PSAG Annual Exhibit: Saturday, November 14, 6-9pm

The Pacific Street Artists Guild annual exhibit features paintings, drawings, prints, jewelry, notecards and much more. Please join us for the opening reception Saturday, November 14, 6-9pm at the Pacific Street Art Gallery. For more information contact us at psag@mac.com

Participating Artists: Jan Dahl, Sophia Dineralter, Kathy Doyle, John Fast, Bruce Griffin, Claudia Kenyon, Charlie MacDonald, Lynda McLaughlin, Dermot McNamara, Rose Partridge, Barbara Place, Ann Samul, Cindy Samul and Rose Young

This exhibit runs through December 31.

Rose Young, photography

Rose Partridge, watercolor

Jan Dahl, pastel

Ann Samul, mixed media

Kathy Doyle, watercolor

The Dawn of Understanding: September 1-30

The Pacific Street Art Gallery presents a new multi-media exhibit titled The Dawn of Understanding. The show features over 50 newly exhibited pieces all relating to the theme interpreted by artists from eight states. Actively curated by Linnie York over the past twelve months, the exhibit represents the work of professional artists from New Mexico to New England, with a handful of new artists. The theme, The Dawn of Understanding, developed over the year with the group connecting by internet through a series of quotes about the dawn and the "ah-ha" moment. Each worked in their own medium in their own studio or plein air to develop new art around the same conceptual idea.

Please join our reception Saturday, September 12, 6-9pm. Many of the artists as well as artist/curator Linnie York will be present to talk with the public. Also, artist and author Peter Brooks will be signing his new book God's Love is a Two Way Street: The Give and Take of Life.

Participating Artists: Shelia Bontreger, Gloria Brooks, Peter Brooks, Craig Chessari, Jackie Flatow, Bruce Fuller, Jean Giordano, Dermot McNamara, Mary Carroll Moore, April Munson, Elaine Paul, Dick Ridington, Ann Samul, Cindy Samul, Becky Tanner, Kristin York, Linnie York, Lynelle Yougquist and Troy Zaushny

Mary Carroll Moore

April Munson

Shelia Bontreger

Linnie York

Peter Brooks will be signing his new book God's Love is a Two Way Street.

Meet the Artist August 29

Please join our reception for Greetings from New London and meet artist Bruce Dean; Saturday August 29, 6-9pm at the Pacific Street Art Gallery. Please email psag@mac.com for more information.

Greetings from New London: through August 29

A new exhibit featuring oil paintings by Bruce R. Dean now on display at the Pacific Street Art Gallery. Please join us for a special reception and meet the artist on Saturday, August 29, 6-9pm. Learn more about Bruce Dean and view his work at Explore and Discover.

Greetings from New London

by Bruce R. Dean

New London is where my father Harold B. Dean was born in 1910 and lived his life with his Connecticut College girlfriend Miriam Ruth Rosnick (who became Miriam Rosnick Dean). Mim came to Ocean Beach as a child from Holyoke with her family; her father was a butcher. Harold’s father Benjamin Dean sold fruit from a horse drawn wagon. Their parents were Jewish immigrants at the turn of the century (from Russia/Poland bordering towns). Harold’s mother Rose (perhaps a misname) was a “pain in the butt” landlord.

Miriam, 89 years old, resides in the Alzheimer’s Unit of the Jewish Health Care Center in Worcester, MA., near our home in Princeton so I am with her often. She’s doing well.

Our family has always loved New London. It’s a “down to earth, no pretensions” town on Long Island Sound. Our daughter-in-law and son are living and re-vitalizing the Dean home. They plan on being there for years to come.

In February 2008, I underwent back surgery and began the long haul recovery (still making progress). Painting in my studio was part of my healing. During this time I searched for antique postcards and started buying them on E-bay (especially New London and the surrounding areas). I was pleasantly surprised to find the rack of antique postcards in the gallery. (bought twenty beauties) Honoring these old beautiful hand-colored images with oil paintings. Van Gogh often worked from Japanese and Millet’s prints (amongst others), so why not? On the other end of the spectrum, a perfect day for me is being on the beach (anywhere) and painting the waves and what else is going on. Found beach objects such as rocks, ceramic culvert pipe, and driftwood were most often painted at the beach from observation as well) in a folk art manner.

