White Oak Studio

Last night was the opening reception for the annual "Mistletoe Mart" holiday sale at the South Haven Center for the Arts www.southhavenarts.org in South Haven, Michigan. The center was ablaze with lights, holiday cheer and creative artwork made by local artists. I was definitely impressed with the overall beauty of the center and especially the fact that volunteers create this amazing display in only three days time. 

The center was full of visitors when we arrived around 7 p.m. and the party was well underway. Trays of delicious hor'ordeurves and cookies were being passed around by volunteers and wine was flowing. Everyone was smiling and in a festive mood.

This is both a social and promotional event for us and one we enjoy tremendously. So I am always surprised when I see so few artists attending... I wonder if they realize that their $25.00 entry fee includes one ticket to the event and just how important it is to be present and to mingle with quests?

I always spend quite a bit of time making plans for new work to bring to this showcase. This year I brought more canvas's than ever before (including my new 5" X 5" size mini-canvas's) three calligraphy scrolls and a stack of "artists papers" (with sizing) for the first time - marketing them to the local artists who paint and letter. I also sent sheets with leaves in them specifically earmarked for photographers who would like a lovely handmade paper background to frame a photo.

Last year I sold a 22" X 28" canvas at this event and am hopeful that I will sell as well again this year.

Friday, November 2, was the night of my art opening and reception for the exhibit "Dialog With Plants: Handmade Paper on Canvas" at the Till Midnight Restaurant, Holland http://www.tillmidnight.biz/artgallery.htm.

I was so excited that Gene and I arrived about a half hour early to give me time to create my special flower arrangement for the welcome table. I had purchased long-stemmed rust and yellow mums and yellow yarrow and mixed them with ornamental grasses and Autumn Sedum Joy from my garden.

The reception, held from 6 to 8 p.m., was a success. I was especially pleased with how Gallery Director, Sally VanderPloeg, hung my two-dimensional canvas's and how the overall grouping looked upon entering the gallery. The natural/neutral colors of the plant materials on canvas looked rich and highly textured against the dark taupe painted wall.

Traffic flowed consistently throughout the evening in a generous pace and nearly everyone made a point of being complimentary about the art. I polled many visitors, asking, "How did you heard about this event?" and it appeared that about 60% received a mailed postcard from the restaurant and about 40% saw the short article in the Holland Sentintal http://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/110107/haps_20071101090.shtml.

I was thrilled when one of my newly created 12" X 12" square pieces from "The Door Series," Door #1, sold to a former WOS&G customer who had received my postcard invitation. I had hoped that the series would sell together as a triptic but this did not happen.