Enough of the cold and snow - it is time to get out of the house for something fun! The Bloomingdale Park District Museum's exhibit "Let There Be Light" opened today, but the best time to see the exhibit will be Friday night, January 16, 2015 from 6 - 8 pm. That is when the complimentary Artists Reception will be held - plenty of food, drink, entertainment, beaming photographers, and wonderful photographic artwork will be in abundance. Juror Richard Ainsworth will be there to hand out ribbons and talk about his selections. The photo above is a sneak peak of me checking out the exhibit this morning; shown with entries from my light-painting photography collection, right next to some of my favorite works from photographer friend Tammy Caltagirone. Throughout the two galleries, I was delighted to see entries from many other friends as well, including Al DaValle and Jim Hojnacki; MAPS members Mary Mehl, Diana Chrisman, Tim Rex, and Cora Jacobs; and fellow fotoMuses Noriko Buckles, Anne Frantzen, Janice Henry, and Judy Kinal. I hope to see you there, Friday night. It is close, it is warm, it will be friendly and fun. The Museum is located at 108 2nd Street, Bloomingdale, IL 60108. Click here for a map and directions. p.s. When you are there, don't forget to check the Bin for matted/unframed works by the many of the photographers in the exhibit. There are a few of my "Delicate Beauty" pieces, including my newest "Preening Egret."
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As you navigate the Holiday Season, be sure to save some time to do some 'fun' things. No pressure, just enjoy. Read on for some exciting events coming up next week. To give you some background, I recently joined a vibrant and dynamic group of artists who make up the Arts in Bartlett organization. In October, they (we) moved into a larger space, which has an awesome Gallery, studios, and performance space. I am honored to be part of the inaugural art exhibit, which includes drawings, paintings, photography, jewelry, and ceramics from local artists. Several of my pieces from "Delicate Beauty" (formerly known as "Ink on Unryu") are included in this exhibit, as is my canvas print "Victorian Roses." Throughout December, there is a Holiday Boutique, with hand-made ornaments and gift items. And now, for the Events: The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new location will be held at 5:30 on Tuesday, December 9, with open house and tours following. The Village President and other dignitaries will be there to officiate and join in the festivities. Music and food will round out the experience. If you can't make it to the ribbon cutting, there is an open house on December 11, from 4 - 6, followed by a holiday dinner for members and guests (rsvp required for the dinner). For more details about the Arts in Bartlett Center, the Gallery and December events, see the online story in the Daily Herald. Arts in Bartlett is located at 215 S. Main Street, which is in Bartlett's Town Center, across the street and south of the Metra Train Station. If you are unable to make either of the above events and would like to see the Gallery, please let me know. I will be in the Gallery on Wednesday, December 17 from 3 - 7 pm. Thanks to my brother, Tom, for the photo; taken in November at a family gathering and visit to the gallery. Regards, ~ Joanne About a month ago, I received an email from a friend and fellow fotoMuse member Noriko Buckles. She had seen a Call for Entry for the exhibit "2013 Flower Power" to be held at 1650 Gallery in Echo Park, Los Angeles. Noriko knows that I love flowers and said briefly "When I saw this I thought of you. I hope you will consider submitting your work." I was in the middle of school, focusing on my latest project, and wasn't really paying attention to any contests at the time. But who could resist such encouraging words from a friend? I was experimenting with some new techniques and styles; maybe this would be a good time to test them out in public. To my surprise and delight, one of my entries, called "Pansies" was accepted. The opening reception is tomorrow night, Saturday, December 14. Unfortunately I will not be there, but I encourage anyone in the LA area to stop by and check out the exhibit. 1650 Gallery is located at 1650 Echo Park Ave, Los Angeles, California, My pansies are in good company. But don't take my word for it - click on the link above and see for yourself. I would love to hear your comments. Not only is “Focus” the title of the group photography exhibition opening this month at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum, but I have chosen this word as my mantra for 2013. Yes, I have a mantra. I like that idea better than making resolutions that will most likely be broken before the first full moon of the chilly night time sky. Before I get too far, the word “mantra” as defined by Wikipedia means “a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation." So, this year I will focus on transformation. Specifically I am going to focus on the business aspect of my photographic life. For the past two years I have studied, learned, practiced, improved my technical skills - color, printing, lighting, studio, post-production, work-flow, editing, critiques; in sum, creating works of art that I like enough to share with other people. Now it is time to get serious, to transform my hobby into a business that can be financially rewarding as well as artistically satisfying. My goal (yes I will still have goals) is to avoid spreading myself too thin. If I try to do too much, then I will accomplish nothing. I will take it one step at a time, baby steps if I have to, or “umbrella steps” to get a little creative. Anyone who played “Captain May I?” will understand umbrella steps - those kind of whirly, fun, free-for-all movements that can advance you beyond the limitations of silly rules. Step 1 is to Get Organized. This has been my focus for the last few weeks, and will continue to be my focus for the month of January. Empty out the closets, throw out all that stuff that I haven’t worn, used, or seen in the last two years. Oh, do I still have that pink sweater? Why? I will never wear it - out it goes. Salvation Army, Goodwill, Cancer Federation, have at it. Organize that pile of papers and either file them in labeled folders, or throw them out as unnecessary clutter. Now I have room to store my newly acquired gear, props, and accessories. Wicker baskets are great. They look good, they are trendy, and most importantly, they hide the stuff. Less clutter equates to calmer state of mind, which translates to ability to focus. Step 2. There is no step 2. Not until February. Remember? One step at a time. Oh, I know what it is, I am just not telling. You will have to tune in next month to find out. The accompanying image “Incapsulation” is one of the framed images I have on display as part of the “Focus” exhibit. The underlying images were taken on my recent trip to Austin and San Antonio, Texas. If you have a chance, please stop by to see me and many other local photographers at the Artist’s Reception on Friday, January 18 from 6 - 8 pm. Complimentary/refreshments will be served. For more information, go to Bloomingdale Park District Museum, 108 S Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale, IL. Photo courtesy of Paul Shukin and Tom Phelan In this month of giving thanks, I would like to thank friends and family for their support in my photographic endeavors. A special thanks goes out to all those who braved the elements to attend my Artist’s Reception on Sunday, as well as to those who could not attend but sent warm wishes, thoughts and praise for “Flowers with Attitude.” This solo exhibit continues its run at the Calmer House Gallery in Joliet through the end of November. Thank you to the Roach Family for opening their historic home, for promoting the arts in general and this exhibit in particular. The post-reception house tour was a surprise and delight - a fascinating glimpse into what it is like to live in a circa 1880’s house and the challenges presented by a never-ending series of fix-up projects. Finally, I would like to thank my wonderful husband, John, for his continued support and understanding of all my projects, photographic and otherwise. It is truly above and beyond the normal realm of expectations. By the way, once again he outdid himself with an incredible spread of culinary delights, proving his motto that “nothing succeeds like excess.” I am very fortunate and thankful to have him as my friend and partner, and assistant extraordinaire. ~ Joanne Dried Flowers at Cantigny, Wheaton Illinois Over the weekend, most of us in North America, Europe, and a few other areas of the world received a gift of an extra hour of time as a result of falling back from Daily Savings Time to Standard Time. So, did we really get an extra hour of time? And just exactly where did we get it - e.g. staying up an extra hour on Saturday night, getting an extra hour of sleep, or having an extra hour to do things on Sunday? Come Monday morning, did we still benefit from that extra hour, or are we just as confused as my dogs are about what time it really is? My personal opinion is that the hour is more psychological than real, in that I know I have an extra hour so I will use it well. I did stay up Saturday night longer than I normally would have, and I did get up on Sunday morning earlier than normal; but most importantly I was determined to make the best use of that extra hour. So the time switch was a mental booster to get organized and get things done. Ripping through my To Do List, here are some of the things I accomplished:
