The Raven’s Caw

#19 in the Meet the Artists Who Have Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash series is Robert P. Waddington. Robert is a frequent exhibitor at Salon Des Amis Gallery and his work is also available through the Roger Lapelle Gallery in Old City Philadelphia.

This small work caught Betsy’s eye because of her fond memories of going to amusement parks with her father when she was a child. The presence of the spaceship doesn’t hurt either, as we are both sci-fi fans. (Click the thumbnail to view larger image.)

More of Robert’s work can be viewed online at http://www.rodgerlapellegalleries.com/Waddington.html

# 18 in the Meet the Artists Who Have Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash series is award-winning Philadelphia painter and muralist Meg Saligman.

Chances are very good that if you live in Philadelphia or have simply driven through the city, you’ve already seen Meg’s incredible work towering above the city streets. Her mural work is some of the finest in the country, even the world. And we are so fortunate to not only own one of her smaller works, but to count her among our treasured friends. (Click thumbnail to the right to view larger image of the piece we own.)

There are a number of websites that feature the murals of Ms. Saligman, and you can find them quite easily by Googling her. But the best place to start would be her own website at http://www.megsaligman.com

She can be contacted at (215) 485-7358 or (267) 975-1696

Email: saligmanstudios@comcast.net

#16 in the Meet the Artists Who Have Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash is Virginia Abbott. Unfortunately, we know next to nothing about Virginia. This cast paper work is titled "Iris" and was in a juried exhibition titled In Your Face at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in March and April of 2007. I was showing a few of the dolls from my Dolls of the Apocalypse series in the same exhibition. Apparently, Virginia has no website or contact info on the Internet.

Click thumbnail to view larger image.

#15 in the Meet the Artists Who Have Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash series is Selena, the youngest of the artists whose work graces our walls. Selena is the (then 12 year old) daughter of a friend and former guitar student of Betsy’s. He brought Selena with him to one of his lessons and she had with her a work of art she’d just completed. After showing it to us, Betsy called me into the adjacent room and whispered that she’d like to buy the piece from Selena if I liked it as well. I did. And after ascertaining that her dad wouldn’t mind if we made Selena an offer for the work - you know how parents can sometimes be quite possessive about the creative output of their progeny - we made Selena an offer she couldn’t refuse. She left that day beaming and with a fistful of cash from her very first art sale. And we had a wonderful new addition to our collection.

Click thumbnail to view larger version.

#14 in the Meet the Artists Who Have Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash series is glass artist Gateson Recko. We are very happy to include two of Gateson’s amazing Universe Marbles in our collection.

Of his work, the artist writes: “In my most recent body of work, Universe Marbles, I use the sphere to contain a small piece of distant universe. Each sphere is small enough to hold in your hand, yet has the feeling of a great expanse of space. My goal is to create realistic, three dimensional, panoramic views of space. Included in these scenes are nebula made from fine silver and 24k gold, galactic vortexes with opal moons, comets, exploding planets and an endless supply of planet variations.

“Since 2001, I have worked almost exclusively on this body of work, honing my skills and developing a language that is a unique vision of our universe.”

Unfortunately, my limited photographic skill and equipment is incapable of creating a truly accurate image of Gateson’s Universe marbels. However, if you ever find yourself at our place, do yourself a huge favor and hold one of them in your hand and slowly turn it as you gaze into the interior. I’m certain you’ll find yourself transported to a place of mystery and beauty. (Click thumbnail to view larger image.)

Or better yet, check out one of the shows he takes part in throughout the year, such as the annual Marble Weekend at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center in Millville, NJ.

You can also visit his website at http://www.universemarbles.com/ or he can be reached by email at gateson@universemarbles.com