Inspiration: I See Myself In This Article!

"The Unnamed Trait

The most important trait is something that I don’t think I can fully explain with a couple of words. This trait has nothing to do with photography specifically, it has everything to do with success in general. Successful people are “Do’ers.” By that I mean successful people accomplish things. In many cases it doesn’t even matter what they do, they just have to do something, anything, over and over again. “Talented” people take initiative to do, create, or start something. The average person doesn’t actually do anything themselves; they go to work, they do what they are told, and then they come home and watch tv and get ready for the next day of work. Successful people see a problem and then fix it. They have an idea and they create something. Think about the people that you look up to in your life. You probably admire them because they have done something unique or different or they do something specific very well.

The average person is a talker. They claim to be smart, they claim to be talented and they claim to have great ideas. But they also always have an excuse about why they aren’t doing anything. Don’t you know a person that is always planning something big but their big ideas never turn out?"

The above quote was taken from a website called "FStoppers Original" and the author is speaking of photography. But I see the same thing applies to any kind of artist or creative person. I am hoping to become this successful person by doing, creating, starting something; and doing it over and over again. I feel driven for this and passionate about doing it! I believe success will come.

New Show Opening at Khan Studio/Good Morning Gloucester Gallery

I will be featured as the Guest Artist at the Khan Studio/Good Morning Gloucester Gallery on Rocky Neck starting July 20 and running through August 16th. The opening reception will be Saturday, July 21 from 5-8:00 pm. The gallery is located at 77 Rocky Neck Ave., Gloucester, at the entrance to the Madfish Grille. Parking is on the street or at the public lot right over the causeway at the entrance to the Neck.  Sangria, wine and h'ors d'oeuvres will be served.

My host is E.J. Lefavour (Khan), owner of the gallery and blogger on Good Morning Gloucester. EJ has her own wonderful artwork along with other local artists and photographers. I will have a large wall display of original paintings plus giclee prints for sale in three sizes and affordably priced.

I hope to see you there!

June 2012: Galleries Open in Gloucester!

It's been a bit insane getting my work in place but I'm finally up and running in three locations for Summer 2012! I'm proud to be a new member of the Rocky Neck Gallery, which is a co-op located at 53 Rocky Neck Ave. next to The Rudder (restaurant) right on Smith Cove in Gloucester Harbor. I'm just getting to know my fellow artists but it's a friendly and creative group. My obligation is to work there every other Saturday morning from 11-3 starting on June 16th. I did one shift on June 1 for the Spring Show and thoroughly enjoyed just being there and feeling like an offical part of the Rocky Neck scene!

Most exciting of all is my own little gallery which is at the Accommodations at Rocky Neck. Thanks to proprietor Mona Faherty, I have the entire wall in her office where she checks in guests for the Accommodations. Once a gallery, there is already track lighting and white walls. I've got nine paintings hanging plus notecards and postcards for sale. It is at 43 Rocky Neck Ave. right next to the Imagine Gallery. I've even got my own sign "Deb's Art Gallery" out at the sidewalk. If you decide to come up to Gloucester, I highly recommend calling Mona for a room. (978-381-9848) or visit rockyneckaccommodations.com. They all have water views and are efficiency-style. Very reasonably priced for being waterfront. The first Thursday of every summer month is "Nights on the Neck", an open-house type of event with musical performances and a gallery stroll. The first one was last Thursday. I went up and sat in my gallery and got to  meet many locals as well as tourists. It was all a wonderful experience.

This is my first year as an official "Artist Member" of the North Shore Arts Association. I currently have one watercolor hanging in Exhibit II. Helped hang that exhibit last week for another great networking opportunity.

Coming up in July, I am the Guest Artist at the Khan Studio/Good Morning Gloucester Gallery, also on Rocky Neck Ave. near the Madfish Grille. Dates on that: July 20 through around August 16.

Shrewsbury Artists Guild Annual Show February 2012

Won "Best in Show" for my piece titled "Gannett".

Save a Date: July 20-August 2nd: Khan Studio, Rocky Neck
I am pleased to announce that I will be the guest artist at the Khan Studio/Good Morning Gloucester Gallery located on Rocky Neck in East Gloucester. This is a very happening place on the boardwalk leading out to the Madfish Grille on the edge of Smith Cove. Owned by my new friend EJ Lefavour, I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to a gala opening! During my three weeks, I will be there for the "Nights on the Neck" of August 2, which features a gallery-stroll type of festive atmosphere. See you there! Stay tuned for detail of the opening reception.

Big News: I'm in at the Rocky Neck Art Gallery!
Another huge step! I was one of a small group of new artists selected for membership starting this summer. The Rocky Neck Gallery is located at 53 Rocky Neck Ave. in East Gloucester, right next to the most excellent restaurant, The Rudder. I will have one or two pieces on display and for sale here all summer. This requires gallery-sitting once every other week and I can't wait! Looking forward to meeting all the members and becoming a part of the artist's community on the Neck.

