"Good Tidings, GREAT Art!", Dec. 9th & 10th at Above Elite Studios

YOU are invited to the most fun, festive and FABULOUS event of the season!

Good Tidings, GREAT Art!

Friday, Dec. 9th, 5:30-9pm

Saturday, Dec. 10th, 10-4pm

Hosted by Above Elite Studios

181 Main Street, Westerly

Featured artists include:

Laura Gaffke, Millie Donovan, Kathy Johnson,

Sarah Martin, Juli Rankin Mancini, Ian Newbury & Diana Sartor

with live entertainment on Friday by Evan St. Martin.

*Added bonus! Every purchase from one of our artists will earn

you a free chance to WIN tickets to Westerly's Granite Theatre.

I paint because...

"I hate flowers–I paint them because they are cheaper than models and they don't move."— Georgia O'Keefe.

It seems like we all do things we don't necessarily like to do. Today, I spent my time in the studio working on small cards and collages that I hope to package and have ready for the holidays. This kind of activity drives me bonkers! There is usually paper all over my worktables, paint splattered across my face and gel medium stuck underneath my fingernails. I don't mind the mess as much as I do the feeling of panic as I look at the small pieces and wonder why. Why am I adding to my to do list? Why are they taking so long to finish? Why do I continue to paint the things that I don't necessarily like?

The simple answer is because...Because in order to work on refining my voice I must borrow from the creative language currently at my disposal. That is to say, I use what is around me and gain inspiration from it. This is a tricky thing to do when surrounded by a community of outstanding creative people all reading the same publications, using the same materials, applying and exhibiting at the same galleries and shows. All of us making similar "products" and hoping to provide enough visual interest in our respective work to make the connections we all crave.

At the end of the day I found myself with a handful of new pieces that I was pretty content with. I had found old collages and painted book pages. I cracked open some new tubes of alzarin crimson and light green (colors I have admired in paintings by my studio mate). I cut out words from an old copy of my daughter's favorite book, "Ramona the Pest", and mixed them up like domino tiles. I painted and applied textures using mesh, bubble wrap, plastic bottle caps and the flat end of my pencil. The result well...you decide...maybe it's not quite a Georgia O'Keefe but it is a Millie Donovan and it was a lot cheaper to create with all these found objects then to hire a motionless model.

"She Did", mixed-media on paper © Millie Donovan

Holiday Shows I'm working towards: (wish me luck)

Harvest Craft Sale at the Noank Foundry, Saturday Oct. 29th from 12-6pm

Good Tidings Great Art at Above Elite Studios, Friday Dec. 9th from 5:30-9pm and Saturday Dec. 10th from 10am-4pm

For the pure JOY of it...

I have been struggling with recent comparisons of my paintings that have left me without inspiration. In my attempts for originality I had failed to make a connection and for some that saw my work, they only saw another's. I was lost to reason and obsessed over my perceived lack of originality. It was as if someone told me to SHUT UP...it was a slap in the face...a slammed door...a ruler rapped on the back of my knuckles. My ego was not only bruised by broken.

See, this is the problem with choosing a creative path: sensitivity is heightened. The paper we push is meant to be treasured. Even our doodles have intention. We do not abide by check lists and results oriented goals, profit and loss sheets, or marketing strategies. These are just activities we must do to help pay the bills. Instead we are moved by a nod of approval and the utterance of 3 little words..."I like it." I LIKE IT enough to include in the show, I LIKE IT enough to hang on my wall, I LIKE IT enough to give it to a friend.

What I didn't realize was that those 3 words needed to be spoken by ME...the "artist". I recently found my VALIDATION at the bottom of my paint tubes. I dusted them off from a long summer hiatus and squeezed the paints onto my favorite palette. The colors did not forget me! My hands did not betray me. It felt good to have paint underneath my fingernails. The thing with painting or writing or any other creative activity is that you have to set your EGO aside and not be concerned with comparisons or critiques. Your only concern should be the ACTIVITY of creation and how much YOU LIKE IT!

As for originality, well is anything really ever original? I had my studio mate, Laura Gaffke, take a quick picture of my hands and palette...because I LIKED how that moment felt. I loved how my hands were messy with paint and the palette was full of rich, lovely color. On the same day, I saw a beautiful photograph my friend Joy had taken of her own paint spattered hands. It seemed to scream I LIKE IT! Our hands, the moment we chose to document said it all. We both LOVED what we were doing and shared that moment. Original? Maybe not but the moment was just ours and it was LOVED.

