Recent news articles lament the loss of American manufacturers and indicate the will of Americans to buy American. We are all for this because our workers, our little factory in Central Pennsylvania, honors, preserves and advances an American tradition - MANUFACTURING.
Our artists and artisans make product with their own hands. When those artists are held to rigorous standards, such as those under which Christine GoldbeckandElaine Brady-Smithwork as members of thePennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, buyers are assured of quality and, along with quality, a product that is one-of-a-kind or in small number. We DO NOT mass produce stuff with shoddy materials. Often, we buy our materials regionally, too, knowing that when we support our suppliers, we are helping the local, regional, state and national economy.
Please support them. Shop local. Buy American. Buy Pennsylvanian.
Stop by Arts on Union in Middletown for open studio on Saturdasy and Sundays through January 26th, 2013.Mixed Media Art Group membersare at our place making and selling their work. Saturday Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday's the door is open from noon to five.
For a private viewing the Mixed Media Art Group exhibition, please contact us.
Friends often remark that they don't know how I get it all done, yet I don't see myself doing anything extraordinary.
I'm living. I love life. Even the crappy days are good because I always learn something about the world or my little microcosm.
Yes, I get tired and I sleep. Yes, I get frustrated BUT I keep on keeping on. Usually, the good things happen after the initial few steps of "keeping on." Okay, some times, it might be a half mile or so into the matter until things start to look and feel a little better.
Henry Rollins recently did a great -- and funny --video about being the master of your own destiny. Check it out.
Rollins got me thinking about whether there is anything important that I give up in life to do what I do. In other words, what are common things that I DON'T do and that I don't miss doing? They are:
watch television. The rare exception is the news.
hang out. I am not a hanger-outer or a chit-chatter and, for as much as I love people, I relish solitude.
talk on the phone endlessly. It's like hanging out to me.
Manicures, pedicures, body wax, hair waves, weaves, perms, color jobs, etc ... My stylist wants to color my hair. I tell him I cannot sit long enough for this process. Besides, I want to see how I look with my naturally-occurring, ever-increasing salt and pepper highlights.
For folks who like any or all of the above, go for it! Live YOUR life the way you want. Do what makes you happy.That's the point.
It just so happens that I am one of those production-oriented types who likes to learn stuff, likes to make stuff and likes to be busy all the time. Even when I am cleaning house, my head is working on paintings or photographs or writing or processing something I read.
Rollins also talks about saying "yes to everything," meaning opportunities, which often give you the benefit of new experiences with folks who you would not have had the chance to meet. A while back, when I was feeling particularly tired, I thought that I should say "no thanks" a lot more than I do, which is almost never. I've just never been good at saying "no" to doing something, even things I don't necessarily like because there is always something good that comes out of saying "yes."
I rise early (5:30ish on weekdays; sixish on weekends) and go to bed at a decent time (usually between 10 and 11 p.m.) Sometimes, I even get in a 20-minute nap. Early morning is when I do my first round of exercising and a lot of my outdoor photography. Evenings are for art administrative tasks and play. Using "playtime," I made this digital art, which is based in a photograph I shot several weeks ago in our garden. Playtime for me is also a learning experience, wherein anything goes and, if it does not go, then nothing is lost. Nothing. I still learned SOMETHING about what works and what does not, about process, about ME.
Don't Forget to Play
I am convinced that play leads to production. I am a better person, partner and professional for giving myself permission to play. Whatever you do, whatever changes you make toward living a full life -- PLEASE remember to PLAY!
In winter, I need to push myself out of hibernation mode and into the usual-Christine-way-of-being. Short, sometimes sunless, days make me want to get in my PJs and snuggle down with books. Not that there is anything wrong with this, of course, but when it's cold and gray, I could do that 24/7. So, this winter, I am taking - AGAIN because I learn so much from Elaine Brady Smith - "Mixed Media Collage" at the Art Association of Harrisburg.
