Blogger Show Weekend

Brightness, 2007, Oil on Panel, 18x24

Well I meant to get this post up on Monday, however I had to get right to work Monday morning and that stretched into the whole day. No time to bask in the afterglow of our lovely weekend in NYC at all!

We left first thing Friday morning, but still managed to get to the city later than intended. I did a quick change at the hotel and Doug and I met up with Mary and her family (Mary is as nice in person as she is on her blog, and her family is wonderful) at Doug's showroom in Soho and then I dragged them off to my gallery a few doors down to show off view a few of my paintings. We chatted some more at the showroom and then had a quick dinner before they had to leave to catch a show. Doug and I went back to our room at the Soho Grand (I splurged, ok, I admit that I always splurge, I am very spoiled when it comes to hotels, so sue me) where were we watched tv and fell asleep by 10pm. Woo-hoo.

On Saturday I had hoped we would get down to Chelsea and visit a few galleries, but one of Doug's clients called and wanted to meet with him around noon. I decided to just walk around Soho, which is something I always enjoy doing and I visited all of my favorite little shops and galleries there. When I went back to the hotel there were a lot of paparazzi out front, they were there the whole weekend actually, but we never did find out who they were stalking looking for.

Finally we got to the opening and the first person we saw was Chris Rywalt, who gave me a big hug. While I am not really a hugger, I allowed this one (and actually I hugged and was hugged many times at this opening) because he wrote an awesome description about seeing my work for the first time and I was really feeling the love. Heh. I was very happy to meet his wife, Dawn, and I immediately liked her. Gradually I began to figure out who some of the other people were, after trying to connect blog photos with the real life in front of me and I have to say that I really got a kick out of introducing myself to people. I so enjoyed the recognition after I said my name (can you say shallow?), because it's so rare that anyone ever knows who I am. Anyway, I was pleased to be able to talk in person with so many of the people that I have read about over the last few years such as Sharon, Dan, Nancy, Stephanie, Susan, John, and my new best friend, Brent, who also said some nice things about my work and since I am easy, now I love him. Heh. A whole crowd of us went out for pizza after the opening ended and we all sat and chatted for hours. It was so much fun even if I did miss a few bloggers (Lisa, Steven, Martin) who couldn't make it to the opening.

Finally we all parted ways and Doug and I made our way back to the hotel. We decided to have a drink in the hotel lounge with all of the ultra cool, fashionable and thin people. We were perched seated at a tiny little table and chair set behind a couch with a couple on it who were making out about an inch away from my elbow. The music got noticeably louder every ten minutes and the only time we felt even remotely cool was when we told the (very cute) waiter that yes, we were staying at the hotel and please add the charge to our room. Oh and did I mention that we were by far the oldest people in the bar? We were.

On Sunday morning we had a great breakfast at a restaurant near the showroom and after buying a $27 dollar, 9 piece box of truffles with ingredients such as chili peppers, fennel, wasabi and paprika, for our babysitter, we headed home. While we were in the city, I was pretty sure I wanted to live there permanently, conveniently ignoring the financial ridiculousness of that ever happening. But all that was a distant fantasy once we got home to the farm, our kids, pets and near freezing temperatures.

Happy to go, happy to come back. Ain't that the way.

Thank you to John and Susan, and to everyone who helped organize and hang the show. It looked wonderful!

The One With All the Plugs

Quiet Country Intersection, 2007, Oil on Birch Panel, 12x24

Just a short hello and goodbye today. I have 97,693 things to do today before Doug and I leave for New York City tomorrow morning. And those things are a bit difficult because of the sugar coma I am currently suffering from. The kids really raked in the candy last night, which means Doug and I had ourselves a little candy party today after they left for school. We never learn.

Anyway, I am totally looking forward to our weekend in the city and have arranged to meet up with Mary and her husband for dinner on Friday. Saturday night is the opening for The Blogger Show, (at Agni Gallery, 170 East 2nd Street, Storefront #3, 6-9pm) and meeting the other bloggers in the show will surely be a lot of fun. Also, I hope that anybody out there who lives nearby will come to the opening and say hi to me.

And please, to anyone of the bloggers who are in town, or to readers who are coming in for the opening, please feel free to stop by Doug's showroom at 51 Wooster (oops and don't forget about my gallery, a few doors down, Multiple Impressions). We will be in and out of the store on Friday and Saturday, but if you miss us you can talk to Javier about the fossils that are on display. They are pretty amazing and worth a trip to Soho. In my completely unbiased opinion, of course. Heh.

I'll be back here on Monday, with a very wordy review of the weekend, I am sure.

It's a Good Review

Moody Fall Day, 2007, Oil on Birch Panel, 12x16

And so because I am completely self involved, I signed myself up for Google Alerts earlier this year. Whenever my name shows up somewhere I get an email and a link to the item. It's not always me; often I get links to other Helgesons, including a basketball player who seemingly kicks butt for Purdue based on how often I hear about her.

However, besides the alert for my own posts, I have also been getting a lot of alerts lately, mostly because of The Blogger Show and my upcoming show at Boxheart Gallery in Pittsburgh. Today a review came in regarding a few pieces that Boxheart has included in a group show, currently on display. I don't get reviews too often, so when I do, expect to hear me crow about it! It was a positive article regarding the show, the artists and he discusses one of my paintings (shown below) plus he made mention of my solo show in November.

Speaking of which, I am very busy trying to finish up the pieces for that. I have to work every day until next Friday, when Doug and I are leaving to spend the weekend in NYC. And when I get back, I will have to begin packing up and shipping all of the work out right away.

Yikes! I wasn't stressed at all until I just wrote that down....

