Our Fiber Art group exhibit, Orchids: Sensuality Stitched opens tomorrow at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. Yesterday we gathered to hang our show and I must say it looks wonderful.

Cindy Klemmer, Director of Education at Stowe, greeted us warmly, showed us the hanging space and helped us get started.

First things first, we laid out  the pieces on the floor to we decide where they will hang.

That’s my piece on the lower left, “Ode to Gene”. My first foray into whole cloth painting and I loved it!

PJ Howard  “rose to the occasion” (I couldn’t help the pun) and was deemed our unofficial ladder climber. I did not volunteer for that job because the older I get the more I find that me and ladders just don’t get along.

She came prepared with her own tool belt made out of fabric (what else for a fiber artist right?).

The hanging system at the Stowe is the typical Walker System whereby long rods are hung from a picture rail running along the wall about 10″ down from the ceiling.

Hanging clips are attached and the work is hung from these.

Our one dilemma was how were were to hang fiber art that is usually hung using a rod/slat in a sleeve.

For each of our pieces we each made a sleeve that would still hold a rod (so the pieces can still be exhibited in a quilt show) but made it long enough to cover the foam core we used.

Wire was then twisted onto the foam core so that they could be hung gallery style.

After having made 4 of these revised sleeves I will be creating a PDF tutorial that I’ll put in my sidebar for those that want to know how to make one.

Let me just say there were few prototypes before I got to the one I eventually used for the backs of my artwork.

Here’s Deb Langsam (left)  rehanging one of her pieces after adding the wire to the foam core earlier.

Susan Knapp (right)  brought sewing supplies to finish adding a label to the back of one of her pieces.

While we were hanging, staffers occasionally popped in to see what we were up to, admiring all the work we had done.

The two ladies (below), on the way out of the Garden, walked in to have a gander.

Most people are still a bit uninformed about art quilts or fiber art and curiosity got the better of them. They spent a few minutes asking questions.

I love this part about exhibiting, answering questions about our work and the processes we employ and find it fascinating that people still marvel at the fact that these artworks are all made from fabric.

Included in the larger works,  we each made one piece, 18 x 12, using the same photograph as inspiration.

These pieces were hung in the Garden’s  atrium where we will also be doing our demonstrations (12-4pm) of some of the techniques we used in the artwork. Some of us will be available at different times to walk through the exhibition to answer questions.

To find our more info about each artist check out our blog at www.fiberartoptions.blogspot.com.

The Exhibition will run through March 14th and we’d love to have you view our show.

Feb. 6 through March 14, 2010
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Belmont, NC
704.825.4490
www.dsbg.org

Preparing for ‘Red: From Alizarin to Crimson’, at Columbia Arts, my second attempt at the red bowl was a success.  Not that I had any doubts, of course, as I returned to my usual drop ring style instead of a bowl mold.  ’Red Cells’ is a shallow bowl, with a one inch drop.

The detail shot shows 22k ‘cells’.

If you remember from my last post, the first Red bowl blew a very large bubble right in the center while slumping, so I put it aside and started over.  Usually it’s easier and faster to just start over than it is to try to repair something.

I also had a second piece, ‘Plan B – Back to Square One’ underway, cutting squares to assemble into a bargello design.  Plan B came out of it’s first firing with devit.  Drat!  I had cleaned and dried thorougly, yet all of the dark red opaque squares were devitrified.  Plus I could see marks from the klyr fire (a glue for glass), a first for me, as I’ve always had klyr fire burn out cleanly.

Instead of a quick fuse & slump, I now had to mask the devit and refire.  Most people choose an overglaze for this task, but I advocate the use of clear powder.  Dusted with a fine layer of clear powder, back into the kiln it went.  At the same time ’second attempt ‘Red Cells’ was slumping through a drop ring in another kiln.

Once ’second attempt’ (as I fondly called it) was in the kiln for it’s final shaping, and Red plan B was in the kiln for it’s second firing, I turned my attention to the failed piece to see how I could resolve that big bubble.

Instead of letting heat and gravity flatten it onto a kiln shelf, where I might then have to grind the edges again into a perfect circle, I decided to place it into a shallow mold to see if I could get away with only one firing instead of two.

