April - Avian Abstracts and chicken tikka masala

In April, we gathered at my shop in Cameron, Blackmarx, which offers custom promotional products and apparel and showcases much of my artwork. It provided a great atmosphere for our group. Those in attendance included Alex, Amy, Chris, Clark, Cyd, Don, Emma, Jen, Jon, Melissa, Patsy, Ricky, Sarah, and Wire. We all enjoyed the chicken tikka masala I prepared, along with additional accompaniments provided by the group. In the spirit of our Indian cuisine theme, Nancy brought bindi for everyone to wear, and true to her style, she arrived in full Indian attire. After we satisfied our appetites with the buffet and engaged in individual conversations, we began the Show and Tell session.

As the host, I displayed my most recent flock of avian abstractions in their entirety thus far.

Wire's show featured a framed piece that he painted on corrugated cardboard, along with a new highly textured artwork. 

Emma shared a heartwarming story about her watercolor depicting a landscape of broken ice in a marsh. While in the location, Emma felt the most "her" she has ever felt, so she stated, "this is me" while holding out her artwork.

Clark passed around a piece of wood that had been intricately carved by insect activity. He cleaned it up and varnished it, and also showed some sparkly hand-painted fishing lures. 

 

Don displayed and discussed a recent work in which he let go of the reference photo and created a landscape from his imagination in his dazzling, detailed style.

Nancy provided us with an intimate look at a miniature tiki hut bumblebee bathhouse. 

Melissa showcased a felt landscape for the Chetek Public Art League fence project, as well as the head of a new ostrich in progress.

 

Ricky amazed everyone with a celebrity portrait of actress Lara Parker in her role as Angelique Bouchard Collins from the cult soap opera "Dark Shadows." 

Cyd contributed a Fish tale of epic proportions with some painted panfish. 

Hope you enjoyed the update. Join us at the next gathering. Check the calendar for details.

Announcements were made about Meramids of Chetek decorating at the Main Street gallery and registration is open for Beauty Beyond our shore art competition. 

Upcoming events. Plein air art session and artist dinner at Nancy's Lake house. 

Arrivals and departures call for art deadline is May 31.