I blog because I love it. It is something that is uniquely mine that I can do with whatever I like. There is no one standing over my shoulder tell me what to do and how to do it. It is quite liberating to do something just because you love it. That said, it makes it even more fun if someone actually reads what you write. I suppose we all crave attention in some way and the Internet has dramatically expanded our ability to get it. Facebook has become a powerful force in the social networking game and, with over 400 million subscribers, you would hard pressed to find a more effective means to attract attention. So, to that end, I have decided to bring ADNW to Facebook in an attempt to find additional enthusiasic people with similar interests. If you are already on Facebook and would like to see ADNW postings there, please click “Like” in the Facebook Social Widget in the far right column, or click “Follow this Blog” in the NetworkedBlogs box just below that.

Basically I have two Facebook areas. One is my personal area and the other is a public page for ADNW. I think this arrangement will work well because the ADNW Facebook page will stay realtively on topic in the spirit of the site, which is art, travel and creative endeavors. Feedback is always appreciated and if you would like me to share with you how I set this up on Facebook, just ask!

A thank you goes out to Julie Hill for alerting me to the potenial of NetworkedBlogs on Facebook!

ADNW First Anniversary

Some may not know that this week was the first anniversary of the A Day Not Wasted Fine Art and Travel Blog. I wanted to take the time tonight to offer a huge THANK YOU to all that visited this year from more than 90 countries. I have had a blast working on this project and it has been a true blessing getting to know some of you. Thank you reading and for letting me be a part of your community!

Sincerely,
Lee@ADNW

I had the good fortune to attend the Red Carpet Reception at the Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale in Denver last week with my wife and another couple that she works with. The show was held on the evening of January 6th during a nice snowstorm that made getting to the venue a bit of a challenge. It took almost three hours to get there, which is a ride that normally takes about an hour and thirty minutes. Anyway, we got there about 7pm with about 45 minutes to spare to view and bid on the art in the exhibit. Having depleted my acquisition funds a month earlier on a Jay Moore and John Taft painting, I was not planning to buy anything – I just wanted scope out some new artists and enjoy the view.

The art exhibit was separated into two areas, one for sales in the gallery and a long wall outside the gallery for the silent auction. Originally the Western Art Exhibit and Sale began as a joint project between the Coors Brewing Company and the National Western Stock Show, which is considered one of the finest western art exhibits in the United States. The quality of the exhibit was nice and very well attended despite the bad weather. More than 60 artists displayed their work, which included a wide variety of oils, watercolors and sculpture.

I know individual tastes for art vary widely but there were a few artists that I would like to mention that were my personal favorites at the show. First was work by Matt Smith from Scottsdale, Arizona. Matt’s featured work included several very nicely painted landscapes that frankly drew comparisons in my mind to works by Scott Christensen. Sorry Matt for the comparison to someone else but having some familiarity with Christensen’s work I could not help myself. Matt’s piece titled “Pine Creek Wilderness” looked great hanging in the gallery and was one that I could definitely own. “Pine Creek Wilderness” was an oil on canvas at 16×20 inches and was priced at $5900.

Another artist’s work that caught my attention was by Dean Mitchell of Tampa, Florida. His signature piece in the gallery was a 15×30 watercolor called “Midwestern Snow Hills.” The quality of the watercolor rendering and composition was simply beautiful and the atmosphere of the piece captivated me. As is customary for fine works of art, quality comes at a price of $15,000 from this very accomplished artist.

I also enjoyed several pieces by Carolyn Anderson of Havre, Montana. Carolyn’s impressionistic pieces included several portraits that employed the brilliant use of confidently bold and minimalist brush strokes to define her subjects. “Father’s Morning,” a 14×11 selling for $3200 was one of her featured works that I would have gladly taken home with me.