Firing slowly at 100 degrees per hour, I had to schedule it so I would be there viewing the bowl at process temperature.  There I was at 10pm monitoring it’s progress every five minutes, ready to reach in and push the bubble down if necessary (suited up with protective gear for the task).  After 60 minutes at 1200º, it had slowly slumped into the platter shape with the large center bubble finally settled snugly down into the mold.

So my success is threefold:  My second try at the red bowl, ‘Red Cells‘ turned out and was delivered in time for the show; a second piece, ‘Back to Square One’ turned out quite well, although not in time for the show; and my first attempt, which became ‘Red Cells II’, was saved and delivered just at deadline but still in time for the show!

If you’re in Hood River for February’s First Friday (Feb 5), do stop in & say hello!!  Columbia Arts,  Cascade and Third; from 6 to 8 p.m.  Oh, and wear RED!  Red ribbons and red prizes will be awarded for “Best of Show” and “Best of Dress.” Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy creative red refreshments!!  Hope to see you there!

Finally finished quilting all four pieces for our Orchid Exhibition coming up next week. Since I’ll be snowed in today (crazy snow this way in NC) I’ll get to devote a lot of time to adding facings and preparing each of them for hanging.

So in that vein, here’s another sneak peek at Orchid #3. Can you correctly guess what this orchid piece is about?

Ha!

~

Toodles,

Thanks to Doris for prompting me to get another post out.  I think about my next post all the time, but the kiln gods sometimes have a way of interferring with my plans.  Like the above bowl.  If you follow my ‘365 blog, you already know what happened here.  Giant bubble has me starting this project all over.

So here it is again, my second attempt at perfection.  Not that I really think I’ll ever achieve perfection, but we can try, right?!  In the meantime I usually have a Plan B, so besides playing with powders I’ve gone back to ‘Square One’, which you can see below.  Stacks of squares ready to arrange into a sushi plate.

Both of these projects will go to ‘Red’, the February show at Columbia Arts in Hood River.  That is if they turn out!!

Invited to participate in another Hood River show at The Pines 1852 Art Gallery, titled ”The Red Alert” I already have these smaller bowls ready to go.

Preparing for two art shows, making hearts for friends, more glass boxes, and photographing one image every day for my 365 project, not to mention posting occasionally on  my garden blog has kept me tremendously busy.

Although I still consider myself inept at all things computer related, I am slowly educating myself a little each day.  Sometimes it’s an ‘aha’ enlightening moment and sometimes it’s a red-faced ‘I hope nobody saw me do that’ moment.  It’s a good thing I can laugh at myself, because believe me I spend a lot of time laughing!

The two current Red projects on my workbench.

Bumbling my way through blogging, I rarely change any parts of my format because I don’t want to mess things up.  I recently discovered I could subscribe and have my blog delivered in an email each time I posted!  I think you can subscribe too! Please let me know how my new subscription service at the top right of the screen works for you.  One new thing learned on the computer today, so I can get back to the studio!

Had to set up an extra table to work on glass boxes and hearts!

But first I want to share why I added my third blog, 365 One Day at a Time to my already overfilled schedule.  A long time friend who happens to be a photographer and recent inductee to the Shutter Sisters Blog pulled me into taking and posting one photo a day for 365 days.  After consideration I decided it might be fun because I love taking pictures but I wondered if I could stick to it.  I have to tell you, I am having so much fun with it that I’d rather be outside photographing than in the studio.  Yes, I said it, there’s somewhere I’d rather be than the studio!!  Well sometimes.  When I don’t have a deadline looming.  Anyone can join in.  You can do it just for yourself too, without the pressure of posting daily.  Give it a try.  A couple friends you might know who’ve jumped in are Terrie,  Barb, and Katie.

I am so honored that you stopped by to read my blog.  I truly appreciate it and hope I’ve made you smile or given you an idea about something new or beautiful.

I saw this on Facebook in August of last year and it has been lurking in the recesses of my own personal locker. I almost forgot about it altogether. Michael Grills’ latest project, Interesting People, is online (and has been for a bit now) and ready for viewing.

The website is a sneak peak to his upcoming gallery show in March at the Endeavor Digital and New Media Art Gallery & Event Space in Alberta. He has created a series of vector paintings that will be printed on a 60 x 36 inch canvas and next to each canvas there will be a video display that shows the creation of the piece illustrator stroke by blessed illustrator stroke (granted the video is sped up, but still how cool is that). I would love to see this in person but the web will have to do, for now.

