Artists for Animals- St. Croix

Capable Hands oil on canvas- SOLD

Locally Grown – oil on panel – SOLD

Here’s a formula that can’t lose. Take one island. Four thousand unwanted animals per year. Thirty five artists. A newly formed Foundation dedicated to ending pet overpopulation. Oh, and add French food and an open bar.

I’ve been helping to orchestrate  a fund-raiser for the Sunshine Foundation, a St. Croix non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to end pet overpopulation by offering very affordable spay/neuter services to needy families for their pets.

The idea was to have some of the islands’ leading artists show up to three pieces of their work with a portion of the sales going towards the Foundation. Great exposure for the artists, a kick off to the season here, and a chance for the Sunshine Foundation to get their message out to the community.

I was thrilled to have sold the above two paintings to one couple who couldn’t decide so the tie-breaking, decision-making and I might add, very astute husband said ” Let’s buy them both”! Really, why anguish over the obvious!

Great turnout of supporters and flute glass raisers…..

Interested lookers….

Partners in fine crime- Sam, you’re the best!

Photo courtesy of Ted Davis of D&D Studios, St. Croix. Thank you Ted!

Wonder if what happens here is a common gallery experience- the work gets snapped up within the first 45 minutes and after that, it’s mingling, schmoozing, drinking and eating. It’s as though the frenzy of the first purchase overrides the socializing and then conversely, the frenzy of chatting overrides any interest in further buying. Can anyone else chime in on this?

Why hair raising as a tag, you ask?

Because one week before this gala was when my hard drive crashed. As in muerte, morte, dead, don’t even bother, RIP, who’s giving the eulogy kind of dead. Little by little, the hair is growing back from where it’s been pulled, the programs are getting re-installed and I’m forming an all girl group called ” Bonnie and the Back-Ups ” starring me and my 320 gig external hard drive.

So what’re the dog raising, hell raising tags signifying?

That cute little puppy Cloud, happily gnawing on Cubas’ foot, will happily chew on anything that’s in her view. Before it was Cuba’s foot, it was my v-e-r-y expensive pair of prescription sunglasses with the Progressive lenses. She ate both temple pieces, left the frame, the lenses and left  little gnawed stubs of useless plastic that give my glasses that Thalidomide effect.

This is one artist that is for animals- asking permission!

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33 Responses to “Artists for Animals- St. Croix”

  1. Donald Diddams Says:

    Hi Bonnie!
    It was a fabulous event, with so much of the credit going to you and Sam. I trust that poor little Cloud isn’t being punished too severly. She was only doing what little doggies do, and happily, I’m sure. Just tape some popsicle sticks on those stubs, and you’re all set.

    • Bonnie Luria Says:

      Don- punished? That fluffinutter face? I love the popsicle stick imagery. Like the geek with the band aid holding his glasses together.
      If Kelly broke them, he’d be in the doghouse. Cloud gets to sleep with her head on the pillow.

  2. Marian Fortunati Says:

    Oh God, Bonnie… I so LOVE to read you blog. It never fails to make me smile and your use of word pictures usually makes me laugh out loud (LOL is soooooooooo inadequate)… as it did this time.

    So glad your group’s opening was successful… Lucky and wise people who bought those fabulous figurative paintings!!

    Way to go VERY HAPPY LADY!! Loved the couple photo… not the dogs… the one with the HUGE SMILES.

    Hope your holidays continue to be wonderful!!

    • Bonnie Luria Says:

      Marian- thanks right back, because your comments always make my day too.
      I am curious though about the phenomenon I’ve noticed- that the work gets grabbed in the first half hour and after that, nothing moves.
      Do you see that when you go or show at galleries?

      • Marian Fortunati Says:

        Yes, for whatever reason, in my experience both in shows I’ve been in and in other’s shows… There are FAR MORE sales during the reception than at any other time… Couldn’t say about the timing DURING the reception…
        I did just read an article on FASO about how more people buy if they see red dots start appearing… makes me want to go to the next show with a red dot to stick on someplace just to start things off … sort of like having a shill in the crowd. (LOL)

  3. JoAnn Sanborn Says:

    Oh, God, Bonnie ….Ditto Marian – exactly, right through the Happy Holidays.!

  4. Bonnie Luria Says:

    JoAnn, Thank you- it really tickles me to know that anyone gets a boot out of the chronicle of this persons’ life.
    I always appreciate your notes here and wish you a wonderful years’ end and deep breaths as the temperatures accommodate our patience in this part of the world we’re in.

  5. Carol King Says:

    Congratulations Bonnie! I know you were working on the show when we were there, so I’m very happy to hear it was a fabulous success. Don’t know which is more beautiful, your art or the photos of YOU!

    And that little cloud. She’s so cute how can you be mad at her for chewing your glasses?

    • Bonnie Luria Says:

      Carol- we were sweating it up to the day of. The turnout was much bigger than we thought it would be but didn’t know it until the day.

      I’d be madder if Kelly sat on them. Cloud has a get out of jail free card for life.

  6. Nancy Moskovitz Says:

    Hmmmm. Totally agree with comments above; your blog rocks. In answer to your question, no not all receptions are as sales prone as yours. I’ve heard rumors though and am glad to know it’s possible, and for you, profitable. Kudos all around.

