Impossible to Paint with a Puppy!

Thankfully my husband returns today and I can say that my latest painting is complete! It was not easy to get studio time with Stella attached to my hip, but I got lucky last Sunday (she stayed the weekend at he pet sitters and came home really tired) – I was able to work on my project and have her snuggle on the desk beside my drawing board that I paint on. No such luck Wednesday, again, I’m soloing the parental responsibilities, so I came home, we eat, played and into her crate she went with toys, rawhide, and an attitude. I carried her downstairs and placed her in my studio in full view of me. It was only then when I realized that it was it was just the best position for me to watch her destroy her travel bed (bad dog) – after a few sharp NO’s she turned around ignored me, and stared up the stairs, at the door – hoping someone would save her (they didn’t.) I on the other hand worked on the emblem that is on the front of the hood of the Corvette painting that I have been working on for quite a while. No easy task as it’s hard to be detailed when you are working teeny tiny. The best thing about MY style is that I’m a stylized painter, so I sort of make up the rules as I go along, making somthing as vague, suggested or detailed as I see fit. For this project, I measured, calculated, and drafted this car to perfection. Using an orginal GM factory color and capturing details from this machine, I really love the way this car painting came out. It stands 12×24, a really different size for me, long and thin. It is not pre-sold, but will be shown and premiered at Vettes for Pets. The background is a city that the Vette is driving from, this is where the Vague comes in. Sadly my studio is out of commission for a few weeks while it is being re-done to give me more space (YES) – but this requires me not painting. With an upcoming trip to New Orleans, I will use this time for inspiration and perhaps gardening and outside time. OH and time with Stella. We are making the studio dog friendly (which it’s not now) – thanks for reading

Corvette Painting near completion

I’ve been working on one painting for over a span of weeks and it’s mostly due to life getting in the way and a bit of construction where my studio is located in my house. Picture a car, larger than life – driving away from metropolis right off the canvas, and this is what you have in this painting. I am featuring it at Vettes for Pets, a fundraiser that combines an animal shelter with one of the hotest cars on the planet.  Stella is becoming quite the studio dog, actually sleeping (outside a crate) on my side table for 3 hours while I worked on the piece yesterday (I know, it’s amazing)!  I hopefully will have it photo’d for my site and posted here sooner than later. I still have to add the emblem and tweak a few things…but it so close.

coming up – more pet portraits, a show at Daunis (my jeweler that designed Rich and my wedding rings) – of course Vettes for Pets and a Poetry Curaturial at the Co-op, which will be my last show there (my choice).

More later

F Words

PORTLAND, MAINE -
SKG (Sylvia Kania Gallery) has been Voted Portland’s Best Art Gallery in The Phoenix Best of ‘09!

The artists of SKG welcome spring with a fresh new look and show featuring some feisty fine art. The F Word features works formulated around the question of what it means to be a feminist artist today and what feminist art looks like. This show is our first to feature a few guest artists in addition to our co-op members.

April 23 – The F Word gets all dolled up for an Artists Reception from 5-7pm at SKG. Come take a peep at the fierce and fascinating works our artists have fabricated.
April 25 – A V-Day Benefit Screening of ‘Until the Violence Stops’ at 7pm. Admission is $5 with all proceeds going to charitable organizations.
May 1 – Don’t miss the ever-unique array of art, the delectable homemade treats, and the wine and live Music which is a First Friday staple.
May 3 – join the artists of SKG for our first Fruit & Fondue Brunch featuring bite size delectables in celebration of our F Word show. Entry is free (donations are always welcomed) and Sunday Best attire is requested. Please RSVP to skgmanager@gmail.com by April 29.
May 21 – We kick off our series of Third Thursday Art Talks where artists are invited to converse, converge, and create. This will be an open discourse focused on the theoretical side of art. Free Event – 7pm-9pm
May 23 – Naked Gallery Art Party 2.0- It’s back and bigger than before. We’re stripping the gallery down to the bare walls again and giving you permission to create anything you want. DJs J Hjort and Moshe, VJ Foo and some special guests will be spinning beats to keep the creative vibes flowing. 8pm – midnight. 18+ $4 suggested donation at the door.
SKG is located at 148 High Street, Portland, directly across the street from the Eastland Park Hotel. Our regular hours are Wednesdays through Saturdays 11am- 6:30pm and Sundays 11am-3pm or by chance any other time.
About Sylvia Kania Gallery
SKG is a funky artist-run cooperative,
focused on culture, outreach &
conversation in an invitingly
offbeat space & has been Voted
Portland’s Best Art Gallery in The Phoenix Best ‘09!
Now supporting 22 Artists

