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Well here I am in Orquevaux, France. I was accepted to this artist residency over a year ago (to my surprise!) and here I am now. Amongst amazing creatives from all over the world, I’m sharing meals and conversations with wonderful painters, writers and musicians. We’re getting so spoiled- we don’t have to think about meals or cleaning our rooms- all we have to do for 3 weeks is create. So far I’ve

made 4 complete paintings, and about 25 flowers (a first for me, as I’m not drawn to painting them! I’m not sure where that came from!). We have a couple of trips planned, one back to Paris (I spent 4 days there before the residency, and took in as many museums as time allowed) and one to another charming little village. Looking forward to tonight’s costume party and karaoke in a few nights- I’ll finally get to hear these wonderful musicians live!

I’ve been a member of a wonderful art association, The National Association of Women Artists, for about 10 years now, and was recently invited to be interviewed. A little nervous, I’m not the best speaker when it comes to talking about myself. But my interviewer Farrin Chwalkowski put me right at ease. She asked just the right questions, and helped to make the conversation flow. Take a look here https://youtu.be/FJc-Cuw7BIE

 

I’m excited to announce that a collection of my cityscape paintings will be featured in an upcoming solo exhibition at the COSMOS Gallery in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The exhibition, URBAN CONTOURS, will open on Friday, May 23rd and run though Sunday, June 8th. The show will feature 18 of my contemporary cityscape paintings, including 3 new works never shown to the public before. 

The COSMOS Gallery opened this year and is an outgrowth of Cape Ann COSMOS digital media dedicated to the cultural community north of Boston. The gallery will show artwork of all genres, for artists in the region and sometimes beyond. www.capeanncosmos.com/cosmos-gallery The gallery has convenient parking and is amid the city’s best restaurants and shopping.

 

URBAN CONTOURS Schedule

 

Opening Reception:

May 23, 4-5 pm, private preview for COSMOS Patrons

Public opening: May 23, 5-7pm

 

Special Event: Cosmos at Cosmos

Taste and test three blends of the famous Cosmopolitan Cocktail - Traditional, Orange and Pomegranate - and discover a new favorite!

Saturday, June 7, 3-5

 

COSMOS Gallery is open Friday - Sunday, 12  - 5, and by appointment. 

URBAN CONTOURS closes on Sunday, June 8, 12-5.

 

Address:

COSMOS Gallery

20 Pleasant Street

Gloucester, Massachusetts 

[email protected]

What a surprise when I received the email - I'd been accepted into an artist residency at Chateau d' Orquevaux (chateauorquevaux.com). Located in Champagne-Ardenne, France, this will be my first time ever in this region.  Not only that, it will be my first artist residency. Not sure what to expect - other than being able to connect with other creatives, whether they be writers, painters or musicians, and learning and growing from each other. Of course I'm nervous. What if - during my 3 weeks there - I'm unable to produce anything worthwhile? It's hard to create when you're expected to create. That doesn't work for me - usually. Hopefully this time it will. Anyway, I'll keep you posted. I don't leave until the end of October, so I have months to worry about it (lol). 

I had the pleasure of meeting the nicest man last week, who happens to be the creative behind an amazing art and design magazine that I recently became aware of. Bob Packert came to my home studio (yes, the messy one, not my Boston studio which is nice and neat, usually!) to interview me for the upcoming issue of JOURny. For those of you who aren't familiar with JOURny, it's a gorgeous magazine (yes, it's made out of paper - beautiful, heavy stock paper, not digital!! Although it also has a digital platform www.journymagazine.com) intended for those in the world of fashion, arts, and culture. He asked me some interesting questions (my inspiration, how long I've been creating, my techniques and process, etc.) while meandering around my studio and home, looking at my paintings. I can't wait for the issue to come out - I think in a few months. 

 

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Bold Journey. They were interested in my journey as a professional artist. Take a minute to check out the interview, and let me know your thoughts. https://boldjourney.com/meet-donna-caselden/

It’s always curious as to what makes a collector purchase artwork, and specifically why someone would purchase a piece from me. I know that the painting needs to resonate with the buyer, there’s a certain feeling that comes over someone when they’ve fallen in love with the piece. At least, that’s how I feel when I find a piece of artwork that I can’t live without. What makes you purchase a piece of artwork? I’d love to know!

What a surprise to receive an email from the owner of a contemporary art gallery that I had approached years ago. I’m elated to be represented by The Christopher Hill Gallery, www.chgalleries.com, in St. Helena California, right in the heart of Napa Valley. Thanks to the help of a dear friend, I packed and shipped 4 boxes of my artwork for them. What a job, especially since my paintings are definitely not on the small size! Can’t wait to make a trip to Cali to see my artwork on the walls of this beautiful gallery- and of course, I’ll have to check out a few wineries while I’m there.

How amazing would it be to receive an email telling you that your artwork is desired in a prestigious gallery in Milan? I consider myself to be a pretty good artist, but something like that sounded just too good to be true. After some research (googling the person who sent the email, asking an artist friend of mine who lives in Italy if he's heard of him), I came to the unfortunate conclusion that it was a scam. Many times, these people will ask you for money to show your work. You should never have to do this in legitimate galleries.

Another type of scam artists are confronted with is someone wanting your work for a gift for their wife or husband, but can only pay for the piece with a cashier's check. Many time the letter is filled with incorrect grammar and spelling errors as well - a sure fire way to tell that the email is illegitimate.

This might sound pretty depressing, but not to worry. There are plenty of wonderful galleries and people who are serious about wanting artwork. It's just important that you're able to spot these few imposters along the way.

Not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this before but I’m part of a wonderful group of artists who meet monthly to discuss everything art (experimentalartgroup.com).We had a great speaker last week, gallery owner and art activist Paula Estey (paulaesteygallery.com), discussing Art & Activism. I never realized how much of my own artwork stems from this. My first foray into the art world was for a call for wearable art. I created pieces out of rubbish- showing that beautiful things can be made out of items that would otherwise end up in a landfill.  Looking at all my paintings, many can fall into the category of activism, taking on our environment and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Excited to announce that I’m now being represented by a beautiful new gallery- Inner Space Fine Arts sells original works from accomplished New York and New England artists, dedicated to bringing the beauty of abstract and traditional fine art and objects to your home. Located at 189 Main Street in North Reading, Massachusetts, check out their website at innerspace-fine arts.com.