shoppers arrive.
There is a lovely botanical trail and information center around this group of natural lakes filled with lily pads in bloom. We saw orchids so tiny you could hardly find them, lizards basking in the sun and lots of beautiful birds. Highlands is definitely a place we will be going back to.

Just because I wander doesn't mean I'm lost!

This beautiful landscape is on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. This was the last stop on our last wandering. Beautiful country!

We began our journey by following the North Georgia Arts Tour. We drove up US 23 and began our trip in Dillard, GA then to Clayton, Lakemont and Tallulah Falls and then to Toccoa all small towns in north Georgia. They do this twice a year and it is a great time to see all the galleries who all have working artists there. We saw wood working, painters and even basket makers using Kudzu . We had lunch at the Dillard House. Like most things Southern this is still in the family and began the tradition in 1820 as farmers and providers of traditional Southern hospitality.

The have a lodge and very famous restaurant where you eat family style. The term "groaning board" covers the event. They bring everything to the table and you serve yourself what you want. The cheerful waitress says, "Now if you want more you just holler."
I think this photo of my husband Tom and the lunch spread will let you see why this place if famous.

Yes, all this food was just for the two of us. No, we didn't eat it all but made a good dent.



Tallulah Falls was an interesting stop. The Tallulah Falls School, which still operates today as a private school, was begun by Mary Ann Lipscomb a member of the Georgia Women's Federation Club. It was originally founded to provide the mountain children with education since there was no school in the area. The organization still operates the school, a gift shop and now a beautiful hotel called The Lodge at Tallulah Falls. It is the best lodging in this area, brand new and beautifully decorated by the Women's Federation.

Our next stop was in Greenville, South Carolina. What a wonderful town, filled with art and an beautiful downtown, arts district and river walk area. Our first visit was the Greenville County Museum of Art. They currently have a great show called Art & Artists of South Carolina which included both historic and contemporary art. The highlight for me, however, was the collection of Andrew Wyeth. They have a great body of his work and it was delightful to see them up close and in such a wonderful museum. The entire town was a surprise and beautiful. Their river walk area (they have a real river and water fall running through the city) has been developed into a charming area with lots of restaurants, loft housing, art galleries and boutique shops. We strolled both sides of the river and enjoyed watching the ducks and the kids enjoy the water. This is a view of the pedestrian suspension bridge over the river.


Then on to Salisbury, North Carolina to visit our artist friends Whitney Peckman and Syed Ahmad. They and their neighbors have restored an historic building in downtown which they call the East Square Artworks. The town of Salisbury is making great efforts to preserve and protect the historic buildings and homes in the community by creating various historic districts. This includes the downtown where Whitney and Syed have converted an old bakery to galleries, work space and loft housing. Salisbury has a historic preservation commission that even has buildings for sale. It is a great place for art and artists and a growing beautiful community.

Whitney and Syed fed us, entertained us and gave us a great tour of the area including the Waterworks Visual Art Center where Whitney currently has a show of her beautiful paintings.

They will also exhibit their work at the 20th annual Celebration of Fine Art and we will see them there in Scottsdale Arizona during the winter.


After Salisbury we drove to Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is filled with galleries and artist colonies. This beautiful mountain setting provides a home to many artists in various
media. The tradition of crafts is very strong in this part of the country and many of these artists have taken the craft to fine art. One of the places that you must stop is the Southern Highlands Craft Guild shop on the Blue Ridge Parkway where they also have a Folk Art Center.

We shopped and enjoyed the art and crafts and watched an artist making psalteries (pronounced without the P). It is a musical instrument that has a lovely lyrical tone. I almost bought one just for the sound. The artist, Rick Long, showed me how to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star " and allowed anyone could play a psalterie. It looks easy and sound great but I still am not sure I could get past the first song.



There are simply too many galleries in Asheville to record them all. It is like a multi day feast for art addicts. I will mention one special gallery and a couple of fabulous artists. There are two very famous places in Asheville. One is the Biltmore Estates and the other is the Grove Park Inn.

Next to the Grove Park Inn is the Grovewood Gallery a gallery of fine art crafts, sculpture, furniture and more. Among the art displayed their was a wonderful desk. It is called an Aaron Burr desk and was made by artist Barry Tribble. When closed the desk will look like a table with a beautifully inlaid top. When open half the top folds back and the sides open to reveal a desk with drawers and a chair! The inlaid wood veneers contain many colors and textures which have been influenced by the ancient art of marquetry.



