Getting Back on Track

The last two weeks have been a complete blur. So much has transpired and I have experienced almost every emotion possible: shock, grief, disbelief, regret, sadness, nervousness, disappointment, raw, excitement, and most importantly, love. I wanted to take the time to reflect on the events and appreciate the journey.

I knew when May started that it would be a very busy month. I had been working feverishly to finish my painting in time for one of my biggest art shows of the year, Salem County Arts in Bloom. But, life had other plans. On May 10th, I received an early morning phone call from my mom informing me that my Grandmom had passed away. Even though she had cancer and was battling like a true champion, we were all still in complete shock. She had just one week left of her treatments and her doctors had expressed how wonderful she was doing just the day before.

The next few days I spent grieving her death and realizing just how unpredictable life can be. I realized I had to stop my efforts of finishing my painting and take the time to work through the emotions and be with my family. I also was organizing the photograph slideshow for her funeral mass. It was so much fun looking at pictures from throughout her life and remembering all the special moments we shared together. My absolute favorite was our weekly, four generation shopping trips to Aldi's. On Fridays my mom and Grandmom would met me and my kids at Aldi's. We would all do our weekly grocery shopping, together.

My brother was flying in from Indiana for the funeral which was held on May 15th. The night he flew in, my family came over and we finished organizing things for her funeral the next day. Since he would be flying out the next day right after the funeral, Brandon and I stayed up talking until midnight. We were both exhausted but it was so nice to be able to catch up on such a short trip home.

We had my Grandmom's mass at her church, The Church of the Incarnation, in Manuta. It was a beautiful send off of her. As I was kneeling in front of her casket saying my last goodbyes, my mom joined me. I wanted to remember everything about my Grandmom and at that moment I couldn't believe I'd never see her again. After the services, we had a delicious luncheon at the Telford Inn, and as a family, we went back to her house. We reminisced, watched old home movies, and took some group pictures.

My Grandmom was cremated and on Friday, May 18th (my Mom's birthday) we buried her with my Pop-Pop at the Gloucester County Veterans Cemetery. Afterwards, our family went to lunch at Gete's Diner. Later that afternoon I began setting up for the Arts in Bloom, which started the next day. I stayed up late and got up early and somehow I was able to get everything ready in time for the big show.

The next two days were filled with great conversations with loyal customers and new faces during the Arts in Bloom tour. Even though the weekend's weather was rainy and gloomy, I still had a great turn out for the event. You can read all about this year's Arts in Bloom by clicking here.

I was too tired to take my setup down, so on Monday, as a family, we spent the morning driving around town to pick up my direction signs and visit with some friends along the way. My husband invited them to come over and see my display. I decided to extend the invitation to anyone else that would be interested, via Facebook. That night, I was open from 4-8PM and had a great turn out of people who wanted to come but the weekend was just too busy. I was so glad that I kept the display up an extra day for others to enjoy and might do it again next year.

I spent the next two days disassembling my display and putting everything back where it belonged. I had just finished in time to get ready for my husband's cousin's wedding. We had a amazing rehearsal dinner at DiPaolo's Ristorante in Pennsgrove. The next day was the wedding which was held at Masso's Red Pine in Glassboro. It was a spectacular night celebrating the marriage of Bobby and Noelle! Everything was so beautiful! You can see pictures below.

The next day was spent prepping for a surprise birthday party for my mom! Before my Grandmom had passed away, we planned to do it Memorial Day weekend but with everything that had happened and other plans possibly being made, we weren't sure it was going to come to together. However, things fell into place and I spent the night making side dishes and decorating my house with my sister. On Sunday morning, I picked up mom's birthday cake from Terrigno's Bakery in Bridgeton, a special family tradition of ours. My mom was completely surprised! It was so nice showering her with love after a stressful and sad couple of weeks.

So now, here I am, looking to get back on track after a whirlwind two weeks. I wanted to write this blog post to appreciate everything that has happened, good and bad. To give myself perspective and share my experiences with you. I am so grateful for the family and friends who took the time to send a card, cook us dinner, or deliver a dessert during the wake of my Grandmom's passing. It is truly appreciated! I am looking forward to getting back into the studio and finishing my painting. Stay tuned for details about the big reveal.

Some of my favorite pictures of my Grandmom and I

My Grandmom, July 11, 1956

Me and Brandon

Me, my brother, Brandon, and my sister, Dana

My cousins

My Grandparent's Headstone

My Arts in Bloom Display

The Groom, Bobby, and my husband, Chester

Bobby, Noelle, Me, and Chester

Chester and I

 

Wheaton Festival of Fine Craft

I love viewing and speaking with other artists and on Sunday I had the opportunity to attend the Wheaton Festival of Fine Craft. It's a well established, local show that draws talented artists and craftspeople from all over the country. 

I gain inspiration by browsing different mediums and experiencing what other artists are doing. I really enjoyed the demonstrations that were offered: Glass blowing, wood turning, weaving and more! Having the opportunity to see other artists creating brings a new perspective to my own work and provides great motivation.

I was really excited to see an artist I met at my very first show at Appel Farm 8 years ago, Ramona T Maziarz. She is an exceptional pen and ink artist who utilizes nature and animals as her inspiration in her drawings. I immediately had a connection to one of her miniature originals of a hummingbird moth. Years ago, I had a flowering bush right outside my kitchen window that would attract hummingbird moths that I enjoyed watching as I washed the dishes. Unfortunately, due to home renovations we had to remove the bush. I purchased the drawing and will be hanging it by my sink to admire. It is pictured below.

