Smart Felix

Felix

Oil on canvas, 12x12

101 Dogs commission

 A few months ago, a woman I'd met at the Paradise City Arts Festival decided to become a three-dog sponsor of the 101 Dogs project.  It took me a while to get to the paintings, but I did, and two of them - Hershey, the chocolate lab below, and Kody below him - worked well for her and for me. Alas, Felix did not. I redid the original painting, (you can see that one just to the left) but it still wasn't right, so I took a fresh start, made a new painting, and it was good for the buyer and for me.                                                                                                                       This is not a big deal. Usually, I get the dogs right off, but about one in 10 needs to be redone. Often it's because I don't like the painting, I don't think it captures the dog. Sometimes it's because it's a miss for the dog's human. It happens, and it's fine. I learn something from every one of these. But it means that I always have a few dog paintings floating around. With the 101 Dogs project, and the return of some very old sample dog paintings from a gallery, I have more than usual.                                                                                                                            I  like to give a painting away at every show, usually to a young person, and so these extra paintings often go that route. Groups often ask me for donations, and sometimes that's where they end up. But sometimes they just end up in the studio, watching me. A few weeks ago, I had a great idea! I'd put hats and glasses, scarves and ties, necklaces and who knows what else on these dogs, and price them low. So I took Kody, put him in glasses and a tie, and put him on my website, Jacobson Arts.

Remember my mentioning that the lovely Lulu ate my glasses? I went to my local optician to get new ones and since my prescription was old, the woman behind the desk suggested that I have him recheck my eyes. I really didn't want to spend the money, but my eyes are my life these days, and so I did. Dr. Keyes was such a nice man! We got to talking, about his life and mine, and of course I mentioned the website. After the exam (my eyes are worse, imagine that), one of the women was measuring something on my eyes when the doctor came out with his laptop. 

"Is this one available?" he asked, pointing to Smart Felix, with the glasses and tie. "I have to have him!" 

So Smart Felix has a new home, and is very much loved, and the sale helped defray the cost of the eye exam, and I met a bunch of nice people who live nearby and love my paintings. 

     Smart Felix

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Yikes! Snow in Wachapreague! 

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Dog of the Day

It's Koko, Doc and Lulu - Koko has seen snow before, but this is the puppies' first adventure, and they loved it. I froze myself, chasing them around to get them in! 

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A Final Thought

"Simply put, making art is chancy - it doesn't mix well with predictability. Uncertainty is the essential, inevitable and all-pervasive companion to your desire to make art. And tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding." 

- David Bayles and Ted Orland

 "Art & Fear / Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking" 

                                                                              

Chloe and Kaylee

Above, Chloe

Below, Kaylee

101 Dogs Project!

The State College Art Fair is a huge event, so big it's hard to walk in one day. And it is very, very difficult to get parking anywhere near your booth. 

I was on a pretty, residential street, and it was a nice spot, though there were no shops or anything nearby, and so, no coffee - or so I thought. 

The first morning of the show, as I was just aching for a cup of Joe, along came two adorable little girls with a red wagon holding a giant coffee urn and all the fixings. Sales of coffee went to support a local charity, they told me. I bought a cup from them as they made their way down the street, and another cup as they made their way back up. They told me refills were free, but I insisted on paying. 

They told me they lived right up the street, and since there were no port-a-potties in my general vicinity, I asked if it would be possible for me to use the bathroom in their home. Sure, they said. Their parents opened up the house to artists all weekend. I gave them $10, which they insisted I didn't need to give them, but it was for a good cause and I was grateful. 

Later that day, a very pretty woman came along and asked if was Carrie. When I said yes, she said that every year, she invites a couple artists to use parking spaces in a building she and her husband own next door to their home. I was one of the ones she was inviting. Yay! 

I used their bathroom during the weekend, and got to know the family a little. I also got to know their dogs, two Newfoundlands who were sweet and funny and utterly enormous. It was with great pleasure that I painted them for the 101 Dogs project! 

It's too late for any 101 Dogs paintings for this holiday season, but if you want to give a gift certificate for one, drop me an email and we will work it out. (carrieBjacobson@gmail.com)

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It's "Kerosene" in the lower sign, but "Kereosene" in the upper one. Huh? 

The store owner said he'd never noticed the different spelling. 

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Dog of the Day

Shy service dog in the Lowe's in Pocomoke

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A Final Thought

"The chief enemy of creativity is good sense." 

