In January of each year since 1996, give or take a year in between, I’ve made Valentine cards to apply for a unique grant called the The Artist’s Valentine. The holiday mostly stands out for me as the opening scene of one of the all time greatest movies, Some Like It Hot. I usually struggle to come up with an appropriate sentiment in the cards — not surprising given the previous reference.
This year everything fell easily into place. Two friends recently made cards: Carol is making cards painted with gouache; she was reminded of its qualities a year ago by my gouaches; and Anthony sent an encaustic landscape tip-on card for the holidays. The combination of medium and format showed me a way to tap into my current methods and meet the deadline for sending cards to the grant committee by January 19, 2009. The cards are sold to raise funds for the grant. Artwork to be juried for consideration of the grant is due later this spring. This year’s juror is the painter Ben Aronson. Back in 1999, his father, the painter David Aronson, granted me the largest financial prize in the Artist’s Valentine’s history. It was a significant honor for me.
ABOVE: Still life, gouache, 2.625 x 2.625 in (6.6675 x 6.6675 cm), 1/12/2009
Artist’s Valentine card, gouache tip-on bristol, 4.25 x 5.5 in (10.8 x 14 cm), 1/12/2009