Making Ripples: post-corporate adventures in Floyd County Virginia

We all need beauty in our lives...

Thanks to Andrea Marshall, Floyd County artist, jeweler, and musician, we have the gift of these fantastic Christmas ornaments made from dried okra and a little bit of fairy dust.

It is truly amazing how artists create beauty from humble elements.

 

Andrea's ornaments and jewelry can be found at Art Under the Sun on So Locust Street in downtown Floyd Virginia. She will often be heard performing during the Friday night gallery openings for the rest of the month.

Floyd artists are still creating - in spite of everything

Wall Street is melting down and the Presidential campaigns are sowing discord, but here in Floyd County new and old artists are still creating art that touches the heart and imagination. The Jacksonville Center in Floyd County, Virginia, held an Artists Reception for the "Mountain Color" Exhibit at the Hayloft Gallery on Saturday October 11.

Karen Sewell's tryptich was titled "Color Beyond Belief" and has already been snapped up by a fortunate buyer.

Fred First's trio of photographic images elicited a lot of favorable comment, both for the subject matter and composition and for the stunning frames created by local artist Ron Campbell.

Ron Campbell also submitted this marvelous creation in wood and stained glass titled, "Scooter and Wedge"

Gretchen St Lawrence's pastel drawing, "Mountain Sunset" attracted a lot of attention.

My personal favorite was her still life "Floyd Peaches".

A new artist to me was Barbara Gillespie whose painting, "God's Hand in Light" lit up one end of the gallery.

Pat Bonsignore's paintings have a classical feel and her "Sunlight and Shadow" captivated viewers.

Charlotte Lou Atkins pastel, "Mushrooming" captures the spirit of bygone times and blazing fall colors.

Catherine Pauley, one of Floyd's art legends, displayed several pieces that were a complete departure from her usual style. This silkscreen print called "Father's Day" demonstrates her ability to touch our emotions regardless of what media she work in.

This will be the last exhibit of 2008 and will be open through November 30. If you tour the Blue Ridge Parkway this Fall, make sure you take time to visit Floyd and the Jacksonville Center.

Another artist with a spirit of play

 

Martha Jane McDowell has long been one of my favorite artists/ sculptors/ creative spirits because she is always willing to work in new mediums and her work generally has an element of wry humor.

This concrete and tile goat, titled Sustainable Living I, is determinedly consuming recyclable plastic bottles.

The title worked for me on several levels. The goat is recycled and it is depicted in the act of recycling.

With its skinny rebar legs, and its lacework scarf and gold earring, it has a certain jaunty air even while it reminded me of those unfortunates who eke out a living picking through other people's refuse.

Like many of Martha's works, it made me think of issues far beyond the quiet gallery in which it stands.

Way to go, Martha! I can't wait to see what you do next.

There are many excellent artists on display in the Jacksonville Center's Hayloft Gallery. Indulge yourself and take an hour to wander through the 6th Annual New Works Exhibition by Regional Artists which runs through September 29.

You may find that every piece on display has something to say to you.

More Art coming through the Frame Shop

This pastel pencil drawing of Don Quixote by artist N S Goodwin has been stored away in a closet for 30 years and has never been framed or seen in public before. It is a marvelous take on the Don Quixote legend and it deserves to be admired.

What you see here is a computer-generated rendition of the mat and frame combination that will be used to protect and preserve this drawing.

An image of the finished frame will be posted on our framing website when it is complete.

I now get exposed to more art every week than I used to see in months and it is a deeply satisfying experience.

We have fine local artists and I get to see new works every day. This is an ongoing challenge because there are so many different objectives for framing a piece of art and there are so many constraints to take into consideration.

Art is a communication which evokes an emotional response in the viewer. Like any communication, the response depends on the mindset of the viewer as well as the intention and skill of the artist. Framing is almost subliminal. When done well, it should appear as a logical  extension of the artwork, not as a thing in itself.

The final result of a framing project should honor the message of the piece and present it to the expected audience in a way that tastefully maximizes the impact. When I hear that artwork we have framed has made a lasting and positive impression, I feel like we have made an appropriate contribution to the artist's original intention.

That is a desirable outcome for any project.

What does the Jacksonville Center do for Floyd County?

It helps keep Floyd green

For 13 years, the Jacksonville Center has been supporting artistic endeavors and rural creativity in our region. It is an organization of dedicated volunteers backed up by an extremely small group of paid staff members.