Forcing myself to get out usually boosts my creative energyand forcing myself to learn new things often leads me to new ways of thinking and doing my art. So, it is with my "Girls Who Wear Glasses" Series, the first of which is "Rose-Colored Glasses."
Rose-Colored Glasses
I was driving home after this week's class when the idea hit me. The second collage I made, which is not quite ready for prime time, features a deer wearing a mask, which was a finishing touch on the piece inspired by a need for a certain color and a little red-wine. (Hey, it was 10:30 or so last Saturday night, so a glass of vino was appropriate).
I think the title for the collection comes from the early 20th Century American Writer Dorothy Parker, who said “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.” Parker is among my favorite authors and I wish I would have known her. She is also responsible for witticisms such as “Time doth flit; oh shit" and “You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think.”
I could easily get myself sidetracked on a monologue about Dotty; however, I shall get back to the points I intended. (1) I am glad I force myself out of my comfort zone and (2) New ways of thinking and doing are good for us, all of us, not just so-called creative types, like me.
Keep your mind open to new ways of seeing, eh? It's healthy. And, please, keep your eyes open for more "Girls Who Wear Glasses."
Honestly, for as much as I like discussion and adventure, I am also perfectly happy hiding out, as I have been doing these last several days in my studio at Arts on Union.
Full Moon on the Creek
It’s a bit difficult to get around due to the historic flood that has ravagedMiddletown and much of the Susquehanna Valley. So, other than bicycle riding and walking, I have been in the studio, painting and preparing inventory for Gallery Walk and upcoming fall shows. “Full Moon on the Creek,” pictured here, is a darker piece, indeed, especially for me. It fits though, what with the sadness one cannot help but feel when one is witness to the aftermath of a fury unleashed by water.
Monet's Tulip
Photography
11 by 14 matted to 16 by 20
$55 unframed
$95 framed
Springtime... almost. I can't wait. So, I am not going to! Instead, I'm going to immerse myself in the PA Garden Expo at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg later this month.
Coneflowers and Butterflies
Christine Goldbeck
40 by 70
acrylic on canvas
$800.00
If you're in the vicinity of Central Pennsylvania Feb. 25th through 27th, please visit me at the PA Garden Expo to view and purchase my floral and landscape paintings and photographs.
My booth will be in the special Arts Market,which features garden-influenced artwork and hand-crafted items.
Details:
PA Garden Expo
Friday, February 25 10am-8pm
Saturday, February 26 10am-8pm
Sunday, February 27 10am-5pm
PA Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg
Red Flowers
Mixed Media on Canvas
Triptych and 30 by 38 on canvas
$900
These are fun because you can change them around any way you please!
inset
Meanwhile, if you need a quick dose of flower power, take a virtual visit to my website and the virtual home of Arts on Union.
"In Step"
Christine Goldbeck
24 by 24 on canvas
acrylic
IWC! at AyrSpace
Ontario, Canada
Tuesday, March 8, 2011, is the Centenary of International Women’s Day. At AyrSpace in Ontario, Canada, this year, 100 women from all over the world will raise their artistic voices and exhibit works responding to the theme International Women Celebrate! (IWC!) for five weeks—from Tuesday, March 8, to Sunday, April 10.
I am honored to be one of the 100. My painting, “In Step,” will exhibit with work by women artists from Canada, India, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, among other nations.
AyrSpace’s IWC! exhibit was conceived to: 1) observe the Centenary of International Women’s Day, 2) bring together an international artistic response to International Women Celebrate! and 3) contribute to the Haitian relief effort by donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of artworks to help improve healthcare conditions for Haitian women and their children.
“In Step” is an intuitive, expressionist painting symbolizing women in all walks of and places in life who are moving, happily, toward their self-made destinies. It is with intent that I did not assign face, race or creed to the figures. No matter the differences in our physical appearance, geographical location or personal beliefs, we have one very important thing in common – we are life givers – creators – and that is something to celebrate!
A book, “International Women Celebrate: 100 Women Artists Reflect,” is in production. To order a copy, contact Jill at art@ayrspace.ca.
