Introvert vs. Extrovert

Over the years, I've always considered myself an introvert. Writing and painting are mostly solitary occupations--the activities of introverts. Or so I thought.

With the isolation of the past two weeks, I've decided that perhaps I'm more of an extrovert than I

"In my gallery at Crossroads" ©Mary Montague Sikes

thought. Two Art Gallery Open House events last week were cancelled. One became a three-hour long virtual event which was good, but I still missed actually being there. I had planned to do a painting demo at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond during the Open House. I also wanted to change some of the artwork in my gallery there. Those things didn't happen.

I also miss going to the gym three times a week. Not only does my body feel the lack of group exercise, but I really miss seeing my friends there. Maybe a little bit extroverted?

Although writers might claim to be introverts, a lot of them thrive on watching others. After all, one learns a lot out in public, viewing interaction between people. That's where we discover our "what ifs?"and more.

The new norm of isolation has made me more appreciative of the beginning of this year. In January, I enjoyed chatting with visitors and other artists at the opening of the "Winter Blues" show at Gloucester Arts on Main. I smile when remembering I was accused of being an extrovert while there. During January, I attended meetings and enjoyed the people around me without truly understanding what a wonderful opportunity it is to be with others. I also taught an oil and cold wax workshop that I appreciate even more now.

In February, we went to Florida for the St. Louis Cardinals spring training games. What a joy the beginning of baseball season was. I enjoyed every moment of it. And we got to see some of our favorite people at the Islander Grill & Tiki Bar where we dined every morning for breakfast. I didn't take any of that for granted.

Now, January, February, and even the beginning of March seem years ago. I would like to slip back in time or, perhaps, go a couple of months ahead. I can be an introvert in my studio for a while, but those days of the extrovert beckon me. I will forever appreciate art openings, book signings, workshops, and meetings far more than in the past.

Reflections on The A to Z Blog Challenge 2016 #atozchallenge

This year I decided to create a Heart a day for the A to Z Blog Challenge. This was a fun project, and I am very happy with the painting that I finished during April.

My "So Many Hearts Dancing in the Air" will soon be on display at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond, Virginia. This painting shows visually the significance of the words we use and upon which we reflect. My painting starts with an Aching Heart, continues on with Broken, Cheating, Dramatic, Fragile, Reckless, Shattered, and more all the way through the alphabet. Most of the hearts represent an emotion.

As a romance author, I wanted to choose words that reflected the emotions I might use when writing a story or a book. Some of the letters did not have a word that worked for a heart, so, in those cases, I sometimes chose a color, like "U" is for Ultramarine Blue and "Y" is for Yellow. Since yellow is a favorite color of mine and represents sunshine, I didn't think until later how Yellow could also represent the heart of a coward. In my painting, the Yellow Heart is that of a bright and cheerful person.

To the right, I show some of the pages from the sketchbook I used as I planned my painting. Each day I posted in my blog the new acrylic heart I created on the canvas. The quick drawings from the sketchbook are done with pencil and soft pastel sticks. They gave me an idea of what I wanted to paint on the canvas, but often the ideas changed when my brush touched down and started to spread the delicious wet paint. The color took over.

That's similar to what happens sometimes when I write a book.The characters take over and do something completely unplanned.

I believe my finished painting demonstrates the importance of the words we choose as we write and as we speak. Here is "So Many Hearts Dancing in the Air" as produced during the A to Z Blog Challenge in April.

"So Many Hearts Dancing in the Air" acrylic/mixed media on canvas ©Mary Montague Sikes

Evening of the Dragonfly Art Show is on View in Richmond Virginia

The paintings created for Farrah Ferand, heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly, are up at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond VA. The space can accommodate only 14 of the 19 watercolor and acrylic paintings, all made during April, but I am very happy with the way the show looks. In fact, "Far Fields", the large acrylic painting I've had hanging at the top of my gallery for several weeks, is enhanced by the colors of the new exhibit.

The show will be on view at Crossroads Art Center until July, possibly longer. Crossroads, 2016 Staples Mill Rd., is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday hours are: Noon to 4 p.m.

Coming Events Memorial Day Weekend

Friday, May 22 - Book Signing, Evening of the Dragonfly, at West Point Pharmacy, West Point
Saturday, May 23, 1 - 4 p.m. - "Paris Picnic" - Prince George Art and Frame, Jamestown Rd., Williamsburg VA
                Gallery artists will paint in their own styles from a still-life setup
Sunday, May 24, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Book Signing, Evening of the Dragonfly, at the William and Mary Barnes and Noble, Duke of Gloucester Street, Williamsburg VA

How the Arts Promote Each Other

New Town Art Gallery in Williamsburg VA ©Mary Montague Sikes

September is a wild and crazy month for the arts in Virginia. This month I have attended three art opening events at three different galleries. I also spent four days at New Town Art Gallery in Williamsburg, much of that time painting with pastels on my French easel outside the front entrance.

