Artists are shovel ready! Stimulus money comes our way.

Read the  article in the Atlantic about the money allocated to the arts in president Obama's economic stimulus package.  We, artists are always ready to make new art!

Does anyone in our North Coast community plan to access any of these funds? If so please share the information in a comment.

I am ready! 

Wonderful video by Amy Uyeki and her students at NPA in Arcata

The video is called Morphology - enjoy! I love it, thank you Amy!

Also see Amy's webpage in the list of useful links.

Note: I find that the video does not always play on this imbedded YouTube screen. So here is the URL for Morphology; and did you know you can watch it on a full screen by clicking on the icon at the R bottom of the page, next to the sound icon.

About blogging, user interfaces, Steve Jobs and Marissa Mayer at Google

So what do all these items have in common? Well, I have been trying to make a useful, and attractive blog using standard Google formats, and  I noticed a story in Sunday's New York Times business section about the multitalented  and chic Marissa Mayer  - VP at Google and Google's user interface tzar. Now, I love user interface thinking, and I love  Steve Jobs. And I worry about him and I worry about Apple computer without him in the lead. I was there when he was in charge the first time around, and I saw what happened when he was ousted. So, I hope you are doing well Steve! In the meantime I think Marissa Mayer might have some of the talents that Steve has and the chutzpah too. Could she be the one to step into those insanely great shoes?

I also happen to like her aesthetic, she like I,  grew up with Marimekko designs. My mother was a friend of the founder Armi Ratia.  They worked together at Taucher's Advertising agency in Helsinki. I spent my teenage years dressed in Marimekkos. Now I sleep in Marimekko duvets.

She also likes Dale Chihuly -  and collects his work.  Does she like Miro?

And she studies the users' reactions to the Google interfaces and says: Design is a science not an art; imagination is a muscle; and the user interface needs to be fast and easy to read  (no subtle gray on gray).  So read about her, and check out her technical speeches for Google. And tell me what you think.  

And see if you think my art is influenced by sleeping in Maija Isola's flowered sheets?

Found Charlie Rose's interview with Marissa Mayer! Cool!

RAA, juried spring exhibition, be sure to participate!

The venue for this exhibit is our wonderful flagship for the arts,  the Morris Graves Museum.

Everybody should enter a piece. Check out the RAA website for the details. Entry deadline: March 22. 

The RAA website contains massive  links to artists and arts' organizations in Humboldt County. I've added it to my useful links. (see left side of blog)

I gleaned from the RAA site that the

juror for the upcoming RAA show is Manette Fairmont, curator, owner and award winning artist of the Fairmont Gallery in Sonoma. It turns out Jim McVicker, and Stock Schlueter are represented by this gallery. 

Here's one of her  paintings  " Sonoma Valley Winery".

I hope she does not mind me posting it here. There are many more images on her website, from near abstract watercolors to very representative landscapes in oil.

Often the visiting jurors give a presentation about how they went about choosing which art to include. It goes beyond selecting individual pieces of art to trying to create a cohesive show. Quite a challenge, I'm sure. One recent juror from Sacramento said that she wanted the show to be representative of Humboldt County. Wet, green and windy!?

I think participating in juried shows, open studios and alternative galleries as a fun form of community service. It adds greatly to the enjoyment of living here. I am grateful to the volunteers of art organizations, store owners and newspaper editors who give of their time to make this happen.

EPUG exhibit of members' digital art at the Hagopian Gallery, March 2009

Members of the Eureka Photoshop Users Group are showing their work at the Hagopian Gallery on the second floor, of our fine main library on the bay in Eureka. The show will be up for the month of March. My contributions are two digital collages depicting figs from our friends the Allen's orchard.

Monotypes of butterflies, hot off the press!

A pair of lovely butterflies that have found each other. The monotypes are based on a photograph of lilac bordered coppers, by Peter Haggard, coauthor of Insects of the Pacific Northwest, published by Timber Press. Used by permission. I have played with the colors. Tell me which version you like best!

North Coast Environmental Center, donation to 2009 auction, Sat. April 11

Another worthy cause. Lots of good art! Check it out on the NEC website.

My watercolor painting Purple Muse is part of a series of purple calla lilies I started painting in Bob Benson's watercolor class at College of the Redwoods. Bob brought the callas  to the class in a pot and we saw them open and change color during the class. Bob, kneeling on the floor, created several powerful paintings. Later I planted my own purple callas and I enjoy their brief bloom every spring. They change shape and colors in dramatic ways - and if you look closely they harbor a little pineapple in their longs throats.