I have been extremely busy painting this year.
I have great news to share-I have been selected as one of the 30 top artists to paint at this year's "Easels in Frederick" plein air competition in Frederick Maryland June 20-24th, 2012. (See events on my website for details) This is the third event so far that I've been juried into. The first is Callaway plein Air at Callaway Gardens Georgia April 15-22, 2012. The second is Plein Air Curacao, which I painted in last year and have been asked back. (Details on the dates are still being finalized at the time of this blog entry. I have also entered others such as Plein Air Easton, (which I was selected for last year) and Cranford and Wayne events all of which are yet to jury their artists. I had so much fun painting, even under pressure and incredible heat last year and love the whole atmosphere of these venues. My friend Stewart White is among the best of the best artists I'll be painting with at Frederick.
Followers of Kirk Larsen Art on facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirk-Larsen-Art/159245994137628 ) know that I have joined the core artists painting at Live Art Fusion, the brain child of Rich Rivkin a drummer/percussionist and art lover. A band plays LIVE every Wednesday Night at the 841East lounge, 841 east Jericho Turnpike, Huntington Station, NY. While they play, between 6 & 12 artists paint LIVE as well, with the intent of finishing their painting during the set while the band plays. Playing off of each others inspiration the band plays better and the artists paint faster in what Rich calls "speed painting". I find it to be an incredibly inspiring challenge akin to plein air painting on steroids. The music, played by a rotation of amazing bands and alternate weeks that band is the awesome "Fusion collective" (featuring none other than Rich Rivkin himself) is always fantastic and truly inspiring. Paintings are selling faster than ever and some days they are being snapped up before they are finished. I have created a special painting which i have donated to the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center in Oyster Bay Cove for their annual fundraiser this weekend. Next weekend I will be demonstrating Plein air painting in oils on March 17th, 2012, 1:30-3:00 for the Manhasset art Association at the Quaker Meeting House, 1421 Northern Blvd, across from Lord & Taylor in Manhasset, N.Y.
I will be working towards more regular blog posting, mostly at my *main site and follow on twitter @kirklarsenart and invite everyone to sign up for the blog on * www.kirklarsenfineart.com and share the blog with friends. Thanks all and see you at the easel.