Creative Play

An experience stands out and will always be for me why I was at the Arenas Gallery. Delores Witt, octogenarian artist, a person I greatly admire, admired my photo of the Great Blue Heron. She didn't just compliment me. She returned to the 16x20 image four different times. Three times we engaged in conversation that added up to the following: 1) "You have an eye." 2) "This looks like a painting." 3) "You should concentrate on photography and take it seriously." 4) "Many of us might have been in the same spot and not see what you saw and missed the light." The fourth contact I found her close up, looking at the photo, her fingers following the lines that light made around the bird and in the reflection of the water. She studied it hard, and did not know I was there. Why does it matter what Delores Witt thinks? She is an artist. An elder in our community who I have noticed when her painting is in a show. It almost always has a red d...

Tulare Impressions 2016 - Tulare Historical Museum & Gallery The Artist's Reception will be held on Thursday January 14th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Tulare Historical Museum, 444 West Tulare Avenue, Tulare CA 93274. Email me at sblairkeller@sbcglobal.net for information if you wish. This piece has gone through quite a process. Since I spent time with Efrain Fuentes in his studio in Oaxaca, Mexico last December, I see all my artwork in a new way. Dots fill my imagination.  "Swallows" began as a clay mono print. I framed in a plain wooden frame. Then painted the frame and did a small amount of dot work on it. It has been hanging in my studio for months now, always plaguing me because it just wasn't finished. But how, I did not know.  An invite to the "Tulare Impressions Show" appeared. Swallows are big in Three Rivers. They build mud nests along our bridges. They used to fill the catfish ponds until dried out from end of Spring to ...

Meet "MY PICASSO"! He is a ceramic mask made of black mountain clay. He is glazed with beads for eyes and he hangs on the wall. He will be entered in That Extra Dimension 2015 show at Arts Visalia throughout the months of July. The reception will be held July3rd, 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Marn Reich came up with the idea of a 3 dimension show. She approached Arts Visalia, and Kevin Bowman their curator okay'd the idea. Marn did the work to invite artists to participate, did the advertising, and Kevin hung the show. Normally we did show over the past several years in September but change is good. This year July. When this show comes up I think of Nancy Jonnum with her quirky birds and animals, always a hit in this show. She is missed.

It is hard to remember exactly when I discovered I loved dot painting. Access to old things and trying to figure out what to do with them pushed me to realize I could make them into art instead of passing them off to someone else to dispose of. Rusty tools, horseshoes, hubcaps, old wooden boxes, wall plates for switches and plugs, have provided me with hours of pleasure decorating them with dots. To my amazement people love them, and I am having  a hard time keeping up. What a great problem to have, too many people want the dot repurposed art than I can make. Fun!!! Below are some pieces that hang on the walls outside my home, waiting for new owners. Hope you enjoy them. Garden Tool $20.00 Horseshoes welded triple $25.00 1932 Chevy Hubcap $50.00 Switch plates $20 a piece Any colors you desire: electric sockets, phone wire plates, dimmer switch plates, and more. Will do commissions. Peacock of metal and rocks: $65 Turtle NOT FOR SALE This turtl...

It is hard to remember exactly when I discovered I loved dot painting. Access to old things and trying to figure out what to do with them pushed me to realize I could make them into art instead of passing them off to someone else to dispose of. Rusty tools, horseshoes, hubcaps, old wooden boxes, wall plates for switches and plugs, have provided me with hours of pleasure decorating them with dots. To my amazement people love them, and I am having  a hard time keeping up. What a great problem to have, too many people want the dot repurposed art than I can make. Fun!!! Below are some pieces that hang on the walls outside my home, waiting for new owners. Hope you enjoy them. Garden Tool $20.00 Horseshoes welded triple $25.00 1932 Chevy Hubcap $50.00 Switch plates $20 a piece Any colors you desire: electric sockets, phone wire plates, dimmer switch plates, and more. Will do commissions. Peacock of metal and rocks: $65 Turtle NOT FOR SALE This turtl...

There is so much happening in Three Rivers May 2nd and 3rd.  1st Saturday in Three Rivers will host open studios, artists with popup tents along 198, The Redbud Festival and the Redbud Garden Club. Pick up maps at Anne Lang's Emporium and the Historical Museum to find your way throughout Three Rivers. At The Redbud Festival find arts and craft booths inside and outside, quilt show, music, food, children's art show, children art activities, and a Drawing. All of it at the Memorial Building. The Drawing prize packages will be on display. For only $2 a ticket  you will be supporting the Jonnum-Young Scholarship Fund to aid aspiring artists going to college. The Redbud Garden Club hosts their annual native plant sale to support the wonderful work they do to provide public gardens for our community and maintain them through out the year. For examples look at the Fire Station and Post Office near the Village Market. 1st Saturday presents two open studios on Saturd...