Here's to Old and New Acquaintances

The year is winding to a festive close, and it is my hope to start the new year with a larger mailing list. If you are interested in receiving email or snail mail regarding exhibits, news, or sales, I would appreciate hearing from you. You can leave your information at the comments on my blog, or you can go to my website, www.angelitasurmon.com and contact me there. I wish you all happy holidays. May you stay warm and dry and take time to slow down to appreciate the important people in your life. Cheers!

Just In Time For The Holidays

The Portland Art Center is having a fund raiser this month featuring the work of many fine local artists. Each artist worked on a square wood panel creating in their own wonderful style. The panels will all be sold for $300. each. Such a bargain! 25% will go to the artists. Henry Hillman has generously agreed to match up to $20,000. of the purchases, thus doubling the benefits for Portland Art Center. The show runs December 6-22. There will be a preview next Wednesday night, prior to First Thursday, and an artists' party December 14. Please come and help out this worthy cause and buy some great art. Included will be my painting "Wildwood Fall." For more information go to www.portlandart.org.

A Good Time Was Had By All

Last Saturday was the opening at Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle, and it was a great night. Ron and Sue Peterson, the owners of the gallery, did a terrific job of hanging the show, and provided a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere for all those in attendance.It was one of the most enjoyable openings I've had in quite some time Thanks to all who took the time to come to the show and say hello, and thanks to those who purchased work on opening night. The work of Cornish graduate Jonathan Owens, a fine show of pastel drawings of cloudscapes and nature closeups is featured in the mezzanine gallery. The work will be on view through November 25th, Thursday and Friday 11-6,Saturday and Sunday 12-5 and by appointment.

New Show Up on the Web

The new images for the show are on the website for the Fountainhead Gallery. The website is www.fountainheadgallery.com. You'll find the images under the exhibitions listings. If you are in Seattle during November, come by and have a look. I would love to meet some new people if you are in Seattle on opening night. The opening is Saturday November 3 from 5pm-7pm.

Something From The Studio Wall

Here's something I found and have had on my studio wall for a few years now. Lyn Foulkes has been around the block a few times and is still here. He was born in Yakima Washington , which makes him a neighbor of sorts. I'm not so crazy about his work, but the sentiment here rings true for me.

I began exhibiting at twenty-six
critics thought my work was tough
I got in all the art magazines
museums started buying my stuff.

They made me the belle of the ball
I could do no wrong at all
I won the Paris Biennale
I thought I would never fall.

But I started doing something different
they didn't like that very much
they wanted me to do the same old thing
they thought I was out to lunch.

They wanted me to be consistent
to throw away my heart
They wanted me to be nonresistant
to promote the tradition of art.

I've learned a lot about art
since I was twenty six
Like trusting my own solutions
not worrying about politics

I think I'm pretty sure what makes real art
comes from deep inside
Not flippity-flop to get to the top
or learning to swallow your pride.

Fall Approaches

It's September and the kiddies are heading back to school. I always feel I can be a bit more industrious in the fall when it comes to getting work done in the studio. I've been reworking the November show title. At this point I'm thinking "Woodland Stories." The paintings have some aspect of creating a story, and the title also alludes to the levels and layers of the forest. So that's the title, for today at least...

Name That Show

I 'm back from 4 days at the beach of reading, hiking, photographing and eating too much. Now I am definitely ready to log some studio time. I'm feeling positive about my work and looking forward to having a show.

I'm currently working on a title for the November show at the Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle. My first thought was Light, Shadow, Reflection. My husband says it's too boring, so it's still in the works. Maybe something from a naturalist's point of view or something zen. There is a John Muir quote that basically says by going out into nature he is going in. How would that be? Going in by going out. Too vague, too sexual?

A New Seattle Gallery

I am happy to report that my work is now being represented by the Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle. The address is 625 West McGraw Street. It is in the Upper Queen Anne area of Seattle. The dealers, Sue and Ron Peterson are very warm and welcoming and the gallery space has lots of light streaming in from the windows of their corner location. The gallery is open Thursday and Friday, 11-5 and Saturday and Sunday 12-6. I will be having a one-person show in November, with an opening on Saturday, November 3rd in the evening. More details to follow.

