M. Stephen Doherty

M. Stephen Doherty
The editor of Plein Air magazine at work

Friday, April 1, 2011

Immortalized in Times Square

 Persephone being banished to Haites (the New York Transit subway system) in Jack Beal's glass tile mosaic near the 1,2,3 subway platforms in Times Square

Steve Doherty standing next to his image in the Times Square mural

My friend, Jack Beal (www.jackbeal.net), included images of me, my wife, Sara, and our children, Clare and Michael, in the second of two mosaic murals he created for the Times Square subway station in New York City. Both murals (unveiled in 2001 and 2005) offer Jack's interpretation of the myth of Persephone being banished to Haites (signaling the start of winter) and then emerging from the underworld (or the subway system, in this case) to initiate Spring. The Doherty family is part of the banishment scene, and I'm filming the event from a camera crane.

I revisited the murals recently and took a photograph of me standing next to my image. No one took notice of me or my camera tripod because lots of subway riders stop to have their picture taken next to murals, and performance groups often use the sparking glass tile images as backdrops to their joyous music and break dancing.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

A Studio That Respects Nature



I was looking for an energy-efficient studio to feature in PleinAir™ magazine and came across Gail Siegel's solar powered, prefab studio in Lafayette, Colorado. Gail is a jeweler, not a painter, but I think her studio could easily be adapted for use by other visual artists. 
Colorado jeweler Gail Siegel is one of a growing number of artists building prefab, solar powered studios that are relatively inexpensive to build and heat, make efficient use of space, and increase property values. 
“When I made the decision to take early retirement from my full-time university job, I spent 18 months doing extensive research about the best way to secure a work space,” says Colorado artist Gail Siegel. “I considered every option from selling my small timber frame miner’s cottage and buying a larger home with space for a studio, to renting a unoccupied downtown space, to constructing a garage with room for a workspace. None of those were really desirable options. I needed more space than was available in my cottage, and because I work with acetylene torches and metal I didn’t like the idea of having a studio in my home; the downtown spaces, while reasonable compared to other areas of the country, would still cost me $6,000 - $8,500 a year to rent; and the cheapest garages I could find would cost $50,000 - $60,000 to build, not including the cost of finishing the interior.”
Siegel happened to talk to a Jeff Scott, a neighbor who is president of SolSource, a company founded in 2004 that designs solar electric and thermal hot water heating systems for commercial, government, school, and residential structures. Scott encouraged Siegel to consider a prefab building with a roof that would accommodate solar energy panels. “He pointed out that I would qualify for an energy rebate, the solar panels might generate enough power to heat the studio and my home, the cost would be more reasonable than what I had been considering, and I would be reducing my impact on the environment,” she explains. “He told me about StudioShed, Inc., a company in Boulder, Colorado started in 2009 by Michael Koenig and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski that is doing innovative things with buildings that can be used as spare bedrooms, storage spaces, offices, or studios.”
Siegel extended her research to include prefab buildings and solar heating, and she began discussions with StudioShed about building an art studio in her backyard. “Michael Koenig, one of the partners in the company, has two Studio Shed buildings in his back yard so I was able to see what I might be getting,” Siegel explains. “He walked me through the entire construction process and helped me decide how my studio could be built. Eventually, I bought a 14’ x 10’ structure with a 9’ pitched roof and had eight, 235-watt modules and microinverters installed on the 11’ x 16’ roof to create a 1.9 kilowatt energy system. After all the preliminary paperwork was completed, it took StudioShed about four weeks to fabricate, deliver, and set up the structure.” 
After making all the major decisions, Siegel had to secure permits from the city of Lafayette, Colorado to lay down an insulated concrete slab with a central drain, build the  StudioShed structure, install the solar heating system, run electricity to the StudioShed, and upgrade the sewer system. “I didn’t anticipate having to dig up the back yard to replace the sewer line, but since I plan to install running water it was necessary,” Siegel explains. “I regretted having to cut down two trees to make sure there would be enough sunlight to heat the studio and house, but I was able to use some of the lumber to build an outdoor bench as well as using a large stump for forming metals. 
“ I had the building designed with a 3’ x 3’ window facing south to heat the form-insulated cement floor, and north-facing horizontal and vertical windows for indirect lighting,” Siegel goes on to explain. “Eventually I will build in cabinets, but I already had a 2’ x 5’ jewelry bench and a 2’ x 4’ soldering station so I was able to start working in the studio as soon as it was finished. Eventually I might start painting in the studio and offering workshops because the Studio Shed opens into my garden and a flagstone walkway where people could set up to paint or make jewelry.”
The current retail prices of an 10’ x 14’ Studio Shed ranges from $6,600 to $9,100 depending on whether the trim is Collins TruWood (as in the case of Siegel’s studio) or a combination of wood and metal. Smaller and larger sizes are available, from 6’ x 8’ up to  12’ x 20’. Options such as aluminum windows, French and sliding glass doors, garage doors, and clerestory windows are extra; and the cost does not include the cement slab on which the structure would be built. However, the prices does include installation by certified workers, and a discounted flat-packed kit is available for customers who want to build a SudioShed by themselves. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.studio-shed.com
“I haven’t had my property reappraised since I finished the studio, but I suspect I’ve added about $55,000 to the value because of the energy savings and the fact that the StudioShed could be used by the next owner as a spare bedroom, an office, or a studio,” Siegel explains. “That’s a value I never would have been able to realize if I rented a space downtown, build a standard garage, or convert a bedroom into a studio. Here in Colorado where energy costs are so high in the winter and people are becoming more environmentally conscious, this kind of structure is a real asset ... and a great workspace. If nothing else, my animals have loved it from the day the insulated concrete floor was finished.”
Gail Siegel took early retirement from the University of Colorado where she worked in the university art gallery and as director of community relations while maintaining her life-long interest in art. She now works part time for the Naja Tool and Supply Company in Denver which is Colorado’s largest supplier of tools and supplies for jewelry and metal artists. All of the studio furniture and 90% of her tools come from the Naja. 
For more information on StudioShed, LLC., visit www.studio-shed.com; for information on SolSource, visit the company’s website at www.solsourceinc.com and for information on the Naja Tool and Supply visit www.najatools.com. To see some of Siegel’s work visit www.silverfoxstudio.biz

