Bookface

Lucy Tokheim will be traveling to the beautiful Redwood Falls with her Bookface exhibit.

Tuesday, June 19 she will be at the Redwood Library to welcome visitors to view the exhibit of 21 paintings.

The Willmar Library will host Lucy Tokheim’s Bookface exhibit beginning Thursday, May 17 through June 13.

Lucy will be on hand from 4:30-6:30 pm Thursday and welcomes the public to visit her to learn more about her work with this exhibit.

The new Marshall-Lyon County Library is a gracious space with natural light that reveals the subtle, affectionate art installations by Michon Weeks. Librarian Holly Martin unearthed Patty Bratnober’s large painting of 1970′s Marshall and found that its glowing color fit perfectly in the large collections area; Paula Nemes helped me plan and hang the Bookface exhibit. The Library also graciously hosted an artist reception for me.

Jody and Howard  Mohr both read aloud from what they are working on. Jody is indulging a scholarly bent as she explores American history and literature between the Revolutionary to Civil War period.

Howard shared some of his all-time favorite books, read the preface from How to Talk Minnesotan and announced a new edition to celebrate its 25th anniversary of publication.

Jerry Ostensoe performed some of his wonderful songs with voice and acoustic guitar. Jessica Pederson and Dr. C. Paul Martin read aloud. Marcy Olson took these fine photos; also set the MPR ArtHounds on us (thank you!).

All of the performers sat for portraits and then also helped put on a great Marshall event.

Libraries are one of the most important institutions in any country, any period of history. They hold what a culture cherishes and carries forward always in response to readers.

Cindy Hendrickx is the librarian at Appleton.  She is warmly enthusiastic about this painting project and has helped me in many ways. Her latest feat was designing a track hanging system out of recycled library shelving that she spray-painted to match the white cement brick wall of the Community center room.  Very impressive!

My paintings were hung extremely close together, but with their bright colors came off very well on the background of the long tall white wall.  Thank you, Cindy!

Just like setting up my easel in many different locations to paint, I will be finding many different hanging systems at the libraries that Bookface visits.

Bookface Library Exhibit Schedule Spring 2012

Montevideo Library: 2.23-3.21, Artist Reception 2.23, 5:30-7:30 pm

Appleton Library: 3.22-4.4, Artist Reception 3.22, 5:30-7:30 pm

Marshall Library: 4.19-5.10, Artist Reception 4.19 5:00-7:30 pm

Willmar Library: 5.17-6.13, Meet the Artist 5.17 4:30-6:30 pm

Portrait painters through the ages need to respond to who is in front of them. This portrait had more detail about the face before I showed it to the subject, a friend. Her comment was that it made her look like a vampire.  Although I liked some aspects of the face, I have made it a practice in this Bookface project to be willing to fail to try to make a painting better.  So I went home, wiped out the face and will try again.

Come to one of the Bookface: Portraits of People reading books exhibits in our region’s libraries to find the out who this mysterious woman is. Or should I leave it as it is?

I can tell you that she was reading a book of blessings by John O’Donohue, whom we both like very much. Here is a link of John O’Donohue reading one of these blessings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rYnWCophIM

Did Sherlock Holmes quote this phrase from one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories or was it only found in Hollywood movies? Is the  quote from Shakespeare’s King Henry IV, ‘Before the game is afoot, thou still let’st slip’  or from Shakespeare’s King Henry V, act 3 scene I: ‘The game’s afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’ ?

Dr. C. Paul Martin could tell us….

One of my earliest artistic influences was Japanese prints. The landscapes remain still in my mind.

However, the hairstyles from the Edo period are fabulous: sleek sculptured hair in imaginative forms.

Imagine my delight when I walked into a classroom and spotted this engineered hairstyle. Fortunately she got the short straw when it came to choosing one of the students to paint.  Japanese school girl look translated into American style with poise and grace.

There is a floating quality that reoccurs in my portraits of people reading. I am working quickly to get the essence of the reader and don’t pay attention to the rest of the room.

Does it suggest the disembodied world of imagination that readers inhabit, where we travel through time and space?  Andrea thoughtfully settled on her couch to read, having ascertained that my series could use someone reading in a prone position.