STUDIO SALE NOV. 30 & DEC. 5

  

(with apologies to Mr. Shakespeare…)

TO BROWSE, TO SHOP, TO SHOP, 

PERHAPS TO BUY…

Looking for a low-stress, high-interest place to find unique, original gifts for the folks on your gift list? You can’t beat the studios and galleries at The Northrup King Building. Sculpture, jewelry,  honey, paintings…and more. We’ll be open from noon - 4:00 pm. There’s lots of free parking…and none of the hectic chaos of the shopping malls.

it’s a sale!

My greeting cards will be 50% off, including cards suitable for the season (everything from sweet to snarky). I’ve also marked my botanical watercolor and graphites down by 50%. (In other words, cards are $2.00 + tax; botanicals $35 matted,- $55 framed). 

Can’t make it? My sale will also be going on the first Thur. of December: 

12/5, 5:00-9:00 pm.)
Gallery 427
Northrup King Bldg
1500 Jackson St., N.E.
Mpls., MN 55413

ART ATTACK 2013

“The word 'museum' gets its origin from the Greek word “mouseion,” meaning “seat of the muses.” It originated as a place to discuss philosophy, mathematics, science, and politics.”

(Wish I could remember where I found this quote.)

  Art Attack (location, dates & hours below) is a lot of fun. Who knows? You just might find yourself discussing philosophy, art, books, et al. We’re a diverse collection of artists, and the folks who visit our building are even more so.
  What’s new this year? Glad you asked. A few months ago, in a rare moment of cleaning, I came across the catalog I bought at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum  in Taos.
Her in-depth and thoughtful renderings of flowers, combined with the botanical watercolor classes I’ve been taking, inspired me to try my hand at flowers in oil. (That would be painting them in oils...not dipping them in WD40.) The result is a series I’m calling “Georgia On My Mind: An Homage to Georgia O’Keeffe.” (Ya gotta have a title, right?)
  You'll find me and gallery mate Darrell Hagan in Gallery 427. (Take the elevator near Dock 6.)
  Also new this year -- Sun Gallery (Studio 451, just down the hallway from me)  plans to become exclusively an online store. All items in the store will be reduced by 15% to 70% for this sale. They will continue to offer Chinese art and antiques and consultant services.  The Sun Gallery is as close to going through a Chinese museum -- in China! -- as you’re likely to get. This is an amazing place!

ART ATTACK

NORTHRUP KING BLDG

1500 JACKSON ST., N.E.

MPLS., MN 55413

FRI., NOV. 1   5:00 -  10:00 PM

SAT., NOV. 2   NOON - 8:00 PM

SUN., NOV. 3   NOON - 5:00 PM

BREAKING THROUGH THE QUAGMIRE OF A LONG, LONG WINTER

Andromeda Waits (detail)
Water Color, Ink, and Acrylic

It's been a while since I've posted anything. For that matter, it's been a while since I've picked up a paint brush. Ennui? The endless weather we Minnesotans are enduring? My historically proven tendency to fade out on what I was certain would become a life-long passion? The votes aren't in yet. In the meantime, I've been luxuriating in memories of my childhood and teen years, the result of having volunteered to do the memory book for my high school class's 50th reunion.

I've spent hours studying photos in our yearbook, looking for the match between those young faces and the photos of the near-70-year olds classmates are sending me. (It's always there in the eyes.) I'm having a great time reading their graduation ambitions and comparing them with the people they've become. I suppose if a demographer were to study Edison High School's class of '63, she'd find nothing surprising. There'd be the same proportion of marriages and divorces, deaths and illnesses, professionals and skilled trades people that one would find in the general population. But gosh, those are just numbers. The bio's they've sent say so much about who they've become, and I find I want to learn more. I'm looking forward to seeing these "kids" in June.

If you've read thus far, you're probably wondering what connection there is between the painting and this blog entry. The answer is none. I finally finished this one a couple of hours ago. I'm posting it so that I can convince myself that yes, I still have an interest in wetting a brush.

