Art Throb

Bitter Cold Blues: A Remedy

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:33:00 +0000

If you have kids in your life, or if you've been a North Country kid yourself, you know that winter can be a lot of fun - snowball fights, sledding, skiing, and so forth - but it can also be difficult. When the temperature dips below zero, as it is predicted to do this weekend, the difficulty is magnified. Many a kid who enjoys a well-bundled snowy adventure at fifteen or twenty degrees (Fahrenheit) will burst into tears when those numbers have a minus sign.

And when antsy young-uns are penned within four walls for two days straight, they might be okay, but the grown-ups who share the dwelling might have bald patches from pulling out hair. What to do?

Art helps, of course. Set out crayons and paper, scissors and glue, and the resident grown-up might have enough peace to fortify him- or herself with a caffeinated beverage. But still. To be cooped up is no fun. When my kids were small, I would often look for indoor places to bring them on biting cold days. And these days, North Country families have the Wild Center in Tupper Lake.

At the Wild Center, weekends have been designated as Winter Wildays, and Sundays are for Family Art and Nature. Each Sunday, visitors of all ages can enjoy an educational activity followed by a related art project. For example, the program for this coming Sunday, January 31st, promises fun with astrophysics:

"What Causes Winter? - Family Art and Nature Project (activity is great for children and families)
I'm sure some of us could do without all the cold, but in the Adirondacks, winter is an annual occurrence. Learn how the sun contributes to our seasons, and make a recycled sun catcher to hang in your window or garden when the temperature outside warms up."

Click here to see the Winter Wildays program through March 28th.

Then - get up & at'em! Bundle those tinies, head to Tupper Lake, and let them explore our wonderful North Country world through science, art, and fun!

Living Waters

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:38:00 +0000

One thing I love about North Country Public Radio is its constant attention to the arts. This morning I was intrigued, listening to Todd Moe and Hilary Oak, to learn of an upcoming exhibit at the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.

St. Lawrence County is geographically huge:"the largest county in New York State and the fifth largest ... east of the Mississippi." But of course, the population is relatively sparse, with 32 towns, 1 city, and 13 villages. In this context, the maintenance of a county-wide arts center is both essential and challenging. The SLCAC states as its goal "developing and promoting the arts in Northern New York". All sorts of arts - performance, visual, and literary - are supported, nurtured, and shared through the amazing efforts of the small SLCAC staff.

Creativity is like a spring of fresh water: it flows from deep within, carving a small pathway onto the surface; soon other springs join it; together, these mingled waters travel in new directions, fill riverbeds, flood thirsty plains, and attract life. People are drawn to them, sometimes without even knowing why. Pictured above is an image of the Thatcherville Spring, photographed by

Phil Gallos, which expresses the irrepressible energy and attractiveness found both in water and in the human creative urge.

SLCAC is a wellspring of creativity for the North Country, and as it has grown and diversified, it has drawn more people to quench their creative thirst. And just as a powerful river requires (and makes) more space to move than does a small spring, so the SLCAC needs to expand to a new, larger, multi-arts center.

To quote the SLCAC website:

We envision a center that provides affordable access to fully-equipped art studios, rehearsal rooms, and performance spaces. We want to create a place where people of all ages and abilities - from infants to seniors - can engage in the arts and share an array of cultural activities. The center will also serve as an incubator to foster arts businesses and organizations. A multi-arts center would attract new residents, encourage economic growth, and increase tourism for our region. Arts centers exist in rural towns across the country, where they play an active role in community revitalization.

To make such a space in St. Lawrence County is a magnificent goal, and an ambitious one. Such an effort needs broad support - many creative springs - to become real. But SLCAC is an arts center: who better to develop creative initiatives to draw forth and channel that support-?

And so they have. The exhibit of which Todd and Hilary spoke this morning is called "Limited Space" - an ingenius title indicating both the need (current SLCAC space is too limited) and the format: this is to be a show of small work. Artists are invited to submit work in any medium, but pieces must not be larger than 40 square inches - a two-dimensional equivalent of 5"x8". Artists are further asked to donate the pieces for the SLCAC to sell, with all proceeds dedicated to the Multi-Arts Center.

Perhaps the united effort of many creative springs will generate a great river of life and growth for St. Lawrence County and the whole North Country. For more information, contact the SLCAC: click the link provided above, or call (315) 265-6860, or contact their headquarters at 51 Market Street, Potsdam, NY, 13676.

Re-Vision

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:20:00 +0000

I love to see old things re-used in creative, beneficial ways. It satisfies on so many levels: by re-using, you save resources; by restoring, you honor the original... It especially delights me when an abandoned building is revived to a new use.

I first experienced this when my sister lived in a Brooklyn building that had been a cinnamon factory. The neighborhood was iffy, but the space was splendid: ancient brick had been repaired, creaky old floors had been polished, and everywhere clung the faint, stimulating fragrance of cinnamon.

Saranac Lake is home to a great deal of old architecture crying out for re-use; fortunately, some of it has already been claimed and revived. Todd Smith, artist and visionary, has transformed a small, once-forgotten building into a community art space named for the town's latitude and longitude coordinates: 7444 Gallery.

About a hundred years ago, the railway was Saranac Lake's lifeline; at its peak, eighteen to twenty trains came through daily. Parcels were transported too, and, as passengers would await the next train at the elegant depot, packages also needed a place to wait. So a small, utilitarian warehouse of sorts was built by the Railroad Express Package Company (which evolved, over time, into the United Parcel Service).

Now owned by the New York State Department of Transportation, this little warehouse is actually on the National Register of Historic Buildings, though it does not bear a plaque. There is nothing fancy about it - no baroque flourishes or birchbark embellishments: but it is beautiful. The builders of an earlier age used quality materials, and did their work well. Today, the floor has been restored to its original warm hardwood, and the multi-paned window casements still feature sturdy brass hardware. Just as my sister's apartment bore the fragrance of its cinnamon-dusted past, so this place is redolent of history, and the dignity of honest hard work. Lay your palm on the whitewashed wall, close your eyes, and you can almost hear the voices of people collecting their goods, the shuffle of crates passing from hand to carriage.

The richness of this life long gone infuses the life now there. All year round, 7444 Gallery showcases the art of people exploring materials, methods, meanings, and minds. At present, nine different artists, called the 7444 Collective, share work in diverse media. From fiber to pottery to wood, from glass to paint, a wide range of expression is on display to illuminate the viewer. A formal opening reception will be held tomorrow, Saturday, January 9th 2010, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.

