REFLECTIONS ON OUR FIRST VISIT TO VERMONT, FALL 2012

 We are back from spending a glorious week and a few days in Vermont. While it's still fresh, I wanted to share some highlights about our travels, including why were there, what we discovered and some photos.

WILDFLOWERS BLOOMING IN STOWE?

Even as the fall colors emerge, we spotted wildflowers blooming in Vermont!

Yes, there are wildflowers blooming on the roadsides in New England, even this time of year! And I'm thrilled that my paintings are adding to the beauty there! To explain how my work ended up in Vermont, I have to backtrack just a bit.

Last March while exhibiting at Art Expo in NYC, a couple of really exciting things happened. First, four of my paintings found new homes with people who came to the show. Two went home immediately and two more were shipped later.

The second really wonderful result of being at Art Expo was that I was approached by two galleries who now represent me and handle my art. The first gallery to invite me to display my work was The Paint Box in Manhattan. My paintings are on exhibit there and there is already one of my paintings now in a private collection after being purchased from The Paint Box.

The other gallery that contacted me was Robert Paul Galleries in Stowe, Vermont. Within a month of exhibiting in New York City, my wildflowers were hanging in this gallery and, so far, three paintings have been purchased by collectors.

This fall, I was invited to be a part of two artists' events at Robert Paul Galleries. On Sunday, Sept. 30, I was one of two artists at a meet-n-greet. Then on Saturday, Oct. 6, my work was featured with that of 3 other artists and we were all on hand for an opening reception.

So that's how my work found its way to Stowe, Vermont, and how David and I found ourselves enjoying a New England Fall!

A CABIN IN THE WOODS...YES, REALLY!

After landing at the airport in Burlington, VT, we arrived in Stowe late Saturday evening and found our way to our cabin. David found this little hide away on a vacation rental website. (This is our second time to use the site and both times have worked out well!).

The cabin was rustic and picturesque at the same time. Located off the main roads and up a narrow little path, it looked like it was meant to be there. We enjoyed coffee on the front porch as a way to greet the morning and watch the leaves turn. By the end of the week, they were beginning to fall from the trees almost like snowflakes tumbling from the tree tops to the ground below. Most mornings we were able to get in a walk up the country road and back, always sure to take our cameras just in case we found a great shot to snap here or there.

EXPLORING VERMONT WITH OUR DAY TRIPS

Each day we picked a direction and took off to see what we would find. And we were never disappointed! Many of the locals would apologize for the weather since it stayed rainy and cloudy for most of the week. But David and I enjoyed every moment of it!

We covered a lot of miles in a week in little red VW bug rental and there's too much to mention every highlight. I am posting a few photos to give you a sense of our adventures!

The first photo here is probably one of the most photographed views in Stowe. It's of the Community Church, which is located on the main drag in Stowe. This church has the tallest steeple in all of Vermont. While it is pretty in a picture, it is a living church with an active congregation. They were having a quilt raffle and a chicken pie supper the week we were there. Gotta love that sense of community!

The next photo is a close up of a tree full of fall color. Ahh...that's why people come here this time of year... to see the color!! We knew going in that we were hitting the "best week" of the season. And that we did! By the time we left, fall was starting to turn into what they call "stick season," that time between the glory of fall and white blankets of snow. We enjoyed getting to be there long enough to almost see the transition. And, I have to mention here, Vermont did get snow the day we were leaving...but we were already flying out and heading home by then!

For one of our day trips, we headed east, up and over the White Mountains and into New Hampshire. This photo of the river was taken just off the Kancamagus Highway on our way back over the White Mountains. A good number of people were there, many with big cameras and tripods...but we could still get a few nature shots. It's an area that both David and I look forward to visiting again! 

One of the most scenic drives (but aren't they all?) is the road that heads west out of Stowe over Mount Mansfield. At the top you reach Smugglers Notch, a famous area for skiing and for sight seeing! Only cars are allowed since there are these huge rocks that you have to work around, carefully watching for cars on the other side. We enjoyed our drive so much when we took it early in the week that we did it again on our way to Burlington where we stayed our last night before flying out early Monday morning.

A fitting end to our amazing trip was this sunset over Lake Champlain, just a few blocks from downtown Burlington. Earlier in the week we had taken a drive down the lake, island hopping from the far north edge just a few miles from the Canadian border to just north of Burlington. We enjoyed this view from the Vermont side and if we would have had time, we would have taken the ferry over to New York. We'll have to save it for our next trip!



