Sarah R. Bloom Photography

Opening Night

This past Saturday was the opening of The Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2010 exhibit put on by the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council at The State Museum of Pennsylvania. 150 works were selected from over 2,000 entries and it is a great honor to be selected! 

The opening event was fantastic. It is such a thrill to get there and rush around trying to find where your artwork is hanging, then take a step back and take it all in. The show is truly incredible. Works are chosen in 5 categories: Paintings, Works on Paper, Sculpture, Crafts, and Photography. The curators put the photography all together in one sort of alcove section and it is an impressive display. As you make your way around the vast gallery space, there are gems everywhere you look. I was in very talented company across every discipline. Reaction to my piece was mixed, from what I could tell. I didn't have my daughter there with me to eavesdrop like she did two years ago when I had a piece in the show. Some women seemed to dismiss it because there was nudity, others were drawn to it for the same reason, but when I caught someone really "feeling it," it was a thrill.

One moment that stands out for me in the night was when I stopped to admire a beautiful woodcut print and there was a man standing next to me doing the same. We both stood there for a good minute with slight grins on our faces, so to solidify that we were sharing an appreciation for the piece, I turned to him and said, "It's not often you see woodcuts!" He glanced at me, not wanting to break his gaze from the piece, and said, "That's my son. So many hours of work went into this..." and it was such a beautiful thing to witness this father's total pride and awe in what his son had created (Matthew L. Colaizzo).

Some of the other work that stood out for me that night include the first prize winner in Crafts, Larry Shull, who created a gorgeous kinetic sculpture called Play in a Round, and the third prize winner in Crafts, Heather Ujiie for her incredibly impressive digital ink-jet print on silk panels called The Garden of Eden. I took pause at Christopher Kline's Leaf Footed Bug, a plastic pencil on drafting film piece with gorgeous detail, Kate Shelley's silver gelatin print, Fade (and a lovely young woman to meet), Felicia Perretti's powerful black and white photograph, The Car Seat Fight, and Shelly I. Lependorf & Stan Shire's stunning photograph, Horizon Fields II. There were many more, but it will take me ages to list them all, and I am going by memory and the catalog that has no thumbnail image at the moment!

The show is on display through September 12th, when Harrisburg holds its Annual Gallery Walk. I highly recommend you stop in if you are anywhere near or find yourself passing through. I will be taking a second trip there later in July with my girlfriends to look at everything again. :)

Did I Mention?

that I was accepted this year into The Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2010? No?

I had a self-portrait shown in 2008 and then last year I did not get accepted. This year I submitted three entries and only one of them was a self-portrait. I hoped that my photo of my friend Denise might get in if any of them did, as that cemetery photo shoot is one of my favorite sessions and the picture in particular is my favorite of the batch.

Plus, how cool to have a photo I took of my beautiful friend (and muse and goddess and amazing woman and photographer) got to hang in the State Museum in Harrisburg, Pa?!

Very, very cool indeed.

In Bloom

I am happy to announce that my work is on display at La.Va Café, located at 21st and South Streets in Philadelphia!

I was very fortunate to have a friend connect me with the owner here. She had contacted my friend for help when an artist backed out at the last minute, and he thought of me. It was the day after we said goodbye to Pansy, so it was a good distraction and a much-needed one. I still had a lot of pieces framed and ready from the show in February, plus a bunch of small TTV's from a December show so I was good to go.

My husband and my mom helped me hang it on Monday and I have to say, it looks great in the space. It is a lovely establishment; a very comfortable and welcoming atmosphere with a large and loyal following. I quickly ordered 5 more prints that I'm framing tonight to hang in the morning because there was still some good wall space left, as it turned out! I am glad to put up a few newer things (and some things other than self-portraits).

The opening reception is Friday June 5th from 5pm to 8pm (or so)! If you are local, please do come by and say hello. If you can't make it Friday evening, the show is going to be up for TWO months, all the way up until my 40th birthday (July 31st), so stop in and grab coffee and some grub (yummy and cheap food there) anytime. If you'd like to arrange a time to meet me there, just let me know and we'll work something out.

[If you're on Facebook, here's the public event listing]

Haiga

This week I am honored to have been asked to share my photography paired with my haiku on the beautiful site Haiku by Two.

From Haiku by Two, "...haiga is the marriage of a haiku and an image. Traditionally, this would be a watercolor painting and a calligraphy haiku although today’s haiga are much more varied. But whatever the medium or approach, the image and the haiku work together for a complete affect."

Please join us over there to see a new haiga each day from me, as well as the daily haiku that alternate from Alison and Kelly, the founders of the site! There are also reviews, other guest posters, and invitations to submit your own haiku under a particular theme.

Preparations and Expectations

My Year in Pictures photo for yesterday, Wed. April 8th

As you may have heard, last night I was one of 4 artists to show and talk about my work for the First Person Arts Salon series. I decided to focus on the journey of my self-portrait story and began with my very first SP posted to the 365 Days group (no composition, no make-up, this-is-me kind of shot). I then talked about my progression as a photographer and a model, and the transformation into an artist. I showcased much of my first year's work and then highlights from the second year, followed by a "what I'm currently into" selection. Unfortunately we had a bit of a technical glitch and the SPs I saved for last because they were best, didn't get shown! LOL. But no matter...it went really well and I received lovely comments after.

I had great Flickr support and met some Flickr'ers I hadn't yet! Thanks to my friends Gwyn and Teri for coming out! And lovely to meet Chris, Andrea, and Albert.

