Shari Beaubien

The Extraordinarily Special Once-in-a-Lifetime Sale

Psst...

I want to let you in on a little secret.

I'm having an
Extraordinarily Special Once-in-a-Lifetime Sale!

This sale is for my newsletter subscribers only.
If you already subscribe, great!  You should have received
my latest newsletter containing details of the sale by now.
If for some reason you didn't,
just let me know and I'll check to make sure it didn't bounce.

If you're not a subscriber of my newsletter, not to worry!

You can sign up for free by clicking the little envelope in my left sidebar.
It's free.  I won't share your address with anyone, ever.
And you'll only receive 2-3 newsletters per year, at most.
(I don't send out newsletters unless I feel I have something worthwhile to say.)

That being said, I feel this sale is really, REALLY worthwhile.  The discounts are DEEP.  Plus, it marks the beginning of a BIG change in my artistic direction - all of which I've described in my newsletter, so I won't repeat it here.

If you do sign up and think my sale would interest anyone you know, please feel free to share this information with them.  I would greatly appreciate it!  Thank you so very much.

Youth Art Expo 2013

I am honored to have been invited to jury this exhibit at the Burbank Creative Arts Center.

The Youth Art Expo 2012 was my first experience serving as a juror and boy, was it challenging!  Children from the Burbank school system, grades K - 12, each submitted an original piece.  There were over 1,500 works of art in all.  From those, the gallery director at the Creative Arts Center narrowed the selection down to approximately 100 works.  It is from this selection that I juried the exhibit.

Media of every kind is represented there - everything from watercolor to digital art to assemblage to scratch board.  And to say that those kids are talented is an understatement!  I spent several hours with the artwork and then took a break in order to sit with my impressions for a while.  I had lunch and went back and spent another hour at least. 

It was difficult to make a final decision and I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.  I want to encourage each and every one of them to continue on their artistic paths and I couldn't bear it if not receiving an award deterred them in any way.  Luckily, everyone gets some sort of token for making it into the exhibit, so that makes me feel a little better.  I will be at both receptions and I hope I can convey the admiration I have for ALL of the work.

If you're interested in seeing some great artwork from the next generation, I'd encourage you to stop by.  The exhibit runs until April 25, 2013.  The reception for middle and high school is Thursday, April  11 from 5:30 - 7 pm and the reception for elementary school is Friday, April 12 from 5:30 - 7 pm.

 

Cool Artist

I read an article in my Professional Artist magazine the other day about artist Laura Mustio.  Laura developed a Kickstarter campaign called INITIRIC in order to fund an art/volunteer excursion to India, Italy, Ireland and Iceland.  (The name is comprised of the first two letters of each country she will visit.)  In just 42 days she raised nearly $16,000!

The thing that most caught my attention, however, was a quote by Laura:

"As artists, we need to allow ourselves
to have a chance to refuel and be inspired
and especially to be challenged to consider new ideas. 
We also need to have the time to make the work
that results from those experiences."

That pretty much sums up a lot of what I've been struggling to allow myself lately.

I watched Laura's INITIRIC video and took a stroll around her Kickstarter site.  It's pretty impressive.  Her marketing savvy alone is inspiring.  She really makes me think...

Laura is currently in India and blogging about her experiences.
Check it out if you have the time!

Back in Order, Thank Heavens!

We finally finished our kitchen counters
and got everything cleaned up, dusted off, and put away.
I thought you might enjoy a peek...

The surfaces are granite but I love them because they look like distressed concrete.

The next major project is to put some sort of white wash on the cabinetry,
but I'm in no rush.  I need a break from upheaval for a while.

Here are a few closeup shots of the many imperfections...

In art-related news, I'm looking forward to the Fine Art Federation reception tonight.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Fine Arts Federation Membership Show

Please join me for the
Fine Arts Federation Membership Show!

The theme this year is "Lucky 13" and I'll be showcasing "The Attempt".

The show runs from March 8 - 28, 2013 at
the Creative Arts Center in Burbank, CA.

Artist Reception to be held

Friday, March 8, 2013
7 pm - 9 pm

I hope to see you there!