OUR TIME AT ROBERT PAUL GALLERIES

Visiting with Bob O'Toole, owner.

Before I sign off for this blog entry, I wanted to say a little more about the gallery. First, the owners, Bob and Gail, are amazing. As I met many of their customers at the receptions, I heard time and again how well liked and respected they are in the community. After spending a little time with them, I see why! The gallery itself is top notch. I am honored to be in the company of so many fine artists and having the pleasure of meeting several during the receptions. If you haven't check out the Robert Paul Galleries website, please do!

My painting at the Stowe Visitor's Center

Not only are my paintings on exhibit at the gallery, but also at the Stowe Visitor's Center, thanks to a special arrangement between them and Robert Paul Galleries! The second photo here shows my work hanging behind the counter at the Visitor's Center!

If you are interested in seeing more photos of my wildflowers exhibit at Robert Paul Galleries, please visit my Facebook Artist Page where I've created an album. And be sure to "like" the page while you are there!

A side note: While I often post little news items and photos to one or more of my facebook pages, I like to make use of this blog when I want to say a little more and create more of story. I hope you enjoyed this entry. Thanks for reading!

CURRENT EXHIBIT AT UTHSC INCLUDES MY WILDFLOWERS!

I delivered "Rejuvenation" to the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for the Fall/Winter 2012 exhibit there. The last painting I had on display sold to a wonderful doctor. It's always nice when my Wildflowers find a loving home! In the meantime, I hope that the clients, visitors, doctors and staff enjoy this new painting.

You can see more of wildflower art at www.lindacalvertjacobson.com. 

FALL 2012 SCHEDULE IS READY!

 I've been working on the class schedule for Casa de Linda Art Center for Fall 2012 and, ta-da, it's done! The files are at the printer as I post this entry and we'll be mailing and distributing the brochures by early next week. Plus, I'm working on updating the website, not only adding the information for the fall but also giving it a whole new look. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'm posting jpegs of the schedule for anyone interested. Just click on each one to view it larger and download the file for zooming in. I can also email the pdfs to you if you'd like. Just let me know! If you are on my e-news list, you'll be getting an e-mail later today with links to download the pdf files.

If you are not on my e-news list and would like to be, please CLICK HERE now to join. Be sure to add your name to both the general list and the list for classes. 

LEARN BOOK MAKING AT CASA DE LINDA

We are going into our last week of art camps as we finish out a very busy summer at Casa de Linda Art Center. But we do have one more class for adults on the books:
Book Making with Lynette Clauser.

In this 2-day workshop that meets from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday Aug. 18 and 25, you'll learn all about this lost art, from choosing, cutting and stitching the papers to decorating the covers. Fee is only $110 ($85 for the class plus $25 for supplies). You bring nothing but your imagination! Call us at 830-624-5302 or email linda@ casadelinda.com to reserve a seat.

SUMMER ART CAMPS CONTINUE IN NEW BRAUNFELS

The Summer Art Camp program for ages 5-13 held at my studio in downtown New Braunfels continues through mid August. Click here to see the latest e-newsletter with all the details!

You can also download the schedule from our website, www.casadelinda.com.

GREAT PASTEL WORKSHOP AT CASA DE LINDA

We hosted our first Rita Kirkman workshop, "Pastel in Miniature," Saturday, June 30, at Casa de Linda Art Center in New Braunfels.

We had a studio FULL of artists with 13 students plus Rita and myself! More photos are posted in an album on the Casa de Linda Facebook page (click here).

When you get there, be sure to "Like" us if you haven't already.

If you are would like learn about pastels or improve your techniques, join us for Mary Johnson's next "Basic Pastels" class. Meets for 6 weeks on Saturdays 1-3:30 p.m. starting July 14.  Fee is $135 plus a modest $25 supply fee for use of pastels and papers provided by Mary (or you can bring your own supplies). Seating is limited!

E-mail or call 830-624-5302 to sign up! To learn more about Mary and see samples of her work, click here.

Mid June 2012 update

It has been a crazy month and, while I'm not complaining one little bit, it has not left much time for posting to my blog. But I wanted to take just a minute to post a few updates.

