Christmas in the Park; Winter Park Florida

 Christmas in the Park

Each year, on the first Thursday of December, the Morse Museum helps launch the holiday season in Winter Park when it lights up Tiffany windows in Central Park and presents the Bach Festival Choir, Youth Choir, and Brass Ensemble in concert. This December is the 33rd annual celebration of Christmas in the Park. Morse Museum

I will be in here at the lovely Origins of Winter Park  displaying several works of fine art on canvas for Gallery Night, November 30th from 6 to 8 pm, 112 S Park Avenue, Winter Park Florida. Origins have asked me to extend my featured gallery night through to December 1st for Christmas in the Park. 

Please come on by and say hi and enjoy the festive times!

Origins is right next to Bospherous.. mmm

Pedrero Art at The Maitland Art Center

 

The Maitland Art Center has been a favorite place of mine to visit for almost twenty years. Today I received a phone call from someone who found my business card from when she'd met me at my last exhibit there for Culture and Cocktails. 

 My fine art handbags and mugs.

The present exhibit has pieces created with matches. They are incredible...I suggest you go see it

Last week our family had a fun day in central Florida with a stop at the chapel/temple and museum in Maitland, after we visited the Audubon Center for the Birds of Prey.

 

Thanksgiving Dinner Disaster

 

With 15 to 20 guests Tday usually takes our family a few weeks to prepare. Above is the table in progress. I continued to add scrap booking pages as place mats..just because I really liked them and I use clear glass plates. In the evening when we dined the lights gave a delightful glow.

Although I absolutely loved my daughters pecan pie...

and the delish appetizers ...if you recall bacon wrapped dates...mmm

my favorite dish is this Maple-Ginger Roasted Vegetables with Pecans 

recipe that we found in Food and Wine magazine back in 2009.

Doesn't it look great!?

 

well..it DID look great but I placed it in the oven to warm up in that glass dish and POOF! smoke, glass breaking, and the whole thing on the bottom of the oven...the smoke slightly singed the rolls ... so my favorite dish didn't make it, sigh. Thankfully we dinned outside and the slightly smokey kitchen was inside. 

And it was all good...not such a big disaster.

Here's a little grouping of recent paintings displayed in my blue room where the kids played and watched tv while the rest of us cozied up and played Apples to Apples and Catch Phrase....

family game time is better than apple pie!

Small Business Saturday with 5 ways to make your purchase

 
Yes it is Small Business Saturday! What does that mean? Small Business Saturday is the day we celebrate the Shop Small movement to drive shoppers to local merchants across the U.S. Small Business Saturday has gained national attention thanks to inspiring small business owners across America. And guess what? I own a small business. When I place my art, fine art bags, reproductions, and note cards for sale those are all products which are part of my inventory in my small business. I find it so exciting to have people connect to my art and want to purchase it and have it in their space. I have a multitude of ways that people can see and find my art to purchase it on Small Business Saturday or any day of the year.

1. The first option is purchasing directly through me. I am the artist and if you see my art and want to buy it just ask! I have a page on flickr which I am always updating that shows available works of art (these might be available in galleries)  Here's the link Art Originals Available

2. I have online venues, there are several venues where I have shared my art online.  The best online site to access reproductions, fine art bags, note cards and a few originals is My Etsy Shop ~ http://RobinMariaPedrero.etsy.com 

3. Visit and buy at Galleries Celebrations Gallery Pomfret, CT,  Gallery 17.92 Winter Park, FL,  Wolfe Gallery,  DeLand, FL, Juxtapose Gallery, Westfield New Jersey, all of which are small businesses.

4. In Museum gift shops  Orlando Museum of Art, Florida Museum for Women Artists, Maitland Art Center.

5. Another very exciting aspect of my small business is the partnership with Case Mate where we have my art on cell phone covers!They are listed here on my website  It is my goal to make this site better, with more ways of showing you options for the cases. 

In appreciation I have FREE SHIPPING for a limited time in my etsy shop.

Use this code SHIPITFREE2011when you purchase. 

AND just for fun the first 50 people to tweet about my etsy shop with the following hashtag #iwantacard  will get a DM for a FREE NOTE CARD  My twitter name is @robinpedrero use that and the hashtag #iwantacard (include both in your tweet about my etsy shop) One free note card per twitter name.

