Articles

From the Everett Herald, July 14, 2006

It all started when she illustrated a purchasing manual
A Camano Island artist blossoms from a black-and-white world after she discovers the beauty of watercolors.

By Theresa Goffredo
Herald Writer

Meet the Board Members

Elaine Iodice - President - Elaine Iodice hails from Massachusetts and came of age in historic Concord. Elaine's grandparents emigrated from Italy. Her grandfather worked as an accomplished stone mason, truck farming was the business on the other side of the family.

As a young girl, Elaine studied and performed dance and ballet with her two sisters. She graduated in 1969 from the Boston Conservatory with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, studying theater and dance. Due partly to an undistinguished performing arts career and partly to the youth movement of the late 60’s, Elaine found herself drawn to the Northwest. In 1980, she graduated from the University of Victoria with a B.Sc. degree in Computer Science. Her natural mathematical abilities coincided with the rise of the high tech and software industries.

Elaine spent the next seventeen years in California helping to make the computer the ubiquitous presence it is today. She and her husband returned to the Northwest in 1998, where she became aware of the Seattle Art Glass movement. Following a visit to Venice and the Island of Murano, she decided to learn more about the craft of creating art glass. Classes at the Pratt Fine Arts Center exposed her to the various techniques of glass work. Taken with its inspirational natural beauty and slower pace, Elaine moved from Bellevue to Camano Island in 2000. The following year Elaine finished building her fused glass studio and started her business, Deception Glass.

Elaine shows her kiln-worked glass in several Puget Sound galleries. She currently serves as President of the Stanwood/Camano Arts Guild and is a past vice president of the Camano Arts Association. The Deception Glass studio is a popular stop on the annual Mother’s Day studio tour on Camano Island. www.DeceptionGlass.com  360-387-7869

Mark Dodge - 1st Vice-President and Webmaster - Mark was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he began studying music and art at 6 years of age through his mother, a grade-school art teacher and musician. Mark holds an eclectic Bachelor's degree from Antioch University Seattle, comprising three years of Fine Arts at Edinboro State University in Pennsylvania, and 2+ years of academic and business courses in the Northwest. Mark moved to Washington State in 1975, where he began a 10-year professional music career.

Today, he records and produces CDs on his own label, Big Quack Records. His photographic interests started in the early 70s, and in 1980, he began working as a graphic designer, creating advertising, promotional materials, and studio photography. Mark created ad campaigns and web sites for many commercial and non-profit organizations, served as a director on the board of the Alpaca Association of Western Washington, the Stanwood-Camano Music Festival, and the Stanwood-Camano Arts Guild, for which he is also webmaster. His fine art photography has won over two dozen awards since he began entering shows in 2003, including six blue ribbons, a best in show and two purchase awards.

Mark and his wife Vicki operate Quacky Studios out of their home on Camano Island. Mark's photography and CDs are available locally at Gallery in the Loft, located in the Camano Commons, and he performs periodically with his own band, as well as several other groups. See www.quackystudios.com and www.bigquack.com for more information. 360-387-8295

Victor Loverro - 2nd Vice-President - A photographer, Victor works with antique and large-format cameras. In 2003, his photographs were part of an exhibit at Stanwood House Gallery titled "Architectural Elements". Using large-format cameras, he produced photographs of grain silos, smokestacks, and other architectural buildings in Conway, Stanwood and other local sites. Currently, Victor's fine art photography can be seen locally at Gallery in the Loft,at Camano Commons. 360-387-2071

Elizabeth Michailoff - Treasurer - "For me, the mingling of water and pigment on paper is magic. Often, these elements interact with my thoughts and feelings and I find their impact on the finished paper fascinating. Art is much more than just the visual, so when someone looks at one of my paintings, I want them to feel the message the art is projecting. I want them to taste the salt in the ocean air as the sailboat glides through the water, to smell the hay near the barn and to feel the warmth of the sun as it hits the side of a mailbox along a rural road."

"Although I picked up a brush and started painting relatively later in life, I truly believe it when artists say they have been painting their entire life. Everything I have done and learned along the way has prepared me for painting. My undergraduate degree included emphasis in machine and design drafting. The more I learn, I realize how this early training has enabled me to imagine the inside structure of what I am painting. I also used to doodle for hours through staff meetings—little did I know what a great drawing exercise that was until now."

Active in the Camano Arts Association, the Camano Roaming Artists and the Stanwood Camano Arts Guild as well as the Northwest Watercolor Society. Elizabeth participates in at least four shows a year, including Art by the Bay. 360-387-6419

Jeannie Burham - Secretary & Newsletter Editor - "A native of Montana, my fondest memories are from the early adventures I had growing up at the Nine Mile Remount Station just outside Missoula. My Dad, Phil Yovetich, worked as a Forest Ranger for the U.S. Forest Service. Dad, along with the wooded, nearly wilderness setting of the ranger station, provided the first inspiration for the love of nature, the flora and fauna, reflected in my art. Always an artist—I studied Art and Art History in the groovy ‘70s at the University of Montana. Later, I earned a degree in Graphic Design & Illustration from Seattle Central Community College, class of 2000. My Art and my Family have always been the center of my life. My fabulous, creative Boyz—Ty, Micah and Nick—live in Seattle. My husband, Kevin, and I enjoy the sunset view from our Happy Bungalow on Camano Island. Our roommates are the big dogs, JoJo and Seven, and also Sweet Potato (aka Spud) the tortoise. Chance the Appaloosa is just down the road, waiting for the opportunity to go for a ride on the trails.

I paint large and small: wall murals, floorcloth to faux postage stamps. Recent local shows include Pets on Parade (Snohomish Arts Council), UnClad 2005 & 2006, DogFest, the Spring Art Show, and Art by the Bay. Locally, my art can be seen at the Gallery in the Loft located at Camano Commons. I never met an artists material I didn't like, but I work mostly in acrylics with colored pencil and oils and collage always inticing me. And now I've met encaustic... 360-387-2757

Hallie Price - Member-at-Large - Hallie is past treasurer (a position that lasted five years) of the Stanwood Camano Arts Guild, CAA and Camno Roaming Artists. Her art experience began when she was an Interior Designer. Around 1998 or 1999, she was introduced to watercolors through a workshop with Diane Hill. Since then, Hallie has taken several art workshops, gaining much enjoyment and enthusiasm with each new process or technique learned.

