Sunday, August 26, 2007

08/26/07 - Woodland Arts Fair, Nice Changes

The 32nd annual Woodland Art Fair (WAF) was held last weekend 8/18- 8/19/07. This is one of the premiere art events each year for Lexington. The new booth layout is a great improvement and really seems so obvious now that you wonder why we had to be crowded together in all those years previous. Bravo to Joe Artz, program director with the Lexington Art League (LAL), organizer of the show, for this much needed change!

I met several local and regional artists and wanted to say hello and thank you to them here:

Saturday I talked with a wonderful watercolor painter named Bruce Allan Neville from Cincinnati. His watercolors were breath of fresh air - very spontaneous without the ubiquitous masking fluid technique that so many watercolorists now use. His paintings remind me of the work of my great aunt, Anne Gieswein Dunn, a life-long artist now in her 80's. She grew up in Covington, Kentucky but has lived most of her life in Connecticut. Mr. Neville, a retired architect had many lovely painting of old Victorian homes that bespoke of his familiarity with their lines. He teaches at the Baker-Hunt Art & Cultural Center in Covington as well as having a studio space in the Pendleton Art Center artist Coop in Cincinnati.

Also on Saturday I met and spoke with Marianna McDonald a pastel and oil artist with vibrant paintings of landscapes that seemed more colorful than real life! She is a long time exhibitor at the WAF and the product of a state school, Murray. Her website has a class link - if she can teach only half of what she knows and does she would be a brilliant teacher. Maybe sometime I will have the pleasure!

Sunday I enjoyed talking to Beau Stahl's wife, oddly he was one of the few figurative artists displaying at the show (come on Lexington, are we really that prudish?). She (I did not get Mrs. Stahl's first name) said the LAL had asked Beau to submit for the Nude 2008 Show (hand delivered entry deadline October 10th 2007) - I hope he does, as I would enjoy seeing his work again and hope to have an opportunity to meet him in person.

Also on Sunday I spoke with one of Lexington's most talented photographers, John Snell, who explained he has worked exclusively in the digital format for the last few years. I hope I didn't bore him with my computer peripheral and hardware advise - turns out he is a former Computing Manager for Transylvania University and doesn't probably need any help in that area. It was kind of hot Sunday and my mouth and brain weren't working in conjunction! He certainly produces some striking landscape work (z falls being one of my favorites) and if you're lucky you can catch him teaching his craft at LAL (hint, hint, education director).

Maybe next year some of us Lexington cartoonists and graphic designers can have a booth; if not at the FAS (a juried event), maybe across the street in the Woodland Church parking lot? Watch for the CCG banner!

PS: If you like outdoor arts and crafts shows check out the Berea Crafts Fair, October 13th & 14th, and the huge Saint James Art Fair in Louisville October 5, 6 and 7. Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. Nice write-up.

    I'm sorry I missed this year's show having visited and enjoyed it in years past. If you organize a booth in 2008, count me in to help man it.

    My wife and I attended last year's Berea Crafts Fair (we had a friend who set up for it) and had a good time. It is a bit smaller than the Woodland Arts Fair, but has more of a small town festival flavor which I particularly enjoyed.

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