Opening Night at Szozda Gallery 8/10/2012

 

A corner of my own...

 A good night, the rain cleared off and it wasn't as hot outside...the show was hung and looks great, Caroline always does a good job making our art look good!

the Blue Square Window on one side and Solar on the other side...

The First People...

Eclipse hanging on the wall looking sooo beautiful!

SOLD! (not me, the painting.) I really don't like having my picture taken, I always make faces. The person who bought the painting made the beautiful copper necklace with the turquoise stones that I'm wearing.

Good times...great conversations, more exhibitions at other venues in the planning stages...it's been a long day. I'm tired. Time to go to bed.

Addendum...8/11/2012:

I knew this one little painting would sell...that color turquoise seems to grab everyone's attention these days. I'm very happy that my painting is going to a good home...and I'm very glad to be exhibiting at Caroline's lovely gallery with a unique group of local talent, photographer Ray Trudell, mixed media by Linda Esterley and paintings by Phil Parsons, and Emily Elizabeth...I don't think the local artists get enough credit for what we do, many of us work day jobs and squeeze in time alone in some corner of our homes to make art...(and for goodness sakes, write books), some of us are fortunate to make a little pocket money now and then...we are "the other New York." We are the reality of a lot of dreams. Someone long ago, back in the '80's said that "Painting is dead." And every now an then, I hear this so-called death-knell still being batted about in conversation...seriously? For something that's supposedly dead or dying for 30 years or more, it looks mighty alive to me on the walls of Caroline's gallery...and other galleries too...and online, there's tons of artists out there making art, beautiful art. We make art because we love it...it's our joy in life...and I know I appreciate it everyday. I also appreciate Caroline Szozda for inviting me to drop off my little paintings and being part of this exhibition.

Featured on The Altered Page

Solar, 7/23/2012, acrylic wash and rice paper on canvas, 8 x 8 inches

This is a small painting that will be on its way to the gallery, my Fred and I will be in a group exhibition in August at Szozda Gallery, I'll post links as soon as I have photos!

  Visit The Altered Page to see the collection of Still Life images

I'm always collecting things, making little arrangements and putting them around the house to enjoy or setting them up and taking them down after photographing them...this is one that I submitted to Seth's The Altered Page some time ago...

Evening Song, 1/11/2006, pencil drawing on paper, from a sketchbook

I picked them because I love how their natural scrolling loops and curves echo many of my drawings...

Rite of Spring, 5/26/2006, pencil drawing on paper, from a sketchbook

Here are a few more photos I took that day, specific to Seth's project...

I still have the little coils cluttered together in a box...now dried out and too fragile...I have a few other collections of this and that, odds n' ends...wonderful stuff found and pieced together...

New work in progress and a special door

Eclipse, 7/1/2012 acrylic wash, monotype and rice paper on canvas, 40 x 16 inches

 I've been a busy girl...I can't say for sure if I'm out of my "slump" or not, but this is a good start, this is the best I've felt about a group of paintings in a long time...these three canvases have several layers of "starts" that failed to go beyond their initial slathering of colors. They're all "work in progress" for the moment as I'm already thinking up things that I need to do...stay tuned!

The Moon, 7/1/2012, acrylic wash, monotype and rice paper on canvas, 24 x 8 inches

Artifact, 7/1/2012, acrylic wash, monotype and rice paper on canvas, 9 x 9 inches

My Fred has built a new door for our mud room and he surprised me with a special addition, it isn't just a door with a little window, he made a cat shape peeking out the window, so I painted a little black kitty...although it's been many years already since we last had old Mr. Boo Halloween peeking out our windows, I believe that little old black cat is still slinking around in spirit...

this is the inside side of the door

this is the outside side

I can't wait until he installs the door, it's going to look so SWEET! (He's even going to forge a Norfolk latch for it so that will be an extra special door.)

Do Overs...

Things I have no words for... 6/3/2012 acrylic wash monotype and rice paper on canvas, 16 x 8 inches

It seems I've been doing this a lot lately...painting it over and starting again...but this one is a keeper! It's that amazing blue and saffron yellow color combination, and now I've sent them out to play with Payne's gray (another favorite!)

Detail #1

Detail #2

Detail #3

 Things I have no words for... (sure beats naming it "untitled", right?)

