Create your own masterpiece

Think you can't create a masterpiece?  Think  again.  At a Bottles-and-Brushes, a party-hosting service, you paint, sip wine and get individual guidance from a professional artist.  At the end of the evening, you have a fabulous painting!  You doubt me? Here is a group photo of a recent party and their really great paintings!  Artist on-hand at this party was yours truly! Find out more about Bottles and Brushes.

That's me on the lower left.  I am the only one without a painting because I was busy coaching the folks at this party.  They did pretty good! (Click on the picture to see it a bit larger.)

-- Barb
www.sistakbaur.com

Gala Reception at Real People

The weekend of Aug 22, I attended the gala reception for the Real People 2009 exhibition. My husband was nice enough to take this photo. I am standing in front of my 25 little paintings that are gathered together for one display. There are all figure paintings done during my life-drawing workshop. To read more about this event, see the original post.
---Barb
www.sistakbaur.com

Art in the Barn Visitors

Art in the Barn in September was close to home so many friends stopped by. Here are Caty and Mike. Below, Lori (on left) stopped by to see me.
It was great to see Judith and George. Judith was one my first art teachers.
Lee Ratdke is from my life drawing workshop, Valley Art Club. Our group meets twice a month.

West End Art Festival in LaGrange

Look who stopped by my art booth in LaGrange, Il? It is Husband Tom and two granddaughters. They are Hannah (left) and Emily. They and their family were spending a nice afternoon at the fair. Tom was on hand to help out throughout the weekend. He is a good guy.

Highwood Fine Art Festival

My friend, Angela, and her friend, John, stopped in at my art booth at the Highwood Art Festival recently. It was great to see them!

Art in Library Park, Kenosha, WI

This painting, Cake Reflections, was acquired by the Friends of the Kenosha Public Museum for the museum collection. It was purchased during the Friends' Art in Library Park, July 2o, 2008. It features just one impasto pastry -- the front cake. The other cakes are painted "flat" but they have great texture. The moody blues help move the "behind" cakes further back. The muted reds provide the perfect springboard for the brighter front cake. It is 14"x11" and acrylic. framed.

In addition to this honor, I was awarded Best of Show during the event. How cool is that! The judge was Kim Greene of Carthage College.











Here is what the whole display looks like.

Real People 2008

Blue Woman, ©Barbara Sistak Baur, 8"x10," acrylic, framed, ($250), has been selected for the juried exhibition Real People 2008, Aug. 7 through Sept 28, at the Old Court House Arts Center in Woodstock, IL. The show is organized by the Old Court House Figurative League. The Gala Opening and Awards presentation is Saturday, Aug. 23, from 6-9:30. There are lovely restaurants within walking distance of the show making this a delightful outing for anyone.

Disaster at Evanston Air Fair

You may have seen the news about the disaster at the Evanston Art Fair, June 26, 2008 with tornado-like winds wiping out 20+ artist tents. Mine was among them. Not only that, but I was inside my tent when it was crushed!

I was at Evanston. Here is my personal story:

About 10 minutes before the storm, show officials ran around and told everyone that a bad storm was on the way and to take your art work off the display walls. First I tied on all the tents walls and clipped them tight. I was in my closed tent and taking some of the larger pieces down and leaning them together.

The wind was horrendous. The tent fabric was flapping violently and the everything was shaking. But I was ready for high winds, due to my experience earlier in spring, and felt secure with my weight system. Then the wind really picked up speed. I grabbed on to the tent frame to give an extra weight. Then it got heavy. And heavier. Then it pushed me, the display walls and the entire tent down the ground. I was trapped under it and the tent next to me which had blown on top of me. It was a domino effect. I fell into the next tent. I was holding the debris away from me and saw large chunks other people's stuff flying by. I couldn't get out. The tent and display frame was twisted and the fabric flapped around me. I heard crashes and screams from all around and I was hoping nothing would slam into me.

When the wind died down a bit, rescuers ran from debris pile to debris pile uncovering people. They finally got to me and said the storm wasn't over and to run for cover. Which I did. After a few moments, swarms of artists picked up all of my stuff and art work out of the rubble and pulled it to the sidewalk. The tent was carted away to a "dead tent" pile with dozens of others. I quickly threw artwork and everything else into boxes. Several young men picked up everything and carried it inside a nearby church. Thank goodness because then it hailed and rained like crazy.

I was bruised and scraped but okay. The artwork, somehow, made it as well. I think it was the fast action picking up everything. I examined everything and just minor repairs are needed on the frames. My able assistant (husband) thinks he can fix enough of the display panels to get me going for the Madison show. I will have to buy a new tent.

So that's the story!
Here is a link to a news report.

Chicago Art Open

My friend, Nancy Peters, came to the opening reception of the Chicago Art Open, Oct. 4, 2007, at the Iron Studios in Chicago. We viewed more than 300 artworks that evening. Here she is "tasting" Grand Bakery, the work I had in the show.
Here I am posing with my painting.

Fall into the Arts Festival

I set up a booth at the Walkup Heritage Farm Fall Festival on October 21, 2007. It was a very warm day in October and incredibly windy. I don't know how my booth stayed up! The farm has great heritage vegetables and native plants. Click here to get more info. http://www.walkupheritagefarm.com/index.html

Artist's Reception

The Artist’s Reception for the show Sweeter by the Dozen at the Caffé Luna in Crystal Lake, Il., was Saturday, Sept 8. It was a fun affair and many friends stopped by. A photographer from a local newspaper attended and had me pose by my painting, Cheesecake and Pie.

Three Paintings

Here is another shot the photographer took. The Baker is flanked by Lennon or Cherry? and Eat Cake II. By the way, after this show, Lennon or Cherry? is on its way to the Algonquin Public Art program where it will be on display for a year (until October 2008). So I will have the opportunity of having many people see it!

Art Friends

My Art Friends, Chris Arthur and Caty Norman-Burke were a tremendous help. I couldn’t have done it without them. They are standing by Cake Reflections

Reading Up

Caty is getting in-depth information. Strawberry Pastries is behind her.

Art Friends

I am talking to two Art Friends who came by, Judith Nahill and Lori Valus.

Entertainment

A talented, local musician played the keyboard and sang for us. Her name is Frances Mai-Ling and she plays alternative-classical piano. Information about her is at www.myspace.com/frncs. Fruit and Eggs is behind her.

Visitor

This lucky man stopped in to view the artwork.

Sweeter by the Dozen

One Dozen Artworks by Barbara Sistak Baur
At Caffé Luna, 6230 Northwest Hwy., Crystal Lake, Il
Lynn Carlson, Curator
July 2 – September 30, 2007
Join me for the Artist’s Reception
Saturday, Sept. 8, from 2-4 pm

Hello, friends. I am pleased to have been invited by one of our leading art advocates, Lynn Carlson, to have an art exhibition of my bakery paintings. Lynn regularly curates art shows at the Caffé Luna and other venues.

Stop by for sumptuous treats both on your plate and on the walls! The Luna Caffé is located at 6230 Northwest Hwy., Crystal Lake, Il (in front of Hobby Lobby). Here is a preview of what you will see at the show.

All of the paintings in this exhibition were inspired by a visit to a delightful bakery with a bountiful offering. I hope you enjoy them as much I did as I painted them.

Ready to hang -- All the paintings (unless noted) are framed with beautiful contemporary frames that showcase the artwork. Sleek and basic black, they are compatible with any décor.

All paintings are acrylic.