Butterfly and Flowers

 When I moved here four years ago there were no gardens and no flowers in the yard. Friends have been so nice to share plants. The Garden Club of Windham, CT plant sale has also helped and of course all the wonderful nurseries in the area. Now my front yard is abloom!  Lots of birds and butterflies are enjoying the flowers as much as I am.

It seemed this butterfly was posing for me!

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Meet the Artists Reception in Lebanon CT

Great turnout at the Meet the Artists reception at the Lebanon Art Gallery in Lebanon CT! There is an incredible variety of art from digital paintings to wood turnings. This co-operative art gallery is run by a talented group of artists from Lebanon CT and the surrounding area. Gallery is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday from noon -  6 pm. All the art is for sale.

While you are there, check out a museum and the historic Lebanon town green which is a mile long. There is a paved path which circles the green.

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Pressing ahead with Art

There are opportunities for artists if you look carefully. I have been fortunate to land in a place that has a lot going on. Willimantic, CT is establishing an "Arts and Eats" district. Stores and restaurants are being asked to make their windows and establishments available for artists to display their artwork. I have come to an agreement with a new restaurant on Main Street, Jamacian-Me-Crazy, to use one of the windows in their building. To this end I have ordered some small photos on canvas, all in bright colors.

This peony will be in a bright red frame.

The show at the Lebanon Art Gallery has been hung and is being "tweaked." It is impressive how quickly this co-operative gallery was organized. First day open is July 5, 2014 and Opening Reception is July 11. Hours are Friday, Saturday, Sunday noon-6,

• 927 Trumbull Hwy
• Lebanon, Connecticut 062

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Technology, more than I can handle . . . .

     I once titled a blog post, "Pulled through a knothole backwards." That is the way I felt after color calibrating my monitors using the Spyder 4 Elite. Don't you love directions that say, "Insert disk and follow instructions to install." It is never that simple! There were questions I didn't know how to answer - Is your monitor Wide Gamut or Normal Gamut? WHAT?? How do I know and how do I find out? I pestered my poor son-in-law to death. He was so patient but he was busy with his own project in the garage involving noisy tools.
     So I slogged through, started over a couple of times, and I Think I have calibrated my two monitors. Yes, Think I have. I suppose the test is to order something printed and see how it turns out. It is a gamble and I prefer a sure thing when I am spending money. I have been promising myself to print some of my art on canvas so I will be prepared for a future show. Now is the time.
      Thanks to my friend, Karen E., for giving me her "spare" Spyder! 

Photo courtesy of Amazon

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Exciting Event - Lebanon Art Gallery in Lebanon, CT

A wonderful opportunity for artists in northeastern Connecticut is the opening of an artists' co-operative art gallery in Lebanon, Connecticut in the lovely barn pictured above. I am delighted to be a part of this and will help to hang the first show which will include some of my work. It opens to the public on Saturday, July 5, 2014. Below is our press release. Please share the news with your friends and come to see our Art Show!


Twenty-two local artists and artisans will open the new Lebanon Art Gallery located at 927 Trumbull Hwy (Rt. 87), Lebanon, CT 06249. The gallery will be open from Noon to 6:00 Friday through Sunday beginning Saturday, July 5, 2014 since Friday is the holiday. A “Meet The Artists” reception will be from 5-7:00 PM on July 11nd.  The show will end on July 27 with the second show open between August 8 and Sept. 1.

Lebanon Art Gallery is a local association devoted to promoting artists and craftspeople.  Its mission is to be a seasonal gallery space dedicated to showing and selling the work of local and Lebanon based artists and artisans. The gallery will be open from May through October and serve community members of all ages, as a gathering place for classes, workshops and enjoyment of the arts.

Our vision is that artists, craftspeople, writers and musicians will volunteer time and expertise to make the gallery a success. The barn space, garden and Tea House available for the Gallery is being generously offered by Sandra Samolis, a long-time Lebanon resident and artist.

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Digital Painting

This started out as a close up of the inside of a flower and went through many changes. I love the touch of blue contrasting with the warm colors.

