The great folks at WIBW will be prempting their 13 News @ 4 show for the Arts on February 6th. Please set your DVR's to see a sample of what the arts community in Topeka has to offer. The show will consist of three segments that will feature several art venues and as one of those segments, three artists: Marylin Horsch, Michael Allen and Michelle Leivan (I always wanted to prempt a show!) were interviewed by John Ary last month to talk about the the Artists to Watch in 2012 show at SouthWind Gallery. 

Because I know you can't wait to see the show, here is a different short YouTube video from SouthWind Gallery where they asked several of the Artists to Watch in 2012 what the best advice they've ever been given was. This video is sure to spur you on as an artist. And, the exhibit is sure to amaze you. So, if you have not already done so, I would recommend getting over to SouthWind Gallery to see the works from these regional artists! SouthWind Gallery, 3074 SW 29th St., Topeka, KS through February 15, 2012.

Here is a short video about what inspires each artist!

There are so many important things that happen to us on a daily basis and often times we get into the habit of just taking those seemingly daily events for granted. I regularly go to coffee with my Dad and his "cronies" several times a week. I started out reluctantly, thinking that I wouldn't have much in common with a bunch of old guys. How wrong I was, this morning diversion in my day has become a ritual that I look forward to and regret when other things keep me from being able to join them. At first I didn't understand them, they would talk to each other in no way any woman would dare to talk to another woman and expect to remain friends. The best way to describe their banter is the scene in "Grand Torino" with Clint Eastwood when he walks into the barber shop with his young mentor and begins to talk to the barber. (For those who haven’t seen the movie, at the end of this post is  a rundown of the dialogue.) As you watch the movie, you understand that Walt and Barber Martin in "Grand Torino" love each other and Walt also loves Thao or we wouldn't see this scene. Never the less, that scene would play in my head for the first month that I joined them and stayed pretty quiet until I figured out the rules. 

Ok, so my guys aren't quite that crass but you get the point. It took me a while to assimilate to their banter. We’ve had discussions as lively as the use of barbed wire to scratch that itch you can't quite reach and not to forget it is also useful for hemorrhoids, to the healing benefits of dog licks to heal a pesky wound that is slow to heal. It is often like sitting in a council dedicated to saving the world. They always tell me that I'm the best looking of the group - how can I pass up that ego boosting opportunity? With all kidding aside, they have become wonderful mentors with wonderful life stories and wisdom that you would not expect to be found at a McDonalds. They are my guys and I love them and miss them when I don’t see them. 

Last July my husband, son and I traveled to Austin, TX to go see my brother-in-law who had just returned for leave from a tour in Iraq. One morning during that trip we stopped at McDonalds for a quick breakfast. There in the back of the restaurant was another group of guys not all that dissimilar to these guys, enjoying their coffee and discussions to save the world. I was tempted to walk up to them and simply sit down at the table and explain that I had left my coffee group guys back home and that I missed them so could I please join them for a while. There is no doubt in my mind that they would have welcomed me and made me feel at home. Had it not been for my present company (my son would have been mortified) and the urgency to get back on the road I would have and enjoyed every second of it. That realization in a foreign place was the seed that germinated into this painting. I wanted to paint my guys in their everyday environment shooting the breeze and easily laughing at something someone said. You may not know them, but yet you do, because all you have to do is walk into any McDonalds or corner Cafe across the nation, in the morning between 6 and 10 and you too can find your very own McCoffee Council. 

Scene from Grand Torino as quoted by the IMDb website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/quotes

