A Sale - something to bring me out of my art block!

What a nice surprise I received today - I sold a piece! I'd taken the three small canvases Three Textured Abstracts linked them together with a repurposed beaded necklace and had it hanging at The Next Picture Show Gallery exhibit of work from our art league, Kishwaukee Valley Art League. Ever since the death of my laptop a few weeks ago I have missed having all my pictures available, but there is hope that I will get them back soon. When I do, I will post the piece.

I am Honored

Award Winners were nnounced for "I am Woman" Show on August 15, 2008 at The Next Picture Show Gallery in Dixon, IL

... and I was thrilled and surprised for my framed collage "Renewal" to be chosen for the third place award!

An artist from the Quad Cities, Raphael Iaccarino, judged the show. He is an internationally known artist whose vivid watercolors are inspired by the Costa Rican rain forests and jungles. Iaccarino prefaced the announcements with a comment that he was looking for images that compelled him to look, look again, and return to look yet again. He said that five of the six pieces had an air of mystery about them.

Iaccarino gave each of the award winners a written comment, which I found very encouraging. The comment on "Renewal" was, " Just when you know, it's time to let go."

July Update

I plan to have my blog moved over to here in the next couple of weeks.

In the past few months I've been busy at work, preparing to teach a different grade, so I haven't devoted a lot of time to artwork. Here though, are some of the pieces I've worked lately for the juried show, I Am Woman, at The Next Picture Show Gallery in Dixon, IL.



"Rain on the Roof" is a 12” x 6” wrapped canvas collaged with textured acrylic paint, paper, sewn copper sheeting, vintage buttons, and found objects

"Some say dreaming of hearing rain on the roof is a sign of domestic peace and joy."

The second image is "Optimistic Birdsong: Herstory needs Voices". It's a wallhanging 40" x 28" done in the style of mixed media artist Lesley Riley. Lesley generously provided instructions in a past issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors. I enjoyed making this piece because I was able to try some new processes: painting muslin, heat distressing painted Lutradur, and using gel medium to transfer an inkjet photo.

The next two pictures are of the embellished wooden chair, titled: "Silla Especial". The 8" x 4" x 4" wooden chair is painted with acrylics and embellished with beads, loteria cards, discarded jewelry, and Spanish text of the prayer "Hail Mary". "Silla Especial" was designed as part of a tablescape for a fiesta.

I've been working on some paintings for submission to a juried exhibition at The Next Picture Show in Dixon. I have 3 of the 4 near completion that are a series interpreting Feng Shui elements in the style of Jacqueline Sullivan's DVD. I've become enamored with her techniques of using transparent acrylic paints and mediums along with the additions of textures of molding paste, cheesecloth, tissue paper, etc. Pictures will follow later this week when I have the work dry and ready to photo!



In the meantime, here is one that uses torn wallpaper, acrylics, stamping, and handmade paper that I made a few months ago. I named it Oceanids, after the Greek sea nymphs. The original is 16" x 12" on canvas board. The enlarged view really shows the textures.

Happy New Year to all! 2008 promises to be another wonderful year of art opportunities!

My plans include doing art everyday - being more productive by using the vast array of materials I already have rather than being seduced into buying more! I set a goal to enter 4 shows at the Next Picture Show gallery - the call for entries has Regional Art Survey 4 (any media and subject); Sculpture, Clay, and Fiber (fabric, fiber, paper???); the Nuts about Art outdoor show in July; and then the I am Woman show in August. That's about 16 different pieces. I need to get moving!

I kept busy during winter break with some painting and mixed media art - photos should follow by the weekend. My printer/scanner decided to die, so I haven't been able to do all that I wanted with digital media, but that should change by the weekend. Just bought an Epson printer/copier/scanner today at CompUSA as the Rockford store is closing by the end of the month. It was a decent deal, so maybe by tomorrow evening I'll have it set up and ready to go.

Last week on yet another trip to Rockford, I discovered a rather new contemporary art gallery
on State Street between downtown and Alpine: Golan Lieberman Gallery. I met the artist co-owner, Roni Golan, who was there working on his computer and practicing his flute. His work is simply amazing and he is a delight to talk to.

Friday brings another exhibition opening at The Next Picture Show Gallery . I don't have any work there this time, but friends do, so I'll be there to celebrate along with them!

Vacation has ended! Time to sleep! I am looking forward to seeing the preschoolers tomorrow (and keeping my fingers crossed that everyone's now an independent user of the toilet!)