Historic Setting Filled with Jewels

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 “Art is something that has real value. It deepens each person’s respect for life.”         ~Dana Levin 

On the corner of 9th Street andLincoln Avenue, sits an historic building that has always been filled with riches. The building bequeathed to the city of Steamboat Springs,Colorado in 2006, now houses the Steamboat Art Museum. It is a gift from the estate of a long time artist and rancher, Helen Rehder.  The building no longer contains currency of the First National Bank. To fulfill the donor’s request, the building is now filled with wealth of another kind – top quality art exhibits. The community of Steamboat is so very fortunate to have this substantial acquisition. The museum attracts top-notch artists who wish to share their craft with area artists and tourists, alike. As each new exhibit is brought to town, emerging artists can learn from the master’s work through observation, painting workshops and demonstrations. 

On December 2nd, the historic setting of the Steamboat Art Museum will be installed with gemstone paintings of another of the country’s top master painters, Quang Ho. This artist, of Vietnamese heritage, immigrated to the United States in 1975. He became a U.S. Citizen and began wowing this country with his art five years later at the age of 16. Two years later, he earned a National Scholarship award at the Colorado Institute of Art, the same year his mother was tragically killed. He then began the responsibility of rebuilding his life and raising four younger brothers and a sister, too. 

Despite adversity and challenges, Quang Ho has become a well-respected top national artist who is accomplished at figurative painting, landscapes and still life. He has invested his time and energy in learning how to paint in oils and watercolor. He teaches emerging artists at the Denver Students Artist League and also through his publications of art books and DVDs on how to paint. 

Quang Ho’s paintings will be shown for a four month period, beginning December 2. An opening reception for members of the Museum will be held from 4pm to 5 pm. The general public is invited to attend during the Friday Art Walk hours from 5 to 8 pm on December 2nd. Quang Ho will be giving a painting demonstration the following day (December 3rd). Purchase tickets early! The demonstration is guaranteed to sell out. There are also tickets available to have dinner with the artist. For more details, please visit www.steamboatartmuseum.org

This exhibit is not to be missed, and it will hang until the closing on April 14th. Both locals and tourists will find a fulfilling range of compositions that this extraordinarily talented artist has allowed the Steamboat Art  Museum to bring to this town.

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Stones Bring Fulfilling Thoughts

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Art must unquestionably have a social value; that is as a potential means of communication it must be addressed, and in comprehensible terms, to the understanding of mankind.” ~ Rockwell Kent 

My travels over the Thanksgiving holiday led me to Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I visited the site of some of the earliest forms of writing here in the United States at Petroglyph National Park. Approximately 24,000 images pecked into stones by the Utes, Apaches and Navajo people have been discovered in the park. 

As my husband, son and I wandered among the desert canyon lands and discovered stone after stone etched with symbols, we discussed what we thought the Indians may have been trying to convey. Some communication seemed to be through single, independent pictures. Trying to decipher and translate words associated with groupings of  symbols on individual rocks, was more difficult. Some etchings were clearly of plant life, animals and birds; others perplexing and more mysterious. On many boulders, we found iconic Native American designs that are found in books about Indian lore and legend.   

Although the images pecked into the volcanic rock are hundreds of years old, they are hardly the earliest fossils indicating written communication on earth. Mesopotamian pictographs dating back five thousand years are the earliest known forms of writing. Symbols carved into clay tablets communicate information about crops, taxes and life during the years before Christ (B.C). Conservators of these early tablets, often found in broken form, work at piecing them together to come to an understanding of the early messages that were left behind. 

One primitive etching, the three of us agreed, was of an Indian with bow and arrow in hand. It was not surprising to find such an image since hunting, fishing and finding indigenous food sources consumed the daily lives of the Indians. The hunter with his weapon made us realize how grateful we were for the food we had eaten the day before.  For us, obtaining the ingredients for a fulfilling turkey day dinner was only as far away as the grocery store. Amen!

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Writers Who Grow as they Go

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A fulfilling life is different to each person. You have to acknowledge your dreams, and not just wait for life to happen, and opportunities to come knocking at your door.” ~  Joan Lunden

The deadline for submissions to the Sante Fe Writers Project is December 15th  – just around the corner! Send in your books for consideration to their annual award contest now! Don’t wait. 

