Boy - And Good Times at Paradise City

Boy

Oil on canvas, 12x12

Part of 101 Dogs project! 

I was part of a wonderful surprise at the Paradise City Arts Festival a couple weekends ago. 

Last year, in Omaha, I met a lovely woman named Fran, and we hit it off right away. We were similar in many respects, and had a number of shared experiences that shaped our lives and personalities. 

Fran bought a painting, introduced me to some of her family, and we kept in loose touch. A couple months ago, she called and asked me to make a painting of Boy, a beloved little poodle owned by Fran's sister Rose and her partner Terri. 

Rose and Terri live in Northampton, and Fran and I landed on the same idea at the same time: I'd make the painting, hang it on the wall of my booth, and surprise Terri with it. (Rose had to be in on the surprise, for photos and to make sure the women arrived at the show, etc.). 

At the time, I said that it would be extra great if Fran could come out from Omaha to be part of the surprise. She'd love to, she said, but she had a wedding to attend on the Sunday of the show, so it wouldn't be possible. 

I made the painting, and happily, it dried in time. I hung it in my booth and waited. 

A couple hours after the show opened, I looked up - and there was Fran! For a moment, it didn't compute. Then I think I shrieked, and ran up and hugged her, astonished and delighted. A moment later, Terri caught sight of the painting and stammered, "That looks like... that really looks like... That's Boy!" 

***

THIS WEEKEND, I'll be at the Omaha Summer Arts Festival, in beautiful Omaha, Neb. I'm in Booth 134, just about where I was last year, and I have lots of exciting, new paintings that I hope will go to new homes this weekend! It's going to be very hot, so if you come to the show, please be prepared. 

The show is Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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THERE ARE LOTS of things that make shows successful. In addition to the wonderful surprise I wrote about, Paradise City was filled with other delightful meetings and connections. 

Amy Davidoff and Penny Winn came to the show, and we had dinner together afterward. Ames and Penny were friends from college, and we hadn't seen each other since. It was such a treat to get together with these amazing, smart, talented women, and continue a friendship that had begun 40 years ago. Forty years!  That's Amy below and Penny to the right. 

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Happy Buyers! 

I had lots of Happy Buyers at Paradise City! 

AND I HAD Happy Bidders, too! This family put in the winning bid on a painting I'd donated to the Kestrel Land Trust, which has been conserving land, waterways and farms in the Pioneer Valley for decades.  Below, more friends visiting in the booth! 

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Dog of the Day

FAITHFUL READERS of this blog know that the Dog of the Day isn't always a dog. But it's NEVER been a giraffe until now! I saw this amazing sculpture at Paradise City... here it's being loaded up for its trip home. Wish I could have seen the looks on other drivers' faces! 

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A Final Thought 

"It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done." 

- Vincent Van Gogh

Rooney - and 101 Dogs Is Live

Rooney

Oil on canvas, 16x16

commission

The 101 Dogs project, which is now up and running, puts my love of art and dogs - especially rescue dogs - together, and it is bringing joy back into my life. 

I rededicated it to Jojo and Zoe, and I have to say that working on the web page, Facebook page, flier, press releases, button, totebag, notecards, stamps and other items are helping me get through my sadness.

In the project, I'll make portraits of the first 101 dogs who share the lives of people who sign up at $375 or more. The people will get the portraits, a book or poster of all the dog paintings in the project - with their dog on the cover, or in the center of the poster - and a variety of other items. People sponsoring me for less than $375 won't get original art, but will receive a variety of thank-you gifts bearing art from the project. And anyone who sponsors me at any level will have my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation. 

Please click here take a look at the 101 Dogs page on the Jacobson Arts website - and please consider sponsoring me. If you've been thinking about having me make a painting of your dog, this would be a perfect time to do it! (Here's the link, if you'd rather copy and paste: http://www.jacobson-arts.com/#!101-dogs/ci93). 

***

I HAVE LOTS of exciting new paintings, and I'll be bringing a lot of them to the Paradise City Arts show this weekend. 

The show takes place in the Three-County Fairgrounds in Northampton, MA, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It's a terrific show, with plenty of lovely art, beautiful, fine craft, good food and music, too. There's a fee to enter, but you can get a discount coupon at the Paradise City Arts website. Click here! 

I'll be in the Morgan Barn. Please come and say hello, and see my new paintings. 

***

HURRICANE JOAQUIN has left the area, and the flooding has nearly stopped. The photo above was from Saturday. Sunday's high tide was even higher. I took a video of a guy who just had to drive down flooded Atlantic Avenue... and then had to stop to make way for some ducks. Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYXQlbtOcRg

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Dog of the Day

It's Maggie, who lives down the street and decided she needed to bark her head off at me. We used to call her the fake Jojo, because she looked just like Joey, but with brown eyes. 

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A Final Thought

"The artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives

 or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep."

- Paul Strand

The Optimist's Declaration - and Paradise City!

The Optimist's Declaration

Oil on canvas, 40x40

Please contact me for price and shipping/delivery options

Sara Genn, daughter of the late Robert Genn, sends copies of "The Painter's Keys," a  newsletter that her father wrote while he was alive. (You can read all about the newsletter, and sign up to receive it by clicking here). 

I love getting this newsletter and usually learn something from it, or am inspired to think a new thought or look at life and painting in a new way. 

A recent newsletter focused on the value of titles. "The right title makes a difference as to how a work is seen and understood," Genn wrote. "Not only are titles a bridge to the viewer, they are also part of the art. I'm a believer in giving your titles some careful thought." 

I finished this painting, "The Optimist's Declaration," a month or so ago, and gave it that title in my inventory list. 

Today, when I went to put it on the blog, I couldn't remember where the name came from. Certainly, it was nothing I invented! I know it was a quote, but the only one I can find today came from Kierkegaard - and it feels unlikely that I was searching Kierkegaard! (the quote is below). 

So if any of you recognizes this quote from a more friendly source than Kierkegaard, please let me know. 

***

SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY, I'll be at the Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton, MA. The show takes place at the Three County Fairgrounds, and includes really wonderful art and fine craft. You will see amazing furniture, sculpture, mobiles, glass, clothing, photography, painting and more. It's a fun, fun show! You can find out more about it, and get a discount off admission by clicking here to visit the Paradise City Arts website.

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A Final Thought 

"The joy of faith is different from mere happiness or sheer enjoyment. The movement of resignation distinguishes faith from both a naive optimism and a careless hedonism. In the face of the former, the difference is that the optimist's declaration (when facing adversity) that 'everything will be alright' is not based on trust but rather on a refusal to acknowledge the full extent of loss and human limitation. In the case of the latter, the difference is that the hedonist's immersion in finitudes is not based on deep attachment but rather on seeking pleasure."

- Soren Kierkegaard

Oklahoma Cowscape and How to Help - and Paradise City!

Oklahoma Cowscape

sold

I had a few looong days driving back from Tubac (check out the Tubac and Back blog!). One of them started in New Mexico and ended in Shawnee, OK. I'd been driving for 14 hours, but I got off the road mostly because the sky was so scary-looking:

Above and below, the sky over Shawnee, OK

Shawnee was a one- and two-story town, with some interesting-looking shops and restaurants, some beautiful landscapes, and some of the friendliest people I met on the trip. Whenever I end up somewhere, I always think about what it would be like to live there, and I thought Shawnee would be a pretty good spot.

Except for the tornadoes.

I remember how horrible it felt when, while we were living near the Neversink River in New York, a flood destroyed a lifetime's worth of memories and a basement's worth of possessions. It mangled our land and left a crater in our driveway, making it impassable.

I remember the terror, then the utter, bone-deep dismay, the terrible sense of loss, and, finally, the overwhelming joy that Peter and all the animals and I made it through alive.

My heart goes out to those families in Oklahoma. I have just the barest idea of what they are feeling, but even from my relatively tiny experience, I can tell you it's awful.

Here are some ways you can help:

• THE SALVATION ARMY is organizing mobile kitchens capable of serving 2,500 people a day and sending them into the hardest-hit areas in central Oklahoma. You can make a donation here, or make a $10 donation using your phone by texting STORM to 80888.
• THE AMERICAN RED CROSS has set up shelters in communities across The Plains. You can donate to the Red Cross Disaster relief fund here, or make a $10 donation using your phone by texting REDCROSS to 90999.
• IF YOU'RE SEARCHING for a missing friend or relative or are within the disaster region and want to let folks know you're OK, visit the Red Cross Safe and Well site here.

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SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY, I'll be at the Paradise City Art Fair in Northampton, MA! Click here to check the website for directions and discounts on tickets. 

I'll be in Booth 407, which is probably in the Morgan Barn. 

Paradise City is a fantastic display of beautiful, creative, gorgeous art and high-end craft. It's fun, there's excellent food, and easy parking. It's mostly inside, too, so rain, shine, snow - it doesn't matter. 

Please come! And find me and say hi.