what inspires me?

This simple question thrown out to me by one of my Drawing I students last week surprisingly left me with no immediate answer. It would be simple to respond with just "everything" or just "anything" but that feels a little too... opaque, fake, pathetic? Or, though I have been making art a little too much like a machine lately, maybe I am just NOT inspired. How does one read that? When I was deep in graduate school (now almost five years ago) I was easily turned on to my graduate residencies, the air of artists and artist mentors sharing coffee and ideas, or coming back home to my books, writings, and even at that time the dialogue of my middle school art students, or the company of my old beloved studio mates at Running With Scissors in Portland. When I returned to Central Maine, I found myself in a quiet place for new artistic journeys in downtown Gardiner in a place called Artdogs. It was a delightful 'place" to be. I think I needed that quiet then for my life which became more of a rollercoaster ride shortly thereafter. Artdogs gave me some time, space (and love) for me to be where I am now. The artistic "core" and repertoire of its artists, the sneak peak into the practice of a private studio, and the opportunity to quietly play in my studio gave me fresh air. Life was much quieter then and eventful walks down to the A1-To-Go with my artdog Sophie for an afternoon cup of coffee and a walking loop to the stream cleared my head for daydreaming. My head needed that clearing for the cycles I have witnessed within my personal sphere can not go without mentioning, the completion of graduate school after three rigorous years during which two and a half of them I taught art full-time in public school, the loss of my mother (and sharing the tough road of her fighting cancer for three years), and then almost a year later the birth of my daughter, and then, the move from a quiet private artistic life to an open door studio with an attached gallery and artists to manage, and even a "new marriage" to biz partner and dear friend Janna (etc.). Yep, I think I am still trying to fill these shoes but they do find me energized, but am I INSPIRED? I am not sure but this babbling is getting me there. There I things I like to do to prepare myself for receiving inspiration. This sounds a bit funny but I don't think I have made time to be really be inspired lately. This time is coming, and it comes from DISTANCE, STILLNESS, and QUIET. Do you think this may be challenging to find in my life? Certainly. But it is coming closer. Within two weeks we'll be packing our family van for ten days of a slightly warmer climate, my grading will be completed, the gallery will be closed for vacation, and space will be created for a little more of me just being. I'll be working on my personal roadmap to good cafes, coffee and bookstores and playing with my husband and kiddo. There is nothing better than rollerblading with coffee and stroller in hand(s). This will give me the quiet to breathe and open myself up for a new year. A new start with new inspirations. Thanks for asking that question _____. I am still working on it.

Off Again

Again I find myself at the end of a busy but fruitful time of art making and professional opportunities. The exhibition “Considerations of Place” featuring works by Kate Buehner, Cynthia Ahlstrin and myself opened at Cerulean Gallery last Friday evening. A rich and curious show which plays off the concept of place, and unsurpringly, we all have such different responses. The following statement might help you in guiding my vision of my works which took form in encaustics on panel, an artist book using acrylic on rag paper, and mixed media paintings using bits of textile and embroidery.
"This work demonstrates my consistent investigation of the use of abandoned photographs as a source. These works uniquely use small amounts of embroidery, reclaimed textile pieces, and drawing and painting onto raw canvas. These choices in materials were drawn from my intention to speak metaphorically about how life is weaved physically into where we live, play, and work. Drawing from locations specifically near to my home and personal landmarks here in Central Maine, I am speaking about our sense of belonging to place. Working to see how the language of landscape (its meandering roads, rolling hills, tall pine trees) in painted form with references to the figure, I wanted to create dialogue about our own relationship to place and to articulate emotional attachments we have to place personally and communally. After my third return to this area, our landscape of the Kennebec Valley has spoken to me as home. I hope you can feel this in these works and look a little closer at our gem of the state of Maine."
Whenever a show comes to fruition, the artist always comes to a “place” of a possible change in direction – will the works continue? In this exhibition I began an exploration in the use of textile, either in embroidered elements with charcoal work, or in embedding found textile pieces, also an artist book form that locates my voice as a painter, and I’d like to push these developments further. I'm not sure how and that’s what makes it most interesting. When the dust settles and I’ve breathed a bit more I’ll get my road map back again.