Meanwhile, I am contemplating doing a limited edition print run of the painting. Stay tuned for details and email me if you are interested in buying a print.
In just a few weeks, the new semester of classes at Art Association of Harrisburg will begin. Below is a description for my six-week course. If you have a new camera or just want to learn how to use your camera technically and creativity, contact the Art Association and sign up. In addition to learning about your camera, making prints, uploading, etc ..., we have a great time.
Basics of Digital Photography (Ages 19 through Adult, AAH Second Floor Michener Gallery, 6 weeks)
New and intermediate photographers will develop and improve their skills in pixel-based photography. Through demonstration and hands-on experience, the course will cover important creative and technical principles. Students will learn about composing, editing, storing, and outputting (printing/website) digital photographs. Automatic and manual-camera settings, white balance, composition basics, file formats, photographing art and products, and editing will be included. Students should bring their own cameras, manuals, and a notebook. An online component of the course encourages students to engage with one another outside of the classroom by posting their images and offering online feedback.
Instructor: Christine Goldbeck $70.00 | Jan. 15 – Feb. 19 | Saturdays, 10am–12:30pm
I had the great fortune of doing a live news spot with Linda Billet at Fox 43 in York, PA. It is always fun to get out of the studio and be able to talk about the work of independent artists such as Linda and Elaine Brady-Smith, whose encaustic painting "Alphabet Angel" went to the station with us.
Rather, it is more about the physical and social aesthetics of a place. Such is what the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup report in the recently released "Knight Soul of the Community 2010," a study about why people love where they live and why it matters.
The gallery at Arts on Union
Jobs, the economy and safety are NOT the top factors. In fact, higher ratings go to "elements that relate directly to their daily quality of life." These include: physical beauty, opportunities for socializing and the openness of a community to all people.
This, friends, is interesting stuff. Policy makers continue to place priority on JES (jobs, economy, safety) and, according to this study, residents are looking at things a different way. JES matters, of course, it just doesn't rank as high as the issues of physical and social aesthetics because if you don't have the aesthetics, you don't have the JES.
"Over the last three years, the Soul of the Community study has found a positive correlation between community attachment and local GDP growth ... This is a key metric in assessing community success because local GDP growth not only measures a community's economic success, but also its ability to grow and meet residents' needs," the report states.
I take this information as evidence of a shift from "build it and they will come" to "clean it up, liven it up and they will come" and I think this adjustment toward aesthetics is especially important to post-industrial places, such as Pennsylvania.
My gallery and studio, Arts on Union, 203 N. Union St., Middletown, is one of the 32 central Pennsylvania artists on the upcoming, free Art Studio Tour. The event, in its 12th year, will take place Saturday, Nov. 6 from 10 am. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, November 7 from noon to 5 p.m. and is designed to offer the public the chance to meet and support local artists by visiting the studios in which they work.
There will be a free drawing for a $100 gift certificate and a $50 gift certificate. Winners can use the certificates at any of the studios on the tour later this year or during the Art Studio Tour 2011. Registration cards will be available at each participating tour location. In addition to Arts on Union, artists in Annville, Elizabethtown, Hershey, Hummelstown, Lebanon Mt. Gretna, and Schaefferstown are on the tour. Visitors may set their own agenda in making their way from studio to studio. Arts on Union will have tour brochures and tour cards for a chance to win the gift certificate.
This is my third year of doing the tour and I love meeting folks from Middletown and all the travelers who stop in. Some people come to Christmas shop. Some come because they are curious about what an artist does. At the very least, people who visit will leave with an understanding of why my jeans and sweaters always have a freshly-painted look. The event is also good for Middletown. I like to send visitors to our restaurants and shops and I like hearing, afterward, that they did spend some time in town before continuing the tour.
During tour weekend, visitors to Arts on Union will have the opportunity to watch me work on several projects, including paintings on canvas and photographic prints. I like to talk about what I do, so feel free to ask questions.
Folks who are shopping for new home decor, art or doing their holiday shopping will find bargains!
