Art Opportunities this Spring and Summer 2024

There is a lot going on in the local Art World and in my world in particular. My favorite Art Gallery has always been Eiland Arts Center at The Station on 10 East Chestnut Ave., Merchantvile, NJ 08109. It is a vegetarian cafe' and coffee shop too. I first found this gallery and cafe' years ago when I was searching out old Train stations. I have a soft spot in my heart for them because I am of the generation that in our childhood rode in passenger trains and it was a great adventure. It marked me forever. Also, in my childhood, trains had a major role in most black and white movies and even up into the color era, for example in White Christmas, which my family watched every Christmas for decades.

So, when I got on the mailing list and began to be included in the call for artists for juried group shows, I signed up with enthusiasm and I have been showing in that gallery in every group show to which I have been invited ever since. The next one in which I will be showing celebrates the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Merchantville, which is also where I went to high school and graduated in 1963.

For that show I have done three paintings, one of the old pharmacy on Centre and Maple which is now a photography studio, and two from old news articles about the history of the train station from the early 1960's which I used as resources for two paintings roughly 2 feet by 3 feet framed. I love the way they turned out and I liked them so much, I had postcards made of them at BELLIA Copy and Print Center in Woodbury. By the way, this is a great copy/print center. For many years, I had a wish to have my work in postcard form. I didn't know how much it would cost and I feared it might be expensive. It isn't.

For anyone who has read my blog before, you know of my passion for postcards. It stems from my childhood when my Great Uncle Yock, who worked at the post office in Ocean City, would put our home address in Philadelphia, on any postcards that came through with postage, message, but no address. So we got postcards from strangers all the time. It felt like good wishes from the Universe. I got 50 made each of two paintings, scanned, sized and printed on card stock, glossy for $60! Now I can share those railroad paintings with everyone.

EILAND ART CENTER at The Station in Merchantville - two shows coming up. 1 - Artists who wish to participate in a fundraising effort can pick up a 6x6 inch canvas at the Station and make a painting on it of any kind of animal picture to donate. The money from All paintings sold will go directly to Fishtails Animal Rescue. I have done 5 paintings and I had a ball! I did a painting based on an old photo from the 1970's of my sister and her cat, Chance, who did the trick of jumping from one brick pillar in front of our house on Linwood Ave. to the other about 5 feet away.

For that show I have also done a jumping dog painting based on an old photo from the 1980's of my dad and his favorite dog, Wonder Dog, another jumper. Also for that show I did a painting of a Luna Moth which entranced me as a young woman visiting my family in West Virginia where, often, huge and luminous Luna moths came to die on the veranda. And for fun, I did two paintings from old photogaphs of mine of a shark in a miniature golf avertisement on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, and Lucy the Elephant from Margate. If I'd had time, I would have done the huge gorilla from Kongo Golf, and Mighty Joe Young from the Pine Barrens.

So that's two shows coming up - the Fundraiser for the animal rescue is due May 1st, and the paintings of the train station will be delivered on May 29th for a show that will run through July and August. I am really excited about this show.

The third and final show is ARTS in Bloom in Cherry Hill to be held at Croft Farm. That show will run from May 5 through 16th and the Art is to be dropped off on the 1st. It is juried, so you pay your entrance fee and drop off the work then pick up whatever isn't accepted.

For that show, I plan to do a painting of Bercham's dyked farm on the Maurice River in Millville, the last operating dyked farm in New Jersey. It is a famous farm and the popular subject of many paintings by South Jersey artists. I have photos from so many trips on the Maurice River with Captain Dave's excursion boat. Also I have a photo of a Rail bird hunters' shack that I thought I might paint.

To be able to do all this painting takes a great deal of free time, free from housework, from errands, from lunch out, from all the other demands on time in the ordinary day. It takes me about a week and a half of 5 hour stints of painting to complete a larger painting. To do a smaller one usually takes two days of 5 hour stints.

My phases run: 1-Choose my inspiration, print out a resource. 2-draw the picture on the canvas 3-paint in the large areas of background colors 4-start detailing 5-refinement and correction after studying the painting for awhile, usually overnight 6-finishing touches 7-framing and hook and wiring DONE

I should add, finally, that painting days make me very very happy. The meditative quality of it eases my natural running stream of anxiety. Aside from the relief of anxiety due to the meditative quality of my style of painting, there is the joy in the accomplishment that I experience. I am always happy with the work - rarely disappinted in it. It closes a circuit of LOVE from my love of the look of something in the natural world to an acted out appreciation of it through translating it via my brain and hands and skill.

Right now, I can add that to my daily gratitudes and say I am grateful for the desire to paint and the ability to paint that has been a gift to me since childhood, along with my ability to write. These gifts are truly gifts. The three graces for me are Reading, Writing and Painting!

Before I close, I need to add that Woobury Friends Meeting has given me permission to open an Art Gallery in the Reception Area of the now empty Underwood Building. Jerome Barton and Susan Hagan have their Stained Glass Studio there, and now, right next door, I have the Friendship Art Gallery! There are 30 works by 6 artiss on display there and our opening day was March 10th. This show will be up until I feel like changing it. We have a Gallery Committee of 6 (the ones whose Art is on display - (the founders of the Gallery) but they pretty much leave the decision making in my hands. This is thrilling beyond my wildest dreams! I could at some point, have a solo show if I wanted! there are so many possibilites for this Gallery!

Happy Trails my Friends! Jo Ann wrightj45@yahoo.com