One can only speculate on the variety of belongings that may have passed through this old building. But now, one can visit, and admire, and enjoy a great variety of art. What a fine new life for an old piece of architecture.

Resolution #8,562: Will It Stick?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:42:00 +0000

I've never been much for resolutions, myself. But here it is, the end of a year - of a decade - and the beginning of a new one.

So, if one were to make resolutions, now might be as good a time as any.

How about this one: can we resolve to open ourselves - more - to creativity?

Here are some classic ways...

Keep a journal of writing or sketching - or both. Scribble ideas, impressions, feelings, as the whim strikes. Alternately, discipline yourself to write or draw or otherwise be creative at a certain time each day. I used to force myself to journal every night before bed, even if only to scrawl, "Long day - need sleep"-!!

In her book The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, Julia Cameron advocates both spilling and refilling oneself. She recommends "Morning Pages": "three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness" (p 10) - to be completed every single morning. To balance this, she also suggests "an artist date": "a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist." (p 18)

Some people find it inspiring to look on the work of other artists. A visit to an art museum or even to a local gallery can spark all sorts of ideas. At galleries, you might meet artists whose work is displayed, and many love to chat and share their thoughts on the creative process.

And of course, art per se is only one form of creativity. Some people love to try new recipes for baking or just cooking dinner; others find it relaxing to knit or sew. (And yes, baking, cooking, knitting, and sewing can all be called art!) If you have a friend who enjoys a creative outlet you've never tried, perhaps you could arrange a time to try it together.

A new year, a new decade, spawns all sorts of retrospection and anticipation. If you are resolution-minded, why not aim to explore new creative parts of your mind? You never know what you might discover.

Art for Giving!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:36:00 +0000

It is too easy to spend money. The other day I went to the drug store to buy toothpaste, but I came out with dog treats, a magazine, gift wrap, a package of scotch tape, a box of batteries, chewing gum, hand cream, light bulbs ... AND toothpaste!

Store owners know this: many of us are too easily distracted by the interesting, the eye-catching, the useful - and we too easily part from our money as a result.

When it comes to shopping for gifts, it is WAY easy - for me at least - to bust the budget! But I strive for discipline. I try, in choosing and purchasing gifts, to be thoughtful. Sometimes, a gift that's not too expensive or flashy provides the best return on investment: the best long-term value for enjoyment and delight.

Artists know this: many of us seek thoughtful, long-lasting, not-too-expensive gifts of beauty for those we love.

Around the North Country, many venues are trying to provide shoppers just these types of gifts.

Tomorrow, Saturday December 12, the Artists' League of Lake Placid is hosting "A Holiday Event of Original Fine Artworks: 100 (almost) UNDER $100" at St. Eustace Episcopal Church on Main St., Lake Placid. This event begins at 10 am, and will feature smaller works: pieces priced for maximum value.

In Saranac Lake, Bluseed Studios is hosting an exhibit and sale of work by members of Saranac Lake Art Works through the month of December. Like the Lake Placid event, this show highlights less expensive works, both decorative and practical.

Besides these holiday opportunities, many galleries and gift centers offer affordable art all year. The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts in Blue Mountain Lake sells the work of exhibitors. In addition to their usual offerings, the Center also has a selection of repurposed/recycled lighting fixtures which, I'm told, are fabulously creative and fun.

The Arts Center of Old Forge has a shop too, as does the St. Lawrence County Arts Council . According to the SLCAC website, their gift shop features "artwork, hand crafts, music and books by more than 200 artists from around Northern New York".

And of course there is the Adirondack Artists' Guild in Saranac Lake, whose members are always creating new, exciting works. Member artist Donna Foley has recently stocked the shelves with skeins of hand-woven, naturally-dyed yarn, as well as cozy scarves and other woolen treasures.

Chances are, there are sources for one-of-a-kind gifts near you. I am sure there are galleries and gift shops I have not mentioned here. Post a comment! Let us all know where the gems are to be found!

Time-Light Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I'm old enough, and I've spent enough time around cameras, to appreciate a really new photographic adventure. While no expert myself, I have enough experience to hold great respect for those who are. In the Adirondack Artists' Guild's newest exhibit, photographer Burdette Parks bends perception, understanding, and light in ways that capture time itself.

In photography, time equals light.

Many years ago, my Dad taught me to photograph by measuring light to adjust the f-stop and shutter speed. I would record these details in a little notebook for future reference. Dad told me to bracket shots, with over- and under-exposed images on either side of a "correct" exposure, so that I could later compare and evaluate the prints.

In high school photo class, I learned to love the darkroom's red light, the chemical baths with their distinctive odors, and the string with its clips for drying. I would play with exposure there too, fiddling around to make an image lighter or darker.

Some years later, I had a Pentax SLR which did a lot of this work for me. I tucked away my light meter and grew lazy, trusting the camera's "auto" function more than my own eyes.

These days, I luxuriate in a Canon digital camera, and have grown accustomed to the flexibility of knowing I can play with the light after the fact, on my computer. (I have also learned that a bad shot is still a bad shot, no matter what the computer does to it!)

For his fascinating and ground-breaking new show, "Dimensions: The Expandable Camera", Burdette writes, "the camera defines an artificial frame around an arbitrary subject for a finite period of time ... we are accustomed, through long practice and tradition, to nearly unlimited variation and choice in the selection of ... subject and framing ... But what happens if the Time parameter is treated as variably as the parameters of subject and format?"

The old light meter would help us determine how much time to give an exposure; the newer Pentax and digital Canon can make that determination for us, if we want them to. But what if we take the whole question of light - that is, exposure time - away from the machines and own it for ourselves? Can a two-dimensional image of a three dimensional object express that fourth dimension - time?

It would seem so. This show does things with photography that I, for one, would never have imagined. You can click here to see some of the images, but they are worth seeing in person. The computer cannot represent the works' three dimensional format - much less their fourth!

The Reins of Perception

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Censorship.

The very word raises the hackles on most Americans.

Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia stand in our collective memory as extreme examples. As early as 1933, the Nazi government was destroying works of art it deemed "un-German", and firing University professors whose work failed to meet their approval. In The Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn elucidates brutal repression at the hands of a Soviet government which disapproved of his art.

Censorship-related issues hit current news as well. A few years ago, the violence which erupted in response to some Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad smacked of Nazi-era repression. And, earlier this month, a piece on Morning Edition mentioned artistic censorship, along with other measures, being used to enforce new conservative rule in Chechnya. Chechen artists must now meet standards judged by the government's culture ministry as conforming to the "Chechen mentality and upbringing".