Walt Kowalski: Now you just gotta learn how guys talk. You just listen to the way Martin and I banter it back and forth. You OK? You're ready? 
Thao Vang Lor: Sir! 
Walt Kowalski: Alright let's go in... 
Barber Martin: Perfect! A Polak and AND a Chink! 
Walt Kowalski: How ya doing Martin, you crazy Italian prick? 
Barber Martin: Walts! You cheap bastard! I should have known you'd come in, I was having such a pleasant day! 
Walt Kowalski: What'd you do? You ruse some poor blind guy out of his money? Gave him the wrong change? 
Barber Martin: Who's the Nip? 
Walt Kowalski: Ohh... He's a pussy kid from next door. I'm trying to man him up a little bit... You see kid, now that's how guys talk to one another. 
Thao Vang Lor: They do? 
Barber Martin: What, you got shit on your ribs? 
Walt Kowalski: Now you go out and come back in and talk to him like a man, like a REAL man. Come on! Get your ass outta here! Come on back now. 
[to Martin] 
Walt Kowalski: Sorry about this. 
Thao Vang Lor: What's up ya old Italian prick? 
Barber Martin: [pointing rifle at Thao] Get out of my shop before I blow your head off, you goddamn dick sucker! Go! 
Walt Kowalski: Jezus Christ, Holy Shit! Hehe. Take it easy, take it easy! 
[to Thao] 
Walt Kowalski: What the hell are you doing? Have you lost your mind? 
Thao Vang Lor: But that's what you said. That's what you said men say. 
Walt Kowalski: You don't just come in and insult the man in his own shop! You just don't do that. What happens if you meet some stranger? You get the wrong one, he's gonna blow your gook head right off! 
Thao Vang Lor: What should I have said then? 
Barber Martin: Well... why don't you start with... eeehm... Hi or Hello... 
Walt Kowalski: Yeah, just come in and say... eeeehm... Sir, I'd like a haircut if you have the time. 
Barber Martin: Yeah, be polite, but don't kiss ass. 
Walt Kowalski: In fact you could talk about a construction job you just came from and bitch about your girlfriend and your car. 
Barber Martin: eeeehm... Son of a bitch, I just got my brakes fixed and eeehmm those son of bitches really nailed me, I mean they screwed me right in the ass! 
Walt Kowalski: Yeah, don't swear AT the guy, just talk about people who are not in the room... eeeh... you could talk about your boss... eeeh... making you work extra time when there is bowling night. 
Barber Martin: Right, or... eeeh... my old lady bitches for two goddamn hours about how... eeeeh... they don't take expired coupons at the grocery stores. And the minute I turn on the fucking game, she starts crying how we never talk! 

This First Friday on November 4th finds 3 events featuring my artwork, Kansans Paint Kansas, Sunflower Cirque both in Topeka and Visions of the Flint Hills, in Kansas City. 

The Topeka Art Guild will have their artist reception for the Kansans Paint Kansas show. Juried by Judith Mackey, the art represents the wonderful beauty of Kansas. I had two paintings accepted in this show, Bee's Knees on Echinacea and Sun Worshipers. Come browse the beautiful Kansas art, and enjoy all of the great artists that Topeka has to offer with the bonus of some wine and cheese. Christmas is just around the corner so it is time to start thinking about buying local art for your friends and family. This month I also have a few of my giclee prints on canvas and paper along with my note card sets of Kansas wildflowers and florals will be for sale at the guild. Located in Fairlawn Plaza at the west end of the mall next door to the new restaurant Lazy Toad. Time: 5-8 pm If you can't make it to TAG on Friday, stop by when it fits your schedule they are open Wednesday - Saturday 11-5 - this show runs through the end of November. To learn more about the show go to www.topekaartguild.org

Bosco's features art, music for First Friday Art Walk

Three Michelle Leivan sunflower pieces,  Apollo in DelphosFacing the Evening Sun, Apollo in Delphos Facing the Morning Sun and End of the Season are 3 of 77 pieces accepted in: 

Sunflower CIRQUE

Exhibiting works of art centered around sunflowers . . . about sunflowers or made from sunflowers!

Visions of the Flint Hills

Opening Reception Friday, Oct. 7th, 6 pm - 9pm and Saturday, Oct. 8th 10am - 3 pm. Second Reception is Nov. 4th 5pm - 9pm and Sat. Nov. 5th, 10am-3pm.

The Visions of the Flint Hills Benefit and Sale runs from October 7th through November 25th, 2011. Fifty percent of your purchase price will  benefit the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, a non-profit organization which promotes the Flint Hills as a visitors' destination with authentic Flint Hills experiences. The continent's largest remaining tract of tallgrass is also one of America's unique places, harboring a wealth of adventure, beauty, and history. All art representative of the Flint Hills area with 50% of purchase price going to support
the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition. The gallery will be open M-F 9am-5pm and Saturdays IOam-3pm.

During the opening reception, appetizers provided by The Kansas City Club and wine provided by Maker's Mark. Contact Kathy to make reservations at 816-285-9040 or Kathy@ButtonwoodArtSpace.com

Buttonwood Art Space, 3013 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64108 WWW.BUTTONWOODARTSPACE.COM

My piece "Pale Purple coneflower Above a Patchwork Plain" 12"x9" has been accepted in the Buttonwood Art Space 3rd Annual Visions of the Flint Hills Benefit and Sale. Come out and help my fellow artists and I support the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and the Flint Hills of Kansas.