I’ve also been working on a new body of work featuring my favorite subject of birds in encaustics. This subject really allows me to play with this wax paint without a lot of tight constraints and this is something I need to push harder into this complex medium. My newest pieces feature some generous carving into the wax with woodcarving tools and an inherent interest in the whimsical. I am pleased to announce that you can now see more of my encaustic bird paintings at Maine Cottage Furniture with a showroom in Yarmouth. More to come.

Don’t miss the artist talk for “Considerations of Place” on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 3 PM at Cerulean and our 2nd Anniversary Celebration on this Sunday the 22nd from 11-1. Please come and join us as we celebrate with good foods and company.

….My mind races forward with next preparations such as the Cerulean holiday sale on December 12 & 13, holiday presents for loved ones, finishing up some old works, and other bizarre artistic interests inspired by retiling my bathroom shower, hmmmm?

Come and see a wonderful collaboration of 34 artists at the Richmond Store Gallery opening Friday, November 6th.

Momentum

I am off and running with many new works going.... My works with birds in encaustics continues to be lots of fun and engaging. I am now pushing my use of pattern through using a collected box of vintage fabrics I acquired at a yard sale this fall. Also, propelling me forward is a trio show titled "Considerations of Place" with artist friends Cynthia Ahlstrin and Kate Buehner at Cerulean in November. I am creating some mixed media works that again use abandoned photographs as part of a source - only this time I am embroidering and painting onto raw canvas. Drawing from locations specifically near to my home, I am attempting to speak about a sense of belonging and how the language of landscape can be used to ground these ideas. I was fortunate to discover a Welsh artist named Eleri Mills in Fiber Arts Magazine recently whose work I have found very intriguing and I can pull from. My use of cloth material and the act of sewing, designing fabric I think may be coming back to surface after many years of neglect. If one grandfather was a tailor and the other grandfather designed and created dresses, how long can an artist surpress this need to loop string, needle, and cloth together? Does anyone remember my senior prom - yikes, I think I am still trying to forget it but I do remember the dress!

Anyone want to come and learn about encaustics this weekend? I am offering a one day workshop on Saturday from 10 - 3 at Cerulean. Just give us a call at Cerulean if you'd like to come 626-9009.

Tray Chic at Bangor Children's Museum this November!

After the Summer Rush

It seems as though "Summer" just existed for the month of August. We all went running around catching every ray of sunlight and warm air, and in my artistic practice I went running around gathering inspiration from everywhere. Following the closing of my show at Cerulean with Cynthia Ahlstrin in August, my dear artist friend Kate Buehner swooped myself, my family, as well my business partner and friend Janna and family to join her in Lubec. We were fortunate to stay at her family's "Crow Neck Farm" and absorb all its splendor of quiet and space. We all talked and made art, and relaxed and enjoyed day adventures into town. We all participated in the Lubec Arts Alive Project, and I spent some time working on the mural project pictured here. My work is central, of the large black bird. Go figure. The birds in Lubec are big. Really. The project was very engaging and enjoyed so much meeting some fabulous Maine artists including Robert Shetterly and Rose Marasco. The portrait and oral history project going on simultaneously was very inspiring. I liked watching the artists studying their individuals and hearing them collect stories and gestures. Back at Crow Neck Farm, I was greatly influenced by this Buehner artist family's home - particularly by Kate's dad who had a strong presence in the home by his lovely paintings. Paintings of his children, birds, with such an endearing flare for daily life and a combination of tribal and outsider art. I was completely enamored. I think a little bit of my heart wanted to stay in Lubec. Partly because I needed to breathe some new fresh air and enjoyed my stay at Crow Neck Farm but partly because it reminded me of my artist family too. We all want to be surrounded by things and places that have sentiment and love, and by Kate sharing hers with me it made me hold a little more onto mine. My greatest artistic influences have been my Mother who had summer painting trips to Lubec most of my childhood, and with my extended artist family - where I had also shared many summer inspirations. A bitter sweet experience. When we returned home I think my heart was still away in the idea of Lubec. I started painting a motif on a table for a benefit for the Bangor Children's Museum directly influenced by Kate's dad Frederick Buehner. Pictured here is the top tray and legs. There is another painting on the table itself under the tray of some geese running around an island. I titled the work "I didn't see any geese in Lubec - after Frederick Buehner" and it will be auctioned in November. At the same time, I also spent a tremendous amount of time putting my mind and body into working on a HUBCAP inspired artwork for Cerulean's HUBCAP HEAVEN show. See my red tricycle. I also created six new small encaustic works for the Three Graces Gallery's Teenie Tiny Show in Portsmouth, NH.
So, now I breathe. I am cleaning up my studio, reorganizing everything, gathering inspiration from books and journaling and gearing up for some new pieces. We head down to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Monday morning for symposium "Creating in Maine." To be continued.

