I've taken a few days to come down from the most exciting event this year. Saturday night, April 4th, was the reception for the X-Power International Art Competition in Bevery Hill, CA. What a gala event it was. There must have been over 300 people. So many that it was hard to walk through the gallery. All of them leaning closely into the paintings, then standing back discussing what they saw and their admiration for each piece.
It was a thrill for me to see all the work. Many of our Santa Fe ArtWorld members were represented there. I had the honor of being placed right next to Ritch Gaiti's "Trail Blazers" and a couple up from Lizzy Forrester's "Spain".
Our very own members Maciej Gador, "Bath" and Vera Tataro, "Foolish Food Collection V" each won the Gold Award How great is that!
All the work was fabulous and a feast for the eyes. Beautifully displayed in one of the most beautiful galleries I've ever seen.
There's such a difference between seeing the images on a computer screen and then seeing them up close and personal. I would never have known the depth of finish that Ritch Gaiti's work has if I hadn't been able to personally view it.
I had the pleasure of meeting Lizzy at the reception. That was a special treat. Her work reflects her beauty and fun personality.
All of this would not have been possible if it hadn't been for Denise Williams sharing the information given to her to all of us at Santa Fe ArtWorld by Master Lee Sun-Don who personally financed and arranged the competition.
This is what Santa Fe ArtWorld is all about. Artists sharing and helping each other.
A perfect example of this concept was exercised by Virginia Erdie who had been given a personal invitation to be published in "A Published Gallery". This is an art book of large images of each piece of work which is distributed all over the world and sold through all the major book stores such as Amazon and Barns and Nobel. In her effort to give to others and help her fellow artists, she also shared this information. Many of the artist's of Santa Fe ArtWorld will now be honored to be published in a beautiful book of art work. Thank you Virginia very much for your selfless act of sharing.
In these time of difficulty it is people like Master Lee Sun-Don, Denise Williams and Virginia Erdie who help us to continue to produce our work. It gives us a purpose and hope that art still holds a meaningful place in society.
Should you like to respond to this Blog, please email Peggy Guichu at SFAWgalleries1@aol.com. Include your website - if your comment is selected for posting we will include your link.
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March 25, 2009 Blogging with Guichu
Today begins a new chapter in our community of artists. We are going to start communicating. How great is this going to be.
How exciting it is to be a visual artist today. I can hear all of you saying, WHAT? Stay with me. We belong to an incredible group of people. Artists can and have changed the world. We are the only unique group in this entire globe that collectively thinks outside of the box. We are all visual beings. Our prospective is just a slight shift to the right from the rest of the world. History has told us that it is the artist who tells the true story.
We are also the most diverse group of individuals on earth. Gender, race, religion, age, style, education, location and the list goes on. We don't care because we are artists. Each one of us with our own ideas and creative processes of how we view the world as an artist. This excites us because we can see more and understand more clearly because we are visual beings. We revel in our diversities.
Yet together we share one truth. We all know what that truth is. We feel it every day. We breathe it, sing it, and live it in all that we do. We are special. We have a gift that no other group has and we have no other choice but to share it with the world. We must make art. We are compelled to speak our truth through art.
The great artists do just that. They share themselves and their skills with the world. The great artists mentor future great artists. They have no fear that they are giving away their essence or abilities, because they know who they are and are driven to share with likeminded individuals.
Today it's tough. It's been even tougher in the past. But we are living in today and all doing our very best to survive where we are at this moment. Imagine for just one moment what the world would be like if everyone took money out of the equation and thought only of sharing. There would never be another child without food or shoes. There would be no need of wars or genocide.
There is a truth that I try to realize every day. The truth that there is only love and fear. If you choose fear you will become paralyzed and incapable of growth as a person, spiritual being and artist. You will attract to you the fearful and all that fear has to offer. But if you choose love you will attract love and those that share that essence.
This is what Santa Fe ArtWorld was built on. The dream of great artists coming together to share with each other for the betterment of all. Santa Fe ArtWorld is not about one person giving to you. If you are one of those artists that don't share this vision, who feel threatened to share for fear that you might lose something, then you don't belong with this group. Because we have a vision and that vision is that everyone prospers. This can happen if we share.
I want to challenge all of you to choose love. Let's start today. Let's share with each other. Let's make a pledge to each other that we can find one thing each day to share. If you have heard that an artist is without materials to do art and you have extra give to them. It could be a kind word or time given to listen. Have you discovered a new product that might be of interest? Then share it. If you have heard of a show or event that any of us might benefit from, share it. The possibilities are endless. I promise you that your work will be better. Your mind will find rest. I promise you that your dreams will become more real. I promise you that life will be easier. We are a powerful and wonderful group of people. Let's show the world what can happen when everyone takes fear out and let's love in.
Wish to make comment to this blog? Email Peggy Guichu at: SFAWgalleries1@aol.com
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