Photo by: Joyita Neerkaje

Photo of: (me) Millie Donovan

In Gratitude

It has been a while since I have pulled my head out of the sand and ventured back into the wonderful world of art. I have been telling myself that I am on hiatus, a little break from the expectations of constant creativity, a vacation from the showiness of being an "artist". It has been a summer of camps and family and sunscreen. A season of beaches and pools and hot summer nights. A period of moonlit swims, mosquitoes and buzzing bees. And I have LOVED every minute of it!

But friends and community can make you do funny things. In this case I put on my "big girl pants", as my friend Laura likes to say, ventured into the abandoned dusty corner at Above Elite that I call my studio and pulled out all of my little treasures to display at the midsummer Stonington Village Fair (one of my most favorite hometown events.)

Our Booth at the Stonington Village Fair 2011

When I moved to this area I made my very first friends at the Stonington COMO. My children participated in the various community center offerings from preschool to karate and dance. I am proud to say that my children and I helped install the children's garden at the COMO and spent every other afternoon weeding and watering the beautiful little garden. "Mother Nature" even left a few thoughtful notes in the mailbox at the garden for my imaginative 4 year old to find and enjoy.

For all of these moments I am eternally GRATEFUL. The COMO provided a sense of belonging for my family. In turn I have been able to volunteer from time to time. These activities have always filled my heart and I continue to look forward to them every year.

This year I was happy to share my love of the Village Fair with the LOVELY Laura Gaffke. I stole moments away from the not-so-lazy days of summer to dream and plan with Laura. Our display came together rather beautifully with ransacked items from our studios: little teacups held business cards, an old planter showcased gicleé prints, and a vintage tackle box displayed small watercolors. Laura's work was prettily laid out using old wooden spools, an antique soap box and scattered sea stars. We managed to pull off a cohesive display that was well attended and we received very generous compliments throughout the day.

It's all in the details.

It was NICE ... really nice to see people enjoying what we had to share. Friends and neighbors stopped by to give their support. I met new people and enjoyed getting caught up with an old acquaintance I had lost touch with for several years. She excitedly came up behind me and announced..."Wow, I knew it! I saw your booth and was showing my husband your work when I noticed that I recognized the name." She said one of the kindest things I had ever heard about my work..."you are obviously a successful painter!" I was speechless for a moment and then I agreed... Yes, I am successful because I have friends and a community with which to share what I love to do the most.

So here is to the kind words of an old friend, the excited participation (check out her blog post of the event) of Miss Laura Gaffke and the encouragement of "Mother Nature" who showed up at the fair with hugs and well wishes and said, "get your head out of the sand and enjoy."

"In Search of Imagination" These are sketches and ideas

for a new painting I will be working on for the upcoming

"Stars Over Stonington" Silent Auction, Sept. 3oth.

Of Bees and Fish

If I could make anything happen for my children (aside from the usual prayer for health and happiness) it would be to save them from the sting of rejection. There is nothing more powerful than that feeling of being lost, out of place, nowhere. It is tough to be the last one picked, to not make the team, to lose out on your first choice or to not be asked to prom. It is painful to be rejected by the boy you "loved", to find out that your best friend prefers to hang out with someone else, to receive that "skinny" envelope from your dream school.

Well, let me tell you, as an adult that thinks of herself beyond such childish feelings, rejection is still a bitter pill to swallow. Part of the expectations within the art community is to vie for memberships in cooperatives and artist associations. The application is usually a juried process where expectations are outlined and a committee decides on any acceptances. The difficult part is that expectations are subjective and committees and applicants are human. Well, I didn't fit the mold and was rejected by the very FIRST association I applied to. It was my safety school. The one that could not possibly say no. I was already an associate member and an active participant. Heck, I had even exhibited there, was a patron and knew a good portion of the members AND their work. How could I possibly be denied full membership? Here I am a REJECT! The last one picked, the girl without a prom date, no boyfriend, no best friend, no TRIBE, "always the bridesmaid and never the bride."

