What's Going On?

Events

March 13th & 14th

The Portland Museum of Art's Movies @ the Museum will show "North Face", the story of the challenge to scale the Murder Wall of the Alps in 1936. The film is subtitled and runs 2:06 minutes. Shows start at 2pm both days.

March 20th

Bread and Bones will perform at the Saco Coffeehouse at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 60 School Street in Saco, show starts at 7pm with an open mic and Bread and Bones at 8pm. Bread and Bones is an acoustic trio performing original and traditional songs from America and the British Isles.

Bread and Bones, Photo from their website

Classes

OOB/Saco Classes

Professional Artist Judith Kinsman will teach Watercolors for Beginners and Beyond and an additional class, Watercolor Florals. Both will be offered Wednesdays. There is always a lot of positive feedback about Judith's classes. Sign up through Old Orchard Beach/Saco Adult Education.

Russ Whitten will be teaching Inspirations in Drawing on Mondays from 6-8p beginning May 3rd. His focus will be perception and composition in nature.

Sam's Place

Elizabeth Shore will be teaching traditional oil, water-mixed oil and acrylic at Sam's Place, Wednesdays April 7, 14, 21 and 28th from 12:30-2:30pm. Repeat enrollments are common because students often want to hone their paint skills.

Saco Center's Senior College

Bob Dunn will teach Museum Masterpieces. It is a class that teaches appreciation for the Impressionistic movement that took the art world by storm. Classes will be held at the Dyer Library.

Saco Community Garden

So the SCG (Saco Community Garden) held an interesting meeting recently. They are the nonprofit that displayed a small garden next to the Saco Museum/Library. The success of that small demonstration has led them on to the Community Garden that will start this Spring. Saco residents get first dibs on a 10x10 plot.

The really interesting part was to hear how it is all coming together. They have mapped out the garden, contracted out the building of the tool shed to a local high-school class and are deciding on fencing materials. Their laughter and know-how are powerful draws. Most of the committee members are master gardeners through extension courses so there will be lots of talented people who have the answers for us first-time gardeners.

After an evening with these excited volunteers, I am ready to grow monster crops. You can too if you rent a plot soon!

-Kathryn

Biddeford's 1st Art Walk of 2010

Congratulations to the organizers of the Biddeford Art Walk. Their idea of having all the artists under one roof (The Mill) during the frigid months was inspired. The crowd parked once and enjoyed the evening over and over again as they moved through the comfortable hallways and busy studios.

Old VW Bus by Diane Noble

Happily they hung the artworks of some of my favorite artists. James Cotsis' dramatic mixed media abstracts, Walter Buczacz's quirky still lifes and black and white photography and Diane Noble's cheery acrylic waterscapes were all well represented.

Walter Buczacz

There was new artwork too to share. Photographer Chelsea Einsidler-Moore presented images in color that informed organization, style and what belongs by capturing individual's constructed spaces. One photo of uniform cases practiced duality- it would promise the traveler a quick exotic getaway, while conversely the tidy stack could also promise pristine order. Chelsea sold several pieces Friday evening.

The Mill has the feeling of a festival because there were so many kinds of art, food and general goodwill exhibited. Nibbling on Maine Buck Nuts, I learned all about the Community Bicycle Center from some wonderful children participating in the club. They showed photographs of intergenerational teams building bikes together, charity cycling events, mentoring, outreach transportation projects, recycling parts of wonderful art created from bike parts too far gone to use in rebuilt bikes. These kids were proud of the CBC and confidently shared their wide knowledge and demonstrated the skills they have gained alongside the bikes they have rebuilt.

One of the most interesting shops did not have any art at all. Well, it did, just not your traditional brush and canvas variety. Wandering into Warren Ellison's shop was very exciting because the art was stringed instruments. While laid out in pieces on a velvet drop-cloth, the instruments looked very much like found art. The shapes and finishes were lovely. The folks there was friendly and ready to answer any questions. Before I wandered out again I picked up a business card: Warren Ellison, Violin Maker...but could have said Violin Master.

from warrenellison.com

Ceramic artist Meryl Ruth proved her point by creating some of the most whimsical tea pots ever seen. They are collectible and guaranteed to make you smile before the water is hot. Artist Shay K. Ayres of Eye Sun Holistic Massage chooses to use the tea bags to festoon her assemblage art. The Sweet Specialist offers a classic boxed combo called Tea Time that has three varieties of cookie with tea leaves. She has many other delights you should check out too.

Tea Time from The Sweet Specialist

Can't wait for Friday, February 26th, the next Art Walk at the North Dam Mill. See you there!

Monday, Monday

This is my third and final Monday night of OOB/Saco Adult Education Encaustic Painting tonight. The teacher, Chris Reed, graduated from Bowdoin with a degree in Visual Arts. Chris has exhibited in Portland Galleries and taught at The New School in Kennebunk.

If I thought that encaustics were anything like Batik (yeah, we did that in the 70's), I was wrong. But encaustics has been good, worth bundling up for on winter evenings for sure.

So what makes a Monday night worth going out for? Chris has a pleasant, relaxed teaching style and encourages a playful curiosity in his students. The tuition covers the use of encaustics, resin, pigment and chip brushes. Initially, Chris was going to have the students use fiber board but eventually decided on birch board.