As a freedom-loving American, and as an artist, these things freeze my blood. To resort to violence over art - to limit creative expression to the vision promoted by a government - seem so obviously wrong.

But: let's look more closely. Let's take the question home. Where do we experience censorship? Is it ever justified?

As a parent, there are certainly images and works of art I don't feel comfortable allowing my children to experience. I consider this not so much censorship as guidance. Is it also guidance, then, if a teacher in a public school does not allow his or her students to see - or to create - certain types of image?

What about in the local art gallery?

A few years ago, British artist Chris Ofili sparked outcry with an exhibit which featured, amongst other controversial displays, a collaged image of the Virgin Mary which included elephant dung. This exhibit was held at the Brooklyn Art Museum; then-mayor Rudolph Guiliani threatened to withdraw city funding from the museum unless the show was cancelled. (Click here for a thought-provoking essay on this event.)

Censorship? Obviously. Justified? Well... that depends on your point of view.

What if an art gallery or museum in your town faced a similar dilemma? Would the validity of censorship depend on whose beliefs were offended - or defended?

Dear Reader, what do YOU think? Post a comment!

Diversity

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:29:00 +0000

What a marvelously diverse world we inhabit! Living in the North Country, we are fortunate to have many opportunities to enjoy this.

Some time, when you are outside, look down. How many species of plant and fungus do you observe? What types of rock are visible? Can you guess, or do you know, what manner of microscopic life is there? How about insects - or the critters which feed off them?

Of course, when the snow gets deep, such observations are more challenging. But the point remains: so much life, so many forms, await our inspection!

Then, of course, there is human diversity. How many cultures have humans created across the world and over the millenia? How many forms of expression? Who can count them? Not I.

This leads us to the heart of a show opening tomorrow (Saturday 11/14/09) at the Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at Paul Smiths, on Route 30, about 12 miles north of Saranac Lake. Titled "Discovering Diversity", the show is sponsored jointly by the VIC and the Arts Council of the Northern Adirondacks, and features 22 artists working in a wide variety of media. Watercolor, acrylic, and pastel are represented - so is photography, fiber art, glass, etching, and printing. There is even an ice sculpture!

I have not yet seen these works, but many of the artists are familiar to me. Two of them, Sandra Hildreth and Ursula Wyatt Trudeau, have been subjects of previous blog posts here. (Click here and here to see.)

It is exciting to anticipate the experience of new art - both by those whose previous work you know, and by artists not yet discovered. This show hangs through January 4, 2010: I hope all who love diversity will have the chance to see, explore, admire, learn, and enjoy!

Histories Explored

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:51:00 +0000

Like many families, ours has boxes of old snapshots: pictures of grandparents and parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins; old blurry black-and-whites of wide eyes and Easter hats; faded color shots of ourselves in outdated hairstyles and bell-bottoms.

My father even has a box with some silvered old Daguerrotypes, slowly fading in their hinged leather frames; sadly, few of the subjects' names were written down.

Time passes, but images remain. Photography is powerful that way to remember where we came from, the experiences which shaped us, the transitions we have experienced. Photos carry feeling - feeling enhances knowledge. Two photography exhibits are opening in Saranac Lake in the next few days which will help us remember, feel, and understand.

Tonight, Friday November 6, the Adirondack Artists Guild hosts an opening reception for the show "bridges I have crossed", by Mark Kurtz. I have written before of Mark's work (click here); this show is his prize as first place winner of the Guild's 2009 Juried Show back in March.

Bridges carry both physical and symbolic resonance. These days, we realize that a bridge also has very practical importance in the North Country: the sudden closure of our bridge across Lake Champlain has been devastating.

Mark's new show, featuring dreamy sepia-toned images, chronicles numerous bridges. Some will be familiar to North Country travelers, such as the Covered Bridge in Jay or the bridge over Lower Saranac on State Route 3. The Brooklyn Bridge is represented, as are bridges in Europe. But, familiar or new, each image is startling - either for its perspective, or the lighting, or something less easily defined...

In his Artist's Statement, Mark mentions that he has crossed many bridges in his life - I think most of us have. These images are the more powerful for helping us see layers of meaning in such crossings.

Another photography exhibition opens in Saranac Lake this week: "The Stones Have Memories", by Kelly Gorham, at the 7444 Gallery on Depot Street. This show is subtitled: "an exploration of Berlin's Cold War landmarks".

In the early 80s, I visited both West and East Germany. The West thrilled me with colorful flowers and fields, grand architecture, and, everywhere, sparkling cleanliness. The East, by contrast, impressed me as grey, unswept, and decrepit. Nowhere was this contrast sharper than in Berlin - that famous city divided. On the West side: fashionable people, dancing trees, neon lights, bustling boulevards. On the East side: grey. Grey buildings, grey streets, grey grit - even the plant life seemed colorless. I recall the empty, unresponsive eyes of the ladies shuffling along the sidewalks in head kerchiefs and dusty overcoats. I was traveling with a group of young people - Americans and West Germans - and we felt we could not laugh aloud. The very air was heavy, as I'm told happens before a tornado.

Unbeknownst to us, of course, a tornado WAS imminent. Before the end of that decade, that brutal grey wall - with its guard towers, barbed wire, and land mines - fell. I remember looking in wonder at photos of young people standing atop the ruins of that edifice - rejoicing with them at its destruction.

Gorham's new show opens at 7 pm on Monday, November 9, 2009: twenty years after the wall came down. I have not seen the images yet, but I look forward to it. In an interview featured in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Gorham points out that this story is in danger of being forgotten. He says, "It's not really covered in history in school anymore. Why would kids know about it?"

He has a point. Like the fading old Daguerrotypes in my family's box, these images need to be named, so that future generations will know them.

Healing Paths

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:54:00 +0000

Art heals.

Whether you are just down in the dumps or enduring severe difficulties, artistic expression can help. If you are in a place of fear, loneliness, anger, loss, the very act of creating seems, often, to ease the turmoil and lead you to a place of solace - sometimes, even peace.

The form of your creation can help too - for a visual artist, strong primary colors might exorcise strong negative feelings, while softer tones might move the spirit toward restfulness. Musician friends of mine play slow pieces in minor chords when troubled - or, they might play rollicking riotous pieces to lift their own spirits. Many people bake when they are feeling glum, and it helps them feel better.

