A. K. Smiley Library & Art in the Park

This weekend I participated in the annual Art in the Park in Red lands, Ca. The event is sponsored by the Redlands Art Association and this is the 2nd time I have participated. It is a fun event in the downtown area of Redlands and adjacent to the historical A. K. Smiley Library. This library is one of the most beautiful buildings you will ever see. In years past the library had been painted a cream color to go with the Lincoln Shrine that was built on the property. In 2001 funds were obtained and the library was painted it's original color. Here is a link to see some photos of the building as it was many years ago and a little history of the building and some other famous buildings in our community. California Historian I just love this building and part of my participation in the event is to set up in an area that I have view of the library so I can make use of my time there by painting this beautiful site. The event was not as well attended this year as last and sells were very slow. Again we were on the same day as the annual Quilt Show which was behind the library and the Annual Car Show which was on State Street. Unfortunately the heat probably kept a lot of people inside. We had temperatures of 106 and 103. It probably didn't matter where you set up in this beautiful tree lined park as one point of the day you would probably be in full sun. Where I set up this year was in the shade until about 2 p.m. At this point I put up a side panel on my tent and kept the direct sun away but it still was pretty warm. The event was fun as I had some artist friends who also participate in the show and it is always fun to see them and see their new works. I also met some artists who came in from other areas and we had a nice time sharing ideas. I had sent out postcards to some of my clients and they came by to see me which was a lot of fun to get their feedback on my recent paintings. Since I painted in 2 events this past year in Redlands I have quite a few paintings of the area. The feedback was very good. Hopefully a couple contacts that I got will go through in the next coming months which will make for a very good weekend. More on that as time goes by. Keep your fingers crossed for me! Until next time, ENJOY THE ART! Terry

PS: The first photo at the beginning is the painting I did this year the photo at the end is the painting I did last year 2007. Both are complete different views of the building. I think I captured the color of the building better this year, however, last year the part of the building I could see from where my tent was positioned was in full sun. I prefer the painting from this year with the deep contrasts between shadow and light. What are your thoughts? Terry