Cats Cast Members Perform at New Town Art Gallery ©MMSikes

The New Town Art Gallery open house on September 6 featured segments from the Cats the Musical, presented by the Williamsburg Players. About 200 guests in the gallery were treated to songs from the production performed by about 30 members of the cast.


At Crossroads Art Center in Richmond VA, a variety of musical activities combined with art for an open house event this month. It was fun to see a large decorated cake carted down the aisle past my gallery space en route to the main gallery. Not far away, country music filled the air. Outside, a large mural is being painted on the long drugstore wall at the end of the shopping center. Street vendors sell food and drinks outside the gallery on opening nights adding to the wonderful festive air to the area.

At For Art's Sake Gallery in Richmond, a nice crowd enjoyed refreshments at the Pastel Society of Virginia's exhibition, "Small Works of Great Art."

For Art's Sake Art Gallery ©MMSikes

As an additional example of arts supporting arts, all eight of my novels and my coffee table book, Hotels to Remember are on sale at New Town Art Gallery. Artists supporting artists and helping by promoting each other--that's the way it should be.

Dancing in Pink Light - I Love Art

"Dancing in Pink Light" acrylic/canvas ©Mary Montague Sikes

For the past months I have been considering my passion. Is it art or is it writing? I've done both for most of my life. I have to confess, color has won.

I love color. I love art. The wonder of paint spreading in every direction on a blank canvas intrigues me. Abstract art fills my heart with joy. For now, I consider myself an abstract artist.

We are working on my artist website so that I can display many of my paintings where collectors and just interested folks can browse through them. Right now, we are planning to have them categorized with the following divisions: pastels, acrylics, oils, watercolor and mixed media which will include my encaustics. All of the categories will have sub-divisions including: landscapes, seascapes, still life, portraits, and more. The website is now a work in progress.

Experimental mixed media is my focus right now. I love using many methods to create new textures. Watching colors evolve in unusual ways on various substrates fascinates me. I have a different type of paper I have not used before in my studio right now waiting for me to try it out. Perhaps I will take photographs of happenings along the way.

In the meantime, I continue to work on the first revision of my new novel, Dragonflies in the Morning. I intend to finish that draft before devoting most of my time to the paintings. I also plan to take down my "Animal Alphabet" exhibit at Crossroads Art Center some time this week and replace it with an abstract art show of Experimental Mixed Media Paintings.

When you visit an artist website what categories of art work do you want to see?

Should an artist website be combined with that of a writer?

Making a Talk and Visiting an Art Gallery

"12th Anniversary Cake at Crossroads" ©MM Sikes

Coming back to Crossroads Art Center has proved exciting. It was amazing to see throngs of people crowded throughout the large art facility for the March open house on the third Friday. The gallery reported that 1500 to 2000 people came to the 12th Anniversary celebration of the Center, located in Richmond, Virginia. Two bands played in different locations in the galleries and classrooms, and vendor trucks provided food for sale in the parking lot at the front. With spring weather, it was a festive setting indeed.   

Earlier in the day, March 21, Roger Loring and I were speakers at the Authors Luncheon in Gloucester which was a fundraising event by the York River Circle of King's Daughters to benefit the Children's Hospital in Norfolk. We spoke to an audience of 200 which was delightful.

Then, my husband and I headed to Richmond and put down a rug in my new gallery space at Crossroads before the big open house. It was a busy day!

My gallery at Crossroads Art Center.

"Author's Luncheon"

"Entertainment at Crossroads Art Center" ©MM Sikes     

 

A to Z Blog Challenge Brings Another Show

"Animal Show at Crossroads" Lorelle Rau photo

The Blogging A to Z Challenge 2013 has become yet another art show. Artist and designer Lorelle Rau arranged and hung the show for me in my new gallery space at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond, Virginia. She is the talented young woman who hung my large scale Maya Ruins exhibition that was on view at Crossroads in summer 2012.

Those of you who follow my blog will remember that I decided to create an animal painting a day for the blog challenge and that I succeeded in the projects using as resource material mostly my own photographs and some by my daughter, Amy, who took pictures of many animals while in Tasmania. It was a fun challenge, and I was thrilled to finish the month of April with 26 new paintings that I loved. (The large painting in the middle of the back wall is not part of the project, but it inspired it.) For this show, I also have archival prints of some of the paintings available for sale.

