2005's Face the Public Completed: Grant Wood's "American Gothic"

I delivered a painting to Mary Lou Zeek’s gallery in Salem today in preparation for the fourth “Face the Public” event coming up next month.  Twelve Oregon artists will each spend a day in the gallery painting a section of a canvas to recreate Edward Hopper’s famous “Cape Cod Morning” painting. The finished piece will be sold and the proceeds put in an Artists-in-Need-Fund. Each artist will paint in their own style and with their own medium. In addition, the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery will feature a collaborative showing of paintings by each of the twelve artists during the month of October.

ARTISTS: Ruth Armitage, Jane Aukshunas, Christopher Bibby, Mark Clarke, Deborah DeWit-Marchant, John Kime, Kristin Kuhns, Jeanne Levaseur, Tracy MacEwan, Sue-Del McCulloch, Robert Schlegel & Jed Thomas

The goals of this show are to shed new light on a familiar piece of art, to build a collaboration between twelve extremely talented artists and to have those artists “Face the Public”.

Last year we re-created Magritte’s “Son of Man” and the year before we did “Mona Lisa”.  Each year the finished painting is sold and the proceeds are put into a fund for artists in need because of health or other emergencies.  I’m always excited to contribute to something that benefits artists!

I’m also excited to be working on an Edward Hopper painting… he’s one of my favorites.  AND, my research into family history has shown that I am related to him!  He was my sixth cousin twice removed.  I was so excited when I found the button on Ancestry.com that said “find famous relatives”.  It is like a giant puzzle, only more meaningful.

This year I’m a bit worried about the schedule.  I may have to switch my day with my friend Jane Aukshunas… I am going in for back surgery on Monday morning. 🙁  I have been putting it off, but it is not getting better on its own, and I cannot feel my feet.  I don’t want to walk like an old lady (which I am currently) so I’m off to get it fixed.  Hopefully my recuperation will be short and I’ll be able to make it in to the gallery on October 10.

Click here for a schedule of the month on Mary Lou’s website.   I will post a message after my surgery as we get closer to tell you if I have to postpone my date or not.  Hopefully not!  But be sure to stop in the gallery and see the work as it progresses!  Each artist has a painting exhibited as well. Mine is from the “Bluebird” series.

 

 

2006 "There's Our Mona"

2007 Magritte's "Son of Man"