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Awards Given in Blossom II. The Art of Flowers

The Jury of Awards met in Naples, Florida on February 9th to select the following winners in Blossom II. Art of Flowers sponsored sponsored by the Susan K. Black Foundation (www.bossomartcompetition.com). I was honored to be one of the jurors and to announce the prizes at the Patty & Jay Baker Naples Museum of Art.

The exhibition will begin it's tour to Tucson, Arizona; Shreveport, Louisiana; Chicago, Illinois; Bradenton, Florida; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Port Arthur, Texas  after it closes in Naples on April 10, 2011.


BEST OF SHOW AWARD and $25,000 CASH to:
Ms. Berry Fritz of McAllen, Texas for
Delft Blue with Oleanders, oil, 12 x 12.



FOUNDER'S PURCHASE AWARD and $5,000 to:
Sue Clanton of Discovery Bay, California for
Huli Wigman of Papua New Guinea, transparent watercolor, 22 x 15.



BEST BOTANICAL AWARD and $5,000 to:
Milly Acharya of Ithaca, New York for
Convallaria Majalis (Lily-of-the-valley), watercolor, 15-1/2 x 11.


BEST SMALL WORK AWARD and $5,000 to:
Susan Elwart Hall of Atherton, California for
Firecracker Mums, oil, 10 x 8.


AWARD OF EXCELLENCE and $5,000 to:
Jane Jones, Arvada, Colorado for
Parrot Party, oil, 20 x 20.



AWARD OF EXCELLENCE and $5,000 to:
Anna Killian of Pensacola, Florida for
The Fragility of Home, oil, 11-1/2 x 7-1/4.


AWARD OF EXCELLENCE and $5,000 to:
Nilton Mendonca of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for
Spring, oil, 20 x 24-1/2.



To review the other AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE and JURORS' AWARDS, visit the website:
www.blossomartcompetition.com or the foundation's website: www.susankblackfoundation.org.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Balancing Skill & Passion

The movie Black Swan is ostensibly about the physical and mental strains imposed on a young ballerina (brilliantly acted by Natalie Portman who just won a Golden Globe award) chosen for the lead in a production of Swan Lake. The story is also about the struggle of an artist trying to raise her skillfully executed performance to the level of great art. Throughout the movie, the ballet company’s artistic director (played by Vincent Cassel) pushes the ballerina to reach beyond her disciplined, rigid, shallow performance and take the emotional risks necessary for expressing the complete character of the black swan. 
As I watched the amazingly powerful movie, I kept thinking that every artist -- painter, musician, writer, singer, dancer -- spends years trying to first learn the craft of his or her art form and then, ultimately, to go beyond skill into the realm of artistic expression. 
To some extent, anyone who works hard and long as an artist will eventually reach the point at which he or she devotes less attention to skill and more to expression, if only because practice make them better at exercising their skills. But the question Black Swan asks is whether the pursuit of greatness ultimately requires complete vulnerability and passion. 
Some artists can reach that exalted level early in their careers and, seemingly, without much effort; but the message that comes through in Black Swan is that an artist may have to risk everything to achieve perfection. 


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Thursday, January 6, 2011

PleinAir ™ Events Coming Soon


The new PleinAir ™ magazine (www.pleinairmagazine.com) reports on festivals, paint-outs, exhibitions, and events around the US and abroad. Here's a list of some taking place in the first six months of the new year. If you know of others, please send information and photos to steve@pleinairmagazine.com.

Make sure you know about opportunities for artists, collectors, dealers, and suppliers who love artwork based on direct observations of nature by subscribing TODAY! Visit our website and sign up for the print and/or digital edition. 