SKG Artists: Cat McKenna, Jessica Lauren Lipton, Jonathan M. Dunitz,
Lori Rae Curole, Kelly Donohoe, Gregor Arturo, Jen Joaquin, Lindsay Torrey,
Felicia Teach, Molly Anathan, Natallia Chekunova,
Catherine Ross, Robert Hollingworth, Carlo Spirto, Kelly Whelan, Bridget McAlonan, Jennifer Tauber, Jeanne Wells, Dennis Stein, Kevin Colle, Ray Cathode, and Ian Georing

ART: Photography Paintings Installation Pottery Fiber Arts Sculpture Jewelry Printmaking Glass Prints Coffee Bar & Live Music on First Fridays

Brillian Mistake

Corvette Painting

This project has been broken up in different times that I have been able to work on it. The start of this focused much committment on producing shows, booking my own shows, the Co-op, hosting some openings and managing Constant Contact. Ok – and I have to say we have been traveling a bit. I can finally see the light that will lead me to my studio and finish this amazing project. This is 12×24 – Acrylic on Canvas – A green 69 with a really and truly different background. Because the painting is more technical than I normally paint, I am really taking my time. More later —-

Kirk Rogers

Portland is #1 Most liveable city

America’s Most Livable Cities
By Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Forbes.com
Apr 3rd, 2009
ARTICLE TOOLS: Email article Printable view IM article Save to del.icio.us Bookmark
Looking for a better way of life? Start your search with these places.
The beer at Gritty McDuff’s might be enough to lure people to Portland, Me. Established in 1988, the downtown pub offers a smattering of small-batch ales brewed on the premises in addition to usual tavern treats. From the patio, customers can enjoy a pint along cobblestone streets or retire to the copper-topped bar for a second round.

Tasty microbrews aren’t the only reason to like Portland. Thanks to high marks in five key quality of life metrics, Portland tops this year’s list of America’s Most Livable Cities.

In Depth: America’s Most Livable Cities

“It’s a very easy place to live,” says Leon Perrin, 31, a manager at Gritty’s. “It’s small, so getting around isn’t too much of a hassle. And it’s a beautiful place throughout all four seasons.”

Perrin, who has lived in Maine for 20 years, is one of 513,000 residents living the good life in the Portland metropolitan area. The region earned high marks for income growth and culture; it also has low levels of crime and unemployment. Residents can afford the relatively high cost of living because of a 6.3% income growth rate over the past five years.

Bethesda, Md., and Des Moines, Iowa., round out the top three, followed by Bridgeport/Stamford, Conn., and Tulsa, Okla.

Behind the Numbers
To form our list, we looked at quality of life measures in the nation’s largest continental U.S. metropolitan statistical areas–geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for use by federal agencies in collecting, tabulating and publishing federal statistics. We eliminated areas with populations smaller than 500,000 and assigned points to the remaining metro regions across five data sets: Five-year income growth per household and cost of living from Moody’s Economy.com, crime data and leisure index from Sperling’s Best Places, and annual unemployment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Modesto, Calif., ranks as the worst metro area with more than 500,000 residents. This crime-wracked enclave in the Central Valley demands the same moderately high cost of living as Portland with a third of the job growth and nearly three times the unemployment. Modesto ranked fifth on our roundup of the nation’s most miserable cities earlier this year.

