FEBRUARY IN MCGREGOR

Now that we’ve reached the end of February, William and I have selected our favorite photographs from his McGregor Gallery to post here at the blog (read about this ongoing show at this blog post) Even though it was a short month, William captured an abundance of images around the town. We admit the amount of pictures posted below is utterly ridiculous but we couldn’t narrow it down any further because they are all so fascinating.

As an observer of William’s artistic process, it has been interesting for me. I never realized how much actually goes on in this town until he started photographing it so zealously. Now I am amazed to see the intricate details William notices. There are so many things that happen in the course of a day that one can easily overlook. By watching him document the people, places and things around town, it renews my belief in the sacredness of each moment. How exciting it is to see this place with new eyes—filled with wonder and excitement about what might happen next.

I’ve categorized the selections into 3 groups: people, places and signs. I’ll say a word about each before the photos begin.

PEOPLE
Let’s begin with the people. These images tell stories about the inhabitants of McGregor. You can see their varied expressions, actions, and interactions. While I love William’s studio photography, I think these candids are equally captivating. Seeing people in their context living their lives displays the narrative in a wonderful way.

We’ve continued to challenge ourselves to meet new people and deepen the relationships we’ve already established. Though this town is small, there are still many people we’ve yet to discover. It’s been great to see how the camera breaks the ice and helps us get to know people.



















































































PLACES

The architecture of McGregor has such charm. William continues to explore creative ways of capturing the buildings around town. He is especially gifted with night photography. Some of these illuminated buildings and homes emanate a warm glow that seems beckons you to come inside. I find these so compelling.

We've had some days warm enough to begin thawing the snow but for the most part, what you see here is winter. It's been a long, hard winter but it does make for some stunning images of things contrasted against the snow.

SIGNS

The final group of photos is that of signs. We've noticed that McGregor has an enthralling array of signs. One speed limit sign even got flipped upside down (by a prankster, I presume) and William got a shot of it before it was righted.

So that's it for February. Congratulations! You've made it through our selections. Please continue to visit the McGregor Gallery at The Gentry Joint. March is already upon us and new photos are getting posted there as I write this. Journey through spring in McGregor with us.

—Laura Gentry

AN EGGPLANT PURCHASED AT MILWAUKEE'S BEANS AND BARLEY

I recently found a blog post from Daniel Goldin, general manager of Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He encountered an Art*o*mat machine in the East side's Beans & Barley and decided to make a purchase. And what did he choose? A Stray Eggplant, of course!


Here is Daniel's picture of Beans & Barley's Art*o*mat machine.


And here's the label on the machine that helped him choose.


Finally, here is the photo of the eggplant he got, which says "totally heavy eighties licks." Daniel describes the work as "Barbara Kruger meets Mollie Katzen."

Read his whole post here.

Laura's eggplants, by the way, can be purchased at The Gentry Joint Store.

LAUGHTER PORTRAITS

I decided to let my Laughter Yoga work spill over into my art work by trying some laughter-induced paintings. These 3 portraits I recently painted began with laughter. William took photographs of us laughing in front of the camera in profile. Then, I used those photos to draw the silhouettes onto canvas. Finally, I filled them in using vibrant colors—actually laughing as I painted. I tried to abandon logical planning and paint more freely and intuitively, allowing the spirit of the laughter to guide me. I hope they give you a giggle or a even a full belly laugh.

—Laura Gentry

These paintings are 24" x 24" — acrylic on canvas.

If you'd like to be a "laughter model" for future paintings, e-mail me at strayeggplant@yahoo.com.