back with a vengeance

and painting the aforementioned series. I'm off on a whole new tangent, a real departure for me and my style of painting. It's exhilarating, and so much harder than I thought. BUT...you'll all have to wait for the unveiling when I debut this series at The Cookie Cab in May. There will be a show there, invitation-only artists, and lots of publicity and hoopla, not to mention the best damned cookies in all of Ocean County, and probably farther, but I don't get out much, so suffice it to say, that the cookies are best I've had, and the selection is crazy. They even make gluten-free, so you have no excuses. Anyway, the time is getting close for the Art Show and Sale on May 15th. Have you gotten your application in? Better hurry, there are only so many spaces available, and its first-come, first-served. Call me for more info @ 732-674-2486.

A New Series??

I am contemplating a new series of paintings, smaller in size, vast in subject. I have been obsessed lately with images from space, and have decided to try and capture the majesty and utter grandness in oils and canvas. If I am successful I will post the images here as they are finished. This is another departure for me, as I normally do NOT do anything in a series. So, either I am stretching out toward new horizons, or I'm putting the cart before the horse in announcing a series of something that there's not even one of yet. Oh, well. Time will tell.

What exactly Does a Co-Director Do, Anyway?

Jean LeBaron, Co-Director
732-674-2486
email: CancunMs@aol.com



Good Morning! I have just been named Co-Director, along with Amy Boyd, of the Toms River Artists' Co-operative, Exit 81, otherwise known as TRACx81. I am thrilled and honored, and I just hope that I can meet all of the expectations and do the job as well as our retired Prez, Yvonne Yaar. She was the Founder, she had the vision, she did all the legwork and molded our organization into what it is today. A big Thank You and a Job Well Done!


We are quickly seeing Summer come to a close, although you wouldn't know it by the weather. Hot and humid, we are truly into the dog days of summer, and soon September will be here, and starting September 1, TRACx81 will have an exhibit at the Ocean County Library in Toms River. The exhibit will run from September 1st through the 29th. Please make an effort to visit the Library in September and check out the great artwork offered by our group of artists.

Art Bistro Article Highlights Jersey Art

Jersey may be the Garden State, but sitting in gridlock on the turnpike is no walk in the park. Instead it’s a walk through . . . an art gallery. In place of the usual beer ads and movie posters, this summer two billboards went up that feature scenic landscape paintings. “When I was living in NYC, the whole concept of New Jersey was this barren wasteland, and I can understand why,” says Gary Godbee, whose painting of an idyllic farm now graces a billboard outside Trenton. “But New Jersey is a gorgeous state with amazing variation, and that’s what we’re trying to show people.” Godbee, who now lives in Westfield, NJ, and Hoboken artist Tim Daly inaugurated the Palisades Highway Art Gallery.
In the coming months, 10 new billboards will go up around the state featuring other artists’ visions. And while traffic might be the bane of commuters everywhere, it’s actually key to enjoying these billboard paintings. In fact, the artists whose work is on display might be the only people in Jersey praying for gridlock. “A car is not the best place to appreciate art,” says Godbee. "And if you’re whizzing along at 60 it hardly registers. But if you’re stuck in traffic and can really see the art, then maybe you’ll think, ‘OK, this drive is not a total waste of time.’ "
Unlike with most art galleries, Jersey drivers can actually choose which paintings and photographs they want up on the “walls.” Voting is open until Aug. 7 at drivewithasmile.palisades.com, where hundreds of the most scenic Jersey landscapes can be voted on. Most are pretty flattering to the Garden State, so don’t expect the North Jersey urban wastelands to be appearing on the billboards. As for the danger that art-loving speed demons might keep their eyes on the paintings too long and forget to watch the road, Ed Fernandez, the CEO of auto insurance company Palisades – the sponsor of the highway art gallery – says not to worry. “There’s a lot documentation that billboards don’t distract drivers.” -Art Bistro

This is the best news to come out of NJ in a while. What with corruption and destruction all but taking over the newspapers, this article is a breath of fresh air, and a boost to NJ artists everywhere in our state. It's a first in the whole nation, and I expect other states will be taking up the challenge soon. Woo-hoo!

Prospectus and Application for Art Show and Sale!

It's done! The Call to Artists has now been joined with the Prospectus and Application for the 1st Annual St. Paul Art Show and Sale! Scroll down the page and you'll see both "Call to Artists" and "Application" on the left hand side of the page. Please consider entering this show; for the money, you won't find a better value. I know it's a little early, but just think how quickly time has flown since Christmas, and soon we will be thinking about Labor Day and the holidays right after that, and you know you'd like to recoup some of the money you've spent on materials and supplies. Why not start working on smaller pieces that can sell for less, and stimulate your own economy? Send all inquiries to me at my e-mail address CancunMs@aol.com or leave a comment on this blog, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Open Call

Here it is, the Open Call to Artists is posted and it only took me 35 minutes! Soon to follow will be the Prospectus and Application. I am becoming a computer whiz despite my misgivings. Time marches on and I will not be left behind in the dust. Well, maybe I'll still be in the dust, but I'll definitely be in the middle of the pack. At least I'm learning as I go.

Summer has finally arrived at the Jersey Shore, and I am eternally grateful that we actually had 3 days of warm sunshine. For a while, I thought we would have rain every day all summer long. Miserable weather, but the blueberries are fabulous this year, and we've already staked out a secret location. Yumm! We went out tonight for 30 minutes, and came home with about a half gallon, and that was after The Granddaughter ate a third of them! So now the hard part will be deciding what to do with them. Husband warned me to decide fast, or she'll eat them all before we make a pie or muffins or whatever. Nothing better than fresh blueberries, and these are absolutely delicious.

Hmmmmmm. This is art blog, after all, so let's talk art. I've been playing with the idea of doing something wacky, abstract, edgy, off the cuff, not my usual style at all. I got a great book on the images taken by the Hubble Telescope, and it really got my creative juices flowing. So I want to experiment with some different materials, and play a little. I'll let you know what transpires.

Mad Rantings

Okay, new equation: permanent damage in right arm and shoulder + days upon days of rain and roller-coaster barometers = constant pain accompanied by a lethargic, non-creative, anti-productive state-of-mind, multiplied by a self-imposed guilt trip for not creating, and divided by not enough time for work, house, family, and me. Result? I'm not painting. And I'm resenting it, but there is no-one to blame. It's just life. And right now, it's not fun.

And to make it all just that much better, I recently had a birthday which was a not-too-subtle reminder that this is now a way of life, and not likely to get easier or better in the future. Or ever. So what are my choices? Can't order a day with more hours in it, or change my physicality, or stop being a wife and mom,or quit my job, so the choice comes down to what? Not sleep? Not likely. Okay, maybe sleep less? Fine line here between tired and zombie. And seeing as how I work with sharp bladed instruments all day at work, not a good idea to be dead on my feet all day. Arrggggh. Why does my life have to be so.......normal? Just wanna paint. That's all. But I don't really want to give up everything we've worked so hard for, either. Okay, I admit it, I am a spoiled rotten example of the baby boomer American woman with all of the attributes of a whiny princess on Valium. So, now what? Somebody kick me in the assets, and point me to the Studio door, cause this is Life and and you don't get a Mulligan.

Well, thanks for that little pep talk. I do believe it helped, and I'm feeling oh-so-relieved that my disease is not life-threatening, and is most likely attributable to some form of mental deficiency. :)