The Sante Fe Writers Project (SFWP) is an “independent press dedicated to the craft of writing.”  It was formed in 1998  as a grass roots trial to bring together a group of art advocates and writers. It has gained international acclaim for their literary contest and also, for their on-line journal which has been in existence since 2002. 

Published authors and authors who have never been published before are welcomed to submit to this contest. Submissions from small presses and self-published books are eligible in categories of creative non-fiction and fiction. To read the guidelines for submissions and eligibility requirements, please visit the following link http://bit.ly/bOmP26

 The organizer of SFWP, Andrew Gifford, (from the Writers Center in Bethesda, Maryland) has written an interesting article on independent publishing. Please visit this site to learn what he has to say about the industry.  http://bit.ly/tznXjF

Sante Fe and the neighboring city of Albuquerque, NM has a wealth of professional artists in the literary, visual and filmmaking fields who call those cities home. If you have never visited the area, it is filled with art and inspiration.

This blog mistress will be taking turkey day off. I will be spending the holiday with my favorite filmmaker and visual effects artist in the State that “Grows as it Goes!” I look forward to sharing more with you from the “Land of Enchantment” in upcoming blogs. 

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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Praise for Creation

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We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”  ~Cynthia Ozick 

I’ve been drawn back into the church as an adult, in part, by the memories of the beautiful hymns that I sang as a child. Around Thanksgiving time, many of the spiritual songs have words of gratefulness and gratitude for the harvest and for the impending season of darkness. For without winter gloom, there would not be a fulfilling sense of renewal of spirit in spring. 

Composers of yester year have created some of the most eloquent stories, through song, about the change of the seasons and the bounty of the Universe. Many hymns of blessings and praise, written decades ago, are still sung in sanctuaries today, such as – 

  • For the Fruits of the Garden ~  verses by Fred Pratt Green
  • Oh Food to Pilgrims Given ~  words by Maintzich Gesangbuch
  • Come, Ye Thankful People, Come ~ verses by Henry Alford
  • America the Beautiful ~ verses by Katharine Lee Bates
  • For the Beauty of the Earth ~ words by Elliot S Pierpoint
  • In the Bleak Midwinter ~ words by Christina G Rossetti 

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the most beautiful time of the year to step inside the doors of a church. Listen to the vocal choirs, tune into the musical instruments, experience the peace and be grateful for the cozy warmth of the shelter for the body and soul. 

A few weeks from now, at the United Methodist Church http://bit.ly/lAT08q  in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and in other places of worship everywhere, choirs will be magnificently singing Handel’s The Messiah. Don’t miss out!

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Cookin’ Up a Soulful Pot

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As a blog writer, when the inspiration hits, I am on the job no matter what day of the week it is.  I am compelled to put it down on paper, when the mind and heart is awakened by a spark of creative thought. It’s all part of fulfilling my need to write. 

Today is National Day of Chicken Soup for the Soul, did you know that? It’s Saturday, a good day to stay at home and create a soup full of thoughts that will warm me both inside and out. Intuition tells me the ingredients to build a healthy stock would be – 

  • Year-long gratitude for the personally fulfilling things I have in my life
  • Observance of the gift of quiet times
  • Understanding that the ordinary can be extraordinary
  • Appreciation for the natural beauty of the earth
  • Rigorous amounts of stirring of the spirit by exploring one’s own gifts
  • Ecstatic feelings for our son and seeing him make his marc on the world
  • New Ideas to bring inspiration and creativity
  • Eager anticipation of beauty in the holiday season
  • Variety in Independent Thoughts, Words and Views for my blog readers
  • Energy  and excitement as I go about my daily work
  • Rousing possibilities for telling my own story
  • Abundance of work to do
  • Limitless discovery of “kindred spirits”
  • Old fashioned values of home and hearth
  • Nurturing of the book I am writing -it is close to my heart
  • Enduring love from friends and family 

Create your own unique recipe for Chicken Soup for the Soul. Add  ingredients that  bring happiness, contentment and peace to your life.  Stir the pot with a big strong spoon, so the harmony and balance of flavors will be just right. 

Bountiful Living to You !