I have written on this subject before (see here and here), but it comes to mind again as I look through the calendar of arts events published by the Arts Council of the Northern Adirondacks. This weekend, Creative Healing Connections is holding their Adirondack Arts and Healing Retreat for women with cancer and chronic illnesses at the Irondequoit Inn, Piseco Lake, in Hamilton County.

These annual healing retreats began in 1999 at Great Camp Sagamore, and continue to take place there. But over the past decade, Creative Healing Connections has grown, and now offers the Piseco Lake opportunity as well. Further, the group also launched a new program this past summer for female military veterans, called the Annual Adirondack Arts and Reintegration Retreat, at Wiawaka Holiday House on Lake George.

To quote the Creative Healing Connections website:

Our programs are designed, developed, and guided by our staff of Adirondack artists. We encourage participants to express themselves and, through that communication, to find healing and a sense of community.

These Adirondack artists - the program "Guides" - work in many disciplines. There are visual artists, musicians, storytellers, writers, even a couple of Reiki masters. Most are female, and all are committed to using their skills to bridge the isolation and anguish of women suffering the trauma of cancer, chronic illness, and issues surrounding military deployment. They are also planning a future retreat for veteran men, as well as a caregivers' retreat.

I do not know the physical mechanism - maybe it has to do with brain chemistry - but creative endeavor calms, soothes, and quiets distress. It is also a potent means of communication. Sometimes images or musical notes express our inmost selves better than words. In a safe, nurturing environment, the freedom to use art for both self-expression and self-exploration can be liberating - and, yes, healing.

Although I have not attended one of these retreats, I have heard that they are marvelous. I am especially excited about the new initiative for female veterans - a group with very unique and specific concerns. I hope anyone who this needs the type of caring provided by Creative Healing Connections will visit their website and consider attending an event.

And I am so proud to know that fellow artists - some of whom live in my own hometown of Saranac Lake - have dedicated themselves to help people in desperate need of paths to wholeness. Art heals - and together with care, support, nature, and nurture, it can heal even better.

A Matter of Taste

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:01:00 +0000

As this blog has often noted, art events abound in the North Country. People of all ages and backgrounds have many opportunities to experience the work of their friends and neighbors.

This can be awkward.

Unlike visiting a museum, when you attend an opening or a gallery event here, you are likely to meet the artist - if you don't already know him or her. What if you look at the work and think, "Blech"-?

In this blog post, I wish to address different reactions to art - but I do not wish to make other artists uncomfortable, so I shall refer to work of my own. Examples of negative reactions to artistic expression might wound feelings or ruffle feathers, neither of which is consistent with the spirit of this blog. What follows can be applied to many creators of original works, but will be framed within my own experience.

Once upon a time, my primary approach to art was to envision a desired picture and then try to make it. I would start with an idea, develop a set image, and work to translate it so that others would see what I see. Reproduced above is an acrylic painting I made in 2005, called "Guard Frog", which represents this trajectory. I saw a frog in a lily pond, and I wanted to paint it. After making preliminary sketches on site, and taking lots of reference photos, I spent a LONG time studying the details of each lily pad, the sun-gilt ripples of the water, the submerged rocks. I mixed color with painstaking care and chose each brush thoughtfully. I re-painted the frog itself several times.

In the end, I like this painting. Composition, color, or other technical points are debatable: it may not be "great" art - but it pleases me, and many people who have seen it have also found it pleasing.

But now, look at this painting:

I call it "Onomatopoeia", which means (as you may recall from English class) a word which sounds like what it means. Drip, splash. I was experimenting with acrylic paints, and I let them drip and splash. I also like this painting.

This represents a new path to art - new to me, anyway, and not easy, not natural. My own natural tendency is to want to control the medium - make it do as I wish. But with this new approach, I start with the physical paint, let it do what it will, and then search it for meaning. If meaning is found, I might tease it forth to make it more obvious - or not.

For this painting, I considered giving a title which would explicate a meaning - but I decided instead to allow a viewer his or her own interpretation. You might see something watery and organic in this image, or it might appear unnatural and contrived. Colors carry emotion, and the stripe of red might mean anger, or love... while the yellow blobs could suggest sunlight, or insanity.

This type of painting requires a greater investment on the part of a viewer. You cannot really look at it and say, "That's a frog!" It is also more likely to elicit a negative reaction. I have found that people tend to prefer imagery with obvious and pleasant subject matter. Most American children are taught to read words, but not many of us are taught to read the visuals of a painting. And while some symbols seem universal - a heart, say - many symbolic representations are obscure.

The frequent negative response to a purely abstract image such as the one above is quite understandable, even natural. I remember - more than once!- welcoming a friend to a display of my works and seeing a warm smile of greeting turn to cardboard, stiff and forced, as he or she actually saw what I had created. I myself am drawn to representational work, and I have decided stylistic preferences.

When viewing art, however, I try to detach from what I already like and understand. In seeing someone else's visual representation of - well, anything - whether I "like" it or not is largely irrelevant. Rather, I seek to open myself to the artist's intention: to enable myself to enter the artist's vision. This can be illuminating, informative, educating, broadening - even if I don't "like" it, the exploration can be very enjoyable.

Matters of taste - questions of like or dislike - certainly have relevance. I would not, for example, purchase a piece of art I do not like and display it in my home. But when visiting a gallery or a museum, when watching an artist work or reading about Picasso, I try to enlarge my spirit enough to gain understanding - when I succeed, I am enriched.

You can be too. Art can be fun, whether you like it or not!

Forever Young

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:54:00 +0000

We all can be young. Sure, our bodies age, and our minds ossify too - we become set in our opinions or bound to our routine. But, under this, youthful potential still sparkles.

It can be hard to see!

But every person has the capacity to grow, to learn, to expand, no matter his or her age. When I see this happening amongst my elders and betters, I feel hopeful: if they can do this, perhaps I can, too!

Ken Wiley has been a painter longer than I've been alive. He spent 34 years teaching art at North Country Community College, working both in oil and watercolor paints, though in recent years he has focused more on the latter.

Shown above is "Playing Misty", featured in Ken's new show, "Awakening", at the Adirondack Artists' Guild in Saranac Lake. This painting exemplifies many of the beauties inherent to watercolor. The paper almost glows with sunlight, while the darker foreground trees stand solid and real. Ken manipulates the medium to take advantage of all its potential, while - master that he is - making any misstroke seem unthinkable. Like an accomplished dancer, he makes his art seem the easiest, most natural thing in the world.

