while on my way to someplace else......

Recently at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, I was headed to a small watercolor exhibit.  As I wove through the maze of galleries, I stumbled upon one in which Japanese kimonos were displayed.  I stopped in my tracks.  The fabrics of these robes are so beautifully designed.  Each truly is a work of art.  ALSO this gorgeous basket is a wonderful example of functional art.

one week left!!

Still one week left to see Matt Adrian's show at Nahcotta.  These beautifully painted "bird portraits" are wonderfully stylized.  Somehow one feels the "personality" of the bird coming through.  The entire surface of each painting is very carefully considered.  The often quiet space surrounding the birds give the paintings a contemporary feel..........and some of the titles are hilarious!  Check them out here!  Oh....and you need to click on learn more in order to see the whole image on many of these.

enormous tiny art eleven!

I JUST dropped off eight tiny pastels to Nahcotta for the ETA 11 show.  The pastels themselves are 3x6 , framed to 8x10.  Some of these images might inspire some larger works at some point in the future.  I always look forward to this show.  The diversity is so great.  Show dates are February 1-29.  The opening is Friday, February 3^rd from 5-8 PM.  It is always such an electric event!

mixed media at the MFA

I am currently taking a class in mixed media at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston.  So far we have created decorative papers using acrylic paint, built three dimensional constructions with cardboard and created a collage which references a master painting.  It has been such a great way to expand my creative thinking and process.  AND it means I am at the MFA every week!

This piece is a project called “call and response”.  First we sketched in the gallery from a drawing or print that was of interest.  Then, back in the studio, we each painted a background sheet.  On the right hand side of the page we responded (loosely) to some aspect of the sketch we had made.  Then we passed our page to another student who responded to that on the left side of the page.  It was so interesting to look at all of the results.

passing the torch

Yesterday I delivered nine tiny paintings to Nahcotta for the ETA 10 (Enormous Tiny Art) show. Working in a small format is a great opportunity to experiment a bit with materials. I tried applying three different grounds to the canvas. They all accepted the paint in a different way. The inspiration for the works was one of my favorite subjects.......SUMMER. I have been enjoying many early morning walks on the beach. Every day brings its own beauty.

2012 calendars are in the house!!

It's always challenging to choose twelve images that tell the story of my work, but I am very happy with this mix. Some images are representational, some a bit more abstract: some done in pastel, others in acrylic.

.......now if I can just motivate the staff to get them packaged up!!

CHIHULY

Finally made it in the the Boston MFA yesterday to see the Chihuly exhibit. It was SO inspiring! The installations are incredible from conception to scale to execution. It was very uplifting. If you can possibly get there, I would encourage you to do so! http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/chihuly

sentinels of winter

Every year once the leaves have fallen, I find myself watching the bare trees and the light surrounding them. They are sentinels standing against a silver sky. The motion as I walk or watch from a vehicle constantly shifts their relational positioning and flickers of light bounce off the bark. I am beginning to explore this fascination in my work.

Ogunquit Museum of American Art Invitational

The OMAA invitational was a fun and BUSY weekend. Such a gorgeous spot and there was a wonderful and varied group of exhibitors. LOTS of attendees came through and were very receptive to my work :) It was great to see some dear friends who made the trek and I must say a special thank you to my friend who crazily volunteered to help with the set up!!

magical place

I just finished up a little pastel series based upon a magical place in Denmark, Maine.

art is essential

There is a prevailing train of thought that when times gets financially challenging, one of the first areas to be cut from the budget are those relating to the arts……which are deemed “non-essential”. I would like to offer a different perspective. Art elevates the quality of our lives. Whether sitting in a theater immersed in a play, listening to musicians in a club or relaxing at home enjoying a painting, art can provide exhilaration, solace or a place for contemplation. It’s a place to clear our brains and breathe again. Pretty important, I would say.

