More boxes

Boxes for our fundraiser in October. Boxes and photo by Eileen Belanger.

Left to right: Snowman by Linda Feinberg, Barn by Stephanie Bogalis Byrd, Flowers by Bea Bearden.

More next week!

Families in Transition-Men's Residence

Our paintings are finally up at the men's residence of Families in Transition.  While they were unable to host a reception for our artists, they gave me a tour and I took some photos.  Each painting has a beautiful label with the artist's name and the title of the painting.  The paintings on the left in the photo above are by Judy Gelinas. The one on the right is by Deb Funk.

The top painting is by Carolina Chauvette and the bottom one by Stephanie Bogalis Byrd.  I think their designer did a good job with arranging the paintings in the common areas.

Painting above is by Paul Davidson.

The designer put some paintings in the entry hallway. The one above is by Anthony Williams and the one below by Debbie Curtin.

All photos by Linda H. Feinberg.

If you missed it, the Hippo had a nice writeup about our laundromat mural at 720 Union Street in their August 7-13 edition on page 21 (The link on left will bring you to the digital edition. If you type Laundromat in the search box, it will give you a link to page 21. You can click on the article to enlarge it and read it.) Thank you, Kelly Sennott.

Using colored paper

Sometimes, we need to get back to basics, and what better way than using colored (medium tone) paper and black and white pencils?

From a simple still life to more complex colorful drawings, using colorful paper helps you think outside the box or may encourage you to try a range of colors you may tend to steer away from after you've begun your sketch with black and white.

Start with a simple sketch of a basic still life arrangement, then expand upon it with more complexity as you become more comfortable.  Experiment with colored pencils, pens, and pastels . . . use various blending tools (cotton swabs, cotton balls, rolled paper stumps, etc.) as the oils from your fingertips may affect the pencil/pastel you use.  Once you're comfortable with pencils/pastels/crayons, delve into paint and use the same principles for blending.

Remember to enhance your darkest shadows and highlight the brightest areas for good contrast, and then work in the mid tones to bring it all together. Enjoy!

Blog post by Stephanie Bogalis, President.


Still Life (with Pheasant) ©1993 Rod Holt

Spring

Spring is coming and so are our projects. The primer and top coat have been purchased for the wall at 720 Union Street.  Our chief muralist AnthonyWilliams would like some help.  Please contact him if you are able to help. 

Anthony, Stephanie B. and Deb. F are on the committee to decide a theme for the wall.  If you have any ideas, please contact one of them.

Crocus photo by Linda H. Feinberg



Just a reminder that when you join Friends of Art Manchester you are entitled to a blog posting which is a few photos and a few paragraphs about yourself and your art/photography/writing.  The posts generally stay up one week or two.

No one sent in anything this week, so I’ve picked two of my old untitled spring poems from my poetry book, “red poppies and green clover”.

Dressed in lavender and pink

     spring arrives

like the long‑awaited bridesmaids

     slowly marching down the aisle

stately in demeanor

     anxiously awaiting

          the show to begin.

©Linda H. Feinberg

Seeds sliding into grooves

The feel of warm, soft earth

Sunlight bringing color and freckles

Children in shorts

     bare legs dusted with dirt

Baseball gloves, lacrosse sticks

Dogs running wild

     rolling over and over

     trampling violets

          digging for chipmunks

Crickets chirping at dusk

          Spring

©Linda H. Feinberg

Ongoing Project - Men's Residence FIT

Ridin' Out the Storm, 16" X 20", Acrylic painting on canvas by Stephanie Bogalis.

We are finishing up our painting project for Families in Transition this week. The paintings will be going into the men's residence on the west side of Manchester.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, February 19th at 7:00 p.m. at the usual place. If you need more information contact our treasurer: Linda Feinberg

We hope to discuss the spring mural project and other proposals for more art downtown.

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful winter. Photo below by Linda Feinberg, trail in Auburn, NH.

Introducing Stephanie Bogalis, President

I've been called an old soul with a young spirit.  I sometimes felt I was born in the wrong decade, or even the wrong century, always inquisitive and seeing my world around me with eyes of a thousand allusions. 

(On left: Frogs, Oil on canvas board. 20 X 30)

I remember looking for art in everything, from illustrations in children’s books as I learned to read to admiring the mill outlines and buildings walking around downtown Manchester, and am blessed with parents who fostered that vision; even though my family did not have affluence, their insight was rich and they instilled in me an appreciation for our surroundings and taught me about Monet and Manet, Picasso and Sargent.  I was raised to be respectful, truthful, and trustworthy and this naturally transferred to my love of art – even if I didn't like someone else’s art, I could still respect their talent to create it and give positive feedback.  Where children spend hours nowadays on video games, I spent surrounded with any medium I could get my hands on – I’d take crayons and cardboard if that’s all there was, and the next thing you know, I was melting the crayons in the sun to blend my own colors or shave them (yes, we were trusted to play with pocket knives in that simpler time!) and let the curls melt onto my work.  I loved that art had no rules.

Fast forward 30 years: after a bad marriage, a BA in Communications from SNHU I earned at night and online while working full time, a few classes away from a master’s in Leadership and Project Management from Northeastern, and a path following all the rules that led me too far from art (aside from taking thousands of photos for “inspiration” ….“in case I start painting again”), I am embracing the things I lost along the way.  I let too much time slide with trying to “set up a studio space” instead of just grabbing a sketchbook and a pen and creating something. 

I decided after the passing of a dear friend at 43 from cancer that life was too short and I jumped back into art with both feet.  Then I lost a cousin to cancer at 47 in December 2012.  And another cousin to cancer just this month; she was 44.  What all of them had in common was that they touched the lives of so many simply with who they were: a friend of the community, a pillar of selflessness and founder of a charity, and a nurse.  They left a legacy of love.  I’d like to think I’ll do the same but also leave my art behind.

And so, I create art to help others.  To inspire others.  To appreciate others.  I love doing projects such as the FIT paintings.  I don’t know if it’s true with all forms of art, but when I have to be accountable to complete a project that’s not for me, I work harder.  The president of my company was retiring, and I decided to do a series of nine canvases of key products we worked on over the years – then I realized I had only about two weeks to complete them!  I somehow finished, and he still talks about how much he loves them with co-workers who stay in touch with him.  That kind of feedback fuels the fire for more artwork.

Insight Retirement -- Private Collection

Acrylic on canvas. Each 16 X 20

I have a short list of projects for friends, some are in various stages of completion, and I promised myself I would do what I could to finish those, and find a way to share what is inside with others, and I'm quite sure I found it with Friends of Art Manchester.  My mind is spinning once again with ideas and I look forward to this new adventure!  Thank you!

Honoring O'Keefe

Illustrator software, digital blend of two paintings

Printed on cardstock. 18 X 24

Stipple Theater Masks

India ink on painted paper

Each 4 X 6

Detail below

Abstract Icon

Ink and metallic pen on painted paper overlays

4 X 6