December 2008

Good First Day

Submitted by donthacker on Sun, 2008-12-07 17:41

We are getting ready for day 2 of the Art Show (www.thetelephonefactoryartshow.com). Day 1 was a success. I sold a few pieces and met some great folks. In addition to showing my work, I'm hosting the Fireball Collective (www.fireballcollective.com). The Fireball Collective is a group of great jewelry makers. It has been a lot of fun participating in the show with them. It is really satisfying when participating in a show with so many great artists. The community here at Telephone Factory is fun and inspiring. We had hundreds of folks come by yesterday. I really enjoy sharing my work and getting lots of feedback. It is interesting which pieces people comment on and say is their favorite. Often, people's favorites differ than my own. So it is important to take note of the variety of opinions and see what you might have overlooked. If you are in Atlanta today, please come by. Kate has done a wonderful job catering. We attracted several patrons by the wonderful aromas coming from our apartment. Today will be more so as she makes her signature french toast muffins.

Telephone Factory Art Show 2008

Submitted by donthacker on Sun, 2008-12-14 15:20

Last Sunday wrapped up the TFAS 2008 (www.thetelephonefactoryartshow.com). Many thanks to Judge, Grant and Michelle for their hard work making it happen. Also thanks to the Fireball Collective (www.fireballcollective.com) for participating in the show with us. Also thanks to Kate for the wonderful food and to all my friends that stopped in to support the show. We had a blast and I sold several pieces. I was very happy that I sold a painting I did of the Smoky Mountains (see the New Colors post), and I made a lot of great contacts. Several people were able to identify the location of my paintings, including two people that recognized Acadia from my painting of Seal Harbor. As I said in my last post, it is very helpful to hear the feedback. While receiving money for a painting feels great, the best feeling is that someone appreciates your work enough to display in their home. One other benefit from the show is that I now have these great display shelves that Kate and Adam made for me. So if anyone in the Atlanta area is interested in buying a piece or two, I can quickly arrange a showing on short notice (contact me at don@donthacker.com).

Merrimac Christmas

Submitted by donthacker on Sat, 2008-12-27 15:08

Ho, ho, ho! For the second year in a row, I spent the day painting in the cold plein air. It felt just like a holiday from the movies as I was painting the Merrimac River in Manchester, NH. I was standing in the back of The Millyard, a converted old factory. Standing alongside the main river in southern New Hampshire, I was able to soak in the prototypical New England town. I got to hear a lot of the local accent, as my easel was set up in a smoking area for those that work at businesses in The Millyard. The smokers were anxious to get off work that afternoon and get back to celebrating the season. I finished my painting around the same time they left. The feeling of accomplishment I have after I paint was combined with sharing their excitement to return to our families. I have a few drawing problems I have to correct when I get back to Atlanta. I've already mapped those out in Photoshop (love that program), so it should be fairly simple to do. Happy holidays!

Live Free or Grisaille

Submitted by donthacker on Wed, 2008-12-31 23:10

When I first visited Boston for work, some of the Bostonians would sarcastically remark that people from New Hampshire were bumpkins and mock their slogan "Live Free or Die". When I heard this, I immediately felt a warm connection with the Granite State since I'm from the country and have a strong independent streak. This was connection was validated during two wonderful visits to Manchester this this year. NH is a beautiful place and has a tremendous amount of pride in its role in the American Revolution. The day after Christmas, I painted at Stark Park (pronounced locally as 'stahk pahk') in Manchester. It is named after Revolutionary hero General John Stark. General Stark coined the state motto when he wrote a letter to a group of veterans of the Battle of Bennington and closed it with "Live Free or Die. Death is not the worst of evils". So in addition to the great scenery, New Hampshire has a a strong culture and rich history that really makes it an exceptional place for painting.

Eauxil Painting

Submitted by donthacker on Wed, 2008-12-31 23:55

Right now I'm in the Big Easy and I spent the last day of 2008 painting at the Barataria Preserve. The preserve is part of the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park, just south of New Orleans. I started the day with a serene and peaceful hike through the swamp and finished it with this painting of a very interesting old tree on a mound called a midden. If you have been reading my posts for a while, you will sometimes read about the challenges of plein air painting. Unlike the studio, painting outdoors often makes demands of the artist beyond just the painting itself. Often present are obstacles such as extreme heat, extreme cold, rain, snow, heavy winds, bugs, frequent cloud (therefore light) changes, snakes, dust storms, elk, bears, drunks (which to be fair, are sometimes encountered in the studio), rabid dogs, earthquakes, mosquitos, hunters, and small flowers that fall onto your canvas just to name a few. However today, there were none of these. Just a perfect day. Not one single environmental challenge. Which is quite challenging. You see, without any adverse conditions, there are no excuses and you just have to focus on the painting. I wish you all much success in 2009 in your personal and artistic endeavors. Happy New Year, Don. Barataria Preserve - oil on linen, 14×11

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