Jen Singh Creatively

Mermaid Malena

2011-08-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

This sweet mermaid Malena is a start in a series of ornament ideas for this winter. With thoughts gravitating to late summer beach time, some fanciful sketches, and just a result of some freeform ideas. Enjoy.

Creating another fairy land

2011-06-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

I've started working on a new piece this morning, just blocking in the background colors, but wanted to preserve some interesting patterns and color blocks to use for reference when it gets all covered up with a creamy white layer. A fairy scene will be the subject with a giant red poppy, and expansive bright sky. I'll post progress shots in bits and pieces since I like to see how certain parts evolve when they are cropped down, they become little paintings on their own.

2011-05-24T18:22:00.001-07:00

hello again. life's business got a hold of me. it's may, and it's just like december. well, sort of. just hotter.

i'm typing in lowercase because i'm laying in bed and just don't feel like using the caps key.

ahem.

so today i'd like to show you some work by a facebook friend of mine that i've never met, but was connected through a kendall grad. melanie parke, www.melanieparke.com, has paintings that exude loveliness. pure color, bold forms and absolutely exquisite subjects. This abstract piece especially speaks to me, the color is delicate, but rich and bright. the white shapes and drips are amazing. check out her still lifes too, eye candy indeed. quick, go visit her site and check out all her great work.

Swan dream

2011-04-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

The vision for this painting has been sitting in the back of my mind for awhile, sketches were made, many nights waking up and thinking about it. I even had the surface prepared weeks ago, but it was propped up in my studio waiting, waiting, waiting. And finally this week, I sketched it out, and painted it in about 3-4 hours.

And it reminded me of a great story about Pablo Picasso:

Some guy told Picasso he’d pay him to draw a picture on a napkin. Picasso whipped out a pen and banged out a sketch, handed it to the guy, and said, “One million dollars, please.”“A million dollars?” the guy exclaimed. “That only took you thirty seconds!”“Yes,” said Picasso. “But it took me fifty years to learn how to draw that in thirty seconds.”-from the Village Voice

I'm not quite at 50 years of learning, but it makes me think getting to that point might be more attainable!

a tale un-fold

2011-03-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

Whales, the earth's most massive mammals, have been depicted as mysterious creatures in stories throughout history. There is a certain allure they carry about them. Occasionally, we hear in the news about how some of the populations are dwindling, or how the use of sonar is throwing them off their migrations, or even worse, hunting.

Yet finding out that these gentle giants are very social and extroverted, and that researchers have discovered that they know how to teach and learn, they scheme, cooperate and grieve and even dream. Their intelligence is definitely underestimated, and studies have shown that whales learn to avoid areas that are unsafe, and they have good memories in navigating that is beyond instinct and more closely related to making decisions.

Do you wonder? They sound a lot like us. Maybe we have more in common with the whales than we thought.

"a tale un-fold" approx. 6" x 4" mixed media on wood block

Mom's gone wild

2011-03-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

March 4-6, 2011.

A weekend that will go down in history where my BFF from long ago (I mean really long ago!) had a girl's getaway in Austin, TX! I flew in to Dallas and we drove down to Austin, a three hour drive where by the end of the trip both of us had about lost our voices because we were talking so much, and arrived at the Four Seasons for two luxurious nights downtown. We ate a variety of local fare from Mexican (of course) and 1800 Reposado margaritas to food truck cuisine and trailer park burgers.

We even got to see Edwin McCain and Sister Hazel Saturday night at Antone's-standing room only, and we were front row! Austin is everything I've heard and more. I'd be happy to hang out in a saloon and shop retro cowboy boots any old time, I'm so glad I got to spend it with one of my favorite gals! Miss you already Di, XO !!

Bird Watching

2011-02-24T08:44:00.001-08:00

This is the time of year is when you see all kinds of feathery fowl stopping by on their migration back north, or simply some native birds scoping out nesting areas, sitting in trees and just chirping merrily. On my way out this morning, a couple red birds were hopping around my gardenia bush and some sparrows were foraging for food in the backyard. So pretty.

Every year, I look forward to see what little bluebird or chickadee family will nest in our birdhouse in the front yard. The girls like to take a peek at the eggs and then finally, when the little ones are born, we observe the mom perched on a wire close to the birdhouse, watch and guard her little ones and fly back and forth to feed them little goodies.

And while this little story plays out in my front yard, I think about how we move in and out of buildings throughout our day, oblivious to our surroundings, ticking off to-do lists in our heads. And then a little picture flashed in my mind, that maybe some of these little birds are probably observing us too, curiously.

3x3 mixed media on wood, "one little birdie"

Learning to fly

2011-02-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

R.A.D. (rail arts district) this past weekend was so much fun! We artists at 151 Locust were privileged to see around 1000 people come through our space to check out works of art by seven local artists presented by the Avondale Arts Alliance. It was a beautiful, warm sunny day and we enjoyed live music, delectable food from local food trucks and, of course, some great eye candy by other fellow artists in the area.

I was excited to sell many new pieces I had just created over the last couple weeks. Sometimes it's sad to see the originals go so quickly when I don't get to enjoy seeing them around the studio for awhile. But don't think I'm complaining! This recent piece, "Learning to fly" is perched on my windowsill and is guaranteed to give me some love for the time being.

Soul Blossom, thinking of happiness and love

2011-02-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are charming gardeners who make our soul blossom.

-Marcel Proust

RAD Studio Cruise in Avondale Estates

2011-01-31T09:01:00.000-08:00

(click to enlarge image)

The RAD (rail arts district) Studio Cruise is almost here and several Avondale businesses and studios have been busily preparing for over 1000 patrons to pass through our streets perusing emerging artist's works, numerous live performances and demonstrations at various locations along the CSX rail line that runs through Avondale Estates into Decatur's Laredo industrial district and all the way to Scottdale. For maps and venue information, go to www.railartsdistrict.com.

In the meantime, make sure to stop by at 151 Locust Street where the Avondale Arts Alliance presents 7 artists of varying disciplines exhibiting and selling their work. And make sure to stop by between 4-6 pm for a Valentine's Paper Making workshop by Katy DeMent, the paper lady. There will be wine and small bites available as well.

Stay tuned for individual artist profiles in the days leading up to the event.

Hope to see you there!

Arthur Rackham, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens

2011-01-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

This month is somehow flying by and my intention was to get a lot of paintings done, including a few commissions. Yet, it's almost February and I've only barely finished one commission and there are several other pieces ready to go with sketches, but I can't seem to get started! Of course they will all get done in due time, I just feel a bit distracted I guess, and one example of procrastinating is when I rediscovered Arthur Rackham's work this week on Alponse's Room blog. Yes, I know, this blog is in Greek, but that doesn't matter because the collection of Rackham's work along with a lot of great poster work is a visual feast for the eyes. Fairies, elfs, butterflies, creepy trees-and the combination of sinister and innocence is downright amazing to say the least. Let's just say I'm inspired.

What's coming up

2011-01-11T14:12:00.001-08:00

A few sketches done in the last couple days while hunkered down from the snow and ice. Just musing about Paris, queens and other fanciful thoughts. I've prepped some wood blocks sized 5" x 11" to bring some of these beauties to life. Now, how to pick which one to do first...?

Where sunflowers shine

2010-12-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

A recent Christmas gift commission for a friend in the neighborhood. The recipient loves sunflowers and my friend wanted to give the gift of art this year. I really like having these kind of friends! :)

I'm off to Lake Oconee tonight for one glorious, relaxing evening away with my husband. Sort of a pre-New Year's Eve celebration since we'll be at home with the kids tomorrow night.

Happy New Year and peace to you all.

Lillibands Studio Sale

2010-12-08T18:29:00.001-08:00

One last show for this season! I'll be at Lillibands Studio in Avondale Estates this Thursday, December 9 and 10 along with 6 other very talented artisans. There are a few ornaments left (one shown above, front/back) as well as lots of prints in 6x6" and 10x10" formats. I even cranked out a few more 5x5 blocks today and another caravan watercolor, so come on out and see me and get those last minute holiday gifts out of the way (even if it's for for you!)

But no worries, if you miss this one, just contact me at jennifer(at)jensingh.com for a studio visit through December 23!

A pair of leaves

2010-12-02T19:20:00.001-08:00

Getting ready for the Little Tree Gallery Holiday Art Show and Sale this weekend so not much time to post much right now! Hope you come by to see me and some other fabulous artists and artisans. Saturday, Dec. 4, 10-6 and Sunday, Dec. 5, Noon-5.

Vivarium

2010-11-30T05:10:00.000-08:00

A mixed media collage painted on a 5x5 wood block, this little terrarium is just full of miniature happiness! I received an order of new paints from Dick Blick last week and after the holiday weekend, I was finally able to really break in some of these colors. One of my faves is a turquoise green mixed with pthalo blue-so vivid and lovely. Can't you see how magical it is inside there? hehe

keeping place

2010-11-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

As a kid, it always fascinated me out to put insects, toads, etc. in a jar, yet after awhile, it became a little creepy watching them bat around and eventually sit lethargic at the bottom of the jar. We would eventually let them go, with me left feeling sort of guilty for doing it in the first place. Yet when I was at one of my favorite antique markets awhile ago, I found butterflies mounted behind glass and was again intrigued to see these little creatures up close and in detail. I almost bought it, but somehow couldn't bring myself to do it! So instead I did this little painting on wood. It should suffice for now.

