Toadlena Trading Post

I have been on the road for a couple of days and spent yesterday and today at the Toadlena Trading post.  I wanted to spend some time at the Trading Post to soak in the environment and look for some people to paint.  I found some local Navajo people to paint and got a taste of life on the Rez.  There is a small Navajo community in the area and lots of characters wander in all day.  The view from the Toadlena Trading Post shows the famous Two Gray Hills.  This region is known for its weavers.  Mark Winter, who runs the Trading Post supports almost every rug weaver in this community.  He purchases and sells the rugs at the Trading Post.  While I was there I witnessed a few Grandmothers come in to sell their recently completed rugs to Mark.  He is very fair with them and tries to keep them happy so they keep producing work and keep bringing their work to Mark for first pick.

The Toadlena Trading Post

Mark and his staff encourage these weavers to do their best work and do their best to get the younger generation involved in weaving.  Mark buys every single first weaving that is brought to him by members of the community.  Some of the large tapestry weavings can take a year or two to produce. 

I was able to meet one of the Grandmothers named Virginia, who I am told is like the Mozart of weaving.  She demonstrated how she spins her wool and did a bit of weaving for me as well.  

Virginia Deal, the "Mozart of Navajo Weavers" at work

The interior of the Trading Post feels like it must have in the old days.  There is a big nickel plated stove inside and an old barber chair for visitors to sit in while gossiping about the latest goings on in Toadlena.

The counter at the Trading Post. 

The Toadlena Trading post is located just 45 minutes north of Gallup, NM.  It is well worth the drive to visit.  I plan on coming back again soon.  

Next up, headed to Santa Fe...

 

Online Live Demonstration on www.Zarolla.com

I will be doing a live demonstration on the educational art website www.Zarolla.com on Saturday January 22nd, at 3 pm, pacific time.  Here is a bit of info from the website on the demo:

Composing the Studio Painting (4hrs)

This painting demonstration will cover several aspects of putting a painting together in the studio. Logan Maxwell Hagege will combine photography as well as field studies to put together a finished piece.

Topics including composition, preliminary sketches, photography, lighting, color and more will be discussed.

BROADCASTING LIVE: January 22, 2011 3 p.m. (Pacific Time)

Cost: $29.99

Here is the link to sign up for the demonstration:  http://zarolla.com/special/hagege/

I hope to see you all there!  

Recommended Book

I often get emails from students asking where to start when they want to improve their paintings.  I will try to list some recommended books from time to time here.

Composition is such an important element to making great paintings.  So my first recommendation will be Composition of Outdoor Painting, by Edgar Payne.  
















This book covers several types of compositions and gives great visual examples from several artists, besides Payne.  Though this book is geared towards outdoor painting, the composition principals apply to all types of subjects, from still life to figures.

A strong composition will help a good painting become a great painting.

Coors Western Art Show, Denver, CO 2011

I will be returning to Denver for my second year at the Coors Western Art Show.  I have five paintings in the show this year.  Visit http://www.nationalwestern.com/coors-western-art/ to see the show online and to get info for tickets to the gala where the artwork will be available for purchase.  I will be heading out to the opening as well as some of the other events that are planned in conjunction with the show.  If you are in the Denver area make sure you see the show.

Here are a few of my paintings that will be at the show:

"Peaceful Parting" oil/linen 60x48

The painting above was a long journey.  I spent about 9 months working on this one.  Many changes and lots of paint.  

"Traveller" oil/linen 30x34

"Monuments" oil/linen 16x12

Small Painting Show 4x4's

"Blue Sky 2" oil/linen 4x4 

I will be having a small painting show on my website from now until the end of December.

These are all 4x4 inch paintings and are all priced at $475, framed.

Visit www.LoganHagege.com to see the available paintings, email me at loganhagege@gmail.com for info or inquiries.

"Drifting Cloud" oil/linen 4x4

Art Scam Checker

Here is an Art Scam checker that allows you to enter a name or email into a database, thanks to Clint Watson of www.FineArtStudidoonline.com for putting this together.

ART SCAM CHECKER


http://fineartstudioonline.com/art-scam/

Recent Landsnorkeling Find...

Near Lee's Ferry, Arizona.

What is Land Snorkeling?

By Clyde Aspevig

Land snorkeling is taking the time to savor aspects of nature we ordinarily don’t see or pay attention to. Land snorkelers wander thru nature with no intention of hiking to a destination. One contemplates what we find in nature and explore every possible connection with all parts of our natural world. Each blade of grass, rock, or creature has some connection to us. We ask questions looking at nature and find out what that connection might be – we develop our cognitive and abstract muscles to solve the problem. We have fun doing it. It helps us to think. Our imagination and creativity is enhanced and richens our lives in a healthy and productive way. It’s free and it’s fun.

Land snorkeling is reestablishing the ancient connections to our landscape. We open up all of our senses to experience the hidden treasures of nature. We develop our intellect thru our senses. We sniff it, touch it, examine the texture, color, shape, etc. etc.
We look closely at things – like a feather found in the grass, a wing design, a rocks texture, and the pattern of a tree growing.

www.landsnorkel.com 

Cape Cod Painting in the Wind

Here is a photo of me painting right before sunset in Provincetown from a recent painting trip.  The wind was very strong this evening so I was holding onto my paint box for dear life so that it wouldn't fly away....

New Painting

Here is a "New" painting, I say "New" instead of New, because it is an old painting that I had kicking around for a while, I re-worked and changed a few things that were bothering me about the painting.  I do this from time to time if the paintings are around long enough...if there is something about the painting that stands out to me.  

"Shade from the Hat" oil/canvas 8x10

Garry Gilmartin 1949-2010

Garry Gilmartin

I was sorry to hear about the passing of artist, Garry Gilmartin while on my recent painting trip to Cape Cod.  I showed in a gallery with him out there for about 5 years.  Only met him a few times, but the few times we talked we had great conversations about art and he recently gave me a really nice panel to paint on.

Here is some info on Garry:

"Sunday Morning"  by Garry Gilmartin

Garry Gilmartin was born in Palmer, Massachusetts in 1949. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut and spent a postgraduate year studying under Ken Davies. For the next 15 years, Garry pursued an award-winning commercial illustration career in New York City and Boston.  
Mr. Gilmartin fell in love with Cape Cod while visiting friends and commercial illustration became a thing of the past as he became immersed in painting New England, its structures and its people. The positive response to his fine art work came immediately. His work is in the permanent collection of the Ashville Art Museum,
Ashville, NC.


According to Elizabeth Ives Hunter, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Museum of Art, Garry Gilmartin’s paintings are “a magical window into a world of tranquil beauty.” He managed “to capture the essence of light falling across form and, by passing that image through a personal filter of emphasis and subordination, brought the viewer along to share his inspiration.”