"GLOW"

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Art Gallery in Lebanon, CT

Exciting things are happening in our area of Connecticut. At our Artists' Networking Lunch at the Main Street Cafe in Willimantic, CT, two women who are opening a seasonal art gallery in Lebaonon, CT told us about their plans. Today was the organizational meeting to create an artists' co-operative to run the gallery this summer. A publicity committee was established and the first show is set to open July 2. Lebanon is beautiful and a visit to the historic town will be a treat to everyone. Check out the Facebook page for Lebanon Art Gallery.

With a July show on the horizon, I will need to produce some new work. 

Here is one named "Glow"

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Make Art Work, Hartford, Connecticut

Make Art Work is a comprehensive professional practice program for visual artists in CT. The program, which will run through June of 2014, is designed to support artists who are in pursuit of a professional career as an artist. The Hartford cohort met for a potluck supper and discussion session. We each were given ten minutes to present two areas we would like help with and get feedback. So nice to learn other artists are struggling with the same problems. A recurring theme was how to use Social Media and time management.

We met at the home of woodcarver Steve Balkun and his wife, installation artist, Anita Gangi Balkun. It was a treat to see the studios of these artists. Their son, Steve Balkun, is a certified lutheir and creates custom guitars. His studio is also there in the house. Young Steve and his brother, Nick have a band called the Balkun Brothers. What a talented family. In addition, Steve (the elder) is a published author.

Make Art Work is now planning their next session which starts in the fall. An explanation of the workshops is here.

No post is complete without a sample of my latest work.

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Nancy Olivia Designs Photo Cards for Sale

My photo cards are selling quickly at the Willimantic Food Co-op.  I delivered my fourth order of cards to them since the middle of February. After the long, cold winter, I think everyone craved color and spring flowers. My cards are on colored card stock that compliment the flower photos.

Drop into the Willimantic Food Co-op and check out their selection of tasty foods that are good for you. Many of their products are from local sources. You may find me there as a "working member" volunteer.

A butterfly fly on Joe Pye Weed.

Tulips grown from bulbs purchased by me at the Garden Club of Windham's Fall Bulb sale. These have been an eye-stopper in my front yard.

Just this week I delivered cards to the expanded retail store at Logee's Greenhouse, 141 North Street, Killingly, CT. These cards feature Logee's flowers and the photos were taken in their greenhouses and shop. Gwen Glass-Carbone, the retail supervisor, took me on a tour where I had fun snapping sixty pictures of show-stopping-blooms!

Do go to Logee's and see the wonderful selection of exotic plants! My fellow Garden Club of Windham CT members are big fans of Logee's.

A pitcher plant in the greenhouse.

 Logee's has the largest selection of begonias that I have ever seen in one place!

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Nancy Olivia Designs photos in Joshua Trust Exhibit

I was honored to have some of my work in a exhibit of photographs taken of Joshua Trust properties. The event was a wine and craft beer tasting fund raiser to benefit Joshua Trust, a land trust in Northeast Connecticut.

A closeup of the stonework of the Gurleyville Grist Mill in Storrs, Connecticut. 

Photo by Nancy Hoffmann.

The fund raiser was held at Church Farm in Ashford, Connecticut, May 18, 2014.

The art show was in this barn. As well as photographs by Marcia Kilpatrick a trustee of the group and me (Nancy Hoffmann), there were  watercolors by Charles McCaughtry, visible in the open barn door.

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Tulip Petals

When you take a photo, look at it as more than just the entire picture. Consider zooming in on a portion of it. That is what I did here.

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Tulip and Bud

I'm having such fun photographing my tulips. While the yellow and red are pretty, it is the orange ones which impress me. The fact that they are not solid, but have subtle lines and colors ranging from pink to purple as well as orange makes them very interesting to photograph.

I like to take the photos with the golden setting sun hitting the flowers. Even when the direct sun's rays are gone, there is still good light to use.

 

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Tulip Glow

This photo was taken in my yard with the setting sun highlighting the tulip.

These tulip bulbs were sold as a fund raiser for by the Windham Garden Club to benefit  Willimantic public gardens. The garden club member plant and maintain twelve public gardens in Willimantic, including The Garden on the Bridge.

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Waiting for Spring

This sums up spring exactly. Waiting for Action or, Plant me First.

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