The Gallery recently moved into a new space

Many thanks to the Art Gallery of Viera for inviting me to judge this years annual juried exhibit. Yesterday morning I hit the highway around 8:30 am out of Orlando and headed South on 95 down the coast of FL about an hour until I arrived in Viera. It was really nice to see Susan, Helen, and Jerry again. 

Art Gallery of Viera hosted a Paper Paintings workshop about two years ago, it was a very well attended class and we had an excellent weekend. Ironically, Amanda from that class popped up in my Houston class again this year! You just never know...

The new gallery space is stunning, as is the plaza in which they are located

Jerry told me that this year they turned away 35 pieces and kept 48, much higher numbers than they had in last year's show, and the quality of the work represented this. 

I took my time looking at every piece individually and making notes on my favorites in no particular order. I revisited my favorites and intently considered what it was that I liked about each and every one of them, it's a very difficult decision to narrow things down.

some examples of the work in the show

As a juror and a viewer, it is impossible to disregard the personal experience and preference that you bring with you to a piece of art. I am someone who appreciates unique technique and bright colors, as a result, work of this genre is most interesting and appealing to me. I was drawn to the liberal use of color in some of the landscapes as well as the creativity of technique in some of the photos and mixed media pieces. Making art is much about honoring creativity, conceptual thinking, and technique; some of the most creative pieces in this show were the ones that pushed their medium and execution way outside of the typical “box.” 

Check out The Gallery online if you are in the area and are interested in showing your work or taking a class, this is a great group of people. 

I know who won, but I can't say anything! Winners will be announced on Sunday, stay tuned and in the mean time, visit the Gallery on Facebook.

After a nice lunch with Susan, I hit the road another hour South to visit Cherie in Vero Beach. Only to witness her in a STANDING FRAME upright and vertical. She's doing amazingly well and in her new room (she moved to a bigger house!) are framed Art Cards from her days in the spinal cord rehab center. For all of you who sent notes and cards, she still talks about how much it meant to her.

Cherie and I posing for the camera, pulled out all the family jewels this morning!

Learn more about Cherie's Story Here

Thank You
for being a part of my
Art Journey

Cherie's Progress

Friends forever: Barbara Beasley, Cherie Stannard, Yours Truly

Cherie has a brand new place where you can make TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations! Her uncle worked hard at finding out how to make the possible. She really still needs all the help she can get as she has no health insurance and is relying on Medicaid to pay her bills and they do NOT cover everything she needs.

Cherie and Yours Truly last February on her birthday

President Obama raised a record breaking amount of money for his campaign in $5 increments online. Can you give $5 to help an amazing woman in need?

As of late she has been making progress! She has been gaining strength in both arms and is finding she has more sensation in her right arm. She is able to keep herself up sitting straighter without the benefit of armrests and THIS IS HUGE! It means that the muscles in her torso are getting signals, which means her spinal cord is making pathways and her brain is getting the message. She is also getting tingling in her legs, which is also new. Physical therapy has helped this very much, but PT costs money and Medicaid does not cover all of it.

Here is the link, check it out for yourself and consider a small donation, forward to your family and friends. Do something good for a stranger today. It will make you feel good, I promise.

 http://www.helphopelive.org/find-a-patient/profile/index.cfm/patient/E209D2EA-B1F5-9953-49F117782A848AC7

Cherie's Progress

Cherie (right) and Me sitting on the front porch of her family's cottage on Martha's Vineyard, 1982

Tomorrow is Ground Hog Day. It is also Cherie's 44th Birthday. That means that she and I have been friends for 37 years. Ever since middle school I have called her Hoggatha, on her birthday.

For all of you who have followed along with Cherie's progress on this blog, who have made and sent her art and cards and notes when she was in ICU and at Shepherd Center for Spinal Cord Rehab... I'd love for you to reach out to her once again and send her a birthday email. Yes, that's right, I said email!! Thanks to Dragon software, Cherie now can read and reply to email and Facebook via speech recognition. Email is best because Facebook requires some mouse clicking, which she can't quite do... yet.

Can you take a minute to send her a Happy Birthday email?
cas2268@msn.com

Cherie (right) and I taking a break from touring, Spain, 1985

For those of you who might be new to Cherie's story, the quick synopsis is that she was in a car accident on September 30, 2010 in which she broke her neck and became a quadriplegic. I have been asking artists and folks with big hearts to send her well wishes ever since her accident. www.CherieStannard.com

Cherie has been touched beyond words by the generosity of strangers from far and wide. She has been touched by all the artists who contributed to my fund raising book for her, Art With Heart

Cherie (left) and I on that very same cottage front porch the summer after we graduated high school together, 1987

We have been through thick and thin together, We HAVE BEEN thick and thin together. Do you see us both getting BIGGER and BIGGER in these photos? Well, Cherie was always small, but me...

Cherie (left) and I on that very same cottage front porch, Memorial Day 1988

It has meant a lot to Cherie to have such an influx of kind words from friends of this blog. It has meant a lot to me too. I hope if you have a minute you might send some birthday wishes to Hoggatha. Tell her I sent you. :)

cas2268@msn.com