Holiday time

2010-11-15T11:05:00.001-08:00

Feeling relatively normal today after an insane last couple of weeks. This rain is certainly helping (as well as slipping in a yoga class this morning!) But as I unpack artwork and return emails and phone calls, I'm finding that there is plenty to do around the corner. Next up is the Little Tree Gallery Holiday Show on Dec. 3 & 4. I've got to get cracking on some new work for sure, esp. some larger pieces. Along with a couple commissions, I'm sure my holidays will go by pretty quickly around here.

So I had finished 8 ornaments and sold 5 at my last two shows. Here is a peek at the first five stars, I didn't even get a chance to photograph my other 3 yet and one got out the door before I could even remember what it looked like! Sheesh, no worries though, I'll crank out a few more for the Little Tree show!

New Work

2010-11-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

This week, two shows that I'm furiously working on getting some inventory for. "oh, Hello" (above) and "Frog Royale" -a piece you may

recognize (but new and improved!) . I'll have ornaments, more wood blocks and finally, some notecards! I'll show you pics of those as soon as they get photographed.

So here are details about the shows. The first one is called Two Birds, One Heart and is a home show in Druid Hills benefiting the Decatur Cooperative Ministry and CURE. Check out the invitation for times and directions.

And my friend Heather Pyles is having her annual holiday show in Avondale on Sunday, Nov. 14 5 pm-9 pm, 107 Dartmouth Ave., Avondale Estates.

Hope you can come to one of the shows to see new work and as well as some other fabulous creatives displaying their wares-it's officially holiday shopping season people, so come check it out!

Museum School Second grade auction projects

2010-11-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks have absolutely been insane, with classroom auction projects, auction committee duties and getting ready for three shows, I can barely keep my eyes open! Yet, it all will come quickly to an end after next weekend. The Museum School auction is on Friday, November 12th at 6 pm at Bart Webb Studios (more info at www.themuseumschool.org)

Ok, so I had to make a little plug there, only because if you can come to the auction just to see all the classroom art projects, it would be worth it! They are simply "museum" worthy and anyone would be excited to hang one of their works in their home.

Pictured above are three upcycled windows the second grade kids painted on for their project. They are currently studying oceans, and specifically the three layers of the ocean. So since we had three old windows, we divided the kids into groups to create the sunlight, twilight and midnight layers of the ocean. They really LOVED this project and I think they did a fabulous job! (top to bottom, Midnight (this one has glow in the dark paint!), Twilight, and Sunlight.

Sugar Skulls

2010-10-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Halloween over here in Avondale Estates where it is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year! All the lawn decorations, ghosted signs, spirit awards, and then on hallow's eve, some of the greatest scary houses you can find! So inspired by sugar skulls, I created these 3"x 3" blocks that can be hung or just displayed on a shelf. They are very shimmery with the use of bronze acrylics and finished with a triple thick gloss finish. BOO!

for keeps-mixed media on wood

2010-10-21T05:16:00.000-07:00

With only 2 days to go before AutumnFest, there were a few more pieces I wanted to crank out beforehand. This being one example that is a recurring theme in my pieces, combining woodland themes and fairytale-like stories. I was thinking of doing more abstract imagery for this show, but the illustrator in me keeps wanting to have a story to paint about! Well, for now I've got a few of these small works on wood to get that out of my system. And now off to organize and get my display ready for setup tomorrow!

Finally feeling it

2010-10-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

That long, hot summer is finally behind us, phew! Who thought I'd be saying that in October? And since we've had a few weeks of cooler weather, it's easy to quickly forget how hot it was just a short time ago. This little 4x6 watercolor piece is part of a season series and is a reminder of those long summer days I don't miss right now, but will surely long for come January.

Rag Ribbon Rainbow

2010-10-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Finally finished with all the inventory for the Rag, Ribbon Rainbow show coming up this weekend in Buckhead. There are over a 100 of my items catalogued for this show! Now, for the first time, there will be a series of 4" x 6" original watercolors available at this event. I've scanned almost all of them for reproductions and will be available on my Etsy site after the show, but the originals will be on sale at this event only!

The meet the artist gala event will be Friday, October 15 at 7 pm at 696 Mountain Dr., NE Atlanta GA, 30342. (just off Wieuca Rd not far from Peachtree Rd.) The show is October 14-16. Check out the link above for hours and directions!

And, the final two watercolors, Virtue and Desire, finished just tonight for drop-off tomorrow-the paint is still wet and leaving marks on my scanner glass!

lil' camper

2010-10-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a series of 4"x6" watercolors that will be sold at Rag, Ribbon, Rainbow the weekend of October 16th. The theme is loosely based on my "woodland dreams" concept, basically anything that has to do with nature, forests, small wildlife and wonders or those nostalgic memories of camping as a kid, campfires, etc. I need to deliver my work on Oct. 11, so I'll try to scan as many as I can before they get sent off! Here's a recent one, titled "lil' camper".

Just playing

2010-09-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't done any wood blocks in awhile, so I started 5 simultaneously using a couple out-of-the-box ground colors for me. Usually, I've got the vivid blues, reds and magentas going on, but this week I wanted to create some moody pieces that have more subtle undercoats of colors. I found some pressed rose petals in a heavy book that I forgot about, and I was experimenting with stamps and abstract shapes. I like how the petals kind of look like wings. Any thoughts for titles? I'm drawing a blank for some reason!

Confetti

2010-09-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Tiny works (4"x6") studying negative space, minimalist composition and a little whimsy, of course.

a little study

2010-09-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Just doing some 4" x 6" quick studies using cut paper and watercolor. I'll be starting a "woodland dreams" series based on a painting a did awhile back with the same name. These little pieces will use simple compositions while investigating some color theories and will also act as prelimaries to some larger works.

The Museum School Mission Statement Project

2010-09-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

In the past few weeks, I've been busy finding and organizing artists to participate in a community art project for The Museum School. Katherine Kelbaugh, the principal, had the idea to have artists come up with creative interpretations of The Museum School's mission statement. The vision is to have an original work of art that would hang in each classroom. There are a total of 7 classrooms at the school and the artists that have agreed to participate range in style from polymer clay artisans, photographers to mixed media artists. The deadline is October 5, just before The Museum School's first exhibition night on October 7.

I've created a series of 3 mixed media works on canvas that basically illustrate the words in a whimsical style (of course!) It's going to be really exciting to see all the artist's final pieces. I let them have free reign in that I didn't require to see sketches or see anything in progress.

One of the photographers, Sara Speert, will be documenting the progress of her piece, so check it out and see her journey!

Cusp of Leo mural

2010-08-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday's show was really fun, and a little bizarre, but in a good way! Everything from the art that was created for art's sake to the music and spoken word performances definitely made the experience truly unique. Sylvia's space at Sycamore Gallery is kind of like going on a treasure hunt. You walk in the purple door and pass several working artist's studios down a long corridor that takes you to her gallery and outdoor courtyard where art is always introduced in a creative and spontaneous way. A couple of us painted murals on the wall and used it as a backdrop for our work. Asian effigy papers were strung from the ceiling and creative video imagery was shown on the outdoor wall behind the band. And Holle Black's amazing cranes and Chinese women (below) were absolutely stunning! There will be another short afternoon reception the second weekend in September, date and time TBA.

Cusp of Leo show this weekend

2010-08-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sylvia Cross, owner of Sycamore Gallery and studios will be hosting an opening this Saturday themed the Cusp of Leo. All the artists exhibiting are Leos (and so is Sylvia!) She traditionally has an art party on her birthday which was the beginning of this month, but the 1st annual Citywide Art Walk is going on and she decided to move the show to coincide with the tour. A few of the artist (including myself) have created painted backdrops in the gallery to showcase their work. The show will be like a temporary installation-the experience of the works of art against the murals will be doubly fun to see! Sylvia has lined up storytellers, musicians and even Johnny Coffee's Female Weightlifters, I have no idea who they are, but can't wait to find out! Hope you can stop be and support us, there's a $10 suggested donation at the door. Ya'll come!

Here is a detail of one of my new pieces.

The new studio

2010-08-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm moved in and getting settled in to my new studio space-yay!! Everything has a spot and I finally have everything in one place! It's amazing, actually, I don't have too much space to spare. But summer is winding down and I've got some projects that will be getting into gear, so it will quickly become a messy space, but in good way, of course! Here are a few pics to give you an idea, it's a quirky space, with a pole here, and a soffit there...but it all works! I can't wait to really get grooving and working on some large scale pieces, it's going to be so fun! Enjoy the tour.

