Newsletter February 2011

NEWSLETTER February 2011

Greetings from the mountains of western Maine!

Okay, folks---a drum roll (rrrrrrrrrRRRRRR!) and a fanfare (ta-DAH!)---I have finished the Moments of Transcendence book! You can see it on the internet at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2004449. Click on the orange “Preview Book” tag to see the book in its entirety, page by page. Use their shopping cart if you want to buy a copy of it.

My original goal for the book was to chronicle the project and archive the paintings. I also wanted to approximate for the reader (as well as I could) the experience of seeing the whole collection in a gallery, because that will never happen again. I still have a few of these little paintings here in my studio, but most of them are scattered all over the globe now, from Alaska to France.

I am satisfied with the way the book accomplishes these goals, and delighted by the unanticipated ways in which it exceeded my expectations. I found out that I really enjoy book designing. The book became a work of art in itself. Every page has all the design elements of a good painting. I had the challenges that an artist faces when learning how to make a new medium do what is asked of it, and at the same time the challenges of learning the ins and outs of a new software package.

I enjoy writing, so this was a chance to use my skills in that arena. Much of the writing was already done in the process of the school project. But I had to mold that into a readable, cohesive whole, and then compose it for its visual effect on the page, too.

I wanted to test the book-publishing waters for another reason as well. The Swift River Treasures collection that I am working on now was conceived as a book right from the beginning. Archiving the Moments collection in book form has helped me get a better idea of how I want to proceed with that project, and helped me get a better vision of the finished work. The skills that I have learned, from page layout to final editing, will all be put to good use there.

So, after spending the better part of four months on the book, what next? Back to Swift River Treasures, of course! I am really looking forward to making something with my hands after having spent so many hours looking at a computer monitor. Winter is beginning to lose its grip on us, spring is approaching, and I am itching to get out and explore my valley and learn more about its secrets in the coming year.

My gift to you this month is a file of the book cover photo, for you to do with as you choose.

For more information on “Swift River Treasures,” my artmaking process, or to check out my blog, see my website at http://betsy-bell.artistwebsites.com/. Here you can order prints of my work, and have them matted and framed if you choose, courtesy of Fine Art America’s great print-on-demand service. They also offer posters, and greeting cards, either single or in packages.

If a man could mount to heaven and survey the mighty universe, his admiration of its beauties would be much diminished unless he had someone to share in his pleasure. (Cervantes)

Thanks for joining me in the journey. I hope that you enjoy looking at the book as much as I have enjoyed making it! I would love to hear from you, too, so please do reply with comments.


Betsy