Technical Difficulties: Asking for Support

I have just arrived at the Osage Arts Community (OAC) this labor day weekend, all set and eager for a three month residency. This morning I woke to beautiful fog-covered hills and an enormous dew-jeweled spiderweb. I went outside to take a photograph to share these amazing sights and to use the images as references for future works, only to discover my camera would not work! I spent most of the morning researching into the problem to learn that the cost of fixing it would be almost, if not more (with the added cost of shipping), as much as a new camera. I was in agony thinking there was so much wonderful sights to share with you, as well as knowing I could not take images of my artwork for this blog and my website. I knew I would be disappointed if I did not have a camera during these three months at the residency, but worse, it was to realize that not having a camera at all would be extraordinarily challenging for so many other aspects of my art career.

So further hours into research led me to a good quality, no frills, but adequate refurbished Canon digital camera for just under $200.00. It is here where I ask for your assistance. I am at this residency on very little income and need to stretch every available dollar I have. I would be most and forever grateful for any support you may be able to offer in raising the $200.00. I have placed the order and have 30 days to collect the money. Your donation, no matter what amount would go far to help me. Until I can get the camera, I am afraid my blog will look quite empty! If you enjoy my work or believe in supporting the arts or the work I am trying to do, might you consider a small donation?

You can donate by clicking on the Fractured Atlas icon below, or if you prefer to donate by check or money order, please contact me at doanart@gmail.com for more information.

I truly and gratefully appreciate your support in all the forms they manifest!

DoAn



DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Busy as a Bee!

I will be heading out of town for the next five days to do a teaching residency at Burlington College in Vermont. I will return to regular posting next week after I come back.

In the meantime, I hope you take a moment to reflect on the importance of bees and give thanks for all they have given to us. I have only scratched the surface of the importance of bees in my previous posts. I will be sharing more of what I have learned in future posts.

You also might consider donating to DoAn Art. I am currently raising money to attend a residency at the Vermont Studio Center where I can synthesize this kind of information into artwork to share with society. It is my hope that by sharing my teachings and paintings from nature, I might help inspire others to seek ways to make our world beautiful place to live for all living beings.

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Humans and Honeybees: a long history of cooperation

Did you know that humans and honeybees have been working together for thousands of years?

In 1934 images were found in a limestone cave in Spain depicting humans honey-hunting. This is the first painting discovered in Europe that illustrates humans collecting honey. The image shows a human hanging on ropes suspended over a cliff-face. The human is reaching into a nest of bees taking honeycombs while individual bees swarm around. Another figure stands below holding a bag with a long handle where the honey is collected. It is estimated that this painting was made between 2000 and 8000 years ago.

Bee-keeping is depicted in Egyptian temple reliefs as early as the 5th Dynasty (2445-2441 BC). The reliefs show that beekeeping was well established in Egypt by the middle of the Old Kingdom (3rd millennium BC). Records from at least one tomb workers' village during the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC) indicate that the workmen there kept bees and this was likely true of other communities throughout Egyptian history. Bee-keeping is also depicted in some 18th and 26th Dynasty tombs. Bees were certainly of great importance in providing honey, which was used both as the principal sweetener in the Egyptian diet and as a base for medicinal ointments. The Egyptians also collected beeswax for use as a mold-former in metal castings and also for use as a paint-varnish. Read the book Sweetness & Light by Hattie Ellis for more fascinating history of the relationship between humans and bees.

As humans focused more on development and less on the environment, suburban sprawl has destroyed many of the natural habitats of bees. It seems like it might be a good time to think about giving back some of the living spaces we took away to bees again. I looked into ways that people with very small amount of land can provide living space for bees. I was glad to find that it is very simple and doesn't end up with someone having swarms of bees taking over their yard! The National Wildlife Federation has some tips on how to build bee houses here.

You can create homes for Orchard Mason Bees who are very helpful in pollinating plants. Ochard Mason bees are not aggressive and rarely sting, so they are safe to keep in your back yard, or porch, or outside your window, if you don't have a yard. You can also create houses for bumble bees, which are native to North America and very important pollinators. I found a site by Dave Pehling that gives simple instructions on creating a bumble bee house, but you can search for other sites quite easily that give instructions on how to make houses for them. If you are not handy at all, there are also sites on line where you can purchase pre-made bee homes.

In the spring I will be setting out both Orchard Mason Bee and Bumblebee homes and I will be sure to share the results with you then. Please consider continuing the long-standing relationship between humans and bees by creating a home for them. After all, it seems like it is the least we can do after taking away so much of their natural habitat. The plus is that we can live together and share the benefits from each other as a result!

If you find this interesting and would like to learn more about the honeybee and other teachings from nature, please consider donating to DoAn Art. I am currently raising money to attend a residency at the Vermont Studio Center where I can synthesize this kind of information into artwork to share with society. It is my hope that by sharing my teachings and paintings from nature, I might help inspire others to seek ways to make our world and all the beings on it a beautiful place to live.

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Could the end of the Honeybee be the end of Us?

For several years now there have been reports of dramatic declines in honeybee populations around the world. There is even a name now for the phenomenon. It is called Colony Collapse Disorder. Entire colonies of bees have mysteriously disappeared, leaving the developing bees to die, and caches of honey and pollen to rot. There is a lot of speculation to what is causing this, but no consensus yet. When I hear about such things happening, it concerns me deeply. It drives me learn more about the creature (or culture) that is threatened so catastrophically that its very existence hangs in the balance.