Observe under your feet

2010-07-11T14:04:00.001-07:00

It's very hot today. The kind of hot that sears bare feet on concrete. So these were taken very quickly late this afternoon.

3 studies illustrate violet undertones against white hot and mottled grays, moss and rust.

Spur of the moment project

2010-07-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Trying to organize tubs of stuff and randomness all over this house, and remembered that I've been meaning to recover this very traditional chair with some fabric I found just over a year ago. Really, can it be that long? I was scrolling through some blogs and saw some amazing before and afters on Design Sponge today and was inspired to run down into storage and search for this piece of decorative mod fabric that is kind of a cool juxtaposition on a queen anne styled chair. (And yes, those are Zsu Zsu pets on the desk.)

Studio renovation

2010-07-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

For the last few weeks, the renovation of our basement has finally come together! After many trips to IKEA, agonizing over carpet swatches and waiting patiently for electricians, plumbers, sheetrockers and painters to finish-we are on the edge of being finished! The carpet goes in the end of this week and the final punch list will knock out those last hanging details. But one of the most exciting parts of all this is getting to finally see the finished stained floor in my studio. I chose a color called marina blue and hoped that the 50+ years of accumulated stains, paint, rust and whatever else that took place on the floor would come through in a most amazing spontaneous finish. The sealer went on this morning, which creates depth of color and shine, and it looks so AMAZING! I've included photos, but they really don't do justice to seeing the real thing in person. Every inch of this floor is so beautiful!

Summertime

2010-06-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

I took this pic a few weeks ago, right when my hydrangea started to bloom. Right now, with 90 degree plus days and no rain, it's not looking as lovely, but hanging in there none the less. When I planted it, we had just put in the retaining wall, so there was quite a bit of masonry grout and some crumbled stone mixed in the soil. I had meant to clean it up more, but ended up amending with some good soil and just threw in a transplanted hydrangea and gardenia. Now these two shrubs are huge and thriving and are my favorite things to see when I walk past them each morning on the way to the car. A little tidbit, I found out that we don't normally grow pink hydrangeas in the south because of our very acidic soil, depending on the acidity is how you get blue or pink hydrangeas. The soil in my retaining wall is very alkaline because of the stone and cement that was mixed in years ago. So now I know why I get pink hydrangeas!

Michelle Armas-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm off and running in sec, but wanted to post one last artist for you to preview before today's Art in the Afternoon event (3-7 pm) I discovered Michelle from Sarah Watts blog, and discover that Jessica Swift, Sarah and Michelle all know each other! I decided to have them exhibit together over at the Blanchard residence, 70 Lakeshore Dr., Avondale Estates, GA 30002. They all have distinctive styles, but compliment each other really well. I'm super excited to see how it all looks once they're set up.

I was drawn to Michelle's sense of color and detail. Her works are abstract, and you can also see how her work stems from deep love of design, and as a matter of fact, she is a designer too! I could stand in front of her works for a very. long. time. They are really distinctively different than anything I've seen in a while! Make sure you check out her blog too.

Michelle Armas, www.marmas.etsy.com and www.michellearmas.bigcartel.com

Trained as a graphic designer, Armas began painting as an antidote to the rigid, strategic work of a corporate branding environment. Drawing on instinct and fantasy, she creates another world as it might have been imagined by early scientists discovering microbes and bacteria and the environments they thrived in. Armas lives in Atlanta and works in graphic and textile design as well as fine art.

Pat Berryhill-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-06-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

Pat Berryhill is back! She exhibited her altered jewelry at the first Art in the Afternoon in April and was wildly popular! Now she's back showing us her beautiful altered vintage clothing. She will be showing at the Blanchard residence, 70 Lakeshore. And yes, you can can try on her creations and see for yourself her amazing and unique work.

Pat Berryhill, www.magpiedreams.net

She is an unapologetic collector of crap...a junk junky...a human magpie. Berryhill uses recycled junk, which is environmentally friendly, to create beautiful clothes and jewelry. Her work comes from life experiences, good or bad. Every piece tells a different story.

Shawn Brasfield-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-06-04T05:43:00.000-07:00

A former Avondale Estates resident, Shawn Brasfield, returns for a visit to exhibit at Art in the Afternoon, June 5, 3-7 pm at the Lass & Zimny residence, 803 Stratford Rd. His work is distinctively whimsical, with a graphic design and illustration background, you can certainly see the lighthearted stories emerging from his work. He paints with oils and acrylics to create spontaneous, translucent backgrounds. Using sandpaper and his grandfather's ice pick to get just the right texture, he then adds his whimsical characters. I bet you can't wait to see his work in person, right?

Shawn Brasfield, www.brasfieldstudio.com

Conceived in the decade of flower power, moon dust, and the Polaroid camera, Shawn Brasfield's art might seem to be inspired from the age of experimentation. Born in 1968 in a small southern town, Shawn began drawing at age two and has never stopped. Upon graduating Auburn University in 1992, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia to pursue a career in graphic design. After ten years of moving pixels around a screen, Shawn felt the need to channel his drawings into a more lively and tactile medium - painting. Bold, fun, and filled with color, his art is inspired by today's contemporary culture, interpreting common themes into a unique and whimsical vision. Shawn's work lives in the homes of numerous collectors who are addicted to art that makes them feel good.In Shawn's own words- "The collectors of my paintings have told me they are drawn to my work because it reflects a lighthearted and whimsical view of life. This is my whole purpose in what I do - to paint a creative smile in the mind and warm feeling in the belly."

Eva Magill-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-06-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am doubling up so I can get as many artists featured before Saturday as I can! I got a little behind over the holiday weekend along with several deadlines this week, blah, blah, blah.

ANYHOW, on to the good stuff. Eva Magill's work has this wonderful, ethereal quality in her work that I was drawn to right away, it may also have been that she had just returned from living in France which made me dream about how she may have come up with these collage compositions using wonderful lines and subtle color. The works she will be showing at the Pyles residence, 107 Dartmouth Ave., Avondale Estates, GA 30002 for Art in the Afternoon on Saturday, June 5 3-7 pm, are small original works that would be lovely paired in groups. I'm truly enchanted by her work and I hope you come by to have a glass of wine and enjoy the show!

Eva Magill, http://eva-sincere@blogspot.com

Magill’s current work is a literal and metaphysical documentation of her past two years living in France. Through the use of photographs, sketches and mental imagery she recaptures the essence and charm of her vision of France. In conjuction with her factual recordings, she has created more conceptual works—drawings and collages based on emotions, her mental struggles, and triumphs involved with learning a new language and assimulating to a new culture.

Rachel Herzog-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-06-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

Rachel lives in the Avondale "hood" and we are very proud to have her participate as one of the featured artists in the Art in the Afternoon event this Saturday, June 5, 3-7 pm! She makes one-of-a-kind felted pouches, both upcycled and new, using cute, vintage buttons to adorn her pieces. She's also expanded her line by collaborating with Lillibands, another locally owned business, to create adorable appliqués on fun and colorful headbands for girls and women. Look for them to be unveiled this fall, but for now here's a sneak peek, as well as sample of one her snazzy pouches. She will be exhibiting at the Blanchard residence, 70 Lakeshore Dr., Avondale Estates, GA 30002, so come on out and check out some of her newest creations!

Tickleworm by Rachel Herzog, www.tickleworm.com

I scour thrift stores for vintage buttons, wool and cashmere sweaters, I then felt the sweaters in my home. I LOVE to reuse and repurpose fabrics and buttons and, well, a lot of other items too. the items get turned into coffee cozies, cell phone pouches, checkbook covers, among other items. Tickleworm has only one of a kind items!

Jessica Swift-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-06-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

I just had the pleasure of finally meeting Jessica Swift at the Art in the Afternoon orientation last weekend, and I'm telling you folks, you will just die when you see her amazing most beautiful work. First off, she is one of these super talented people that wears many hats; she's an illustrator, surface designer, painter, graphic designer, ok now my fingers are getting tired. Really, people, you have go to check out her work, and then come to the Blanchard Residence at 70 Lakeshore Drive, Avondale Estates, GA 30002 and buy something on Saturday, June 5, 3-7 pm. And by the way, she has super cool new website too! Pluggity-plug

AND she has an Etsy shop too if you can't make it to the event, buy something there!

Jessica Swift, www.jessicaswift.com

Swift is interested in color and the way images speak and capture truths and feelings that words simply can't. She is interested in connecting our eyes to our hearts through images. A full-time artist and graphic/surface pattern designer, Swift is truly living a life she loves.