His work is amazing, anyone who has tried vector portraiture can easily agree, and his concept for this particular project is just awesome. Michael is one of a few artists that is really pushing us to experience digital art in a traditional setting. I encourage everyone to check it out.

- J. Hall

This past Saturday we celebrated our biggest event of the year: Cole Gallery’s Anniversary Show. The show featured Patty Forte Linna. We also invited all of our other artists to bring their newest offering of paintings to the show. The final outlook is that we have over 40 new paintings added to the walls of the gallery!

As our anniversary show approached everything was falling into place. Collectors were calling as new pieces popped up on our website; artists were busy finishing, framing, and delivering a gorgeous assortment of still life, landscapes, cityscapes and more. With a handful of Portland artists coming on Saturday bringing their art, I knew the pressure would be on to get everything hung and the stage set for a beautiful evening.

At 2:00pm on Friday, I received a call. My caterer was sick and had to cancel. I love to cook and I love to put on a great party, with wonderful food, great wine and a festive atmosphere. I wanted the anniversary show to host great food. With no caterer, it was now up to me to create the hors d’oeuvres.

I hit the floor running to try to pull everything together with friends, family and staff. My kitchen became a blur of butter and brown sugar, crostini and spreads, tortellini and chimichurri sauce. I have always prided myself in being a fast cook and this was the ultimate challenge: Prepare a gourmet assortment of yummy appetizers and sweets for 50 friends in one evening and then hang about 30 more paintings the next day prior to the show.

Thank God, my wonderful daughter and two dear friends came to my rescue on Saturday afternoon. Mara and Lynne were also awesome, filling in, taking care of customers and calming my frantic nerves. One kind and wonderful customer called me when she found out about my catering catastrophe and offered to bring brie in puff pastry, (she just happens to be a professional chef and assured me she could whip two up in no time).

At 6:00pm Saturday evening the party began, the jazz was awesome, (thanks to my wonderful husband) and our guests started pouring in. Throughout the evening we had a constant flow of about 70 people; far more than I was expecting.

Thank you all for joining us! The food and wine flowed and we managed to have more food than we needed. With most of our artists in attendance and the gallery glowing with amazing art, we had our most successful event ever!

Thank you all sharing a wonderful evening with us and supporting the arts. I hope that you will join us at our next great event, in which I guarantee I will not be the featured chef.

west bottoms awesome sky

Originally uploaded by Jon Freeman Art

Steve Brisendine has written up a review for my Argentine Library photo exhibit. I had no idea I was getting reviewed so this was a pleasant surprise. ARTKC365 review

Sauer Castle 03.22.08 sep29

Originally uploaded by Jon Freeman Art

I have a new photography exhibit opening tomorrow at Argentine Library in Kansas City, KS. This print of Sauer Castle and eight other pieces of mine will hang there for the next two months. All of the art in this show is available for sale at the library.

Fine Art Photography show at the Argentine Library

My work will be featured at the D Squared Art Gallery for the First Friday Art Walk February 5th.  The “official” press release is below:

Entitled, “The Spirit of Man” the collection features some of his top male fitness models, including never before published photos of Joshua Maliszewski, Joe Wegner, and Cody Woldt (featured in both his magazine shoots and campaigns for Baskit Wear and Sweat Under Gear),  as well as some of his work with female models.  This sensual collection of work has been created to show the passions of the Spirit of Man.

Mark Stout has been referred to as “an internationally recognized and acclaimed fashion and fitness photographer” by Asian Photography Magazine.  His work has appeared in Men’s Exercise, Exercise for Men, reFresh Magazine (UK), Display Magazine (Switzerland) DNA (Australia) and many others.

More of Mark’s work can be seen at MarkStoutPhotography.com.   D Squared Gallery is located in the heart of the Santa Fe Arts District at 802 Santa Fe Dr, 2nd Floor.  Denver, Colorado.  The showing is from 6 to 9 pm.