Chris arrives early to set up the electric grills, heat gun and to make sure the wax is melted before students arrive. The class is small so the students can share what works (or doesn't) with each other as they test their new skills and enjoy the camaraderie. Someone realized in the course of this class that it is not a craft. Encaustics is an art.

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Saco River Yoga in Pepperell Square announced Beginner Yoga Classes: six classes for $60. Drop round and hear about the various styles of Yoga offered, the free drum circle evenings and the very qualified teachers. You will be happy you did.

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Busy artist Diane Bowie Zaitlin is exhibiting at the Toby Rosenberg Pottery Show "Some Like It Hot" now through February 28th at 293 Reed Street, Portland, Sunday-Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday 10am-5pm, and Saturday by appointment or chance. 878-4590

Diane is also exhibiting in a mixed media exhibition February 1-March 12th at 25 Exchange Street in Lynn, MA in the Lynn Arts Center.

If that wasn't enough, Diane is offering her Encaustic Workshops in her Saco Studio. The dates are March 27th and 28th, April 17th and 18th and May 15th and 16th. Call 282-7240 or email for details on how you can learn from one of Saco's finest artists.

Cool Things

Wandering through the shop with my dust-cloth in hand, this cool book jumped into my hand: "Rite-in-the-Rain Birder's Journal". The American company that manufactures it has the following slogan: "Outdoor writing products for outdoor writing people."

Field researchers call it a Birder's Journal as the paper is made so you can write or sketch on the pages in inclement weather. As it is a nearly indestructible little notebook, it would be excellent for any journaling outdoors. Apparently this company has been making these adorable recycled notebooks for recording field data worldwide for ages but the "Rite-in-the-Rain" all-weather writing paper is still new to me.

The inside front cover presents two distinct bird diagrams along with body parts and feathers carefully labeled. It is exciting to know the lesser coverts from the median or the greater coverts! Inside there is plenty of room for sketches, photos and notes (weather, location and time slots too). The back cover has a cheat sheet for the American Birding Association's Principles of Birding Ethics (think Geneva Convention with feathers). It is even covered in a cheery yellow so it's easy to find in the tall grass! Now that is wicked cool.

Restocking Sample Jars

We have restocked our California Paint Fres~Coat Eggshell Acrylic Sample Jars

These 4 oz beauties can cover an accent wall space of 4x4. They are great for doll houses, canvas work, birdhouses, etc

Our framer, Jim, says they are perfect acrylics for artists working in smaller mediums

Some colors to stock up on: Andover Cream (a creamy light yellow, so soothing on dark days), Pale Organza, Lady Banksia, Jonquil, Knightly Straw, Mountain Laurel, Whispering Willow (soft green), Yarmouth Oyster (calls up pilgrim thoughts) and Rain Barrel (the lightest of barks).

7 Questions with Artist Russel Whitten

Large Abstract #2, Russel Whitten

1. What do you do when you're not feeling creative? How do you get back in your groove?

Inspiration is everywhere, so this rarely happens to me. When it does happen, looking at other artists work will often trigger an emotion, or give me an idea I can jump off from to use in my own painting.

2. Do you think creativity is innate or learned or both?

There is no question that some people are born with a creative intuition. I don't think creativity is something one can learn, but rather the furthering of education will add to their creative spirit. The only other trick to being creative is the following through with the ideas and prevent from standing in your own way.

Self Portrait, Russel Whitten

3. What has been your biggest influence or inspiration in the past? Currently?

Other Artists and minds that think outside the box.

4. How do you feel living in Maine affects your work?

This is an interesting question, for it's something I never considered. I graduated from Old Orchard Beach and at that time I knew I was going to be an artistic painter. I always found myself looking elsewhere for something to paint. (New York, Italy, London...) I honestly had little appreciation for Maine until I returned from New York after a year studying at The Art Students League. I feel like I had a new perspective, and still do to some degree, on everyday life around me. As a result I am finding interest in painting subjects I never would had considered otherwise.

Drawing Class, Russel Whitten

5. Who is/who are your favorite artist/artists? What do you love about them or their art?

To me, the thing that makes a good artist is they inspire you to take up that craft and try it yourself. I think when we hear music that moves us, we want to sing or play along. When I see a Degas, I want to work in Pastel. When I see a Rembrandt or an Anders Zorn, I want to etch in copper. Artists that inspire me are Lucian Freud, Andrew Wyeth and William de Kooning.

Now as of this week, I have a new favorite artist and it's my 2 year old daughter Adora. For a number of months she has been playing with watercolor media and enjoying the mix of colors and water on all shapes and sizes of paper I have provided her with. Seeing that she has the honesty and pleasure that can be found in all good art making makes her by far my most inspirational source.

6. If you could take a vacation anywhere, where would go and what would you do?

Florence or Giza. I would spend time in Museums and temples if I could, and start each day with a painting.

7. What's your best advice to beginning artists?

To be an artist is to be inspired. I find it important to take time for it everyday. I tell my students that taking 5 minutes a day to sketch out an idea is better then a 3 hour class once a week. Follow it through, for once you have it, it will never let you down.

The Crash, Russel Whitten

Thanks for playing Russ! We hope to continue with Artist interviews so check back!

Russ teaches adult education classes and has a drawing class starting in February. Contact Saco/OOB Adult Ed or check out our past blog for more information.

-Jenna