Hello, friends. I'm compelled to address today's blog post on thievery....despicable capitalization on someone's else's endeavors. I urge you all to be careful when posting ANYTHING on the internet social media sites. One gets terribly comfortable with oneself, one's "friends", those you are following, and those following you. So I get to the point of the story.

My community is a waterfront town and just off the mainland is a beautiful resort island which many fortunate ones call home, and which many others on the mainland travel to and from work every day, catering to the whims and needs of the many tourists that flock here year round. For several years, visible off the sole bridge that leads from the mainland to our lovely Island was a small blue and white sailboat, abandoned and resting peacefully on a sand spit, quite close to the bridge. Many wondered who she was, how she came to be there, and applauded her bravery is weathering the high tides, low tides, and sometimes ferocious storms that batter the area. Folks started to look for her every trip over the bridge, and upon catching sight of her bright blue hull, felt that somehow the day was going to be all right after all. A Facebook group was created where folks chatted her up, and come holiday time, pictures galore proliferated, as some adventurous soul wended his way out to her sand spit and festooned her with a wreath and twinkling lights (solar of course!), much to the delight of everyone. She became the foundation of clever memes...Bernie Sanders in his plaid muffler even made an appearance atop her, along with groups of families, and other famous personalities those with Photoshop skills planted upon her. We all waited with delight with what someone would come up with next.

Then came a terrible tropical storm, and lo and behold, the aftermath left the beloved little blue boat intact, resting upon another sand spit, on the opposite side of the bridge, somehow having made her way unscathed (with anchor, by the way) under the rather low bridge during the high tide which occurred during that storm. Truly a miracle. Somehow or another, the local TV station out of Savannah heard about her, and did a human interest story on her, which, unfortunately, brought her to the attention of the Division of Natural Resources, who came out to investigate. She was then deemed a hazard to other watercraft, and the internet went wild with what was going to happen to her. Was she going to be sunk and become a reef habitat? Was she going to be hauled off and junked?

During all this heightened interest, being the enterprising painter that I am, took a photo of her as we traveled over the bridge one day and I commenced to paint her on a 16x20 canvas, which I then took to one of the galleries that sells my work. Within just a few days, the proprietress called and said "do another - it sold". Which, of course, I was happy to oblige. I made up limited edition prints of my painting, some notecards.....this thing was taking off. In order to advertise my efforts, I posted a photo on my Facebook page of my little blue boat, directing interested collectors to where they could purchase same. 

All the while, each day I checked the social media accounts, and followed with interest the page dedicated to the little blue boat, as her fate was still being determined by the Powers That Be. One day I'm scrolling through my feed, and I come upon a post within the little blue boat group with a painting of the little blue boat and comments that "my artistic brother painted this, and if you would like information on where to purchase, please private message me." I kept scrolling, but something tugging the furthest recesses of my brain made me go back and look at it again. This time I looked at it on my big desktop computer rather than my teeny screened phone and sure enough, the image that was posted as this guy's "artistic brother"'s work WAS MY PAINTING. What the heck? There were about 20 comments in his post from individuals inquiring where they could purchase this wonderful thing? I messaged this individual to STOP, that this was NOT his "artistic brother's" work, and posted on the feed to this effect. I also reached out to the 20 or so individuals that had expressed interest in it that it was NOT this guy's work, to blow up the right hand corner where my signature could clearly be seen, and to be very careful who they send their money to.  Got lots of comments back about what a scammer and a jerk this guy was, yada, yada, and one kind soul write me that she had sent him money to purchase a canvas print. I was aghast. She said she received a rather blurry 8x10 canvas print, which came directly from a third party printer. She told me she inquired of him (through emails/text messages) that she wanted an 11x14, but he told her all he had were 8x10s. And of course, this is because he stole a tiny 1/2" image off his computer screen and upon blowing it up any bigger, it certainly would become blurrier and blurrier. I felt terrible. She felt terrible. I went back to this guy's Facebook profile, which contained no information whatsoever, except the tab which showed who he "follows".....three pages of individuals from India or Pakistan. So clearly this guy was not the innocuous looking middled aged white guy as pictured in his profile.

