If you didn’t make it to the 22nd National Exhibition & Convention this month in Fredericksburg, TX, you missed a lot. It was better than ever. But don’t despair, just begin planning and saving for next year!
Events like these are reminders of who we are and who we want to be. This year, I met so many top artists for the first time — artists I had interviewed and written stories about but never met or whose artwork I had not seen in person. While you can read all the books, magazines or surf the net from dawn to dusk — each helpful and invigorating in their own ways — to be face-to-face with the art and the artist is like drawing a Royal Flush in a Vegas poker game!
The exhibition itself was superb, presenting an amazing array of talent, subject matter, and style. At any other show, we might expect to see a handful of paintings that knock our socks off, blow our hair back or electrify our senses—but the exhibition at Insight Gallery this year hit all those categories and more. Painting after painting revealed craftsmanship any professional artist would be proud to call their own; paintings that exemplified what can be achieved with hard work and dedication. Underscoring the impression the show made on me were the many red dots that caught my eye and told me that art lovers felt the same.
Once the reception was over, the crowd gathered for another exciting awards ceremony—replete with surprises, awards and well-earned nods for the winners from their peers. It was time to celebrate and acknowledge the culmination of months of preparation by many of the finest artists in America. We wish every one of you who participated could have been there too.
By Sunday morning, Insight gallery owner Meredith Plesko told me that 40 paintings had already been sold. Checking in with her this past week, she informed me that the count is now well over 50 and has amassed nearly $200,000 in sales. Plesko was still awaiting several clients who had their sights on larger pieces, which leads her to believe that totals will undoubtedly rise even higher. The gallery loved hosting the OPA and, speaking on behalf of those who attended, all had a fantastic time!
Southwest Art magazine again put on their first-class opening event, the “Pampered Paint Out,” this year and Kimberly Moore whipped up an unforgettable day, including a continental breakfast, lunch and a wine and cheese send-off to help revive tired artists who painted the hours away.
When Friday night rolled around, it was time to relax and enjoy a beautiful evening during American Art Collector magazine’s “Party Under the Stars, Texas Style.” Dining outside under a glorious old oak tree at the historic Pat’s Dance Hall, guests spent the night sampling some of the best barbeque in Texas and listening to one of Austin’s hottest up-and-coming country bands, “The Lonesome Heroes Band.” It was a perfect end to a perfect day. Thanks to Joshua Rose, Amy Gause and Alex McKee for putting together such a memorable event for OPA members!
However, competing and sharing with colleagues, as well as the wonderful opportunity to network and party with vendors and new friends, is only a part of the convention’s value. There were demos by such masters as Sherrie McGraw (this year’s judge of awards), Kenn Backhaus, Scott Burdick, John Michael Carter, John Cosby, and Elizabeth Robbins. We all learn from watching those who wield a skillful brush and, this year more than ever, we came away inspired. I think what impressed me most about the demonstrations were how generous and kind each artist was as they shared their insights and answered questions. There were no showboats, no posturing—only stars within our tribe bent on helping us all move forward. They appeared so at ease. They were in their natural element and among friends.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday each brought presentations touching on various aspects of a professional artists’ life. Each speaker contributed insights to our understanding of all that this crazy business requires.
One of my favorite presentation events was Southwest Art’s editor-in-chief Kristin Hoerth’s interview with Sherrie McGraw on Sunday morning. Hoerth delved into McGraw’s life and influences, and the artist responded with warmth and wit and practical advice. To achieve what McGraw has achieved and to see the quality of her craftsmanship reminds us all that hard work and determination pay off. Now and then we see an artist attain a flash of popularity only to fade from view shortly thereafter. But the real masters lay down a solid foundation and then add to it brick by brick, year by year, challenging themselves, extending a hand to others, and remaining open to life and art. Sherrie is truly one of those.
As we prepared to say our goodbyes, we had a last reminder of the practical side of art as a profession. Bill Bush, owner of Frederickburg Artists’ School and a certified public accountant, shared his thirty years of experience dealing with such issues as taxes, insurance, agent relationships, gallery representation, and the finer points of “doing business.” We left fully charged!
This was a long post, but for those who couldn’t be with us in Fredericksburg, I wanted to share how rich the national exhibition and convention experience can be. I wanted to urge you now to begin planning for next year’s so you can take it all in for yourself. You won’t be sorry.
For those who were there, you each did your part. You painted Fred RED—and they won’t soon forget you!
Party Hearty! For the Fourth Year, American Art Collector Sponsors a Great Shindig!
Friday night at the OPA national exhibition, American Art Collector (AAC) magazine will throw a party to be remembered. This year’s will take up Texas flavor and go all out—great food and music under the stars at Pat’s Hall, a historic Texas dancehall, surrounded by some of the most talented artists in the country. What more could you ask for?
As is always the case, the staff of AAC puts a lot of thought into producing their signature event, and this year is no exception. Editor Joshua Rose gives us the inside scoop:
On an earlier visit to Fredericksburg, we discovered a local BBQ joint called Cranky Franks. We immediately fell in love with their pulled pork and BBQ’d chicken and have eaten there on every subsequent trip. When we found out that this year’s party would be in Fred, there was no question who we’d have cater it.
And on a trip to Santa Fe, we met The Lonesome Heroes, an Austin-based country-western duo. They are wonderful singers, songwriters, and performers, and we all became friends quickly. We are very excited that they’ve agreed to come down from Austin to play for our party!
Imagine this—sitting on picnic benches under a giant, historic oak, drinking lemonade, eating some of the best BBQ you’ll ever taste and listening to the beautiful songs of one of Texas’s best country-western duos. We can’t think of a better way to spend a night in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Amy Elliott Gause, AAC’s sales and marketing director, is equally excited about this year’s event: “We couldn’t have found a better place to host our annual party at the OPA National Exhibition. This just might be our best yet—and we are currently arranging for the group of elk who showed up last year to make a special appearance this year as well!”