First View of the Morning, 2006, Oil on Panel, 18x24

Links

Sometimes They Fall Down, 2007, Oil on Birch Panel, 18x24

I thought I'd post a few links today to some blogs that I have been reading lately. Because, you know, y'all should do whatever I do. Heh.

Elijah at Art and Critique has done a series of reviews of my work, including several posts concerning individual paintings. Go on over and check out what he says, not just about me, but about other works of art as well.

I came across Sheree's blog a few weeks ago and am really liking it. She has a wicked sense of humor and I like her outlook on life, frustrations, thankfulness and all.

Marjojo left a comment on my blog once and I went to check her out. Her work and writing is filled with such soft intensity that I couldn't help but be hooked. No pun intended, even though much of her work is crochet.

Dorothy linked to me in a recent post (she is one of my lurkers) and when I checked out her blog, I was blown away by her photography. It's incredible. Go check it out and make sure to look through the archives.

Also, while I am posting links, please check out The Blogger Show page here. The opening for the New York show is in less than two weeks (Saturday November 3rd, 6-9pm, Agni Gallery, 170 East 2nd Street, Storefront #3, NYC) and I sure look forward to meeting a number of people who have been a virtual part of my life for the last few years. I also hope that readers/lurkers here will come out and say hi to me and Doug. The opening should be a good time!

Upcoming Travel

Patterson Road Barn, 2007, Oil on Panel, 16x20

Besides trying to get back into the painting groove (I have been partially successful; I have done some really nice underpaintings, but have yet to break out the color, always the most challenging part) I have been making what seems like a million travel plans. Well, it's only three, but still.

I don't hate traveling, but it's not something I love either. I like it best when it's rare, a short trip, and when the place I am staying at is more comfortable than my own home. Heh. Actually I am not really joking there, I am very finicky about where I stay. So sue me.

Anyway, I have decided to go to Atlanta to attend the opening reception of "Six of One," a group exhibition to introduce six new artists at Twinhouse Gallery. I don't really have to go, and they don't expect me to be there, but it's a new gallery for me and so I have decided that I should go. Unfortunately, Doug will not be able to go with me to this one. I think this will be the first time that he hasn't accompanied me to an opening where I am showing work. Hopefully, I won't do anything more embarrassing than usual without him next to me.

Next up is a day or two in New York City for the Blogger Show opening at Agni Gallery. Obviously, I am totally looking forward to this opening, to finally have the chance to meet fellow bloggers and to see their work in person as well. Of course that could be a bit risky and I am especially concerned that anyone I meet who reads this blog will realize how utterly boring, silly and middle aged I actually am in real life. Although I suspect my secret may already be out, hehe.

And I just made the flight arrangements for Doug and I to go to Pittsburgh for the solo show opening reception at Boxheart Gallery on November 17. I have had this one on my schedule for almost 3 years (no exaggeration) and it's hard to believe that it's actually almost here. I am also looking forward to meeting up with a few fellow artists while there, including Susan Constanse and John Morris of Digging Pitt Gallery that I have corresponded with via our blogs and email.

The other portion of The Blogger Show, to be held at Digging Pitt Gallery in Pittsburgh, will have an opening reception on December 8. I will have a piece in that show, however I don't know yet if I will be able to go to that opening. I would like to, but I have to wait until it gets a bit closer to see how my studio time is going. I have a solo show in January and things could be a bit hairy in early December if I am still finishing up the work for that.

I am looking forward to these events, yet am also feeling a bit tired in advance.....

Juggling

Red Roof, 2007, Oil on Panel, 8x10

Well, despite being pretty busy the last few days, and being terribly lazy about getting started in the studio, I did manage to get quite a few 8x10 paintings finished up. I am juggling a few deadlines right now, and they are all on this Friday, mostly because on Saturday we are going on a week long family vacation to the Lakes Region in New Hampshire. So this is what I have to do before we leave (doesn't count packing or cleaning the house):

The Harrison Gallery has been doing a bang up job selling my work lately and they need more paintings in their inventory. So I need to ship them at least four, although six would probably be better.

I am in a group show, called Upstate Landscape at a local gallery, the Smithy-Pioneer Gallery in Cooperstown, NY. I have to drop off about six pieces on Friday, and the opening is on Monday. We will miss it, which is unfortunate, because we usually know so many people at their openings.

The Blogger Show needs to have jpegs by August 31, of the two pieces that I plan to put into the show which is in November. So, um, I have to paint those paintings this week....

And the local arts org is having their annual Arts on the Lawn sale and so even though I have decided not to participate this year, I probably will end up doing it anyway. Since the events starts before we get back from vacation, I will have to drop off the work before we leave.

I have about 15 paintings in progress (five are essentially finished) and will totally be holding my breath this week, hoping that I don't screw up more than one of them. Heh.

After a bit of trial and error, I have a pretty good system for keeping track of all of this stuff. I have a calendar next to my desk which has the deadlines written on it, plus as a back up I take notes on a notepad on my desk. Cause sometimes I don't even feel like actually turning my head to look at the calendar. I also have a Day Runner type month-in-view calendar in a binder which I use to map out shows and projects for the upcoming year. Although I don't refer to that very often, it's great to have the overview easily available. And I always add the opening receptions that I have to go to, to the FAMILY MASTER CALENDAR, centrally located in the kitchen. That way the kids can see when the 'rents are going out of town!

The interesting thing I have found is that if I write everything down, I always remember all of it and rarely have to check the dates. If I don't write it down, I forget the info entirely. So I take special care to write the important stuff down leaving the rest to mysteriously disappear into the recesses of my shrinking brain.