Flora Rosefsky-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-06-01T17:40:00.001-07:00

A long time friend of mine, Flora Rosefsky, is one of these artists that is so very humble about her work, and of course she is phenomenally talented! She creates wonderful cut-paper collages, but is also an art quilter and a stained glass artist! Her work is so colorful and folksy, yet has beautiful emotional connections. She is going to show samples of cut paper portraits she has been doing as well as selling some matted prints of her work. She will be taking commissions at the Pyles residence, 107 Dartmouth Ave. for Art in the Afternoon this Saturday, June 7, 3-7 pm

Flora Rosefsky, www.florageart.com

Rosefsky loves to cut. She directs her favorite long-pointed scissors as they glide through painted paper, fabric, or ephemera. With an intuitive sense of color and composition, like Henri Matisse, she thrives on the freedom to “draw with scissors,” in a spirit of spontaneity that is so much a part of each new work. Her collages reflect a personal and eloquent spirituality, with a common thread—her work is irrepressibly joyful. Rosefsky began her career as a self-taught folk artist while living in Upstate New York and later studied art in a Syracuse University graduate extension program and at Binghamton University. Her work can be found in several public collections as well as private collections in New York and Georgia.

Art in the Afternoon-Kilroy and Maw

2010-05-20T18:05:00.000-07:00

I can hardly stand it, I love these prints so much. AND I happen to love me some fine swine too. Really, really longing for these super cool gig posters and art prints. Can you dig it? Sarah Watts has a super cool website and blog that you MUST check out. A recent Ringling School of the Arts grad, she is one talented illustrator people! Kilroy and Maw have been cranking out screenprints for a year now, and check out their Etsy shop too. She will be hanging out at the Blanchard residence at Art in the Afternoon on June 5.

Kilroy and Maw, www.kilroyandmaw.com

Kilroy and Maw are an energetic and fresh-thinking Atlanta team who create gig posters and art prints. Just getting started, the duo has a lot of new art in store. They are working with other artists for an ongoing project based around craft beers! Kilroy and Maw like to create art that is affordable and handmade so more people can enjoy it.

Art in the Afternoon-Helen Ferguson Crawford

2010-05-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, one last time, the countdown to the June 5 Art in the Afternoon event! This is the last date in the series (phew!) and just so you know, I saved the best for last! These artists are the cream of the crop in my opinion. I cannot WAIT to see some of these works in person. So here's the first featured artist, Helen Ferguson Crawford, who happens to be on the postcard that is distributed all over town too. Her work is certainly a feast for the eyes, and her use of color is so rich and full of complex layers, absolutely delicious!

Helen Ferguson Crawford, www.helenfergusoncrawford.com

Crawford is an artist, registered architect, mother and avid postpartum depression advocate. Featured as one of “30 Artists: 30 and Under” by The New York Times Magazine in 1994, Crawford has contributed art work and architectural work to exhibits at The Urban Center, The Van Alen Institute, The Municipal Arts Society of New York, L’Institut Francais d’Architecture, The Wexner Center, and the Museum of Modern Art. She has provided commentary for NPR, Metropolis Magazine, and The New York Times. She received her fine art and architecture degrees at Parsons School of Design in New York, and Princeton University.

Hothouse flowers

2010-05-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

A painting I finished yesterday. Playing with some of my favorite collage elements, asian joss paper and sketches on gampi paper. This one will go in Decatur Gallery for the reception on Saturday night. Hope you can come out to see it in person! It will also be available in my Etsy shop soon.

Frog Royale

2010-05-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

This little frog prince was done a few years ago and it occurred to me that it would be a sweet gift for a baby's room, so I created a print for a friend of mine who had a baby shower this weekend. The texture and style is a little different, it made me remember how I liked to use oil pastels with acrylics, as well as being a little more free form and scribbly with the tiny drawings in the background.

Art in the Afternoon feature-Annie Evans

2010-04-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

ok, I love, love, love Annie Evans clay works! And here's the thing, I haven't even seen her work in person yet, only photos, and I just recently met her, and let me tell you, she is just wonderful. We are in for treat at the Melia and Newman residences for Art in the Afternoon! And, she is going to spread her work out between the 2 carriage houses (they're across the street from each other) So you get twice the amount of eye-candy and I guarantee that you will be just as enamored with her work as I am!

Annie Evans, Ceramics

Evans foremost creative goal is to honor the female, the subordinate one-half of our race. All of her work, with the exception of a few animals, is comprised of women. She also creates human-animal hybrids, a concept found in myths and religions across cultures and time. We are but one of many animal species, related to the others both physically and emotionally. Her hybrids offer an imaginative leap to our connectedness to other animals, to the spirit world and to humor, with the juxtaposition of soft clothing, feminine curves and animal heads.All of Evans pieces are hand built with stoneware or earthenware clay. The surfaces are rough, rather than smooth, to offer depth and complexity to the finish. She fires each piece several times, applying oxide washes, underglazes and glazes to achieve layered and variegated colors.

Art in the Afternoon-Jill Bates

2010-04-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

Jill Bates work is just so serene and beautiful. She is currently exhibiting at Decatur Gallery and Dancing Goats in Decatur. Her work is sumptuously rich and full of vivid color. I used to work in this medium, and it is really challenging to create depth of color without getting muddy! Jill has mastered this medium and it is even more stunning in person. She has created these really cute "crab boxes" which are small works of art in little shadow boxes, and they are very reasonably priced. She will also be creating working plein air in the Newman's garden on May 1 for Art in the Afternoon, so you will get to see her in action!

Jill Bates, Pastels

www.jillbatespastels.com

A Kalamazoo, MI native, Bates did her undergraduate work at High Point College in North Carolina and also attended Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, GA. She has participated in various solo and juried exhibitions around the state and her work has received recognition at many of them, including: Beaux Arts, Atlanta Beach, Jonesboro, Best of Show, 1996; First Place, 1997; Artists of the Southern Crescent Juried Exhibit, 2nd Place; Fayette County Courthouse Art Show in the Square, Honorable Mention, 1996; One Man Show, Performing Arts Center, Jonesboro; Clayton County Festival of Art, 1999, 3 Purchase Awards. Her work is included in several corporate and private collections. Bates lives and works in Lilburn, GA., with her family.

Art in the Afternoon-Hang on Sister

2010-04-28T11:51:00.001-07:00

Whoo hoo! We made a last minute add-on to the Melia residence, Hang on Sister! My good friend Connie Fontova and her sisters have been creating upcycled jewelry from bottlecaps and inserting their whimsy in the mix. So very cute stuff, and affordable too! So come by and have a glass of wine and try on some necklaces-she just started working with metal clay too!

Hang on Sister, upcycled jewelry

www.hangonsister.com

Five sisters from Alabama make up Hang On Sister! Most of their jewelry is made from upcycled bottle caps and magazines. These aren't your usual pre-fab, mass produced bottle cap necklaces. Each necklace is made by hand and are embellished with beads, charms and whatever else they may find lying around. One of the sisters, Connie Fontova, is an Avondale Estates resident. Recently, she started dabbling in using precious metal clay to make small dog tag pendants as well.

Katty Negrete-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-04-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

I'm getting behind with my features, so I may have to double up everyday before this Saturday so you get a chance to see everyone's work!

Now, getting down to business, I'm so very pleased to have Katty Negrete exhibit at our May 1 Art in the Afternoon event! She is so very talented as well as one of the nicest people you will ever meet! Her jewelry is absolutely exquisite, especially her rings. I have my eye on a few and have tried my very best to resist, but I may have to give in on Saturday. It is for a good cause, you know, 15% of the artist's sales go to the Avondale Arts Alliance. Hope you can stop by the Newman's carriage house to see her work this Saturday!

Katty Negrete, Metal and clay jewelry, www.kattydesign.com

A native of Vina del mar, Chile, Negrete always has been a lover of art and fine craft with two creative passions, metal and drawing with precious metal clay. She’s been able to join the two with a dynamic success. In 2000, Negrete came to the United States continuing her work with different materials like alpaca, waxed thread, copper, bronze and enamel and started working with precious metal clay where she found the magic to express her emotions, inspiration, imagination in a piece of art.

Beth Ann St. George-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-04-24T07:37:00.001-07:00

I discovered this very talented artist through my long-time friend Jan Selman, an amazing art activist and leader in our community and former president of the DeKalb Council for the Arts.

Beth Ann recently relocated from the west coast and has these wonderful, colorful quilts full of intricate patterns. I have not seen them in person yet, but I cannot wait to look through every single one she brings to the next Art in the Afternoon event on May 1. Please come out to meet Beth Ann and learn about her craft at the George residence in Avondale Estates!

Beth Ann St. George, Art Quilter
http://www.dancingspiritquilts.com/
Art-as-meditation is the process used by folk artist and teacher St. George, working primarily with vibrant colors and patterns to create quilts of the heart and spirit as well as pieces “just for fun.” She is an approved professional member of Studio Art Quilt Associates and has served as a traveling teacher for the Arizona Quilt Guild. Her work has been shown in galleries and exhibits in Houston, Orlando, Chicago, and Scottsdale.

Art in the Afternoon-May 1 features

2010-04-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

I'm starting the Art in the Afternoon features a little late, but here we go into the countdown to the May 1 event! We've got 11 artists for May and they will be exhibiting in three of Avondale Estate's carriage houses. The work will be for sale, and there will be wine, light appys in a very fun "art party" scene. All the artists and hosts are super excited about this event, it is sure to be great fun and hopefully successful sales for all the artists!

