| Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. ~ Pablo Picasso |
Last week/end was the La Plata County Fair. I (Matthew) was there all week, running the art gallery. It was great to see many of you enter your work and visit the exhibits. I was really impressed with the quality of the entries this year – there was amazing work in every category! It could certainly be a boring week if one let it, so I took advantage of the time and brought along some acrylic supplies to work on a portrait series that has been on my list for a few months now. For the next few weeks, instead of a featured artist I’ll be highlighting the crew you’ll meet when you visit the Art Supply House (who are all artists…) You’ll get to see some of my paintings while learning more about the amazing people I am lucky enough to work with.
- This week’s artist is – Kristen Edwards – the brains behind the store. I joke that she’s in the process of buying one of everything that we carry (and most of the things we don’t) but I’m not so sure it’s a joke… To say that she’s passionate about art supplies doesn’t begin to cover her enthusiasm. Any new materials we have brought in over the last couple of years have been at her suggestion – and that means she’s tested out the various options and chosen the best one. If you have any questions about materials (except oil paint) she’s the one to ask. Fortunately, she doesn’t just test out art supplies – she also uses them. From colored pencils to markers, watercolor to calligraphy to cupcakes, and so much more, she creates amazing work! See more of her work on Instagram.
- It’s a full schedule of classes at the Scrapbook Nook! Join the girls on Thursday at 1 to work with metallic markers, stamps and more! Begin planning for 2020 by making calendar pages for first three months at 10 on Saturday. And speaking of planning ahead, make some Christmas cards on Tuesday at 1! Don’t forget that you get a discount on the collections used in classes the day of the class!
- While this isn’t quite the process I used above, here is a tutorial on painting portraits from a photograph.
- If you haven’t been to see the art show for Common Threads (collaborative super fun public art piece for Durango’s median at 550/160 highway intersection), head to Animas Chocolate Company on Main. It will be on display through the end of the month. There will be a reception on August 27th from 5-7 pm where the kids and parents who haven helped are encouraged to attend and celebrate.
- The Durango Photo Club will be hosting a free presentation on taking better photos of the train (though I expect the advice will also work for other subjects). Head to the Community Room at TBK Bank on August 15th. Casual conversation starts at 6:40 and the “official” program begins at 7.
- We recently partnered with Local First and 9 other local businesses to create two videos. Learn a little more about what it means to us to be local through the short version, or the longer version.
- There’s a lot of live music readily available for your entertainment. One enjoyable show is at the Strater’s Diamond Belle – Ragtime Piano with Adam Swanson. Grab a meal or a snack and enjoy some live piano Monday-Saturday evenings starting at 5:30. (If you get a good view, it could be a great chance to do some live sketching.)
- The Durango Arts Center has a variety of classes coming up next week. If you or a kiddo you know might enjoy some art education and making… check out their upcoming offerings.
- La La Bones will be tucked away in the Rochester’s Secret Garden for their summer concert series. Swing by on Wednesday evening from 5-7 for some live music. There’s a $10 cover charge that benefits a variety of non-profits.
- It’s easy to think that you need the perfect studio in order to create art. While that certainly helps, it’s not necessary. While at the fair this week I painted 6 portraits using a travel easel and folding table as a work space. The lighting could have been better and it definitely wasn’t un-interrupted time. However, I took advantage of the opportunity and made some art. At least in my case, it’s a struggle with making the time that holds me back. Here’s my view while at the fair:
- Only a few more weeks to enter our art contest! Since the summer finally arrived, get out there and create a piece that features a local landmark or landscape. Head over to our website for more the details…
- This week’s featured product is our whole leather section in honor of National Leathercraft Day on Thursday (the 15th). Matthew was thrilled to inherit his grandad’s leatherworking tools and had a lot of fun working on a variety of projects ranging from keyrings to wallets and a notebook cover. There doesn’t seem to be any other local source for leather tools (though Beads and Beyond does have a little leather on-hand) and so we’re trying to make sure that everyone can work on the art projects of their choice.
Motivation, and inspiration, seem to be fickle things. They follow Newton’s first law of motion “an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion.” Being “stuck” at the fair for five days gave me plenty of opportunity to make art and I took advantage of it. Having done so, I’m excited to keep painting and am looking forward to scheduling more art time – once it’s in my calendar then I’m more likely to do it. If I just wait until I have time, it will never happen. If you struggle with finding time to make art, see what you can do to make the time. Turn off the TV, skip the social media, eat lunch fast, get up early or go to bed late. Making art really does make life better, but you have to create the time for it.
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew
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