WHAT'S ON MY EASEL

work in progress

I took my first botanical watercolor class about two years ago. Marilyn Garber, founder of the Minnesota School of Botanical Art, is an exceptional instructor who pushes me beyond my comfort level, but not so far that I panic. The image to the right is what I'm working on right now as a part of her "Tulip Mania" class. It's about 3/4 finished. There are parts of the work that I like, but a whole lot more that I'm dissatisfied with. But then I'm never happy with my work. 

Marilyn and I were talking about this recently. "I know many artists who are never satisfied with their work," she said. "As long as we compare ourselves to others, it's likely we'll find ourselves wanting."

This reminded me of a post-workout conversation in the sauna at the gym the other day. "This keeps on getting harder," one of the women said. "Maybe," I replied, "it's because we keep raising our own bars. I'm able to do more than I could a year ago, and certainly much, much more than I when I first joined the 'Y'. What was hard then is easy now."

So maybe it's the same with painting...or music...or sculpture...or cooking; we're critical of our own work not so much because we compare ourselves to others but rather that we keep trying for something more challenging. But then, to paraphrase Miles Davis, isn't it better to try something new and do it badly than to keep doing the same ol' thing?

THE EXCITEMENT THAT AUTUMN BRINGS

"Rose Leaves"
oil monoprint on birch board
$125

Is it because I used to be tied to a school schedule that I think of fall as a new beginning? There's a sparkle to this season that always energizes me. I've been channeling much of that energy into art, some of which I've even finished! My new work includes monoprints and monotypes. I'm also working on three-dimensional personal shrines that incorporate my botanical watercolors with ephemera from the outdoors. Autumn will soon be over and indoor activities will start to look pretty darned good. My hope for you is that fall sets a fire in your heart and that you, too, are inspired to take on new and exciting challenges.

FALL FINE ARTS SHOW, MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Still Life with Meyers Lemons
Oil on canvas
$125 Framed

NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS ARTS ASSOCIATION presents the 2011 FALL FINE ARTS SHOW

Please join us at the opening reception! Friday, September 23, 6 - 9 PM
Grain Belt Bottling House
79 NE 13th Ave, Minneapolis, 55413

ARTWORK: 100+ pieces of unique, creative artwork from NEMAA Artists for sale.
VOTE: For your favorite piece of artwork for the People's Choice Award. All awards presented at 8:30 PM.
FOOD: Chowgirls Killer Catering
BEVERAGE: Beer from Surly Brewing Co, wine, and non-alcoholic selections available
MUSIC: Duo Guitarists Nick Haas and Joel Shapira
SILENT AUCTION/RAFFLE: Including theater tickets, fabulous gift baskets, restaurant and retail store gift certificates, and more!

Additional viewing hours:
Saturday, September 24 / Noon-6pm
Sunday, September 25 / Noon-3pm

TUESDAY MORNING AT SILVERWOOD

In Full Bloom
by Judy Westergard
all rights reserved
oil on linen; birch panel
available at JudyWestergard.com

The patio at Silverwood Park is a busy place this morning. Over in the corner a college professor perches at the edge of her chair. Papers, notebooks, laptop clutter her table as she plans upcoming lectures. Four of Silverwood Park's staff sit nearby. They're working out the details for Silverwood's upcoming art programs. Behind me two professional violinists trade riffs and ideas while they polish their repertoire of Appalachian reels. The sounds of children's giggles and a fresh breeze off the lake mingle with the aroma of my cappuccino. Some people might think of this as sensory overload. For me it's pure inspiration. The sight of the planners. the sounds of the kids, the feel of the breeze and the seductive smell of caffeine trigger both my imagination and an irresistible desire to get back to my studio and paint. The result is the image above. I hope you like it.

IN THE STUDIO

Prairie Reverie
mixed media
7" x 5"
copyright Judy (Judith) Westergard
all rights reserved

Ideas swirl, eddy, billow.
They surge. They seethe
in and out of
the closets,
the drawers,
the shelves
of my mind.
My imagination plays with me.
Could I? Can I?
I move to my studio,
surrounded by paper and canvas,
palette and easel, brushes and paints.
Burnt umber.
Wild violet.
Alizaron crimson and cerulean blue.
Could I? Can I?
Will I?