Then There Were Two - and - Yearning to Be Free - copyright Mark Stout

A Musician's Dream - and - The Night The Stars Fell Down - Copyright Mark Stout

"Sensuality" - and - "Anguish" - copyright Mark Stout

If you are in Denver, please stop in and say “Hello”.

west bottoms awesome sky

Originally uploaded by flywheel fotography

Optimistic about 2010! The paintings have been coming along rather nicely. I have a new photo show coming up at Argentine Library in Kansas City, KS. Here is a link with a brief summary on the show http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/FINEARTS/freeman.htm

The hotel lobby of Hotel Winneshiek was all done up in Christmas splendor.

Wow!   It is now 2010 already and it seems like it will be a good year for Solid Rock Photography.   2009 was a year of growth for us. It was also a year of trying new marketing approaches to see what would and would not work. It was also a year of networking! Additionally, it was a year in which we stepped up our different web sites like Fine Art America, Photo Shelter, and others. But, those things are all behind us now. What does 2010 look to be like for Solid Rock Photography?

The Fireplace at Hotel Winnesheik

Before answering that, there are few things to update you on from the end of 2009!

1.  Solid Rock Photography ended the year on the best month yet! That was a great encouragement to us.
2. December also brought with it the snow to get out in. You have a couple of story choices to read more about that.

• — A Local Adventure at Lake Louise State Park
• — Helping Services Christmas Light Show

3. Solid Rock Photography’s Home page was updated in December 2009–bigger changes to come in 2010.

Here is the updated web site of Solid Rock Photography

4. Solid Rock Photography added portraits to our list of photography styles. Click here to check out our portrait services!
5. Solid Rock Photography wrapped up the 2009 year with doing a gallery style show in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, called Art on City Walls for the month of December. There are two other shows lined up already for 2010. Check out our framed art gallery online!
6. Solid Rock Photography was accepted into the Better Business Bureau in 2009.
7. Solid Rock Photography was also juried into the Manhattan Arts International Online Gallery .

Solid Rock Photography's Manhattan Art's International Online Gallery Profile

8. Renee Phillips Founder and Director, Editor-in-Chief, Manhattan Arts International gave us a direction for the future when she stated the following on Linkedin.com–a professional networking source. “Dustin is an extraordinary photographer with a keen eye for capturing the sublime in the ordinary. His light-filled photographs reveal the heart and soul of his subjects. As a curator of many exhibitions over two decades I have seen many photographs and I would categorize him among those rare artists who have a genuine gift of healing through art. Having observed his comments here on LinkedIn I am impressed his spirit of generosity always sharing his expertise, positive attitude and wisdom with others. I would be proud to recommend him in any capacity of his choice. As a writer I look forward to featuring his work and ideas in my articles and my forthcoming book. I highly recommend purchasing or exhibiting his inspiring work for home, office or public space.”
9. Solid Rock Photography also put a profile on the Minnesota Arts.org web site in 2009 giving us more access to more resources available to artists.

Minnesota Arts Online Gallery Profile

10. Solid Rock Photography was selected to be an Examiner for examiner.com. The topic of choice was as an Outdoor Recreation Specialist for Southeastern Minnesota. It gives further birth to a writing career in the outdoor field. To view the articles we submitted for the selection process, read the two below.

–Clouds over Hackensack
–A Local Adventure at Lake Louise State Park
11. Solid Rock Photography also offered photojournalism services to the Mower County Historical Society! They needed new images for marketing their events such as the
Christmas in the County Images, which proved to be their biggest fundraiser of the year!

Santa, this is what I want for Christmas!

12. Solid Rock Photography offered photographic educational classes through community education programs in Southern Minnesota! That went over really well.
13. Solid Rock Photography introduced different signature lines of frames and custom matting options including Tru Vue® 99% UV Blocked Glass.

All of that took place in 2009 and more. It was quite a year and in 2010, here are some of the things we are looking forward to.
1. Solid Rock Photography is going to be unveiling a new web site that will help us to further expand what we can offer through our site. Such things we are going to try to do are online classes, discussion forums, a section on tips and tricks to photography, and another section on doing photography as a business–a guide to doing so.
2. Solid Rock Photography will be offering day trips and an extended trip sometime in the year for photography purposes.
3. Solid Rock Photography seeks to expand our portrait side by aggressively marketing for senior photos.
4. Solid Rock Photography is seeking to get into the medical services field with our fine art collection since it was deemed therapeutic. That starts this month already with a display at a local Psychologist’s office here in Austin.
5. Solid Rock Photography will be writing articles and other related items for Examiner.com as a way to increase our Search Engine Optimization. What that means is we will be going to more places in southeastern Minnesota and then writing for publishing on those places. Our emphasis will be on outdoor and adventure education and topics related to that field of study. Stay tuned to our Fan page for updates!
6. Solid Rock Photography is offering more classes in more locations this next year. Word traveled that we were doing these classes in community education programs and so we will see what 2010 brings educationally for the business.

