No sooner did I get back from London than I attended the most fabulous exhibition featuring 2 of my students who are also dear friends now, Maureen Cook and Maggie Stern, as well as the brilliant photography of another dear friend, Mark Peterson. (To see the whole of Mark’s show click on link then on Scaryville—incredible work!) More on London next time, but first I have to say how incredibly happy I am to see Maureen and Maggie show their work. One of the reasons I’m especially happy, and, yes, proud too, is that they each arrived at the Saturday Morning Drawing Class with some trepidation about whether they could draw at all! Of course, I believe that everyone can and they have more than proved me right. Can everyone draw like Rembrandt or Picasso? Probably not, but then what would be the point of that? Everyone can draw like themselves and the work we saw last night was truly original. And isn’t that the point? I think we’re here to be ourselves and to share ourselves. Sometimes artists can get caught up in trying to “be something.” But the real power and beauty is in just being ourselves. And we all experienced that last night.
First, let me introduce these wonderful artists—
Maggie Stern with Elaine Clayton, another wonderful artist in the show with Maureen's work behind
Maggie, Elaine and M's friend, author Gregory McGuire with a hint of Elaine's work in the background
Maureen in front of her work
And with a fan
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Maureen with Mark P. He knows how to make a girl laugh.
Both Maggie and Maureen make drawings with needlework but each with their own inimitable style. Maggie also makes wildly playful sculptures. I apologize for the poor photography but these will give you an idea.
A Maggie sculpture with some of her needlework drawings behind.
Absolutely brilliant piece embroidered on laundry bag from The Ritz in Paris
Maureen's stitched portraits
Well, I could go on and on. It was a fabulous night, a great crowd, so full of love and good energy. Isn’t that what life is about? Art can be too.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Horray!
Wonderful. Really love the stitched drawings, and the sculpture.