While it is possible that the extra hour was taken up by changing all the clocks back, I prefer to think I used it to get organized, be more productive, and renew my energy to focus on my photography. Now if only I can figure out what happened to October... What about the rest of you - how did you spend your extra hour? September promises to be a very busy month in my world of Photography. I invite you to join me in one or all of the following events that are scheduled for this month: 1. Friday, September 7, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Complimentary Artist’s Reception at the Herb Aigner Gallery in the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts. Join me and my fellow fotoMuses for our latest exhibit “Who Am I?” As a group, we share a passion for photography, and the desire to share our knowledge and experiences with ourselves and others. The “Who Am I?” theme is a great vehicle for showcasing our differences: how we view ourselves, and how we interpret that vision through the medium of photography. For more about the fotoMuses, see http://www.fotomuses.com/ The exhibit runs through September 28. The center is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, and on many evenings and weekends. For directions to the exhibit location, see http://www.ci.schaumburg.il.us/PCA/PrairieCenter/Pages/PCAMap.aspx 2. Saturday and Sunday, September 15 & 16, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The 57th Annual Park Forest Art Fair in downtown Park Forest. Although I have participated in previous art fairs as a member of the College of DuPage’s Photo Ex group, this is my first solo venture into the world of Art Fairs. Organized by the Tall Grass Arts Association, The Park Forest Art Fair is the second oldest juried Art Fair in the Chicagoland area. The Fair also features musical entertainment on both days, lots of activities for children, a variety of food vendors, and wine tastings. The Tall Grass Arts Gallery will be open throughout the festival. Both the Gallery and the Art Fair are open to the public and free of charge. Look for me in Booth #67, on the Village Green (grassy area) - I would love for you to stop by and say hello. Before you leave, check out the Gallery’s Luminosity exhibit. (Yes, I have an image on display in the main gallery area.) For more about the Tall Grass Arts Association and the Park Forest Art Fair, see http://www.tallgrassarts.org/Park-Forest-Art-Fair.html Getting there: Park Forest is about an hour’s drive from the Roselle/Schaumburg area, and a much easier drive than going into downtown Chicago. The art fair is located on Main Street in Park Forest between Western Avenue and Orchard Drive. http://www.mapquest.com/maps?address=367%20Artists%20Walk&city=Park%20Forest&state=IL&zipcode=60466 3. Sunday, September 23, 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Complimentary Artists Reception at Bloomingdale Park District Museum. Exhibit Theme: “Keep It Simple” I am pleased to have three entries accepted into this juried exhibit, including my first foray into the world of mixed media. I will also have matted, unframed images in the ‘bin.’ All are available for sale, with the exception of my experimental piece “Sand Runes II.” As usual, the reception will provide refreshments, musical entertainment, and the opportunity to meet and chat with the artists. The Park District Museum is located at 108 S. Bloomingdale Road (one block south of Lake Street). For more information about the Museum, see http://www.bloomingdaleparks.org/Facilities/BPD-museum/BPD-museum.htm “Keep It Simple” will be on display from September 15 through October 20. Museum hours are Wednesday 4 - 8 pm, Thursday and Friday 10 am - 4 pm, and Saturday 12 - 4 pm. Of course there are many more photographic and artistic events going on in the Chicagoland area this month, but these are the ones that I will be participating in. Hope to see you there! I usually have at least two “walking around” cameras with me: my digital point and shoot Lumix DMC-ZS3, and my iPhone 4s, which also serves as a communication device. I can easily throw them in my purse (special side compartments for each) or stash them in my pocket. Either place provides quick and easy access for whatever visual image comes into view, whether it be a street scene, sunrise, sunset, or other subject of interest. I am ready. And so it was on a recent trip to Chicago, riding on the Dan Ryan Expressway, I found myself face to face with the beautiful evening Chicago skyline. I quickly grabbed both cameras and took as many shots as I could before the skyline disappeared from view.
The added beauty of the iPhone is the extensive range of creative pre- and post-process apps, not to mention the ease of sharing. Click, tap, tap, tap, send. Done. One of the images, Chicago Skyline 1, shown above, will be part of the upcoming exhibit iPhoneography: Updated Visual Dialogs, opening March 8 at The Lunch Box Gallery in the Wynwood Art District of Miami. The concept for the exhibit was inspired by Chase Jarvis, who said “The best camera is the one that’s with you.”™ What do you think about iPhoneography and its place in the world of serious photography? I would love to hear your thoughts. I am very excited to be part of the Love Apple Exhibit, which opens tonight at the 33Contemporary Gallery, located in the Zhou B Art Center at 1029 W 35th Street in Chicago.
Fellow College of DuPage (COD) student Christine Carroll and I were featured in The College of DuPage Photo Program Blog, Silicon & Silver, which also included our images. The exhibit, which runs through March 10, celebrates the innovation of Apple, Inc. and its late leader Steve Jobs. All of the art for this exhibit was created or manipulated using Apple hardware or software. |
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