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Aimone Workshop
by Linda Benton McCloskey on 9/27/2009 7:01:34 PM
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Well, I believe that I have taken the most wonderful workshop ... ever. The instructor's name is Steven Aimone from Asheville, NC. (winter) and Monhegan, Maine (summer). Steve's website address is www.AimoneArtServices.com. He instructs you to paint from within - does not do any demonstrating - simply gives you challenges to complete on very large paper (approximately 40 x 40). You simply use drawing instruments such as charcoal, pencil, pastel, watercolor crayon - basically whatever will make a mark. You may also use black and white acrylic paint - and very little color. But, with that said, the color is the absolutely last piece of the painting - if you choose to use it at all. I will strive to KEEP with me what I learned this past week. I suggest to any artist who wishes to take a workshop to consider Steve's "expressive drawing" workshop - it's based on the "line and mark" - you will grow as an artist. Excellent, excellent, excellent! I'm already signed up for a second "abstract painting" workshop to be held in February of 2010 in Florida.
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SUMMER!
by Linda Benton McCloskey on 8/25/2009 8:36:46 AM
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One Of The Many Art Festivals This Season
Summer - time has gotten away from me. Like other artists, I’ve been busy over this past summer. My art festivals were very successful - exhibited at Bethlehem, PA / Harrisburg, PA / Manayunk (Philadelphia), PA / and Lititz, PA. They alone kept me on my toes trying to coordinate framing, pricing, booth set-up, etc., not counting the tear-down and putting away. Art festivals are a lot of work. Anyone going into them should do so with open eyes. I have one more for the season - Kennett Square, PA which is a near Philadelphia. It’s one of my biggest shows of the season, and I always enjoy being here. I have a couple of photos from the art festivals above (Manayunk) and below (Bethlehem).
Other things that have been going on is teaching an experimental mixed media workshop at the Mechanicsburg Art Center. It was a busy week of teaching and learning from each other. Those who attended went home with several finished paintings. Also, I attended 2 WONDERFUL workshops myself - even if you are a teacher as I, you NEVER stop learning! The first workshop I attended was with Bob Burridge at Cheap Joe’s in Boone, NC. I can’t say enough about Bob. Not only does he keep you laughing, but he’s a wonderful teacher and I thoroughly enjoyed my week immensely with him. The second one was with Pat Dews, again in Boone. Actually, it was my second workshop with Pat. I credit her with my journey to abstraction. I always painted realistically, until Pat’s first workshop several years ago - her first workshop took me into a completely different style. I decided to take her again since many of my friends from “Springmaid” were going to be there and we had a great time painting together and visiting one another. Pat has become a friend. It always amazes me to think of all the artist friends I have made over the years - from Florida to Maine and everywhere in between. I always miss them on my return to home.
Plus, I have been painting to my heart’s content! I will post some of them soon - they have to be photographed. Other news, I have been selected to exhibit in a new gallery opening here in Harrisburg, “Sparma”. The grand opening will be early September, and I’ll, hopefully, post some of those photos as well. Talk to you soon! Tuesday, August 25, 2009
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Trying to Catch Up!
by Linda Benton McCloskey on 6/25/2009 2:21:24 PM
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Wow, I haven't posted for awhile. I've just been too busy and I have so much to post. At least I'll try to catch up on a few things. I've been very successful with selling paintings. The economy is definitely getting better! During my past two street art festivals - Bethlehem, PA and Harrisburg, PA - I sold a total of 11 large original paintings and also a few smaller paintings. I have been overwhelmed with the fantastic comments about my work. I also completed a commission recently (Timeless).
Some national and international shows that I have been accepted to exhibit are:
1 - PWS (PA Watercolor Society) - " Wonderland" - water media (opens in August)
2 - ISEA (International Society of Experimental Artists) - " Red Square" - encaustic (opens in Sept)
3 - Watercolor USA 2009 (Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO) - " All Things Remembered" - water media
4 - VMRC (Harrisonburg, VA) - " Spectator" - encaustic
5 - A Fine Line (Center for the Creative Arts in Fredericsburg, VA) - " Green Squared" - encaustic
6 - Lancaster County National Juried Art Show - " Earth Matters" - encaustic.
So far, I have won 2 awards - in the national show in Lancaster, I won 3rd place for Earth Matters 
and the the regional show at York County Art Association's annual abstract show, I took 2nd place for one of my newest pieces "Revelation" -
And I just received word today that my piece at the Watercolor USA 2009 exhibit at the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, MO sold to a patron of the museum!
I'm packing up the van today - headed for Philadelphia tomorrow for the Manayunk (Phila) Art Festival that is being held on Saturday (11-8) and Sunday (10-5) on the main street in Manayunk. If you are in the area, please stop by.
Other BIG NEWS! I just started painting in my new "Art Studio & Galley" at the Mechanicsburg Art Center in Mechanicsburg, PA. Now that I have committed myself for the rental of a studio, I've been painting even more. Next week, I'll post some photos of my (ever so humble) studio - it's small, but it's mine. Till Next Week ...
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Revelation
by Linda Benton McCloskey on 5/28/2009 5:44:36 PM
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I'm afraid that I'm falling in love with canvas. Here is my newest piece - it's a bright colorful acrylic piece on canvas - and big - 48 x 36. I exhibited it for the first time at the ArtFest in Harrisburg over the Memorial Day holiday and it got "lots of good attention" and great comments.
