Here’s where I’ll be next weekend! I’ll be showing my acrylic paintings.
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Art-in-the-Park, West Park, Allentown, PA – How the day went…
I participated in this show yesterday, held in West Park, Allentown, PA. It’s a favorite of mine, for the lovely location, the appreciative crowd, and the volunteers who run the event. I have done this show for almost 20 years, missing a year here or there (such as last summer, with my cataract operations) but I will keep doing this show until either it or I give up. I really feel at home here, both in this city and this show.
OK, I’ll get to the 2016 experience. First thing, we located our spot. I have been in this same location since I began coming here, so – this part was not hard at all.
Next, after saying hello to my booth neighbor, a long-time art friend who has been located next to me at this show for several years, my husband and I got to work setting things up. Here we’ve put up our tent and we’re starting on the racks:
Here’s the end result:
Now things got underway. We had perfect weather and the park got crowded quickly.
Besides the art, there was music at the band shell all day.
And I can’t leave out a photo of the fountain, the centerpiece of the park.
In the afternoon, I took some time to stretch my legs, walking around the block. West Park is a substantial piece of ground, set in a grid of streets that were built up about a hundred years ago. The surrounding area is filled with tall, ornate rowhomes. This neighborhood and Allentown itself are undergoing a rebirth, and it can be seen in how many houses are being renovated and in their upkeep. In fact, there is a popular tour of houses in this neighborhood held the day after this art show – you could buy tickets at the information table.
I took pictures of streets surrounding West Park. All of these buildings are located on the streets directly abutting the park.
The Masonic Temple is right across the street on Linden.
The Episcopal Church of the Mediator, located at the corner of the park on Turner Street, always holds a rummage sale (entitled “Tossed and Found”). I also noticed they have a Little Free Library now, too.
Back at the show. This event features judges and prizes. I like the competition and I always hope for recognition, just like everybody else! This year I got my wish. Thank you, judges!
At five o’clock it was time to pack up.
The park looks so peaceful now, back to its regular self with all the show activities pretty much packed up and gone home.
Art in the Park, West Park, Allentown, PA – Saturday, June 18
I’ll be showing my paintings at this great show in Allentown this Saturday. It’s a well-established show held in an arboretum/park in the middle of the city – a lovely green space created about one hundred years ago and well-cherished today. The event is organized by the West Park Civic Association.
I really love going to this show – I would say it is one of my two favorite events. I’ve come here for almost two decades, I think. I didn’t make it here last summer – my second cataract operation interfered. So I’m extra-ready to be back in my space (#108, if you are interested, and I have occupied this location since the first year I did the show!).
The park is located between Linden and Turner, 15th and 16th, Allentown, PA, 10 AM to 5 PM, and the weather looks just perfect for a show.
Plein Air Event, Chestnut Hill, Sunday, June 12, 2016
All right, I’ll give you a rundown on this event!
We arrived nice and early, around 8 AM. The location is only about 10 minutes from home so it was easy to do this. My location was in the 8600 block of Germantown Avenue, and I chose this spot at the intersection of Germantown and Bethlehem Pike. The day was warm, sunny, and quite windy.
I had decided to do 2 paintings, since I tend to work better if I move between pieces – I don’t overwork the details and consequently muddy things up. I had two boards, 12″ x 16″, coated with a smooth gesso. Since I didn’t want to move my work area, I chose two views that I could see from my location.
So, I got to work.
Quite a few people were out visiting the event – there were 40 or so artists at work on the Avenue. (I’ll take this chance to say thank you to my friends John N. and David W. for stopping by!) Here is a look at the progress on Painting #1:
And here is Painting #2:
And here is where I finished with them. For the day, anyway.
I had some extra time and I had brought a larger board with me, so I started on it, using a view looking up the street. I was tired and losing focus, so I left this painting in a much more unfinished state (and it’s already had some changes made, believe me, one day later!).
At three o’clock, my husband and I took one of the paintings, the crosswalk one, to be displayed at the reception.