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Views from Different Generations

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 The past few blogs have been focused on “raising up” the next generation. Elders often feel the responsibility to share and teach younger generations wisdom they have gained throughout a long life. The condition of human existence guarantees that our life experiences will range from triumph to tragedy.  Depending on our own attitudes, we all form our own personal perspectives about life and how fulfilling we see it. 

When we compare the work of two artists translating the same scene onto a painted canvas,  we often find perfect examples interpreting things through a different set of values and thoughts.

 Last month, I went on the Great Falls Studio Tour inVirginia. I stopped by the home and studio of artist Linda Jones. As we walked around her work space, she shared her life as an artist. She explained how being an artist can be a solitary existence and by teaching painting to others in her studio, it allows for fellowship with other artists and a chance to share her knowledge with new generations of painters. It was fascinating to see the different styles of her student’s unfinished paintings left on the easels to dry. 

Some of the paintings in the studio were those of her daughter.  Although she shared her knowledge of painting with her offspring, mother and daughter each have their own unique and definite style. 

We came across a canvas that was in the works. Linda Jones and her daughter have undertaken an experiment of combining both of their styles onto one canvas. They paint as the spirit moves them, each contributing their own creative talents, never altering what the other has done. This painting is real testimony to the respect they have for one another’s work despite their differing styles. It will be fascinating to see the end result. 

For more information on Linda and her art, please visit www.lindajonesart.com. Thank you, Linda for opening your studio to others so that we may better understand all that you do!

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Influences and Inspiration

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Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” ~Winston Churchill

Chula Beauregard http://bit.ly/tTHd8f , muralist and plein air painter, was featured artist of the month at the Wild Horse Gallery  on last Friday’s Art Walk. As I visited with Chula, I quickly became aware of how well-known about town she is. It became evident, from those who began to file in the gallery doors to congratulate her and see her exhibit, that her development as an artist has been admired, by many. 

Chula was a student of artist Richard Galusha. When I asked Shirley Stocks, co-owner of the Wild Horse Gallery, what traits she and Richard saw in Chula that made them want to represent her work, they cited “her potential to be a successful artist and she understands that Art is a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and hard work.” Chula’s dedication to her craft has led her to positions of teaching at the middle school, high school and college level, too. 

Her interest in the Arts began as a child. By the fifth grade Chula began to feel a stirring interest in painting. She would work beside her artist mother, Gigi, who shares her creative spirit.  She related that “when her family took a boat trip to the Bahamas, her interest in plein air painting really began in earnest.” 

On the exterior wall of Steamboat Ski and Bike Kare, Chula’s most recent mural is installed. The mural measuring 10 ft X 16 ft, was painted indoors over a three week period. It is hung in three panels. Millions of recreational tourist dollars are brought to our town year round. The mural is a visual reminder of the value the biking industry plays in contributing to the local economy. Steamboat hopes to become designated as Bike Town USA. 

Although indoor work is required on many of Chula’s largest art installations, she loves painting on location “en plein air” – outside of the studio. Her ability to translate on canvas what she sees is a reflection of her abilities as an artist. The color palettes of her plein air sketches are true to nature.  Her plein air oil paintings capture landscapes in Steamboat and throughout Routt County. 

Finding time to paint has  become more challenging for Chula, as she is now a young mother with two little toddlers. However, she paints almost daily, finding fulfillment in shorter periods of time.  To have her work hang in a top quality gallery among an impressive list of nationally known artists at her relatively young age is what many emerging artists strive for. To view Chula’s plein air paintings on line, please visit the Wild Horse Gallery at http://www.wildhorsegallery.com/.

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Butterflies at Art Award Night in Vermont

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A novel is not, after all, a historical document, but a way to travel through the human heart. ~ Julia AlvarezIn the Time of the Butterflies 

Tonight, November 4th,  the Vermont Arts Council http://bit.ly/7Ncf6e  will have their annual awards honoring three outstanding artists. All three are working in their fields to share their talents through their poetry, books and musical compositions. 

