Buy/Sell Uproar

     At the Hinsdale Art Festival this weekend, there was a major issue regarding the legitimacy of "buy/sell" art. This usually is seen with jewelry vendors, and often with silk embroidery "artists". It seems to be happening more often lately. Apparently, the applicant to this show applied using the same process as any other artist, but the jury was not able to discern from the photos that the goods were mass produced and pre-manufactured, and not created by the person (in this case, a group of people) that were selling them. It is always clearly stated in the rules of all show applications that the artists must not use premade materials and must be the creator of their work.
     Their double booth was next to mine, but as a watercolorist, I'm not as attuned to this type of scheme as are jewelers and people that possibly are just more observant than I am. To these more observant people, it was an offense to their hard work and creativity. One of them complained to the show organizers about it, and apparently they were confronted, and admitted that the jewelry was made by others. At that point, the vendors were forced to display 4 neon green signs declaring that their merchandise was made of pre-manufactured components. They were not expelled from the show, however, and there are those that feel that is the only way to clamp down on this behavior.
     It is important to not let these fraudsters have a place in fine art shows. All of us that conceive, create, and lovingly offer our fine work for sale deserve better. It cheapens our efforts, and we should not be hesitant to point out these offenders to show organizers. If there is a market for such merchandise, and I'm sure there will always be, they should find a place at flea markets or other venues.

A moment in time

The hummer was watching me water the garden and appeared to be attracted to the spray from the hose. The time was early evening, and the low light was highlighting the bird, while leaving the tree in shadow.

"A Quick Look", watercolor and colored pencil

Still Winter-y

I began this painting in December, finished it in January, and finally photographed it today. The White Breasted Nuthatch is often seen clinging to branches like a woodpecker, but head down. Since there is barely, if at all, any sign of spring at this time, it still looks seasonal. The red twig dogwood branches are one of the few colorful features in the landscape right now.

White Breasted Nuthatch, Original Watercolor by Anne Gilna

Oh, Why Not?

I'm posing with one of my entries at the "Drawn to Nature II" exhibit:

I'm most proud of the huge name tag.

A Grand Opening

The Reed-Turner Artists

Sunday, March 3 was the opening reception of Drawn to Nature II, an exhibition of the botanical works of the Reed-Turner Woodlands Botanical Artists' Circle, of which I'm a member. The show is currently on display at the Brushwood gallery at Ryerson Woods until April 30. A large crowd enjoyed viewing about 60 pieces, all with a botanical theme. Of the three watercolor paintings that I contributed to the exhibit, 2 of them just happened to have a bird within.

It Wouldn't Be January without a Downy

 

Nothing says "January" like a painting of a downy woodpecker on a bare tree. I love the texture of a birch tree. While the bark seems at a glance to be simply black & white, at a closer look it's a combination of many subtle shades of brown, green, and even pink. Still, it's much more contrasted than most tree bark. I usually paint a downy scene with a minimum of color variation, except for the male's red patch.

Walls Full of Birds

Recently a customer wanted to buy a large group of my prints for a newly painted sun room wall. She had them framed and sent me this photo. I'm proud to have my work displayed so prominently!