Friday, June 19, 2015

SUMMER 2015 UPDATES

As I worked on marking important dates on my calendar and composed a list of upcoming shows and other engagements today, I thought I'd take a few minutes to write a Summer 2015 Update for my blog that I'll subtitle: What's Happening in "my life as a artist."

GALLERY UPDATES

In addition to my art currently being exhibited in three national galleries (Robert Paul Galleries in Stowe, Vermont; Wild Holly Gallery in Carefree/Scottsdale, Arizona; and ArtisticLifestyles in Las Vegas, Nevada), David and I continue to insure that my work is being seen right here in Texas.

As you may know, last February we opened our own space, Wildflower Art Gallery, in Wimberley, Texas. (More news about that in a minute.) In April, I added a Texas gallery representative, Artisans Connect in Georgetown, Texas. And, of course, I am still an active displaying member of the New Braunfels Art League and regularly show in NBAL gallery in downtown New Braunfels. Did you know that my journey as a "professional" artist began when I joined NBAL in 2003?

CURRENT/UPCOMING SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS

And speaking of local/Texas exposure, my wildflowers are currently in two new venues in the Central Texas area and will soon be in a third.

Two paintings, "Colorful Dance" and "Marmalade Dreams," shown here, are brightening the walls of the Wimberley Medical Plaza in a special exhibition sponsored by the Wimberley Valley Art League. The exhibit continues through August 13, 2015.

Earlier this month, one of my large, 4 ft by 4 ft paintings was juried in for "The Big Show" exhibition at Texas State University Round Rock. "Invitation to Spring" will be part of the exhibit that runs through Aug. 27. The show is sponsored by the Round Rock Arts organization. A reception will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. on June 26.

On July 1, David and I will heading back up to Round Rock to hang a selection of my art for a solo show in the new Kerbey Lane Cafe that recently opened in Rock Creek Plaza, just off I-35. I've had a long association with Kerbey Lane Cafe and excited to continue showing my art in their wonderful restaurants around Austin. This is a two-month exhibit that will run through the end of August.

WILDFLOWER ART GALLERY NEWS

Despite a couple of set backs, we are back on track and continue to build up our newest business venture while finding ways to be a part of a wonderful community of fellow artists.

The set backs that I'm referring to began with my slip on the stairs in early April. I was pretty much home bound at my sister's house in New Braunfels for about 8 weeks but am finally well on my way to a recovery. (If you did not know about this little accident but would like to catch up, here's a link to a blog post that explains it all.)

As gallery manager, David stepped up and was doing a great job at taking care business (and helping my sister take care of me) for the rest and April and well into May as I was stuck at my sister's house recuperating.

And then on Memorial Day Weekend, the great flood came. Luckily, our gallery, as well as the most of the businesses near or on The Square, were spared any flooding or damage. But hundreds of homes, as well as many lives, were lost during the flood. It was devastating for the community on many levels.

As the flood waters receded, the media continued to focus on the loss and destruction, to the point that many viewers/readers were led to believe that the entire town of Wimberley floated down the Blanco River. The days and weeks that followed were increasingly challenging for the Wimberley business community, which so heavily relies on tourism. Thanks to efforts of the businesses themselves as well as the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce and our good-hearted friends and neighbors who understand the situation and possible repercussions, the word is slowly getting out that Wimberley is Open for Business and those valuable day-tripping visitors and shoppers are slowly returning.

Although I was unable to be out and about, thanks to my trusty MacBook Pro laptop, I not only stayed in touch with the outside world, but got quite a bit of work accomplished. On that list was the creation of my first art-marketing video. I had not edited video since my days back in college when I was working on my communication arts degree at Incarnate Word. While the technology has greatly changed and improved, the basic concept is the same. I chose to use photos and iPhone movie clips of our new gallery to both practice my video-editing skills and to create a product that we can use to introduce and promote our Wildflower Art Gallery, which I've posted here. I hope you watch the video!



If you plan to visit our gallery in Wimberley, please note that we are open Wednesday through Sunday. We are also happy to accommodate visitors after hours and on Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment. As I mentioned before, David manages the gallery so you can find him there almost all the time. If you need directions or to confirm hours, please call David at 830-730-7880 or e-mail him at davidajacobson@yahoo.com.