Christian Wolff will be receiving the Walter Cerf Award for Outstanding Achievement in the performing arts.  He has recorded over 20 solo CDs and his book Cues, is a collection of his writings on music. For more information on his musical compositions and his life, please visit  http://bit.ly/cJGbcs

Julia Alvarez is the writer-in-residence at MiddleburyCollege. She has 5 published novels, a book of essays and many books for young readers. Several of her books have been adapted for film and theatre and are available in many languages and in many countries around the world.  An organic farm-literacy arts center in her homeland of the Dominican Republic holds a special place in her heart, and she shares of herself there, too. For more information on this author and her new book which will be available in the spring of 2012, please visit  http://bit.ly/9WSMSJ

Sydney Lea is a poet and prose writer often writing on subjects such as ecology and the natural environment. He has two books of essays, a published novel and has just been named Poet Laureate of Vermont. He makes his home in Newbury, Vermont. To read more about this multi-lingual professor of literature, please go to  http://bit.ly/ofelnu

Every year I look forward in great anticipation to receiving my Vermont Arts Gala invitation, whether I am able to attend or not. It is fulfilling to learn about the artists who are being celebrated for their contributions of inspiring others in the creative state of Vermont.

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Landscapes, Seascapes and TableScapes

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Art allows us to lose ourselves and find ourselves at the same time.” ~Thomas Merton 

A mix of business and pleasure took me on the road over the past few weeks. I saw landscapes and seascapes far different than what the magnificent Northwest Mountains of Colorado have to offer! 

I like to explore all different kinds of art in Steamboat and in other towns, too. I came across a “Scape” of a different kind in the historic and artsy town of Frederick, Maryland. I visited The Little Pottery Shop and I learned about the wonderful art of Table Scapes. 

The Little Pottery Shop http://bit.ly/tdNhBT  is not only a retail establishment, but it also has a studio for creating handcrafted pottery. The artisans had teamed up with The Loft at AI, an antiques gallery next door, to showcase the displays of their pottery, both hand built and thrown on the wheel. The TableScapes were a feast for the eye! It was like browsing through the “I Spy Books.” Antique drawer knobs and other baubles were adapted for napkin rings, the table linens, glassware, chairs, candleholders, flower vases and other ornamentation all contributed to the overall visual effects. Each table beautifully carried out the theme and other accessories helped create the scene. http://bit.ly/hA0U1s

There were 12 enchanting TableScapes:

  • The EnchantedForest
  • Made in Maryland
  • Scare-tacular Table
  • A Walk inProvence
  • The Wedding to Remember
  • Christmas Memories
  • Thanksgiving Turkey Table Talk
  • Indian Treasures Table
  • A Day at the Beach
  • The Madhatter
  • Down on the Farm
  • Serving up the Stew 

No matter where people travel, in this country or worldwide, there are artists everywhere providing personally fulfilling opportunities for people to learn more about art. It’s available in rural hamlets, in cities and everywhere in between. Don’t miss out!

 Made in Maryland TableScape

 A Day at the Beach TableScape

To  see more tablescape photos, please visit http://bit.ly/hA0U1s.

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Celebrate Tell a Story Day

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Firelight will not let you read fine stories, but it’s warm, and you won’t see the dust on the floor.” ~ Celtic Saying 

Tomorrow, October 28th is Tell a Story Day in Scotland and in the United Kingdom. http://bit.ly/11gmg3. Telling stories verbally and through the written word can be fulfilling for both narrator and for the listener or reader!  

What a great opportunity to use creativity to tell stories orally.

  • Tell a scary story – dim the lights, illuminate the room with some candles and creep the listener right out of their seat!
  • Reminisce about your favorite family story. Use old family photos to enhance the images you paint in words.
  • Seize the moment, act silly and use your wit to tell a hilarious, goofy tale.
  • Host a murder mystery party story. Have your guests be the gumshoe in solving “who done it.”
  • Tell a Cinderella love story and dress the part! Don’t forget the handsome young prince too.
  • Do a little research on your favorite era in history. Dress in period clothing and do some play acting to recount the tale or the event. 

Do you like telling stories through writing? In the United States, the perfect opportunity to start writing your novel is coming up. November is National Novel Writing Month! Challenge yourself to write a novel in 30 days. There is a website that will give you all the details of how you can be involved and many local libraries participate with fun events all revolving around this nationwide event for authors. For more information, please visit  http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Happy Story Telling, Everyone!

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