Visual Artists at Saluda Shoals unearth Sun 10/2

(Photograph of Tam Hicks by Jean Bourque at Tapps Art Center April 2011)

unearth at Saluda Shoals Park on Old Bush

River Rd in Columbia on SUNDAY, October 2 from

1 - 6pm at Saluda Shoals Park will feature a celebration

of nature’s inspiration! Twenty six artists were juried into

the annual event along with the musicians I mentioned

in my previous blog post.

Three of the professional artists that are in

this show are well known fiber artist Susan Lenz,

Oil painter and former forensic artist Roy Paschal and

Tam Hicks, photographer, clay sculptor and retired art

teacher. The visual artists will be demonstrating their

art inspired by nature.

For more details check out the website at

www.unearthsaluda.org.

Unearth at Saluda Shoals Park Starts today

A Celebration of Naturally Inspired Art
at Saluda Shoals Park

An annual celebration of the arts showcasing visual, performing and literary arts. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in art, nature and the creative process. Art demonstrations and instruction, poetry reading, a variety of musical and dance performances and a songwriting competition will engage visitors in a unique art experience.


This year, unearth will include:

Thursday (10/1)
Songwriting Workshop 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Join us for a Songwriting Workshop with local musician, Danielle Howle. Learn how music is inspired by nature as well as techniques in solar recording. Hosted in partnership with Musician & Songwriters Guild of SC to register call 772-1228. Cost is $10.00 ($5.00 for Guild Members).


Food, Art & Business Market 5:00 p.m.
An evening event featuring talented artists, delicious food and unique business. Hosted in partnership with Irmo Chamber of Commerce.

Friday (10/2)
Shaggin' on the Shoals 6:00 p.m.
Put your shaggin’ shoes on and join us for Shaggin’ on the Shoals. This fundraising event features music by The Dick Goodwin Band and great food as we dance the night away on the Environmental Center deck. $35 per person in advance/$40 per person at the door

Saturday (10/3)
The Palmetto Mastersingers Concert 6:00 p.m.
Bring a picnic and enjoy an evening performance by the Palmetto Mastersingers featuring The Dick Goodwin Band. Please remember to bring blankets and chairs! $5 parking fee

Sunday (10/4)
A Day of Art at Saluda Shoals Park 1:00 p.m.
A Nature-Inspired Celebration of Art. Experience the creative process as artists share their talents in a natural setting. The afternoon features painters, sculptors, poets, dancers, and musicians creating and performing along the Park’s trails. Unearth concludes with a concert by the Lake Murray Symphony. Please remember to bring blankets and chairs! $5 parking fee


This event is presented by the Saluda Shoals Foundation and Irmo Chapin Recreation
Commission in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Lexington Medical Center, the Irmo Chamber of Commerce, and the Musician & Songwriters Guild of South Carolina.

Contact us:Dolly PattonSaluda Shoals Foundation Executive Directordpatton@icrc.net803.213.2035
unearth Call for Artists
Amateur Photography Contest
unearth School Participation
Sample Photo Release form
unearth in the news!
unearth Partners
unearth Performance Schedule

Palmetto Master Singers Perform Tonight Oct 3

Columbia SC... Saluda Shoals Park
On Friday, October 3, at 6:30 pm join us for The Palmetto Mastersingers in Concert
Bring a picnic and join us for an evening performance with South Carolina's Musical Ambassadors singing American classics, beach music and favorites from the "Rat Pack."
Presented by the Saluda Shoals Foundation and Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission in partnership with the Irmo Chamber of Commerce, Nickelodeon, Musician & Songwriters, Guild of South Carolina and 701 Center for Contemporary Art.
Normal Park Admission Applies!

