The learning never ends!

OR, the learning is just beginning! After the last blog, the show, and the 2 day workshop with Theresa Rankin...I finished up the 3 from the workshop. As finished as they can be without overworking. Texas Creek is from a photo we took in South Texas a couple years ago on a scenic drive through Joe May's old stomping grounds. Austrian Morning is a view of a spectacular lake we painted on a day trip with Charles Reid's Salzburg/Prague workshop. My alla prima painting that day was tough.

Rome Flowers is a photo I took in Rome, exhausted with the walking and tourist-ing, and a drizzly dreary day. Alas, I have fallen in love with my background...and it should be cropped. 

I'm pleased with these, especially with all I had going on that week. Each painting is available for sale, contact mary@poorrichardsart.com for info.

Forward to any friends or like-minded people who are not afraid to subscribe to my blog. It is entirely safe, Feedblitz manages the list and is very secure. Cox cable has tightened up on outgoing emails, generally making it tough for me to send these manually. Of course, if you aren't interested, pftttt to you! (that is my best spelling for tongue out, blowing raspberries at ya)

Vicki

http://www.vickiandrandyrossart.com

Vicki Ross Show at Julie Wait Gallery

WOW! What a great turn-out...downtown Rogers is becoming an art destination! Poor Richard's Art did a fabulous job of promoting the event at Julie Wait's Gallery with postcards, emails, and press. Special thanks to Jan Ironside, Johnny Ware and Kathy Mahue for all their hard work in making  the show actually happen. 

Showing up for the show is kinda anti-climatic after weeks of doing the best painting you can do. Of course, I had to push my limits by enrolling in an oil-painting workshop all day Friday and Saturday, with this reception from 4-8.

And take a look at this cake! Looks just like Chateau de Sigy in France.

Talk about trying to do it all! Early Friday, shower, make-up, clean jeans and black turtleneck. Then throw on my favorite soft black hoodie. Paint right up to 3:45, jump in the car, drive from Bella Vista to downtown Rogers. Arrive breathless, with silk jacket under my arm.

There were already people there, so I shucked that hoodie, ran fingers through my hair and put on my 'artist's' jacket. Someone kissed me and left lipstick marks right next to the ultramarine blue on my face.

Thrilled with the sales! Thanks to everyone.

ps: contact Poor Richard's about purchases.

Show Week

I AM POOPED! After what seems like months of painting...well, I guess is has been! Getting ready for a show where I am the only artist does take months. Painting, selecting, framing, packing to move it all, pricing labels, business cards, brochures, load it in the car, take it out of the car, try not to ding the frames, and figure out (hopefully with help) how it best can be displayed. If I'm lucky, I'm too busy to get scared!

Continuing Education is vitally important for an artist. You take advantage of workshops, extended travel workshops where you do nothing but paint and haul your equipment all over hell's half acre in Europe somewhere (pitiful, isn't it?), eat, breathe, sleep art. Pick the instructor's brain for every piece of information they have...every tidbit of experience they can share...just hoping for that magic brush or stroke that makes your work genius!

Of course, you realize that there is no magic tool or technique...just years and years of study and practice. I found that too much 'continuing ed' can be bad, for me anyway. So, describe it as a sponge...several weeks or months in my studio painting several hours minimum a day...then take a workshop or extended several week excursion to absorb enough new information to give you something to 'chew' on over the next few weeks, months in your own studio.

I am driven to be the best artist I can be. If I'm too tired to be in my studio, I am researching something on the internet...and then take an art magazine or art book to bed while I finish my last glass of wine. Not that there is anything wrong with artists who paint for social weekly painting groups. It's just that I don't know how to do anything just for fun.

SO, the upcoming show. The best work I've done so far. Had a 'jury of my peers' choose their 10 least favorite from a field of 32 or so. Since they only agreed on 5 or so least favs, and most were small, we were able to hang 24. 

The Julie Wait Design office has a beautiful space for exhibiting 2-D art, and in partnership with Poor Richard's Art in historic downtown Rogers, is giving local artists a great venue to showcase our art.

Maybe more tomorrow. Have to go to continuing ed for my real estate license on Thursday. necessary eeee--villlle!

Vickilou

Upcoming Show

This is the inaugural edition of our new blog. Please follow along as whatever strikes our fancy to write about will appear here. Who knows, we may include adventures from trips we've taken to Italy, France and South Africa...you just never know about us!

On Friday, March 7, 2008, Vicki Ross will be the featured artist at Julie Wait Designs in Historic Downtown Rogers, AR. The show is sponsored by Poor Richard's Art on First Street. The artist's reception is from 4-8pm, and will hang through April 25. The art will hang, not the reception or the artist!