So today I'd like to kick my feature of the day off with the lovely Holly Black. Her work has been featured on the postcard that has been distributed for the May promotions. She will be exhibiting at the George residence in their newly built carriage home. I saw her paintings displayed at my yoga studio and just had to meet her to find out more about her work.

Holly Black, Painter

Holly has many visual influences in her work ranging from Durer etchings, Flemish paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, religious paintings, Audubon nature prints, and even the unicorn tapestries combined with the voice of fairytales and folklore. Her paintings become more complex pieces of visual work on closer examination. She uses varying techniques; drawing, painting, finger painting and varying mediums, mechanical pencil, house paint, oil paint and plaster all in one piece to bring this depth, subtlety, tension and harmony. The concept is utilizing the visual sense. The focus of her work is to visually stimulate the viewer, to coax them to look further to see more and more as the painting reveals itself, like a moment in a story they heard once as a child, but still remember.

Back from Isla Mujeres

2010-04-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

An amazingly, blissful 5-day trip to Mexico is behind me, but not without some inspirations for some new pieces! I'm taking bits of time this week to expand on some ideas and do some writing, which seems to help me get all those jumbly thoughts down on paper.

We stayed at Villa Rolandi, an amazing resort on the island of Isla Mujeres in Mexico, just a half-hour boat ride from Cancun. There was amazing gourmet food, spectacular views and, of course the infinity pool overlooking the ocean. We hung out mostly at the resort, because it was complete paradise, but we did venture out into town a couple times to do some shopping, eat fish tacos and have the occasional mohito or Pacifico (local beer). The pic above is the view from our room, and below is an image at the docks in town. As you can see, there is a big thunderstorm behind me, one of many that graced our trip!

It was a perfectly perfect time to get away, life was getting too hectic before we left! And now it's all going to hit full-force again but at least I can attempt to channel some of those carefree memories for a little while.

Enchantment

2010-04-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

It is finally finished and I was able to photograph lady butterfly on a beautiful, sunny day. I wish I had more work to photograph, the light was just perfect late this afternoon! This piece takes a little departure from my usual technique, but I'm pretty satisfied with the result. I can't hardly remember what I was thinking about when I did this sketch. Probably an Alice in Wonderland connection since I've been wanting to see that movie! So I titled it Enchantment, because she is certainly surrounded by a kaleidoscope of color and it kind of reminds me of someone entering another world, or a dream-like experience. I may build a custom frame for this one.

In progress painting

2010-04-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

Here is a new painting in progress that incorporates gampi paper, a really strong, translucent Japanese paper. I created the sketch on the paper first with charcoal, spray-fixed it and then mounted it to canvas as a layer over several washes of underpainting. This one took a life of its own, as a lot of my pieces have developed lately, in that the red went pretty dark, and I wasn't sure how the collage elements were going to work in the background. I really liked how I was able to create washes of color on the gampi paper, that has a little tooth, and create a watercolor element along with the more opaque acrylic areas. I'm looking forward to working on the butterflies, just thinking about what color combinations will work. 18x24, acrylic, collage on canvas.

A few springtime blocks

2010-04-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

In the midst of all this Art in the Afternoon craziness, I actually squeezed in a little time to create three 5x5 blocks. I took these in a little different direction using pattern as a base and then some free form sketches. I'm trying to work with less of a plan and just put down ideas as they come. Sometimes I have an intention to paint with a series of themes in mind, but then as the idea starts to form through painting, it tends to change, or not come out as I envisioned. Which can be a battle sometimes. In my head, there's this picture of how I want it to look, but it won't come out exactly as I anticipated. I'm starting to let go of that, there is this rigid nature as an adult to want everything to be planned and just so. This can be my challenge, and I hope these small studies on blocks can free me up a bit.

Titles from right to left: Sanctuary, Ronde, Rasberry Swirl

Bart Webb-featured artist

2010-03-31T17:54:00.001-07:00

What can I say about Bart Webb? That he is totally awesome?! Heck yeah! His mixed media works and metal sculpture are so much fun and off-kilter, in a really good way. He is one of our hosts for Art in the Afternoon and his studio is one party-down space. We had our Museum School auction here and it rocked the house! I will make sure to take pictures on Saturday so you can get a feel for it, but hopefully you can come out see for yourself on April 3!

Bart Webb, Mixed Media and Sculpture www.bartwebbstudios.com
Bart Webb is a self-taught artist living and working in Avondale Estates GA. In 2005, after working as a welder for around twenty years, he threw away his tape measure and opened Bart Webb Studio. His specialty is metal sculpture, but also enjoys working with mixed media by incorporating wood, fabric, paint, and found objects. Nothing is safe from being changed into art. Please drop by the studio sometime. For more info please go to www.Facebook.com/bartwebb or www.myspace.com/bartwebbstudios

Jody McFerren-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-03-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

My new friend Jody McFerren just had an opening reception at Little Tree Gallery a couple weeks ago and I just love the depth in his abstract works. The title of his show is "Evolution of a Gay Man" and his paintings are a series of emotions over the last few years of his life. Very strong and moving works full of color that are simply presented with handmade wooden frames. Beautiful stuff and a really cool show. So, we get to showcase his work this weekend during Art in the Afternoon alongside previously featured Jeni Stallings and Pat Berryhill. What a treat!

Jody McFerren, Painting
McFerren grew up in the small farm town of Waynesboro, Pa., and knew he was an artistic individual and took many classes that provided him with the skills to further his creative endeavors. After moving to Atlanta in 1996, McFerren became involved in the Decatur community serving on many festival committees. He provided the logo and promotional designs during those years and created the sign and logo for the Brick Store Pub located in Decatur, as well as the logos for Thinking Man Tavern. He created designs for PEZ Candy, which hang on the walls in the PEZ museum in California. In 2005, he became co-owner of Our Way Cafe located in Avondale with partner Eva Roswall. The theme for his new exhibition focuses on emotions from color and texture from the eyes of a gay man titled "Evolution of a Gay Man."

Mali Harrell-Art in the Afternoon featured artist

2010-03-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Do you love glass work? I do. And Mali's work is absolutely stunning. She exhibits at Decatur Gallery as well and I've gotten to know her pretty well over the last couple months. I love the science behind glass sculpture, and have had the opportunity to learn about her craft and always amazed at the creations that come out of her studio. I hope you come out and see for yourself, and she's got some new brand pieces to show off!

Mali Harrell, Glass Sculpture, exhibiting at 151 Locust Street
www.fiveelementsartglass.com
A native of the Georgia coast, Harrell began dancing at an early age then switched to manipulating movement as a video editor, which has been her profession for many years. She also is an avid practitioner of Tai Chi and Kung Fu. Her other medium of artistic expression is blowing hot glass, fusing and slumping. She has studied with Tadashi Torii of Duckbill Studios since 2003, and has attended classes in all aspects of glass art. Her varied interests are evident in her works, synthesizing her personal experiences in Eastern philosophy and martial arts as well as a lifelong love of the sea and the earth.

Jeni Stallings-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-03-28T18:00:00.001-07:00

Oh Sunday eve, another weekend over in a blink!

Today, I got to meet the most wonderful Jeni Stallings at the artist orientation at Bart Webb Studios. And let me say, her work has become one of my faves in the April exhibition. She works with encaustics and has these very zen themes, luscious use of color and just plain feel-good imagery that I would love to be able to see in my house everyday! She will be exhibiting at Little Tree Gallery, so please come out to Art in the Afternoon, Saturday, April 3, 3-7 pm and have a glass of wine and take in the scenery-you won't be disappointed!

Jeni Stallings, Encaustic
www.jenistallingsart.com
Stallings paints the distance of her hands from her heart, addressing the human condition. Reoccurring symbols of spirituality, personal and sacred to her, are central to the composition. Sometimes she uses the figure to emphasize gesture, rhythm, or physical quirks. Besides the figure, Stallings paints situations and/or impressionable shapes to create sentiment and respect for nature and life.

Pat Berryhill-Art in the Afternoon feature

2010-03-24T17:38:00.001-07:00

Hello again and time for the next artist- too talented for words, well actually, I'll share quite a few-Pat Berryhill! She has so graciously jumped in to participate in the April event just last week after one artist had to back out. Phew and double phew! You'll also get a chance to see her upcycled couture clothing in June, but that will be another post.

So here she is, featuring her one-of-a-kind altered, jewelry that just exudes all kinds of vintage, ephemera-laden, yummy-ness. Do not miss out on seeing her fabulous work!