Let's have fun and support small businesses!

Gathering Together

 

Wordsworth has been a favorite of mine since Mr. Smith's English class in high school  at St. Bernard's    " All that we behold is full of blessings."    

I desire to wake up every morning and not lose this thought and to let it reign throughout the day. 

 

 Our hearths and hearts warm up in our homes this season. We pull out our traditions, some wrapped in last years newspapers, some covered in seasoned scars from years of counter top cooking. The scents, the culinary delights and gathering together remind us of memories, to hold dear and to love and cherish in all of these precious moments. We won't cry over stains, and we'll smile at what goes untouched remembering hmm they ate all of that last year..but maybe I forgot the salt?...smiles anyhow, what matters most is the comfort and the joy in giving thanks and gathering together. 

Our family menu is pretty fun and diverse! As the hostess of fifteen to twenty, I serve a lot of appetizers as was tradition in my mother's house. I will share a few highlights that we, my daughters and I,  are preparing; scallops and dates wrapped in bacon, sweet and sour meatballs, deviled eggs, (Josie's specialty) a clam and cream cheese dip that is baked,and brie on bread toasted then sprinkled with confection sugar (this recipe is from my dear friend and artist Diana). 

 

I serve several beverages but our favorite are snowflakes! This recipe was tweeted to me by one of my art collectors. Frangelico, vodka and cream ....divine snowflake!

We serve the typical dishes for the Thanksgiving feast, and some unique favorites.  Over the years we discovered my brother in law enjoys to make a great turkey, accompanied by his wife's potato salad.

My mother in law makes the best flan in this world! Tahra is baking up a multitude of pies and a special pear tart, Elise is stirring up the chocolate fudge, and Josie is making a cupcake wreath amongst many other delicious dishes.

 

I usually encourage a walk, that my uncle encouraged each thanksgiving when I was young. We will be cheering on our Dolphins as they play football, and after wards we all play Catch Phrase.

 

 I am blessed. And I wish you and yours every blessing - and the ability to behold blessings throughout the day, every day.

 

above is "Purity" 8 x 8" original 

Lisa Call asks YOU

 "Psst" 8 x 8" by Robin Maria Pedrero (created this week just sold tonight)

I admire both the artwork and the business attitude of my friend Lisa Call. I like many of her Structures pieces, and the Lines series. She has a great blog and as a subscriber I am responding to her questions in her recent blog post . I might add I've never met Lisa in person, and we met on twitter.. another great thing about twitter!

What medium do you prefer to work in and why?

I am presently enjoying the fluidity and diversity of working with acrylic on canvas. I especially like being able to layer colors. I also like that the paint dries quickly so I can work at will. I am very pleased that I do not need to use harmful solvents to paint. I also like the ability to mix other mediums in with my applied acrylics; I incorporate pastels, inks, charcoal and pencil.

Have you always been an artist?

Yes.  I painted in kindergarten in a special red, blue and yellow paint splattered smock sewn by my mother. I crafted and created in every medium throughout childhood. I took years of oil painting lessons with professional artists.  I won awards, began selling my art and exhibiting at The Mystic Art Association Gallery as a teen. I have always created art and I continue to do so. 

I have had day jobs and a wide range of them. Some of my day jobs might surprise you; teaching mental outpatients, telemarketing, waitress, hostess, manager of hair salon, photographer, receptionist, exhibitions and event coordinator for gallery, marksman, armed guard at a nuclear facility, in house undercover detective, gourmet chef, art tent heat sealer and sales, hair model, talent scout, teaching youths and college art, non- profit arts administrator, fashion buyer, sales for numerous things….and you know what? All of these occupations have impacted the art I create.

What was the moment when you first realized you are capable of creating an art career for yourself?

Knowing I was an artist was one thing but learning how to become capable of an expanding artistic career is a lifelong learning experience. Early recognitions and awards affirmed my artistic career path, but the sales as a teenager solidified that I could potentially make a living as an artist.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

Inspiration connects in my mind via scents, music, words, film, and always nature. I connect my experiences and form pieces of art, which begin through my response in color, shapes, and lines.

