Art Spirit Newsletter
May 3rd, 2020
P4P-19-Michael-Vermette-Zeb-Cove-Point_11-1024x804
"Zeb-Cove-Point" an oil on heavy Linen 38 x 48 by Michael E. Vermette.
2019 Paint For Preservation painting that went up for auction in
support.
Call for Artists: Paint for Preservation 2020
My painting that I painted for the Paint for Preservation 2019 Cape
Elizabeth Land Trust "Zeb Cove Point" is being used to advertise this
year's
CELT submissions for "Paint for Preservation", the 13th annual juried
wet paint auction on Sunday, June 28, 2020. Interested artists should
visit their website for the entry form and instructions for submissions.
The DEADLINE is: March 13th, 2020.
Thanks to all of the business sponsors, without whose support this
would not be possible. To see how your business can reach this
audience, email patty@capelandtrust.org. I have applied and hope to be
one of the artists who are chosen to paint at Cape Elizabeth this year.
To see Board President Elizabeth Goodspeed and Vice President David
Briman interviewed recently in a short video on the value of
accreditation for land trusts click on the following link:CELT Land
Trust accredidationhttps://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1837525176382070
CELT has been an accredited land trust through LTA since 2015, and
recently applied for a five-year renewal. Click the link above to see
more!
The Last Dance: What Are We Living For?
The Last Dance is a mini-series that focuses on the 1997-98 Chicago
Bulls. In this 2020 American sports documentary a film crew had an
all-access pass to the Bulls during the National Basketball Association
season. In Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech he stated, that
basketball was what he lived for. I remember his performance was simply
magical to watch and gave me a new appreciation for the game. It brings
to mind the question, "What are we living for?" Perhaps In this season
as we strive to define what will be our new normal in this Pandemic the
question could just as easily be asked, "How has covid-19 kept you from
being who you are?"
Early on, that question came to me so powerfully, that I decided as an
artist and art educator that I would not let the restrictions I was
facing change who I am, what I live for and what I do. I still follow
all the CDC guidelines, I am not talking here about being unsafe. I am
talking about reinventing a way to be who I have always been or want to
aspire to be. As an artist I have applied for a residency, viewed
professional videos, planned a plein air workshop, and designed a
painting challenge for myself on Monhegan Island. I did this even
though I may not ever be awarded the privilege to carry these plans out
in the or faced of either postponement or cancellations. One thing I am
sure of in this pandemic, I will continue to paint in my studio and
produce en plein air just as our amazing olympians are continuing to
find creative new ways to keep in shape for their postponed life-time
event in 202One.
In my art educational capacity I have made 25 Youtube videos to date as
a familiar platform for my Indian Island elementary and middle school
Students and anyone else who would like to view my end of the year art
sculpture projects and lessons. I have raised money to pay for art
supplies and donated into the fund out of my own pocket so that art
packets could be made and sent to each of my students complete with
distant learning lesson plans. I have never made a youtube video in my
life, but I learned how with my limited equipment, my cell phone and
what film experience I have. If anyone would like to see anyone of
these videos you can just google: ME Art Spirit Studio Videos. They are
not professional quality by far, but they are a way to inspire and
reach my students in this time of isolation.
I can tell you that in these last 4 weeks, I have never been more busy
in all my career as an artist or art educator. I have developed an
insatiable desire to produce more paintings than ever and I have
recently not only ordered more art supplies but a new GoPro-8 camera
with accessories to make better YouTube videos of my future on location
painting adventures. An idea that I have had but never had the time to
start. And time seems to be all that we have now.
So you see, this pandemic that came upon us so quickly, causing us to
freeze, fear and even giving us an impulse to run; actually stirred in
me a will to fight back. It gave me a resolve that I will not just take
a wait and see approach, hoping things will go back to normal. I
decided to use this time to develop and hone my skills as a
professional artist and art educator despite the changes and
precautions we will now be required to put into place. In these times I
an curtain that the honor in every modern artist today is found in
their own perceived value. Particularly what we believe our precieved
value story will be. For me I want my story to be about more than
money, time, protest, comfort and more about a life lived in the art
spirit of the beauty of God's spectacular identity, particularly one
that is found in nature. I know that beauty has the power to save our
world, and as artists we have a particular role to play in this. Maybe
its time for our last dance; or maybe its time for us to reenact and
redefine who we are as creatives and arise to another level. A time,
maybe, to accomplish what it is we have always said we will one day
aspire to. Either way, it will sure beat waiting around to see if this
will all blow over. God forbid that we come out of this looking in the
past and the way things were for our new normal.
I will end with one last thought in the form of a question. If there
wasn't a pandemic, where would you be today, what would you be doing
and what would you be pursuing? I am convinced we are meant to find a
new way to reach these goals even through all of the circumstances and
restrictions we are faced with. As creative people, now is not the time
for us to freeze, hide or unleash anger. Now is the time to find a way
to be the artist we were meant to be. After all, now more than ever,
the world needs the beauty that will come forth from our hands that
will define our society's very identity.
We truly are in this together,
Michael E. Vermette
filename-1 (2)
A Photo of Michael E. Vermette painting Katahdin from Katahdin Lake in
February.
Sent from:
{{FASO_DOMAIN}}
{{AM_COMPANY_NAME}}
{{AM_COMPANY_ADDRESS}}
{{AM_CSZ}}
{{AM_COUNTRY}} Artful Mail by FASO
Learn More about ArtfulMail
unsubscribe from this newsletter