To pass on her passion for learning and to encourage other adults to delve into their own creativity, Hallie has generously funded an annual scholarship which is available through the Stanwood Camano Area Foundation. The Hallie M. Price Visual Arts Fund was established to expose artists to a variety of techniques and forms of expression and encourage joy in the creative process. The scholarship provides an annual award of up to $500 for tuition and fees. For more information, The Stanwood Camano Area Foundation, 360-629-6878, www.s-caf.org. Hallie can be reached at 360-387-9292.

John Muhler - Ex-Officio - John is past President of the Guild (a position that lasted over 5 years), member of Camano Arts Association and South End String Band. John has been a professional artist and art instructor for over 25 years, creating vibrant and striking images using a variety of techniques.

"Painting is a creative exploration of colors, ideas, techniques and response. The give and take can be playful to downright ludicrous, as challenging as a 10,000 paint-stroke puzzle, and whose end can be as slippery as sea lettuce." "Life Encounters on Canvas" is John's 10 year project - a series of portraits and stories of immigrant students. The remarkable images have been exhibited in community centers, libraries, and colleges. Locally, John's paintings may be seen at Gallery in the Loft, at Camano Commons. John's studio is also a favorite on the CAA Studio Tour in May. 360-387-2251.

President’s Message - November 2005
The Language of Art
Or, How to Develop an Expressive Relationship
(A tongue-in-cheek treatise from John Muhler's Art Guild Ramblings)

It's the most insane puzzle of your life. It's the chance to make a unique statement. It's a vision of your foolish life. You can call it a love affair or a just a chance encounter... we prefer to call it our latest greatest painting - the culmination of thirty years of exasperation and exhilaration. It's all about me, playing hide and seek with light and shadows; capturing the fleeting moment of inspiration, where focused observation meets artistic license. It's a process where furrowed eyebrows and derisive expressions often follow outbursts of laughter and the whole process can make me pull out my hair trying to get at the root of the problem. And what is the problem? Of course it's my challenging relationship with two-dimensional imagery. This relationship has to be courted and there are certain necessary and expected rules. First, a proper introduction will help clarify who is charge. This is followed by a sudden and frustrating alpha reversal... usually due to the fact that the image is the one in control and one can only hope to persuade her (actually I'm not sure of the gender but because I'm a guy I think it's best that the image is of the female gender)... to persuade her to come out in a timely manner.

Alas this just isn't the case... she always needs more time, and no pressure please; a little more touch up here and something over there. Perhaps a change of outfit... should I go with the blue or the red? One must always be patient because to her there are no deadlines. And any argument is fruitless. I know, I know, you are ready, you've been ready, but if you push too hard disaster awaits. In fact you might as well put away your brushes and go outside (or inside if you've been doing that plein air thing). If things really get out of control it's probably time for intervention. There are professionals out there that can help but for me counseling is often addressed at the wood block with an axe or at the beach wrestling with driftwood. And that usually leads to a bottle of ibuprofen or merlot.

With some music you may be able to woo her to dance again - just make sure your footwork is as clever as your handiwork. At some point the dance comes to an end and the trick is to figure out the best time to leave the studio and find some other foolish enterprise to engage in. Despite my best intentions she keeps calling and I realize that I am not done and glaring splotches of color or worn out clichés stare at me until I am forced to give in and start with a fresh palette. Euphoric bliss is seldom reached but there is a moment or two when everything seems to fit together and the magical illusion of space coupled with a unique interpretation allows me to scribble a signature and claim our relationship to be consummated. Hopefully in nine months or so someone will want to adopt her- for a price, mind you!

Now art is a special form of communication and is probably a lot more succinct than all this word-processed jargon. We want to buy art because it speaks to us- sings to us or even consoles us. And if you find the right piece it will continue to talk to you for a long, long time. So you buy it. Good for you. Good for the artist. This is not just an ordinary purchase... it can be an important addition to the house, yard or body that should reflect your appreciation and acknowledge the unique form of communication that it shares. I call this honoring the expressions of the artist... or simply honoring the artist. Let's face it, this is a distinctive creation- treat her as such.

The language of art is not always clear and is often designed to make you feel a little uncomfortable until you get it. But once you get it and you find the place to honor it there is an incredible sense of connection, a relationship has formed between the artist and the collector with the artwork acting as the bonding glue.

And now my bottom line: If you're the collector- well it takes a fool to know one... I mean, we genuinely thank you for getting "it"- we are honored by your embrace... just don't let her get jealous. If you're the artist - dance with your oeuvre, sashay with your tools of choice, open your studio door and let the light shine on, let the shadows play across the earth, and watch your endeavors (along with Mother Nature's) show off a new dress everyday, amen.
   -John D. Muhler

President’s Message - September 2005
Entitled Space

There is always a period of adjustment after you return from a vacation. And flying from coast to coast literally puts you in an alternative time/space zone. You’ve been breathing different air, smelling different things, and of course there is only an outhouse in which to contemplate these things.

Every summer Wende and I head Downeast to the family camp and visit her brother’s family in his neck of the woods- (neck of the woods ­ where does that come from?). This year we were able to avoid the skeeters, black flies and no see-ums by going later and that made all the difference in the world. Not too early in the morning I took my bath in the cool lake water to the tunes of the loons, dried off on a conveniently placed trampoline -in the water- to keep the nasty red fire ants off, and then dramatically increased my heart rate by doing 200 jumping jacks- in doses of fifty or less. The days were spent foolishly playing rummy, visiting relatives and absorbing the sights and sounds of the east. Evenings we read our mystery novels and listened to the bats in the attic- (I could pass on that experience… I kept ducking when they flew even though they weren’t in the room … they were nesting(?) about two feet and a ceiling away.

This was a much-needed vacation after a very busy July… The July that literally changed the way I create art…. It began with a plan to judiciously use the old picture windows from the house and convert the carport into a much needed studio space. I built it in six by eight foot sections in between the posts. Added some French doors and voila- a creative space the likes of which I haven’t seen in nearly twenty years. The size is modest… 13 x 18 but that merely reflects my own self image…. Now, now don’t laugh, in reality I ­ actually at this time I’d rather not get into this discussion… it hurts my head (I guess I really do need a shrink- get it … big head … shrink… o..kay).