Childhood friend Lou Fiano pointed out that solo exhibitions are a form of “shameless self promotion”. I accept that and offer these to anyone who finds New London a beautiful small city and special community. 
Hope you enjoy.

In honor of his parents Miriam and Harold Dean, Bruce has generously committed 30% of sales of any artwork to help support the Pacific Street Art Gallery.

Art Expo

I visited Art Expo at the Javits Center in NYC on Friday. I am sure many of you have already done that, but this was my first. Although I heard from others who have been there before that the number of exhibitors was down, I was certainly impressed.

You could see everything from the "11 year old child prodigy" selling her works for $85000 to giclee prints for a few dollars.

I spoke at length with an artist from Istanbul. She was selling her 8" x10"prints for about $200 to $250 dollars each. She is having the prints made for her for about $40 each in that size and was dumbfounded when I told her that the cost of ink and canvas to print her own giclees would be less than $2.00 in that size.

If any of the PSAG memebers have not attended this annual event, I really recommend you plan on it for next year and wear your walking shoes. Maybe we could make it a group trip!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone.

Yesterday I was without power for most of the day, so I pulled out my camera and did a little backyard song bird photography.

It was sleeting so I stayed inside and poked my camera out the kitchen window. The birds were having a great time at the feeders. You can see more of the images from that day at a blog I have started at www.imagingthenaturalworld.com.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at this month's meeting.

Stay warm.

New Images Added to My Web Site

I have recently added new images to my web site http://www.johnfastphotography.com/. New Images are located in the New Images Gallery (who would have thunk that). I have also added a few more images to the "Brown Bears" gallery and to the "Landscapes" gallery. As always, comments or suggestions are welcome. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Slide Program by John Fast

I will be presenting a slide program entitled "Bird Phoptography from Florida to Maine and Places Between" on December 10, 2008 at 2:00PM at Perigrene's Landing at the Shorleine. The slide show will include images from popular wildlife refuges in Florida and a visit to Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine. Photographs along the Conneciticut shoreline are also featured.

In addition to the slide presentation, I will be discussing my equipment and some of the things I have learned about trying to photograph birds in their habitats.

Peregrine's Landing is located at 91 East Main Street in Clinton. For more information, contact Cynthia Straub at (860) 669-9300 or me at (860) 235-9188.

Mary Pacifici: PSAG member in Vermont

If you are in area of Essex Junction, Vermont one of these October weekends, stop by the Lang Farm Nursery for the Essex Art League Show.  PSAG's own Mary Pacifici along with the other members of the Essex Art League will be displaying works in a variety of media.  Saturdays 9-5 and Sundays 10-4 through the month of October.

PSAG Summer Exhibit: June 25-August 31

The PSAG Summer Exhibit features paintings, drawings, prints and more by members of the Pacific Street Artists Guild. Please join our reception on Saturday, June 28, 6-9pm. For more information contact us at psag@mac.com

Jan Dahl - acrylic

Lynda Wesley McLaughlin - graphite

Lynda's new book Time Gone will also be available

John Fast - photography

Jan Dahl - pastel

Jan Dahl - pastel

Rose Partridge - watercolor

We're Back...

On May 30th, after a bit of a hiatus, PSAG members were back hanging an exhibit at the Public Library of New London.  The library has not been on our exhibit schedule for several years due to the extensive remodeling being done there.  This year, with the help of Josie Esposito, we were able to display our work in the lighted cases in the new community room.  

Thanks also to the library staff!

Paradise !!

Last week I visited Paradise, PA to present a short program to the Digital Imaging Association at their annual conference and Photo Safari. This was my first visit to the Amish country of Lancaster County and I took the opportunity to do a little photography in the mornings and late afternoons.

The farmlands of the Amish are incredibly beautiful and I was amazed at the number of horse and buggies on the road. Everyone in the area appears used to dealing with interrupted travel as the horses prance along the roadways with great pride.

Each morning the farmers were working their fields with horse drawn plows. In this photo notice the woman is guiding the original seven horsepower cultivator in the requisite black dress and shoes. As a young boy I have harnessed up a pair of horses on my uncle's farm and guidied them pulling a wagon. I can't imagine the effort to harness up a team of seven and guiding them on a plowing mission.

Sadly I witnessed the huge turnout for a funeral service. I could not help discreetly capturing this image of a man and woman headed across one of the fields to attend.