Art Car

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March at the Maitland Art Center involved a solid month of artistic events called Art 31, meaning 31 days of art. On March 25th, I arrived early for the Artists Critique and Conversation in the Germaine Marvel Building, 210 W. Packwood Avenue, Maitland. Artist and muralist Andrew Spear had covered a Toyota with symbols and patterns inspired by the many sculpted patterns on the Maitland Art Center campus. The car was silver and some of the panels had been painted white to accentuate the line work added to the car. He made a wonderful use of just one color, orange which  showed up throughout. The car had a pizza delivery or taxi signage with information about Art 31.

Although we never experience fall or winter here in Central Florida, there were plenty of leaves blowing around the carport across from the Art Center. Which reminds, me, it was a very windy day. A couple had taken the afternoon off and were bringing their ten year old son to the museum. He noticed me seated in the car port and kept his eyes on me. His parents never looked anywhere but straight ahead. The building had recently been covered with blue plastic as part of the 31 days of art. The plastic rustled and snapped in the wind.

I was one of the first people to arrive at the Critique which was a blood bath.

The Cottage at Lake Lilly

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Dawn Shreiner took over the Artist Critique and Conversation series at the Maitland Art Center from Josh Garrick. Dawn asked me to be a panelist on the evening of January 28th. The Facebook invitation said that the Critique would be at the Cottage at Lake Lilly, 701 Lake Lily Drive, Maitland FL.  I decided to get to the cottage early and sketch. As the sun set, it projected wonderful golden beams across the lawn. Big ugly ducks waddled right up to me to see what I was up to. Maybe they thought the paint was food. They eventually lost interest.

I found it odd that no one entered the cottage as I sketched. It was getting close to the start time of the critique as I finished up. Dawn finally arrived and I joined her on the porch. A small card was taped to the door that said the location had been changed to the Maitland Art Center. “Josh darn it!” Dawn said and she took off. I shouted out that I would be there soon.  I threw down a few more washes on my sketch then packed up to head over.

This artist development series offers artists a unique opportunity to have their work reviewed by a panel of professional artists. Camilo Velasquez was the other panelist. Ironically Camilo was the guest panelist the last time I was a panelist over a year ago. There were only three artists who wanted feedback on their work so the session was quick and to the point. Delores Haberkorn showed a large painting of a Christ like figure floating in space cradling a fetus in his out stretched hands. He stared out at the viewer in an unnerving way. We stressed the need for some soft edges and warmth in the fetal form. I pointed out that Christ should probably look at the child in his grasp. This painting was a big departure for Delores, so it was exciting to see her tackle new ground. Dawn offered insightful feedback on composition and maintaining a center of focus. Another artist showed paintings done from photos and there is always a sort of uncommitted calmness to work filtered through another photographer’s lens. Another artist showed a sumi brush painting of a horse. I thought it was direct and bold but would become simpler and more direct after she did several hundred of them. I encouraged her to find a horse barn and do these brush paintings from life. Camilo advised her not to mimic a culture that developed the style over hundreds of years.

Camilo ended by saying there was plenty of love seen in all the work shown. Our comments were meant to help guide the pieces towards completion, but as long as each new painting was approached with love, then the artist is on the right track.

The next critique takes place on Tuesday, March 25th at 6:00 PM

Featuring Lead Panelist Rebecca Sexton Larson

March Guest Panelists: Famed Gallerist Mindy Solomon

 LOCATION THIS MONTH: GERMAINE MARVEL BUILDING

210 W. Packwood Avenue, Maitland

The Art & History Museums – Maitland (A&H) proudly hosts Artists’ Critique & Conversation,
an exciting initiative to assist in the professional development of
local artists.   Artists’ Critique & Conversation is held
bi-monthly, on the 4th Tuesday of every other month at 6:00 p.m.

Artists’ Critique and Conversation is FREE and the
public is encouraged to attend. A bar is available with beer, wine,
water and soft drinks.  Artists of every medium and skill level are
encouraged to participate in the critiques.  Each critique will review
up to 9 artists, and all artists must sign up in advance. Interested artists can sign up in advance for one of the nine slots by emailing rebecca@artandhistory.org. 

Culture Pop

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On November 8th, I exhibited a sketch at the Maitland Art Center (231 W. Packwood Avenue, Maitland FL.) Devin Dominguez had the unique idea of exhibiting art on clothes lines in the museum’s courtyard. Since there was no charge to the artists, I submitted a sketch for the evening. My sketch was on the right hand clothesline in that inverted pyramid stand.

The evening included music, poetry from Maitland Poets and Writers, and food from Gator County BBQ Food Truck and of course cocktails. The Art and History Museum’s Main Galleries will were open for guests to enjoy A Day in the Life of the Research Studio and shop at the Museum Store. Terry stopped out, excited to hear local author Naomi Butterfield read. Inside the Art Center, there was an exhibit by the first artist in residence in 56 years,  Josette Urso from Brooklyn New York. This is the first formal,
nationally competitive Residency program at the Art and History Center since
Smith’s fellowship program, which was funded by Mary Curtis Bok from
1938 through 1957. Several of Josette’s pen and ink drawings were absolutely stunning. I should have bought one. All the sketches and drawings were done around the Maitland Museum property, having the Mayan motifs. Other work was more abstract. It was a really good exhibition.

We ran in to a former colleague of Terry’s who was exhibiting several photos of horses. The plan was to stay until the event closed and then take the sketch home that night, but after watching several readings, Terry wanted to go out to get some dinner. We ended up getting some fast food. I picked up my art a week later.