What a summer!

I have had a greatly refreshing and inspiring August! We traveled to Lubec to participate in Lubec Arts Alive, also to do some of my own work, and to breathe. We were invited to come and stay with good artist friend Kate Buehner, and we loved the relaxation of her "Crow Neck Farm"! Pictures to come soon. Also, I am busy wrapping up works for the Cerulean's Hubcap Heaven exhibition opening next week, finishing up works for the Tiny Show at Three Graces Gallery, teaching drawing I at UMA starting next Tuesday AND a lovely table painted for a benefit at the Bangor Children's Museum - wowee. Stay posted. Here's an image from my recent show"Harboring the Significant" at Cerulean which is in its last days.

Hubcap Heaven is Here next Friday the 4th!

Come and join me at Cerulean next Friday, September 4 from 5-8 PM for Hubcap Inspired Refreshments, Live Music, and the Cerulean Collective for a special exhibition featuring HUB CAPS

I am making a relief sculpture of an old tric with composite resin pedal and all! Totally wild!!!

Here's some words from our fearless Hubcap Leader, Barbara Loken
For the past four summers, while driving back and forth to a boys camp
that I work at in the summer in Wayne, I daily drove past a small white
house on Highway 133 surrounded by piles of hubcaps. When the camp
needed decorations for a coffee house evening, I suggested hubcaps and
in no time I was introducing myself to Margaret Hawes who runs A and M
Wheel Covers with her husband Arthur. Margaret kindly showed me a pile
of slightly dinged wheel covers,( the correct name for what is commonly
called HUB CAPS) and I was awestruck by the hundreds of ways a circle
can be designed to suggest speed, wealth, economy, practicality, or
beauty. My first forty hubcaps were scrubbed by the boys with the Dawn
detergent that Margaret suggested , enhanced when necessary with spray
paint, and proved to be spectacular on the theater buildings walls. One
small lad immediately saw a connection and quipped, “ Coffee and
Cars, they both keep you running all day long.” which became the
theme of the coffee house.
This spring Bill Duffy and I visited Margaret who again helped us pick
out another batch from the scrap cap pile for the Cerulean artists. A
Hub Cap has a history and evokes nostalgia for the cars that we have
owned or loved or coveted or is just cool to look at and enjoy. Each
artist was challenged to transform a Hub Cap or two into a work of art.
We hope you enjoy the show in present time and are also reminded
fondly of a car that carries special memories. Anyone ever own a ’57
Chevy boat-car with fins?
No one has taken me up on the idea of a Hub Cap rhythm band, maybe
next year.
-Barb Loken

WE'll BE OPEN MORE FOR THIS EXHIBITION:
Friday, September 4 11-8 PM Reception 5-8
Saturday, September 5 11-8
Sunday, September 6 10-2
Monday, Labor Day CLOSED
Tuesday, September 8 11-5

Image Compliments of our Photographer Bill Duffy

"Harboring the Significant" Opens NEXT SATURDAY!

