Maitland Art Festival
[slideshow] This art show is basically in "my neighborhood" and I have done it off and on many times through the years. It is a gorgeous setting around a lake with a big fountain in the middle (Lake Lilly). A few years ago they changed it from a 2 day 10-6 show to a 3 day night show, 10-10. It is beautiful at night and the art in the booths are just wonderfully illuminated. The orchestra plays in the evening and people watch them peacefully from a grassy nole. The 3 days show is hard on the artists however, long hours, 90 degree temps and sometimes iffy weather and sales. My advice to artists thinking of applying to the show; request a booth space on a main path. I was in a new area this year. It was nice and grassy but off the main path. It was, seemingly, for the dozen or so artists in that area, our own private cul-de-sac.
The highlight of this show and all outdoor art shows (if you do a lot of them) are my neighbors and friends.
Doug Delind. My neighbor to the left. A great craftsman who loves Raku, the process and drawing.
http://www.brianjonesart.com/gallerymain.asp?GalleryID=88161&AKey=9b782dlq
Kevin Kichar. My neighbor to the right. His work looks like painting from far away but when you get close, you will see that it is filled with texture and dimension. He uses papermaking techniques and paint to make his colorful, stylish artwork.
Cindy Anderson. Friend and president of McRae Art Studios, a local art co-op that I was part of for over 10 year. She created brand new work for this show and completely redesigned her booth.
John and Lynn Whipple. truly free spirits, greatly talented, with open hearts. They are always cutting edge and pushing themselves towards new work and processes. You will always see new work in their booths and gallery shows.
Dragonfly Encounter
I have a friend that had some amazing encounters with dragonfly in the last couple of months. The first one happened while she was travelling. She opened up her wallet to pay for something and a beautiful dragonfly flew out of it from seemingly nowhere! The second was while she was visiting her gallery at night. A dragonfly had lost its way inside the gallery and was flying around madly trying to find its way out. In doing so, it flew right up to my friends face and kissed her on the lips! So what could these encounters mean?
Dragonflies (as well as butterflies) signify transformation from one level of knowledge to another, physically, spiritually or mentally. Dragonflies in their early stages are known as Nymphs and spend most of their lives in the water. It takes two years for a nymph to transform into an adult. This can reflect the number of years it will take to make this personal change or transformation. As an adult they fly through the air in swift flight. They transform from a water creature to an air creature. Through that transformation they show that conquering water and sky is possible by one small creature, that nothing is impossible with belief in self. Dragonfly asks us to release ideas of powerlessness, limitation or fear.
Dragonflies come in many different colors. For most dragonflies, colors are caused almost the same way rainbows are formed. Structures in their shells scatter and refract light, making them look iridescent. As they age, they may pass through several color changes. This ability to refract light has caused dragonfly to be associated with magic and mysticism – including color magic. Dragonfly may be telling you to work with color to transform your life. To attract love, focus on reds or violets. Green helps with creativity and new beginnings. To feel more in the now or moment, focus on yellow. To feel more connected to the universe use all shades of blues and indigo.
In the Native American tradition, dragonflies represent the souls of the dead. This may be the best explanation for my friend, as she is going through personal trials with her parents, one having cancer and the other, Alzheimer's disease. Perhaps her mother's slowly fleeting spirit is telling her to (paint) work in love, light and color - quickly!
In the words of Ted Andrews; "Dragonfly can help you see through your illusions and allow your own light to shine through. They bring the brightness of transformation and the wonder of a colorful new vision."
Take time to check out Cindy Anderson's work. She is a dragonfly person and has enjoyed painting them for a few years now!
Cindy's Website; http://www.cindyanderson.com/
You can purchase a print here; http://www.etsy.com/listing/85799618/blue-moon-print