Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 5 - May 31, 1010

The Tornado

Next best thing to air conditioning in Charleston heat and humidity

Every artist at the show that saw and felt the Tornado fan in Kevin LePrince's tent is pea green with envy (just to borrow a line from "Gone With the Wind")... it was really. really. hot. today.

So my hat is off to the artists who sign up to do demonstrations - like Kent Ambler who demonstrated woodcuts today.

The finished product- Thanks, Kent!

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 4 - Memorial Day, 2011

Memorial Day Concert, Marion Square

in front of the Old Citadel Building

A beautiful day with lots of people, especially a crowd that came down to attend the free annual Memorial Day Concert.   One of the perks of being an artist in this show is a great seat for the concert!

We had music in the park earlier today, also - on the way to Starbucks, I ran into the musical Hillenius sisters,  one with the viola and one with the violin, in front of Tate Nation's booth (I wonder how much he hired them for to draw the crowds to his tent...).

Michelle and Sytske Hillenus

play for the crowds at Booth #44.

(Who is the wannabe fiddler in red?) 

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - May 29, 2011 - Day 3 -GUEST POST by Laurie Meyer

Guest Post by Artist Laurie Meyer

2011 Second Place Award Winner  

On Awards

I have judged a few shows, and I have been judged. It is a difficult process to select paintings and assign ribbons to them; it is also difficult, if not impossible, to simply paint for a judge. In being on both sides of the judging process, I learned important guidelines.

First, an artist should never paint a piece to suit the personal style of the juror. I have heard people say, "The judge is an abstract painter - I"ll do an abstract for the show!" A good judge recognizes excellence in a work no matter the medium or genre.

Secondly, although winning an award is fabulous (I'm not going to lie!), an artist should not feel dejected if the work wasn't recognized. I once heard Neil Patterson say, half jokingly, half seriously, "Always remember, if you win an award, you are not as good as you think you are, and if you don't win an award, you're not as bad as you think you are!"

Third,  strive each day, Artists, for excellence in defining your own personal style to the highest degree of your ability. You may love and admire different styles of excellent artists, but be careful not to confuse yourself by "jumping all over the board". Trust your intuitive talent and refine it with passion. Be consistent while allowing room for growth. Understand what it is that you love and what moves you internally and visually. Your authenticity will begin to develop, and it will show in your work.

Lastly, I'd like to warn painters on their journey to becoming authentic artists to not attach the outcome of their work to its resemblance of the photo reference, if not painting from life. This is an issue I continually see with students and beginning painters.  Photo references are helpful - but at some point the painter should put the photograph away and allow the painter's voice to shine through.  Instead of pouring educational time into copying a photograph, the artist should study color relationships, understand the importance of values and edges and strive to gain a greater sophistication in his or her colors, neutrals and brushwork.

Stay true to yourself, strive to be authentic and work every day to be professional.  You will be recognized!

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - May 28, 2011 - Day 2

Our Favorite Band

Today we shared Marion Square with the Piccolo Spoleto Children's Festival and with the Farmers Market - Busy day, hot with lots of people - very festive atmosphere filled with the sounds of music, joy and laughter.  It was the day that THE BAND comes to town -  The Marching Abominable Feed & Seed Band!

Some serious hat people

Marching Music Diva

Another Marching Music Diva

Parasols are a must for Southern Ladies

Leader of the Band

(what i want to be when i grow up)

Young and old, we were all captivated by the band.  Such energy and it was obvious that all of the musicians love what they were doing! 

It was just too much for Artist Carl Crawford.

 

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Show DAY 1 - Part II

Fine Art Jury Day

Tate Nation gets down and personal.

"Pick Me"

Since 105 artists were being juried today, we were each given a lime green sheet to place on one wall with the paintings we wanted juried.  Tate Nation decided to be bold and specific:

It didn't work - but hey, Tate wins the award for assertive art training.

The juror, Juan Logan of Chapel Hill, NC,  juried 105 artists today; the award ceremony was about 4:30 p.m. with Mayor Riley handing out awards, assisted by Ellen Dressler Moryl, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs.

Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. and Ellen Dressler Moryl

Announcing 2011 Awards and Winners

Best in Show Award Winner Jim Victor with Mayor Riley

Best in Show Painting by Jim Victor

First Place Award goes to K.C. Collins

Second Place Award goes to Laurie Meyer

Third Place Award goes to Hilarie Lambert.

Congratulations to all!  We'll be publishing the rest of the winners with photographs of their paintings on this blog throughout the show.  We're off to a great start, and we're all looking forward to a wonderful Saturday tomorrow!

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Show DAY 1 - Countdown Complete!

How many artists does it take to attach a side to the tent?

Wednesday night and all day yesterday saw lots of artists trying to figure out how to put up their tents - after a year.  It would have been hilarious except that I was one of the artists who could not remember how to put my frame together...but finally

Getting it all together!

Everything came together by late yesterday afternoon, and today will be filled with excitement, seeing old friends, the jurying and settling in - We finally made it!

The List

Play Find the Artist

Find your artist and the corresponding space number. Click on the Marion Square map in the upper right corner of the Blog Page.  Match the number, the name and the map space, and you win!

The Final and Correct Map of Marion Square

Now we will all be on the same page - er, map!

Click on the little map at the upper right and you'll get a readable version.  Google Blogger was down yesterday so I couldn't post this until today, but we all got emailed the map last night anyway... Oh well, keep painting!

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2011 and 17 days to GO!

Map of Marion Square - Numbered Art Spaces 

(Yes, I know it's little...but it really does look good from here.)

       HOWEVER, if you go to the little map of Marion Square up in the top right corner of this blog and click on it, you will open up a large and readable map (it takes a second to come into focus) with 105 numbered spaces, in sequence no less!  So - we  artists have the layout now, and we'll be notified before set-up what our numbers are so we'll know where to pitch our tents.  In the meantime, let's keep making art!

     (Note:  if you're viewing this on a mobile device, the blog is enabled for mobile view.  You can choose "web view" below the comment section, and you can click on the embedded map on the top right, but trust me, you won't be able to see the numbers of the spaces.)

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit Countdown - 24 Days to GO

YES!

- and what better place to start than Marion Square on May 27th with over 100 fine South Carolina artists -

May 1, 2011 - The Countdown Begins

Marion Square, Charleston, SC

Home of the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Show

Today the countdown starts - over 100 artists, working in every type of 2-dimensional art media, feel Piccolo Spoleto 2011 in the air.  Starting Friday, May 27, Marion Square, in the heart of downtown Charleston, SC, will be home to us for 16 days, rain or shine (no snow, although there was a long-ago year that a cold front came through and we had to wear sweaters and coats in the park - I'm not exaggerating!).

There is a plethora of emotions - highs and lows - from the great rush of finishing a piece of art created in "the zone" where you and the art literally dance together in perfect rhythm to a timeless symphony -  to the sudden panic of feeling totally unprepared.  However, now is the time to remain focused (not always easy for a creative), or as I am known to say "painting my insides out".