ART LICENSING UPDATES

For several years, my art has been licensed for use on products around the world. You may recall that limited edition watches with my wildflowers were even sold on a UK shopping channel on TV there and in Germany for 3 years running. My paintings have been featured on greeting cards sold in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

I'm happy to share a few more recent developments.

Last year, I signed with an artist representative out of NYC that works with interior designers. We had met when I exhibited at Art Expo New York. Through that connection, late last fall a company that runs a luxury senior living facility in Orange County, New York, choose two of paintings for framed prints to decorate their building.

Also, the UK-based licensing company that represents my work for the international market recently acquired a deal for some of my wildflowers to be used for wall art that will be sold in upscale home decor stores in Dubai and across the United Arab Emirates. Yes, my Texas-inspired wildflowers are blooming in the UAE! Who would have thought?

Most recently, I've been invited to list with The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS, a project of Manhattan Arts International. This is an online-based non-profit company that showcases artists whose work is well suited for hospitals, healthcare and other facilities that can use art that heals the spirit, mind and body. One of my paintings was featured in the weekly "Positive Art News" post that was published on June 15.

MY ONLINE GIFT SHOP IS BACK!

And, finally, I want to announce that I've started up my print-on-demand Cafe Press shop again.

As some of you may recall, I used Cafe Press for years, which allowed me to offer my wildflowers on tiles, keepsake boxes and number of other products. With so many new paintings that I've created in the last year or so, I decide that now was a good time to set up shop again.To visit the shop, just click here!

In addition to my collectors being able to order online, any time, any quantity, we'll be stocking a limited supply of select gift items in our Wimberley gallery. They will be a great compliment to my Wildflower Umbrellas, Designer Purses, Mugs and Note Cards that we already offer at the gallery. The first shipment, an assortment of beautiful Keepsake Boxes, will not be in for several weeks but if you follow me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LindasWildflowers and www.facebook.com/WildflowerArtGallery) or you've signed up for my e-newsletter, I'll be sure to let you know when the stock arrives. If you don't get my e-newsletters, visit www.lindaswildflowers.com and look for the pop-up box when you start scrolling down to sign up!

MEANWHILE AT THE CASA DE LINDA ART STUDIO...

And while it may not directly relate to my "life as an artist," I thought I'd write a little about what's happening this summer in my studio.

Every summer since I first rented my studio upstairs above the New Braunfels Art League Gallery in 2004 I've been offering a Summer Art Camp program for ages 5-13. A few years back, I brought in a couple more teachers to help share the load and to offer more options for the students. I'm so happy that this has continued to work out for everyone concerned! Between Elaine Still Eickenroht, Lynette Clauser and myself, we are able to offer a well-rounded program! We kicked off the summer the first week of June and will continue with something different every week through the third week of August. If you are in the area and if you are looking for a great camp for a special child in your life,

The studio is also where I create my wildflower art. Obviously, with the accident slowing me down, I have not been painting lately. But I hope that by the time camps have concluded in August that I'll be able to get back to creating! I have tons of ideas for new paintings and can't wait to get back at it!

Also in August, it'll be time to set up the fall schedule for classes that we'll be offering from the studio. Of course, I'll be back with my acrylic painting for teens and adults. Elaine will be offering her popular Tuesday after school and Saturday classes for the kids. And I'm sure that Lynette will again be offering pastel painting, mixed media and more. Be sure to check out www.casadelinda.com in August to see the Fall 2015 schedule. And if you haven't done so already, please "like" my studio FB page at www.facebook.com/CasaDeLindaArtStudio.

THANKS FOR READING!

So that's the highlights of Summer 2015 for the Jacobsons! Wow...sounds like both David and I been pretty busy, doesn't it? If you've made it this far reading this blog post, I know that you are someone who is sincerely interested in my life as artist and/or my art or, simply, you are a friend. Regardless, I want to thank you! I hope our paths cross sometime soon. But in the meantime, I'll close with my favorite wish for you...

May your life be like a field of wildflowers...filled with color and overflowing with joy!

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