STUDIO OPEN HOUSE UPDATE

First, my studio open house the first of June was wonderful! Thanks to everyone who dropped in! Traffic was steady all 3 days and dozens (and dozens) of my smaller paintings, wildflower mugs and keepsake boxes now have new homes!

Visitors included local friends and fans as well as out-of-town tourists who just happened to choose a good weekend to visit downtown New Braunfels!

Also a special thank you to our New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung for the great coverage, as you can see by the photo of the front page from May 31, 2012! That article brought in several people who had never been to my studio before.


MY "ART TAKES TIMES SQUARE"!
In other news, my wildflower art will be flashed on one of the billboards in Times Square tonight (Monday, June 18, 2012) as part of the "Art Takes Times Square" event. How cool is that? It is set to appear "displayed on a 9 x 12 ft digital screen located on Broadway and 43rd Street between 9:45pm - 10:15pm." 

SUMMER ART CAMPS ON A ROLL
In addition to being an artist, I still teach! Art Camps are in full swing. So far we've done clay, paper mache and painting. The camps continue through mid-August so if you are in the area and have a child in your life who is interested, please check out the schedule on my website. Go to www.casadelinda.com and click on the "classes for children" link.

ART-2-GOGH PAINTING PARTY SUMMER 2012 "FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL"

We are continuing our ART-2-Gogh Painting Parties this summer with open seating on Friday nights and private parties on Saturday nights. You can see the current schedule posted here or by visiting www.art-2-gogh.com.

Plus we are offering a special... sign up with a friend and you both save $10 each. Reg price is $39 per person. Our Summer 2012 Friday night special: 2 for $58! What a deal!

Also note that I've added several NEW paintings: Texas Windmill Sunset, Colorful Creek and Desert Blooms. But some of our most popular paintings are back too, like Cactus in Bloom, Texas Meadow, Gruene Water Tower and Coastal Breezes.

Of course for private parties, you can choose from any of the ART-2-Gogh paintings for your group! Let us know if you'd like to join us!

HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A WONDERFUL SUMMER!

STUDIO OPEN HOUSE JUNE 1-3

 

Postcard invitations are in the mail for this weekend's open house at my art studio. I'm posting it today just in case you aren't on my mailing list and didn't get one. If you are in the area, I hope you can drop by to see the exhibit of my new wildflowers.

SUMMER 2012 ART-2-GOGH SCHEDULE

Looking for a fun Friday night outing this summer that's cool and creative? Come paint with us!

SAVE THE DATE AND COME TO MY STUDIO OPEN HOUSE!

Plans are in the works for a Studio Open House the first weekend of June. Save the date of June 1-3 and plan to drop by if you are in the area. I'll be exhibiting over 20 NEW wildflower paintings! This will be at my working studio located in downtown New Braunfels, above the New Braunfels Art League Gallery, 230 W. San Antonio St.
There will also be complimentary refreshments, special in-studio sales and more! Hours for Friday and Saturday, June 1 & 2, are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sunday, the Open House will run Noon to 5 p.m. I'm also available for before or after hours appointments. Just let me know! I can be reached at 830-624-5302 or by e-mail, linda (@) casadelinda.com. Hope to see you June!

My wildflowers could be "blooming" in Times Square...with your help!

Linda Calvert Jacobson: Click "Collect Me" to help me get a show in the most immense exhibition of art in New York City : Art Takes Times Square.

REFLECTIONS OF HIGH POINT MARKET SPRING 2012

Our first High Point Market is behind us now so I thought I'd share a few thoughts about the experience.

Anyone remotely connected to or familiar with the furniture industry probably knows about High Point. But for most folks, it's not something that they are aware even exists. The 6-day market, held every April and October, takes place in downtown High Point, which is located in central North Carolina, between Winston/Salem and Raleigh/Durham. In addition to being known for tobacco, this region is also home to a huge furniture and textiles industry.

The IHFC building at High Point Market.

When you generally think of "a" market or trade show, you envision a building, like a convention center, or perhaps cluster of buildings. One thing that makes High Point Market stand out is the fact that it takes place in dozens of buildings and involves hundreds of showrooms and exhibits, ranging from 10x10 booths to entire floors of high rise buildings (like the high-rise IHFC building shown here) encompassing tens of thousands square-foot displays. Most exhibitors have permanent showrooms, but some move in only for Market Week like we did.

