SPRING IS REALLY HERE!

The promise of spring brings new blooms. Here is a sampling of a few new paintings. As usual all images are copyrighted and available for sale by Roberta Rosenthal at Squirrel's Nest Art Studio. E-mail me at rozenart@aol.com. Classes are underway at the studio and in a few weeks a new roof is going on and an overhaul on the decks. I have raked the leaves off of the flower beds (okay I left a little cover on just in case of a cold spell). The crocus, snow drops and the blue scillia are opened. The forsythia are just peeking a bit of yellow.


A recent pastel 12 x 16, Orchid study.


An African violet study rendered in watercolor pencil. 12 x 16.

Painted at Morikami Garden, Florida
Sumi-e brush painting. 13 x 18 ink and watercolor. SOLD
Archival limited giclee print 13 x 18.


Daffodil, pansy, blue bell and forsythia study, colored pencil, 10 x 14.


Plum Blossom and Dogwood Sumi-e Brush Painting 13 x 18. Original on rice paper
Archival limited giclee print 13 x 18.

On April 1, 2008 I was voted in as President of the Wurtsboro Art Alliance.

The Wurtsboro Art Alliance is proud to be the recipient of the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce award for excellence in business and community spirit. The WAA is the sole winner for the Town of Mamakating. Terri Hess, President and CEO of the SCCC, explained that, "This award is designed to honor those who are committed to the highest standard of business and community ideals." The Wurtsboro Art Alliance will be honored at a luncheon on May 4, 2008 at the Villa Roma, at which time the award will be presented.

The WAA looks forward to continuing its efforts in 2008 to enhance the artistic and cultural spirit in the region and to provide the opportunity for both creative individuals and groups to present their works.

The WAA Gallery at 73 Sullivan Street in Wurtsboro, NY is open Saturday and Sundays from noon to 4:00 PM. The current exhibition is the WAA annual spring show, running through May 25.

And more news.........

"The Greater Cornwall Art Walk"
Saturday, May 17, 2008 - Saturday, June 28, 2008.
Self-guided walking tour maps will direct visitors to the businesses showcasing the local artist’s work. Maps will be available at various sites throughout the six week period.

The Greater Cornwall Art Walk will kick off the six week gala event with a reception from 10 AM to 4 PM Saturday, May 17th at the Sands Ring Homestead, a Cornwall historical site located on Main Street in the center of the walk and across from the Cornwall Town Hall parking lot. Roberta Rosenthal's art will be sponsored by Merritt Florist, 275 Main Street, Cornwall, NY 12518, (845) 534-2551. You can see her art in the florist's shop and on Saturdays outside of the shop too. Giclee prints and mini print cards will be available for sale.

Working on a new watercolor orchid and finishing several other botanical paintings that were started last year. I am hoping to be outdoors painting oils in May. Come join me on Sundays for plein air botanical landscapes in any medium at Squirrel's Nest Art Studio, Bloomingburg, NY

Spring - March 21, 2008 - News from the Nest

I was in sunny Florida for a week. I painted at the Morikami Gardens and Museum for two days. Sumi-e bamboo, plum blossom and a landscape. I strolled South Beach, did a watercolor at the Metropole Hotel while visiting with family at the outdoor veranda. Other highlights included sketching at Haulover Beach, painting an orchid and ixora by the pool at my cousin's home in Hollywood. On my last night went to Hollywood Beach for a free Brazilian samba music concert under the stars by the boardwalk.

I will scan in my new paintings soon.

Art workshop classes have started at Squirrel's Nest. Please check out the days and times on my web site www.robertarosenthal.com. By popular request I have extended the Sunday, July 6th Peonies workshop to continue on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for a full four day workshop. This gives plenty of time to do detailed botanical studies of three different varieties I have been growing. Stay at the Hudson Valley Spa and Resort in Kerhonkson if you are coming in from out of town.

Exhibitions:
Wurtsboro Art Alliance
Spring Art Show and Sale
March 22, 2008 - May 22, 2008
Reception on Friday, March 28th from 6 - 8 pm.
Hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am - 4 pm.
I will be at the gallery most Sundays from 2 - 4 pm.
Please come to see this varied group show. I am exhibiting four sumi-e paintings and my new botanical series of 6 giclee prints. Papavar, Rosa, Rhododendron and Amaryllis.
The Gallery is located at 73 Sullivan Street, Wurtsboro, NY 12790.
Phone 845 -888 -5955
I was recently voted in as President of WAA. Please join our art organization. WAA has many art demonstrations, poetry readings and exhibits planned for the rest of the year.