Anyway- after a smooth journey home I was greeted by my new studio- and without picking up a hammer or a nail I found I was ready to get to work (or play as I see it). With the music cranked and the tubes squeezed, my brushes went flying and my heart was singing. It will be a full September- with gallery talks, up-coming shows, several portrait commissions and setting up the display of my Life Encounters on Canvas immigrant portrait project at the Snohomish Public Library.

Well, enough of me… and my stuff… I’m sure you have better things to do in your entitled space.

- Johnny D.

President’s Message - June 2005
Studio Spaces and Other Stuff

As part of my stay at home therapy I have been awarded the task of replacing some or rather most, perhaps even all of our windows. Our house suffers from the consequence of inexpensive electricity when it was built forty years ago. And with approximately six hundred square feet of uniquely sized and shaped windows the task is a bit intimidating. But, with a little help from my friends, by the end of the week I’ll have about half of the job done.

Now the bonus to all this labor and expense is a wealth of 1/4” plate glass perfect for my wanna be studio.... and of course along with the materials comes the challenge of designing the space to accept the various sized and shaped windows. As the dream advances so does the size and height of the imagined studio. My mind wanders to studios past and present- of close friends’ and perceived master’s. The funny thing is I have always managed to define my art space judiciously with regards to living with other people and the confines of the house. Some of my requirements are dancing space—I need to have space to move—to be able to express physically as well as on canvas. It’s a chance to limber up stiff joints, get a little cardiovascular thing going and find a fast way to the kitchen!! One of the other advantages of this movement is to see the piece from different angles and distances. Really. This is a must and is highly recommended to artists of all ages (you may want to see your doctor before any prolonged periods of dance therapy). My studio space tends to be the center of the house, with all the issues that comes with that choice. You can spend a minute or two pondering that aspect I’m sure! In truth I kind of spread the stuff around. Our spaces are defined by creative work areas, storage space, framing sections, and business areas. For some artisans this can all happen in one large room. Others find ways of dispersing the activities in many rooms—that would be me.

So as I imagine my new studio space adding to and replacing my current arenas, I am hoping that it can evolve into a place that will serve all its perceived functions. And of course, filled with all these odd windows, I can only hope that I won’t have to replace them for the same reasons I’m replacing them now. After all, moving six by seven foot 1/4” plate glass once seems to be plenty—twice is foolish—and that would be me too! Why didn’t I just stick to building that driftwood wall... Don did you get it... stick to the driftwood....

Oh well, see you soon at Art by the Bay and other places too.

- Johnny D.

President’s Message - May 2005
The Painting’s Message II:
Honoring the Expressions of the Artist

Of course it all begins with communication… heck, just about anything you can think of is about the transfer of some charged chemical or electrical energy that will end up as thoughts, words, touch and, well, all the other things that are out there. That’s as far as I plan to go scientifically speaking; a language better left for my daughter, Sara - the research chemist. I’m much better at the esoteric approach, which really comes down to a minor rave or simply carrying on. Sara would call this stream of consciousness—it’s probably something slightly less than that. (This is where I sigh, shake my head and try to paddle on.) Problem is my paddle’s full of holes.

Now, art is a special form of communication and is probably a lot more succinct than all this word-processed jargon. We want to buy art because it speaks to us, sings to us, or even consoles us. And if you find the right piece it will continue to talk to you for a long long time. So you buy it. Good for you. Good for the artist. This is not just an ordinary purchase; it can be an important addition to the house, yard or body that should reflect your appreciation and acknowledge the unique form of communication that it shares. I call this honoring the expressions of the artist … or simply honoring the artist. Let’s face it, this is a distinctive creation; treat it as such. Whenever I make a purchase I try to have a plan as to where it could go, it’s particular soapbox. Over time the piece may need to be moved as the message is newly interpreted. Respecting the piece is still the priority.

As an artist that takes on commissions, usually portraits, I’m often invited into the home to see where the piece will hang - its setting - before I paint it. I know other artists are involved in this defining process and it can be a delicate issue. Once I was commissioned for a large pastoral scene. The problem was, the couple kept changing the format; first a horizontal rectangle, then a vertical rectangle and they even threw in a square. And of course the request to change always occurred right after I ordered the custom size stretched canvas. Fortunately the framer understood fickle people and decided to wait after he cut the canvas once! I was rather embarrassed to keep calling him. Another time I had to repaint the face several times as the client decided on new images. It’s important to show the work as it progresses so the ideas can be better visualized. Patience is always a huge lesson to be learned and allowing a little time for the ideas to mature can be a good thing.

I especially like it when the collector takes her time and gets to know your work and understand a bit of what you’re trying to say before they purchase. The language of art is not always clear and is often designed to make you feel a little uncomfortable until you get it. But once you get it and you find the place to honor it there is an incredible sense of connection, a relationship has formed between the artist and the collector with the artwork acting as the bonding glue. Now this is where I’d like to finish with a clever remark but for once I’m really stuck…
     - John D. Muhler

MAILBOX ART PROJECT

KIDS!! It’s that time of year to start sprucing up the joint. You know, put another tire on the mobile home’s roof and nail down some scrap metal over the rotted hole in the porch, all those projects simmering on the back burner. We know you’re all busy, what with the banner program starting up and the mother’s day studio shindig, the Camano Center Pole Building facelift, the bank art preview, the public art stuff, the new gallery opening, the Tazer concert series with the featured artists, but what’s one more chore to put on your list as long as you’re putting the others off?

I’m talkin, of course, about jazzing up that butt ugly mailbox you got stuck out by the road for everybody and their uncle to see. Wouldn’t it be something nice if we all started, in an ad hoc sort of way, (no, don’t run to the pawn shop yet) putting out interesting and strange and beautiful and conversational mailboxes? Sculptural or painted or plastered or funny or pretty. What’s more in-your-face art than miles and miles of adulterated postal receptacles??

Now, the South End Arts Association and Tourism Bureau was going to sponsor this thing. Set up a gazillion meetings and fundraise and apply for grants and sponsorships, put out four color brochures and press packets, the whole nine backyards. But we finally decided the best way to handle this kind of grassroots art bizness - and avoid the Homeland Security Mailbox Tampering Division --was to just go ahead and do it, one mailbox at a time. Actually, we put out two, but unless you really need extra phonebooks, one’s plenty.

The neighbors, a lot of them, painted theirs and one put a tractor on a pole and called it art. Debbi Rhodes has a great welded post-industrial one in the Country Club. It’s a start. So jump in. The water’s wet. And with any luck, maybe this thing will grow gills and evolve on its own three legs. Imagine a street that’s sprouting art. Imagine a cul-de-sac, an avenue, a two lane blacktop, the whole State Highway. Doesn’t hurt to try. Keep Camano Beautiful. Do something with that ugly box. And you might twist the neighbors’ arm too. Or pass the message to another person. Not affiliated with the Tampering Division. Thanks for letting us spam you.
     - (Jack Archibald) South End Alliance for Postal Purification

President’s Message - March 2005
A Little Chaos can be a Good Thing

Lately I’ve been having Stability Issues--- not mental, not personally physical, but more like “I feel the earth move under my feet” kind of stability issues. That little jolt we had a while back didn’t help any. So being a high bluff dweller, I began taking a closer look at the hillside. Now this ain’t California, and we haven’t had the torrential rain, tsunami or any other major cause for slippage; just the backyard garden variety from winter storms and a hungry high tide. But it’s enough, enough to make me concerned every time I walk the beach and glance at the bluff (that’s bluff, not buff, Don).

One day a couple of months ago I couldn’t help myself and I had to at least make an effort. So I began piling, leaning, zigzagging and moving great mounds of driftwood against the fragile bank. At first I aimed to protect the areas most vulnerable, which rapidly became incredibly inclusive. Day by day, foot by stubborn foot, the driftwood pileup took shape: Chaotic shape. The more I played down there, and for me it was like having a second childhood (never mind that I probably never left the first one), the more I realized that the most secure form to resist storm and tidal surge was no form.

The wood went every which way, angling here and there and always intertwining into a deliberate crazy ‘arrangement.’ I reversed the weight, putting the heavy part of a log on top believing that the weight would keep pushing into the sand, and the water would have less mass to lift up. I didn’t use big pieces exclusively, I used every piece I could get my slippery hands on. Forcing, wedging, weighing down and jamming — creating a great mass locked into each other and potentially Houdini-proof. And every time I visited the beach I was ‘blessed’ with more free wood for the project— and the pileup grew. Right now it's about 200 feet long, about six feet high and ranges from four to eight feet deep! Maybe it’s not the Great Wall of China... but I do sleep better at night, trusting that a little bit of chaos can be a very good thing.

My neighbors look at it as a giant sculpture — a work of art. Maybe, but that wasn’t my intention. It does have a certain look: a look that evolved as I experimented and learned and had to use so many different shapes and sizes to create it. It’s a gargantuan three-dimensional puzzle, it’s alive with the addition of new pieces, ever fluctuating and adjusting to the movement of water and sand. It’s not as easy as painting, although the process of experimentation and weaving brush strokes, intertwining colors and ideas lends an interesting comparison. Bottom line - it was a creative act, at times it was The Great Back Breaker- but it has also been an inspiration- for now there are other south enders who have seen its potential and have begun their own ode to driftwood.
   - John D. Muhler

President’s Message - February 2005
Ever feel like an empty hook? Or, Watch what you hang on to.

Wanting desperately to bring art into someone’s life? Perhaps even to your own? Well one way to approach it is to take a visit to your past.

Childhood memories are like a treasure chest, maybe even more like an attic hope chest. We find ourselves tantalized, tickled and tormented by the thoughts surrounding our past. Sometimes they take harbor like a landlocked boat with nothing to help the flow towards freedom and release. And then there are the ones without an oar or a guide to take you on the most revealing trip of your life. We may also filter out the toughest ones and simply relax in the pool of happy ones.

If you are lucky and have plenty of shared memories with family and friends you can take turns being the guide. But you have to hold that oar properly to find a relatively smooth path to follow. You have to listen completely and make sure you understand before sharing your version of the collective memory.

I’m always amazed at how we change and embellish the past- will the truth ever surface? Or are all versions validated by the cosmos of our minds? These relative dream memories justify our actions and responses on life’s voyage across the ocean of time. (Am I getting good at this or what?- don’t answer that Don!)

Last week I visited my daughter in LA. The visit was punctuated by our shared life memories. Filled with all the ups and downs and turnarounds that give us character, but also needing respective reflection, understanding and forgiveness. It was my job as the parent to paint the whole picture that had surrounded her life and kept it afloat. While some of it was fun there were a lot of tough times to revisit…. But we did it gracefully around tea and plates of chocolate chip cookies- later exchanged for fresh pasta, wine and finally, pizza. Food has it’s own way of helping the process of healing. And so we were able to part with a piece of each other’s baggage in our respective hands and say our loving good-byes.

Understanding our lives through the eyes of loved ones can be a valuable tool. As creative individuals we have the chance to use the tools and brushes of actual and recalled experience to help us create art… (the tools and brushes of experience?….good grief). Finish the picture John or take another trip.

Okay, bottom line. This is fun- this really is the bottom line… who woulda thunk? So share your memories and life experiences- be an artist and hang your life on the empty hooks of a home, or a yacht, or in the______ (pick an adjective—murky, tranquil, wayward, etc.) sea of existence.
   - John D. Muhler

President’s Message - November 2004
Synchronicity, that is: When Everything Seems to Fit

If you read last month’s message you would know that there are definitely times when anything that can go wrong will go wrong—which can make for some funny stories, but not the general way one would choose to live one’s life—unless you want to be known as Monsieur Fou!

Last August I participated in Fresh Paint, an Arts Council of Snohomish County sponsored art event at the Everett Marina. In the past we had fairly decent weather, but unfortunately we were precipitated on rather generously this time. No matter, we were there to paint and paint we did. And, looking at the bright side, it made for some interesting impressionistic effects on the canvas.

Anyway I met a teacher from Evergreen Middle School who was ‘moved’ by one of my portraits. As we talked she became very interested in my portrait project of students from different countries and cultures: Life Encounters on Canvas. She thought that the show might work for her school. About a month later we renewed our communication and finally this past Monday I brought 28 portraits with their accompanying stories to the school. Of course it was pouring down buckets again but this time we were able to take refuge inside.