All I can say is YUM—great BBQ and music under that vast Texas sky, good-looking cowboys, sexy cowgirls, terrific sponsors, and hundreds of creative friends who love to talk about art. My kind of fun—
As the song goes, “The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas—” See you under the oak tree!
View some photos from last year’s American Art Collector’s party
Southwest Art adds flair to the 22nd Annual National Exhibition
One of the top sponsors for Oil Painters of America’s national exhibition in Fredericksburg, TX, May 15-19, is Southwest Art magazine. Always quick to jump on the bandwagon and support fine artists and their work, they are once again offering two events you won’t want to miss.
First up, on May 15, will be the “Pampered” Paintout, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Kimberly Moore, SW Art’s regional sales manager, and her staff will be out in force to show the artists great spots to paint en plein air and to provide breakfast and lunch. If you attended last year’s debut Pampered Paintout in Evergreen, CO, you know it was one of the five days’ best painting parties. As Moore says, “It was a wonderful event and was so well received that we wanted to do it again! It gives the artists an opportunity to relax and paint while being pampered for a day with food, drink, music, and fun! SW Art loves working with such high caliber artists, and being able to host this exciting event is really a joy!”
This year, activities will take place in and around the beautifully restored Tatsch House at the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park facility. Built in the mid-1880s by master cabinetmaker Peter Tatsch, using local stone, it is reminiscent of early Fredericksburg. It was recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey of the U.S. Department of Interior and the home’s detailed plans were placed in the Library of Congress in 1936.
But that’s not all! On Sunday morning, SW Art’s Editor in Chief Kristin Hoerth will interview this year’s distinguished Artist Sherrie McGraw at the Admiral Nimitz Museum & Convention Center from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Hoerth says she is very much looking forward to the whole week of OPA events, but especially to speaking with McGraw: “I’m thrilled to be able to sit down and chat with Sherrie. My conversation with Daniel Greene last year was enlightening and entertaining, and I have no doubt that this year’s interview will be just as compelling. We at Southwest Art are so pleased to be part of these events. The OPA has a long and distinguished history of producing wonderful shows that bring artists together and present impressive paintings to collectors, and it is our pleasure to help support these endeavors.”
See you all there in the best little art town in Texas!
Lighting the Way
I feel very privileged to have been invited to share some of my thoughts on the artist’s life with such an incredibly accomplished group. I attended the OPA National show in Evergreen, Colorado, in June and was treated to one exceptional image after another. You guys are good!
Twelve years ago, I had to choose whether to make my living as a writer focusing on art, or put in my 10,000 hours to become a professional artist. I went with the writing and founded my communications business because I had already put in decades to hone those skills. I missed making art, but the business took all my time and energy until last year when I promised myself another year would not go by without a brush in my hand. I have a long way to go to measure up to the craftsmanship I see exhibited by OPA members year after year, but I find I am living a life in art and it’s exactly where I want to be.
As an arts writer with an academic and experiential background in art history, I learn something from every interview, every research project, and I am constantly studying, observing, and refining my knowledge. I know you are too. Here is what I believe: Our imaginations are shaped by our lives’ events and our art squeezes through those vast or narrow halls to bloom in the sunlight. So it has always been and shall be forevermore. The more we experience and imagine, the more vision we bring to our art. The more we develop our skills, the closer we come to truly expressing our visions.
In this post, I want to talk specifically about the importance of light and shadow in our art and to hear from you about how they function in your own work. Light and shadow are dependent upon one another—they are two sides of the same coin and one cannot reach its full potential without the other. There is no depth, no perspective, no dimensionality, no translation of subject matter without both light and shadow.
Shadow, or darks, are the alter ego of light. Darks define and shape, highlight, and push lighter subject matter into being. These two comrades echo one another to reveal subtleties and nuances that would otherwise not be possible. Shadow and darkness form the essential support system for light and allow our viewers to more deeply understand and access our subject matter. As author Terry Tempest Williams once remarked, “A shadow is never created in darkness. It is born of light.” I find this statement a wonderful metaphor for how artists can look at light and shadow in their work.
Think about what it’s like to be out and about painting on a summer’s night. The stars are brightest against that dark, velvety sky. Our senses are on high alert—we smell the earth releasing moisture into the air as temperatures drop, we enjoy a sense of heightened possibility, and shapes that look ordinary in daylight morph into mysterious, unfamiliar forms. In the studio, a scene that might otherwise be mundane becomes striking and dramatic when accentuated by deep shadow.
But our shadows must be more than just dark, negative spaces on the canvas. They must have a strong character of their own. We are called upon to look closely, deeply into every dark region of the scene before us—to seek out their rich subtlety and translate that to our canvases. Have you ever asked yourself why the most exciting things in life can be those invisible forces that we sense but do not see clearly? It’s because those areas, without rigid boundaries, allow for possibility, for things that go “bump” in the night. They enhance a painting’s narrative quality.
Pablo Casals, the cellist, once remarked that in music the notes not played are as important as the ones that are played. These are the grace notes, the silent beats of space between audible tones of sound. In art, shadow is the grace note, the essential, less prominent element that allows the attention-grabbing central subject matter to take the spotlight. It frames, supports, and defines the star performer.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with how light and shadow work for you. Have you experimented with lighting to create different moods or atmosphere in a work? Have you painted a scene where shadows dominate—or do you think that’s possible? Is there a point in a painting where you look closely at your shadows to see if they are playing their strongest support role? Do they add to your paintings’ narrative quality? Let’s shed some light on the subject!