The Basha Kill - A Quiet Treasure continues until March 27th. at Orange Hall in Middletown, NY, SUNY Orange


John's Gallery in New Windsor, NY continues till the end of of March and then goes into his Asian paintings back room gallery for another month. He will be making two new giclee prints of Big Begonia 1 and 2.
(845) 534-3349, 2330 State Rt 32, New Windsor NY 12553

At the Studio:
I am currently completing a new series of botanical watercolors. As soon as the weather warms up I will be starting a new series of plein air oil paintings. Contact me at rozenart@aol.com if you are interested in seeing my new work for exhibition or sale.

February 11, 2008 Valentine's Day is Coming

As Valentine's Day gets closer I am reflecting upon my heart. First I must acknowledge and pay homage to a fellow artist, illustrator and designer the late John Alvin. Only a year older than myself it is humbling to lose one of our own. Those of us who are dedicated full lifetime artists, who have appreciated their corporate commercial clients, know only too well their true creative genius, talent and need to pay bills. His doing so allowed his wife, Andrea, the freedom to create photo realistic paintings. I was not close to him professionally but I am sure we must have past each other in the halls of the Society of Illustrators. Cause of death "Heart Attack".

Was I so ashamed of the fact that I designed a Disney Poster, scarves and licensed art for an industry where you needed a magnifying glass and detailed instructions to find hidden initials or name? The images are not on my web site. You can't buy the posters or scarves since they sold out years ago. Maybe I should put it in the miscellaneous category as a potential cause of impending death of copyrights for artists. I supported the writers strike. As for us traditional pen, brush, or digital pens persons This is just off the wire and open for posting:

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS' PARTNERSHIP
You are cordially invited to attend an important industry-wide open forum

Protecting Our Rights Collectively
An Evening with Bruce Lehman
Thursday Feb 21 6:00 PM
Society of Illustrators
128 East 63rd Street
Admission will be free
Evening lecture, followed by Q & A
Following the event the Society’s bar will be open

With the Orphan Works Bill due for resurrection, with Getty slashing prices for stock imagery, with millions of dollars of illustrators' reprographic royalties going unaccounted for, six artists groups have banded together as a new organization to take action. Purpose: to create an industry-wide mandate to protect artists rights and to speak as an industry with one voice.

This new organization The American Society of Illustrators Partnership (ASIP) brings together the following groups:

The Society of Illustrators
The Illustrators' Partnership of America
The Association of Medical Illustrators
The American Society of Architectural Illustrators
The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
The San Francisco Society of Illustrators
Six other groups are pending members and other groups are invited to join.

On Feb. 21 ASIP will introduce itself at the Society of Illustrators, hosting An Evening with Bruce Lehman

Mr. Lehman is one of the world’s leading experts on intellectual property: Principal author of the 1976 Copyright Act, principal author of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, former US Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks. In 1997, the National Journal named Lehman one of the 100 most influential men and women in Washington. Mr. Lehman was keynote speaker at the first Illustrators Conference in Santa Fe, 1999. For more about Mr. Lehman, go to http://www.iipi.org/nav_about/boards.asp#Honorable_Bruce_A._Lehman

This event is timed to coincide with the Society of Illustrators Editorial and Book Gala Feb 22. So if you’re planning to attend the opening, please attend this important open meeting the day before. Bring your questions, socialize with your colleagues and learn what steps we need to take next as an industry.


The American Society of Illustrators Partnership is a non-profit organization, incorporated October 25, 2007. Executive Director is Terry Brown. The Board is composed of representatives from each of the six Founding organizations.

If you are a member of one of the above groups, you are automatically eligible for joint membership in this new alliance. If you are not affiliated with any current group you’re welcome to join ASIP independently. There is no membership fee.

For more about this new alliance for protecting artists’ rights, listen to Steven Heller’s interview with Brad Holland:
http://www.core77.com/blog/
broadcasts/core77_broadcast_brad_holland_on_intellectual_property
_interviewed_by_steve_heller_6714.asp

An Evening With Bruce Lehman is sponsored by the Society of Illustrators and the American Society of Illustrators Partnership.

Have a Heart and Happy Valentine's Day,
Roberta

January 21, 2008

After reading last Sunday's New York Times front page article on Cell Phone novels I learned that this is not blog land but the blogosphere. Where have I been for the past seven years? Twiddling my fingers on an iMac rather than writing and sending text messages from my cell phone. Who knew that junior high school girls were tapping out novels on their Nokias, uploading to a web site and winning the chance to be published in hard cover. While all that time I learned to use Apple works on a '99 iMac writing my first novel, "Millennium Blue Test", sending chapters to online amateur writing rooms and to friends who lived at least 3000 miles away. So far I have not published my novel which still needs to be edited. A daunting task not unlike bookkeeping and taxes. I better clean my paint brushes.

You would imagine that a painter would most likely be posting new images but right now convalescing with this broken femur I can't concentrate on painting but finding recovery through tapping on macally keyboard. Hoping that a potential art buyer or two
might want to buy some prints or paintings so I can get a new mac power book. A 15" would be adequate and if a few more paintings sold the 17" model is even better. It's as though none of my other immediate household bills didn't matter. Go be an artist you'll see where your priorities are.

If I knew anyone was interested in reading a few excerpts from the novel I would put it on the blog. In the meantime I am still trying to figure out if anyone actually is interested in reading blogs. One friend of mine said he used his blog as a web site. This is free and really easy to edit.

I will have my new schedule for classes that I will teach at the New York Botanical Gardens and for Squirrel's Nest Art Studio on this blog by the end of this week. No plans to over commit myself this year.

As I usually start off my new year with new goals ( I teach this in my Professional Business Practices and Marketing for Artists course at NYBG and SNAS).

Short Term Priority

3 months

1. Heal broken leg - physical therapy /swimming?
2. Meditate- as often as possible
3. Continue watching scary new global-trashy blood movies like Hostel & Touristas - it will definitely make me be grateful for not being morally and socially unconscious
4. Send out brochures of my art classes and exhibits - snail mail, e-mail & blog

6 months

1. Fix decks and roof
2. Spend time on the garden this spring and summer - plant more bulbs, clean up fix Japanese Garden enclosure - consider a hot-tub/jacuzzi and fix door screens
   
3. Teach
4. Paint

9 months

1. Keep painting
2. Don't forget to take a vacation with the plane ticket I didn't use for Florida.
3. Don't have a solo exhibit this year - paint
4. Paint like my life depended upon it.
   

12 months

1. Take one day at a time
2. Be grateful for the simple things that come and go
   
3. Don't let the little fish get me down - I can swim upstream, in the ponds, lakes, oceans, in a small pool or a jacuzzi.
   
4. Smile even when it hurts
   

Roberta Rosenthal at Squirrel's Nest Art Studio

A New beginning and my first blog

Hello Web Surfers and Friends,

My first big toe into blog land. I started the new year off with breaking my femur bone on my right leg. I fell on the ice going into my house. It was one way for me to slow down so I could catch up on paperwork and filing. I am hoping to use this blog as a way to let you know about my latest creative endeavors, artworks, exhibitions and maybe a few thoughts about art and the environment around the Hudson Valley and Catskill area of New York State. I hope you will check in now and then to see my progress, failures, successes, surprises and perhaps I will remember to use spell check along the way.

My web site: www.robertarosenthal.com is currently being updated, by Chris Rusu, my web master. It should be back to full working order by mid February including new images and prints for sale.

Last year I devoted most of my time consulting on the development and implementation of a local gallery and art school. The process was educational and enlightening. I curated their first two exhibits, put art instructors in place and sold a substantial amount of art for the exhibitors. Once the gallery was on its way to success it earned an award for best renovation by the county's Real Estate Board for the owners. It was time for me to return to Squirrel's Nest Art Studio. The Nest Studio is my home. I always know when a job is completed by letting go with detachment as a necessary passage to the next big thing. What ever that is. For me it is usually new clients, painting, teaching art at the New York Botanical Garden and catching up with paperwork.

Although my leg is broken I know it will heal and the upcoming physical therapy will do me a world of good. I will give you updates as I progress with getting back into shape.

The first exhibition of my work this year will be in a two person exhibit with: Garin Baker and my Asian brush paintings. I will be showing nine watercolor and ink paintings that were part of my last solo exhibit at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum in Newburgh, NY. Garin Baker is an enormously talented painter and muralist.
at John's Framing Shop
2330 State Route 32, New Windsor NY 12553
(845) 534-3349
Dates for the exhibit and reception to be announced in February.



On February 20 - March 27, 2008 I will have several landscape paintings at:
Orange Hall Gallery, Middletown, NY (OCCC)
The Basha Kill - A Quiet Treasure

Reception: Sunday, March 2, 2008 2-4 pm.

********************************************

BTW - I will only be teaching at Squirrel's Nest Art Studio locally in Bloomingburg. Classes include drawing, botanical watercolor or sumi-e Asian brush painting classes. Classes will be small with up to 4 students and I will be offering private classes too.

For detailed information, registration and schedule please e-mail rozenart@aol.com or call me at (845) 733-1848. I will post the schedule soon.

I will teach botanical art certificate courses at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx for the Spring/Summer/Fall 2008 seasons. Go to www.nybg.org for information and registration.

I hope you will want to read more of my blogs and that you will want to comment on contents, feedback or what ever people do on blogs.