It serves as a focus for creating and supporting new artists and artisans. There is no other activity in Floyd that is dedicated to that activity. The public schools offer art instruction and various artists offer internships, but until recently, there were few other opportunities for artists to learn new skills and display their works locally.

Not everyone is aware that some internationally renown artists and artisans teach courses at the Jacksonville Center. Some instructors drive long distances to help students develop their skills and launch careers.

One of the outstanding aspects of the Jacksonville Center Community is the way experienced and successful artists share their hard-won knowledge with newcomers to the field of art.

Hundreds of successful artists and artisans in the region are members of the Jacksonville center and some are members of the Board or manage the Hayloft Gallery exhibitions. Their actions inspire others to contribute to the Center and to take courses.

Every year, some students choose to become artists and artisans after taking courses from the professional artists at the Jacksonville Center. These new artists become contributors to the local economy and some return to teach at the Jacksonville Center as they gain professional skills and generate their own following of fans.

There is a synergy at the Jacksonville Center that keeps it going, even though the Center is perpetually strapped for operating funds. Grant money may pay for buildings and additions, but operating expenses are supported by donations from businesses and individuals. That is why there are so many volunteers who give time and money to keep the center open. It is one of the few places in the county where you or your children can unlock your creativity and learn skills from professionals in the field of arts.

But, even after 13 years of serving Floyd County, some people still don't understand why government grant money is provided to the non-profit Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd instead of "deserving individual artists".

They really don't comprehend that the Jacksonville Center IS DESERVING INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.

They also don't understand that grants aren't "given" away. They must be won through a carefully thought-out application process and after a lot of hard work. The grants are government's way of extending government services without adding the taxpayer burden of a staff of government employees and a local government office.

The few naysayers who say "stay away from the Jacksonville Center and support local independent artists and craftspeople and their displays in privately owned galleries and studios" do not have a clue what the Jacksonville Center does and must not be talking to the many artists and gallery owners who support the Jacksonville Center and donate time to it.

If you are an artist, you want your work in as many venues as possible and you want those venues to promote you and your privately owned studio as much as possible. The Jacksonville Center does this. It is open to all artists and is a resource that this county is very fortunate to have.

The next time you find someone criticizing the Jacksonville Center for "competing" with Floyd artists in any way, you might ask them exactly "who" is being affected. You will not get any specifics, only general grumbling.

The Jacksonville Center is non-commercial and is run by local artists and other volunteers. Anyone criticizing the Jacksonville Center as being "bad for local art businesses" has a hidden agenda and deserves being investigated themselves.

We need all of the cultural incentives we can muster to inspire us to unlock our creativity. The Jacksonville Center and the artists who support it are a driving force for self-sustaining economic development in Floyd County. Selling talent will help keep Floyd green. Selling only land leads to another, and less desirable future for Floyd.

Help develop local talent in all areas and help keep Floyd green.

Floyd County Artists and Group Dynamics

These desert cottonwoods are the latest in a series of pastels produced by my wife Gretchen. Her daily association with five other artists in the newly created Floyd Artists Association has spurred her on to create in areas she had not previously explored.

The rest of these images are works from other artists in the group. As you can see, each has a unique perspective and vision.

As an interested observer, I see the effects that occur when several artists work together in one studio. They may be working on different projects, but they take time to observe each others solutions to tricky problems and this accelerates the learning process.

They have created a strong bond of mutual support which draws upon the different strength that each brings to the group. They are growing as artists and at the same time they are working in concert to refine the business model for their gallery/studio Art Under the Sun in Floyd, Virginia.

They also provide affordable classes and individual instruction for aspiring artists in the Floyd area. They want to encourage others to unleash their creativity and build a strong community of emerging artists in this area of Virginia.

If you would like to learn more about the classes or about joining this group, visit the website artunderthesun.org or call 540-745-7367.

(click on images to enlarge)

Artist Laurelsong Cook at the Cafe del Sol

This powerful image is just one of many paintings by Laurelsong Cook that have just been put on display at the Cafe del Sol, in Floyd, Virginia.

I have a great affinity for Hawaii and Laurelsong's painting evoke memories of a tranquil and spiritual existence that is all too rare in today's world.

Laurelsong works in acrylics on canvas and her stunning array of underwater and island images capture the feeling of life in that tropical paradise..

Laurelsong never planned to leave Hawaii, but she recently married Luke Staengl, local Floyd businessman, and Hawaii's loss is our gain.

Watching Laurelsong and Luke hang paintings in the Cafe del Sol is like being invited to a private party. Each painting that goes up on the wall changes the equation and invites one to examine the paintings anew.