Who knows what else is going to happen in 2010! Those are the six main goals this year for Solid Rock Photography! The Lord brought Solid Rock Photography through 2009 and we eagerly await what 2010 will bring in the way of abundant blessings!

To keep updated with how Solid Rock Photography is being blessed in 2010, become a fan of ours on Facebook. You can also follow SRP on Twitter, LinkedIn.com, Word Press Blog , and now StumbleUpon.com. You can also check out our work on FlickR . Utilizing free or very low cost marketing strategies is what helped in 2009 and it will only improve as the Lord expands our borders. Solid Rock Photography will also try to keep in better touch with our customer base in 2010 through varied email marketing campaigns and other direct mail campaigns.

2010 is here and so is the vision that propels Solid Rock Photography onward! If there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Onward for 2010!

Sincerely, Dustin DeBoer of Solid Rock Photography

The White Water Wildlife Management Area is a great spot to view many lakes of the over 10,000 in Minnesota.

The mix of green, snow and rock along with the little mountain lake lent itself to many contrasts for this image.

What do you see when you look at this image? Do you see a crystal clear image? Do you see the detail in it? Do you feel you are in the image somewhere? Now, take a look at the same image here on my Fine Art America Store! Then, come back here and see the same image on my Photo Shelter Account. Feel free to put them side by side and truly compare the details. Here is where your opinion is needed!

Which image do you feel is the best representation of the above image? Please post back to this blog with your answer. Your answer will help many artists who seek to have their best foot forward in presenting images on the web! Thank you in advance for your opinion.

It seems my artistic activities have gone into partial hibernation. I still take self-portraits with my Mac’s handy built-in Photobooth feature, and I attended some screen-printing classes, but that’s about it. One exciting thing is that this week I submitted work to an exhibition. On January 13 I’ll find out if I made it in or not. Cross your fingers, paws, or whatever type of digits you have.

A couple weeks ago, I did a turbo stocking of my Etsy shop. Perhaps you need to do some last-minute holiday shopping?
http://www.etsy.com/shop/calabazarte

Lastly, I’d like to tell you what I’ve been listening to. My friend from college has a band called Elephant Micah. He’s flown under the radar thus far, but his music is pretty fantastic. He has lots of his music available on his website to download for free. I particularly like In Midnight/Ocean Floor. His music style is sort of folky, but with an edge? I’m not a music writer… I dunno.

Okay, I hope this brief entry renews your faith in me as an artist. Buenas noches.

A collaborative show with mixed media artist, Jamila: http://www.jamilaproductions.com/art

Thornton Room
150 W 25th ST
New York, NY 10001
www.thorntonstudio.com/gallery

DECEMBER 10-20, 2009

INTRODUCTION

Our relationship with the physical world has challenged the efforts of great thinkers: Plato, Plotinus, Newton, Descartes, Spinoza, and many others; and despite demonstrations of modern science mapping the inner workings of the brain, body and its external environment, we continue to grapple with abstract complexities of the self—one seemingly material and real, yet fleeting and elusive.

Meditations in Entropy channels this web of thought through image, texture, scent, and sound. Rather than speculating on nature, Béland and Jamila work within it, observing the forms that surround them to capture, edit, bend and shape their creations. The inherent entropy of the subjects—residual elements of the natural world—inspire transformations with photography, digital web ASCII conversions, and traditional mixed media applications.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Reduced to just two-percent of their original five-million-acre sprawl, the Coastal Redwoods of Northern California are the world’s oldest living structures whose origins trace some five thousand years. Filtering the atmosphere, it’s feasible that organic residue from these giants have spread to all covers of the planet over the course of their lifetimes. Taking a digital photograph of the Redwood Landscape, each pixel was dissected and assigned a CSS color code to reorganize the image as a living Web body. Expanding to subjects across America: from the Coast of Maine, Yellowstone, Olympic Peninsula, and the urban landscape of New York City, each scene captures an organic process in transition; whether molecular (transpiration), alive (Holometabola), or in decay (senescence), remnants from America’s living museums digitally transform to carry the inevitability of entropy into mankind’s living creation: The Internet.

