| Art should be like a holiday: something to give a man the opportunity to see things differently and to change his point of view. ~ Paul Klee |
This past weekend was the 28th annual Autumn Arts Festival. We get to see a lot of creators at the store. Some of them occasionally share pictures of their creations. It was a lot of fun to see so many people we knew at the festival – and to see their work as a cohesive show! Of course, it sometimes took a few moments before recognition struck (on both sides) since we were out of our usual context for seeing each other.
- This week’s artist is – Geoffrey Gorman – whose sculptures I was introduced to via a podcast interview. It was interesting to hear about his inspiration and material collection process. For more work, check out his website and instagram!
- Théodore Géricault would have been 231 on Monday.
- Here are principles of clowning. (In case you’re feeling seriously goofy.)
- As someone who loses stuff all the time (and use random things as bookmarks), it’s fun to peek into the Oakland Library’s exhibition of things found in books.
- I used to enjoy some math classes – but I’m glad I didn’t have to learn about Zenzizenzizenzic!
- I’ve heard about the first computer bug, but had never seen it before.
- This video gives us a chance to meet the artists behind the official White House portraits of the Obamas.
- Michel de Montaigne inscribed inspirational quotes in his ceiling beams, back in the 16th century. Those “Live, Laugh, Love” signs have a longer history than I would have guessed!
- Art from the Banned Books art contest will be on display at The Hive next week, from Sunday-Saturday (18-24th). There will be a reception for the artists on Tuesday from 6-7pm.
- There’s still time to picked up your 4×4″ canvas from the Pine River Library in Bayfield for their community art show. If you’d like to participate in their gallery of mini canvases, pick up your canvas at the library and return the finished piece by the end of this month.
- This year is the Art Supply House’s 20th anniversary! We’ll be celebrating during the last Saturday of October (which is also a customer appreciation day). Do you have your bag ready?
- The Durango Open Studios Tour is coming soon – in mid-October. If you’d like to participate as an artist or just visit, you can learn more here.
- Saturday is the Elks Lodge 80s Prom Night fundraiser from 6-10. There will be casino games, music, silent auction, a raffle, food, drinks, and so much more. Get tickets and more info here.
- There are classes/workshops/projects available at Create Art and Tea, the Durango Arts Center, and the Scrapbook Nook. There are a lot more things happening that I don’t include – so if you’re ever looking for something to do, start at WhatsHappeningDurango.com
- There’s live music scattered about town all week. (Like Friday at Fox Fire Farms.) See what else is available here.
- We often say that we have a carefully curated selection of art supplies available in the Art Supply House. Here’s a view behind-the-scenes of that curation process. Kristen evaluated different oil-papers (paper specially made to be ready to use oil paints on) and narrowed the selection down to 5 options. We ordered samples of each and are currently testing them out. First we put an acrylic wash on half of each sheet to see how that works. (Which also served to test a different acrylic paint.) We noted details like buckling of the paper. The next step is to paint with oils, making sure to work both directly on the raw paper and the acrylic underpainting. All pieces are taped to backing boards and we’ll also get to see how the tape removes from them. The orange painting on the far left is on a canvas panel as a known control piece. Finally, we will evaluate results and update what we offer in the store. Whew! We might not have tested everything literally everything in the store, but we’re working on it!
One of the conversations I had at the Arts Festival was about an artist hanging their artwork up in their living room for a in-house show. They were surprised at how different it felt to see their work on the wall rather than on the table/easel or in the display booth. (Surprised in a good way.) We can continually look at the world in a familiar way and changing our perspective is an easy way to find new inspiration. You can be inspired by your own art!
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew