Christmas Wishes to You

 

Well, I can’t say that I’d been dreaming of a white Christmas. It’s seventy degrees and sunny here in Clearwater, Florida. However, despite the lack of snowmen and icicles, the spirits have been high leading to this December 25^th. At this time of year, as we gather with family and friends around the Christmas tree or the glowing light of the Menorah, it’s easy to get preoccupied with the material things. While I rejoice at the shiny new camera lens that my family purchased for me, I am far more thankful for the immaterial gifts of time and memories that we share together. 2013, waning into its final few days, has been a year of lessons and surprises, none the least of which is how quickly that unperceivable thing we call luck can change. So I say that every new day of fine health and opportunities is a gift. As are the fine memories of we make with each Christmas carol we sing, every holiday movie we watch, every gift we open and every embrace we receive in the company of those dearest to us. The greatest gifts and treasures, the only treasures worth clutching near, are not hidden beneath wrapping paper or tied with bows. Rather, they are the friends and loved ones we hold dear. So I give thanks and wish a Merry Christmas to all those who read this Christmas message and I hope you will take a moment to pass on the same wish to someone dear to you.

Thank you and Happy Holidays

 

L. Polyak

Art Shows and Rainy Days

Vivian Greene, the wife of author, Graham Greene, once said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Among inspirational quotes, it has always been a favorite of mine, not merely for its intrinsic value, but also because it suits my somewhat eccentric appreciation for those rare stormy days in our Sunshine State. Judge as you will, but I hold that there is something dear about those rainy days that gathers us together, under one roof, for pleasant conversation and companionship, however brief it may be in our busy lives. Therefore my enjoyment of this past weekend is without question.

The Pinellas Park Art Society had it’s Artist’s Reception at the Stirling Gallery in Dunedin this weekend. The event was marked by thunder and sporadic deluge, but enjoyed by all present… and what a turn-out we had! The halls were, at times, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with friends and guests enjoying and discussing the assorted art work. The storms gathered us together for a second helping of the delicious hors d’ oeuvres and drinks, and we pleasantly discussed future events at Park Station, from the cozy comfort of the lobby sofa and the kitchen table. Our own work was joined by a display from the Miniaturists Society, which was a fine introduction to The Art Society’s September, miniature-themed, exhibit at Park Station.

Thank you to all who made our Stirling Show a success. Please enjoy the photos!

L. Polyak

(To see more art go to www.themindscapeartfoundry.com or www.artoflylepolyak.com)

Commissions and Art Galleries, Huzzah!

And here we are again! I'm taking a brief pause prior to work to update my readers on recent events, while I await the toaster at my kitchen table. Wonderful how effort pays off... Recently my hobby and my job have intermingled with funding and enjoyment being had on both fronts.

At this time I have exhibits running at Suntan Art Center, Stirling Studios Art Gallery, Pinellas Park City Hall, and the Park Station Gallery. I'm preparing for the annual vacation to St. Augustine this June, to satisfy my cravings as a History-buff, and , at the same time, a good number of my sketches and oil pencil portraiture will soon be on display at Carrollwood Cultural Center in June.

Networking does pay off! Through my friend, fellow artist, Doug Land, I received a commission from a local writer, I don't think he will mind me advertising his name... The cover art for David Watts next literary work will be taken from a 18x24 oil pencil sketch, inspired by an excerpt from his tale.  I truly did have a great deal of fun expressing myself in this piece. I can't reveal the title or the artwork yet, but it will be here as soon as the book is published. Whoo! Commissions, gotta love 'em! So I'm adding illustration to my offerings now, and advertising them with my boss's help at FASTSIGNS, where custom jobs are also a specialty.

It does bring a smile to my face as I think back to what I was doing for a living only a year ago. "Winds of change, baby! Winds of change."

Thanks for reading!

Lyle Polyak

(2 C more art go to www.artoflylepolyak.com or www.themindscapeartfoundry.com)

(my favorite spokesperson, showing

off the new sign campaingn.)

