Gray Day in Wildwood

Gray Day in Wildwood

Oil on black canvas, 16x16

While I was at the show in Chattanooga, a friend invited me to stay at her farm in Wildwood, Georgia, just outside of Chattanooga. It was a beautiful spot to stay during a show. The nights were calm and quiet, the mornings soft with the light reaching over the mountains, and the house was welcoming and and warm. 

A thing I loved, that most people might not, was the regular sound of trains passing nearby, blowing their whistles all day and deep into the night. 

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Whenever I see a sign like this, I always imagine sharpshooters 

up in airplanes, taking aim at speeding drivers. Do you?

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Dog of the Day

It's Stanley, on his birthday! 

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A Final Thought

"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, 

and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen." 

- Leonardo da Vinci

Siena

Siena

Oil on canvas, 12x12

101 Dogs Project painting

The 101 Dogs Project is rolling along! We're nearing the half-way point, but there are still plenty of slots for you. Sponsors (or patrons, however you want to think of it) receive an original painting of their dogs, a book or poster of all the paintings when the project is finished, and some project-related goodies, too. In addition, I'm donating money from each sponsorship to a dog-related group. 

Click here to read about the project, here to read about the groups I've chosen (or you can choose your own, if there's one close to your heart), and here to read about the stuff you can get (or you can choose no stuff, and I'll give more money to the group you choose.) 

It's such a fun project, and I'm loving every minute of it, every dog, every portrait. I hope you'll consider being a part of it! 

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THIS WEEKEND, I'll be in Arts in the Park in Richmond, VA. The show is Saturday and Sunday, 11-6 and 11-5 respectively, in the lovely Byrd Park. I'm in Booth 90. 

Can't make it to Richmond? The following weekend, I'll be at the Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival, Crozet, VA.  There, I'll be in Booth T-117, under the big tent. 

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Seen Around Town

 

Above, Pat (left) and Patricia, looking dashing one recent afternoon. If I hadn't been taking the photo, I know I'd have fit right in! 

Below, Seaside Antiques and Art, which is run by Pat (left, above) and Carol, is nearly ready to open. A couple years ago, someone driving a truck down Main Street smashed into it, knocking it off its foundation, and leading to massive breakage and damage of Pat and Carol's beautiful inventory. Click here to see pretty amazing photos I took right after the accident.

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Dogs of the Day 

Lulu, left, and Doc have amused me endlessly this week. In the past couple days, they've both launched themselves from one piece of furniture toward another - and both missed the landings. Neither seemed to hesitate or measure or put any thought at all into their efforts. They were on one chair, they wanted to be on another - and it never occurred to them that they couldn't fly. Neither was hurt by the misadventure, neither seemed to notice much or care. It remains to be seen whether they've learned anything from these failed efforts. 

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A Final Thought

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." 

- Pablo Picasso

Five Waders - and Fun in Chattanooga!

Take Me to the River

Oil on black canvas, 36x60

sold

I had a nice time in Chattanooga, and such a successful show that I skipped the show in Memphis and came home to paint for shows April 30-May 1 in Richmond, and May 7-8 in Crozet, VA.

The show in Chattanooga took place in a pavilion that's a lovely mix of indoor and outdoor space. Lots of people showed up, and they were supportive and knowledgeable - and they bought my paintings.

I had some extra special surprises, too! I had just finished a sale, and was rehanging and straightening paintings when I turned around and, well, worlds collided. There at the threshold of my booth was my dear friend Carden Holland - who lives in Pennsylania! She'd read that I was in the show in Chattanooga, and taken the opportunity to come south and see me, and visit with a sweet cousin of hers who lives in Chattanooga.

Carden (left) is a gifted artist who taught art in schools in southeastern Connecticut for many years. She was a friend of my mother's first, and through that friendship, Carden and I became friends. She was one of the very first people who liked my paintings, and supported the idea that I could become a professional artist. Carden and I had shows together, at the now-defunct Lighthouse Gallery in Groton, and at the Groton Public Library. Check out her beautiful work by clicking here.

Another wonderful surprise was a visit by Beth James, (left) a faithful blog reader! We had never met, but now I feel we are friends.
Below, the space where the show took place.                                                                      

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This sign in Chattanooga was just there, without explanation. 

Far as I could tell, it was the only one like it in the city... 

If you have a photo of a funny sign or any amusing sight, and you'd like to share it with readers of The Accidental Artist, please email it to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com!

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Dogs of the Day

It's Hazel, in the back, and Stanley, in the front. A friend in Chattanooga offered me a great place to stay, and brought Hazel and Stanley over to visit after the show. 

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A Final Thought

"Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something." 

-Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor & Park

Higher Ground

Higher Ground

Oil on canvas, 36x36

Please click here to email me for price and availability

I realized with a jolt that I have shows the next four weekends. Yikes! What was I thinking? 

In part, I think that since two are in April and two are in May, it just didn't hit me that they were consecutive. Also, I think I accepted all four shows during a stretch in which it seemed every show to which I applied had rejected me. 

So I've been painting under pressure, and I have responded well to it, as usual. Painting while terrified seems to pull good stuff from me. I think it's because it forces me to focus, to push, and to paint without thought or regret. 

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THE AFOREMENTIONED SHOWS are: 

• April 15-17, 4 Bridges Art Festival, Chattanooga, TN. I'll be in Booth 118
• April 23-24, Art Squared, Memphis, TN
• April 30-May 1, Arts in the Park, Richmond, VA
• May 7-8 - Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival, Crozet, VA. Booth T117.

Hope to see you at one! 

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Dog of the Day

I met these two in Petsmart in Virginia Beach last week. They live in Phoenix, and their human had just been laid off from a job she had had for decades. She always visited the California coast, she said, and decided to visit the Atlantic while she figured out what to do with her life. She was cheerful and philosophical, and I'm pretty sure she will end up doing something great.

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A Final Thought

"I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart." 

- Vincent Van Gogh

The Dreams I've Seen

The Dreams I've Seen

Oil on black canvas, 16x16

Please click here to email me for price and availability

 Oh, OUCH. The scene to the left was what I saw on Sunday, when I left Hartford, CT, to head home to Wachapreague. Honestly, it seemed like a late, lame April Fool's joke. While the snow stopped an hour or so past Hartford, the 32-degree temperature kept me focused on the surface of the road, and the potential for black ice.

Then on Tuesday morning, it snowed here in Wachapreague! Just too much.    

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THE WEATHER ALSO figured into my weekend plans. It rained most of the day on Saturday, so there was no painting outside Center Framing & Art in West Hartford Center, CT. I had a nice time, even so. I got to spend time with some people who really love my paintings and came in specially to see me and talk with me. It was great! 

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Dog of the Day

Saw this old guy last week at the Island House restaurant here in Wachapreague. It was a bit cold to be dining outdoors, but the dog and his human thought it was just perfect. 

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A Final Thought

"Creativity takes courage."

- Henri Matisse