I was so nervous about it! I went last, too, so I had plenty of time to get worked up. Heh. Once I started talking, I guess I sounded less nervous than I actually was. The other artists were amazing...a great collection of work by Ted Adams/Joseph Van Blunk, Samara O'Shea, and Collette Copeland.

I'll be writing a more thorough review of the evening in the next day or so here on the blog. I'm leaving in less than an hour for the East Coast Jewish exodus to Long Island for Passover Seder. :-)

Happy Pesach!

First Person Salon Tonight

I've been so nervous about this for no good reason, really. I've spoken in front of people before and I'm certainly not that shy! I just seem to get more and more addled as I get older. I'm terrified of either breaking into fits of hysterical laughter or uncontrollable sobbing. The first is to be preferred, obviously.

I'm showing and talking about my work--my love of the last few years. This should be easy, right?

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. Eep.

A Lovely Night

What can I say?

It was an incredible night. There was a wonderful celebratory atmosphere and so much love and support in the room that enveloped us—everyone seemed to feel it.

The cold medicine did its job and the Vietnamese iced coffee Cecily brought me helped even more, but I truly felt buoyed by my friends and family that came. I had friends drive from over 2 hours away only to get stuck in horrendous traffic jams that doubled their trip. Many suburb-dwellers got stuck in that same traffic! I had Flickr friends there and my oldest friends as well as my newest.

I had a few surprise friends turn up, too!

Three of those friends bought my work! So huge thanks to:

Jo-Ann and Elliot, who purchased “Ignoring the things she hopes will go away”

Claudine and Paul, who purchased “And it all went out the window”

and

Caitlin, who purchased “A Million Little Remedies”!

I give my most heartfelt gratitude to Roldan West and Jen Park for their hospitality, encouragement, and for their space, of course!

This has been such an important experience for me to learn a lot and gain more confidence. To see my work on the walls like that, with people I love admiring it sincerely—taking the time to appreciate my efforts—felt like winning a “major award.” 

The trick now is to stay motivated and active in promoting myself. I have a few things to apply for including a good talk with someone who turned out to be an acquaintance from years ago who is the Communications and Marketing Associate at First Person Arts at the Arts Bank in Philadelphia. I hope to be presenting my work and giving a talk there sometime in the next few months.

Roldan is already talking with Christy and I about showing again in July, when there is more pedestrian traffic.

This next month I want to put some more focus on the portrait side of my photography (i.e. the part that can make some money) and try and get more creative with what I offer. I have a few ideas to put into action.

We are on our last $90 in the bank until a wire transfer comes through from England, but I’m happy. ☺

Ready or Not...

...Here I come!

The show opening is tonight! I'm sick as a dog, but excited.

My face feels like a (used) punching bag. I'm bleary. I'm tired. Too tired to even be nervous, which I guess is good. Cold medicine is starting to wake me up a little bit, and I'll be taking some more later.

I decided not to stress about what to wear and am going with jeans, sneakers, and a black t-shirt. Maybe a necklace. And I'll put a bit of makeup on so as not to look so much like a zombie!

I'm really looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting some friends I've only talked with online, as well as brand new friends. I just hope I can stay on my feet!

Full report tomorrow of course. I have to go get ready now as we're supposed to leave my house in 40 minutes to help set up. And I have a feeling this will be a late night.

Thank you all so so much for the amazing support you've given...it feels so nice to have people rooting for you. :-)
xo

It's all the little things

This is me, exhausted, after suffering through so many minor meltdowns I lost count.
Tears were shed. Curses were overflowing. Husbands were screamed at. One piece of glass was broken (that was an accident). Heads were hit into walls (on purpose).

This was before I went to pick up Christy and take her to IKEA for her frames. Then we came back here and she started framing some of her work at 9:30pm as I sat down to install the hardware bits and had another meltdown and cursing fest when I realized that I did, in fact, need to remove the backing on each piece in order to do so. And beat myself up for not checking that first.

I console myself by knowing that Christy (and perhaps you!) can learn from my mistakes. ;-)

Woke up at 7am today (this is my photo of the day for yesterday). Christy will finish framing and I will help if she wants/needs it while also finalizing our labels for printing and price list for photocopying. I go borrow my mom's station wagon later and we bring all our work down to the space to hang it at 2pm. I think my photo for today will be there. :-)

It is amazing how many things there are to do that you never think about! The framing is the big nightmare, then there is the artist's statement, the pricing and the price list, the labels, do you sign or not sign, number or not number, title, etc! And every time you think you are done, there is something else still to do. Advertising and promoting the show, reception wine and cheese, what to wear! LOL.

But guess what?

My photos look absolutely and totally amazing. I'm pretty excited.

Framing

So. The prints are ordered and should arrive by Thursday.

I ordered 29 prints.

I have to write an artist statement that doesn't make me want to puke. Someone want to help me with that?

I have to put all the prints in these frames, which means cleaning the glass, installing the hardware, and holy shit it is going to take forever.

I have to finalize how these will be priced, then make the title/price list that will be out at the show...oh wait, the final list has to wait until we hang and know how they will be numbered.

The show is being hung this weekend, Saturday or Sunday.

Poor Christy has to come up here Friday night with her prints so I can take her to Ikea and get all her frames, then come back to my house so she can put them together.

I cannot believe how stressful this is...having nightmares about it for the past four nights and I'm smoking cigarettes in my dreams like crazy (it's been 9 months since I quit, by the way)!

Something has to sell at this show. Has to. Did I mention the super blow-out sale I'm having? I'm practically giving it away!!

My resume is totally ready, though, so I got that going for me. :-)