In the case of the honeybee, I have not only read about its biological history, I have also explored its history with humanity It is a long and fascinating story, which I never knew about and I suspect many people don't know of. Though, due to the honeybee's situation perhaps, many of us are starting to learn bit by bit. I also look to nature as a teacher and guide, and in exploring the honeybee, I have also learned more about what the honeybee can teach me.

One of the first things I noticed about the honeybee is how organized it is. It works and lives in a very efficient community, where all members have a role and work toward a common goal. In folklore and spiritual traditions around the world, the honeybee represents community and organization. In reflecting on this, and the decline of the honeybee, and the condition of Colony Collapse Disorder, I can't help but look at this as a symbol of the human community as a whole. Could the honeybee be telling us to watch out? Perhaps it is time to take a good hard look at the communities, both large and small, around us and evaluate their well-being. I suspect that they need help and, since each of us are in some way a part of many communities of one kind or another, we need to get organized and participate in healing them. Perhaps, in the process of healing our own communities we may end up helping out the honeybees who are in need of aid. I think nature can teach in both directions. And, after all, humans really are not separate from the honeybee at all, we are both part of the great community of life that exists on earth.

I will share more about the fascinating honeybee in the next few posts. If you find this interesting and would like to learn more about the honeybee and other teachings from nature, please consider donating to DoAn Art. I am currently raising money to attend a residency at the Vermont Studio Center where I can synthesize this kind of information into artwork to share with society. It is my hope that by sharing my teachings and paintings from nature, I might help inspire others to seek ways to make our world and all the beings on it a beautiful place to live.

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

So Close, Yet Not Quite There: The Importance of Community

Limited Edition hand colored print

The Gift of Community
hand-colored print by DoAn

Please consider helping me attend the Vermont Art Center artist residency in November 2008!

As many of you may remember, I was accepted to the Vermont Studio Center residency from November 21st through December 21st this year. I was granted a partial scholarship to cover a little over half the expenses of the residency. I have since been working on raising money to cover the remaining fees and I am glad to report I only have $1000 left to collect! I appreciate the support of those who have believed in my work enough to donate and help me produce work that continues to explore nature, spirit and healing.

As an added incentive I am offering a special limited time print for donations of $100 or more. (Special offer expired)

• The print is titled “The Gift of Community”
  
• Each print is hand colored by me with artist grade colored pencils, matted and signed.
• Once the fundraiser is over prints of this piece will no longer be available.

I believe the print speaks to how every member of a community has a role and supports each member as well as benefits all. The Honeybee is a perfect representative of this ideal. The print shows honeybees working together in their hive collecting pollen and nectar.

Attending this residency is a crucial step not only in developing my career as an artist, but also in supporting the community at large by allowing creative work to be made. Your donation will go directly toward supporting art to flourish, which, in turn, helps make our society healthier and balanced.

While at the Vermont Studio Center I will be creating paintings that relate figures from mythology to objects in nature and the cosmos. The purpose of this series is to help people see and experience the beauty and diversity of the natural world in a new way. With our misuse and neglect for the well-being of the environment and the over consumption of nature’s resources, I believe that people need to once more find respect for and appreciate the natural world, which we are not separate from but intimately connected to.

If you have enjoyed reading my blogs or benefited from the artwork and information that I have shared with you, please consider contributing. No amount is too small. However, my appreciation for your gift will be limitless!

Donations received will go toward:

• Fees for attending the Vermont Studio Center residency
• To support me in continuing to produce artwork that stimulates thought
• To support my goal to produce work that is environmentally and socially aware

DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 



If you have any questions or concerns about donating to DoAn Art through Fractured Atlas, don't hesitate to contact me at doanart at gmail.com.

Thanks for your support! It is only like busy honeybees working together can we combine energies and resources to help everyone around us to see how fascinating and beautiful our world is and how much we need to help protect it!

DoAn
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All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Emerging Visions #12-- Jung @ Heart

Emerging Visions, an e-zine for visionary art, edited by Laurie Corzett, has posted issue #12 titled Jung @ Heart. I am happy to announce that my painting, Boann: Transformation of a Goddess, was selected to illustrate the issue. Please take a moment to check out the poetry, essays, flash fiction and visual art by the other talented artists and writers.

Prints and greeting cards of Boann are available at FineArtAmerica

DoAn

PS: I am still collecting donations, which will go toward attending the residency at Vermont Studio Center in November. I greatly appreciate any support you can offer! Please click the image below:



DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 

Vermont Studio Center Residency

I have been accepted into the Vermont Studio Center for a four week residency starting in November!

The Vermont Studio Center hosts 50 artists and writers who participate each month in 4 to 12 week independent studio Residencies. VSC Residents represent a mix of mediums, cultures, experience, and ages, for a diverse and vibrant community.

The VSC hosts 600 resident artists and writers from around the world, and 72 visiting artists and writers each year. During the 4 week residency I will have a private studio space to work in where I can focus on producing work without the usual daily distractions. I will also have access to a community of artists and writers to share work and ideas.

This is a tremendous opportunity for me. While at the residency, I will be working on paintings that explore our relationship to nature and spirit. I will have the time to devote myself completely to producing work, which will in turn help me contribute work for the good of society. In addition, I will have the chance to meet other established and emerging artists.

I was awarded a partial grant from VSC to help cover some of the costs. I need to come up with $1500 to cover the remaining of the expenses. I would appreciate any donations in any amount that you are willing to give to help me attend this residency. In return, you will be making a great contribution toward the future development of art for the betterment of society. You can donate by clicking on the logo:



DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


I greatly appreciate any support you can offer!

DoAn