Pat Berryhill, Altered Jewelry
www.magpiedreams.net
She is an unapologetic collector of crap...a junk junky...a human magpie. Yet there's junk in her trunk. And in her closet. And in the shed. And under the house. Old buttons, vintage photos, orphan earrings, broken necklaces, cracked dishes, discarded clothing,doors, windows, dressers, boxes, shells, feathers, rocks, marbles, doll parts, glass eyes, and bones. This affliction started at an early age, when she would stuff all her toys and treasures into her clothing. Like some weird little 5-year-old leprechaun, She was always gathering booty for her pot o' gold. Then, while the other little children played ouside, she would spend the afternoon arranging and rearranging her stuff. Over forty years later, she is still constantly picking up flotsam and jetsam wherever she goes. School? Work? Who cares? Her husband groans every time she drags another "find" home. Her friends dump their trash at her front door. Her brothers shout "Pretty! Shiny! Caw! CAW!" every time she picks something up off the street. She had to become an artist before her junqué habit threatened to take over her life. As an artisté, not only does she get to express myself creatively, she gets to use recycled junk, which is environmentally friendly. Her work comes from life experiences, good or bad. Every piece tells a different story.

Artist feature: Jim Loftus

2010-03-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

Check out these works that will totally rock your world! Jim Loftus calls himself an "appropriationist" What the? You ask? Here's the definition straight from Wikipedia:
The term appropriation refers to the use of borrowed elements in the creation of a new work (as in 'the artist uses appropriation') or refers to the new work itself (as in 'this is a piece of appropriation art'). Art practices involve the 'appropriation' of ideas, symbols, artefacts, image, sound, objects, forms or styles from other cultures, from art history, from popular culture or other aspects of man made visual or non visual culture. Inherent in the process of appropriation is the fact that the new work recontextualizes whatever it borrows to create the new work. In most cases the original 'thing' remains accessible as the original, without change.

Ok, ok. enough you say. But when you see Jim's work, you will simply be entranced and amazed at the stuff he comes up with. Truly genius, my friends.

Jim Loftus, appropriationist, www.nearlynormaljim.com
Loftus, an Atlanta-area artist, works in mixed media and 3-D construction art. His materials include found objects, residue of the 20th Century, recycled junk, paint, wire, and the occasional preserved reptile. Loftus has no formal art education. Inspired by artists like Nick Bantock and Michael de Meng, he began to develop his style of Outsider Art, tinged but not contaminated by the Dark Side. He also dabbles in magic, ciphers and history. All art work is at least 90 percent recycled and re-used material, most of it destined for a landfill.

Art in the Afternoon feature: Carolina Isea

2010-03-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday morning! Well, if it wasn't snowing here, it would be much better on this second day of spring, heavy sigh.

But, I'm excited about this week because we are officially on the countdown for the first Art in the Afternoon art walk series event taking place on April 3 in the Rail Arts District. Today's featured artist is Carolina Isea. Her simple, modern jewelry has become a quick favorite among locals and she keeps coming up with the most wonderfully crafted pieces. Her works in Decatur Gallery right now are absolutely exquisite using freshwater pearls, leather and silver, I can hardly stop trying them on! I hope you come out to experience her work for yourself, which is very reasonably priced. And I promise, if you own one of her pieces, you will wear it all the time!

Carolina Isea, http://iseadesigns.etsy.com

A Venezuelan born soul, Isea lives in suburban Atlanta and is the mother of two children. She has been on a quest of creating handmade jewelry for nearly six years. With a BFA and jewelry making training in some areas including beading and silversmith, her wire wrapping and other jewelry skills are pretty much self-taught. The Hispanic and rich South American influence combined with other cultures influences contribute to her inspirations and designs. Her work also is inspired by the organic forms found in nature, new trends and the old style, and by the contrast between rough and smooth textures of natural materials.

Art in the Afternoon-Betsy Halford

2010-03-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

And now for the next featured artist that will be at Art in the Afternoon on April 3 is Betsy Halford. This girl is one creative genius. Her mixed media sculpture is outstanding and unbelievable. She creates these really amazing hand-bound journals and one-of-a-kind up-cycled jewelry too. She is also a fellow artist at the cooperative gallery, Decatur Market & Gallery. One of my new found friends, she is a gem-and I'm sure you will like her as much as I do!

Betsy Halford, mixed media (exhibiting at Little Tree Gallery)

Betsy is a mixed media artist using found and recycled objects, as well as fabric, paint, glass and anything else that inspires her to create art. Each piece created is unique and starts with one of her found "treasures" guiding her along until the piece is complete. Some pieces speak louder than others and come together quickly, while other pieces she has to “listen” to for awhile to figure out what they are trying to say.

Betsy started gathering "treasures" as a child growing up in South Carolina. She was influenced by her parents who were both collectors of everything and incurable pack rats.

Featured artists for Art in the Afternoon

2010-03-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

In just over two weeks, Art in the Afternoon in Avondale Estates kicks off its first series art walk event on Saturday, April 3, 3-7 p. m. in Avondale's Rail Arts District. I've booked a total of 34 artists for all three events! Phew, that was a job, but it was also really cool to hunt down and choose just the right combination of artists to be featured.

I had a thought today that it would be really fun to feature one of the April artists each week day leading up to the event. And today, I'm going to start with Mohamed el-Ganoby. His encaustic work is absolutely stunning, which is why I decided to feature his "Trees" work below on the postcard for April. He is currently one of the exhibitors at Decatur Market & Gallery and when you meet him, you will be completely drawn in by his stories and fascinated by his process.

Mohamed el-Ganoby
Encaustic: www.elganoby.com (exhibiting at Bart Webb Studio)

Mohamed el-Ganoby was born in 1965, in the Egyptian city of Komombo, surrounded both by the remnants of Egypt's ancient Pharonic heritage and the rich local histories and traditions which the southern part of Egypt is known for. The oldest son of a worker in a sugar factory, el-Ganoby was first drawn to art by the life stories of great European artists he first read about during weekly visits to an uncle's house in the neighboring city of Aswan. These early forays into art history eventually led him, as an adolescent, to delve into the history of modern artistic movements in Egypt, movements which adapted European artistic techniques, tools and forms of modernism to local aesthetic, political and social contexts.

Inspired by both the successes and failures of these earlier generations of Egyptian artists, Ganoby entered the College of Art and Education at the University of Minya, graduating with a degree in art education in 1988. After ten years of teaching art in rural Egypt and in Saudi Arabia, Ganoby moved from the southern part of Egypt to Cairo to pursue his art full time. In early 2007, the artist emigrated once again, this time from the northern part of Egypt to Atlanta, in the Southern United States.

The artist's southern Egyptian roots and years teaching and working in rural environments are evident in his work. A recurring feature of Ganoby's paintings, installations and mixed media pieces is the use of raw materials—sand, wood, spices and wax— chosen both for their association with rural southern Egypt and for their suggestion of primitiveness. The use of such materials draws on the artist's individual memories of time and place, speaks to collective local histories and plays with common stereotypes of Egypt’s rural population as being both backward and the living embodiment of authentic Egyptian culture. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout Egypt and in group exhibitions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Frankfurt, Germany.

Reception at Decatur Gallery

2010-03-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night is the reception for little ol' me at Decatur Market & Gallery! I was down there this morning creating little displays of my blocks and adding a couple new works. I spent this week hoofing around Decatur and Avondale putting up posters up promoting the night. So it's tomorrow night, 5-10 pm and a few of the artists are bringing some yummy apps, and there will be wine, and an awesome ipod mix that my hubby made. It should be fun (if it doesn't rain!! rain go away please please please) Here's a few pics of the displays-come out to say hi if you can!

New 5x5 art blocks

2010-03-03T17:40:00.001-08:00

Here are a few new art blocks I finished- experimenting with some collage and drawings on wood.

Here's Wonder land

2010-02-23T13:51:00.000-08:00

The third in a series of three using vintage sheet music from The Sweetest Song, love poems I hand wrote from Pablo Neruda, and some pages from an old book called A Romny and Raq. It's called Wonder land and just a little bit inspired by Alice, but mostly by the idea of being full of wonder and awe from nature and all the little surprises it brings.

Wonder land

2010-02-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

I just created a new painting entitled "Wonder land" yesterday and I'm not going to post it yet, cause I wanted to show how much "wonderland' was create today with our sudden snowfall. This is the second round of snow this year, which, is definitely a treat for us in the south where it really is not typical to have significant snowfall in the winter. The most amazing thing I realize is that since I grew up with major snowfall in MI, and b&*$ched about it all the time, it is so nostalgic to have snow falling and realize how quiet it becomes as the snow builds up. We have skylights and when the snow covers them like a blanket, the whole house takes on this wonderful light, and outside, I can hardly hear the traffic on Clarendon Ave., there's almost an insulation of sound. You feel cocooned inside-and it really is an amazing feeling to feel safe, and snug and warm. K and I shared hot chocolate this afternoon and the family watched a movie at 5:30 pm. These are the things that seem so mundane, but are indeed very decadent on a Friday afternoon. Getting ready to settle down to watch the opening ceremonies of the winter olympics!

The Sweetest Song

2010-02-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

A couple of paintings I did using a more muted and limited color palette, experimenting with pinks, reds, and all the variations in between. They came together with a bit of a struggle in that it was hard to create contrast with the tones of pinks and red. But after creating some depth with linework and some subtle burnt umber accents, the imagery emerged in a soft way that surprised me in its subtlety. Many layers of old book pages, music, patterned and textured papers, handwritten poetry (Pablo Neruda) and chinese tea papers are layered in the background.