Some of the People that Made My Day on Sunday

I woke up this morning and I was thinking about all the wonderful people that came out to show their support for the artists at "Through the Eyes of Art" at Saluda Shoals Park. I am truly a people person. I want to tell you about some of the wonderful people I met.
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I met art students from USC, Richland NE HS and Irmo HS. Many young people stopped, watched, asked interesting questions about my art process. I must say a lot of them are into abstract art and for that I am grateful. Although they were very interested no one in this age group, came into the jungle to see the view I had. Several adults did venture close in so they could see this view and share my vision.
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What amazed me was a little girl, no more than 9 years old, came right up to the painting I was working in and asked about it. She wanted to know why I sprayed water on it and how I decided what colors to use. She came back several times to see the various layers developing the paintings. Each time she asked really in depth questions about doing art. She reminded me of myself as a young person seeing artists painting along the shores of Cape Cod and being totally amazed at their process. I turned her around and showed her the view I was looking at and she had an ah ha moment.
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Later on while C. Aluka was in the jungle photographing the art, another little girl that was only 6 years old, came right in and asked if she could see the one I was working on. As she took it in her hands to really look at it; C. Aluka captured her love for art in two to three clicks of his huge Canon camera.
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One young person I must mention is Sarah a student from Richland NE HS. She had admired my artwork and the colors several times and I thought she was a volunteer. I asked her to ask one of the other artists to come by my work area and she came back. It was then I asked her if she was a volunteer and she said she wasn't. So thank you Sarah for being a great friend to the arts and passing along my message.
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Two other fun things; the flute player came to my area and played and the people that came by said they got there at the right time. It was wonderful. I also met the mayor of Chapin and he filmed me and interviewed me. BTW; I did not finish any of the three paintings, however, one is only an hour away from completion. The others are probably about 4 hours each. This is the start to a great body of work. I may have to go back to the jungle and paint there again!
It was a fun filled; people filled day. Thank you one and all! yours, Jean Bourque

Through the Eyes of Art at Saluda Shoals Today

Ahhh...a Sunday afternoon and your just sitting around web surfing, looking for something different to do...Hop in your car and come on to the Park...here's why:

The event is today Sunday Oct. 7, 2007 from 1-5PM.

"The beauty of the park serves as both a stage and an inspiration for some of the Midlands most talented artists. Experience a variety of artistic mediums and gain special insight from the artists on how the creative process works. Wander into the world of dancers, painters, musicians, and actors interpreting the beauty of nature's art along the trails of Saluda Shoals Park.

Participating Artists
Jean Bourque, Abstract Acrylic Painting
Betsy Clem Brown, Watercolor, Pencil, Prisma Colors
Elizabeth Cameron & Kathy Bradley, Banjo & Guitar Performance
J. J. Casey, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Beth Cavanaugh, Watercolor
Columbia College Dance Company, Martha Brim, Site specific Choreography
Ruby DeLoach, Haiku Poetry & Watercolor Art
Eboniramm, Poetry Reading w/Flute Accompaniment
Jean Ehler, Oil Painting
Julianna Gillespie, Watercolor
Vickie Saye Henderson, Improvisation
Howard Hunt, Oil Painting/Photography
Invasion Performance Group, Barbara Anderson, Interpretive Dance
Alicia Leeke, Batik Silks & Surface Designs
Susan Lenz, Machine Embroidery
Barbie Mathis, Oil Painting
Michel McNinch, Oil Painting
Roy Paschal, Oil Painting
Melinda Smith, Watercolor & Collage Demo
Tina Milhorn Stallard, Vocal Performance

Through the Eyes of Art Organization Team
Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission, Local artists, Artists Round Table, Columbia College Dance Company, Crooked Creek Art League, Cultural Council of Richland & Lexington Counties, Musicians & Songwriters Guild of SC, Nickelodeon, Sandlapper Magazine, SC Arts Commission, SC State Museum, Seven Oaks Art League, Sumter County Cultural Commission

Partners: Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Citadel Broadcasting, Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties, First Community Bank, Jim Hudson Lexus, Professional Printers and SC PRT

