painting & observations of our world by Sheryl Stalnaker
The Artistic Eye: paintings & observations of our world
observe - v. to take notice
create - v. to produce through imaginative skill
Put on your “artistic eye glasses” and enjoy my daily musings and paintings. It is my hope that you will enhance your abilities to notice and understand the world around you. Get your creative side cranking!!
Posted on 4/18/2013 10:09:55 AM
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Lake City, SC, is a small rural town about 100 miles from Charleston. The town, with a population of 6,500, is not along a major interstate, doesn't have thriving industries, and most people in Charleston don't even know where it is. Lake City is about to become the center of a great economic and cultural experiment. They will be hosting the "First of Its Kind, Epic Southern Artfest Competition and Celebration", to quote the event organizers. The official name is "Artfields." Artfields is the brainchild of Darla Moore, a Lake City native who was named one of Fortune Magazine's Top 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business. Moore has a vision to revitalize her home town and Artfields is already a standout in many ways. Four hundred artists from across the Southeast were selected to exhibit in the show that runs from April 19th to April 28th. Three artists will share winnings of $100,000 from jurors' selection and public vote. This amount of prize money is unheard of in most art competitions, which usually have a top prize of $500 or maybe $1000. There will be food trucks, art lectures from artists such as Jonathan Green, art classes and demonstrations, public murals created by attendees, bands from as far away as New Orleans, special dinners and other events. The art is diverse, from traditional landscapes and figure paintings to large abstract and museum-style installations. I delivered my painting this past Friday and got a sneak peak. There was a lot of energy in the town already, as carpenters hammered to finish new restaurants, workers laid sod in public spaces, and shop owners cleaned windows. The entire town is the exhibition space, with local venues displaying the artwork including a t-shirt shop, bridal boutique, corner barber, old empty warehouses and restaurants. The local venues selected the works that would be displayed in their shops, directly involving them in the event. I met one of the employees, Trilley, at Beach Cruisers, where my painting will hang. His enthusiasm was contagious. He claimed that all the prize money was going to "his" artists, he was going to sell all the paintings, and 30,000 people would be coming to Lake City. I hope this experiment is a huge success and that it becomes an annual event as planned - for all the residents of Lake City, like Trilley, who have embraced the artists and our work, and for the visionaries who have taken a huge leap of faith. The event starts this Friday. Stay tuned...
for more info. about Artfields, click here
along Main Street in Lake City, SC
my Artfields painting, Expanse, oil on canvas, 38" x 62"
Posted on 4/8/2013 10:41:18 AM
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"Art museums are boring." This was a statement from our son during our trip to Washington, D.C., this past week as we discussed the potential activities of the day, and I put in my request to see the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Many passive activities can fail to hold our interest, especially if we don't know much about what we are viewing. A couple of years ago, we were at the Art Institute of Chicago. Our daughter had recently completed an art class where she learned about master painters and completed her own works imitating their styles. She loved seeing these famous paintings in person at the museum and she could even identify some works by artist just by viewing their painting style and subject matter. She knew the backstory. Washington, D.C., is full of museums and history and can be an overload of information, especially for kids, but I found they most enjoyed seeing things they had learned about. Our son had recently completed a research paper about Frederick Douglass. At the Ford Theater, where President Lincoln was assassinated, he attentively watched a somewhat dry film about the relationship between Douglass and Lincoln. He had the backstory. Our daughter wanted to pose for a photo by a statue of Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and advocate for women's rights, whom she had studied. I got excited when I saw a bronze statue of Reagan in the capitol, completed by an artist I know. In each instance, we knew the backstory. I have found that people often like to hear the backstories of my own paintings. Where is the scene? What led to painting that particular painting? Even information about materials and techniques can interest some. Take time to find out the story behind what you are viewing. Talk to artists and gallery owners. Take a museum tour. Ask questions. Read a little. Tell children an interesting or unusual fact about what they are about to view. It all makes life just a little more fascinating.
knowing the backstory - bronze sculpture of Sojourner Truth in the U.S. Capitol building
