July 13, 2008,
Well, Last night I went to the closing reception for the People's choice Competition at the Meridian Museum of Art (here in Mississippi) where I had entered my drawing "Self Searching" [link]
This contest is a bit unusual in that the viewers vote for their favorite works. I was happy to learn that I won first place in the drawing/print category! The best of show went to a very nice oil paint portrait of an old man done by a local artist from Meridian. I was more than content considering I am not from Meridian and did not have any friends there who could vote for me. I also met some good contacts and it sounds like I may have lined up a couple of gallery showings for the future with at least two of them!

July 5, 2008,
Started framing drawings for my show, which is not until next spring. But, the owner of a local frame shop/art supply store has given me a tremendous deal. He is letting me come in after hours once a week to mat, frame, and put glass on my drawings and I only have to pay him for materials! How sweet is that! Plus, I now know how to frame, etc. I am doing it this summer, because he is less busy at this time of year. As an added bonus, I just found out that I was awarded a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission to help pay for framing, brochures, etc. I also applied for a local grant from our Area Arts Council, but have not heard from them yet.

June 8, 2008,

I had a drawing, "Self Searching" [link] accepted into a cool regional show at the Meridian Museum of Art in Meridian Mississippi [link] The show is a bit unusual because winners in various categories and best of show are based on votes by the viewers. I have to say that the likelihood of my winning best of show with this piece is probably not very good in this ultra conservative region, and my feelings on that were not changed after the opening reception last night. For example, one wife asked her husband if it were evil, and he commented that, "yes, it was evil". For those of you who have seen my art, you probably know that it is not of a religious nature, but has more to do with subconscious stream of thought, and to some extent, the screwed up environmental state that we have created on our planet. I always find it comical that some people seek demons where ever they look. To be fair, my drawings have there share of strange creatures, but many of you may also know that I work as an entomologist. Much of what I see at work while in the field or working under the microscope pops up in my art. To me, my drawings are not really that weird compared to reality. The trouble is that many people don't take the time to look around. They also don't realize the trouble our planet is in, or don't care. But, I digress. I know I got some votes though, as some of the younger people really enjoyed my drawing and told me they voted for it. Voting will continue for the duration of the show, which lasts through July 12. But, whether I win a few bucks or not is not the point. Ultimately, it is all about showing people something different!

May 11 2008,

Some cool news-I just found out that I will be having a one man show at the Fine Arts Center in Eupora, Mississippi. The show will be sometime next spring, probably late March -mid to late April. Still working out details on that. It sounds like I can include pretty much whatever and how much I want to-translation-what I can afford to frame. I am working out a deal with a local frame/art store here in Starkville. I hope to have between 30 and 40 works in the show. The fine arts center in Eupora is relatively new and we are very excited about it. Eupora is a very small town, but in what appears to be a wonderful trend in this region, they are revitalizing their downtown area with a strong emphasis on regional arts. I am hoping to use this show as a jumping off point to do some bigger shows at other galleries in the region. As I get more info on the timing of the show, I will update this.
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