Tag Archives: Writing
Wintering in the Studio
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Today, I am reposting a story called “Angels Across the Fence,” about an encounter I had with a plein air painter a few years ago. It was a delightful day in every way.
Hang in there artists! Spring has never failed us – it will here be sooner or later. As we all know, “there is a time and a reason for every season.”
Seasonal Inspiration
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Lady Winter
©Sue Batton Leonard
Once warm, her clothing she shorn.
Now, she turns to reflection
On this season’s perfection.
Even with frigid face
She’s full of grace.
Lady Winter is no fool
Now wrapped in lambs wool.
Barren branches, sugar hills
And in her thrills
In her own beauty, she kisses
her blooming amaryllis.
Between the Stacks
Leave a comment“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination.” ~ Sidney Sheldon
Yesterday in search of a publication, I went to the Abington Branch of the Harford County Public Library where I found my own next perfect story for All Things Fulfilling.
Here is the preface: “Literary Artist Meets Visual Artist facing editing challenge. Which lines are significant to the story and which are not?
Artist at work – Pamela Wilde. Her interpretation of narrative art uses paint and brush.
Conclusion to the story: Cross-connection between art disciplines fuels creative energy. Inspiration can be found right around the corner.
Note to our followers: Someday you may see the full finished story. It is yet to be determined!
Art Holds Memories
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This oft-repeated expression could have come right from an art collector’s mouth ~
An artist and I stood talking about the 2023 Plein Air Week in Harford County, MD. He told me of a scene he painted of a local farm, which has been passed down from generation to generation. When asked, the farmer welcomed the artist on his property and told him to set up the easel wherever he wished. The farmer gave the artist high accolades when the painting was complete. The painter felt sure the farmer was going to say yes, he’d like to claim it as his. The farmer passed.
A few weeks later, the farmer’s next door neighbor (also a farmer) called the artist and inquired about the painting of his neighbors farm. The caller said he’d like to purchase it because his daughter is getting married and he wanted to give it as a wedding present. Evidently, there were many memories made between the two neighboring farms.
Needless to say, the artist was delighted and so was the farmer’s daughter who received the gift.
This story was shared with me by an active member of the local Liriodendron Wednesday Artist’s Group. Indeed, local art of familiar places holds memories for the collector.
Art of the Memoir
Leave a commenteyes come alive in the retelling,
tears in the would have, should haves
things forgotten come to the forefront
new perspectives come with time past
like rhyme, memoirs are about endings
making sense of a life lived
a powerful motivator for both teller
and the one who is telling.
What an honor it is! ~
Sue Batton Leonard, memoirist/biographer
2023 American Impressionistic Society Show
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Thanks to some artist friends and acquaintances, our second stop in the Brandywine Valley was on our list of things to do and places to go before we even left home. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
The location of the 24th Annual National Juried Exhibition of AIS was just a short trip from the Brandywine River Art Museum into Delaware on a gorgeous country road, winding alongside the river. I had an idea of what to expect to see at the show – exquisite art from artists all over the country who have reached top levels. The Somerville-Manning Gallery’s fabulous location in the small stone settlement of Brecks Mill – Henry Clay historic district is what I wasn’t expecting. In 1813 the settlement was the home to Alfred Victor du Pont’s early 19th century woolen mill. The stone gallery shares building space with the village’s Post Office and the Brandywine River runs through the settlement tripping over the stones lining the stream bed.
Photo: The host of the 2023 AIS National Juried Exhibition was the Somerville-Manning Gallery located on the second floor of this fabulous historical stone building in Montchanin, DE.
The gallery assistant was both welcoming and knowledgeable. I could have stood in front of each and every painting for a whole afternoon. Too many words are needed to describe the quality of the work and all that I was seeing in each painting. My twin sister summed it up by saying “I have never been exposed to fine art like this in an exhibit anywhere.” But, our life-time experiences have been different even though we are twins.
What else was of great surprise to me, was to come across Chula Beauregard‘s painting “Winter Gathering” which won 2023 Artist’s Choice Award! I met Chula while living in Steamboat Springs, Colorado for ten years (her home town). At the time she was represented by Wild Horse Gallery, a place where I worked. I had the great honor of writing a book about one of her earliest art mentors, Richard Galusha. Chula and I became nice art acquaintances when I interviewed her in November 2011 for a post about her vision for her art career on this website AllThingsFulfilling.com. Wow! Has her command of her art ever grown since then and her collectors list has too!