A few months ago, however, Ken decided to challenge himself in a new way. He bought a set of acrylic paints, and began to experiment. Some of these discoveries are also featured in this show: of the 20 works on display, eight are acrylic. Reproduced below is a piece titled "Autumn is Here: Riverside Park, SL".

With his practiced eye, Ken studies and celebrates the sharp contrasts of sunrise and shadow. This bold geometry draws the viewer in to the inviting benches which line the waterfront. Beyond the benches, look: mist rises from Lake Flower, fading to reveal the trees beyond. It is indeed autumn, when the warmer lake water is condensed by the colder air, foretelling weather to come.

Note the mist. Look again at the watercolor piece - also a misty, watery scene. Acrylic paint is waterbased, and can mimic many watercolor effects - many of the same techniques can be applied to each. But in these two paintings, Ken has used each medium in a distinct way. Rather than trying to bleed or wash the acrylic paint over his support, as if it were watercolor, the artist has maintained its unique character. The mist, though not solid, is not translucent either, for the most part. It rises and coils from the lake as a distinct entity, catching light, twisting upward, and finally dissipating.

Despite Ken's decades of work in watercolor and oils, he has studied this modern paint carefully, learning to work within it on its own terms. Rather than trying to force it to behave like the paints he already knew, he respected it enough to work in harmony with it, developing new approaches to take advantage of its own tendencies. He embraced this new opportunity. You can see more images from this show through NCPR's online gallery: click here.

I only hope I can remain as open to novelty as I age. Always a teacher, Ken instructs neophytes like me just by allowing us glimpses of his youthful, artistic spirit.

The Artist in the Next Pew

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:02:00 +0000

You just never know where you might run into art.

At kitchen tables, or on porches, or in back yards, people of all sorts are making art wherever they can. Unfortunately, many people who work on improving their skill and realizing their vision - often for years - have no place to exhibit. Glowing pieces of love and study remain unappreciated.

Sometimes, however, a group will realize it has artists in its midst, and provide an opportunity for sharing and enjoying. Such a group is the congregation of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Saranac Lake.

This evening, Thursday October 1st, the church will hold an opening reception for its first show featuring the work of artists who are also congregants. Some, such as Ursula Wyatt Trudeau and Connie Dennis, are already well-known and well-loved. Others have been more private in their art, and their work is a delightful surprise.

This show is part of an ongoing celebration of the church's 130th anniversary. Properly called The Church of St. Luke the Beloved Physician, the congregation is a product of Saranac Lake's tuberculosis curing industry. Patients staying in the village to "take the cure" had been meeting for Sunday worship in the lobby of the Berkeley Hotel when they decided they wanted a proper church. They donated money to help build it, and asked Dr. Edward L. Trudeau to oversee the effort. He did, and in 1879 the church was consecrated. (Dr. Trudeau had previously helped establish St. Johns-in-the-Wilderness Episcopal Church, in Paul Smiths.)

Today, the art is displayed in the church's spacious Parish Hall, on Main Street. In some respects this airy room is perfect for an art show: plenty of space allows ample display panels, so no one's work has to be squished into a corner. On the other hand, however, the Parish Hall is a very busy place. All through the week, both church and community groups use the space for various activities, such as AA meetings, the Community Lunchbox, church group gatherings, and so forth. Therefore, this recognition of the artists in their midst is a short one: the show comes down again on Sunday, October 4th.

So if you are in Saranac Lake this weekend, stop in! You will discover that an unassuming lady, or a quiet gentleman, or someone else you never knew about, is in fact an artist!

Behind the Veil

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Artists tend to be a solitary lot.

-Or at least, such is the perception. Stereotypes abound: the pale, unshaven man who spends all his days feverishly painting in his attic studio, or the unsociable and scruffy-looking painter working alone on a windy seaside cliff.

This solitude, I believe, often indicates not misanthropism but fear. The act of creation can be deeply personal. The artist walks a tightrope of courage across a seething firepit of devouring self-condemnation. Creation often requires psychic nudity: the artist's mind, even soul, is stripped bare - how vulnerable one is at that time!

It can be terrifying to allow another to witness this process.

And yet ... This weekend, over thirty-five artists in the Tri-Lakes area are not only going to allow you to see them work, many are also opening their private studios for your edification and enjoyment! They shall draw back the curtain of isolation which shields them from the world's gaze, and allow you in.

The Third Annual Tri-Lakes Area Artist at Work Studio Tour begins Friday, 9/25/09, and continues Saturday, 9/26, and Sunday, 9/27. This tour is self-guided: pick up a booklet with information and directions, decide what interests you most, and go there. Booklets are available at all Sponsor locations, as well as local Chambers of Commerce and Studio Tour Central, the Adirondack Artists' Guild on Main Street in Saranac Lake. You can also download one from the website, here.

Once you have the booklet, you can participate in whatever way you wish. Many artist demonstrations are being held within walking distance of each other in the villages, so that you can choose to park and walk to them; others are in the outlying areas such as Rainbow Lake or Childwold. You could decide that a particular medium interests you most - say, ceramics or metalwork - and visit all the artists working in it. All venues will be clearly marked with yellow-and-black "Artist at Work" and directional signage.

Do be sure to check the booklet listings if you hope to see a particular artist; not all are demonstrating each day. And when you visit an artist, be sure to sign the visitors' register before leaving. And then, return to this blog and post a comment: share with us who you saw, what you learned, how you toured - and whether you caught sight of an artist's soul.

A Lovesome Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Who can resist a garden?

The first Paradise of Eden was said to be a garden; many Greek gods and goddesses dwelt in gardens of their own making; one of the ancient world's great wonders was a garden.

The cultivation of plants both practical and ornamental stretches across human cultures, and many people find themselves at peace in a garden as no where else. The grand manor houses and castles of Europe tend to feature elaborate landscape gardens, while many an urban skyline is leafed with rooftop gardens. Tastes vary; some prefer a layout carefully planned and meticulously maintained, while others rejoice in a free tumble of flowers left to spread as they will.

A garden harbors and sustains life: who can count all the beings which live in healthy soil, on or under leaves, or bask in the sun on a broad petal? How many critters gain from a garden their nourishment and protection - whether we want them to or not? Butterfly and slug alike dine on a garden's riches. The products of a garden nourish us as well, whether they are the carrots, broccoli, or squash which strengthen our bodies, or the daisies, lilies, or petunias which enrich our spirits.