- Pablo Picasso

Reggie

 Reggie

Oil on canvas, 12x12

101 Dogs project

I'm still way, way behind in my blogging, so expect a few multi-painting blog posts! Hope you enjoy seeing a few paintings at once.

I'm behind because I've been away at shows, and I've had a great time. Thank you, all of you, everyone who came, braving terrible heat, terrible traffic, terrible road construction and terrible rain, to say hi, see my new paintings and even buy some. Thank you!

At the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival, a couple showed up, interested in my paintings. Turns out that he had bought a couple pieces from me a couple years ago, and she had grown to love the paintings, as she'd seen them over the years.

But she had never been to an art show! So they agreed to go to the Mystic show together. They studied the website, looked up my work and the work of other people, and off they went. As they were walking in from parking, she saw the cowscape on the back wall of my tent, from quite a distance. They didn't know it was my tent, but she fell in love with the painting, and bought it!

The delightful interaction reminded me again what a miracle it is that anyone would buy art from a living person. This woman trusts herself enough to know what she likes, with no guarantee that that painting will be worth more, or worth anything, 10 years from now, or 20 years from now. She was willing to spend her hard-earned money on one of my paintings, because she loved it. Her enthusiasm and joy fill me with the same, and help make this journey possible for me - and I think it's vice-versa, as well.

All of you are helping me on this journey, by reading my blog, sharing it, writing to me, coming to the shows, thinking about art, dreaming about your own desires and hopes, and accompanying me on the journey. Thank you!

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A Few Recent Paintings

Bella

Oil on canvas, 12x12

101 Dogs project

Want to learn more about the 101 Dogs project? Click here! 

For Ed

Oil on metal, 16x20

commission

Tom and Rudy

Oil on canvas, 20x20

commission

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I'M SURE THAT if you live in Dayton, Ohio, this is old hat, 

but I think that "Needmore Road" is right up there with "Happy Avenue." 

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Dog of the Day

I met this guy way back in February, in Arizona. He looks fierce as can be, 

but made sure that chair was between him and me. 

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A Final Thought

"There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people." 

- Vincent Van Gogh

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!" 

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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

Woody

 

Woody

Oil on canvas, 12x12

The 101 Dogs Project is chugging along, and I am loving it and the paintings coming from it. Soon, I'll have them up on a page on my website, Jacobson Arts (jacobson-arts.com). For now, there are photos to be taken, and surprises in the works, so no page yet. But it's coming! 

Meantime, if you want to read about the project, and maybe even become a sponsor, you can find out more here. I'm donating money from each painting to one of four dog-related groups that I've chosen, and you can read about them here. In addition to the painting, you can receive stuff - or choose not to have the stuff, and have me donate more money instead. 

Woody is one of our dogs. He's a bichon who'd been bought from and returned to a pet store at least twice. He was scared of everything when we got him; it took a year before we could pet him - and he's still not crazy about it. He has his personality quirks, for sure, but he is a good dog, and an ever-constant companion. 

And so, he's also the Dog of the Day! 

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A Final Thought 

"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." 

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Butter - and Insights from St. Louis

Butter

Oil on canvas, 12x12

101 Dogs Project painting

Isn't this a fun painting? Butter looks like an imp, doesn't he? I haven't met him, but I know he is much loved. 

Even though I am on the road, I'll be making paintings for the project, and hoping you will sign up to participate! For $375, you get an original oil painting of your dog, a book or poster containing your dog's portrait, and a variety of project-related items. I'll donate a portion of your sponsorship to one of four dog-related groups I've chosen, or to a dog-related group of your choice. 

For more on the project, please click here to check out the 101 Dogs web page

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ON SATURDAY, I showed up at a Budweiser distribution center to participate in a mock jury put on by the people who run the St. Louis Art Festival, one of the top festivals in the country - and one that has so far not accepted me. 

The event went on from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. I came away exhausted and bleary-eyed,  but full of insights. The jurors had no life-changing comments on my entry, but I did get life-changing ideas from the day. I posted a lengthy piece on Art Fair Insiders about my experience. You can read that by clicking here.

The regular jury looks at work over the course of two or three days. This past year, it took 27 hours to accept 150 artists from the 1281 that applied. In general, their response to why I'm not getting into the very top shows, all the time, is that no one does. And, it's always a crap shoot. 

Still, I cam away from the event with renewed vigor, hope, and ideas. 

