Friday Find: 3 days late or 4 days early...

 ...Depends on how you look at it!

In any case, here's an event I just learned about that many of you will find interesting.

Karol Stewart will demonstrate how artists and collectors can get the greatest value and return from their framing dollar Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at The Venue in Bloomington. Stewart is the owner of ReFrame Eco-Friendly Picture Framing & Fine Art Services of Bloomington. At the presentation she will advise how to distinguish and appreciate quality framing, which enhances the effectiveness and value of one's artwork. The Venue is at 114 S. Grant St.

That gut feeling...

Bryce Canyon Arch
16-3/4" X 11"

That gut feeling: Is it confirmation of a right decision? Or is it a precursor to an unsettling, unpleasant and absolutely unattractive episode?

Having just returned from the Post Office where I sent off my entry for the 2011 Watercolor Society of Indiana Juried Exhibit, I am hoping for the former.

I had a hard time deciding which painting to enter in this year's WSI juried show: Should I stick with one of my florals since I had success with that subject matter last year? Or should I go with a painting I love but is not traditional or like anything else I have ever shown publicly?

In the end I went with "Bryce Canyon Arch." It's more abstract than previous work so I am not sure how the juror (and others) will receive it. However, the painting accurately represents my 2011 artistic journey. Since January I have been delving into less realistic images, first experimenting with optical mixing of colors in a portrait of my daughter. 

My next step away from realism was following a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago's John Marin exhibit in April. I had long admired his brushwork, but the exhibition of his work demonstrated his exploration of the balance of realism and abstraction. That balance is what I'm looking for, I realized. I want just enough realism that people can relate to the image; I want the rest to be my stamp on it.

Then I started reading about other 20th century abstract artists and became fascinated with Paul Klee. His reduction of an image to blocks of color is the technique that inspired my approach to "Bryce Canyon Arch."

So that is what led me to go with my gut feeling to enter "Bryce Canyon Arch" into this year's WSI Juried Exhibit.

When I returned from the Post Office, I turned to this month's O Magazine, which features instincts and intuition as its theme. In her column, Oprah writes, "I'm a big believer in the wisdom of gut feelings -- those moments when you just know something to be true, even if you don't know how you know."

O, let it be a sign!

Friday Finds: ATC Swap and Happy Birthday

Quick! Swap those bloomin' ATCs
You can still get in on this month's ATC Swap at Nashville's Wishful Thinking shop if you get over there today with six ATCs designed around the theme of "Flower Power." Organizers have asked artists to incorporate the word "bloom" into the cards.

The deal is you drop off six by the 15th of the month and you get five in return. If you deliver the ATCs in person, you get to select the five cards from other artists plus you get a free gift.

The store is at Old School Way and Main in Nashville.

If the drive over to Nashville isn't in your cards for today, think about attending a free class on making ATCs July 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Although the class is free, store owners ask you call 812-988-7009 to let them know you plan to attend. You can trade the cards you make that day with fellow classmates or work on cards for future swaps. The theme for the August swap is "Look What the Cat Dragged In," featuring anything to do with cats -- both domestic and wild.

Happy birthday, Gabe
Stop in The Venue tonight at 6 p.m. and wish Gabe Coleman happy 30th birthday. He'll be celebrating at the Friday night reception honoring Amy Kaye Taylor, a landscape artist from Ohio.

Friday Finds: Great place to paint

When I first visited Sycamore Springs about five years ago, I knew I wanted to paint there.

When my mother took up watercolors last fall, I dreamed of painting with her and my daughter.

Yesterday, I got it all: I painted with Mom and Meredith at Sycamore Springs.

It's a beautiful, peaceful place not too far away, and on a weekday you may have it almost to yourself. We showed up around 9:30 a.m. and painted till 2:30 p.m. The only other person around was a grounds crew staff member who volunteered to move our picnic table into the shade. If you're new to plein air painting and worried about being watched, this is a good place to get your brushes wet.

The natural beauty can be stunning: Little Blue River meanders through the park, morning sun illuminates limestone cliffs, sycamores tower overhead and lush pine forests muffle the wind and scent the air.

From Bloomington, it's about a 75-minute drive down S.R. 37 South. The park is two miles southwest of English. Take the first right after the railroad (Church Street),  and you'll see signs to the park after you cross a low water bridge. If you have a GPS, use the 717 W. Tunnel Hill Road address. And if you want to know more about the park before you go, check it out at http://www.sycamorespringspark.com/. There is no admission fee.