Please come to the reception on Saturday, August 8th from 4-7 PM. Also, come to the preview party on Friday, August 7th from 5-7!!!!

Busy Bee at the Botanical Gardens

As we all know, Maine has received a tremendous amount of rain this past June. But the Botanical Gardens in Boothbay haven't hurt. I painted there last Sunday in a wet paint event...and not having been before, quickly settled into a great spot on the path down to the fairy houses. It was a lovely day with some unsettled weather...and was challenged to compose a painting where all of the natural forms and greens spoke very different languages. With only less than four hours to make things work, I must have been half crazy to choose the composition I did. However, I did end up happy with it and had a lot of fun! Come by the studio and see it.

Going Corporate

Inspirations Come In Small Packages

Its amazing how we can re-energize simply by being in good company, and by especially sweet little loved ones. Although I have been painting in a fury in my studio to prepare for my show at Cerulean in August, which is usually my personal vehicle to heightened motivation and happiness, today my energies were rejuiced by a fun-filled birthday party of my five-year-old niece and extended family and
family friends. We went crazy in the bouncy house, ate Miss Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake, chased candy after a strawberry pinata fell after some mighty blows from the "big boys", and sat back, talked and drank good coffee. It was simply splendid. Pictured here are three of my favorite little girls - starry-eyed and silly. My small package to the right, birthday girl in the middle, and sweet dear friend to the left. Enjoy!

Also, here's a pic from my current show at LLBean in Freeport. Just follow the fish all the way to the upstairs.... up till July 30th. Also pictured here is the next show at Cerulean featuring my other Cerulean-half Janna and photographer Bill Duffy. Hope you can join us.

It's hard to ignore....

the rain and those damn birds. Now that I have been obsessively reading about birds, I can't stop but notice them everywhere - black ones in particular. So curious and intrigued I am about these flying things that can speak both dread and pleasure. More to come in my upcoming two-person show in August at Cerulean with artist friend Cynthia Ahlstrin. Responding to the question, "what do you carry?" we have been exploring a body of works that are multimedia and installation based. Stay tuned for preview of the works here...

Its hard to believe I have survived this last month with exhibitions from here to there... now you can see my landscape works in a month long appearance in the second floor foyer near Coffee By Design in LLBean, Freeport. Runs until July 30th.

May brought buzzing around and settling down...

This last week in May brought me some quiet and a time to feel a bit more centered after an extremely busy and productive month. While taking a quiet walk along Blueberry Field in Winterport while hubby and kiddo took a nap, I came upon this amazing tree. The only one in the field along an unraised line of rocks, its texture and growth pattern demonstrated many years and storms. I was very happy to see it. What a beauty! I can see it on paper in sumi ink and brush, with thin, heavy, and delicate marks, well we'll see.



My bird paintings and works from inventory came together in an informal exhibition at Congress Street Portland's Coffee By Design in a show titled,"Wandering Flights in the Landscape". The works will be showing until June 30. The piece with the two birds I called Mama Bird and Baby, maybe my favorite piece in the show. The other artwork is hanging book I made in response to working at my artist friend Kate Buehner's studio. Have fun, enjoy and let me know what you think. Oh, and energize with the best cup of Jo around!

This month also brought an exciting artist reception for a show I was accepted into at the Massachusett's Art Complex Museum in Duxbury. The show "Ancient Medium, New Terrain" runs through the beginningof September and features three of my ephemeral, figurative paintings. More info to come.

At Cerulean its busy as ever. I finished teaching a "Portrait Drawing At Your Own Speed" Class that had six devoted students who truly reinspired my own interest in the figure.