We were on the top floor of the Suites at Market Square in a "temporary" exhibit space called the "Made in America" pavilion. Most of the exhibitors were furniture manufacturers, rug companies and businesses that market accessories, such as lighting and drapery. There were a few other artists on our floor, including a sculptor, who welded together ordinary objects like wrenches and gears to create whimsical creatures, and a fellow Texas artist who created huge pressed leaf and flower works.

Our showroom at High Point Market, Spring 2012

Our space was just over 500 square feet, which allowed us to actually create a gallery onsite. The intent was not to sell at the market as much as it was to connect with designers and buyers to create connections for long-term relationships. I'm pleased to report that we met that goal. I am now in talks with two show rooms, one an upholstery company and the other a furniture design firm, and hope to be exhibiting my Wildflowers with both at the October High Point Market! I'll also be following up on at least two potential licensing deals, one with a tapestry manufacturer and another with a children's furniture company.

I've posted a few photos here but if you'd like to see more, including several street shots around downtown High Point that gives you a better feel for the market, please visit my artist Facebook page album page by clicking here.

By exhibiting at the High Point Market, we also met many interior designers, who often buy art for clients. After getting to meet a representative of Interior Design Society, I applied to join the national  organization as an "industry partner."  My application was accepted, which includes membership in the local IDS chapter in Austin. I'm looking forward to networking with designers in the region, as well as across the US, through this professional membership.

While we worked hard setting up, researching, making connections and (even harder) breaking down and loading out, David and I still found time to explore the area and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the region.

We were able to catch up with some old friends from my Texas Lutheran College days, Ted and Oralia, who moved to NC some time back. At my request for some authentic North Carolina barbecue, we met at Carter Brothers BBQ in High Point after the Market on Wednesday. We enjoyed both the food, learning that NC BBQ is almost always pork and the sauces are vinegar based, and getting to catch up with our friends. When asked what we should try to see before leaving, Ted suggested Pilot Mountain and Mount Airy, which turned out to be one of two brief road trips we took toward the end of our visit that made for wonderful memories.

David with Pilot Mountain in the background.

The first roadtrip was a drive up to Pilot Mountain, north of Winston/Salem, on Thursday afternoon. Pilot Mountain is part of an ancient mountain range known as Sauratown, named for the Saura Indian tribe. The natives and then early settlers used the top “knob” of the mountain as directional tool to "pilot" their trips, hence the name. Soaring over 1400 feet into the air, this natural landmark was first mapped by Thomas Jefferson's father in the 1700s. The views from the top of the ridge were breathtaking: farm land and green forest as far as the eye could see, the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance (and, yes, they are blue), ravens soaring overhead and, of course, the top of Pilot Mountain.

After coming back down the mountain, a short drive north took us to Mount Airy, perhaps best known as the setting and, inspiration of the 1960s TV town of Mayberry. Unfortunately, we got into downtown after the stores and businesses were closed. However, we did get to eat at Aunt Bea's, which had nothing to do with the Andy Griffith show other than borrowing the character's name. But they did serve great North Carolina barbecue, some very interesting sauce and a very friendly lady behind the counter who welcomed us with a smile and genuine Southern hospitality.

Linda at Upper Cascade Falls at Hanging Rock State Park.

Our second excursion came Friday afternoon. Once our crate was packed and ready for shipment, David and I decided to go exploring one last time. After a quick Google of “scenic drives” for the area, we headed northwestward again, but this time for Hanging Rock State Park. Not far from Pilot Mountain, Hanging Rock is also part of Sauratown Mountains. The drive to and around the mountain was almost as interesting as the park itself. Rolling hills that are lush and green, wildflowers, native blooming trees, pretty homes and old barns all come to mind when I recall the drive up NC 66 enroute to Hanging Rock.

We entered the park and again drove up the mountain in search of look out points. Near the park office we parked and took a walking trail that led us to the Upper Cascades Falls. While the park was busy with campers in designated areas, we had a private viewing of the water fall and were able to enjoy the sounds and glory of nature.

We had a early afternoon flight on Saturday, so we were able to take our time, pack up, check out and head to airport, which was about an hour away from our hotel. We wanted to grab breakfast at a “local” restaurant and ended up at Biscuitville, which is a regional chain. They have their act together and it was one of the best “fast-food” breakfast experiences we ever had!

We enjoyed our first visit to High Point Market and to North Carolina and agreed that we will return in October for the Fall Market.