And so I give you BEES and FISH. Right after my recent rejection, I kept dreaming of bees and salmon. What funny imagery. Busy, industrious, purposeful, and exhausting. In my waking hours I was constantly reminded of bees and salmon. I would see this imagery all around me: window displays (photo is of a display in downtown Mystic), patterns, videos sent by friends, a new series by one of my favorite contemporary artists. There were even a couple of bees that had found refuge behind the curtains in my kitchen during a recent thunderstorm. The Universe was shouting at me!

So I looked it up. I wanted to find out what the *BUZZ* was going on! Aside from the obvious reminders of swimming against the current and purposeful structure, what did all of this mean for me? What was I being asked? What did I need to learn?

When we dream of bees it may be an indication that we are ready to communicate or a call to recognize the "treasures" that reside within us. Specifically, what ideas am I nurturing? What emotions do I "pollinate" (spread)? Am I tasting the nectar of the sweetest flowers or do I linger in the marsh of unproductive thinking? [source: www.whats-your-sign.com]

Fish can be a sign of fertility, creativity, transformation, knowledge and happiness. The Celtic symbolism for salmon refers to wisdom, inspiration, knowledge and prophecy. I understood this to mean that inspiration and creativity can be found through adversity and hard work. That "there are plenty of fish in the sea."

I learned that in order to continue finding MY voice that I have to want to communicate, I have to learn to approach what I do with love and respect, I have to decide that creation alone is it's own sweet reward and that in order to achieve all of this I need to choose a different path. Rather than rely on others to provide happiness I need to learn to become industrious, to work hard and with purpose, to achieve creativity through transformation, to gain inspiration by becoming knowledgeable about myself, about my craft. I need to be driven by instinct and trust of self rather than follow the current. Rejection still has a bitter taste and an awful sting but it is mine to learn from.

So like the bee I am making my home, looking within, making sense of the world and building it to suit my needs. Like the fish I am learning, adapting, staying strong and finding a way despite the rushing currents.

The kid in the playground will kick the hardest, the girl at the prom will dance to every song, the bridesmaid will lead the procession and the artist without her tribe will find her place among the paint.

I Want to Believe...

I want to believe that I am on the right path,

That every intention is sincere,

That every moment has purpose.

I want to believe that people are intrinsically good,

That the Universe has lessons that will better our existence,

That with these lessons we become better people, better friends, better partners.

I want to believe that I am good,

That I have something to offer that is more than just the surface,

That the reality of my existence lies beneath the paint and the words.

But before I can believe all these things, I have to be judged,

I have to make myself vulnerable, expose my heart, take off the mask,

In reality, I have to set aside my expectations because...

Because life does not show you good without the bad,

You cannot know love without rejection,

You cannot be free without letting go.

So I will let myself go and forgive the anger,

I will dry the tears that well up when I think that I have lost,

The emotion that stirs when I feel slighted and rejected.

I will let go of the pretense and the games,

I will let go of the disbelief and the negativity,

And in the process I will find myself.

© Millie Donovan

Always Magical!

As artists we spend our time trying to see how we fit. How our work is received. How we can improve and share and create so that we can belong. We speak of tribes and coops and collaboratives. We hold on tight to friends and family and exult in new introductions. We are social creatures that crave connections and conversations. And yet we paint and create while alone. It is an interesting dynamic. One not easily understood because what we are forever doing is reaching out.

This week with arms outstretched I did indeed reach out and was met with enthusiastic *hugs*. I met a new group of amazing people at ARTE Gallery in New Haven. An art space that embraces family and community. An art space with a mission to excel through the language of art (visual, musical and culinary). How amazing! Then I spent 2 Magical Days with the "Elitists" (don't let the pet-name fool you). This group of awesome artists arrive with huge smiles and help transform our humble studio on the Pawcatuck River into a space FULL of magic and marvelous creations. We feed off of each other. We are each other's biggest fans. Encouraging, pushing, challenging. We are always looking forward and dreaming. And our arms are always OPEN.

Thank you to all who attended these events and who accepted the smiles and hugs. I look forward to many more opportunities to reach out. And I will continue to share even when I am alone, creating, painting and writing in my studio along the Pawcatuck River.

(Perspectives/Perspectivas, ARTE Gallery, New Haven 2011)

("Cawl Me" by Jaclyn Altieri Murphy @ Spring Fling Fever! 2011)

(Serena Bates & Sarah Martin @ Spring Fling Fever! 2011)

(The Lovely Mary T. Sullivan)

(Serena Bates, Carol Watson, Laura Gaffke & Jaclyn Altieri Murphy)