The second gallery was the Haen Gallery where the owner chatted with us and told us all about the artist who's paintings had me spell bound. His name is Lynn Boggess. He is a plein air landscape painter who lives in West Virginia. His paintings are amazing. He has a special portable studio that he hauls with him into the wilds so he can paint in any weather. It is shown on his web site (click the link on his name) and it is amazing. The spontaneity shows in all his work, even the biggest canvases which he does right on the spot, no studio work for this guy. He is brilliant.

It was a fabulous trip filled with art and covering 3 states. You can do that in the South in a matter of hours. Asheville is only about 4 hours away from us. I am sure we will be going back again.

The Customer Service Rant for the month:
You know from reading my blog that I am adamant about customer service in galleries and this trip we had mostly great experiences with people talking to us about the art and artists. There was only one really startling bad moment. We were in in an Asheville gallery and I was studying a huge painting ($10,000 price tag) that had all sorts of hidden detail. The sales gal came from behind me and said, "Excuse me would you move please we (an artist and herself) need to see these frame choices." She then plops a small painting with different frame corners on the couch in front of this big painting and proceeds to discuss the frame choices with this guy, ignoring me completely. Amazing!

On The Trail Of Great Art

Where ever you go in the world you find art and artists. It always gives me a feeling of reassurance that there is something special about the place if I find artists there working. The photo above was taken in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. She was sketching the beams in the ceiling with the light poring through. Tucked in a corner so as not to be trampled by the crowds. I make it a rule to look and see what the artist is capturing then look up or out to try and see what they see. It is truly like watching magic.

We just returned from a river cruise up the Seine river from LeHavre to Paris. That is the area where the great French artists lived and worked. Sure, they went to Paris for shows and business and some even lived there for some time but this area along the banks of the Seine was the beauty they captured that still inspires us today.

The Seine holds some of the countries major industries and factories today but is still sprinkled with picturesque villages, mostly unchanged, since they were painted by the Impressionists. They often hung out in a sea side village called Honfleur. Here they painted the ocean and boat scenes. This city remains filled with traditional architecture and a lovely harbor lined with restaurants.


Perhaps the most memorable and breathtaking place was Monet's home and gardens at Giverny. Monet moved out of Paris and into this huge home in Giverny where he lived from 1883 until 1926 at his death. His home and gardens is now a museum and has been restored and maintained by the Monet Foundation. The gardens are planted so that each season is both different and spectacular. Colors and textures abound and they have followed Monet's original plan for his garden. He created the lily pond that was such a frequent subject. When you stand in the garden and picture his work you can see what he saw and place yourself in the setting where his paintings were created. He could stay on his porch and watch the endless parade of seasons. His home is open and you can see all the wonderful Japanese wood block prints and engravings that so inspired him. Here are a few photos of the house and gardens to give you the idea.

I took close to 500 photos but these should wet your appetite for a visit. Once we hit Paris the next highlights were a visit to the Musee de Orsey, always an inspiration, and the Rodan Museum. Rodan was not only a fabulous sculptor but the museum shows his paintings and ceramics as well. I always enjoy seeing the experiments of great artists, how they reach out and explore with no fear of failure, just pure adventure to see how it works and what happens.
We skipped the massive lines and crowds of the Louvre and instead stuck to Rodan. Here are a couple of photos of this "don't miss" Rodan Museum.





















This was Rodan's home and studio. He is buried under his sculpture of the Thinker in the courtyard. Consider visiting this area instead of zooming up the Eiffel Tower. You will have much richer memories.

Short trips and discovery

I had a delightful day of exploration last week. My husband Tom took me on a date to the Buckhead area of Atlanta. This is the rich part. The shopping centers have all the really fancy good stuff that none of us can afford any more. But we didn't go shopping. He took me to a beautiful place called the Swan Coach House. It is located on the grounds of the Atlanta History Center so I got a full dose of lovely lunch, art, history and gardens! My favorites.

