PAINTRESS GRETCHEN: February 2012

B. I. N. G. O. !

This is our friend Bingo.

She's part monster, part bunny,

and part girl.

She lives in a little orange house in a very bright land.

She plays a pink polka-dotted trombone,

but only knows two songs.

Sometimes she likes to eat things.

She always likes to laugh.

She likes to have her friends and neighbors come play with her.

She also likes to go visit her friends and neighbors.

When she feels shy she hides in the background,

or just hangs around the house.

She likes to watch the moon rise from her cabbage patch.

Twilight is her favorite time and her favorite show.

She keeps her costumes outside in a tree.

Also, she can run really fast.

Sometimes she just sails away to strange places we do not know.

But she always comes back again.

I'll tell you more about Bingo tomorrow!

But that's all for now!

B. I. N. G. O. !

Meet Gretchen Baer: Art Ambassador to Hillary Clinton, Paintress of The Bisbee Royale Theatre, Director of the Art Envoy Institute, and Daughter Of The American Revolution!

Born and raised on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, Gretchen hails from a long line of miniature ship in a bottle builders, Yankee Sea Captains, and war heroes that foundered at sea.

(Great Grandfather Captain Leroy Lair, who narrowly escaped foundering, Circa 1885)

Gretchen grew up in her own fantasy Island that few cared to visit. She was considered by many to be mildly retarded. She was given plenty of space and encouragement to develop her own brand of creativity in her field of interest....coloring!

Her father, Gene Baer, a painter and the island's only art teacher at the time, spent years teaching his daughter just about everything she knows about art.

After barely surviving the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, Gretchen was happy to be shipped off to Boston to "Massachusetts College of Art", the alma mater of both of her parents!

( Gretchen's mom, the glamourous Jackie Baer at Mass Art, circa 1953)

Here, young Gretchen and her pals moved into the school's massive cellar system.

They created a glittering underground kingdom that they illegally inhabited for three incredible years.

During this "Le Group" period, Mizz Baer received much of her revolutionary training as a guerilla artist.

Four and a half years later, she emerged out of the underworld, clutching a diploma with a degree in fine art!

( Art School, circa 1983)

After spending the next few years traveling in Mexico and Central America, Gretchen stumbled into Bisbee, Arizona, which suits her aesthetics perfectly!

Here, she learned from her friends Kate Pearson and Harrod Blank, that traveling should be done in high style. Thus she began a love affair with movable, livable art... art cars, art boats, and finally, the piece de resistance, the sailing art raft!

(Click on any picture to enlarge)

After two years before the mast, and one nasty shipwreck that resulted in almost foundering at sea, the Paintress washed ashore and swore off sailing forever!

Back in Bisbee, Madame Baer met the man of her dreams, the super sweet, smart, sexy and talented Shawnee...

Together, they teamed up to create an arty party club called El-Change-O! where lots of great bands played and was lots of fun while it lasted!

Gretchen's next big artistic adventure lay in the unlikely field of politics.

Although she had no interest or knowledge in the political arena, she is a big fan of Hillary Clinton.

Having made a sworn oath to herself that she would do anything in her power to help if Hillary ever ran for President, Gretchen ventured into this new territory as leader of The Hillary Clinton Army.

Tossing all boring convention aside, she promised all joiners that the H.C.A. would put the party back into Democratic party, a promise that was kept and then some!

In less than two months, Gretchen was formally introduced to Hillary, and the troops were marching off into battle!

Thus, Gretchen became completely and most-likely annoyingly absorbed with the H.C.A.

She quickly made an art car and drove off to join the campaign trail!

She was given full access to Hillary's secretary who helped secure a space at rallies for the Hillcar in many states.

Gretchen and The Hillcar have the honor of playing a small role in this important period of U.S. history, which is pretty cool!

After such exciting wins and a big disappointing loss, it was time to get back home and get back to reality. The war was over. The troops were sent home.

It was time to re-invent!