The Saluda Shoals Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to serving as a steward of and an advocate for the preservation and sustainability Saluda Shoals Park programs and the environment. "

Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission
Saluda Shoals Park
5605 Bush River Road, Columbia, South Carolina 29212
803-772-1228

A Pair of Jeans; Painting on the Back Porch

What fun it is to get together with other artists hang out and paint together. We always have a great time. This week it was Jean Ehler and myself Jean Bourque. Many of you know Jean Ehler paints realistically and I paint in the very abstract; most of the time. We got together and painted on my back porch. It was like 105 degrees out but under the porch we had shade and occasionally a burst of a/c from opening the door to let my two puppies in and out of the house.
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I worked in acrylics and pastels on several different canvases. I often work on several at a time. It's like one feeds the other. I also do a lot of dripping, spraying and watering so I often need to let one dry a bit in the sun to capture an effect. If it rains while it is outside; that's even better (sometimes) because it creates a unique design that cannot be duplicated. I love the idea of one of a kind and creating something that never existed. It's a powerful sensation. My color scheme was perhaps more monochrome than is typical working in burnt sienna and yellow ochre.
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Much to my surprise Jean Ehler was working in bright colors like fuchsia and purples which she custom mixed in oil paints on her palette. Ehler worked on a smaller canvas painting some beautiful flowers; from a photograph. I asked her about her technique and she said she usually draws the composition in charcoal and then paints. However; with this painting; she went for the paints. She had a flawless blue background and several large open flowers. We had talked about Georgia O'Keefe and as different as we paint from each other; both of us have been inspired by her work and both have done pieces in that style.
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While I was using a regular Stanrite aluminium studio easel Jean Ehler had her traveling easel; which I really liked. I have a wood box Julian style one; but when you travel and walk a long way to paint; it does get quite burdensome. Ehler's new black easel was like a modern tall tripod which all clicked in to place and fit in a shoulder bag. Of course I had to find out where it came from. Yes; I will be running to Hobby Lobby on my next day off and finding this little gem! This will be perfect for "Through the Eyes of Art" show in Saluda Shoals; on Sun. Oct. 7th from 1-5PM.
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Have a great Day;
Jean Bourque
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About the painting: "Floral Fantasy" is an oil painting c by Jean Bourque on 24 x 18 canvas

Saluda Shoals Park Vision of an Artistic Adventure

I had never been to Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, SC until today. It is located off St. Andrews Rd and Bush River Rd. heading towards the Lake Murray Dam.

If you have never been to Saluda Shoals Park

I strongly urge you to go as soon as you possibly can.

The park has many wooded trails, a great steel fish sculpture which has fish within the fish, a splash pad for children, a doggie park, over a mile long riverfront and they even rent canoes. There are environmental buildings and displays which make great trips for the school children and besides being educational, it's a fun place. If you need a place to hold a function; they have plenty of indoor space to hold your next company function or even to just go there and paint or write amoung natures sound of running river water. The park has plans to expand into the cultural world with a performing arts center slated for its future and additional land will be developed to facilitate expansion for this original, natural masterpiece.

This park has captured my imagination beyond mere words. It started with visions of artists painting along the river bank...and quickly expanded to be oh so much more!

When I walked down the wooded paths enjoying the little squirrels playing; I heard the sounds of African drums beating and I could feel a gentle breeze, while the imagery of painted silk scarves flowed in and out as I made my way down to the water. I could envision basket makers weaving; and a small group of musicians playing flutes while ballerinas were dancing in and around the trees. A crowd gathered to watch a juggler perform and little steel magnolias popped up out of the ground as a poet was reading aloud. Art is everywhere and the park was transformed to a magical artistic adventure.

If you are an artist of any kind and you share this vision; please email me or text me; maybe our artistic paths will meet and we can enlighten the community with art in a new and amazing way...

yours truly, Jeanee
http://www.jeanbourque.com/
art@jeanbourque.com