Sometimes you think about something that you would like to have happen in your life. Sometimes you think about it for a long time, and then you decide that you would really like this to happen. Often what happens next is that your desire becomes reality. This has happened in 2018 for me and showing my work in galleries.
When I look at my resume, I have been fortunate to show my work at least once a year most years. But in 2018, I have had some really nice opportunities happen all at once!
A Study in Pink & Red
In June, I had 14 new watercolors in a three person show at the Hoffman Center for the Arts in Manzanita, Oregon. I did a themed show entitled, "Oregon Perceptions: Seeing Beauty in the Everyday." Here's what I wrote about that show:
"Oregon is a vastly spectacular piece of the world. Whether we are looking at the monolithic rock formations that are the splendor of our coastline, or the amazing color-banded hills of the central part of our state, we can see unique beauty on a grand scale. Or perhaps we are walking in the woods, or our own backyard where we may see the glow of small mushrooms springing up from the earth or the delicate drops of the bleeding heart flowers. These original watercolors will engage us to see again the familiar beauty of the place we call home."
“ It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see.”
In August, I am the guest artist at a local gallery in Eugene called Out On A Limb. I have 15 watercolors in this show, and it is an eclectic mix of new and slightly older paintings, covering several different subjects. From bold red poppies, to a sea turtle coming up for air, to a small quiet winter landscape, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
This show will be up for the entire month of August through the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to show locally, and I will be at the gallery on Saturday, August 11th from 3-5 for a meet and greet.
Finally, I am also currently back in the 4th Street Studio and Gallery in Manzanita, Oregon. I was contacted in the Spring about showing some work at this gallery that is now reopened after the unexpected and unusual tornado that struck Manzanita in October of 2016. I am excited to have 4 pieces there from my Oregon Perceptions show.
2018 has been an amazing year of opportunity to show my work and I am so glad that I opened myself up to the possibility.
Forest Gems