These paintings have such vibrancy and power that they literally brighten even the darkest corners of the Cafe. The subject matter inevitable reminded me of Wyland's work, but where Wyland's images seem to project static serenity, Laurelsong's paintings vibrate with life. That's my personal bias of course, give me life over serenity any time.

Laurelsong's philosophy is that art can heal our bodies and minds. If you visit her exhibition at the Cafe del Sol, you will see for yourself that her work creates an upbeat and optimistic mood.

Thanks again to Sally and Frank Walker of the Cafe del Sol for making it possible for us to enjoy fine art with gourmet coffee.

Moving out of your comfort zone - part 4

Earlier this year, I wrote an article about moving out of your comfort zone in which I said that this action can produce rewards beyond your expectations. This pastel drawing is a result of this kind of adventure. It is just one of many of Gretchen's drawings now on display in her new online gallery at gretchenstlawrencestudio.com

Gretchen decided to redefine herself as an artist after years as a high tech program manager and she has been successfully establishing a distinctive style and a following in just a few short months.

In the process, she had to overcome all sorts of self-imposed barriers to becoming a professional artist. She was helped to a large degree by the fact that she works with a group of supportive artists and paints with them on a weekly basis. Working in a community of aligned people eases the stress of moving out of your comfort zone.

Recent changes in technology have lowered the bar to launching a career in almost every area. You can now create and publish your work on the Internet for less than it costs to subscribe to a major newspaper.

You can create professional looking websites and keep them updated for a few dollars a month. This opens the door to new opportunities for professionals in their mid-forties who see career roadblocks looming in their future.

Think of it this way: You have been accumulating business experience for many years on somebody else's nickel. Isn't it time you turned this hard won experience to your advantage and used it to secure a livelihood that gives you great satisfaction and which you can control?

As a self-employed businessman or artisan you may make far less money than you did as a high-flying big city executive, but you gain something priceless: control of your own time.

There is so much that you gain in this transformation that it would fill a book. You can check out the articles I've written in the micro business category to get a taste of what is in store when you move out of your comfort zone and take control of your future by creating a business of your own.

You may not choose to become an artisan, but the path to success in any new field often starts with training or apprenticeship. In October, I wrote my first article about late-life artists who are transforming life experience into art. I noted that many of these mid and late-life artists were launched into a new career by taking a course taught by a professional artist.

I have continued to follow these artists and see that a number of them are producing an increasing volume of excellent work and are developing viable careers. It takes hard work, but they say it is extremely rewarding and would not consider reverting to their previous occupations. 

You have the same opportunity and it all starts when you decide to move out of your comfort zone. When you decide to make your move, you will find that there are people who are willing to assist you

Gretchen's Hammer

I have such a thing about hard, shiny tools that Gretchen has to drag me away from the tool displays in places like Lowes and Home Depot. When I saw this hammer at the recent Winterfest Arts and Crafts event at the Jacksonville Center, I was instantly hooked.

Gretchen wasn't with me and the combination of a well-made hammer and the marlinspike knotwork was too much to resist. I just had to have this one-of-a-kind tool, so I purchased the hammer from Tom Barnhart and he gave me a jute bag to take it home in.

When I showed Gretchen the hammer and saw her eyes light up, I suddenly realized that she would make better use of it than I would and the hammer would be kept and cherished as an "inside the house" tool. I presented it to her with only  the slightest quiver of regret and she has been happily using it ever since.

Tom Barnhart of River House Designs in Christiansburg is a practitioner of nautical knotting which has a long and colorful history. He learned this skill while in the US Navy back when knot work was a required skill. His display at Winterfest had many examples of beautiful knotwork. Here is his card for those of you who would like to see more of his work.

The end of a very long weekend

We've just concluded a two day Winterfest Arts and Crafts fair at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd, VA.

Just before closing, I finally had time to enjoy a moment in one of Douglas Alan Terrill's elegant Appalachian rockers which were the talk of the show. They are based on the work of Sam Maloof, America's most widely admired contemporary furniture craftsman.

These rockers are more than furniture. They are sculptures that bring out the spirit of the wood. This rocker looks like motion captured in flight and it  is every bit as comfortable as it is beautiful.

This is a $3800 rocker and for the discriminating customer it is well worth it when you consider that a Sam Maloof original costs more than $12000 $25000! The image to the right is a Sam Maloof rocker.

Thank you, Douglas, for a most enjoyable few minutes.

I will have more about this artist in a future article. He has no website yet, but you can contact him by email.