Patti Gibbons Art

Babe in the Woods 5 x 7" framed in antique frame. Encaustic on wood panels. Vampire World 6 x 6" Encaustic on Wood Panel I spent this weekend doing only what I wanted; no more, no less. The jaunt at the Farmer's Market netted me my victuals for the week, as well as lively conversation with artist Marko Shuhan  whose inspirational paintings revealed to me the beauty of line, color and form in abstraction.  I met Marko when he worked at R and F Paints and gallery, which was in the same building as Studio 8, the gallery that I ran for a year with Lois.  It was above the Kitchen Supply store in the historic Millard Building on Broadway in Kingston. Come first Saturday, the building rocked.  There were several other galleries besides ours-  R and F (usually the main draw), Joel Mandelbaum's gallery, as well as Bardet Wardel's (Everyday Goddesses) studio, which later became Mandy, the Mad Hatter's space.  There were a few businesses there too, which made i...

I am still in recovery from the late Wednesday night jaunt to New York City.  I don't do going till 3 AM well, and I am still feeling hungover from lack of sleep. The organization Larry has worked for the past 17 or so years,  "The Center for Photography" was awarded a Lucie Award which was presented at Lincoln Center. I knew it was going to take a feat of mightiness to make it with my schedule, and I did not want to go.  More stress. But when I saw Larry's face when I insinuated that it was OK if he went without me, I bit my tongue and just moaned for a few days about how difficult it was going to be to pull this off, and about how I was not going to be able to wear my little black cocktail dress because I have no pretty shoes that my feet/ankle will tolerate trekking thru NY.  The Metro North ride along the Hudson River is beautiful in any weather, so I shot many photos on the way down. We all met up at the Radio City Apartments which reminded me of my gr...

You know the week was busy when I only managed to finish one small piece of art this week and did not write a blog.  My week was eaten by school, meetings, private students, and a weekend conference in Albany, hosted by the NYS Teacher's Union for those teachers who service special needs students in BOCES schools across the state.   I won't get into details here, but I learned a lot, realized how much I don't know about education law/and what's to come in the future in regards to teacher evaluations,  Special, Alternative, Career Ed and more. Any of you who poo poo us teachers, and say---- ah, you have bankers hours and look down upon us like something less than scum (like Sarah Palin's rolling eyes) should try their hand at it before they ever open their mouth, especially in a school such as mine--- and that goes for any teacher's job. I was inspired, enjoyed the companionship of those who have worked hard to keep the Union going.  A Union is as strong as...

"If there were nothing else to trouble us, the fate of the flowers would make us sad. " John Lancaster Spalding It had been too long since I had visited my mother in the nursing home; each weekend I  would make excuses to myself as to why I couldn't go...  I was on vacation.  I was recovering from vacation.  School started.  I was tired.  It was too cloudy-windy-rainy-sunny outside. The reality is, it is difficult to see her trapped within her bed, listen to the litany of aches and pains that she mumbles as soon as I walk in, barely audible with her slurred post-stroke speech.  I dread and cringe at the endless screeching of the old folks who have lost their minds and moan/cry/wail up and down the hallways of the home in their wheel chairs.  I close the door as they try to barge into my mother's room when I am visiting, like zombies. I ache because they too were once vital. What precipitated the visit today was the call ...

Time to make art has been brief these days, but I have managed to work on a few projects. I am trying to focus...either on a series, or on my medium.  I have been selling off my earrings and other decorative objects d'art that I have made with the hope that the feng shui-ing of my old stock will help me to focus. In my planning for my future, I need to keep it simple. Art, cards, and a few gift items for my Christmas show.  This year's gift items will most likely include little collaged Moleskine notebooks,  my lovely ornaments, and decoupaged Workman's lunchboxes, like the ones that were done in the 60's and 70's. I coveted the ones that some of my class mates had in elementary school, and I think it will be so fun to make some now.  And, as my brilliant sister pointed out, they can hold more than lunch items. This weekend I have been exploring an image which is stuck in my head and heart - three little bungalows that sit on Route 28 in Mt. Tremper. They r...

Last weekend's Open Studio was fab. Most of the people who came were friends who always support me - four of them were high school classmates who were in town to attend our reunion. I was psyched to show them what I have been doing the past 35 years.  I was hoping that more locals would have stopped by out of curiosity, but I was thrilled to see so many of my friends and fellow artists. I made enough money to cover my expenses, and add some fuel to the tank. (at this time of year that is what I have to think of)   My only day off was Sunday, so Larry and I went for breakfast at Dolce,  then headed up to Olana.  It was their "paint out" which I did not participate as I had too much on my plate.  But I was lucky to see friend and artist extraordinaire Jane Bloodgood-Abrams who was just pulling in when we were.  She has a show at the Carrie Haddad gallery in Hudson, NY, and The Hyde Art Museum purchased one of her paintings for their collection....

I found this at the gift shop at Olana.  A Two's Company  BOHO CHIC insulated, zippered LARGE lunch bag.  It is lined with that metallic insulated space age looking material which is good for keeping the hot - hot, and with an ice pack, the cool- cool.  The entire bag is fun and retro inside and out.  I can't wait to try it out. Looks like it will hold my baggies full of goodies, yogurt, drinks, an ice pack if needed.  Or those hot egg sandwiches that I sometimes pick up on the way into work for me and the kids.  Unfortunately, Amazon is sold out, and now so is Olana.  Oh I am such a bag hound.  Next: meet Jane Bloodgood-Abrams at her paint out on the Hudson at Olana. Patti O Bag