Topeka Art Guild & Gallery Hosts it’s Annual “Kansans Paint Kansas” Fund Raiser and Art Competition
A juried competition, open to Kansas artists and students.

Kansas artists come together in a collective art exhibit to benefit one of the biggest supporters of the arts in the North East Kansas area.

Statewide artists submitted Kansas inspired subject matter to be included for consideration in this juried competition. Both traditional and progressive art mediums are represented from artists in all levels of their career. All juried entries are available for sale providing an opportunity to buy art from Kansas artists as well as support the oldest continuing art organization in the City of Topeka. This exhibit was jurored by Judith Mackey an award winning a professional artist of 40 years and a native Kansan who resides in the Flint Hills of Kansas, paints

what she is most familiar with—landscapes of the prairie, working cowboys and the ranch life that surrounds her rural Chase County home. She agreed to judge our newest show, Kansans Paint Kansas. The Topeka Art Guild is grateful for her giving her time and expertise to our big fundraising event. It is an honor to have her participate.



Judith will be showing some of her paintings in the gallery along with the Kansans Paint Kansas show. If you haven’t seen her work before this will be a great opportunity for you to see beautiful Kansas art by Mackey and other members of the Topeka Art Guild.



Opening Reception for Kansans Paint Kansas will be held on Friday October 7, 2011 from 5 - 8pm during the First Friday Art Walk, juror Judith Mackey will be present. The Topeka Art Guild Gallery is located at 5331 SW 22nd Place, Topeka, KS 66614 at Fairlawn Shopping Plaza. This event is free to the public and will continue through November 2011.

If you are in Topeka, Kansas this weekend, I'll be at the Aaron Douglas Art Fair where we will be showcasing the new Stroke of Genius Game application. You'll have a chance to see it in action and try it for yourself. Also the hard copy of the game will be there for you to check out as well. The fair is at 12th and Lane at the Art Park. Happening September 24th, 2011 from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. the Art Fair showcases diverse and emerging artists from Topeka and the surrounding region. The day long fair also features entertainment, food and children's activities.

 Also Featured Artist The Craftivists are a local Topeka group of friends who stand together at the intersection of art and activism. For Nikki MacMillan, Sara O'Keeffe, Laura Burton, Michelle McCormick, and Julie Velez, their mission is simple: to rock the world into an understanding about important social and worldly causes through art culture. It ought to be a grand time! 

About Stroke of Genius: a creative game that challenges you to take a single drawn Stroke and transform it into an imaginative picture that reflects the Spark Word, please the Juror and collect the Spark Word cards to win the game.

The new electronic Android Phone version that allows you to share your creation on Facebook will be showcased along with the hard copy play at home version. You can see some home videos of game play and various comments about the game at facebook/strokeofgeniusgame (it's a facebook page, so why not become a fan while you are there too!) 

This piece has been accepted in the Buttonwood Art Space 3rd Annual Visions of the Flint Hills Benefit and Sale.

Come out and help my fellow artists and I support the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and the Flint Hills of Kansas.

VISIONS OF THE FLINT HILLS BENEFIT AND SALE is a juried exhibit featuring art of the Flint Hills. The exhibit will run from October 7, 2011 thru November 25, 2011, in the Buttonwood Art Space (www.buttonwoodartspace.com ), 3013 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Partial proceeds from the event benefit a non-profit organization which promotes the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and the Flint Hills of Kansas. www.visionsoftheflinthills.org

Gallery Hours:
Monday through Friday - 9:00 am to 5 pm
Sundays and Evenings by Appointment
First Friday October 7th and November 4th, 2011 - Open House Food/Drink 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Artist's Comments:

Pale Purple Conflowers are a favorite subject of mine. Here I found them looking over a Kansas landscape known as the Flint Hills near the Konza Prairie Reserve in Riley County. The beauty of the Flint Hills in Kansas is unrivaled and many artists are inspired by them.

The Flint Hills are steep-sloped and overlain by shallow limestone soils unsuitable for cultivation. This region contains the largest remaining area of tallgrass prairie in North America since the majority of the Konza Prairie and the surrounding landscape have not been plowed. To learn more about the Konza Prairie go to http://keep.konza.ksu.edu/friends/
 

Beginning First Friday Art Walk from 5:30 - 8:30 on September 2nd through September, several Leivan Kansas Floral oil paintings are available at the Tinkham Veale Gallery,909 1/2 S. Kansas Avenue, Topeka Kansas. This group of paintings are among the most recent oil painting created during the last few months and include Hidden Garden Red Poppies, Trumpet Flower Trio Playing Taps, That is a Very Nice Way - Sunflower, Daffodil Delight East, Daffodil Delight West and Bees Knees on Echinacea. The gallery hours are First Friday Art Walk and Top City Thursdays evenings. Michelle's long-standing love affair with the flowers of Kansas is gloriously represented in this new collection.