Life drawings

2010-01-31T07:02:00.000-08:00

I was finally motivated to photograph some of my life drawing work from college for my sister-in-law who requested some prints for their apartment in Chicago. Most of these pieces were done on 18x24 newsprint and they have been sitting in my flat files for over 15 years! And there were few others done with oil pastel on Rives BFK. Rives has such an amazing buttery quality and I still have a stack of leftover sheets in my flat files. It may be time to pull some out and experiment with a few ideas. Some good nostalgia was stirred up paging through these old drawings and inspires me to get back to traditional drawing roots.

The three images she picked to create a Parisian feel, oo la la!

Oiseau 2-the melody story

2010-01-24T07:19:00.000-08:00

Here is the second piece in my story box series entitled Oiseau 2. (bad photo though, it was rainy outside and didn't get to shoot it in natural light) Both of my oiseau pieces are over at the Decatur Gallery and will be displayed through February 19. Decatur Gallery is having a reception on Saturday, February 13, 5-10 pm on Valentine's weekend and then they will be moved to the Avondale Community Club for Art Night on February 20. A little traveling show, if you will. There will be more of these 10" x 10" story boxes to come, it will be cool to see where the theme takes me!

Story boxes-new series

2010-01-20T09:25:00.001-08:00

A new piece just finished over here entitled "oiseau" and it's part of my "story boxes" collection. Actually, my sister-in-law gave me the idea because that's what she called them when she first saw them and it just was the perfect idea (thanks Nicolette!). My daughter found this little red bird on the ground during the Christmas village event at Stone Mountain and so this piece revolved around that "find"

I was struggling with titles and such, and I thought since I've got this thing with birds going on (and who doesn't lately?) I would title the series "A Melody Story" These story boxes will have a recurring theme of music and birds, nature and singing, just down-right loopy, happy, whimsical references to all that makes your imagination soar, when you hear a song, a bird sing, or even the sound of wind through trees. The magic of sounds that put you in a certain mood, trigger a memory or just plain make you appreciate today.

Great finds at Decatur Estate

2010-01-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I visited Decatur Estate after running some errands. I LOVE this place which is full of mid-century, vintage and antique items in 6000 sq. ft. of space. I usually hunt for old books and frames, antique plates and odd furniture, but today I found some really out of the ordinary items. An old wooden fabric stamp, which will come in handy for some paintings where some nice texture is needed,

four decoupaged Japanese trays that will be re-purposed into some original works,

a really interesting Japanese publication full of black and white photography and line work-the pages of characters will be used for collage elements.

And finally, a couple old books, one of which is a 1949 copy of Wuthering Heights. I've been trying to read this book for years, and I know it's a classic and people rave about it, but I am TRYING to get through it, keep putting it down, starting again. I will finish it one day and be one of those people who rave about it, but until then I have this lovely copy to admire.

The art block winner

2010-01-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

I meant to post the winner of my Been Caught Stealing art block! Sorry ya'll. Anyhow, I was really inspired by all of the posts but was very touched by Jessica's:

"I would love to win this, because I would use it in my classroom! I am an English and Journalism teacher at a small town high school in North Carolina. I am always looking for new ways to inspire the kids and bring out their creativity. It would be very easy for me to get my hands on reclaimed wood, so I would use this in my classroom as a class project at the beginning of the 2nd semester, which starts right after Christmas! I would ask them to paint something that represents who they are INSIDE, and then they can share it with the class! Thank you for creating such inspiring art!"

Isn't that so sweet? I hope she sends me an update about her project, it will be so cool to see what her students come up with!
Congrats Jessica!

Little Love bird ornament

2010-01-07T17:56:00.001-08:00

So in honor of twelfth night (I know, it's now past 3 kings day), the official end of Christmas, and I'm going to show you one remnant of the holiday season anyhow! I created this little bird last spring right after Valentine's Day and she was hanging in my studio over K's art table watching over her daily creative adventures. I always like to make an ornament for our exchange but didn't have time to create one specifically for the event, so I reluctantly took down little love bird, wrapped her carefully in tissue and off we went to the party. My friend Dottie ended up snagging the little tweet after being stolen 3 times (the limit) I'm very happy to see my little love bird go to a good home even though I'll miss her spinning around overhead. Adieu my dear.

Taking Flight

2010-01-02T06:40:00.000-08:00

I was looking for some books on creativity the end of this last year, and decided on a book called "Taking Flight" It's been awhile since I've read a creativity book and thought it was good timing with the new year to be inspired with some different techniques and subject matter. I have a few ideas so far and just received a big order from Dick Blick of paint, paintbrushes, mediums and cradled wood boxes. So exciting to get new stuff! In addition to my smaller works I like to create, I'm going to start painting a bit bigger, 18x18 and 24x24. With the new year, it's so motivating to get a fresh start after a nice break! I'm really looking forward to the kids going back to school next week-it's just perfect timing and I hope to have a lot of sketches to show soon-stay tuned!

The rest of the girls

2009-12-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

I finished the rest of the girl's portraits last Friday and getting ready to ship them out to Arkansas today. The buyer was VERY happy when I sent her the final jpeg images last week! What started out as a cute idea for a Cmas gift for her friends became something very special in the end.

It was very cool to learn about each girl along the way-all through emails and pictures. The buyer's journey took on something more as well-she really was choked up when she saw the final images and just can't wait to give them to her friends during New Year's celebrations.

So as I was wrapping them up last night with brown paper and bubble wrap and securing them in a box, it occurred to me that this was the last time I would be able to look at the originals before they are sent on their way. It made me a little sad, but knowing they will mean so much to these girls makes it all worthwhile.

the girls

2009-12-14T05:47:00.000-08:00

This week is the final push for finishing portraits for 4 friends in the midwest. Rachelle commissioned me to create portraits of herself and friends for Cmas gifts.

I finished Monica this weekend and really loved how her expression turned out. She's originally from Denver and a snowboarder. She's the laid-back dreamer and a has an artistic quality about her. She struggled with her path, and has changed majors a half dozen times until finally settling into applying for pharmacy grad schools.

Monica, 8x10 mixed media on canvas

Giveaway-Art Block!

2009-12-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the season, I've decided to host a giveaway! But, in order to make this fun, and in light of a recent negative moment I experienced, I'd like to hear about a time you had to "rise above" a situation, take the high road, so to speak- where you kept your cool and just let it go.

(ammended 12/16, since this giveaway ends tomorrow, and there haven't been many posts-this is my first giveaway after all and I am learning how to promote this kind of thing-I'm opening up the comments to "why would you like to own this block or where would you display it?"

So, list your comments here, and on Thursday, December 17, I will choose the best response (in my humble opinion) and the winner will receive my Been Caught Stealing block from my shop. A little treasure for those of you who enjoy dreamy, whimsical things like that. Open to USA residents only! Thanks!

Little treasure boxes

2009-12-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday night was my first ever holiday sale at my friend Heather Pyles' house. It was so much fun and great to hang out with friends and other sellers! You know I have partnered with Connie Fontova of Hang on Sister to do a limited edition line of my artwork on her bottlecap and glass tile jewelry. And I had come across these cute chipboard boxes and knew I had to make custom keepsake boxes with artwork to match the jewelry. I only did 6, just to see how they would be received. Well, I sold almost all of them! I also did 5 ornaments, and sadly, I didn't photograph them, but they all sold as well. So it makes me so happy to see those little precious things go off to new homes! I got a few custom orders for more boxes, and I think I'll experiment with some small wooden ones as well. fun, fun, fun!

Field Trip Holiday Pop-up Show

2009-11-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to Daily Candy Atlanta (www.dailycandy.com) and received an email this morning about Field Trip. A new holiday shop in Athens, GA that is run by two sisters, Rinne Allen and Lucy Gillis who have been "traveling and collecting one-of-a-kind antiques and artisanal goodies since they were kids" It's located in the historic Hawthorne House foyer, 1073 South Milledge Ave.

The show starts today and runs through Dec. 24. I am definitely taking a road trip to check this out! I love any excuse to visit Athens, which is one of those places that surprises you with how artsy it can be-maybe even more so than Atlanta at times.

I'm especially intrigued by their bonus gift wrapping with recycled materials and natural fabrics (using the Japanese furoshiki technique) and topped with vintage stamps. I mean, seriously, all I want is the gift wrap!

The girls, a portrait commission

2009-11-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

I received an email to my Etsy shop recently with a request to do four portraits for a girl and her three friends. She wants to give the portraits as gifts for Christmas and commissioned me to create images similar to my Lovely Mysticals series. This is a very exciting project because I've been wanting to do some portrait work and wasn't sure how to get started. My style is not necessarily painting a realistic likeness, but more about capturing a personality. And this is a process I've been working at off and on for the last year or so.