I share photos of just a few more images of the many, many paintings included in the 2023 American Impressionistic Society‘s Show. My apologies for the poor photography. The paintings were many, and getting good photos with corresponding attribute labels was difficult. Outstanding images of all paintings, and of AIS Masters, including Quang Ho, are in the show catalogue. It may still be available by contacting the Somerville-Manning Gallery.
(Photo: The building which housed du Pont’s woolen mill can be seen across the Brandywine River.)
Before you leave this post, check out the Somerville-Manning Gallery website, too, for more information about the exhibit.
In a few day’s time, I will share more about our Magical Day in the Brandywine. We hit one of our regional bucket list items. It was quite overwhelming!
Sunday at the Opera House
Leave a commentSunday, January 29, 2023 – 3pm
No, I wasn’t at the Sydney Opera House, it was much closer to home where I spent last Sunday at an event which was headlined as “Two Boys! Two Pianos! And a show that will knock your socks off!” It was my first visit to the Havre de Grace Opera House in the arts and entertainment district of a town in Harford County, Maryland.
Ronnie Carrasquillo and Kain Felix’s concert began on a few recognizable arrangements – Pachelbel’s Canon in D and The Prayer. Along with that, the pair put on their very best professional airs these two middle school boys could have. The varied mix of music – duets, classical and then contemporary allowed a them to drop their professional facade just a little bit toward the end and just have a little fun, like youth do. Concert piano may not be every 11 and 12 year old’s idea of having a great afternoon but these two were enjoying themselves, despite Ronnie’s admission of how nervous he was, which seemed to disappear once he began playing. From where I was sitting I could see a little into the wings. After each one’s individual performance, I could see the boys giving each other the thumbs up and high fives, encouraging one another. As their teacher Miss Julie said, the two have “great synergy” between them.
Not a page of sheet music was at the baby grand. Kain played all from memorization, which was impressive given the fact that his talent has already lead him into some complex compositions. Kain who has begun studying at the Maryland Conservatory of Music has started writing some of his own music such as two tunes he played, Lost and Found and Ripples. Some of the other pieces each boy played had unique elements, some improvisation, added in.
Ronnie has been Miss Julie’s student for four years and their great rapport was evident, yet he is preparing to advance his skills at the Maryland Conservatory of Music. Their teacher Julie Shaker has been very instrumental in her mentoring and their development, and all three seem to enjoy one another too.
One wonders where their futures in music will lead them but already their young talent did knock my socks off and in the process all I could think is how challenging it sometimes is to get my own emotions down on a piece of paper, so I ponder how can two boys with so few years of living on this earth turn their thoughts into writing a rather complex composition of musical notes or take music already written, then add to it and play it with such pleasing results? Innate, God-given gifts they have been given.
I’d like to thank Kain’s mom, Claudia Felix for giving me the the opportunity to see these two middle school boys first public appearance and display their hard work and young, admirable talent.
Kain’s Mom Claudia showing her support and congratulations at intermission. The two boys parents have much to be proud of.
Artists Gather – Part 2
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Literary enthusiasts were not forgotten in the All Arts Week which is still happening throughout the weekend in Harford County, MD. On Wednesday night, there was a living history performance of poet/writer Mary Oliver presented by storyteller Colleen Webster at the Armory, where the night before it was the venue for ballroom dance lessons as part of the All Arts Festival..
Webster, whom I have seen several times previously playing the parts of Freda Kahlo and Georgia O’Keefe was convincing playing the role well of a shy poet, Mary Oliver, who did not particularly like to share her private life but was full of words when it came to the natural world around her. Besides her many books of poetry which were published, her claim to fame was a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for her writing. Read more about this poet who was greatly influenced by Edna Vincent Millay through the Poetry Foundation.
Mary Oliver lived most of her life in Provincetown, Massachusetts and she left three points of wisdom for all of us – #1 Pay Attention, #2 Be Astonished, #3 Tell About It! On a daily basis, she followed her own advice as she found ideas for the basis of her writing while spending time in nature.
Thanks Colleen Webster for another wonderful performance and to the Bel Air Cultural Arts Commission and other sponsors for including this event in the weeks line-up.
This poem called Praying is By Mary Oliver. (September 10, 1935 – January 17, 2019)
All Things Fulfilling 