Incognito

This is a photo of the venue. There was a nice crowd. The 300 pictures were hung around the room. It was such an enjoyable evening-I cannot wait to participate again next year! Who knows? Maybe even as one of the artists!

This is Gina Fischer, well known local muralist, [me in the middle], and Natalie Guess, Naples most popular batik artist. I have known both of these two wonderful ladies for over 25 years, and have truly loved watching their talents evolve. They are amazing artists, but even more than that, they are incredible people! They both participated in this event!

It was a wonderful evening, enjoyed by one and all. I am very hopeful that it will become an annual event at The Jay & Patty Baker Naples Museum of Art! These are the 2 original works of art that I ended up with! The bottom piece, an abstract by Helen Schulman, with influences of the Hudson River School of Art--I just love her command of the light in the center of her painting--it drew me right into it, like a door to heaven.

The top painting, by Joel Babb, an artist from Maine, was my first selection. I was thrilled when my name was called so early in the drawing so that I was able to obtain this lovely picture...Next to my dearest friends and loving family, it represents my 3 passions: real estate, boating and art!

[both pictures can be viewed larger by clicking right on the photo. They measure 8" X 10"]

Thank you, and Make it a great day!

The Naples Art Blogger

Incognito

Incognito, Naples-style!

Is this ever going to be fun! At 4:30 today I will be arriving at The Naples Museum of Art along with 299 other lucky art lovers! The wonderful event, being sponsored by The Friends of the Art at The Jay and Patty Baker Museum of Art, with proceeds benefiting the museum and all the amazing exhibitions and lectures it brings to the citizens of Naples and our visitors & tourists. Included in the fund raising is monies raised to transport Collier County school children to the museum to enhance their education of the arts! We are incredibly blessed to have a venue of this caliber here in Naples Florida!

300 local, national and internationally known artists have participated by painting and donating an original 8" X 10" work of art. Everyone in attendance goes home with an original work of art, which is distributed by raffle drawing! As the tickets are drawn, the ticket-holders will select the painting of their choice! The paintings are signed on the back, so no one will know who their artist is until after they have made a selection! Later in the evening, after all the paintings have been selected, the artists will then be invited into the romm to meet the patron that selected their work! It will be so cool to meet the person whose art I am drawn...

I am thrilled to be attending! ~and, I hope to see you there!

The Naples Art Blogger

Naples Neighborhoods, Then and Now

There is a wonderful exhibit at The Naples Depot featuring the works of one of Naples most beloved artists, Paul Arsenault. The show features paintings of historic neighborhoods around Naples with a goal of exploring how they have changed over the years. The Naples Depot is one of 5 museums operated in Collier County, and they all offer free admission. The hours of the Arsenault show are Monday-Friday 9-5 and Saturday 9-4. The show runs through April 24th. I'm sure you will see The Red Pick Up Truck parked there soon!

Gina & me

Chalk Art 2011 & The 14th Annual Naples Invitational Art Fest!

"The world is but a canvas to the imagination."

~Henry David Thoreau

There are a lot of artsy things going on around Naples this weekend! I can tell you right now, you will see The Red Pick-Up Artist working along side popular Naples muralist Gina Fischer on 5th Avenue all day on Saturday, January 29th...They can be found right in front of the blue & white Coldwell Banker Previews building in the 500 block of Naples main street, 5th Avenue South! They are planning to create a masterpiece depicting one of Olde Naples charming homes. This fund raiser is benefiting The Rotary Scholarship Fund, and over 5,000 spectators are expected to watch 5th Avenue turn into a huge, color splashed canvas! Please, if you happen to make your way downtown, Gina and The Red Pick-Up Artist would really appreciate you voting for your "favorite" street painting...and we really hope it's ours!

Also this weekend, The Art Fest will be attracting well-known artists from around the country. Taking place in Fleischmann Park, this juried art show benefits 'Eden Autism Services Florida'. There will be 132 artists showing their work at the park. The Art Fest will run both Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to5 PM. For more information about this amazing undertaking and the charity that they support please click here: EDEN FLORIDA

These are just 2 of the amazingly artful happenings you can expect to find in Naples this weekend...It's no wonder Naples was named "Best Small Art Town in America"...and it's no wonder The Red Pick-Up Artist lives here!

A few more LINKS to this weekends activities: Bayshore Festival of the Arts and the Harry Chapin Empty Bowl fund raiser in Cambier Park!

Thanks everybody, and have a great weekend!

The Red Pick-Up Artist

Martini Glass Auction

"Painting is so poetic, while sculpture is more logical and scientific...makes you worry about gravity." ~Damien Hirst



...even the artist wore red....
















...this is the glass I bid on and won!














...I love red walls.

There was a lot of excitement in the shoe department at Saks last night...

The Martini Glass Auction, held last night raised a lot of money for The Naples International Film Festival...the beautiful glasses were on display, the artists were there greeting the bidders...everyone looked so good, smelled so good...and the shoes! oh, the shoes were amazing!

laughter & energy filled the room...I was very proud of my dear friend Gina.

Gina painted 13 of the 30+ glasses being auctioned. I was thrilled to bid on and win the very first martini glass auctioned off: painted by Gina, and signed by Candace Bushnell, the creator of

Sex and the City! ~Of course, need you ask, it has shoes painted on it!

The Arts in Downtown Naples

"I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious."

~Andrew Wyeth

There are so many upcoming events on the calendar for the downtown Naples area, it's almost impossible to keep up with it all! One great site to log onto to get details of what is happening is The Naples Art website. Mark your calendar now for the 2011 Lecture Series schedule. Also, the entire Studio Art Classes and Workshops are also listed on this site! One of mt most favorite events will be held at The von Liebig Art Center is the Non-Juried All Artist Members Show of Shows Exhibit and Members' Gallery Opening Show of the Season! November 6th through November 27th.

The Naples Art Festival season is kicking off its 54th season, [no wonder Naples was named best small art town in the nation] on November 6th with ART IN THE PARK! This is held on Park Street from 10 am to 4 pm and will showcase the von Liebig's member artists! The Naples Fall Fine Art & Craft Festival will be held on November 27th & 28th [see, I told you there's a lot of upcoming events]!

Have a great day,

The Naples Art Blogger