January-April 2012: The Lucky Whale Tale & more...

It's been a productive winter. I dove right in to painting after the boating season ended and produced close to one painting every week. Armed with plenty of my own photos, I started with the yellow dories and some nice reflections. With my inventory building, I started thinking about getting some additional gallery space lined up. My first lucky break was running into Mona Fahery at the Pier 7 Christmas Party. She offered me space in her office at the Rocky Neck Accommodations! I'm looking forward to setting that up as a gallery soon. That will be a permanent gallery location for me all summer. The address is 43 Rocky Neck Ave. in Gloucester.

Next, I saw an opportunity on the Good Morning Gloucester blog for guest artists at the Khan Studio on Rocky Neck. I emailed the owner, EJ Lefavour, who gave me a three-week spot. A few weeks later, Peter and I drove to Gloucester for a friend's 50th birthday party. It was a balmy day in February, so we decided to go to Rocky Neck and see if we could find the Khan Studio. The Neck shuts down for the winter. The galleries and restaurants are deserted.  We parked and wandered down the dock. A woman appeared, and we asked her if she knew which gallery was the Khan Studio. It turned out to be EJ herself! We chatted like old friends and she showed us her way cool gallery. It seemed so serendipitous-but the best was yet to come. We said good-bye to EJ, and I got my camera and walked down to the water to see if I could get any good shots. Peter noticed a big ripple in the middle of the cove and began staring to see what might have caused it. Incredibly, it was a whale! We could hardly believe it. Keep in  mind, Smith Cove is the very inner harbor of Gloucester. It is not that deep and the tide was going out. We ran to find EJ, who was still there, in the parking lot talking to a friend. She grabbed her camera. We all watched in amazement as the whale circled the cove. EJ later published her photos on GMG. Someone from the New England Aquarium read the blog and identified it as a Right Whale-very unusual. The entire experience was surreal. EJ later emailed me some interesting literature on the symbolism of whales. I am happy to say that I believe very much in what I read: that whales symbolize inner peace and strength, a new beginning, the flowing of the creative process. Wow. Sometimes the Universe really does point out the Way. I see good things happening on Rocky Neck this summer!

Bass Rocks Art Loan Program: Spring 2015
For the second year in a row, my work was chosen for the SeArts Bass Rocks Art Loan Program. That's me on the right holding my watercolor of Eastern Point Light. This year they accepted three of my watercolors.In addition to the one I am holding, they have "Low Light at Lane's Cove" and "Winter Motif". 

Eastern Point Light

Last Light at Lane’s Cove

Winter Motif

Last year they accepted two, and one, "Gannett", was sold during the exhibit to a couple from Rockport. 

Bass Rocks Country Club is located on Beach Road in East Gloucester and features a gorgeous golf course with ocean views and tennis courts. The artwork is hung in their clubhouse dining room which in addition to accommodating club members is used for social functions throughout the year. The art hangs for one full year and is for sale. A percentage of each sale goes to support SeArts Gloucester (The Society for the Enrichment of the Arts). I am happy to be a member. 

The Opening Reception will be held on May 28 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Reservations can be made on the SeArts website. 

Update: December 2011

I've been busy at the drawing table for the past three months since the end of the boating (and photography) season. Commissioned work includes two watercolors and whole bunch of pen-and-ink home portraits. My favorite subject matter continues to be boats and their reflections. I've developed a particular fascination with the yellow Gloucester dories. To me they are nearly as iconic as the Fisherman himself, or Gloucester's "motif", the old paint factory. I had the good luck to find three of them rafted together in Smith Cove on one of my early-morning dinghy expeditions last summer, and got a ton of great photos with the golden light and calm water. Rowing the dories is a local pastime and I've gotten some good reference photos of them in action. So far I've produced five paintings (recently) featuring yellow dories. They will be posted on this site soon, once the camera work is done (thank you, Anne!). One of these was commissioned by my biggest fan and promoter, Diane Rule-Enos, for her husband Jay, and is now in their private collection. The others will be for sale this summer.

Three Dories in Smith Cove

Dories at St. Peter’s Dock

Rowing to Zeke’s

Gannet

Orange and Gold

August 2011: Juried in for Artist Membership in the North Shore Arts Association

This is a huge accomplishment! The NSAA receives many applicants for Artist Membership but only six of us were accepted. The jurying is a two-step process. Submission of five photographs of your work is the first step; if you pass that, you are invited to bring in the originals. Getting the phone call that I was accepted was very exciting! They requested my piece titled "Holy Mackerel" for the first show in the Spring.

Holy Mackerel!