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Sign up for my new painting class

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

aka Miss Billie Holiday

So the Sharon Arts Center in Peterborough NH has invited me to teach an Introduction to Acrylics course this spring. It’s a 6-week course in which I will lead folks through the many wonders of painting with this versatile medium. No experience is required and I’ve designed it so it is appropriate for experienced watercolor or oil painters too. Here’s the course description:

Exploring Acrylics

Rosemary Conroy

MAY 4–JUNE 8

SESSION 1: TUESDAYS, 10AM-1PM (P4A) / SESSION 2: TUESDAYS, 6-9PM (P4B)

Acrylic paints have come such a long way—the harsh colors and plastic-y look is totally a thing of the past. If you’ve always been curious about acrylics but didn’t know where to begin, then this class is for you. We’ll explore their incredible versatility and have a lot of fun doing it, to boot! You’ll get a chance to put the paints through their paces, discover how to achieve a variety of different effects, and see how well acrylics mix with other media. It could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship with a whole new kind of painting—or just the inspiration you need to take your art to the next level. All levels welcome. Materials fee payable to instructor: $20. M $145, NM $165.

To sign up, click here, or call (603) 924-7256. And of course, you can contact me for more information about the course.

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A new word for a new year

Monday, December 14th, 2009

For the past few years, instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I simply pick one word.

I got this idea from Christine Kane, one of my favorite musicians and blogger extraordinaire. For 2009, I picked the word “ACCEPTANCE” because I wanted to work on accepting people as they are, instead of how I wish they could be. A lovely thought, right? But boy, did this year turn out different than I thought – I had to do a LOT of accepting: Of my mother dying suddenly; of having to clean out her house; and then subsequently selling it (50+ years in the family); of having that, my last connection to my hometown of Brooklyn, NY severed forever; and, last but not surprisingly,  of not being able to work on my 350 project. Oh yeah, and I got laid off from my Something Wild gig.

I did not accept any of this very well. In fact, I raged against it all. I let the grief swallow me up. I barely painted. It was all very natural but much of it was not welcome, not wanted, and definitely NOT what I was planning on happening for this year!

But eventually, with the help of my darling husband, my family, the support of many wonderful friends, the wild bears I met in MN, and an absolutely amazing weekend workshop at Kripalu; I am finally coming to terms with it all. Yes, acceptance was the perfect word for this year.

So what will be the word for 2010? I want it to be a word that is not as heavy, not as self-improvement-y, not as serious. Because I really really hope that 2010 won’t be any of those things. I plan to get back on track with my 350 project and I have all these cool ideas swirling around in my head for a new body of work too. I want to paint paint paint! I want to dance more and laugh a whole lot more than I did in 2009.

So it’s official: my word for 2010 will be CELEBRATE. Because despite all the sorrow and losses, I still have so much to be joyful about. And above all, I want my art to celebrate the things I love about this world. And I have great friends who are really great to have at parties. It’s a darn good word. And even if 2010 isn’t perfect, this word will remind to focus on what is beautiful and magical about my life.

My next post will probably be in January! So Happy New Year, Happy Solstice, and don’t forget to CELEBRATE all the good things in your life — past, present, and future…

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Posted in details, musings on life, Paintings, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Cuddly Kitten Day?

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

I actually heard on the radio that today — it is “Cuddly Kitten Day” and also, “Cute Puppy Day.” But since I’m more of a cat person than a dog person, I thought I’d post two wild cats for you. The Canada lynx, on the left, is from a beautiful animal I met during a wildlife art workshop I took in Montana two years ago and the bobcat is from the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center here in New Hampshire. Not sure these qualify as “cuddly” or “kittens” but that’s OK!

Less than a week until I leave for the Vermont Studio Center! Thanks for all your good wishes of support and encouragement…

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350 Begins!

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Whew — this makes it all real, I guess — in a virtual sort of way. Today I start painting the first of what will eventually become 350 portraits of North American wildlife.

The idea is to show how much is at stake in our efforts to combat global climate change. I figure a wall of 350 wild animals staring back at us, the humans in charge, has a chance to make a dent. I chose to focus on North American animals because (a) that’s where I live and (b) we are using the most stuff on this planet and having the biggest impact.

So what gave me this crazy idea? Well, I was inspired by Bill McKibben and his organization 350.org to do something symbolic but meaningful to raise awareness about this important effort. We need to get our CO2 emmissions back down to 350, from where we are at aroun 387 or so. Being a wildlife painter, it wasn’t a huge leap to think 350 paintings. Of wildlife. Of course!

(It did occur to me, at first, to get 350 artists to each do one painting, but the coordination that would have required would have taken me away from my own painting. And being selfish and maybe a tiny bit of a control freak, I decided it will be easier to do myself. We’ll see!)

So I plan to post my images as they come along, so please check back often. I have lots of ideas on how this is all going to roll out, but first I have to get some paint down on some canvases.

Thanks for your interest and support!

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