4/19/08

Synovate Global Conference in New Orleans

The successful marketing firm, Synovate, third largest in the world, is holding its 4th global conference in New Orleans! Most exciting was their decision to help local visual artists, who have been largely ignored in the wake of Katrina.  Synovate is bringing over 500 delegates to their conference, which begins Monday. They have chosen, commissioned, and paid 40 artists, including yours truly, to develop a painting based loosely on "My New Orleans".  Fourteen international  delegates will go to each artist's studio to devise a marketing profile of the artist. All paintings will be auctioned online, with proceeds to be divided between the Arts Council of New Orleans and the individual artist. Definitely a win-win situation!

Delegates will be coming to my studio on Wednesday afternoon. I'm really excited to be a part of this and am looking forward to meeting the delegates. We will  gather in my newly refurbished watercolor studio, which recently had the wood floor installed and sanded, having languished since the flood. I painted large swaths of the wall with magnetic paint so that I can post watercolors anywhere, with the help of neodymium magnets rather than push pins or nails.  It's terrific to have the space back in use.

I'll post new work after the conference. Predictably, I'm having a hard time choosing which painting to select. Maybe I'm even getting a little over the top about which one will be featured. Two more days and the painting time is over.  I've made frames in two sizes to keep options open. The only definitive is that the painting will be a watercolor landscape. 

4 comments:

lotusgreen said...

that sounds so great!

Serena Potter said...

The magnetic paint is a wonderful idea! I look forward to seeing your work!

Joan DaGradi Studio said...

Lotusgreen, it's been a fantastic experience. Today, 14 delegates came to my studio. I really enjoyed meeting them and rattled on and on about the storm and life in New Orleans since. There were delegates from China, Thailand, Malaysia, the Netherlands, London, Madrid, Australia, Germany, Poland, South Africa, and the US. It was a joy to have them visit and to be able to share with them. Their schedules are very full; I hope to get a chance to see them again tomorrow night at a scheduled dinner.

Joan DaGradi Studio said...

Serena, the magnetic paint works fairly well. I think the secret lies in using the neodymium or rare earth magnets. They are very strong and not recommended for use around children or anyone with a pacemaker!
They do hold watercolor paper to the studio wall, but nowhere near as strongly as they would to a refrigerator or some other metal object.