Moral of the story: watermark ALL images of your artwork before posting on the internet. I emblazon my name heretofore from corner to corner. And when YOU purchase something from a source you're not super sure of, just be very careful. The thieves are so good at what they do.

Side note: because Facebook saw that I was interested in little blue boats, it suggested that I might like another Facebook group about "classic wooden boats", and in my feed appeared some posts for that group. Welp, I visited the page, and yep, there were lots of beautiful pictures of classic wooden boats from all over the place. THEN, as I was scrolling, was my new scammer friend, having posted another picture of my painting, with the trolling comment "I just love this painting.", just begging for some soul who likes little blue boats to inquire as to where, oh where could they purchase one like it. Sheesh.

I haven't posted anything in some time....I have been painting furiously! I so want to make a good impression at the solo exhibition I'm doing in August. Nervous as a cat....but that's to be expected, I guess. I haven't ever had my own solo show before, and the Art gallery that is housed in the Coastal Carolina Performing Arts Center in the heart of beautiful Hilton Head is well-supported. My good and dear friend Linda Hopkins, who is a gifted writer for several of our local lifestyle magazines here has graciously offered her assistance, and am I glad of that! Writing is NOT easy, and she is SO good! the show requires an Artist's Exhibition Statement, a Bio (ugh), an opening reception (hoping there will be wine!), and two gallery walks/demos. Scared, but I'm going for it. The theme is our Lowcountry surroundings.....I have been painting marsh landscapes, shorebirds, beach and sand and sandpipers! I am blessed to live in an absolutely beautiful environment here on the coast of South Carolina. The tidal marshes change with every minute, with beautiful light, gorgeous trees and shimmering marsh grass. Soooo much to paint! And paint I shall! I will keep you posted. Here's the latest off the easel:

"The Posse", 24x24 on gallery wrapped canvas

Well, needless to say, I didn't win any prestigious awards at the SOBA juried show, but still thrilled to have a painting hanging there for the month along with some pretty wonderful artwork. There's still time and maybe I'll make a sale....who knows?

In the meantime, my spring thus far has found me having set what I hope is an attainable albeit ambitious goal. I ordered a giant roll of canvas and materials to stretch over two dozen larger canvases for my first solo show in decades to be held late this summer at the art gallery located in the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Hilton Head. The gallery is located just off the theater lobby and well attended by show-goers! I am nervous and excited and of course wanting to put my best foot forward, as it's just going to be me featured (eeeeek!). So my goal is to have 24 finished Lowcountry themed paintings, ready to hang August 13th for the show opening on August 16th. I planned on getting two done per week, and have found it to be a challenge thus far. I've got five done and will start #6 this week. Where does each day go? I haven't posted the first five on my website, as I think maybe I'll have some sort of "collection" to post when they're done, although I'm not sure about that. This is why you haven't seen anything new in the last two weeks, other than today's addition of "Maui Beach", which is my beautiful niece Kelsey's wedding present.....it's a painting of the beach she just got married on and will be shipped to Florida later this week to hang proudly in her living room above her beautiful Turkish rug!

I have to come up with a catchy "theme" name for the show, as the gallery puts up big vinyl letters at the entrance....I halfway decided to go with Lowcountry landscapes, including some of the beautiful shore birds you see everywhere here in the lagoons and at the beach....anybody got a catchy name? Let me know.....I'll keep you posted.....

So, next month here in Bluffton, the Society of Bluffton Artists, a thriving, active and prolific group of talented local artists are having the 28th Annual Judged Show. I painted this piece for that show and am excited that it will be on display as of March 9th. The judge for this show is Dan Graziano, whose work I greatly admire. There are cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in six art categories. I'm hoping for the best!