Denver, Colo., No. 11 on the list, ranks in part for its culture rank (19 of 379) and 4.4% income growth (77 of 379). The crime rating of Cambridge, Mass.’ crime rating (29 of 379) helped it to No. 7 on our list. And though Little Rock, Ark., landed at 15, it boasts a 6% income growth rate (18 of 379) and a 5.4% unemployment rate (59 of 379.)

To be sure, Portland isn’t perfect either. Its 5.9% unemployment rate is much lower than Modesto’s, but it’s still double its 2007 unemployment rate of 3.7%.

“There are less jobs to go around, but our main industry of tourism hasn’t been affected much,” says Perrin. “People are still coming to Portland.”

Residents remain optimistic that their easy-living city will retain its desirability.

“Portland draws so many people because it has a strong arts, cultural, contemporary music and foodie scene,” says Janis Beitzer, executive director of Portland’s Downtown District. “It’s a place where people set their own pace of life and work.”

In Depth: America’s Most Livable Cities

America’s Top 5 Most Livable Cities
1. Portland, Maine
Metro Area: Portland/South Portland/Biddeford
Metro Population: 513,000
Income Growth: 6.3% (No. 8 of 379)
Cost of Living Index: 102.1 (No. 290 of 379)
Culture Index: 76 (No. 90 of 379)
Crime per 100,000: 2,611 (No. 55 of 379)
Unemployment: 5.9% (No. 29 of 379)

2. Bethesda, Md.
Metro Area: Bethesda
Metro Population: 1,171,000
Income Growth: 4.4% (No. 79 of 379)
Cost of Living Index: 128.2 (No. 364 of 379)
Culture Index: 93 (No. 26 of 379)
Crime per 100,000: 2,710 (No. 68 of 379)
Unemployment: 4.2% (No. 66 of 379)

3. Des Moines, Iowa
Metro Area: Des Moines
Metro Population: 553,000
Income Growth: 4.2% (No. 91 of 379)
Cost of Living Index: 90.2 (No. 165 of 379)
Culture Index: 68 (No. 121 of 379)
Crime per 100,000: 3,854 (No. 193 of 379)
Unemployment: 5.0% (No. 48 of 379)

4. Stamford, Conn.
Metro Area: Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk
Metro Population: 897,000
Income Growth: 4.1% (No. 107 of 379)
Cost of Living Index: 142.0 (No. 372 of 379)
Culture Index: 97 (No. 11 of 379, tie)
Crime per 100,000: 2,307 (No. 26 of 379)
Unemployment: 6.5% (No. 115 of 379)

5. Tulsa, Okla.
Metro Area: Tulsa
Metro Population: 910,000
Income Growth: 4.9% (No. 50 of 379)
Cost of Living Index: 90.6 (No. 171 of 379)
Culture Index: 72 (No. 105 of 379)
Crime per 100,000: 4,462 (No. 250 of 379)
Unemployment: 5.6% (No. 21 of 379)