Pictured above is a pastel painting by Diane Leifheit, titled "Clamouring Colors", which celebrates a pairing of clematis and tiger lilies. She made this picture as part of the annual "Artist in the Garden" event, in which artists who are also fabulous gardeners open their grounds to other artists for a day of creating. (Click here to see photos from summer '08.) This past summer, Charles Atwood King and Karen Lamitie-King invited local creators to their magnificent acreage, and Diane herself hosted another gathering at her own splendid plot.

This has been going on, in one form or another, since 1997, and a tradition has developed of mounting a fall show of pieces thus created. From 6 to 8 tonight, Friday Sept. 18, forARTSake in Malone hosts an opening reception for the 2009 Artist in the Garden show. At least 60 works will be on display, representing at least 30 area artists working in a variety of media and styles.

The gardening season is drawing to a close in our North Country now, but its beauties live on through memory and through representation. Enjoy again one life's delights - go see this work. For more detailed information, call forARTSake at (518) 483-9411.

Echoes of Humanity

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Imagery stirs the soul, often, more deeply than words.

From our earliest development as tool-wielding thinkers, humans have scratched and whittled and carved and shaped the objects in our world to meet our needs. This common history has given many of us today a sense of shared memory, an understanding beyond language, which touches the deepest chords of what it means to be human.

Once when I was hiking in England's Exmoor National Park, I came across an ancient stone circle left by people long forgotten, for reasons hidden in obscurity. What a shiver of awe I felt! The depth of the mystery reaching forth from uncounted years brushed against me, and I felt a wordless tug toward - I could not even name what.

A similar feeling tingles, now, when I view Donna Foley's new exhibit, called "Artifacts from the Journey", at the Adirondack Artists' Guild in Saranac Lake. Donna has spent the past twenty years or so immersed in the natural environment through her off-the-grid home, farm, and studio, and her intensive husbandry of Lincoln Longwool sheep. Each spring, she shears their wool, washes it, and dyes some of it with natural plant extracts. (Click here for her website.)

This she spins and weaves, and the woven pieces seem to breathe with the grassy exhalations and windy sunsplashes of sheep and meadow. In themselves, these are treaures. But here, in this show, she takes the ancient earth-bound art even further.

Have you ever strolled a rocky pathway and noticed, glancing down, a pebble with just such a striation, or gleam, or coloring, that you had to stop, pick it up, and examine? Then, you might pocket the thing, and at home place it on a shelf where, from time to time, you can admire it anew. Or perhaps, after being studied, the pebble is flung back to earth for some future traveler to discover.

But it caught you, even for a moment.

Donna has filled her weavings with such charms. More than charms, they are amulets, talismans: each full of potential meaning, each shrouded in ancient mystery. The viewer is compelled to interpret, according to her or his own background, the significance of an arrowhead, or a feather, or a particular pebble.

Pictured above is a piece titled "Crow Cave". In it, Donna combines color and texture with natural objects, beads, and runes. A detail is shown below:

Observe the porcupine quill lanced through the warp yarns, the black-and-white pebble, the dangling bead. This snippet bursts with meaning - and it is but one part of one piece of a show full of resonance.

Donna writes:
"In my tapestries I am always endeavoring to express some aspect of my spiritual journey ... delving into an experiential sense of the sacred".

This show invites us all to travel thus - to explore our history, our hearts, and our spirits, wherever they may lead.

Hot, Cool, and Local

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:47:00 +0000

Lake Placid, NY: renowned for winter sports, summer Ironman, a bustling shopping district, and the nicest old movie theater you're likely to find.

Did you know that it is also the home of artists?

Almost two years ago, the Artists League of Lake Placid was formed to help promote the visual arts in the Olympic Village. On Thursday, August 13th, they are opening a new show at the G
Guy Brewster Hughs Gallery of the Lake Placid Public Library.

For those of you who haven't been there, the Lake Placid Public Library is a beautiful little building right on Main Street, worth visiting for its own sake; a show of work by 12 local artists is further incentive!

Sometimes, in my shop, I get a customer from out of the area who assumes that a "local artist" is, by definition, not highly accomplished or professional quality. I try (politely!) to disabuse them of this misconception - for, misconception it is. The members of the Artists League of Lake Placid exhibit work which would enhance any big-city gallery; how lucky we are to have them in the North Country!

They work in a variety of media, and a wide range of styles. For example, Nip Rogers creates lush, modern images with rich color, energetic line, and social consciousness, while Ingrid Van Slyke produces masterful pastel landscapes which transport the viewer to a world of beauty and grace. Each of the others has his or her own style, distinct and individual.

Their new show is titled "Hot 'n Cool"; click here for a preview from the Lake Placid News. And on Thursday, August 13th, take yourself to the Lake Placid Public Library for a treat of highly accomplished, professional quality, local art!

The Great Outdoors

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:41:00 +0000

En Plein Air: painting outside.

In the second half of the 19th century, this was a revolutionary concept. Paintings were to be created in studios; sketches made on location, outdoors, might be used for reference, but the studio was the proper place for actually executing a work of art.

The Academy-cracking idea that works created "en plein air" were Art, every bit as much as studio-made pieces, was advanced by the Impressionists in France, and spread around the world. Light, not form, was their subject; as this notion gained traction it inspired painters in new ways, and drew them to new places.

Our North Country was also pioneered by artists looking to discover new challenges, new subjects, and to explore the natural lushness of a young nation. The book "Frederic Church, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Moran: Tourism and the American Landscape" describes the Northward movement of people thus: artists came to the sparsely populated North Woods, to discover and create; their works attracted wealthy visitors, to confirm and enjoy; finally, working folk came, to meet the needs of the wealthy and to flex entrepeneurial muscle on a new land.

Now, painting "en plein air" is so far from being revolutionary, it is a highly respected technique, recognized as difficult and rewarding. I quote the website Artist Tours Group:

Painting from life is a pursuit unlike any other painting technique. It challenges the artist to concentrate every sensory nerve on the information in front of them. They absorb it all, from sight to sound, from temperature to atmosphere, and then channel those feelings from head to hand, re-creating the vision in paints on paper or canvas.

People continue to venture North from more settled parts of the nation to explore our inherent beauties, our picturesque wealth of nature. Works thus created continue to be highly prized, valued both for their quality as art and for the fresh breezes, the glint of sun or shift of shadow, which seem to waft and glow from the surface.

Saranac Lake Art Works, a group dedicated to promoting the Saranac Lake area community through the arts, is hosting the First Annual Adirondack Plein Air Festival the weekend of August 21, 22, and 23, 2009. Artists from everywhere - anywhere - are invited to come to Saranac Lake and spend the weekend creating. The Festival will conclude Sunday afternoon with a show and sale of the work so produced.

