Scratch House News: September 2005

New River Valley Art Show

Joe Kelley's "Knobbed Maple" (also known as "The Boob Tree") is currently on display at the 8th Biennial New River Art Juried Exhibition at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd, Virginia. This year’s exhibit features 45 works selected by juror Don Black that represent artists within a 100 mile radius of Blacksburg and Floyd. Art mediums featured in the show include paintings, photography, jewelry, glasswork and clay.

There will be an opening reception and awards ceremony this Saturday, October 1st, from 3 to 5pm in the Hayloft Gallery. The show will be on display from October 1st through November 6th.

More information is available at the Jacksonville Center website and the Blacksburg Regional Art Association website.

Here is one of Mary's pictures
of the Scratch House boob tree

Just Ducky

"Well if the river was whiskey and I was a diving duck
I would dive to the bottom never would I come up" -Muddy Waters

I was probably singing that song to myself when I drew this misshapen duck. I really like this drawing because it's so awkward and funny. The fart bubble was more accidental than intentional but it seems to suit the duck perfectly. Many of my drawings start with little scribbles that evolve into pictures, which is probably the case with the fart bubble. I really do love ducks and birds in general. Most of my sketches are imaginary birds, part of a larger project called "The Natural History of the Undescribed Birds". This idea sounds whimsical but it speaks to something more serious - that the natural wild world is being destroyed by humanity faster than humanity can discover and describe it.

How to make a Duck Fart:
Ingredients:
3/4 oz Kahlua
3/4 oz Bailey's irish cream
3/4 oz Canadian whisky (Canadian Club)
Mixing instructions:
layered- bottom to top Kahlua, Bailey's, Canadian Club
Enjoy.

Hillsville Flea Market

Here are some of Mary's pictures from the Annual Flea Market & Gun Show in Hillsville, Virginia this past Labor Day Weekend.

En Plein Air Landscape Drawing Class

Joe Kelley will be teaching the class "En Plein Air Landscape Drawing" offered at the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd, Virginia from Friday Sept. 30th through Sunday Oct. 2nd, 9am to 4:30pm. The class will have a classroom introduction with a slide show and a discussion of landscape drawing techniques, composition, and history. The class will decide on two local outdoor sites to draw. A period of discussion and critique will end the class. Students are expected to participate in final critique.

Click here to see the Jacksonville School for the Arts Fall 2005 class schedule, with on-line registration and additional information about classes, lodging, meals, and more.