The Swan Coach House is operated by the Forward Arts Foundation and consists of a restaurant, retail shop and gallery. The gallery exhibits only Georgia artists and the retail shop has some wonderful things and the food was great. The Forward Arts Foundation was founded in 1965 as a non-profit organization by twelve visionary and community-minded Atlanta women. These dedicated art patrons selected as their home the carriage house of the Edward Inman estate, Swan House, located on the grounds of the Atlanta History Center. The home was the masterpiece of Atlanta’s internationally renowned architect Philip Trammell Shutze. The Foundation renovated the carriage house creating a restaurant and gift shop which opened in 1967. In 1984, an art gallery was added to the complex.

Through the management of the Swan Coach House restaurant, shop and gallery, along with revenues from an annual fall Flea Market, a holiday Fashion Show, and the Swan’s Palette Cookbook, the Foundation fosters and supports the visual arts in Atlanta.

Among the beneficiaries are the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta History Center, the Michael Carlos Museum, and Savannah College of Art and Design. The indelible mark begun over 40 years ago has continued to positively influence the Atlanta cultural landscape. What a great idea for supporting the arts. I love it. I think that is what we know as synergy!

Then we strolled over to the Atlanta History Center through the gardens. Things are beginning to bloom and it is really beautiful.

While the Atlanta History Center has lots of wonderful exhibits, two stand out in my memory. The first was the Native American exhibit called Native Lands: Indians and Georgia.

"Native Lands: Indians and Georgia celebrates the state’s original inhabitants beginning with the Mississippian peoples and continuing with their descendants, the Creeks and the Cherokees. Unlike most accounts of Native American history, which end with the Trail of Tears, this exhibition explores the Native Americans’ recent history through the voices and artistry of contemporary Creeks and Cherokees.

Long before European settlers came to what is now called Georgia, the Mississippian Indians developed complex societies on these lands - complete with art, agriculture, architecture, and trade industries. Native Lands seeks to commemorate the rich culture that once dominated this region. Highlights include an eighteenth-century Creek town square replica and a nineteenth-century Cherokee family hearth scene that reveals the blending of native and European cultures. The exhibit also features video of contemporary Native Americans discussing issues of particular significance to their communities." I learned something really interesting here. The Creeks and Cherokees had their own language that was invented by one of them. It was a written language that used not only Latin letters but Greek as well and symbols from mathematics. It looks a bit like Egyptian hieroglyphics. These were complex people and advanced in their civilization. Yet, we chased them off their land and into Oklahoma. Big mistake, they got the original oil rights. Oops.

The second great exhibit was on the Civil War. As my friend and former History teacher has pointed out to me, "History is always written by the victors." Well here you get the prospective of the loosing side as well and the specific points in history that were turning points. You find out why the South fought. It wasn't just over slavery, it was that they didn't want any government dictating to them how to run or manage their businesses and families. They didn't want to be dictated to by others. That sentiment still is strong here. It's a great and very powerful exhibit.

They have others too. All this is well worth a day where you can get all the elements of history, art, gardens, art and wonderful lunch too.

My new Kindle: Helping the economy

I did my part for the economy this month by purchasing a Kindle. For those of you who don't know a Kindle is a reading device for books, newspapers, blogs, etc. It is made by Amazon. It has changed my life.



As you may know, I am big on presentation. The Kindle arrives in cardboard shipping containers with a zip open strip that hints at the possibilities inside by saying,"Once upon a time...". Pull the strip and the box opens to a slick black package lining with cascading letters and a beautifully designed nest for the Kindle and its power cord and starting manual. Just the great presentation had me. The leather cover I bought came with the same great packaging. It and the Kindle had easy directions to start things off. First plug it in and charge it (about 3 hours?) I gardened while this happened and made a book list from the main Amazon site of what I wanted to download. Once charged it took me less than 10 minutes to access the store on the Kindle and download 2 books. I love technology that works! The most delightful surprise is when you put it sleep mode. Up comes a beautiful black and white drawing, picture or illustration. The photos are of great authors like Steinbeck etc. the pictures are antique illustrations of etchings or drawings having to do with books or literature or other beautiful objects. Being an art person this is one of my new favorite things. It reminds you of the history of books and how far we have come.



I do, however, have some guilt. I probably will spend less time in bookstores, which I love. But, the Kindle will save overweight charges on my luggage when we travel since I usually haul at least 6 books along. Now I can carry an entire library with me in my purse! The other small advantage is no one knows what you are reading. They will judge you on the technology and not your choice of literature. Try it, you deserve it. if you read, as I do, quantities of books.