A 1996 study conducted by Virginia Lohr and others showed that rooms and offices decorated with plants and flowers helped sacrifice stress as measured by decreased blood pressure and pulse rates. Researchers have further determined that there is also a correlation between flowers and being satisfied with life. In another study it was demonstrated that flowers will improve a person’s mood by decreasing anxiety, depression and agitation.

Decorating your home or office with Michelle’s colorful floral art instead of fresh flowers, allows you to include flowers in your decor that will never die, dry out or fade. Having blossoms filled with personality as an element in your home can be a positive influence for both inhabitants and visitors because they make a home more welcoming and create an inviting atmosphere. With their versatility and universal appeal, floral paintings go well in any room of your home or office. In a living room or dining room they add a degree of sophistication; in the bedroom they add romance to the ambiance.

 Also at Tinkham Veale Gallery:

The silent auction fundraiser for Doodle it Downtown is coming to an end this First Friday Art Walk, September 2nd. To view and bid on the pieces go to the foyer of The Tinkham Veale Gallery,909 S Kansas Avenue. This will be your opportunity to own one of these amazing pieces. The programs offered by Downtown Topeka,Inc. and Topeka Parks &Recreation Foundation will both benefit from the Auction.

Sponsored by local business, the artists created their pieces on 26″x 40″paper outside during record heat from Noon to 7:30 pm on July 28th. Among the participating artists was Art Print Express’ sponsored Michelle Leivan who painted a sunflower “Ad Astra Apollo” pictured in chalk.

The sunflower faithfully tracks the sun through a late summer watching the evening sun set and soon returns toward the east to meet the morning. This sunflower shows the wear and tear of an entire season. On occasion I find myself feeling more and more cynical about the world we live in and this sunflower echoes the withering of my optimism. It seems every time I tune into the world today whether it is on TV, Radio or on the Internet, I am inundated with disaster, murder, war and loss of various degrees. It is exhausting!

However, we must remember that with the passage of time come eternal change and the promise of a new day just as the change of each season. When I feel overwhelmed by the media and the pessimistic events of our day, I rummage around in my mind for a bit of comfort. Lately I’ve found an item of peace with an ancient observation offered by King Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible and later brought into pop culture in the ‘60’s by Pete Seeger of the Byrds, “Turn, Turn, Turn, to Everything There is a Season.”  

Turn, Turn, Turn - The Byrds

To everything, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of peace, I swear it’s not too late

It's been a while since I blogged, it's funny how life seems to take over. I started a series of portraits and there are several of them in my "People I Know" series category. This is my newest piece in that series and it features my niece in a daydreamy pose. It makes me think about clarity of morning thoughtfulness. I was so excited to get this piece painted because it was a wonderful pose and the lighting was just right to capture her character. I hope you enjoy it.

Ted Ensley Gardens

In June, SouthWind Gallery invited 35 artists to participate in a one-day plein air painting competition at the beautiful Ensley Gardens at Lake Shawnee. Shown is a photo of me (taken by Dylan Clemmons) painting my "Ensley Echinachea" pieces near a fantastic collection of purple coneflowers in Ensley Gardens.

The paint-out is part of a fundraising event organized by the Friends of Ted Ensley Gardens. The public is invited to attend the juried art exhibit and sale on Sunday, September 19, 2010, from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., at the Garden House at Lake Shawnee, 37th & West Edge Road. Jurors for the art competition are Gary Blitsch and Sharon Hotchkiss of SouthWind Gallery.

The World Class Ensley Gardens would not be possible without the public and private partnership created between Friends of the Ted Ensley Gardens and Shawnee County Parks & Recreation. All proceeds from the art sale will be used to support local artists and to ensure that the Ted Ensley Gardens remain "World Class Gardens" for all to enjoy. *

View additional artwork online at SouthWind Gallery: www.SouthWindArtGallery.com.

To learn more about the Friends of Ensley Gardens or to volunteer, contact Shawnee County Parks and Recreation at 267-1156.  

*Sales Proceeds: Participating Artists will receive 60 percent and Friends of Ensley Gardens will receive 40 percent.