Things you don't see every day...

Thing You Don't See Every Day # 1: I think this has to be the first time I've ever seen my name on marquee. I'm not sure what I think about it. Eek.

If you'd like to witness this phenomenon in real life, come on over to the Paquette Gallery at the SteamPlant tomorrow (Friday, June 1) from 5-7pm for the advertised art reception.

Thing You Don't See Every Day # 2: Bighorn sheep. We do see them in our area, but  I was surprised to find a trio of young rams down this low at this time of year. We are struggling with a deepening drought and I expect they're after whatever grass and water they can find. They're looking mighty scruffy... still trying to lose their winter coats.

Thing You Don't See Every Day # 3: A dragonfly laying eggs in a pond. And I actually had my camera with me... that should be Thing # 3 1/2.

Thing You Don't See Every Day # 4: Field sketches. Finally. I escaped for a bit today to an area called Bassam Park, about half an hour or so from here. I hadn't been in there in a long time, and I'd forgotten how interesting the landscape is. (This is where the bighorns and dragonflies were, too.) Wild iris are still blooming and I spent several happy minutes watching bees at work.

You don't see so many Things You Don't See Every Day every day now, do you? I don't. Not usually. And certainly not every day.

Home again.. and exhibition news!

Whew! What an amazing couple of weeks I've had! It's going to take a while to process the adventure, but there's no room for omphaloskepsisizing just now. It's show time!

With barely 24 hours of home time under my belt (and a huge pile of things still to be sorted on my desk) we headed out yesterday for the opening of the 12th Annual National Small Print Show in Creede, Colorado. High wind and a huge fire in New Mexico made for eerie driving... nothing like getting battered around in dust and smoke to make you wish you were back on a train in the Netherlands or something.

The show was, as usual, very well attended, and lots of pieces found new homes. Print-focused exhibitions are always a delight (to me, anyway). Where else is one able to see so many printmaking techniques displayed all at once?

Of course I was honored to have one of my linocuts awarded First Prize! Would you look at that cute blue ribbon? On the wall opposite my pieces were works by Dan Welden (of solar etching fame) and Stephen Quiller (watermedia painter and hometown Creede favorite son). Good company, eh?

The National Small Print Show runs through June 25 at the Creede Repertory Theatre, and then portions of the exhibition will head to the Center for the Arts in Evergreen, Colorado in July.

But that's not all! This week I'll host a reception for my solo exhibition "Familiars" at the Paquette Gallery here in Salida. The show was installed just before I left for Holland and continues through June 10. The reception is from 5-7pm this Friday, June 1. If you're in the neighborhood, come on by!

Unexpected Paris

The Louvre from the Tuileries. I didn't go in...
save it for next time.

Sometimes it's good to not have too many plans when one hits the road. The suddenness of my decision to travel to the Netherlands for the opening of the Artists for Nature exhibition meant I didn't really have much time to organize an itinerary beyond the first few days.

This meant lots of wandering about the Dutch countryside (which I love) but it also meant I could make an unexpected detour to Paris. I'm only here for two days but I'm packing in a lot.

Inside the Musee d'Orsay

This morning I went with my friend T to the Degas exhibit at the Musee d'Orsay and then wandered around by myself discovering a bit of Paris. Tomorrow I'll try to go to an exhibition of animal art at the Grand Palais and then it's back to Amsterdam in the evening.

I'm on visual and cultural overload now. I heard my first American voices in almost two weeks today. Startling. A bit like a rude alarm clock sounding off in the middle of a lovely dream.

I don't expect to post again until I am home, so au revoir until then.

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Location:Paris, France

Art road trip

Welkom in Nederland!

The past two days have been a whirlwind of exhibition activity as we celebrated the 20th Jubilee of the Artists for Nature Foundation. Friends and colleagues from across Europe and the United States (some of whom I had not seen since 1994!) gathered to tell stories and share artwork and eat and eat and eat.

It is really quite impossible to describe how it feels to be with "the tribe." My emotions ran the gamut from delight to dismay... Delight at being with friends and honored to be included with some of the world's most accomplished wildlife artists... And dismay at always feeling I should be doing more! More drawing, more printing, more work. Everyone is so busy with so many projects (and creating such spectacular art), it's both inspiring and intimidating.

Reception over, I am now visiting friends and fellow artists in a few towns in Holland and then maybe I will travel to Paris to see a big exhibition of animal art.

Internet access is a bit sparse at the moment, so it's not clear when I'll get to post this. More news and photos to come!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Here and Gone Again

Looking out the studio window....

We spent the weekend on the road for David's gigs, and tomorrow I'm off again until the end of the month. Today was the designated last minute errands day, but SURPRISE! I had to do them by car because it's been alternately raining and snowing all day long. After several months of desperate dryness the moisture is very welcome.. but seriously.. NOW? I'm going to have to put wet shoes in my suitcase if I'm not careful.

I feel like I'm ready to go, which means I'm completely paranoid that I've forgotten something crucial.

I'm going to attempt to do a post or two from afar... all will depend on internet access. If I can't make it happen, then I'll catch everyone up when I return. Happy spring, everyone... snow and all.

"Familiars" at the Paquette Gallery

With David's help I ticked one more thing off my pre-travel to-do list today: We hung the show! This afternoon we installed Familiars at the Paquette Gallery at the SteamPlant here in Salida. Because I'll be out of town the reception won't be until Friday, June 1, but that doesn't mean you can't stop by and take a look before then.

Another inch to the right, please.

 About the show....

Familiar, n. In European folklore, familiar spirits (“familiars”) are supernatural entities believed to assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic.

Salida, Colorado printmaker Sherrie York finds her best relationships develop on foot. Inspired by almost a decade of wandering trails throughout Chaffee County, the woodcuts and linocuts included in “Familiars” represent places and creatures York knows well– and that she likes to believe know her, too.

The natural world is replete with wonders and relief printmaking, whilst not precisely magic, certainly has its moments of mystery and inexplicable surprise. From iconic waterfowl to intricate tangles of fallen leaves, the familiars haunting the Arkansas River valley inspire York to carve a place for herself in the landscape.