Let's get political for a moment

If you believe supporting the arts in America is important, you might be interested in this information (You can click on this chart to make it larger/readable.) It outlines the Presidential Candidates' positions on the arts. This chart was posted by the Arts Vote organization which is part of the Americans for the Arts Action Fun. You can see each candidate's position statements on the Arts site.

Fruit Cookie I

From a very colorful bakery case, it was fun to figure out what the central focus would be. Several of the central pieces are executed in a similar impasto style so the challenge here was to be sure I created the depth needed. My experiment on this was to use an impasto style that is slightly lower in depth and with many colors placed side by side. There are two paintings like this. ©2008 Barbara Sistak Baur, 11”x14”, acrylic. Sold.

Café Table

With a friend, I was visiting cafes and bakeries to snap reference photos for upcoming paintings. This was in Andersonville in Chicago, an area well-known for its bakeries. I believe this was at A Taste or Heaven, 5401 N Clark St. Of course, we had to endulge. When I saw these treats sitting on their plates, I knew instantly that they would make a delightful little painting. The two treats have the rich impasto technique so they stand out from the rest of the scene. ©2008 Barbara Sistak Baur, 11”x14”, acrylic, framed. Sold.

Art in the Barn is Fall Classic

Art Friends, Sept. 19, 2008
Art Friends is an e-letter that I compose for my friends from time to time. It features the inside story on new works, art shows and other art nuggets you might find interesting. Thank you for reading. -- Barbara Sistak Baur

Hello Everyone,
Fresh off the easel, Berries Are Tops!, will have its debut showing at the Art in the Barn art sale coming up September 27 &28 (see more below). There are several techniques used in this painting including assemblage of the berries, palette knife for the toppings and traditional blending techniques. More info is online.

Berries Are Tops!, 11”x14”, acrylic on panel, with a contemporary black frame, $400. © Barbara Sistak Baur

Art in the Barn is Fall Classic
Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28, 2008
(on the campus of Good Shepherd Hospital, on Route 22, Barrington, IL)
Artists exhibit in actual old farm buildings that are holdovers from when the property was a working farm. It’s fun to roam through the barn’s upper and lower levels, the corn crib, the machine shed, the mill room. The artists are tucked into all sorts of nooks and crannies in the buildings – a charming tour of art. And if it rains, no problem, you simply dash from building to building. Good food is on hand as well as community entertainment on the central stage. It is a pleasant outing and a great place to purchase art to support the hospital and the artists. Last year's event drew more than 7,500 people and generated more than $2 million dollars for the hospital. (I am in the Mill Room, by the way.)

Art-Throb™ -- ArtFairCalendar.com
Art-Throb is a term I use for a great place to discover art. And ArtFairCalendar.com is such a place. This web site gives you all the info on the top Art Festivals and Craft Shows in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and, well, all across the country. If you enjoy spending time at art fairs, you must visit this site. “Art Fairs bring together in a unique manner the creators and the culturally aware to enrich one another's lives.” (quoted from ArtFairCalendar.com)
Wild Flamingo Lady
Just completed is a new art table with a whimsical flamingo theme. This is a commission I did for my flamingo-loving friend, Roxanne. Art tables have a fabulous painting on top, actual memorabilia attached to the painting and the whole surface is encased in high-gloss, protective resin. Go online now to see photos. And for more photos, click the Commissions topic.

Just Accepted
My painting of bread, Loaves, has been accepted at the Woman Made Gallery, 680 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, for the Objects of Desire exhibition, October 10 through November 13.

Well, I had better get back to the studio and keep working. There is so much to do.

Warmly,
Barbara Sistak Baur
Artist

P.S. Art-Throb is a term I use for a great place to discover art. It is usually a smaller or out-of-the-way event or place that you might not know about. From time to time I will include places or events I find out about.

Photos Now Online
-- I took a few snapshots of friends and family as they stopped by my art booth at art fairs this summer. Take a peek! Click on the Event Pics Topic.

Purchasing
Checks and all major credit cards accepted -- VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. All purchases are guaranteed. More info online.

Feedback and Correspondence
Always welcome. If you have comments or there is something you would like to see in Art Friends, please let me know.
Forward this Email
Yes, please go ahead and forward this to a friend. By the way, if this email has been forwarded to you, you are not automatically added to my e-letter list. If you would like to continue receiving Art Friends, please send me an email, and say "Yes, Art Friends." barbarabaur@comcast.net
New to Art Friends?
By the way, I continue to find friends that I think might enjoy Art Friends but may not be getting it. So I decided to send it to you. If this is the first time you have received this, I say "Welcome!" I hope you like it. However, if you would rather not receive it, please let me know (see the next paragraph).

Unsubscribe
If you would like to stop receiving Art Friends, I understand. Click reply to this email and just type “unsubscribe.” Thanks for your friendship!

Trademark & Copyright notice
Art-Throb is a trademark of Barbara Baur Art. Art Friends and all images are ©2008 Barbara Sistak Baur and all rights are reserved. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, great!! Just let me know so I can give you permission. Thanks for your respect.

Barbara Baur Art
3405 Highland Dr.
Island Lake IL 60042
and
2944 S. Harlem #4
Riverside IL 60546
708-372-2798
barbarabaur@comcast.net
barbarabaur.blogspot.com

The Baker

The person responsible for the delicious pie is actually in this painting -- we see a glimpse of the baker himself as he just placed the pie on its plate and is scurrying away to his next task. This is another painting where just one pastry has the 3-d impasto technique that I use and the rest of the painting is flat. In this case, we see the pie easily, but the baker comes into focus only after looking for a minute. 14"x11", acrylic, framed. Sold.

Berries Are Tops!

There are several techniques used in this painting include assemblage, palette knife painting for the cake and bun toppings, and traditional blending techniques for the pans. All the berries are created off the painting and then applied to it. I also tried a new combination of modeling paste and tar gel. The result was a very think medium that dripped but held a solid-like shape (the berries). The same combo was used for the bun and custard topping but that was applied with a knife. Berries Are Tops!, 11”x14”, acrylic on panel, with a contemporary black frame. Sold.

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.