Mikeal Béland is a photographer and mixed media artist from the Rocky Mountain milieu of Yellowstone Country in Southern Montana. His early life was shaped by a love of the natural world, influenced by the cattle ranching and outdoorsman culture of his family. An Eagle Scout, classically trained pianist, and 4-H Equestrian, his early photography, visual arts, mixed media, and musical performance achieved multiple accolades at local and state competitions.

While at the University of Washington in Seattle for Visual Arts & Comparative History, he embarked on Landscape Intrusions in 2008, a 3-volume expedition documenting wildfires, deforestation, habitat destruction, and human influence on America’s World Heritage Sites: Yellowstone National Park, Redwood National Park, and Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. After traveling to New York in September, he worked under fashion photographer Andrea Blanch, contributed to Thornton Studio Photographers, and debuted as one of GLAAD’s top 100 Artists at the OUTAuction NYC in 2008 and 2009. He divides his time between the East Coast, Rocky Mountains and West Coast working on fine art photography, documentaries, editorials & portraiture, and digital media projects.

For full work information, please visit: http://mbeland.viewbook.com/fine_art_meditations_in_entropy

To inquire for purchase, please contact: mbeland@lotuseffectdesign.com

I just found another source of information and perhaps inspiration so I thought I would share it with you.

If you have ever wondered how art shows get put together here’s one of the ways. A venue or a gallery puts out a “Call for Submissions” or a “Call for Artists”. Both of those things are basically the same – they ask artists to either submit proposals ( This is the theme of the show I want to do, how many paintings I want to show… etc) or images based around a theme or idea (photographs, slides or the actual paintings). For example, the next Chatham Kent art initative is “In the Manner of Manet” asking artist to submit works inspired by a select number of Manet paintings.

So there are a bunch of places that regularly put out calls. You can find them in the back of national art magazines, there are online services artist’s can subscribe to, both paid and free. Art associations like Visual Arts Ontario often put out publications with calls for their members.

When it comes down to it, artist’s have to decide where to apply based on a couple of things, cost, venue, the crowd of people that is likely to come and most importantly their own artistic style and vision. I think I’d be waisting my time applying to calls looking for highly realistic paintings but I may have better success with the “Manner of Manet” call because impressionism is pretty close to what I do on a regular basis.

All that to say that I discovered Canada Arts Connect online yesterday and they are posting things I haven’t seen in the other newsletters I get about art opportunities. Many of the recent posts are related to the Toronto area – so if that is your thing you may want to check it out.

It has taken me a while to sort out what’s worth knowing about and what doesn’t apply to me – afterall, there are only so many hours in the day and I can’t spend them all reading newsletters… So I was thinking – would a section on the sidebar with links to various information and call sources be helpful? I’ll put it up if you leave me some feedback to let me know what is helpful.

What if you’re not an artist – what does all this have to do with you??

Well if you’re nosy like me, you can consider this a sneak peek/insider’s view kind of thing. A rare view of the artist-machinery sitting out exposed.

A Lurk or A Slice of Tranquility?

The light rays coming from the clouds after the storm were more than majestic to view let alone capture on film.

Once upon a time a little voice told me to participate in a day hike on the North Country National Scenic Trail up by Walker, Minnesota. While I wanted to go, the cost of fuel and having my whole day spent up there was causing me to second-guess this still small voice.

So the debate continued. Should I or shouldn’t I? If I did, what would be the pay out for such expenditure of resources? Then my thoughts concluded I needed to get away from the Minneapolis Area.  Additionally, the investment in the people of the North Country Trail Association might indeed pay off. Therefore, I headed north and west!

The day on the trail was a great experience. The trail is still in the construction stage and therefore needs workers. Then there is also the need for regular maintenance on the trail. Such was the case where part of the state forestry division harvested trees that destroyed the trail in that section. What a sight that was for a National Scenic Trail. Over all, the trail section was in great shape due to the hard-working volunteer efforts!

At the end of the day, I went over to a volunteer’s house to visit since it had been a while since I last saw him.  It was a great time being reacquainted with this past president of the Itasca Moraine chapter of the North Country Trail Association. While visiting, a neighbor of his told me about the eagles that were nesting in the area. That sparked a thought in me.

Therefore, after sitting around for a while I decided to go out to take photos around their lake shore property. To this day, I remember this site as it was. The storm had gone through and colors that came out after the storm were breathtaking.

At the end of the day, I looked back on it and felt very blessed to have gone. The moral of the story, a still small voice may be just the thing to follow. It was for me that day!

To view the images from this day hike, click here!

To custom frame and mat A Slice of Tranquility, click here on my Fine Art America Store. With thousands of possibilities for framing or as a card, something might peak your interest.

The framed image above is going to be at the Holiday Art Bazaar on December 7th along with many other images from my Framed Art Gallery! I will not be the only one at the Holiday Art Bazaar at Austin Minnesota’s Country Club ! There are 12 other registered artists for that event! Check out the event listing for more details!  See you there!

A traditiaonal Austin Minnesota image!

It is Christmas 2009. Can you believe it is here already? It seems like just yesterday it was July 4^th. What were you doing on July 4^th? Have you finished what you started this summer?

I have to admit I started things since then and have completed a number of them. However, there are some items on my list not yet completed. That must mean I am a work in progress. There is great comfort in knowing that  “He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

I just read Psalm 136 in which I was struck by the reoccurring theme. “His love endures forever.” He does not give up on those who call Him LORD. The psalmist goes on to say that this LORD is he who made the heavens and the earth. He spread out the waters on the earth. He made the great lights to govern the day and the night. He made the Red Sea part to save His people from their enemies. He led His people through the desert for forty years. He took out a couple of powerful kings who did not have His best interest in mind. He remembers His people in their low estate. The Lord saved His people and he provides food for all his creatures. Give thanks to the Lord for His love endures forever.

I do not know about you, but for me, there is great comfort in knowing that the God who created everything and came to His creation in the form of a little baby will accomplish what he set out to do. Psalm 138:8 says, “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.” For me, I take that to mean that I have a purpose and that if I follow Him, I will find it.

Striving towards that end is what I am doing today as I set up my Art on City Walls today in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. There will be many images of framed fine art on display at the City Government building for the entire month of December. Stop on by and let the message of images speak to you! For they pour forth speech day in and day out.

Austin, MN –– The Austin County Club, located at 1202 28th Street NE  in Austin, Minnesota, is hosting the First Annual Holiday Bazaar on December 7^th, 2009 from 5:30-pm-8:30pm. Come to enjoy and purchase some of southeastern Minnesota’s finest art pieces! From stained glass, hand crafted Christmas ornaments, Fine Art Oil Pastels, Fine Art Watercolor collages, custom made jewelry, and fine art photography, this show has a great selection of artwork!

The event will show case the talents of the following artists:
Jeanne Thatcher ~Stain Glass and Christmas Items,
Dustin DeBoer~Fine Art Photography,
Lynn Cunningham~Photo cards of Tanzania,
Barb Agerter~Fine Art Oil Pastels,
Jon Kittleson~Fine Art Oil Pastels,
James Wegner~Fine Art Water Colors,
Bonnie Lees~Fine Art Water Colors,
Jack Burns~Hand Carved Wood Steins& Mug,
Serena Brolsma~Hand Made Mittens and Christmas Items, Mary Gorman~ Fine Jewelry Design,
Lisa DeBoest~Fine Jewelry Design, and
Wendy Heimsness~Interpretation in Sculpture.

The venue of the Country Club will be all decorated in its Christmas décor and free appetizers will be served by the Country Club. Beverages will be available for purchase.

For more information about the event, please contact show organizer and fine art stained glass artist, Jeanne Thatcher, via email at jeanneleethatcher@yahoo.com.

Solid Rock Photography at 507-219-8371, dustin@solidrockphotography.org, www.solidrockphotography.org

White Water River Meanders is a Picture Rag Giclee Print original 16x24 that is mated and framed with Signature Line Framing from Solid Rock Photography. It is protected from UV rays with Tru Vue® AR Glass. Shipping prices will vary depending on destination and shipping method. Please inquire of me at dustin@solidrockphotography.org to obtain correct shipping rate quote.