Whenever I set up the show the environment needs to be considered of course—the portraits are large—three feet tall and two feet wide. Usually the space can only accommodate a portion of them. Looking around the library there was very little wall space. However, there were some sixteen interior office windows and eight high exterior windows. The librarian and I looked at each other and thought the size was similar. Well it was! It was pretty crazy... The paintings were able to fit in the window frames and under the high windows in just a pinch! Which meant I only had to find four more wall spaces and that was all the library had— four spaces—again just the right size! Then, to top it off, earlier in the day I had providentially chosen to reduce the stories from an 11 x 14 format to 8 x 11, and that size difference allowed the stories to also fit perfectly. Some things were just meant to be- unlike running around the outside of my house all buff (I mean, in the buff)- but that was last month’s story!

Now here’s the kicker (I guess that refers to the extra point, say in football, oh never mind.) The next day was Election Day, 1300 responsible people came through the library to cast their votes. One of them was Diane Wright of the Seattle Times! She was also taken by the portraits and smelled a story. After talking with the librarian for 45 minutes she called me and we talked for an hour. Today I went down for a photo shoot and voila synchronicity or something like that. Some things are just meant to be and this week renewed my faith—maybe not with all the election results but definitely with the results of the election process! This week instead of me literally and figuratively hanging out in a window, my portraits found windows to hang out in! In sync with the universe (and feeling good) this is no longer Mr. Fool, just call me Mr. Cool (thank you very much).
     -John D. Muhler

President’s Message, September 2004
Visions of Sugar Plums

The other night at our annual board meeting we realized that we could actually put our heads together and come up with a plan - several actually - and one included a trip to Hawaii. Now that the very successful big one is over with - A by the B - we have some time to shape our future. What’s really cool is we came up with some ideas that we’re excited about all of us doing. So here’s the plan:

Now about that trip to Hawaii- so far this is figuring on being a board and committee head only trip - necessary to add insight and perspective on the annual agenda and we feel that everyone would agree that a happy board is well, a tan board!! Any questions? Concerns? Feel free to join the board or head a committee!!
     Apparently forever yours - John D. Muhler

Bubba Fou’s Message
June 2004

President’s Message - April 2004
The Painting’s Message

This past weekend was the infamous Mothers’ Day Studio Tour and with perhaps over six hundred people coming to my place I was amazed (or amused) to remember one of the viewer’s comments—”That painting really speaks to me!” Of course it really doesn’t speak... but oddly enough the paintings can be conversation pieces. I often find myself talking to the canvas—mumbling to be more correct. Lately though I refuse to sign my painting until it’s singing! Unfortunately it’s hard to get vocal lessons for canvasses these days. So I often have to settle for something a little off-key (something I’m familiar with, but I’ll let you buy the CD and find out). From the looks of some of the paintings, they’re shouting—pooping, er rather, popping right off the canvas! And as I look back, some have a gentle whisper. You have to get close if you want to hear what they’re all about. A couple of weeks ago I was busy on this outrageous tree branch. It was laughing hysterically until I kinda squelched it by changing the stripes to dots. I thought it was a good idea, but the canvas hasn’t been talking to me for a while now.

Art is a language. It should be expressive and it should be sharing new ideas. I know the masters had something important to say. That’s why we still hear them loud and clear. But every so often we have got to dare to be different, find a fresh approach, sing a new song, be a little outrageous, start a revolution. That’s what makes the world squirm a little as it makes room for the new kid on the block.
    - Monsieur Fou alias Washboard Johnny (aka John Muhler)

President’s Message - March 2004
It takes a village to raise an artist and
it takes artists to put on a show for the village!

Last night the South End String Band got together after performing (I suppose that’s what you’d call it) for the St. Patrick’s Day corn beef and cabbage dinner at the senior center. We discussed what went well (we all arrived on time), what needs work (getting John to turn the mike on if he’s gonna sing) and with the release of our first CD, what kinds of marketing techniques we want to try (should we just give them away to our friends or should we actually sell them and try to cover our costs). With eight of the eleven present there was plenty of feedback to share and laugh about. We had so much fun the noise generated from us drove everyone else out- (this is after the gig not during!)

The funny thing is I left feeling rather stymied by the difference between group energy and the resulting welcome distribution of tasks versus the lone entrepreneur— the single artist trying to make an impact out there beyond the comfort of the studio walls (music or art). It’s so much easier when you have the support from others.

At our last guild meeting concerns were raised by new members about the design and construction of display booths for the upcoming Spring Invitational (we’re talking art here not golf). I was really pleased by the outpouring of ideas and support from our fellow members. It seems to me that this is our basic tenet for being a guild. We have such a wealth of knowledge and experience and plenty of stories to tell. And whether you are an amateur or a professional we can all learn from this sharing. So don’t hold back, use our time together to partner up and communicate openly and freely. We’re here to help each other embrace our bonds as artists and fellow conspirators in producing art shows. After all, it takes a village to raise an artist!

And it takes people with vision to put together a show- Thanks Bob for shouldering this event and for all the members of your committee to keep it together! And to the rest of us? Ask questions and by all means offer to lend a hand. Bottom line? It takes the entire guild to put on a successful show!!
        -John D. Muhler

President’s Message - February 2004
So What’s With the New Hat?

Hiatus—comes from the Latin hiare to yawn—well it looks like I just had a three month yawn as it were. That ís a long time to keep your mouth gaping. Lord only knows what came in or went out. Ever since my mom passed away last October I’ve simply not had the interest to paint. Oh I’d finished some old pieces and did my Feng Shui thing for a little while, but to actually get excited and paint? It just didn’t happen. It’s not like I just sat around with nothing to do. I can fill my days at a drop of the hat, even make a white elephant if I need to. The thing of it was I lost interest in starting a new painting.

I suppose I needed time to absorb, reflect, and ponder about life and love and what’s it all about kind of stuff. And this is a good thing to do, no question about it, good and necessary. Kind of like pondering John Muir’s eternal ongoing never-ending sunrise and sunset— ‘cause it doesn’t just happen here, although between Port Susan and Saratoga Passage we sure can claim we’ve got some of the best views of it.

Anyway something finally happened. Maybe the fog lifted or the wine tasted better or maybe I just decided to shut my yap, listen to the music and put something together, I don’t know, whatever. The deal is this, I’ve been painting again and the music has my brushes flying, my feet can’t keep still and life is good. I ordered a new hat and a dozen plus canvases that I plan to have screaming with color, texture, and other stuff too. It’s like I need to have a completely new display of my work, just plain tired of showing the oldie goldie/moldie—time to create a brand new show. Today I will begin my fourth painting in as many weeks, and I can’t believe I’m still trying to type a pres message when I have paint tubes to squeeze and brushes to get wet. But this is my job and if I don’t do it nobody will (I know, I know, some job). Wende leaves for Maine on Friday for a week’s visit with her folks. My goal is to have those canvases sketched, dripping with paint and screaming for attention. I don’t plan on yawning for a long time. In fact I think I’ll take a hiatus from my hiatus. (So what’s with the new hat?) - John D. Muhler

President’s Message - January 2004
"Oh bootyful for spacious rooms for ample ways to move..."

Hanging up the new calendar is supposed to give us a fresh start - perhaps even hope and faith that this annual journey around the sun will fill our coiffeurs with booty (or something like that). And while there are no guarantees and no ready-made contracts, we still want to believe that this will be the year that everything will fall into place and we will be exceptionally creative and perhaps even 'one with the cosmos (or something like that).

In our house we began by finishing up old business- emptying the coffers, if you will, sending paintings to their new homes with anticipation that the void would create a vacuum and suck new art commissions/sales our way. When that didn't bring the instant desired results, (I think there was a hole in the bag), Wende bought us a book on Feng Shui and the art of de-cluttering the house- I guess the idea was 'out with the old and in with the new'. It didn't exactly happen that way. First of all, as I read each chapter aloud we got inspired and quickly chose an area of the house to clean out. Every time I tried to focus on one area Wende picked two more so pretty soon the whole house was a catastrophe not fit for human habitation let alone uninvited guests. As we perused every drawer, cabinet, shelf and closet, the amount of stuff we had was a bit overwhelming, and the more stuff we pulled out and prepared to send on it's merry way the more stuff filled our entryway and floor space. After one trip too many I was able to solve that problem by moving it all to the carport. (Another temporary holding spot- at least it better be!) An unexpected result?- We don't feel like shopping for anymore stuff- and we really don't want to take advantage of bartering for someone else's de-cluttered stuff. We actually enjoy the extra space we have (not that's it's a whole lot - we are after all still in the process) but every time we read another chapter we can't help but tackle another pile. We actually have had a clean table to eat at for three weeks now!!!

Here are a few of our helpful hints should you attempt this on your own. If you are going through your clothes be sure to try them on after a holiday party - you're more likely to come to the correct decision. As you look over your bookshelves wear a dust mask and act quickly. National Geo collection? Get real! The books that have really cool titles and cover art but you never read?  Well, there was definitely a reason for not reading them - and trust your original college instincts - you never will. Then invite friends over to pick through them. When you see how few their choices are it gets easy to dump some more. Of course I kept all my art books - thar's gold in their pages and I can't part with the Masters. But knickknack shelves? Consider the white elephant and you'll get the right idea. Those boxes of stuff your kids left? Pack 'em up and let them Feng Shui their own. Leave nothing behind doorways, nothing you don't really love, and don't save any more potential leftover containers and lids!! I know I'm being a bit harsh and may sound unreasonable but this next journey around the sun might be a little easier - might be less burdensome and perhaps your booty will be bountiful after all (or something like that). - John D. Muhler

President’s Message - December 2003
Ask and You Shall Receive
Or how to build a white elephant

Sometimes all it takes to get where you want is to ask. The quest begins with the question; the key is knowing what or who to ask. If you are surprised the answer is yes, perhaps you shouldn't be. Today I asked the right question but queried the wrong person. Fortunately I was set straight, went next door and the downed maple tree was all mine for the cutting. Seeing it lay there week after week after that crazy windstorm was too much; the potential heat for my house getting wetter and wetter. Finally I got up the will and made the quest. Now I have all that work to do and the weather is turning colder and wetter, so what took me so long? Fear? Of what – meeting strangers, or being turned down? It was all too simple and the people were so very nice that I laughed all the way to the dump (that’s another story- and hey- how come I wasn't laughing all the way to the bank?).

Meanwhile, back at the house, the question of an albino pachyderm awaits my call. The key here is knowing that this is about fun, not work. One must approach the beast with an inquisitive open mind. Asking the right question will probably make all the difference. Week after week- even month after month this unique approach to holiday spirit has been put on the back burner and it’s starting to stink. I have been pondering several ways to solve this and while I know that the best way is usually the simplest way with an elegant solution, we are looking for fun ways with an elephant solution. Perhaps the first question is will it be flat or shall it be in the round. Okay, that question was too easy. Next, should it be abstract or for real? We'll leave that one unanswered right now. Does it really have to be “of an elephant?" That depends on which rules you're playing by; original or the revised standard edition. One could flip a coin here, tip a bottle, or write your own.

Fortunately, as artists, we have an endless realm of possibilities. The masters were often the ones that took this pondering just beyond the reaches of the nearest telescope; opening new vistas for the rest of us blind peons. And generation after generation we try to copy, emulate and achieve what they had originated. And then, suddenly, the next new vision takes us in, but we hold back, we hold on to the one we've just mastered. And often its with great reluctance that we are ready to give in and embrace the fresh communication, and to try to speak the new language.

My fellow Guild members, we're on the verge of something new here and we're about to break the mold- let’s get that old elephant off the stinky burner. It’s time we give up on recovering the frozen mammoth and strike a new chord. Let’s make a statement about white elephants that will shake humanity for the next hundred years (or days): 2003 - the year elephantism came into being. This could be bigger than flying pigs and sheep, bigger than old pastel barns, abstract stained glass windows and all the other clever creations coming from this budding art Mecca. And to think we were there at the very beginning—ain't life a kick?

(You won't believe it but I think I just figured out what I'm going to make- hint: it rhymes with christening.)

-John D. Muhler

Thoughts for the Day: (Haven't you heard enough already? Get busy and come up with the right question already, time’s a wastin’.)

President’s Message - November 2003
Inspiration and Expiration
Finding the elements and principles of art in one’s lifetime,
or how to add texture and color to the dinner plate.

