Countdown to Artomatic

Things are coming together at 115/117 Church Street. Most of the spaces are finished — or close to it. There is still a lot of energy as people scurry around transforming the 27,000+ square-foot behemoth into an arts showcase.

Artomatic will open to the public at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.  About 350 visual artists with a variety of styles and media are exhibiting. There will also be plenty of other activities: swing dance class, drawing from a costumed model, and poetry.  This is a good problem to have: too many interesting things going on at the same time.

On Thursday Griffin Art Center will present a portrait demo featuring Adam Silcott. Poetry will hosted by John Holly.

Then there’s the meet-the artists night on Friday . . .

Beer and wine will only be available  at 117 Church Street. But many of us at 115 will at least be providing snacks. You will find chocolate in room 35 so come see us!

Another treat: Dave Scenna will be taking professional photographs of the artists from 5-9 Friday night. This is a great addition to promo material.

At the Saturday grand opening you can hear The Olney Big Band, Adrienne and the Merrylanders and Blind Man Leading. Signs Point East will be having their CD release party at 10 p.m.

Sunday will feature children’s activities and a painting demonstration.

Make sure to check out the calendar for more fun stuff. Things keep getting added so it’s a good idea to check often.

Artomatic Fanatic

The new year lands on the wrong day. January 1 is in the middle of winter and feels like an inauspicious time for new beginnings. Maybe it comes from years of starting school in the fall, but that’s when I find myself eager for new projects and experiences.  This year I’m getting my wish.

Artomatic is returning to Frederick in just a few weeks. If you visited or participated in Artomatic@Frederick 2011 you know what I’m talking about.

If not, imagine hundreds of artists showing work in a wide range of media and styles. There will also be live music, film screenings, drawing sessions with costumed models, poetry readings, fashion, dance and other performances. And it’s all free!

Like last time, it will be in the old board of education building at 115 Church Street in Frederick. This year the adjacent building has been added, so it should be even bigger and better than before.

There are still good spaces left and I encourage any artists who are still undecided to join us. There’s no jury. Space assignments are chosen on a first-come, first-served basis. The registration deadline is Thursday, August 15 at 12 a.m., so hurry!

Everyone does 15 volunteer hours and pays $100. The fee may seem like a lot, but I thought it was well worth it for a five-week show. That said, most of us would be disappointed it we saw this event solely as a way to make the big bucks. You will meet a lot of cool people and get great exposure. I only made two small sales at the event that barely covered expenses, but I got some design jobs and a show (with good sales) as a direct result of the 2011 Artomatic. And you can’t put a price on the sense of community and the chance to show your art your way.

If you’re not an artist and are looking for something fun to do, I invite you to visit. It’s pretty overwhelming so you’ll probably want to come more than once.

Artomatic@Frederick 2013 runs from  September 4 – October 5. Hours are: Wednesdays from 3 p.m. – 9 p.m., Thursdays from 3 p.m. – 9 p.m., Fridays from 12 p.m. – 11 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 11p.m. and Sundays from 12 – 5 p.m.

Daytripper

NYC

I Am Divine

Karen Peacock. Type portrait in Adobe Illustrator

I Am Divine at the Maryland Film Festival.

10 X 10

BROKEN ENGLISH, 10X10, Mixed Media on Board

The Arts Council of Carroll County is celebrating its ten-year anniversary. Artists were invited to create a 10″ X 10″ work to be shown at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster. All the art is priced at $100 with the Arts Council receiving 25% from sales.

I  spent around $10 on supplies and 3 hours on this piece. That works out to about $21.50/hour assuming it sells. Not bad since it was for a good cause and was fun to do.

The show runs from April 15- June 7, with a reception on April 18 from 5:30-7:30.

A New ADvatar

Betty’s not depressed; she just needs low-cal caffeine. Thank goodness for Patio Cola!

AMC took away Walking Dead, but we’re being compensated with Mad Men.

I can’t guess what year it will be or what nastiness Pete will perpetrate. But it’s a safe bet that Fluffy Betty will be replaced with Diet-Pill-Popping-Betty. Good thing her fainting couch is at the ready.

If you’d like your own Mad Men avatar, check out madmenyourself.com

Update

Well, I sure had it wrong about Brunette(!) Betty. And the death themes and the mojo-free Don were unexpected.

That’s what’s good about much of AMC’s programming. When it comes to stories, most of us would rather be surprised than right.

Playing With Food

Before

Our friends have one rule for their Egg-dyeing party: If you dye it, you have to bring it home. Usually that means mass quantities of egg salad.

Every six months or so, I get the urge to release my inner Martha. This time that impulse coincided with a refrigerator full of hard-boiled eggs. There was no choice but to make deviled eggs, a project I’d never tried before. I’m told they tasted good. I’m not a fan of eggs so I’ll have to take their word for it. It was sort of fun breaking out the pastry bag after a long hiatus, but I wouldn’t want to make a habit of it.

After: Everything’s better with bacon.

Leaving Home

ARTEMESIA, Karen Peacock. Acrylic on Canvas. 36″ X48″

A lot of my art ran away from home this month.

NEPTUNE’S DAUGHTER, Digital Painting, 8″X10″

Fourteen pieces are hanging out at Cafe Nola, a combo restaurant/coffee house/bar. The folks there are avid supporters of regional artists and musicians . . . and farmers. Carnivores and vegans come together to enjoy locally-sourced food.

Rebekah Harden shares the space with four of her amazing digital paintings. The show will be up through the end of April.

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SIR FRANCIS. Karen Peacock. Mixed Media. 10″X10″

A few blocks away, The Unboxed Show continues at The Artists’ Gallery. The 12th Annual Box Show has been deconstructed with more than 60 members and guest artists creating works on 10X10 wooden panels. They are available through a silent auction at the gallery. There will be a closing reception March 30 from 5-8.

Here’s my contribution. I apologize for the pun.

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COLORAMA. Karen Peacock. Mixed Media with Vintage Dresses. 36″X48″

I have a photo illustration and a mixed-media painting in the juried show at The Women’s Center at FMH Crestwood. The theme is Best Friends and it runs until April 26.

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I’m not sure yet how many pieces of art will be returning, but here’s hoping that many of them will find new homes.

Fire and Ice

These are just a few of the ice sculptures adorning the streets of Frederick for February’s First Saturday. The weather was perfect in a wintery way. Some years it’s so cold you just want to hibernate. Other times it’s so warm, the sculptures are melting before the night is over.

It was a pleasure to see them whole and shiny the next day. Except for the two that had been smashed for no good reason. I guess when smashers smash they are often smashed.

Don’t Fear the Hellhound

I’m not usually one for straightforward dog portraits, but I had fun with this collage.

The subject’s name is Nyx, named after the ancient Greek goddess of Night. She was the daughter of Chaos and the mother of Sleep and Death.

The mythological Nyx is a dark and mysterious figure. The canine Nyx is more of a good-natured watchdog.

So I took some artistic license and recast Nyx as Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guarded the gates of Hades. I think it suits her.