Birds In Art 2012

It is with a great deal of anticipation I prepare for my trip to Wausau. Having the good fortune to be selected for the Woodson Art Museum's Birds In Art exhibit is and honor I don't take lightly. There are many old friends I'm looking forward to catching up with and I'm sure I'll make some new ones, too. I'll be rubbing shoulders with my contemporary heroes of wildlife art and hoping some of that brilliance sticks. This will be my 6th BIA opening and the trip has never failed to send my on my way with my head spinning. There is always a flood of new ideas knocking around in my head on the long drive home. I've learned to take a note pad and write things down as they come along.

My 2012 entry "Snow on Willow Bay"

I've always said that my first BIA exhibit was truly the launching pad for my art career. It was a Friday afternoon in early May of 2007 when I got the coveted "big envelope" that changed my world. I was driving to work and, as I always did, stopped at the post office to pick up my mail. I remember sitting in the truck trying to open the letter with my hands shaking. There was a flood of emotion as I saw "Congratulations!" in the first line. I almost didn't go to work that day, but what else was I going to do? I told the good news to a co-worker (and fellow struggling artist) that evening and mentioned how I wasn't sure if I'd go to the opening. She simply replied, "Are you out of your mind?!" Funny how those 6 words changed things for me. That was the moment I decided I had to go... even if it took my very last penny. When I look back on where I was as a painter 5 short years ago, I can't help but be stunned at the progress of my career... due in no small part to the people I met in Wausau. They helped get the ball rolling and I will be forever grateful.

2011 Year in Review

Looking back on another year, the chair in front of my easel is showing a lot of wear. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs… from having the Woodson Museum add my Birds In Art painting “Shimmer” to their permanent collection, to a crippling mid-summer sales slump that had me looking for a “real” job (I know! It was really that bad). Not only was 2011 my most prolific year painting, it also ended as my best year for sales… which isn’t saying much, but it’s been a slow steady improvement from one year to the next… and that’s always encouraging.

• The plein air workshop I attended in September taught by Jim Coe has been a springboard for my art. My color choices are more adventurous. I’m getting more comfortable working with oils. And of course, I’m loving painting outdoors! I’ll be doing more of that in 2012.



• The fly fishing bug of my youth has bitten me once again. I’m finding the hours I spend on trout streams even more enjoyable than I did when I was a youngster. It’s also led me to some interesting and beautiful places I would have otherwise passed by.



• Both the Southeastern Wildlife Expo and the Waterfowl Festival were sparkling successes for me. These shows give this old hermit a chance to make new friends, catch up with the old ones, and sell a painting or two. I really look forward to those events and hope to be a fixture there for the foreseeable future.



• Many thanks to Phillepe at the Lord Nelson’s Gallery in Gettysburg for taking a chance on me. I hope this is the beginning of a long and prosperous partnership.



• There were occasions when I found myself in out-of-the-way places with the most remarkable people. An extended road trip with master carver Larry Barth is high on that list. I also spent a morning waist-deep in a Maryland swamp, duck hunting with sculptors Paul Rhymer and Walter Matia. Nice J



• And lastly, I’d like to thank all the folks that take a moment out of their day to occasionally read this blog. The popularity has been humbling. Hats off to you.

So as the book closes on yet another year, I file it away for happy reflection. At the same time, I scan an especially ambitious list of goals for 2012. It looks like the coming year will be a wild one! Stay tuned…

SEWE

I found out yesterday I'll be at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, SC in February. This will be my first time at this show should be a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to it. The paint will be flying between now and then! I'm hoping to take at least 30 pieces with me. We'll see...