On Friday afternoon, Aug. 21st, participating artists may join a tour, given by Historic Saranac Lake, which will highlight some of the town's architectural and cultural background, providing a richer context of the location. Afterwards, all participating artists are invited to a welcoming reception at the Adirondack Artists' Guild on Main Street.

Saturday morning, artists will be asked to create a 5x7 piece (using a surface provided by Borealis Color) of a scene or building or location right in town. These small pieces will then be placed in a silent auction, with all proceeds donated to the Saranac Lake Young Arts Association.

In the afternoon on Saturday, artists will be free to choose any of several scenic locations in the greater Saranac Lake region (maps will be provided), and there to create, in any suitable medium, their unique impression of it.

Sunday, the artists may return to the site of Saturday's work, if they wish, or they might choose a new location. In the afternoon, a show and sale of all work created by participants during the weekend will be held at the John Black Room of the historic Saranac Laboratory. 100% of proceeds from these sales go to the artists.

Artists who join the Festival will be given identifying signs; as they work around the Village of Saranac Lake and its surrounding area, the public is encouraged to enjoy observing the creative process.

Intrigued? More detailed information can be found at the Saranac Lake Art Works website, linked above, or by contacting me at (518) 891-1490.

(Photo above: Mackenzie Mountain as seen from Lake Flower in Saranac Lake)

Synergy

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Have you ever really looked at a rock?

Or outlined with your finger the delicate tracery of tree branches against the sky?

A bird's feather is not only an astounding form of aerodynamic development, but also indescribably beautiful.

Have you noticed?

Suzanne Langlier-Lebeda has noticed.

In her latest show, "Rustic Roots: A Different Look", she helps us notice too. Not only has she painted expressive landscapes and nature studies, she has incorporated natural elements in their presentation. The rising trout (pictured above) lifts its fishy head to a gnarled root and river-smoothed stones; in another painting, the view of a river is framed and cross-cut with real branches.

Those who have seen her previous work will be familiar with her detailed, carefully-observed drawing and watercolors. The pieces in this show are oil paintings: she shows herself a master. The paints glow, as though lit by a rising sun.

Suzanne has united distinct elements - paint, panel, wood, stone, feather - to create a total much greater than the sum of its parts. Each element by itself is a delight to examine, but in combination with the others, takes on new depth.

This show hangs at the Adirondack Artists Guild, in Saranac Lake, through August 6th.

"Puck has TB?"

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:19:00 +0000

As I said, July is the jewel in our crown.

This jewel is constantly polished, refined, and reformed by creative vision, inspiration, and downright out-of-the-box thinking. Or, how about, out-of-the-theater?

Outdoor theater is not a new idea, by any means; as a student, I was awed by many memorable performances in lush college quads, parks, and an amphitheater; my New York City nephew is a 10-year-old veteran of Central Park performances. Many other cities and college town boast similar opportunities.

But here is a new twist: how about Shakespeare in the Adirondack Park-?!?

While Central Park is a restful haven of nature for Manhattan, and college quads and parklands offer refreshing respite from the numbing grind of academia - well, they're pretty small compared to the 6 million acres encircled by the Blue Line!

No problem.

Stephen Svoboda, the executive director of the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, is not one to be cowed by fickle mountain weather. His heart does not quake at the logistics of moving a show 12 times in 7 days, over hundreds of miles of twisty mountain roads. A Midsummer Night's Dream is to be performed between July 25th and August 1st at an array of locations to make you reach for a map: Thendara, Tupper Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake, Old Forge, Raquette Lake, Minerva, Indian Lake, North Creek, Paul Smiths, Inlet, and Speculator.

This I gotta see!

The nearest performance to my location is July 31st at the Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC).

Click here to see when and where it will be near you.

And no, Puck does not suffer from tuberculosis! My 15-year-old son (who aspires to comedic greatness) posed the question when he learned this play is being staged outside in the clean mountain air so often prescribed to victims of that disease. But the show promises to cure lots of other, more modern ailments: ennui, indifference, worldliness, apathy . . .

Our North Country summer is the more luscious for its brevity. Make the most of its opportunities, and rejoice in creative invention!

The Jewel in the Crown

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:50:00 +0000

July.

For this, we endure all the year's discomforts, all its trials, all its hardship.

For this, we are the envy of the earth. Bugs notwithstanding!

Birdsong fills the fragrant air dawn to dusk. If it rains, the waters sing. If it is clear, the sun dances. If you are bold, neither rain nor sun can keep you from seizing the rich sweet adventure of a North Country July.

And now, in July, may be the fullest time on a North Country arts calendar. Everywhere! Everything! Art - music - dance - theater!

Don't take my word for it - skate over the the Calendar page at ncpr.org (everyone's favorite website!) - dozens upon dozens of arts related events are listed this month. If you prefer hard-copy information, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise has published an "Arts in the Park" guide available, free, lots of places - and of course the Arts Council of the Northern Adirondacks produces the free Arts Directory, which will be hitting shelves and information stands any day now.

The North Country is magnificent throughout the year. It is a gleaming crown of natural beauty and man-made ingenuity. But July is surely the crown's brightest jewel - twinkling at you now.

Bustin' Out All Over

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Third Thursday: Saranac Lake. It's the place to be if you enjoy art, music, and community spirit.

Starting at about 4:30 this afternoon, over 30 local artists and musicians will flood the downtown area. The general public can guide themselves through this creative smorgasbord with a free map that features locations and descriptions of events. Anyone so inclined will have the chance to enjoy Native American art, pen and ink caricatures, and even see the processes used by lapidary artists. For those who prefer hands-on discovery, Luanne Riley will host an Artist Trading Card Workshop, and toe-tapping, foot-stomping music will fill a park and several streets. Upscale Resale, an antique store extraordinaire, will be displaying Victorian art, and the galleries of such luminaries as Tim Fortune and Georgeanne Gaffney will have open doors and paint-scented air.

Numerous venues offer refeshments, but for those interested in serious food, the famous Blue Moon Cafe will be open late into the evening. Besides exibiting the work of local artists, they make a MEAN pannini - and their menu features a huge variety of other yummies. Other excellent eating establishments will also have open doors and warm smiles.

Don't be put off by rain. Bring an umbrella, and enjoy the sunshine of an open, lively, arts-oriented town for the first Third Thursday Art Walk of 2009.