A quiet afternoon at our family camp with my two girls Olympia and Sophie. We were entertained by the moody weather (and Stan who went swimming - very quickly) and watched the clouds and rain come across the water. We love Maine. Hope everyone is enjoying the warm up. -Hélène

Birds, Birds, Birds in My Studio!

Spring Inspirations...

The Subject is Spring

As we all are, I am feeling very happy to be outside again. Spring has been inspiring me to clean my studio and play with images of birds. I just can't get enough of them. In fact, I have 10 of them started right now in both oil and encaustic with more to come.. to be seen in my show at Coffee By Design.

Hot Off The Wax!

These are three of my most recent paintings in encaustic (wax). Both a continuation of my interest in using old photographs as a source for developing a narrative, and birds - a subject I have visited for a number of years... I admit it everyone. I am most fascinated with the form and symbolism of bird... And I am really happy to hear them again. Welcome Spring! And enjoy.

NYC free write...

Since I was very young I have made regular trips to New York City, particularly by bus. This was my first time back to the Big Apple by myself as a newly liberated young Mother myself. Between my Mom who grew up in the Lower East Side (5th Street) and me being born only a stones throw from Queens, New York City has always felt like home. And I was really happy to go back home. I was long overdue for some urban culture, artistic inspiration, and a break from my regular roles at home and work. A big thanks to my husband Stan for supporting this and to my business partner Janna for holding down the ship for us at the gallery.
Not feeling 100% and only 12 hours after Stan came home from work feeling very ill, I set off at 8 AM on Friday morning on Concord Trailways from Augusta. Ignoring my flu/cold kicking in with severe hydration and acetaminaphen, I arrived at Penn Station (42nd Street) at about 6 PM. And I hate 42nd Street for every damn tourist is there, the combination of congestion of cars, billboards, flashing lights, and too many people tells me to "GET OUT OF HERE!" I started walking north, in the drizzling rain, in the direction of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), hungry, knees aching from being very squished on the bus, and all over chills from newly acquired flu/cold. I decide to stop feeling sorry for myself after a few blocks and find a great little french restaurant called Maison, on the edge of the theatre district. Because I had changed my mind about heading down to Chinatown and then following up through little Italy for some authentic flavor, I settle for French. And I was not disappointed. And even more delighted after the shock of the hostess when I confidently said I would be dining ALONE. I suddenly felt sympathy for a scene of "Sex In the City". Anyhow, the food was great. I ate my hot tea, perfectly crusty bread, crab cakes and French Onion Soup (is this really french?) in pure heaven, reading my poetry by Amy Oliver and forgetting my physical woes of the day. I headed over to the MOMA full and happy and ready for artistic fillings. The MOMA is free on Friday nights like most art museums in NYC, just to note. Otherwise, you're paying for tickets around 20 bucks. The MOMA was very nice. I greatly enjoyed the variety, particularly the works in the contemporary art collection. From seeing archetypal Wyeth's Christina's World, which weighed heavy in my mind after his recent death, to seeing the full version of Monet's late (and huge!) waterlilies, my eyes were happy. My favorites - seeing some works by Frida Kahlo's that framed intricately in a mirror/mosaic fashion. I STILL left and experienced the MOMA asking "where are all of the women artists?" They disappointed me in this department. I wanted to yell "where the hell are the Guerrilla Girls?" I ended the evening walking towards Rockefeller Center to do some window shopping. These displays are amazing... I picked up the subway and headed up to my Cousin Ilene's who lives on Fort Washington Avenue, the top of Manhatten on the western side, about 30ish minutes from here.
The next morning I still felt awful so I took a little extra time in the morning to let the acetaminaphen to kick in and to hydrate. We had a nice breakfast in Ilene's apartment of Bagel, Lox, and cream cheese - just perfect for the Jew in me! I got up my gusto, ignored my illness, and off we went to the Javits Center for the International Art Expo. Costing 30 bucks and another 5 if you wanted to check your coat, we were visually overloaded in this cast iron framed building in paneled windows. There were three sections of this convention set up art show. One was of dealers, the other of artists representing themselves, and the other a mix of ethnic imports, and home interior "foo-foo". My observations varied. First, this is not a juried event so there was a very big range of quality in work. Some works looked like an assignment from high school and few things wowed me. What did wow me was how an artist's presentation greatly appeared to carry a lot of influence. It seemed that the selling male artists wore suits, and I even saw a few painting in them! These paintings lacked a lot of originality in subject and style, but the artists gesturally applied the paint, and appeared to paint by number! And they received quite a crowd. The female artists wore sexually revealing clothing, lots of make-up - one female artist even had a model wearing a string bikini modeling for her. Some of the trends I saw,.. international dealers carried artworks in rolls - as many as 200-300 paintings that had been on stretchers and canvas, now on canvas alone. Another trend, acylic paintings mixed with lots of compound to produce great textural qualities, direct paintings (very little layering) and kitchy design based paintings with HEAVY resin coating. This was most definitely a show turned mostly towards painting. There was very little three-dimensional work. I did find one encaustic painter but her pallette was dull and the motif the same - six or so flowers lined up in red with brown background. Individuals and dealers did display from all over the world. The question is, was it worth it? It was definitely worth seeing...and I am still processing it. Off we went for lunch to a fun little minimalist restaurant called Hamburgers and Cupcakes. I skipped dessert but enjoyed my burger and sweet potato fries, and especially the coffee which got me through the next of my day... to be continued.