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Just Finished !
by Linda Benton McCloskey on 4/16/2009 11:00:39 AM
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Well, I just finished this mixed media piece on canvas. Friends asked me to create something for their living room - but it's so nice that I may have trouble letting it go. It's actually the largest I have completed (30 x 40) and rarely do I paint on canvas - but this went so well that I might just start working more on canvas....and no need to frame...that's the best part. I used acrylic and oil pastel and created texture with soft molding paste and heavy gel medium.
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Encaustic Workshop
by Linda Benton McCloskey on 3/24/2009 12:10:22 PM
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I just wanted to share last night’s encaustic demonstration at the Howard County Arts Guild in Elliott City, just outside of Baltimore, Maryland.
First of all let me say - what a beautiful facility! The guild is actually housed at the Howard County Center of the Arts which was founded in 1993 as a non-profit, volunteer organization that promotes art education and appreciation in the local community. Not only do they have a grant program, but many adult and children classes and workshops are held in visual art, theater, music and ballet plus other specialized workshops and summer camp programs. It also houses two galleries. I know everyone who lives in the region realizes what a gem they have in the Center! The building itself is a renovated former elementary school building. What a wonderful use of a building that would normally have been demolished.
I have included several photographs of the encaustic demonstration. My host, Cher Compton, President of the Guild, could not have been more welcoming or gracious. All who attended left with a new appreciation of the encaustic medium. Such excitement and enthusiasm! If you haven’t observed an encaustic demonstration, you are missing out. Never have I used a medium that is so receptive to all other mediums - dry pigment, pastel (both dry and oil), watercolor, charcoal, oil, collage and mixed media. There was so much excitement about the encaustic process that the Guild plans to sponsor an encaustic workshop this coming September or October. Some photos are below.
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Some news ...
by Linda Benton McCloskey on 3/13/2009 10:19:38 AM
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I was contacted by MMCA (Mixed Media Collage Artists) for an online interview. You can view this interview at http:mmcamarketplace.typepad.com/mmca_marketplace/2009/02/index.html.
This past weekend I taught a 2-½ day encaustic workshop sponsored by the Art Association of Harrisburg. The weather was good to us - it was warm and the winds were calm. With encaustic it’s imperative to keep the doors and windows open for ventilation. I contacted all my students asking them to dress warmly since it was the beginning of March and anything weather-wise was possible….but the good Lord was smiling down on us and the weather turned out to be beautiful. Some wonderful pieces were created!
Since I have a break from teaching (my next classes start in April) it’s time to clean and organize my home studio (which is an upstairs converted bedroom). It amazes me how quickly I can completely lose control of my area! It looks like a hurricane went through it. (A complaint from most artists I might add) One of my main problems is lack of space. Since my love of many mediums exist (watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastel, encaustic, collage), I simply have “too much stuff”. I am in the process of looking for a larger studio outside my home. However, my search is proving to be difficult. I long for a building here in my local area to house artists such as the Banana Factory in Bethlehem. Anyway, I plan to work on my studio and reorganize AGAIN for the next few days. So wish me luck. Till next time …
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Central PA Magazine - My Interview
by Linda Benton McCloskey on 2/25/2009 12:34:31 PM
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Well, here’s another attempt at blogging. I did write a few times before, but found that it was very time consuming, and I ended up taking the blog off my web site. However, my friends have encouraged me to give it another go. I am talking to myself when I say - You (meaning me) are going to keep this blog current with updates every 2 or 3 weeks. I will also try to keep it honest and interesting. Well, here goes!
News. I received a phone call several months ago from a writer with Central PA Magazine, Diane McCormick. She asked if I would be interested in giving an interview for their upcoming February issue. Of course my response was - yes. I found that my conversation with Diane was stress free. She obviously had a knack for putting people at ease. We talked for maybe an hour over coffee. And of course afterward I wondered to myself if I “sounded okay”.
A few weeks later I was photographed by Vince Cassaro for the magazine. We agreed to meet at Art & Soul Gallery where I had quite a few paintings on exhibit. Vince made me laugh and took what seemed like 1000 photographs. The smile on my face was frozen for eternity. I remember making the statement, “Please be kind to me when you choose the photographs to publish”. Then I waited for the issue to hit the stands. I didn’t receive a draft or copy - natta. I got very anxious.
Late January I received a phone call from my own art photographer saying - “Wow, what great pictures and article - and - YOU ARE ON THE COVER!” I was speechless (a real feat for me), especially since I had not seen the magazine nor realized it was released. I literally jumped into my van and headed for the bookstore…not there, the next day….not there, the next day…not there. You get the picture. In the meantime I received 15-20 emails and at least 10 or more phone calls congratulating me on the great article. I finally got my copy when it hit the newsstand.
I am very honored to have been chosen by Central PA Magazine for the article and have been very humbled by the entire experience. As I tell my students - keep at It - keep painting - and something good will happen. Till next time …
(I have a photo below of the cover. Please click on "Articles" on my home page to read the actual article and to view more photos.)
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| Contact Linda Benton McCloskey at her email address - mccloskeyart@comcast.net |
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Here are a few pictures of my encaustic demo at the Greater Norristown Art League (commonly known as GNAL) also a few photos of the actual workshop held in May. GNAL is located in East Norriton (suburban Philadelphia, PA) and was founded in 1941 as a non-profit organization. The art league offers day and evening classes to both the young and old along with all media workshops and exhibition opportunities. They also offer summer camps for children. The beautiful stone building is an historic E. Norriton schoolhouse and at least 40 people attended the evening demo. The workshop was filled to capacity with 13 attendees. I have also uploaded 2 photos of some of the beautiful pieces that were created during the one-day workshop.