I haven't decided yet whether or not to participate in the A to Z 2014 Blog Challenge. After all, the 2013 blog entries will be a very hard act to follow!

Living a Crazy Week and Being Thankful for It

Colorado River - Grand Canyon   MMSikes

Revisiting the Grand Canyon last week was a wonderful, memorable experience. Now, with the crazy week since returning home, that special time seems like eons ago.

We flew back home on Saturday and, along the way in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport, we met two of our daughters who were returning from Australia/Tasmania. To see them there was exciting!

This week has presented amazing and memorable opportunities. Tuesday I made a talk about the life of a writer to the Christopher Wren Society at the College of William and Mary and enjoyed meeting some new, interesting people there. The next day, I read my short story, "A Face in the Window" from The Corner Cafe at the Chesapeake Bay Writers Club. That was a part of a showcase of readings by many members of the group. Happily, my story was exactly the eight minutes time limit each participating member was given. The meeting took place in Yorktown where outside stands a sculpture commemorating the surrender of Lord Cornwallis in 1781.

More events this week include delivery of wreath entries for the upcoming exhibition at the Glen Allen Center for the Cultural Arts. "Ring in the Season" will be on display December 1 - 31 at the Center. I'm looking forward to seeing what the wreath show is all about because I've never made this type of work before. Gallery One at Crossroads Arts Center has an opening of an exhibition of work by Metropolitan Richmond Artists Association which includes two of my mixed media paintings on Yupo. An all-day workshop, Advanced Encaustics, will end my week. No time for jet lag!

Tiring, exhilarating. Tennis, yoga, zumba, and tabata classes were part of the week as well. How can the Grand Canyon seem so long ago and far away?

I am thankful for the opportunities being an American and living in this beautiful land offer to me!

More About the Maya Ruins Show

Lorelle Rau installs Maya paintings at Crossroads Art Center

My Maya Ruins Art Exhibition at Crossroads Art Center is up. Lorelle Rau did a fantastic job with the installation. On Thursday, I was interviewed live by Cheryl Miller on Virginia This Morning. (Click link to see two of the 12 ruins paintings on view in Gallery One that were part of the TV segment.)

Maya Ruins Exhibition on view until July 10 in

Gallery One at Crossroads Art Center

2016 Staples Mill Road

Richmond, VA

Combining Art with Writing

"A Vision Beyond" acrylic painting MMSikes

Balancing the life of an author and an artist is difficult and often impossible. How does one write, promote, paint, teach and have another life besides? It's not easy, but sometimes it's rewarding as well as fun.

For the next couple of months, I will be combining art and writing lives with an exhibition of my Maya Ruins paintings that were created from photos I took on trips to Palenque and to Chichen Itza in Mexico. The Palenque trip was particularly challenging because it required a flight on a small plane we chartered from Huatulco across the jungles of southern Mexico to a grass airstrip near the ruins. While there I was astonished and amazed at the depth of the jungle overgrowth that covered the huge number of ruins not yet unrevealed. When I returned home, I relied on my pictures to provide resource materials for the dozen large acrylic paintings I created in my studio.

Those paintings are on view through July 10 at Crossroads Art Center, 2016 Staples Mill Road in Richmond. The public is invited to an opening reception, Friday, May 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event will include a book signing for my adventure novel, Jungle Jeopardy. Inspired by my travels to the Maya Ruins and by Indiana Jones-type perils, this book finds a perfect setting among my paintings located in Gallery One at the Art Center.

Thursday, May 17, my art show and book signing will be featured in a segment on Virginia This Morning, CBS Channel 6 Richmond, between 9 and 10 a.m.

Around the World in 30 Days - Guatemala

"Far Jungle" by MMSikes

Around the World in 30 Days, Blogging A to Z, for the letter "G", the Passenger to Paradise has chosen Guatemala. Although she's never been there, the Passenger feels closely connected to that destination. For her book, Jungle Beat, she started in Antigua and ended in Antigua, but along the way she also "visited" Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.

The Maya Ruins in Mexico have long been close to her heart. A few years ago, when she visited the ruins at Palenque in Southern Mexico, she was certain that as she gazed across the thick green jungles through a window of the Temple of the Inscriptions, she was seeing into Guatemala. Perhaps she was and perhaps she was not, but the memory of her thoughts that day have invaded her psyche and given directions in her art and in her writing she would never have taken without that journey of destiny.

Besides her book, the Passenger has created an exhibition of Maya Ruins paintings that will be on view at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond, VA starting May 18 with an opening reception and book signing. She is fascinated with the Maya and the end of their calendar December 21, 2012.

Is that date the end of time?

Guatemala.

The Maya.

What do you believe?