Eden Prairie, Minnesota—December 1-30. Come relax, reflect, and rejuvenate and purchase the images that you are sitting in! Take some time to envision yourself in the various images hung at the City of Eden Prairie Government Center (8080 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, 55343) during the month of December! With upwards of 100 images from the 2300+ images that Solid Rock Photography has, there is sure to be something you will find yourself enveloped in.

From the Sunrise on Sugarloaf–a limited edition print on Aluminum to Fine Art Giclees like The Reflective Arches of the St. Croix to images of many other places from Washington to Yellowstone to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario to the Grand Canyon and more will all be there. To view several images of our  framed art gallery, go to http://www.photoshelter.com/gallery/Framed-Art/G0000XsVbLdIcxVw.

Stop on by the event during the month of December! All images will be for sale and can be ordered in various forms from canvases to mouse pads, to puzzles, to ceramic coasters, limited edition prints on Aluminum, and more.

Solid Rock Photography at 507-219-8371, dustin@solidrockphotography.org, www.solidrockphotography.org

I know it seems like I’ve been blogging about everything but art lately. With my walls full and art pilling up in corners its hard to think about anything but how am I going to sell something. I’ve also had to stop paying entry fees for contest and shows, I am down to $50 in my biz account, so that REALLY limits my options to show. But I do have a show (free to guild members) coming up at Kennedy Heights Arts Center Nov 14, I will have my 3 newest unseen paintings at this show along with photos I haven’t shown yet. I do also have a couple good leads on new venues near me so we’ll see if I can get some fluidity into my funds again!

October 21, my bday, we stopped at our favorite place, Hocking Hills, and finally got to see it with fall colors. As always its very hard to capture the scale and drama of the place but we did get a few good pics, here’s a couple.

By the way I hate the way they crop these pics, I can’t find a template I like that show full frame so go to my website to see uncropped pics.

I am having a gallery show downtown kalamazoo tomorrow and have been waiting for this day to arrive for quite sometime. It displays my design work, illustrations, photography, and use of typography. I’m very excited and a little nervous, so it should be pretty interesting. Here’s a picture of one of my walls we set up, it’s a picture I took with the ol’ blackberry, but it should do.

b.a.l.m. announces:

the WHITE SHOW at
Signs of Life Gallery
722 Massachusetts St
Lawrence, KS 66044

Juried by Samuel W. Kho

Opening Reception Friday October 23rd 7-10pm

Please join us for the opening reception which will feature an interactive installation
of a 3-D painting by Rex Hausmann in collaboration with b.a.l.m., 49 artists from
19 States and Puerto Rico, including established artists such as TR Ericsson,
Stephen Johnson, David Parker to name a few, and many emerging as well as local
and regional artists.  Also provided will be hors d’œuvres, live jazz, and the
presentation of the artists awards.

Show runs from October 23rd through January 16th, 2010.  There will be 1-2 artist
talks at the gallery per month while the show is running.  Stay tuned for artists,
topics and dates.

Click on the images below to enlarge.

For more information about the show or the artists contact us here, or 785.550.3856.
Follow or join us on:

I haven’t gotten to post an update due to the frenzied nature of this week, but our gallery show was a HUGE success, a big thanks to all who came out–Annelise, Andrew, Nate & I were entirely surprised and flattered! Annelise has submitted a little write-up to the Little Chimp Society illustration blog: http://thelittlechimpsociety.com/annelisecapo/a-roomy-platter-exhibition/

*I have recently been told that the links I post don’t work. I don’t know how to fix this, but if it doesn’t, just copy-paste it  & sorry, I’ll try to figure it out…

here are some photos from the show, some by me and others graciously taken by Christina Fulton…I think Zulmarie took a couple of the Panhandler photos as well. Enjoy! 

Andrew’s painting & installation

Annelise’s pastels 

The Obscure Animal Compedium (the tale of the Attlespoot) by Nate

Panhandlin’. 

T&P Fine Art in South Philadelphia is quickly becoming the hot spot for new and exciting art. This First Friday, they’ve done it again with a group show sponsored by SCION and featuring new works of art by Jennifer Fujikawa, Lauren Gardiner, Sean Stepanoff and Thom Foolery. The opening starts at 7pm.

T&P Fine Art
1143 South 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147