    • Bonnie Luria Says:

      Thanks Nancy- For the days that painting leaves me frustrated, I’m happy to know that the blog is a good read.
      The sales at our events , while not referring to volume but to speed, seem to happen only in the first half hour.
      It’s the red dot frenzy.
      After the initial surge, it’s dead.
      What a funny phenomenon.

  7. Melinda Says:

    What a great thing to do to help the animals!! I’m so glad it was a success and hope that there will be many more of these events in the future.

    Do you think that the wave of sales and socializing you experienced is related to the phenomenon that we see when there is a kind of wave of people showing up at the market followed by a subsequent lull in activity?

    Congratulations on your sales!!

  8. Bonnie Luria Says:

    Hi Melinda, It does seem the likely, logical association. The artists’ spirits and concern for unwanted, abandoned or abused pets.
    We’re already planning the next one to be done out in a ball field under a M.A.S.H like tent.
    Our vet will be performing spay and neuter procedures under the big top to reach out to a portion of our population that either cant afford it or don’t understand the necessity for it.

    The feeding frenzy mentality seems to be the engine that drives every one of our art shows.
    Perhaps being a small, isolated community, if a collector doesn’t grab something immediately, it’s gone and there may not be another venue for months to view anything.

    Thanks as always for stopping by and hope you have a wonderful holiday.

  9. wrjones Says:

    They made a good common sense decision to by two good paintings. Looks like a lot of fun. I hate Carol for getting to spend time there. I hope it gets cold in New York.

  10. planetross Says:

    Living where I live I don’t see any stray cats or dogs. I almost get nervous if I see a dog actually wandering around without a leash or leashholder.
    I can’t believe people have to go to a pet store to buy a cat or dog … for between $700 and $3500 too!

    note: I did say “almost” didn’t I? … good.

    • Bonnie Luria Says:

      Ross- we see over 6000 animals be euthanized here because of overpopulation and an old cultural belief that it’s ” not macho ” to cut your dog.
      It’s a long process of re-educating the younger ones in school to realize how necessary this is.

      Japan seems the bastion of efficiency.

      Happy Holidays!

  11. planetross Says:

    Merry Christmas!

    Thank you for educating me/reintroducing me to a process that I know very little about. I like coming over here to see what I don’t know much about: art … involving painty stuff.

    What’s Christmas like where you are?
    I’m sure it’s like here, but totally different.

    • Bonnie Luria Says:

      Hey Ross- there is very little you know very little about. Christmas is as big here as it is on the mainland. It just feels ” odd ” being in shorts and seeing palm trees instead of Fir trees ( or as you might have said Fur trees ).
      Happy New Year

  12. Paz Says:

    congratulations on your sales!

    merry christmas!

    paz xoxo

  13. Jala Pfaff Says:

    World’s cutest photo (Cloud gnawing on other dog’s foot). :DDD

    Hello from India…

    I had to laugh at your description of the demolished glasses, though I’m sure it wasn’t funny to you. (Maybe in 5 years it will seem funny.) By the way, I just had my eyes tested and found out I have to have progressive lenses! I’m freaking out a bit as it means I’m feeling very old…. Oy. The irony is that we decided to do our latest eye testing and glasses here in India to save money… and turns out that the lenses are exactly the same price here as in the U.S.!

    I loved seeing these magnificent paintings of yours again! Great cause, of course.

    • Bonnie Luria Says:

      Jala from India- a hearty hi!
      Imagine what we can photoshop with Cloud and Rumi. We do have two darn cute animals and I can only imagine how much you miss yours.

      About progressive lenses- it’s three three three glasses in one. Before they came to be, we would have needed three pairs. That means three pairs to carry, three pairs to lose and perhaps, three pairs for Clouds supper.
      Here’s to good vision, whatever it means and whatever it takes.

      Happy New Year all the way around the planet.

  14. Faye Says:

    The paintings are awesome, and what a grand cause. Congrats on the show, the pics just say it all!

  15. asmalltowndad Says:

    Beautiful art and I hope to visit the island someday!

  16. Mary Sheehan Winn Says:

    4000? OMG!
    I love your art and your blog. Now if I don’t get up and step away from this computer, I’m going to grow a root out of my butt :/
    Happy New Year to you and your wonderful animals, and your people, too. 😉

  17. Maria Valentini Says:

    Hi Bonnie,

    It’s Maria from Miroglio….Happy New Year!! I’m glad to see you are keeping busy with painting and your doggies too! How is Kelley? Sergio & I are well, we have a canine child also here name is Maggie. We may visit your island in February,

    A big hug,

    Maria xo

  18. Jala Pfaff Says:

    Forgot to say that you look exactly like Barbra Streisand in that photo. !!

    Got my progressive lenses. Very strange. I know they say it takes a week or so to get used to them.

    I miss my animals SOOOOO much. Leaving in about 12 hours for the airport, and then a deadly 24 hours’ travel. NOT looking forward to that, especially as I’ve torn an anular (according to doc) in my lower back. Anyway. Sorry to bitch. 🙂

  19. Alonso Says:

    Great paintings.

  20. Kelly Gloger Says:

    When I saw this painting take shape in a day, I felt you finally broke through a barrier. The fact that you eliminated the obligatory pencil sketch before applying paint, reduced the number of brush strokes, went for it without fear of screwing it up, and forced yourself to do it in a day tells me that you’ve reached a new level of confidence. You even used the word “fun” in describing the process! No that is real progress!!

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