I also used my time at Wheaton to support some friends. I am the Social Media Coordinator for the Salem County Arts in Bloom Studio Tour. While at Wheaton, I documented the participation of fellow Arts in Bloom artists. Below are some pictures of those who were exhibiting this past weekend.

Pumpkins in the Wheaton Pumpkin Batch

Hummingbird Moth by Ramona T. Maziarz

Glass ornaments by Deb DiMarco

Painted Glass by Deb DiMarco

Annette Devitt demonstrating weaving

Annette Devitt demonstrating weaving

Skeff Thomas and Diane Driessen

Skeff Thomas and Diane Driessen

Dana Gayner

Woodstown Pop Up Art Show

The Woodstown-Pilesgrove Business Association is hosting the Inaugural Fourth Friday event on Friday, July 28th, 2017 from 5:00 - 9:00 P.M. Businesses along Main Street will be open late, vendors will line the street, along with food, entertainment, music, and fresh produce. 

The Pop Up Art Show will be located in The Historic Opera House. I will be revealing my newest painting at 5:15 P.M. Be sure to be one of the first people to see all of the details in person and hear a brief explanation of the painting! My original acrylic paintings, archival prints, greeting cards, and pillows will also be available for purchase.

Here's a map to show where the Pop Up Art Show will take place on Friday, July 28th from 5-9P.M.

There is ample parking in the municipal parking lot located behind the building.

A preview of the artists that will be exhibiting at the Historic Opera House during Woodstown's Inaugural Fourth Friday on July 28th, 2017 from 5:00-9:00 P.M. We hope to see you there!

Arts in Bloom Site #6

This past weekend was my 5th year exhibiting in the Salem County Arts in Bloom Studio Tour. This year was special because it was the first time I was at my house as my own site location. In previous years, I have exhibited at my workshop studio at A Whole New Light, and at Janice Chassier's Gallery Under the Oak Tree.

I began setting up my display on Wednesday. I wanted to use the display system I purchased from a Massachusetts photographer (read more about it here) inside our garage. I first had to shift things in order for the display to fit. My goal was to have the display components setup by Wednesday, hang all of the artwork and stage the setup by Thursday and tie up any loose ends (print out missing tags, price items) on Friday.  Despite the heat, everything went according to plan!

Friday evening I held a preview/opening reception event where I invited a few clients and friends to attend. It was a relaxed gathering where visitors could look at the artwork, talk, and enjoy some wine and desserts. We lounged on the straw bale couch and watched a distant lighting storm. It was the perfect way to start the weekend!

Saturday morning as I began to set up, visitors started to arrive around 9:30 AM. There was a constant flow of tour goers throughout the day including neighbors, farmers, friends, students, and art enthusiasts who I hadn't met before. I had so many wonderful conversations and even witnessed one of my paintings captivate and move someone so much, they cried. It was a powerful moment. I even sold my painting, "The Meathouse". It was an amazing day!

The day started slower on Sunday which gave me an opportunity to take some video of my set up and post on Facebook for Arts in Bloom (I am the Volunteer Social Media Coordinator for AIB). By lunchtime, visitors began to arrive and I was busy for the rest of the afternoon! I had several people return from the previous day to discuss private art lessons and commissioning a piece of artwork. Fellow Pitman Gallery & Art Center member artist, Eileen Meehan Ziegler and Ro Mansfield came to my site. They were so nice and I look forward to collaborating with them in the future! 

My aunt and cousins came down from Kennett Square to see my display. They ended up staying for dinner after the day had ended. It was the perfect ending to a successful event!

Overall, I had a phenomenal weekend! I had over 100 visitors between the two days and sales that far exceeded my expectations. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the support I received! I am excited to get back into the studio and create new works of art for next year's Salem County Arts in Bloom. Special thank you to my mom and student, Audrey, for helping me throughout the week with the kids as I setup for this big event. I couldn't have done it without you!

A Milkhouse Holiday Sale

Yesterday I participated in A Milkhouse Party's Holiday Sale. I had such a great time! I met a lot of great new people, saw some old friends and even made some new ones.

I was so excited to start using my new art show display (you can read more about it here) that I set it up in my dining room on Wednesday. I wanted to get acquainted with how all the parts worked and the best way to handle the large panels. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to assemble. Below is a picture of my trial run.

I began setting up at the Milkhouse on Friday afternoon. I set everything up but due to my location being right in front of the back door, I had to open the panels to allow other vendors easier access. I had a great location and was glad to help out the fellow sellers! To avoid any mishaps, I labeled where everything would go and packed them up until the following morning. 

I always wake up super early when I have a big event and without fail I got up at 3AM. I used that time to finish last minute preparations and finish packing. I really enjoyed the quiet time before the kids woke up to get organized.

After getting everyone ready for the day, I arrived early Saturday morning to run electrical cords, close the panels and finish hanging things. My mom was nice enough to come help and give her expert staging advice. I ended up switching a lot of my display around to highlight my new products: Canvas prints and framed prints. 10 A.M. rolled around fast and after I scarfed down a Wawa gobbler bowl, I was ready to greet customers!

I had an amazing time meeting new people that live in the area. It's so inspiring to see people recognize the places that I paint or connect with the artwork personally with a memory. It's awesome to know so many people identify with farm life through the farm animals and landscapes that I paint. I truly enjoyed listening to all of their stories and sharing my own.

The day went by fast and my friend, Courtney, showed up to help me tear down. While I was going out back to get my truck, I was lucky enough to see a beautiful sunset.

Thank you to everyone who came to visit me and to those who purchased my artwork!