working away

Lula and I have been working away on some new acrylic paintings. Actually mostly, I am working and she is napping, but we all have our jobs. I am very interested in creating both a beautiful image which speaks to the spiritual quality of nature .....AND a beautiful surface. It's kind of a tall order, but I am making my way.

portsmouth en plein air

I recently stopped into the Kennedy Gallery and frame shop here in Portsmouth. I had read about the show for which the artist, Erin Murray, had committed to painting plein air throughout the city for one month. The results are lovely; beautifully composed paintings capturing the charm of our historical seaside community. The color and light are wonderful. Erin happened to be there, so I had the pleasure of talking with her. I learned that 50% of her proceeds are being donated to A Safe Place, an organization founded in 1976 to prevent and eliminate domestic abuse. And there were LOTS of red dots!! (sales) Luckily there are still some works available and the show is up through June 28th, so check it out!!

immersion

Today I stood in front of a large white canvas which I primed some time ago. At that time, I had a vague idea about the painting I wanted to make. But other studio commitments and unexpected occurrences put two months between my original thought and this moment. (Thankfully, my loyal assistant, Lula was there to offer support.) Hmmm……..where to start??? I believe the best way to start a painting….is to start it. I cannot execute the entire process first in my head. I need to put something down on the surface and respond to that…..and then respond to that, etc… And so I began putting down color and then layering it………not exactly sure about where I was headed. There is something about that unknown that pulls me forward. At some point I realized I was smiling. I was fully engaged in the creative process. It brought to mind that feeling of taking a deep breath and diving into the ocean. At once one is immersed, exhilarated, happy.

the quality of a line / the quality of life

As a junior in college, ALL those many years ago, I was completely immersed in studio work. I loved it!! At the same time, my sister was in nursing school. This struck me as a much more noble profession. BUT………I am a big time fainter when it comes to things medical, so I concluded it probably was not the career path for me. Once I poked my head in the office door of my favorite professor and out of the blue, asked, “When there are people out there researching a cure for cancer, is it right for me to be spending my days struggling with the quality of a line?” Without missing a beat, he said, “Scientists are working to prolong life. Art elevates the quality of life.” Is this a question he had pondered himself? Did he just blurt out the first thing that came into his mind?? I guess I’ll never know. But with that quick response, he gave me permission to be who I am. I have been revisiting that conversation lately while working in my studio. Probably because of all of the strife I am hearing about in Haiti and elsewhere. Sure hope he was right……….

tiny art for a BIG cause

It's that time again! Tiny art has made its way from all over the country for Nahcotta's ETA Show 7!!! As always, the show promises to be a visual feast. It's amazing to see such diversity in one place. I am pleased to be exhibiting with so many fine artists. Show dates are Feb 4 - March 1. The opening is Friday, Feb 5th from 5-8PM. It promises to be a fun, energized event.
For the month of February, Nahcotta and I will donate 50% of the proceeds of the sale of my paintings to Konbit Sante's earthquake relief fund. Founded in 2000, the mission of Konbit Sante is to work in partnership with Haitians toward improving the quality of healthcare. This organization is particularly close to my heart as my brother-in-law is the executive director and is hard at work in Haiti assisting earthquake victims.

romantic reds

I'm just heading out to deliver some small pastels to the Powers Gallery! Hopefully there are some romantics out there who would like to surprise their special someone with a truly unique valentine :)

genius

A friend recently stopped by my studio to purchase a painting for his new apartment. As he was looking around he said he thought he would like to buy a new painting for each season and then rotate them in the same space. What a fantastic idea! I'm pretty sure he is a genius :)

AND..........a recent not so small pastel

small works in acrylic

I just finished up some small paintings in acrylic. NO, not as small as the mini pastels for the deCordova gala. These are 6"x6". Some are on canvas and some on panel. It's nice when working this size, to be able to experiment with materials. In some cases I primed the surface with modeling paste. In some I used iridescence in the paint and / or finished with a glossy "leveling" gel.