New Arrivals!!!

My online shop www.helenefarrarart.flyingcart.com is now up and running!!!!
Let me know what you think...

IN-between

Whenever I am about to begin an artistic route in content (what something means) and know will be a serious undertaking, I seem to meander in subject and materials for a while. Wanting to "finish" pieces, or by framing works finished, and working with less permanent media, I find the in-between time. In the studio this week and last, I am "finishing" my four Italy inspired watermedia pieces, framing works, preparing for my encaustics class this coming weekend, and working on also finishing up some encaustic paintings that have been hanging around.
Then I will begin preparations for my important shows this year, specifically at Cerulean.
Here's a picture from a late night in the studio this week, working at my table... enjoy!

Cozy Artmaking

When the weather dipped in early January and my fight began for feeling warm physically and emotionally, I felt the need to work on "closer" work.  Sitting at a table, with shoes off and reading glasses on, I could be a different sort comfortable making art. This has taken form in two different bodies of work both on paper. One series focuses on my continued fascination with using old photographs as a source, and then creating a series (20) of drawings on vellum paper using china marker,graphite, and turpentine. These drawings will then become a source for encaustic paintings, lively artist books using my creative writings, and some book assemblages that I have only so far developed in my head - using old found books.  The other works on paper are some playful paintings working with water media based on my photo journal of our trip to Italy, and paintings I had done in oil in the fall. Here is a drawing I was working on yesterday.

Enjoy! 

Swimming To The Top

Like many of you, it's that time of year where I dig out from the holidays and start anew. Most of the activity in my studio lately has consisted of purging old papers, framing, organizing materials and information, and cleaning. This refreshing of my space and my thoughts, gives me the feeling of "swimming to the top." I can breathe a bit better now and can focus better on the future and the present.

In my studio I am currently working on a variety of projects. A "family" of drawings based on old photographs created on vellum with china marker and turpentine - to be later used in artist books, cards, paintings and more, a series of paintings on rag paper in watercolor, charcoal, gouache, and acrylic based on our June trip to Italy - an extension of the works I created in later summer, more pond paintings in oil, and beginning research/creations of my formal narrative project on potato farming in Maine with the Thompson family.

The gallery is busy with private lessons and an overall facelift to the entire space... come and see for yourself!