What is your favorite work of art by another artist and why?

Every single day I look at art and I often have new favorites. .. or parts that I favor in pieces of art. Here’s a selection I like found randomly on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/robin_pedrero/gallery-one/

 You

How would you answer these questions? 

If you decide to answer please share that the original questions came from Lisa, Thanks!

Great Gifts

 

Art items make great gifts for all ages for the holidays. 

 I create original art in various sizes to have pieces for all spaces and fun gifts.

I also have my art on fine art bags and accessories as great gift items. 

I recently created some wonderful miniature dress originals
complete with gorgeous little frames. 

I offer a wide selection of reproductions in various sizes -
larger sizes might be available just ask.
One of the most fun new holiday gift items are my cell phone covers. 

Where can you find some of these items?

Museum Gift Shops and Galleries

• Celebrations Gallery, Pomfret, CT(art originals, cards, reproductions, iphone cases)
• Gallery 17.92, Winter Park,FL (art originals)
• Orlando Museum of Art Gift Shop, Orlando, FL(iphone cases, art originals)
  Maitland Art Center Gift Shop, Maitland, FL (fine art bags, art originals, cards)
• Juxtapose, Westfield, NJ (art originals)
• Wolfe Gallery, Deland, FL (art originals)
• Florida Museum for Women Artists Gift Shop, DeLand, FL(pouches)

AND

on my personal website 

smart phone cases 

AND 

Robin Maria Pedrero's Etsy Shop 

 always new items being added

When you shop via my etsy shop 

I ship directly to you so I am pleased to offer 

complimentary gift wrapping, a free card and tag - just ask!

Cover Collaboration for United Arts

I am delighted to share the honor of this collaborative United Arts Report to the Community publication with all of you. Way back in June and July while I was working on dresses, commissions, and taking some great family vacations to the mountains and NYC, the art for this project was in full gear. After a brainstorming session with the lovely Emma Kruch, Communications Manager for United Arts, I created the vision that we discussed using acrylics on canvas.

 

The image and the plan for the cover took on a few changes 

as both sides of the team worked to get it just right. 

 

We played with additions so I painted more on the top and the bottom of the piece.

 Emma and the team of design professionals took pieces of the flowers and incorporated them into their logo and carried the cover image in the background through to every single page in the report.

When I went into the office in Maitland Florida to pick up some copies of the report I brought the painting as a gift for Emma, as you can see it here on her office wall. 

I just love Happy Endings!

For those in my circle of collectors - if you would like a copy of the report  I'll send you one.

Pedrero and St. Hilaire Nelson at Juxtapose Gallery Westfield New Jersey

Here's the piece "It Takes the Cake" by Nelson and Pedrero at Juxtapose Gallery in the lovely town of Westfield New Jersey. If you haven't heard the story on our duo pieces click  here.  I delivered the cake and our other duo piece "We Stick Together" and several framed pastels, oils on canvas and acrylic on canvas pieces on my east coast drive last month. If you are in the Jersey area please stop by and say hi to Gerry the gallery owner.

a view from down the street in the cute little town

and the front window of the gallery

St. Kitts pastel by Pedrero

YAY! Avant Gallery and a NEW Calendar

 

Check out my art like this small piece "YAY!" 5" x 5"  

at the Avant Gallery in downtown Orlando.

My New Calendar

  It's that time of year when I judge my past year and prepare for next year. I like to use both a digital calender and a large one I write on to see the big picture on my studio wall. 

Sometimes the world feels like it's spinning too fast, 

perhaps you have experienced those days or weeks..

One day last week I thought YAY I got my groove back as I was in the midst of being all caught up...  then whop I realized I missed a deadline, a very rare occurrence for me, in fact I don't think I've ever missed a ship date.The fail totally bugs me, but one has to move forward and learn from mistakes so I've got to do better at entering important dates into my calendar. That's my first listed goal for 2012.

Are you thinking about yours yet?

In the meantime lots of great opportunities are on the horizon.

AND here's my gift for you for being a loyal reader of my blog 

                                        use this code in my etsy shop Robin Maria Pedrero

                                                    10PERCENTOFF for 10% off

Have a great day!

Robin