Take Me to the River

 Take Me to the River

Oil on black canvas, 36x60

sold

The people of Richmond came out to Arts in the Park last weekend, in spite of lousy weather, cold temperatures, mud, slop and even some downpours. It was an excellent show for me, all because the good folks who live in Richmond didn't let the weather keep them inside. 

A happy buyer with "Take Me to the River."

My first experience with rain at a show was years ago in Mystic, CT. It was either my first or second Mystic show, and while the Saturday was OK, on Sunday, it poured. Sheets of rain. Torrents. Many of the artists packed up and went home, but I stayed. For starters, we lived only a few miles away, and I had nothing better to do. Also, I had committed to the weekend, to being there, and I felt that I should honor my commitment. 

So I sat there in the rain, and lo and behold, sold seven paintings. It was a miracle, really, and taught me a good lesson. 

Rain has ruined a lot of shows in which I've participated - but it hasn't ruined all of them. I'm grateful to everyone who slogged out in the rain and cold and mud, to look at and even buy art. Thank you! 

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Dog of the Day

Saw this guy out in Arizona, guarding the Arivaca Road.

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A Final Thought

"A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because 

all things in nature are dark, except where exposed by the light." 

- Leonardo DaVinci

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

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

Looking for Lunch

Looking for Lunch

Oil on canvas, 16x16

sold

Richmond welcomed me this past weekend with arms that might not have been completely open, but at least were part-way there. I came away from this show with some profit, unlike most of the shows I've participated in so far this year. So, yay! 

In addition, the people were very nice, the park where the show was held was beautiful, and the neighborhood was gentle and pretty, brightened by azaleas and warmed by lovely brick homes. 

Carol and Bill from Wachapreague showed up, along with their grandchildren Richmond and Keagan, and that was a great treat. My friend Cynthia Battista, a marvelous jeweler from Connecticut (check out her work here)  did the show with me, and friends Alison Thomas, who makes wonderful photographs and digital art, and John Maurer, one of my favorite painters, also attended.  It was a big show, the weather was beautiful, and it was fun. 

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MY NEXT SHOW is this weekend in Crozet, Virginia, about four hours west of here. I've never done this show, and it seems that it will be interesting. Click here for more information! 

A happy buyer with "Looking for Lunch." 

Clockwise from upper right, it's Carol, Richmond, Keagan and Bill. 

My booth in Richmond

I really like the arrangement of paintings on this wall. 

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Dog of the Day

This French bulldog puppy was pooped! 

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A final thought

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." 

- Henry Ward Beecher

A Small Piece of Land

A Small Piece of Land

Oil on canvas, 16x16

Please email me for price and shipping information

In the dawn light, the raucous birds sing of spring and morning and light the back yard with color and movement. The night hangs on into the day's early warmth, coolness reaching from the still-cold Atlantic up into our sunny morning yard. Above, the sky arcs with orange and pink and yellow, dawn crackling with announcement and a bright and shiny promise. 

Here Wachapreague, the lawns are growing fast, the grass thick and shiny emerald, wet with dew each day. Azaleas and camellias streak our town with color, offset by candy tuft and tulips and the waning daffodils. 

Spring was once my least favorite season. Now, I feel it is the princess, and I am a rapt admirer.

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TODAY AND SUNDAY, if you're in or around Virginia, why not come to Arts in the Park in Richmond? It's a big show, and promises to be fun. It's today and Sunday, 11-6 and 11-5 respectively. I'll be in Booth No. 90... Cynthia Battista, an excellent jeweler, will be in Booth No. 333; Alison Thomas, a wonderful photographer, will be in Booth 81. We'd all love to see you!  For more info, click here. 

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Dog of the Day

This cutie came into the booth at the Arlington show. She is a sweet dog, who has Addison's disease. Her human says treatment is going very well for the tiny girl (she weighs 6 lbs), and that she's living a good, full life.

Want your pet to be the Dog of the Day? Send a jpg to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com

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A final thought

"The greatest fine art of the future will be the making 

of a comfortable living from a small piece of land."

- Abraham Lincoln

Salt Marsh Morning

Salt Marsh Morning

Oil on canvas, 10x10, $100

Please click here to contact me if you'd like to buy this painting

The very first time I wandered into Wachapreague, I fell in love with the salt marsh. It was an October afternoon, and the marsh grasses were golden-orange. The sky was a glorious, thin light-filled blue, a sky I often see and always love, here in this place of clean air and boundless horizons. The ocean was a deep indigo beyond the barrier islands. It was a place I knew right away, and a place that promised endless fascination and discovery. 

The marsh, right down the street, continues to be a source of inspiration for my soul and for my paintings. I've watched it change through the seasons for a few years now, and while I feel I know its outlines, I'm only beginning to get a sense of its character. 

I made this painting from a photo I took early in the morning on my way to a show. I usually go by the marsh on my way to a show and on my way back. It is a ritual of sorts, a minor detour that seems to ground me, and often gives me something to consider, too. 

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RICHMOND, ARTS in the Park, this weekend... Saturday and Sunday, 11-6 and 11-5 respectively. I'll be in Booth 90. Jeweler Cynthia Battista will be in Booth 333, and photographer Alison Thomas, Booth 81. Click here for more info!

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Dog of the Day

Abby, left, and Jojo have become the best of friends. Abby is still a big, dumb puppy (she ate my spare pair of glasses yesterday; the first pair, she ate just before I left on the Origins Painting Trip), but she's smart enough to know that Jojo is the one who will play with her, and snuggle with her, too. 

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A final thought

"There is no art without contemplation."

- Robert Henri

Jake - and a Wild-Sounding Show

 Jake

Oil on canvas, 12x12

commission

I really love this one! Jake has such an expressive face, with big soft eyes and a direct glance that melts my heart a little bit. 

I paint a lot of black dogs - also white dogs - and they generally end up blue and purple, like Jake. It's a way to get the depth, and the shine, the curves and the light and the shadows - and still stay away from black, which deadens and kills a painting, at least in my opinion. 

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THIS WEEKEND, it's Arts in the Park in Richmond, VA. I've heard this is a fun show, sprawling and busy, with hundreds of artists and jewelers and basketmakers and woodworkers, and pretty much anything and anyone else you can think of! I've never done it before, so we shall see. 

I'm in Booth No. 90, in what's referred to as "the dust bowl." Hmm. Hearing that I was in that space, one friend who knows my ways cautioned me not to bring any wet paintings. 

The show is Saturday and Sunday, 11-6 and 11-5 respectively. For more info, click here.

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Dog of the Day

Actually, there are two dogs in the cart... one on the seat, and one on the floor. 

They're both wet, gray-faced and pretty darn happy-looking. 

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A final thought

"Creativity takes courage."

- Henri Matisse