And that was the event!
I came away from it with some insights about how I like to work that I had not focused on before. Honestly, I don’t like painting in this manner – I mean in an official plein air event. I felt under pressure to stay with a depiction of what I saw in front of me, and no more – my painting was totally dictated by what I saw outside myself, rather than from what comes to me inside my own head. I realized that even when I paint from a photo, I feel free to make changes, to use it only to spark other ideas, and most of all, to access memories or feelings inside me. Here – I didn’t feel much connection to what I was painting and so I don’t like what my results were. Which is why I say the paintings were finished – for that day! But not finished, the way I feel something is finished.
I did enjoy being outside and working, though I would make sure to be in the shade, and on a less windy day – the paint dried as quickly as I stroked it on the surface. I struggled a bit with my materials, I guess I’m saying.
So what I need to be doing is, working outside but painting from the inside – of my own head. And if I can combine the actual world with the internal one, I’ll have a happier result, both in my feeling about my work and the actual paintings themselves.
This insight is nothing cosmic, but it did help me put things into perspective. I now have three paintings started off and where they will go from here – we will see!
Plein Air in Chestnut Hill Tomorrow!
You may remember this event, scheduled for last Sunday but canceled due to the rainy weather, is taking place tomorrow. And the weather is looking great.
We’ll be painting along Germantown Avenue in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia from about 8 AM to 3 PM. I’m in the 8600 block, right at the top of the hill.
I don’t paint out in the open air too often. So I’ll be interested to see what I come up with!
So, What Happened at Art for the Cash Poor?
I’ll tell you. Right here.
Background – this show is hosted by InLiquid, a Philadelphia organization devoted to the interests of artists. The event features art costing $199 and below and runs the whole weekend, but I did only Saturday’s session.
The show is held in the Crane Arts Building, a renovated warehouse from 1905. The building now houses art organizations, artist studios, art exhibition space, and offices for businesses, including architects.
It’s located in a section of town that was formerly industrial, fell into disuse, and now is being reborn as a residential section. It’s a coming place to live, especially for young people. I visited this part of town quite a bit when I worked for a bank 35 years ago, when it was already in decline, seeing customers in the factories and warehouses around here. I considered it an area in which to be cautious and aware at all times then. It is changing fast now – the new and the old are side by side. Decrepit warehouses, razor-wired lots, remodeled industrial buildings, and brand new (and expensive) houses stand side-by-side. If you see a vacant lot now, you can be sure it’s got an owner waiting for development.
I noticed several bikes chained up in front of the building, on the street. You would not have left your bike in the open out here, years ago.
One more thing, and then I’ll get back to discussing the show. About ten years ago, I visited this same location for a show, and I took a picture of a building across the street. I did the same, this year, and now I see it’s a craft beer brewing location. So, I’m telling you, things are changing here and I’m glad to see it.
My space was in the Ice Box Room, a section of the warehouse that was used for cold storage of seafood in the past and is now an exhibit space. We each got a booth area of 6 feet deep by 7 feet wide. Perfect for my table and two chairs. I planned my setup for simplicity because of the small space but it worked out great.
The show was crowded, lots of shoppers all day. True to the changing neighborhood demographics, there were a lot of young people. Sales were good and the people-watching opportunities were first-class.
There was an outside section to the show and the music stage was there – but we could hear the performances through the door opened to the outside. I was intrigued by one band, Kitty Rotten, who did the whole set (in 85 degree weather) in kitty outfits.
You know, I’ve done shows for a long time, and most of them are pretty similar. This one was out of my usual routine and I had a great time. I met some artists new to me and saw a lot of interesting work. I also got some nice attention for my work. Looking forward to next year.
Plein Air Event Moved to June 12
The weather is looking rainy for Sunday, so this event will be held next Sunday, June 12, instead.
I’ll still be at Art for the Cash Poor on Saturday, June 4 – TOMORROW!- and I’ll look forward to painting outside next week.