I dream of summer skies..., May 2012, acrylic wash monotype, rice paper on canvas, 24 x 12 inches

I have pondered this one long enough, and decided to leave it...I wanted to keep this one simple...just because I loved the surface and how the colors flowed and broke apart as I scumbled and scrubbed with brushes after printing my shapes and marks...some things were not going as hoped, but I prodded and kept fiddling...when I made it too complex, I washed it off...I wanted it to be simple. I almost thought I ruined it! I love the golden glow, and those blues...so, this is it.

Detail #1

Detail #2

I have a few other small paintings in progress, but nothing I want to share at the moment...I'm looking forward to setting up my porch studio soon and stocking up on paints and other goodies for making more...but I've been spending more time working on editing my novel than painting, and when I'm not pondering words, I'm digging in the dirt and planting things in the garden...and of course, there's the encaustic kit that is begging me to take it out to play in the shop...Soon. Very soon!

It has felt good to dawdle over my paintings...

At my day job I've been checking in our fall exhibition of Karl Schrag's paintings...oh, so pretty! As soon as the link is up, I'll post it...he was an amazing painter.

SOLD!

The Longest Night - Winter Solstice, 2012, acrylic wash monotype and rice paper on canvas, 9 x 9 inches

The Longest Day - Summer Solstice, 2012, acrylic wash monotype and rice paper on canvas, 9 x 9 inches

It was a lovely night for an art auction in Syracuse, New York. The Eastwood Rotary Club hosted their annual CNY Art Showcase last night to raise money for the Everson Museum of Art and I'm happy to report that my two paintings that I created specifically for the auction, were selected for the Auction Preview exhibition at the Everson Museum of Art and then both paintings sold at the auction to a young lady who was more than happy to take them home as a pair! Just seeing her happy face made me very happy...I'm glad my paintings found a good home with someone who admired them, and patiently waited until almost the end of the auction to bid on them.

The Sketchbook Project 2012

FYI, my sketchbook is now on-line for browsing at the Brooklyn Art Library/ Art Co-op website...the tour starts April 14th at the Brooklyn Art Library, 103A N. 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11249so if you're in the area, check it out!

Something new...something blue...

Detail of Something Blue, 4/1/2012

Something Blue, 3/29/2012 acrylic wash monotype, rice paper on canvas, 18 x 6 inches

I've been busy making a few things, plodding along, and then sitting back, contemplating...and then going long periods of not doing much of anything (down time is important.) When I made this one I was almost afraid to do that one more thing to it...but I did, and then I did another thing...so I have been holding back posting this one because I thought...maybe there's "one more thing"...

Well, if there is, I'll add it later.

I went to a "Book Eating Party" hosted by the Szozda Gallery and Salt City Book Arts it was a good time, my Fred's painting was one of the featured raffle items, and it seemed there was lots of competition for it. Good turn out, good time...

March roaring in...

Detail, Spring Equinox, 2/26/2012

 My latest painting, a work in progress, I can't really declare it done, but it's very close, I'm loving the colors and textures that are going on in there...

Spring Equinox, 2/26/2012, acrylic wash monotype, rice paper on canvas, 40 x 16 inches

detail of Spring Equinox

It glows...I was unhappy with it for a bit of time, then on Sunday night just before bed, I went at it one more time, obliterating parts that I had liked previously, but was no longer so enamored with...

I'm probably celebrating spring too soon as it is just the beginning of March, and it is a lovely sunny day, but that WIND has been howling, like it does in March, purging winter away...it's enough to make you feel a little punch drunk after spending a little too long outside...it's been a mild winter, probably the mildest in my memory...but I dare not speak so soon, it is March after all, and it's a long month...and there are still possible snow storms...some of our worst happen in March.

Master Class at The Altered Page

 

http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/2012/02/master-class-13-final-fifteen.html

If I had a chance to study with Karl Schrag it would have been an honor...his paintings and prints are so stunning with vibrant colors and bold mark making...his translation of the night landscape turned pastoral scenes into a fantastic day where anything can happen...

Some of his influence has entered into my work...most of which are nocturnes...

Nocturne Forest, 2009

Walking In the Rain, 2008

Evening, Blue and Gold, 2010

Nocturne, Ice, 2009

River of Fallen Stars, 2008

Winter Solstice, 2011

A Mid-Summer Night, 2010