How Great The Art

Growing up with my dad was full of adventure.  He loved to travel.  Most weekends we were taking a ride "somewhere".  He always drove a convertible and back then kerchiefs were in style to contain our hair.  He also was a "rock hound".  He took us to places like Franklin, NJ and Herkimer, NY to hunt for fluorescent rocks or herkimer diamonds.  He started out trading at rock club meet ups.  Then that led to selling.  When I was about five and in school full time, we started doing gem and mineral shows.  This meant packing a station wagon full of tables,  and displays of rocks, minerals, fossils and jewelry.  Sometimes we would pick my dad up on the parkway to save time.  He would walk there from Fort Monmouth where he worked.  Most of the shows were in New England, upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.  The most important was the International Gem and Mineral Show in Washington DC, where he would compete in setting up exhibits.   We would a

Well, tomorrow it's time to get back to work.  I feel rested and ready.  I am still a bit emotional, but I have used this time wisely.  I achieved mostly everything I could imagine I wanted to accomplish.  When I went to New Orleans for Fat Tuesday I brought along a book.  It was called Art as Therapy by Alain de Botton.  Before the pandemic I was dealing with a lot of uncertainty.  It was a quick read for me.  As, I was blogging everyday I was coming to the realization of how I used Art already as therapy.   I had gone to some wonderful art retreats in my life, and many of the lessons and classes I took were helpful.  One in particular was Heidi Swapp's class.  She had just given birth to her fifth child and had her baby with her.  I didn't realize until the very end of class.  It was a two page scrapbook page, and we were given a box of Paris rubber stamps in the kit.  The name of the retreat was called Creative Escape.  With each time I used the rubber stamps in cla

I can't believe after my post yesterday, I realized I forgot meeting the brilliant Artist Lucy Sparrow.  She is a hero to me.  I had not been to London, when this exhibit happened in New York City.  The years I had the store in Asbury Park a trip to London was calling me big time.  But, luckily Glen was doing the Music and Art fest in Hoboken and I joined him.  I took the ferry from Hoboken for the first time to see this Art Installation called 8 'til Late. Lucy had two shows in London that I had followed, so I was really anxious to see this in person.  First, she is so smart from a creators point of view.  But, also as a seller.  She picked some pretty prime real estate to hold her "faux" store.  It was close to the pier and during the busy summer season.  It is no wonder she sold out of everything a few weeks early. I was like a little kid in a candy store.  I have to admit after doing all the Museum posts, the gift store is my favorite part.  So, being able

One of my favorite jobs was when I worked for Nancy Petracco at Crabtree and Evelyn on Third Avenue in Spring Lake.  I would visit probably once a week, even when I wasn't working.  I really wanted what she had.  I wanted to open a store one day.  I also wanted to make a living in some way in the Arts.  But, to me that really was a far fetched dream.  But, along the way I have met and ended up working with some of my most favorite Artists. After Brielle Galleries closed, I got a call from Nancy asking me if I was looking for work.  She had a rep in her store that represented companies she thought I would really like.  She put him on the phone and by the end of the day I had an interview in New York City.  My interview was two blocks from the train station.  It was a long interview and it sounded too good to be true.  For, the first time I told someone I had to think about it.  I came home and after talking over it with Glen and the kids, everyone was really excited for me.  

There are so many pictures and stories to write to end my posts from this pandemic.  This is something that wasn't in any of our foreseeable futures, except it happened.  We went into 2020 thinking our vision would be clearer and more focused.  I know, myself,  I was ready for the challenges.  I made my calender at work to set my goals.  It would have been the most challenging year, yet.  Slowly as each week passed something which I had no control of changed my plans.  By, the end of February, I was throwing my hands up, and on a plane for New Orleans.  I needed to get away and change my way of thinking.  Basically, I had to surrender to all that was happening around me.  Let it all happen and then make an active plan of what I had control of.  But, then the pandemic happened and the world came to a grinding halt.  Before I knew it, everything changed.  Reality changed.  Planning changed.  The future changed.  Daily  life changed.  I thought, ok, I am going to make the best of

Saving the best for last!  Last night I went to the Baltimore Museum of Art's page.  And, LOOK!  my mom is featured on their homepage.  She is the black and white picture on the far left.  I had heard the picture went out on emails, but I didn't expect it in the home page.  What an honor and tribute!  Under the header:  Celebrate the Creative Women in Your Life! The Baltimore Museum holds a special place in my heart.  I had always wanted to get there.  I knew they had a pretty big collection of Matisse.  Matisse was my inspiration in school.  I did the most papers on him.  And, when asked to do a project with an Artist as an inspiration I always used him.  I have paintings, a sculpture and a batik blue and white fabric all made with him as an inspiration. When I visited the first time, I couldn't believe the collection.  And, the story of the Cone Sisters who were friends with him and collected his work is remarkable. I was so happy for Kaylyn when she started wor