New Shows In Town

There are many great shows in Portland this month. If you haven't seen the Dutch painting show with all the wonderful Rembrandts at the Portland Art Museum,, I highly recommend it. In addition, Jason Greene has a great show at the Genuine Imitation Gallery in the Everett Street Lofts, of water towers and piles of debris from construction sites. The paintings are well done and very affordable. Check it out! I have 2 pieces at a show at Mark Woolley Gallery. The show is called "Dig It," a show loosely based on art of and for the garden. This is the last show at his 128 NE Russell location. In September the gallery moves to the former Froelick Gallery space at 817 SW 2nd.

Because It's summer

Maybe it's because it's summer, or maybe it's because I've always been fascinated by it, but I've started a new group of works based on water and reflections.It's a challenge to create the quality of water using paint as a suggestion, and allowing for the viewer to fit the pieces together . I'm enjoying it and am having some degree of success. As the old joke says,"How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice."

Too Much Thinking, Not Enough Painting

Since I've returned from Italy, I've been mulling over where my work is headed, and what I have to say. I was so blown away by all the masterpieces at every turn, and it was all so magnificent. When I came home , there was a great high at experiencing such art. It has been followed by a low. I have found myself thinking about what I have to contribute in light of all that beauty and all that ground breaking work. Frankly, I don't compare favorably to Caravaggio and Giotto. What I do know is that I'm not happy if I don't paint, and that there are people out there who value my work. If I can make a difference to how I feel about my life, and bring something of significance to someone else, I think it's worth the journey. After all, it's about the journey, not the goal.

Reflections of Italy

It's hard to believe I've been back from Italy for 2 1/2 weeks already. I'm still reliving some experiences. I love everything about the place. The history goes back further than I can comprehend, it makes us seem so very young in the US. I will focus this post on Pompeii. and Herculenum. It was my second visit to Pompeii and it was a mixed bag. There were some sites I hadn't seen before, and other sites that were inaccessable this time around due to theft and vandalism. Isn't civilization great? At any rate, it's still remarkable to feel that time has stopped in these once vibrant cities with their rich culture and beautiful art. I am particulary amazed at the refinement in the frescoes and the richness of the mosaics. I am curious to see if any of this will come into my work. Time will tell.

Anticipating the Journey

In eleven days my family and I will be leaving for Italy! Reservations are confirmed everywhere, clothes are sorted out, and sketchbooks and watercolors are ready. I've been taking Italian through the local community college for about 8 years and can communicate on a rudimentary level. We were in Italy 8 years ago and I'm anxious to see if my Italian skills are any better help this time. I'm getting butterflies thinking of new places to see, people to meet. My teenage daughter and I will have a week to ourselves. THAT should be interesting! Seriously, I think it should be a great adventure. Look out Italy, here we come!

Pricing Advice

Pricing artwork seems to be a major concern to most artists. We want the work to sell, but we don't want to give it away. Paul Dorrell is a gallery dealer and blogger who offers good advice. For those starting out, he suggests visiting galleries and checking out what is comparable in terms of type of work, and amount of experience. What I particularly appreciate is the paragraph where he talks to prospective buyers about why the work costs so much. He explains that most of the artists in his gallery have worked for 20 to 40 years . They have gone through a lot of struggle and to use his word "privations" to get to this point. Then he asks the client how much they would charge, and they usually say"more." Then he says he closes the deal. It's a great piece from a thoughtful dealer. pauldorrell.com/blog. Something else I would like to throw in. Don't ever lower your prices. It's too hard to raise them again. People wonder why they were higher in the first place. I have had individuals approach me for a "deal." It's never worth it in the long run to undercut a gallery working to sell your art. The old saying goes "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

Everything Old Is New Again

I recently came across a book called"The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson," by David Silcox. It is about a famous Canadian group of artists who are little known to most of us in the United States. They worked as a group around the early 1900s to the 1930s. They sought to create an art that was distinctly Canadian and promoted it in schools, museum exhibitions, print media, you name it. The work is monumental and breathtaking. I particularly like Lawren Harris. There is a certain sylized quality to his landscapes that I find intriguing. Give them a look.

An Inspiring Artist

This is my first initiation into the blogsphere, so here goes.My entry is about an artist whose body of work impresses and humbles me. His name is George Johanson and he is currently exhibiting a retrospective of his work at the Hallie Ford Museum in Salem,Oregon. The show follows his work from college days in the 1940s to present day. It illustrates his mastery of color, his intricate weaving of a story, and his great sense of composition. I highly recommend any artist or art lover see this show.