I guess it doesn't really matter. But all those art words work for a purpose in our art so why can't they fit into our daily doings? After all sometimes it’s not what you have when your life is near over… but rather what kind of statements you made while on your way - despite the proliferation of stuff that clouds your original vision. We find inspiration in many arenas, some through the example of others, sometimes by a walk down the beach with a friend. And we can be lifted out of a hole with a simple sincere phrase of encouragement or praise. Not sure where I'm going with all this? Let me tell you it’s not an easy journey and believe me, you're welcome to pause for reflection along the way.

Dear Mom,
Yesterday I taught high school Spanish and for some unknown reason I shared a few facts about our family. I mentioned that my brother and sister are also guest teachers (Frank in Atlanta and Jennie in San Diego), and that five of your six children have their teaching credentials. I get the feeling that we were inspired to help others along their path of life… perhaps you paved the way. Life as an adventure became your motto and we learned that you could do it in any style that suits you. Stuff happens and you have to make the most of what’s left. Of course you always have choices and the consequences of each can be as different as the many places you lived. My early recollections are biased with the tales of my brothers and sisters but I know you were always up for an outing and encouraged us to be outside… playing on windy Agate Beach in Newport Oregon or cruising across the country and seeing everything along the way. You and Dad were very happy and our family life was beginning to shape nicely with your circle of friends despite not having nearby relatives. You enjoyed dancing, singing, playing the piano and even small town drama. By then you had five children from age seven to five weeks old. But on November 1, 1956 when our father was tragically lost at sea in an airplane crash, all that was taken away.

Instead we learned very early that life is a precious gift and sometimes we have to let go unexpectedly. You took us back to New Jersey where your family was from. And while my older sisters remember your tears I remember your radiant smile and the comfort of your warm touch. When I was eight years old you married for the third and last time. Thus within a year we grew to eight with the addition of two stepsisters and a half-sister. We had a rather tumultuous time as two families merged and went through the requisite growing pains. Through it all you encouraged us to do our best and gave us more responsibilities as your responsibilities also grew. Time and time again you showed us by example how to step up to the plate and be a team player. Still as we grew up we also grew apart- our lives heading in different ways. By the time I was 28, the members of our family lived in six different states on one side of the country or the other! It often took years for us to come together and be one again. The gatherings were often met with the same crazy and wild moments with silly laughter, child-like play, age-old conflicts and a wondering of why it had to be this way. Dad was often stubborn, arrogant and controlling. You struggled to keep us together with your warmth, determination and love, and when you needed to, you added your tears in a dramatic flair.

Your physical problems began in 1984 with a major stroke but somehow you overcame it. Since then you have had many, many mini-strokes. Doctors diagnosed diabetes, Parkinson’s, and even the first leanings towards Alzheimer’s disease. Your life was changing and yet you seemed to rise - even if it was just temporary - to accept, and yet still hopeful that you could overcome and carry on. As Dad became your main caretaker he and you had to give up a lot of your shared dream. Now every time we came to visit we wondered if it was our last. And every time we left, you cried and cried until Dad began to think that we shouldn't even come. These past few years were more and more demanding, Cathy came to live with you and help the family process the inevitable changes. When you and Dad decided to live with Jennie, Kathie prepared her house in Orlando for an interim stay while Jennie and Jeff built a new house to accommodate you in San Diego. And I painted your portrait filled with rhythmic light, water and music.

Two weeks ago as the wild fires consumed hundreds of thousands of acres and several thousand homes, you were fighting your final battle. On October 30th, two days before the anniversary of my father’s death you came home to die. Our family gathered again - from Georgia, Florida, California, Oregon and Washington. Once again you brought us together and we laughed and cried. We came as a family to witness your life and share our memories. We bonded once again on a long walk on the beach - eight children, seven grandchildren. Together we watched the sunset, together we enjoyed a spirited group hug and together we found ourselves as one.

Thanks mom; thanks for all the memories, the love we share and the mark you left on our lives…. Love, Johnny

     -John D. Muhler

President’s Message - October 2003
Follow Through

Whenever I get to coach students - we're talking sports here now - I try to explain the importance of “follow-through”. Like when they're shooting hoops and I tell them to point their arm/hands at the basket after letting go. Want to hit a baseball to left field? Point your bat to wherever you want it to go. Playing catch? Release the ball when your hands are directed towards your partner. It’s a fairly simple concept- full of potential and reward.

Lately it seems that I need to practice what I preach. I have so many great ideas, opportunities to show, grants for the asking, leads for commissions, etc. But who comes knocking at my door? Mr. P. (Aahhh enough with these letters - just tell it like it is!) Okay… Mr. Procrastination, Mr. P for short- (just deal with it). Why is it that every time I have something to finish, Mr. P comes in and uses up my valuable time (well it could be valuable), and its usually something rather silly - some menial task, like cleaning the gutters, washing the cat dish, and here’s a good one - re-stacking the firewood (it’s supposed to help it dry completely - that’s what "they" say). Meanwhile I should be mailing that important letter, I could call that special someone, or get those brand spankin’ new glistening white notebooks filled with all that stuff that clutters my studio - (for those of you that missed last month’s message on the “O” word - this was my answer to Organize. *Note- it hasn't happened yet. Just ask Mr. P- he'll have a good excuse for you.

Perhaps Ms. P could visit me for a while (okay okay - Ms. Prioritize) She’s actually really cool - first comes that multiple page list (that’s how long I've been hanging with Mr. P) of all the things I should/could be doing to further my career. I do a kind of mental juggling act with this list and begin lining them up so I can check off the things that are most timely followed by the stuff that takes a lot longer to do but will give positive results that could last a while - keeping me busy for the next five years kind of stuff. And then? Well then I find some menial task to do like type messages and all. Actually it has been a pretty productive week. I should be patting my back and saying "good job Johnny boy," ‘cause I was able to cross off nine objectives, and have a mere seven to go - over 50% finished. Now that’s what I call progress. And while the rest are going to be more time consuming, I have definitely made a good solid dent in the pile of things-to-do and my follow-through has me heading in the right direction. I just hope left field is a good place to be! Batter up! 
     -John D. Muhler

President’s Message - September 2003
The “O” Word

Okay now I've done it… I let myself into the thick of things by saying yes to more responsibilities - note - that must be the “R” word, as it were. So I guess between the “O” word and the “R” word, I have to mind my p’s and q’s. (Looks like John is off - way off - and running once again.) So what’s up with “O” you ask? That, my dear friends, is what has plagued me most of my life. And when not followed carefully it has caused missed opportunities and sometimes the loss of one’s mind (mine); a temporary situation, mind you, but nevertheless it happens. There is another letter too - “S” - and it’s the overabundance of “S” that can destroy all attempts of “O!" (Good Golly Miss Molly I think I've lost them all by now! No? Okay.)