Here are the jurors, looking at the entry of my friend Cynthia Battista. Cynthia and I will be exhibiting together at the Tubac Arts Festival in Tubac, AZ, Feb. 10-14. 

To see more of her jewelry, please click here. 

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Dog of the Day

Saw this guy in St. Louis. His owner and I were both lost! 

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A Final Thought

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web." 

- Pablo Picasso

Chewy

Chewy

Oil on canvas, 12x12

101 Dogs Project painting

A friend and collector who lives in Arizona went all-in on the 101 Dogs project, having me make paintings of all three of her dogs. They all are attractive, energetic-looking dogs, with their own clear personalities and their own clear looks. Chewy here has amazing blue eyes that remind me of my sweet Jojo's startling blue eyes. 

I had a ball painting all three dogs - and I'm happy that the project is proceeding. There is plenty of room for more people, dogs and paintings, and I'm hoping that some of you will sign up, now that the holidays are over. To find out more about the project, click here.

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Here's one of my paintings in place in a couple's living room. 

Doesn't it look great? I could hardly believe that I'd painted it. 

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Dog of the Day 

I met this brindle beauty at a show in Omaha this past summer. 

I'm going back to Omaha again this coming summer.

 I was invited back, no need for jurying! That's exciting. 

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A Final Thought

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web." 

- Pablo Picasso

Spike

Spike

Oil on canvas, 12x12

Commission

Winter brushes the Shore with warmth these short December days, surprising and delighting me, bringing hope and life into a time that was starting to feel all too close, too tight and dark. 

Here in Wachapreague, Christmas lights brighten the long nights, and in the day, festive wrapping paper, holiday music and a parade of sweets and treats soften the edges. 

In a fit of cleaning out and tossing out, I find  my Christmas hat, and my Christmas spirit, though the latter has blown in and out a bit, like the summery wind of these past few days. 

Ghosts visit me in this time of joy, this time of celebration of Christ's birth. While I miss them, they remind me that I am grateful beyond measure for what life has brought me, for the time I spent with them, and for the love that makes my heart ache in their absence. What a celebration we would have, if they were here with me. 

Then I know, they are, indeed, here with me. They live on, in my heart, in my memory, in my prayers. It is a time to be thankful for all I have had and all I have now. 

And that includes you. 

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THE 101 DOGS project is chugging right along! There are spaces left, for sure, but the list is filling up. Yay! 

The project is fun, it's good for art-buyers, pet-lovers and the generous of spirit and heart. You can check it out by clicking here. 

It's too late for me to finish a painting in time for Christmas, but if you want to give one as a present, I can email you a nice gift certificate that you can print and give to the giftee! Click here to drop me a line and I'll let you know how to proceed. 

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I HAD A GOOD time as the featured artist at the Jack Richardson Gallery in Onancock this past Friday, during the town's Art Walk.

I met lots of nice people who were interested in my painting. Many of them are artists, and it was fun to enlarge my circle of creative acquaintances here on the Shore.

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Dog of the Day 

Yes, I know it's a lot of Koko, but I'm a little in love... 

Here she is snuggling with Smokey, her hero. 

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A Final Thought

"The only time I feel alive is when I'm painting."

- Vincent Van Gogh

Abigail - and Sure, Stuff Again!

Abigail

Oil on canvas, 12x12

Commission for the 101 Dogs project

I've started painting for the 101 Dogs project, and I'm just as excited as can be! The project involves me making paintings of 101 dogs, then putting the paintings together in a book and a poster, and donating money from each sale to a good, dog-related group.

You can be a part of the project, at pretty much any level you wish - sponsorships start at $25! To get an original oil painting and a book or poster starring your dog, you'll pay a minimum of $375. Bigger paintings, and multiple paintings, are part of the project at higher prices. 

Patrons will also receive dog-painting-related items, from buttons to mugs to notecards and stamps, and more. 

For full information, and to participate, click here to check out the 101 Dogs page on the Jacobson Arts website. 

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Yes! 

Prints, totebags, pillows, shower curtains and more, printed with the paintings you choose, at my site here, or search for me on Fine Art America.

Calendars - cowscapes, Eastern Shore paintings, dogs and flowers, available here, or search for me on Lulu.com. 

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Dog of the Day

Guarding the car! 

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A Final Thought

"There's no retirement for an artist. It's your way of living, so there's no end to it."

- Henry Moore