Art is Life is Art: Susan Reep Photo Art

Bakersfield’s all-woman art show has opened!  The opening reception was October 17, but the closing reception is Oct. 31 – Halloween.  It promises to be a rousing good time.

Here in Bakersfield, CA, of which it’s often been said, “There’s nothing to do!”, we have a thriving art community.  Some very hard working ladies, or “witches” as we call each other this time of year, organize a huge show annually.  Jen Raven founded the show and curated the first three, but this year Nyoka took over.

Nyoka is a dynamo and an excellent artist who also holds down a job and is pursuing her master’s degree.  I must be old because it just sounds so tiring to be a whirlwind!

This is me – I have six works in the show.  But you can see that an entire large venue, Metro Special Events in Westchester, is full of dynamic art.  I’m going to include just a few images.

This amazing work, along with others, was actually vandalized by some of the bingo people who use the hall regularly. More information here on Bakersfield Express.  It took the artist a long time to restore it, but here it hangs proudly.

Yes, indeed, bingo is the usual use of this venue, but you’d never know it from this marvelous exhibition.

There is always a Wall of Infamy, or a Wall of Fame, depending upon the way you wish to view it, with information about all the artists.

Here’s mine:

Next year I’ll get a new picture – I used this last year also.  Just lazy.

This is a good time to say that the art is for sale – and that all the photos and art on my web site are for sale also, unless already marked SOLD (Original art only).

In fact, this piece sold at the opening.

It’s a mixed-media piece called Carry Me Home (I’ve blogged about it previously) and selling it was difficult – it’s one of my favorites.  But that’s what art is about – expression, sharing that expression and meaning with others, and making money also if one is lucky.  And certainly, I can’t keep everything I create but still, and I’m sure all artists feel this way, it’s like giving away a very small part of yourself when you sell.

The second piece is called Roots and Wings.  I’ll put it in as soon as word press stops acting up and allows me to upload!

Another sampling of works, with the horse one of mine.

All the King’s Horses – I blogged about this one also on the same page as the previous work.  The title is a reference to the very fragmented journey this horse had to and from and back again to St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.  It’s for sale also!

Costumes are among the forms of art represented.  The next photo is a costume that I dearly wish I could fit into.  A flight of fantasy…

Even though I despise fish and don’t want to be a half-fish or swim amongst them, I can’t deny a secret wish to be Ariel or Madison.  Not to be.  But some of the new artists to the show were featured in an article and someone was actually wearing this!  Check out the article in Bakotopia.

Ok, flight of fantasy over.

This photo of mine, Catch Me if you Can, in which I made polka dots on the swimsuit, is my granddaughter Annabelle.   There seems to be some confusion on who is chasing her – I think it’s my granddaughter Ali, but some say it’s granddaughter Sarah.  Anyway, I love the way their arms and legs are in sync.

These are the last two of my works.  The bottom is Inauguration Sunrise with strips of a photo taken from my balcony inauguration morning, and the one on top is Into the Malestrom, a very focused and intense piece for such a small canvas.  You can’t see the four glass fish who are swimming into the malestrom, a symbol for the very survival of our oceans and world for that matter.   These pieces are both for sale.

As an aside, I should mention that both Carry Me Home (which sold) and Into the Malestrom, were works I struggled with and almost gave up on.  I’m glad I didn’t because they are two of my best (in my opinion).

Do try to attend the closing reception on Oct. 31, if just for a moment. Admission is $5 and benefit Bakersfield’s Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault.