Wandering Artist's Journal

"Study for Fremont Cottonwood," 14"x24", acrylic on canvas over wood panel, ©2017 Anna L. Conti I just finished this small study for a big series I'll be working on this year. Twenty paintings, focusing on the Truckee River, mostly the section between the East & West McCarran bridges. I'm calling the series "The Source" and focusing on the intersection of the city and the river. The exhibition will be in November 2017, at the Potentialist Workshop . - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: MidTown, Reno, Nevada

I just got a message from a San Francisco gallery, asking me for a link to one of my old blog entries - an interview with artist Stevan Shapona, that I published in February 2005. I was using a different domain host in those days and had to go to the Internet Archive's WayBack Machine to find the post. This is an invaluable service, which I have used many times, and it deserves supporting, if you can manage a small donation. My first website was published in the early 1990's before the existence of the Internet Archive and those pages are lost and gone forever, along with the host servers. There was also an unfortunate period when I drank the Apple Kool-Aid and hosted my blog on their short-lived web platform - those archives are gone too. But live and learn - thanks to Laughing Squid , and Google, most of the last 12 years of blogging and of my artistic output are still available for research. A few screenshots from the archives, from 2000 to 2006: Location: Reno, NV, United...

After moving here (Reno, NV) from San Francisco last year, I figured things were going to be slow for awhile, until I made some local connections - WRONG! I set up my studio for small work - WRONG! After getting a couple of large commissions (too big for my little wall easel) I thought I could paint outside on my deck, since these commission were probably just a fluke - WRONG! I started looking around for another studio space because I thought it would be too hard to tear this space all apart and build a bigger easel - WRONG! I woke up one morning, stressing about getting to the new (borrowed) studio with all my paints, etc. And it finally dawned on me: I should just take three or four days and restructure this studio to serve my needs and things would get a lot easier, duh. So I did. And now, I'm getting down to business:

Reno is Artown! It's pretty great all year 'round, but the entire month of July is insane, with 10 to 20 art events every single day! Get the full schedule here (click on the calendar date-by-date for events & activities.) I'm just dipping my toe in this year, participating n a few events and getting around to some of the others as a visitor.  Saturday, July 9th:  yART Sale , 9am-4pm, 1420 Mt. Rose St., West of Marsh Avenue I’ll be showing some of my paintings there with 25 other artists, including Lynne Bunt (mixed media), Brenda Retterer (glass painting), and Craig Johnson (knots & bolts) Other Artown venues that carry some of my paintings: Micano Home , 1350 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 10am-6pm, Sat-Thur (closed Friday) I’ll be at the Art, Wine & Music event Micano is hosting on Saturday, July 30th, 1pm-6pm Loorr Home , 3368 Lakeside Ct, Reno, NV 11am-6pm, Tue-Sat (closed Sun & Mon) Fred & Wilma’s Rock Quarry , ...

'52 Vincent with Fishtails, acrylic on weathered wood, ©2016 AnnaLConti, painted for Sam Sprague (to sell) at Micano Home & Garden . Spring is here! (Kinda - it's actually snowing today.) But everyone I talk to in the Reno art scene is looking forward to Summer art shows & events.  Luna Maya Marketplace is continuing their monthly, first weekend marketplace. I'll be out of town in May but look for me here on June 3, 4, 5; July 1, 2, 3; August 5, 6, 7; and September 2, 3, 4. And if you are an artist who wants to show/sell your art, shoot me an email and I'll set you up. Micano Home & Garden has a few of my pieces, specially commissioned by Sam Sprague for his rustic, steampunk, farm, industrial themed store. The Vincent (above) is the first in a new series. Stop by the store to see the latest. I'm very excited about my opportunity to show with Connections at the Annual yART Sale , July 9th, 2016, during ArtTown . 20% of all sales benefit Art...

"Tempus Fugit" (Time Flies) acrylic on canvas, mounted on hinged wooden panels © Anna L. Conti April 1st, 2nd & 3rd , 2016 Luna Maya Markets  ** at 1644 South Wells Avenue, in Reno (across from the Wells traffic circle and next to Cafe DeLuxe ) BigCrow  will  host  a booth at the new monthly Plaza Maya Markets. Stop by Friday 5-8pm, Saturday 3-8pm, Sunday 12-5pm. There will be food, drinks, music and of course ART! Anna  will be showing some of her paintings;  Eoghan  will be making and selling his earrings; and we have a secret guest artist. **  Luna Maya Markets  is a new community art, performance & gathering space and they have a great lineup of activities the first weekend of every month. Please stop by!

A few days ago, a friend and I were driving around Verdi, just to see what was there and we stumbled upon a couple of wonderful artist studios. I plan to follow the artists’ work and hope to see them again. Here's why: Edward (Ned) Peterson, www.espartcreations.com Ned has a drool-worthy studio full of painted metal lamps, ink and airbrush works on paper, neon wall art, and framing stuff (he does professional framing on for himself and others. Check out that repurposed  missile - tree house lamp! It's a collaboration with Kai Presher - see below.) Ned has a flat file full of ink drawings, with watercolor, giclee, or airbrush coloring. Ned's neon paintings are meticulously painted (even the edges) on canvas, then mounted in hand-crafted cabinets, holding neon lights. The pieces look different in day-time or nighttime, but great all the time.   Ned shares his studio space with his friend Kai: Kai Prescher, kaiprescher.org Kai makes shadow casters...