Responsibilities need the
Organization of all your
Stuff— (but please, no more acronyms).

Lately I've been trying to get a grip on all of my stuff- and it seems to be more necessary now than ever before (well that might be stretching it a bit). The grip started in my “work and possible frame shop” behind the display space (alias the carport). And after cleaning the stuff out I realized that if I am to have a decent workshop it will require the building of two storage sheds, one for camping gear and bikes- (when was the last time I rode that bike anyway? A year ago, … two? Hey, is it too late to camp?); and the other for yard tools- (okay, I know I still use them!). This allowed much more efficient use of space and after covering all the shop walls with oil stained plywood and making shelves…well, I actually enjoy going out to the shop- and not just to give the Mrs. her space. Anyway, now it’s time to straighten out my office (which also happens to be my painting storage room). *Side note- years ago my daughter tried to get me “O”ed and put me in three folders- stapled a holder for them in the wall and looked pretty darn proud of herself. But alas, it seems I'm the only one that could/should do it.

I like to organize from big to little sometimes and vice versa other times. First we moved out the spare bed and I built a drafting table in its place. We moved the bookshelves filled with all the art and soul searching books. Next I purchased twelve glistening white notebooks with all the trimmings- tab pages, clear sheet protectors, post-it tabs, and a whole puncher (not a half mind you!).

And then I began to lay all the responsibilities of my life out on paper- first a real sketchy draft including: The Arts Guild and the other one - with it’s education committee, art student mentoring committee, public art committee, and brochure committee; my drawing and artistic expression classes at the senior centers; the classes I take for credit to keep my professional art teaching certificate; shows and galleries; portrait commissions; the Life Encounters on Canvas portrait project; murals; painting ideas- including sketches and photographs; art donations; and grant possibilities. Now that may seem like a lot and actually, it is. Currently I have a couple of stuffed notebooks – but they, too, need to be “O”ed. The rest of the stuff lies in piles on the dining table, around the computer table and the counters - here by known as any flat surface- including the floor!

Who Cares? Well…. you should! I am, after all, trying to run this guild (sure you are) and now I have further obligations (another great ”O” word!) to not only preach the word (is that what you call this ramblin’ on?) but send it out to youse as well. Oh yeah, there’s another thing you get - after all, a clean desk is the sign of a clean mind… Is that how it goes? Something like that.

And now the trick… and this is a big one: balancing out the need and desire to paint and doing something with it. After all, we live for art; our lives are shaped around it. And if it takes a bit of organization to help me with my “chosen” responsibilities- then so be it! But it sure would be easier to have a secretary, a promoter and, and…. And then I could just paint!

-John D. Muhler

President's Message - August, 2003
Slippery as sea lettuce

Painting is such an interesting concept – a creative exploration of colors and ideas, techniques and responses. The give and take can be playful to down right ludicrous and then again as challenging as a 10,000 paint-stroke puzzle- one whose end can be as slippery as sea lettuce. Balancing brilliance and contrast, defining edges and contours with the ever-elusive background are like traveling into unknown territory with the unexpected to be expected. Uncontrollable outbursts of laughter are often followed by furrowed eyebrows, derisive expressions and the whole process can have me pulling at my hair to try and get at the root of the problem.

Yet, despite my best intentions she keeps calling and I realize that I am not done and glaring splotches of color or worn out cliches stare at me until I am forced to give in and start with a fresh palette. Euphoric bliss is seldom reached but there is a moment or two when everything seems to fit together and the magical illusion of space coupled with a unique interpretation allows me to scribble a signature and claim our relationship to be consummated. Hopefully in nine months or so someone will want to adopt her- for a price, mind you!  - John D. Muhler

President's Message - July, 2003
Art by the Lake, or
Why does Jamie Wyeth paint inside a box?

   Bloodsuckers and abstract landscape painters kind of go hand in hand… and almost slap-happy enterprise if you will. Years ago when I first came to Maine to visit my in-laws I was deeply impressed (literally) with the abundance of bugs that find the human species to be a delectable lunch. Red ants, deer flies, no-see-ums (a Native American term? don’t think so!), black flies, and the venerable mosquito are all actively seeking a relationship with WMAG (white male art guy), and it seems that I fit that definition to a T, or is it a G? Anyway here I am again Downeast at camp pondering this relationship and the advent of abstract landscape art.

   Plein air artists by decree are a different breed. Imagine trying to capture the essence of a place in a mere couple of hours, or less – creating a work of art that could end up being sold for thousands of dollars (after you’re long dead and gone of course). The “essence”…. That which is essential… a misty fog floating over the cool lake just before sun break; water lilies eager to open their flowers; a loon sends its haunting call; the water gently slaps the side of your canoe as you glide through reeds bent ever so slightly from the weight of a resting dragonfly. Paradise you say, ah yes, but even in paradise there must be balance. And Maine’s idea of balance is to send in the clouds—clouds of mosquitoes that is. So there you are the master plein air artist eager to open your palette of colors and gently glide your paintbrush across the misty canvas of life capturing forever the essence of loonology, (President’s are allowed to make up words … it’s a shock and awe kind of thing- okay?!) Now, where was I….ah yes, the clouds…of mosquitoes, black flies, deer flies- what have you. These bloodsuckers gave the world of art a new way of looking at the outdoors. Capturing the essence in a mere couple of hours?… what a waste of time. For to be a true Downeast landscape painter you have only minutes before Nature’s blood bank calls. Color mixing at lightspeed. Glazes? Forget it. After all, we’re talking survival here. Obsreve…interpret …paint…done!

   A slap-happy enterprise at best, it is my premise that abstract landscape painting was officially born Downeast- amidst the precious balance of paint fast or be breakfast for the bloodsucking skeeters that haunt the misty lakes of Maine.      - John D. Muhler aka WMAG

Thoughts for the Day