(The art reception at Stirling Studios was really packed.)

Art Hop 2013 and Upcoming

Art Hop 2013 was a stunning success. Many thanks to Scott Thompson and The Greater Largo Library Foundation and to John Dunn of Art Warehouse for the quick supplies that got me ready in time. The event occurred this past weekend, March 3rd at Largo Public Library. Opening to the public at 6:00PM the Art Hop had fewer exhibitors than last year, due in part to the economy, but this allowed the participants to further expand their exhibits. New to my show area this year was some custom signage designed in Photoshop CS6 and produced by my boss at FASTSIGNS of Lighthouse Point (my new employer). To my judgement, I believe we had better turn out in visitors this year, which resulted in higher sales for me. On that topic, I had offered, for the first time this year, photographic prints and reproductions of my pencil and charcoal sketches. The sketches actually oversold the photography to my surprise and, as I recall, there was a recurrence of the statements "my daughter will love this" and "This looks like my granddaughter." I'll have to devote some more time to drawing this year to boost my collection.

As I type this I'm preparing for my next installation which will be at Pinellas Park City Hall (7600 58th Street N, Pinellas Park, FL) for March 8th through May 8th. Likewise my work will be on display at Saint Petersburg College (9200 113th Street N, Seminole, FL, University Partnership Building) for two upcoming shows presented via my friend Brandy Stark - one hosted by the Exhibiting Society of Artists (Spring-themed) starting on the 16th and another upcoming to be hosted by The Pinellas Park Art Society. In addition to that there is also a plan for PPAS to install a 60-piece show at Stirling Studios Gallery this Fall (730 Broadway, Second Floor Gallery, Dunedin FL).

More news to come.

Thanks for reading!

(2C More art go to www.ArtofLylePolyak or www.TheMindscapeArtFoundry.com)

The News

New Year, New job, New plans, New opportunities, New… stuff.

2013 opened at a rapid pace with welcome changes, and I can now legally introduce myself as a Graphic Designer for the national signage and advertising firm FASTSIGNS. Included in the job description… the design and production of custom graphics, logos and backgrounds for tradeshow banners, window displays, billboards, menus, props, decals, vehicle graphics, wall art,… You name it, we print it or have a subsidiary that does it for us. FASTSIGNS presented me a welcome departure, well received, from previous careers that had no focus on art. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

My duties continue with the Pinellas Park Art Society. In addition to welcoming new members I have been seeking venues for the display of public art. The first of which was Largo Public Library’s Gallery 120. The Library welcomed thirty artists of PPAS, for a month long show in their spacious gallery wing and we eagerly await our next opportunity to display our work. If you own or work with a venue in Tampa Bay with ample wall space and an appreciation for fine art, send me an email. We at PPAS have the talent to give you a great exhibit.

It’s still only January and already my works have hung in Ruth Eckerd Hall, Park station, Largo Public Library, Suntan Art Center, The Menaul Fine Art Gallery and more, but 2013 shall be a year when I aim to do more with my art. I’m reaching out to my peers for critique, and taking up, anew, many of the artistic genres that I enjoyed prior to college…  Charcoal, Pencils, Pen and ink, Pastels. My sketches have hung in Park Station and Suntan Gallery in previous shows, but I hesitate to give my sketches equal billing, beside my photography, until I know that others view them as quality art. (In truth, my drawing style arises from the techniques I have learned from many different peers and professors. Some of those instructors emphasized point perspective and the golden ratio, others insisted that art based on math is “cold” and encouraged emotion at the expense of perspective. Not all the techniques I learned work well together. So I aim to attain “the nod of approval” from at least a few peers who owe their good reputation to similar art.) Perhaps soon I will have online galleries devoted to sketches as well?

Thanks for reading

L Polyak

Below: Anatomy of a work in progress

(2 C More Art go to www.themindscapeartfoundry.com or www.artoflylepolyak.com)