A new 12”x12” acrylic called, ‘Voyagers’, available in my Studio Sale Collection on my website.
To start this off I have an announcement to make.
First, I appreciate all of you who’ve opened up Crayolas Set Me Free as it arrived in your inbox, and stayed with me, or interacted with me, because of it. I know how inundated we all are these days with emails, both wanted and unwanted. I admit to having ignored, or deleted a newsletter that I subscribed to before, it can be overwhelming. I mean there’s only so much time, right?
A special “Thank You” to all of you who’ve gone above and beyond and become a supporter of my efforts by becoming a Paid Subscriber! I appreciate that generosity whole heartedly.
Most everyone on my mailing list is there because they voluntarily signed up to receive my FASO newsletter at some point in the past. I imported that list to Substack, the reason you’ve been receiving the Substack mailings for free, unless you upgraded to a paid subscription. Since March, when I started this, I kept a ‘Free’ version going every week. And it’s been an enjoyable experience for me to undertake.
However, publishing both a Free and a Paid version, every week, has become more work load than I honestly have time for. A video requires at least 6 or 7 hours to produce, upload and send by the time it’s all done. I’m probably underestimating how much time it really does take. But you get the idea. With a hectic schedule of show deadlines and gallery commitments always facing me, I need to put my efforts where they seem to be receiving the most interest. And that’s in the Paid version where I feature the demo videos.
So, beginning Friday, June 30, you will all receive the last ‘Free’ mailing of Crayolas Set Me Free. From then on, the only way to receive Crayolas Set Me Free will be to become a paid subscriber. I am sorry to have to take this route, but it’s a necessary one.
If you are a Paid Subscriber, you won’t notice any change to your receiving the once monthly demo email, and probably weekly information emails. You don’t have to do a thing. You will continue to receive the demo videos, and other information that I include in the newsletters.
For everyone else, please consider upgrading so that you can receive the demo videos, and more. It’s not much per month($5.00), less with a yearly subscription($50.00). About $4.17 a month if you sign up for the year.
Book of the week…
Harvey Dunn: Illustrator and Painter of the Pioneer West, by Walt Reed.
“Harvey Dunn was born on March 8, 1884, in a claim shanty near Manchester, South Dakota. He attended a one-room schoolhouse and in 1901 entered South Dakota Agricultural College (South Dakota State University) as a preparatory student. Ada Caldwell, his art instructor, encouraged him to further his education at the Chicago Art Institute. While attending the Institute from 1902 to 1904 he met Howard Pyle, America's foremost illustrator.
After studying with Pyle, Dunn opened his own studio in Wilmington, Delaware in 1906. Soon he was illustrating for magazines including Scribner's, Harper's, Collier's Weekly, Century, Outing and The Saturday Evening Post and for numerous books.”
If you haven’t looked at the work of Harvey Dunn, it’s time! I’m slightly prejudiced since my mother’s family homesteaded the Dakota Territory on the Rosebud, in 1908. My grandmother’s father and her brothers (she was born in 1900, 14 years younger than her youngest brother), literally rode horses and wagons out onto the prairie to “stake” a claim. Most of that property is still being farmed and ranched by relatives. My great uncles, my grandmothers brothers who did this, were still living until I was in high school. They lived until their mid to late 90’s. So it’s a history that is very close to me personally, the good and bad of it all. Harvey Dunn was a loved son of South Dakota. He painted the prairie and its pioneers, like my great uncles, at a time when they could still be found and talked to about their experiences. If you are ever driving through South Dakota on I-90, be sure to stop at Wall Drug. They have a collection of Harvey Dunn’s work hanging in the cafeteria. You can grab a bite to eat while sitting underneath a masterpiece! Or you can head to the Harvey Dunn Collection at South Dakota State University in Brookings and see a great collection of his works there. - Enjoy!
Thank you all for reading this. It’s humbling and fulfilling to find out that so many of you are interested in what I’m talking about.
Keep the brushes wet!
Cheers,
Marc
A sensible change in your subscription program. Thanks for the reference to Harvey Dunn. Wish I’d known about him in September 1967 when my husband and I did stop at Wall Drug on our way to the Grand Tetons for our honeymoon! I only rarely make it back to our edge of the prairie on the ND border. I learn a lot from your videos and also appreciate very much your book discussions.
My god! Your story about ancestors in North Dakota remind me about how new my family is to the United States at least on my maternal side. They arrived around 1900 fleeing the Russian army which was roaming the countryside killing Jewish people as well as others. How they survived with no money and barely speaking English is a complete mystery. Only three generations removed from me.