Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Notes from First "Coffee & Conversation"

The inaugural "Coffee & Conversation" was an assured hit. We hosted a friendly group of curious adventure seekers who turned out to listen to Lucy Beebe Tobias talk about her book "50 Great Walks in Florida". Coffee aroma wafted throughout the gallery as we all viewed a continuous slide show and chatted with Lucy about all manner of exploring Florida.

coffee and conversation The ambiance was laid back and relaxed, just as we wanted it to be. After all, it's about savoring a good walk, not hiking.

Voilart! gallery + studioI learned about geocaching. Nine hundred something in Ocala alone. GPS required. Intriguing.

Lucy TobiasClearly enjoying the discussion, Lucy entertained us with stories, anecdotes, history and told great snake and alligator tales. You know she had MY attention.

All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking - Friedrich Nietzsche

Friday, January 22, 2010

Coffee & Conversation

Still need to shed those extra holiday pounds? You know, walking is the best exercise.

50 Great Walks in Florida
Saturday, January 23rd from 4:00 to 6:00pm, Lucy Beebe Tobias will give a presentation at Voilart! Gallery + Studio. It's free, just make a reservation to hold your seat. She'll discuss five walks she considers apropos to art lovers from her fabulous book: "50 Great Walks in Florida."

Lucy's talk will be the first in a new monthly event: "Coffee & Conversation" that partner Jackie Schindehette and I are hosting to feature artists, writers, poets, musicians and any other talent we think you'll find interesting. Six months of fascinating people are already booked, so do stay tuned.

Coffee & Conversation
featuring Lucy Beebe Tobias: "50 Great Walks in Florida"
Saturday, January 23rd, 4:00-6:00 pm
Voilart! Gallery + Studio
108 E. Fort King St.
Ocala, Florida 34471

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

January Musings

Hey, all I'm gonna say is: it'll take a lot of babies at $5000. a pop to cover $16,000,000.


The Green MonkeyThat would be "The Green Monkey" of course. Looks good, doesn't he? My good friend, professional photographer extraordinaire Joe DiOrio shot this portrait just last weekend as well as a bunch of primo photos for a local Ocala farm. Check them out here. Love all the grays - reminds me of something cavalry.

Back to The Green Monkey: we won't be seeing those astronomical figures again anytime soon. I wandered over to the OBS Winter Mixed Sale this morning and picked up a hard copy of the Jan. 16th Bloodhorse. Very positive and affirmative article about "What's Working in Racing" especially after two years of doom and gloom. Refreshing insight. And all I listened to at OBS from my friends and acquaintances was doom and...right. I propose a shift in attitude. I've said all along that the biz will recover with a vengeance and emerge like a phoenix. The market corrections are at hand.

Here's a latest painting. How do you inject "dynamism" into the gentile world of hunter/jumper?

hunter/jumper painting"Smooth Sailing" oil on canvas, 30" x 18"

And it's actually quite dynamic. Must feel like you've been vaulted onto the third floor balcony when sailing over those seven foot jumps.

Dick Cheney and I do not want this nation to be in a recession. We want anybody who can find work to be able to find work. - George W. Bush

*NOTE: for those of you who comment on this blog, I've had to re-instate word verification for awhile. The spam robots are attacking me daily.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

I Survived Oh-Nine!

My previous m.o. was to look back over the year to applaud myself for accomplishments and follow that boasting with a list of goals for the upcoming year. Not necessary to rehash the extreme challenges of '09 for most of us so I will just announce that...I persevered and I'm still a self-supporting full-time painter. Thankfully. Gratefully. Everyone is aware of the economic impact on the arts and individual artists in particular who create what is considered luxury goods for buyers with disposable income. As an equine artist, I endured a double whammy as a result of the recession. I never do anything in a small way.

Amazingly, many people are not aware of the enormity of the horse industry and what far-reaching effect it's downturn imposes on those not only directly involved with horses but also the hundreds of thousands of connected manufacturers, businesses, vendors, and suppliers of equine products and those who provide related services. It's huge. Vast, in fact.

Rather than making the expensive trek to Saratoga last summer, I invested in Voilart! Studio and Gallery in a storefront in downtown Ocala. It provides street cred and access to a very interested public. A smart decision and venture with lots of potential. I'm excited. My partner Jackie Schindehette and I have ambitious plans: guest lecturers, book readings, demos, workshops, classes, etc. It's my shining accomplishment. Yay for me!

Goals for the coming year? No pressure this year but rather an embrace of a collective sense of optimism. I will honor myself as a artist who can endure, shift gears as necessary and always, always show up on time with primo goods. I'm addicted to the relentless chase for excellence. Horse racing is permanently embedded in my DNA and I affirm the best realignments and ongoing adjustments within the industry.

I pay attention.

calico cat"Babush"

"After 5000 years of recorded human history, you wonder, What part of 2,000,000 sunrises doesn't a pessimist understand?" - Robert Brault