Art Works

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:09:00 +0000

News flash:

Art works in Saranac Lake.

By this I mean, art is an effective engine of both cultural enrichment and economic growth. Art functions to draw the community together socially and to attract visitors to enjoy our village.

Of course, this is not unique to Saranac Lake; a recent Plattsburgh Press Republican article points out that "several development studies have concluded that a real revitalization of downtown cannot happen unless there is a strong arts corridor." To read the whole article, click on this link:

http://www.pressrepublican.com/ed_choice/local_story_160232423.html

Saranac Lake's "arts corridor" is dazzling. Perhaps because it is a relatively small town, art-related vitality permeates nearly everything. In recent months, a group called Saranac Lake Art Works has been re-energized, and is actively working to use the arts as a vehicle to promote and strengthen the whole town. (Click the link to see their website.)

At present, Saranac Lake Art Works consists of 11 arts-related businesses and individuals, and, since formally associating about 6 months ago, they have engaged in multiple promotions and events.

Over the winter, the group drafted an article about local arts for the 2009 - 2010 Visitors' Guide produced by the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Besides the advertising support of several member businesses, the group itself created a full-page ad to highlight the village's creative wealth.

In April, they mounted and staffed a collective booth the Adirondack Living Show in Queensbury. Pictured above, it featured work representing each group member and also general information about Saranac Lake.

In August, Saranac Lake Art Works will be hosting the First Annual Adirondack Plein Air Festival. Plein air, or working outside in natural light, is favored by many artists, and many more are curious to try it. (Click here to see a previous NCPR report by Todd Moe about plein air artists.) Artists of all suitable media (painting, pastel, photography, etc.) will be invited to spend a weekend working en plein air in the Saranac Lake region from August 21 - 23, culminating in a show and sale of the weekend's work on Sunday afternoon.

And of course, Saranac Lake hosts the Third Thursday Art Walks every June, July, August, and September. The Saranac Lake Art Works group certainly didn't start this (though one of the group's members, Tim Fortune, did), but they are active in helping promote it. Similarly, the Artists at Work Studio Tour, a soon-to-be three-year-old event, was initiated and is run by others, but Saranac Lake Art Works invests in advertising it. (And again, one of the magnates of the Artists at Work Studio Tour, Sandra Hildreth, also belongs to Saranac Lake Art Works.)

Art works. A community with arts-related industry works. Saranac Lake is one of the most vibrant arts-related industrial centers of the North Country.

The Light Fantastic

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:03:00 +0000

Light.

I have written before of its significance - its centrality - to our lives and our arts. (Click here to read.)

Light is mentioned repeatedly in the PBS documentary about the Adirondacks, which first aired in May 2008. Through the history of white settlers' wilderness explorations and into the present day, people have found that something about these mountains creates an extraordinary quality of light.

Artists strive to capture a sense of this quality; as the source of vision, light is the root of all visual arts. Painters especially seek that elusive, magical illumination which will elevate a two dimensional surface to three dimensions - or more, if time can be considered a fourth. Since the 19th century, many have embraced the value of working "en plein air", or in the open air, as a way to understand light. Painting in this way has its own challenges, of course - not least of which is the need to work quickly, for light changes constantly with the earth's rotation.

Plein air paintings are often suffused with light in a way unique to the painting world. Have you seen, standing in the woods on a cloudy day, how softly the light might touch a mossy boulder or a naked branch? The forms are hard, defined, unyielding - but the light is gentle, and alters their solidity.

Alternately, have you found vivid colors and sharp shadows when direct sun pours down? Colors appear which you never saw before; shadows develop layers of depth; water can even hurt the eyes with its brilliance.

A master of plein air painting sees these things and more, and expresses them on (usually) canvas or paper. A painting made by such a master can bring you to the world, so you almost smell the pines, feel the touch of breeze, hear the splashing river.

Such a master is Sandra Hildreth. Pictured above is one of her plein air portals, a doorway to an Adirondack afternoon. Her style is realistic, but more: it leads you from the confines of your daily life, your worries and distractions, into a realm more than real, a place where you see as never before.

A place where light comes alive.

Sandra's work is currently featured at the Adirondack Artists' Guild in Saranac Lake; that show has an opening reception Friday, June 5th, and will hang until July 5th. (As I have written before, the AAG knows how to throw an opening!) If you can't make it to Saranac Lake, however, she will also have a show at the Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek from June 27th through July 30th.

If you can, go see her work. You will gain a richer vision of our world, and a fuller comprehension of light.

Garden, Forest, and Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Olsen) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:11:00 +0000

On a recent morning in my garden, I was struck anew by the tenacity of life bursting forth from winter's grip. As I turned fragrant soil, uprooted stubborn weeds, moved long-legged perennials, and as earthworms and milipedes scuttled away - I had to marvel at life's abundance.

Two local painters who also study the natural life of the North Country are Lee Ann Sporn and Meg Bernstein - both of whom have been subjects of previous posts in the blog. (Click here and here to read some of these.)

Now, the two have mounted a show together in the Cantwell Room of the Saranac Lake Free Library. They have spent the last year visiting the Debar Wilderness area, together and individually, and painting their observations of it.

Each artist works in both watercolor and acrylic, and though each has a distinct style, they harmonize. Lee Ann's watercolor pieces are in the tradition of botanical illustration - she is a biologist, after all, and her paintings are enriched by her careful examination of life's pathways and mechanisms. Her acrylic pieces, however, feature a looser approach: still clear, but more exuberant - perhaps a bit more playful than scientific.

In this exhibit, she pairs the watercolors and acrylics of similar subjects together; for example, above is her acrylic rendering of a jack-in-the-pulpit cluster; below, she depicts a single plant in watercolor. My photos do not do justice to the originals, but perhaps you can see how the watercolor features precise detailing, while the acrylic, though still carefully observed, has looser lines, a greater sense of playful energy.

Meg's pieces take the energy and playfulness even further. Her acrylic paintings remind me of a time I saw original oils by Vincent Van Gogh; the paint swoops with its own ideas, thick and sensuous, leaving luxuriant brushstrokes to hint at the hand behind the work. It's thrilling to see, and inviting to ponder.

Meg's pieces in this show are all landscapes; trees commune with clouds, while colors dance from water to mountain to sky and beyond. The watercolors, too, share the force and vibrancy of our lush North country.

Life is: celebrate! Enjoy art, and make some of your own! For inspiration, dig around in a garden, or walk through some woods, or go see Lee Ann's and Meg's work in Saranac Lake. Or - all of the above!