Click here for the full list of America’s Most Livable Cities

Vettes for Pets

Northeast Animal Shelter “Vettes for Pets 2009″Save the Date – Saturday, May 16, 2009
Dear Lori Rae,
One of the things I love about being a visual artist is the freedom I have to choose the subject matter which I paint. Those who have followed my art realize my passion for animals & cars. I am participating in a charity event which will bring two of my art passions together for a good cause. On Saturday May 16, 2009 The Northeast Animal Shelter is sponsoring “Vettes for Pets 2009″ – this will be located at 347 Highland Ave. Salem MA (978)-745-9888 10:00am till 3:00pm. I will be displaying paintings, note cards & selling gift certificates for commissioned Auto & Pet Portraits. A Portion of my proceeds from the event sales will be donated to the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA, the organization benefiting from the “Vettes for Pets” Corvette car show. The Raindate for this event is May 17,2009 10:00am till 3:00pm Directions:
Route 128 North or South to Exit 26, Lowell Street, Peabody.
Drive east towards Peabody/Salem for 2.5 miles to the end of the road.
Turn right onto route 107 South.
Drive South about 2 miles, get into the left lane, and make a U-turn as soon as you pass Puleo’s Diner.
Drive north less than 1/4 mile. The Shelter is located between Highland Gardens and Hutchinson Medical.
For Shelter information go to:
http://www.northeastanimalshelter.org/ Rich, Stella (Our Mini Dachshund) and I hope to see you there.
Sincerely,Lori Rae CuroleWet Paint! Studios and Lollipop Art Productions
P.O. Box 250Portland, Maine 04112Wet Paint! Studios and Lollipop Art Productions207-415-7143

Kirk Roger’s Opening at Biddeford Savings bank – Yesterday

Thanks to the artist, and the host (Laurie Mooney of Biddeford Savings Bank) – the opening was well attended and the art and food was fabulous. Roger’s has about 40 pieces of Bird Photography hanging on the walls, and had prints and plaques (shown) for sale yesterday. The crowd was good and it felt like there were always a good number of people in attendence. The highlight (or one) – Kirk brought his camera with a very Lonnnng lense and towards the end you could look through it. This camera looked pretty cool. Laurie catered the event with shrimp dill cups and margarita dip with fruit – very good. Kirk’s show will stay up until June 27th, so if you get a chance, check it out. Highlights for me – Stella got to come in at the end, she was sleeping in the car. She was nervous, which is not like her at all – but the bank did not smell familiar to her. She was well received and her and I met a couple who have 2 mini’s, yippee – dauchshund friends. I also caught up with good friends, Holly and Paul. Met a vintage car enthusiast who took my business card – and as always, mingled amongst some truly fine art. Thanks to all, it was fun.

Northeast Animal Shelter Vettes for Pets

Sat. 16 May 2009 — Raindate 17 May
347 Highland Ave. Salem MA (978)-745-9888
10:00am till 3:00pm $20.00 per car
(all proceeds go directly to the shelter)
Directions:
Route 128 North or South to Exit 26, Lowell Street, Peabody.
Drive east towards Peabody/Salem for 2.5 miles to the end of the road.
Turn right onto route 107 South.
Drive South about 2 miles, get into the left lane, and make a U-turn as soon as you pass Puleo’s Diner.
Drive north less than 1/4 mile. The Shelter is located between Highland Gardens and Hutchinson Medical.
For Shelter information go to:

http://www.northeastanimalshelter.org/

Lori Rae Curole Wet Paint Studios & Lollipop Art Productions P.O. Box 250 Portland, ME 04112 207-415-7143 Original Art for Original Minds www.wetpaintstudios.com www.lollipopartproductions.com
Lori Rae Curole is a visual artist, from Portland Maine. Her paintings and exclusive line of greeting cards will be available at the “Vettes for Pets” car show on May 16th. A portion of Lori’s event sales will be donated to the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem MA, the organization benefiting from the “Vettes for Pets” car show. Lori and her husband, Rich, are recent additions to the New England chapter.
Classic Car Storage & Consignment
Specializing in Rare Corvettes
Gene V. Roe NCRS #13239
603-235-2191 vr2003@comcast.net
Lori’s subject matter varies, but she concentrates on pet portraits and automotive art. Commissions are available in a multitude of sizes and can be tailored to individual tastes. When possible, Lori prefers to meet her subjects personally, but can also create your artwork from supplied photos. Her consultative approach insures your Corvette or pet commission will blend seamlessly with your décor. Her ability to capture the true character of her subjects makes a Corvette or pet commission a gift like no other. See more of her work at www.wetpaintstudios.com or contact Lori Rae at (207)-415-7143.