Steve Doherty
Editor
www.pleinairmagazine.com

P.S. Want to mail in your subscriptions? You can by sending a check to:
Tom Elmo
Streamline Publishing Inc.
2090 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, 3rd Floor
West Palm Beach, FL   33409

2011 Scheduled Outings & Events
Date: February, 2011
Location: Butts County Council for the Fine Arts, Jackson, Georgia
Event: Exhibition of work by the Fall Line Painters of Central Georgia. 
Contact: www.gaarts.org or Preston King (dustydigits@yahoo.com). 
Photos
Date: February 5, 2011 - March 20, 2011
Location: The Autry National Center, Los Angeles, California
Event: Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale
Date: February 13, 2011 - April 24, 2011
Location: Museum of the Southwest, Midland, Texas
Event: American Legacy: Our National Parks, traveling exhibition of paintings by members of the Plein Air Painters of America organized by The Haggin Museum, Stockton, California. Catalog available. Exhibition travels to the Michele & Donald D’Amur Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield, Missouri from May 22 - November 6, 2011.
Contact: Plein Air Painters of America, www.p-a-p-a.com
Date: February 18-19, 2011
Location:  Red Wing, Minnesota
Event: 2nd Annual Winter Plein Air Event
Date: February 19-26, 2011
Location: Kapalua Bay, Maui, Hawaii
Event: Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational
Date: February 19-27, 2011
Location: Riverside Art Museum and Riverside Arts Project Gallery, Riverside, California.
Event: Sixth Annual Paint-Out Week sponsored by Plein Air Painters of Riverside
Date: March, 2011
Location: San Diego, California
Event: Workshop sponsored by the International Plein Air Painters (celebrating its 10th anniversary); J.R. Baldini and Linda Richichi teaching.
Contact: International Plein Air Painters website: www.i-p-a-p.com
Date: Now until October, 2011
Location: Locations throughout the state of Indiana
Event: Painting Indiana III Project sponsored by the Indiana Plein Air Painters in partnership with Indiana Landmarks. This will be the 10th anniversary of the Painting Indiana project and 80 - 100 historic landmark paintings will be included in a book published by Indiana University Press. 
Contact: Bill Wissel, Coordinator, IPAPA Painting III,  cc976@aol.com, or visit www.inpainters.org or www.PaintingIndiana.com.  
Date: April 9-10, 2011
Location: Blue Ridge, Georgia
Event: Spring Plein Air Festival sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association
Date: April 11-15, 2011
Location: New Harmony, Indiana
Event: Workshops with C.W. Mundy, Bye Britney, and Todd Williams sponsored by the Indiana Plein Air Painters
Date: April 25-30, 2011
Location: Gadsden Museum of Art, Gadsden, Alabama
Event: The Southeastern Plein Air Invitational exhibition
Date: May 13-22, 2011
Location: Various locations between Mexico Beach and Alligator Point, Florida
Event: 6th Annual Plein Air Invitational sponsored by Florida’s Forgotten Coast Cultural Coalition. 
Contact: Joe Taylor (palme2blue@yahoo.com), Lori Putnam (lori@loriputnam.com), or www.pleinairfl.com
Date: May 12-15, 2011
Location: Carmel, California
Event: 18th Annual Carmel Art Festival
Date: May 16-22, 2011
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Event: Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival
Date: May 23-27, 2011
Location: Sonoma, California
Event: Sonoma Plein Air 2011
Date: June, 2011
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Event: Workshop sponsored by Painted Ladies 
Contact: Painted Ladies page on Face Book, or Karen Whitworth at www.WhitworthGallery.org.
Date: June 10-12, 2011
Location: Bitterroot River Inn, Hamilton, Montana
Event: 7th Annual Montana Professional Artists Association Hamilton Show
Date: June 11, 2011
Location: Irwin Garden, Columbus, Indiana
Event: Columbus Paint Out, Indiana Plein Air Painters
Date: June 24, 2011-July 9, 2011
Location: Saks Galleries, Denver, Colorado
Event: Plein Air Artists Colorado 15th National Juried Fine Art Exhibition and Sale

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Artist Mentors Online

My good friend Kevin Macpherson has a great website of advice and personal critiques. Check it out at www.artistmentorsonline.com



Sunday, November 14, 2010

Jerry Pinkney Opening at Rockwell Museum

Artist Jerry Pinkney Lecturing at The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts during the opening weekend of a major exhibition of his watercolor paintings.



Right: Artist Jerry Pinkney and Author Gloria Pinkney autographing books at The Norman Rockwell Museum on November 14, 2010.

Our good friend and neighbor Jerry Pinkney is celebrating 50 years of being an artist and award-winning illustrator. About 150 of his original watercolor paintings are on display at The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts until next May, 2011 when the show will travel to other museums. Jerry won the Caldecott Medal in 2010 for his illustrated book The Lion and the Mouse.