I am posting this Blog in a somewhat patch work manner. I started this a week and a half ago and have been joyfully very busy. I am as I write this introductory paragraph, packing to leave for a drive to Georgia for Callaway plein Air.

      I had some car issues. I had my car checked out for the trip Wednesday and 12 hours after they said everything was great, I pulled into my driveway (coming home from painting at Live Art Fusion IIXX) and the car went completely dead.  Got it back to same mechanic Thursday and they still have it. I decided to rent a car for the trip (as I deserve the comfort, confidence and efficiency).  I have another large vehicle for moving artwork, a station wagon (11 mpg) that I was going to use for errands and it too was dead..a neighbor said "you're having a tough time with cars and I smiled and replied "no not really, the first one went dead AFTER I got home so I went to bed calmly. Then it started in the morning and ran long enough to get it to the mechanic. The Wagon did not start  but today is not my deadline, today is sunny and not raining and so in the universal scheme of things, I'll take that any day! I am giving up a little to have so much... besides the universe was telling to enjoy the ride (the journey!) and with a rental, I will.. "  Jump started the wagon and it ran for errands! The rest of this was blog was loosely assembled at the end of March and I'm posting it basically as it was to get back to packing art supplies. Please forgive any organizational cacophonous.

I am so pleased to share more great and positive news: I have been very busy prepping for upcoming plein air events, painting at LIVE ART FUSION and doing demos. In addition to acting auditions,  work on films, the newest Visigoth Capital one commercial (I'm one of the Viking type guys. left side in the tree) and photo shoots, I've been entering shows, doing new artwork and helping out local charity organizations. 

    It seemed like every time I was about to compose a blog post on the good news, more news came in and I was so overjoyed that i had to rethink the posting. While I find writing a flowing and usually easy experience, gathering my thoughts during such an intense period of "leg work" seemed a little more daunting. Since January, there has been a steady stream of deadlines for me every week for some form of paper work.  I have had a multitude of Plein Air competitions to enter, juried art shows and proposals for art installations and even a grant. In the interest of timeliness and in deference to the time constraints that await me this weekend I think it best to just list the array of events and endeavors that I have been up to and events I have been juried into. I have among many other things done the following:

 *   Submitted  a proposal for "ART UNDER GLASS" for a one year sculptural installation called "WONDER" at the Tilles Center 

      Atrium at CW POST.

*    Entered myself into several of the highest level juried Plein Air art competitions in the country.

*    Painted two paintings at LIVE ART FUSION (LAF) every Wednesday since the first week of 2012

*    Been featured in 3 online news articles about L.A.F.

*    Been featured on 2  separate online video news reports

*    Made the cover of the entertainment section of NEWSDAY (Our local major newspaper) in an article abotu LAF.

*    Fios is doing a two part highlight on me and my artwork, the second part is taping at Live art fusion XXI, May 5, 2012, 7:30-11

*    Donated a painting that raised $3000 for the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center.

 

I did write at the onset that a lot was happening...there's more

 

*    I've been selected to compete/paint in Callaway plein Air and Easels in Frederick (as per last blog post)

*    Received notice that I have been juried into Wayne Plein Air, Cranford "paint the town" 2012 Plein air (after last post)

*    invited back to Paint in Curacao Plein Air 2012

*    Today received notice that I am in Plein Air Easton 2012, (the biggest & best Plein Air competition in the country)

       for a second straight year!

*     I have been notified that my proposal for the Tilles center "Art Under Glass" has been chosen to move onto the next round of

       the selection process.

*     I have had the pleasure of Mentoring and tutoring several artists, several college students and one professor in areas of study

       from nursing to fashion design.

*    The March 20th,  plein Air oil painting demo @ Utrecht Art Supplies in Carle Place NY. was standing room only.

*    April 3, 2012 5:30-7:30 demonstrated to a packed housethe incredible potential of acrylics

        @ Utrecht Art Supplies in Carle Place NY.

 

** April 27th, I will be the lead demonstrator at the Art League of Long island's  (ALLI) "ART AFTER DARK" 

      Where I will be painting to Live Music, showing fusion paintings and demonstrating the fusion painting technique.

 

 I am taking the next step forward in the coming weeks to the ***smart phone age to make blog entries, tweeting and facebook updates for Kirk Larsen Art,  easier.  While I am competing and painting over the next year I will be posting images, videos and commentary about paintings in progress, awards and finished paintings as well. I invite everyone to share this blog, follow it and subscribe to the email newsletter from kirklarsenfineart.com to be part of the wonderful movement forward.  Art uplifts and inspires. It is with immeasurable gratitude that I embrace the gifts I have and work daily to learn more and refine them.  It look forward to be able to share the moments of creation with a wider audience. I'll be in southern Georgia from April 14-22, and considering the warm spring we've already had, I suspect it might get a bit warm.

 

{***INSERTED UPDATE AS OF 4/12/12 last night I tested the phone I thought I was going to get. The Droid bionic calls and works well with other smart phones but calling older phones and landlines, my old LG has a much better speaker and call clarity, so I will keep shopping and as of today will be making the Georgia trip on the old phone.  So no GPS but I've traveled for decades with maps and intuition. I will still upload and post progress reports and images. }

 

      To give you a sense of what a Plein Air competition can be like: Last year at Easton, temperatures were 96-107 degrees, but mostly 98... I stayed hydrated but still lost 11 lbs while painting 22 paintings in 12 days. That's an interesting set of numbers to ponder when you consider that there is no day off to wait for inspiration...It was hot and the amazing group of artists still turned out a few hundred excellent  paintings during the event.

 

 

I am so incredibly excited to get painting,  to see my artists friends, meet new artists  and mostly to make great art that brings joy for years to come to the art lovers that buy them! I look forward to hearing all your feedback. Thanks for the support and please share the email newsletter and blog links. -Thanks for reading-sincerely Kirk Larse