And finally, there were the cows. Teresa Elliott of Alpine, Texas has a way of making cows look, well beautiful. Before seeing her work, I am pretty sure that my wife Donna would not have agreed to putting cows on the wall…until now. We were both captivated by the visual impact of Teresa’s work and how brilliantly well her pieces were painted. As I peered into the multicolored eyes in one piece, I asked myself, “How long must this take?” The compositions were beautifully abstract and the colors were dazzling.  At $7200 for a 30×28 I felt that her pieces represented a great value as well.

So in all, it was great to see a lot of art at once, visit with great company, and know that a portion of $150 per person admission fee was going to support a good cause. I am not sure how the gallery sales went but I would say about 95% of the silent auction pieces were gone by the end of the night. Good economy or not, it was gratifying to see so much original art go out the door.

Christmas surprise 2009

What to my wondering eyes should appear, but the FedEx man with a package full of Christmas cheer! So I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I have been pouring over my new Richard Schmid book, “The Landscapes.” Unfortunately the bindery on the huge hard bound book had a problem near the front. Considering the signed book a collectors item, I sent a polite email to Stove Prairie Press explaining the issue along with a photo asking if they would consider replacing the book for me. Well did they ever! Much to my surprise, the FedEx man showed up today with a new book checked by Richard Schmid himself along with a very nice Christmas card. I have never met Mr. Schmid but I have heard from others who have that he is a really nice guy. Well this confirms it. I love in this day and age when your expectations are totally exceeded and this one goes down in my book as one of those experiences. A class act all the way and he now has another fan for life!

"Carlsbad Sunset" selected for MSNBC travel photo site

After an incredibly busy week of travel, I was thrilled to wake up this morning to find an email in my inbox from MSNBC letting me know that my recent photo entitled “Boy and Girl Against Carlsbad Sunset” was selected for last week’s travel photo contest. Although the photo did not win the voting contest, I was excited to be one of the 21 incredible images that were featured for the week. It’s good to throw your hat into things like this from time to time just to see what happens! Just click the following link to see the gallery page and the other photos featured in the competition. go>

The lovely Liz Holm showing of her apron and crafty scissor work!

Frederick, Maryland painter Liz Holm is a wonderfully talented artist that goes out of her way to encourage others in their artistic pursuits. Liz was among the first to stop by ADNW to offer words of support. If you have not visited the Liz Holm Painting Journal, you should. Two of my favorite pieces are showing on her front page, which are portraits of an older man and a young girl at a wedding. They are beautifully done and much can be learned by taking a close look at them. Well, Liz stopped by my blog not too long ago and asked jokingly where she could place an order for an apron. That was all I needed to get myself up off of the couch to package one up and pop it in the mail. Liz was kind enough to send a photo of herself sporting her apron along with some very crafty scissor work. That alone should tell you how creative she is. Thanks again Liz for all you do to encourage others and keep painting. We are all looking forward to seeing your next piece!

Sincerely,
Lee

Artist, Randy Saffle, donning his ADNW wear

As fate would have it, I ended up sending an ADNW apron to friend and artist Randy Saffle on his birthday!  How’s that for the planets being in alignment? Randy was kind enough to sent a fashion shot of himself wearing the apron as he painted with several of his buddies at the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens. Nice painting in progress by the way Randy! To return the favor, he has threatened to send me “In the Field: Plein Air Adventures” embroidered boxer shorts. Not sure I will be posting that picture. Randy also sent along an ADNW Passion Award nomination, which I will feature in the very near future. Thanks again for your continued support of my art pursuits Randy. It is greatly appreciated!

The official ADNW Artist Apron!

I am excited to announce that the official ADNW Artist Apron has finally arrived! The first one will go to ADNW Passion Award recipient Peggy Skattebo, who has been patiently waiting for the stitching to be completed. There have been no other Passion Award nominations so I guess I will have a box of these to do with what I please. I plan to take some to art shows to give away on occasion in an effort to spread art-related cheer and merriment. I will, of course, save a few in case any nominations come in or I find another budding artist stepping out!