I just submitted the sketches to the buyer, and awaiting feedback. She provided "bios" and several photographs of each girl for reference. The first round is below, and anticipate revisions to "nail it" for her, but I'm very happy with the results so far and hope she likes them too!

A Night at the Museum

2009-11-12T09:00:00.001-08:00

With two days before The Museum School silent auction, our committee is furiously wrapping up final details and acquiring last minute donations! There have been so many people working behind the scenes, and with the state charter interview behind us, I think everyone is ready to let off some steam and relax Saturday night. There are some awesome auction items and with the great team we have doing set-up and decorations, it's sure to be a party people will talk about for awhile!

The theme is "A Night at the Museum" and we're taking themes from old art and artifacts -from the funky to traditional. And with a venue like Bart Webb Studios, it's just a perfect setting for our night! The auction catalog cover is the only visual we created for this event to keep costs down. But we're using elements of the design for a small run of tickets, item descriptions and posters at the event. I used a watercolor-ish texture on canvas as a background and created a parchment effect. Flourishes in coral and turquoise are bright contrasts against the sepia tones of the artwork.

Didn't purchase your tickets yet? www.themuseumschool.org

Whitespace Gallery

2009-11-02T11:15:00.001-08:00

Just stumbled onto this very cool gallery in Atlanta on Edgewood. I haven't actually visited yet, but came across the website when I was reading a forum about an event they have called For-Ever-Green. It's a "green" show and if I had anything 100% organic, archival, compostable and such, I would love to apply to exhibit! The site is beautifully done and the photography is awesome! The pic above is from the Dec. 2008 show. I hope to check it out this year, and so should you! Exhibit runs Dec. 3-6.

http://www.whitespace814.com/

Hang on Sister jewelry collaboration

2009-10-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here's the bottlecap and glass tile necklaces I promised to post. I didn't take a very good photo this morning, the light was weird outside, but it will do for now! I'm working on some custom painted boxes to house some of these lovelies for the holiday season. They are super cute and will be themed for each necklace-I hope to finish them this week and will show them as soon as they're finished!

Chastain Park Art Festival a success!

2009-10-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the first Chastain Park Art Festival and besides the really, really cold weather, people came out to see the artists! Saturday was pretty bone chilling and I did ok considering the weather with sales, but Sunday was sunny and beautiful and LOTS of people came out, thank goodness! I sold a lot of my art blocks, a few originals and five necklaces from Hang on Sister-which I will photograph for the next post.

So I took a few pictures of my booth with my phone, it turned out so cute! I didn't even really have a plan for setup, but Friday I got an idea and quickly took a leftover piece of cedar from our deck, screwed in a bunch of leftover screws to hang my blocks and it worked out so fabulous. It really made a difference in my display. I also used a wire picture holder turned on its side to display the hanging necklaces.

Thanks to all who came out to see me and supporting the festival!

Starlight-6x6 series

2009-10-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, this one has been sitting on a shelf for weeks unfinished! I just couldn't quite figure out how to get this piece to come together. I knew I wanted it to be a night theme on the beach, but just wasn't sure how to work with the spiral imagery. So black starfish-like flowers is what I started thinking about and then stars in the sky, starfish on the beach....a visual theme came together-an easy one at that!

Short on time here, K and M are both sick today and dinner has just arrived! I'm off to Home Depot tonight to get some wood cut for a piece I sold this weekend and picking up some other odds and ends for my show this weekend. More on that later!

The white queen and a wonderful night

2009-10-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight was book club, a most anticipated night of the month for me. I bailed around 11 pm to go home and decompress, this week has been crazy and my head has been spinning. But as it pours down rain again, I feel relaxed and exhausted, so ready for sleep! This month, we read The White Queen and this lovely lady was inspired by Elizabeth and her very heavy headpiece. I can only imagine what is was like to dress up in such a dramatic, cumbersome way. This little bat trainer is one of my faves and turned out so perfectly spooky for Halloween.

I'm inundated with all kinds of preparations for next week's festival and it was nice to go out and be distracted and relax with friends. The second in my Lovely Mystical series is now framed and ready to go, I'm working on the Spider Queen which has been put on a shelf so I can finish up some other projects. But I hope to finish it this weekend! I will be working furiously to get some last minute pieces created, so if I am MIA for the next week, forgive me and I promise to give updates after this upcoming whirly wind week! have a great weekend! In the meantime, here is the little sketch of her to tide you over.

Ruby blooms on Cumberland

2009-10-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

Ruby blooms, the second in my 6x6 series on cradled aquaboard.

While on Cumberland island last weekend, I noticed a lot of blooming wild flowers. Not very typical for September! There were these tiny red blooms in the grass and lots of vines with purple and white flowers. I'm not sure what kind they were, but they looked stunning against all the lush, green growth that resulted from the deluge of rain Georgia has been getting the last month. The palmettos were huge! And the wild horses looked better than they usually do, sometimes they have ratty coats and look pretty rough. Butterflies were everywhere too, big monarchs as well as little yellow and white ones. It was truly magical to see. I also received the wonderful gift of spotting two great northern owls-just stunning. Additionally, a few ospreys, wild turkeys and my favorite, an albino deer. Now that calls for a painting! stay tuned...

Ribbon dance

2009-09-22T12:13:00.001-07:00

Ribbon dance, the first in my 6x6 series on aquaboard blocks, which are wonderful two inch thick blocks with watercolor paper mounted to the front. These little studies are an experiment of using a limited color palette and clean colors on neutral backgrounds. Ribbon dance is available as a print in my shop.

Ribbon dance

Off to Cumberland Island this week

2009-09-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, JT and I leave for Cumberland Island, GA to stay with friends at High Point. This is probably the most anticipated trip of the year, no kids!! My parents are flying down from MI on Tuesday and staying until next week with the kids. The idea of going to this island and spending time with friends in a big, old family lodge, going to the beach where NO ONE else is, driving 4-wheelers and my favorite, spotting wild horses. Especially on the beach. And we have low-country boil, go clamming, take long walks in the woods, just stare out onto the marsh, the greens and variations of greens are absolutely amazing at different times of the day. The wild turkeys, sitting on the lazy, southern porch staring at the water oaks with loads of spanish moss hanging, swinging in the breeze. Absolutely magnificent.

A couple years ago, I captured this beautiful white pony on the beach and I did a pastel painting, the original is actually pretty large, like 15 x 30. It's in my Etsy shop available as a print.

Chastain Park Art Festival

2009-09-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Well, well, so I'm going to do my first festival, the inaugural Chastain Park Arts Festival, October 17-18. Patrick at the Decatur Market and Gallery has been so generous to offer me and 3 other artists 10x10 tents to exhibit our brand, spanking new works. Boy, do I have my work cut out for me, I can't even begin to share all my ideas, because I don't think I'll be able to accomplish them all in such a short time! One thing I know is that I'll be doing a Halloween series entitled "Lovely Mysticals," a series of characters sharing quirky, spooky themes involving bats, bones and wigs. Seriously, so excited about this that I'm going to do a limited edition postcard series, yes, you heard it! Hopefully I can crank this all out before then. In the meantime, here's the "bone collector"

hello Bluebird

2009-09-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

I stumbled on this adorable website called "hello Bluebird" and this is what they're all about:

"We are a community of artisans and crafters who feel that shopping can be guilt free, affordable and socially conscious. A majority of our products are sold on consignment so that you are directly supporting crafters and allowing them to do what they love! We also believe that business can be built on a community rather than a marketing scheme."

Isn't that cool? And they are having their first gallery opening called Show and Tell, works combining art and words, which I love, because one of my favorite things is to add poetry or words to my work. These are some gorgeous works, check out their site to see a closeup of the featured artists!

Revolve-5x5 art blocks

2009-09-02T11:41:00.001-07:00

My work is installed at Decatur Gallery and I'm so excited! The gallery looks great, nice and full of diverse, creative work. I could wander around in there for a VERY long time. So many talented artists, I feel privileged to exhibit alongside them all!

I'm debuting my 5x5 blocks in the gallery and will be interested to see how they do at the opening on Sept. 12. I've got one of these listed on Etsy, and will be adding more soon. Each block has an archival print mounted to the front and a different image on the back, either the original sketch or a vintage image that relates to the piece. My signature and date is printed on the back. I love these sitting on a shelf or mantle, and they look fantastic displayed in groups!

Tumbling for you-6x6 gallery

2009-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sending my piece in for the 6x6gallery exhibition that will be held in October in New York City. This is a really cool project where artists of any level and medium can submit work to be exhibited in the gallery and online. I just love all these opportunities that pop up all over now where artists can get seen virtually, and then connected in real life.

The ideas to get your work seen seem endless, and I feel like I can hardly keep up with my to-do list these days! This piece is inspired by one of those bright orange retro kid's chairs. The primary color's in the painting really make the chair pop, and for some reason while I was creating it, I couldn't get that Culture Club song, "I'll Tumble for You" out of my head, so that kind of stuck for my title!

High frequency

2009-08-20T05:51:00.001-07:00

So I've been super busy preparing for the upcoming show on September 12 at the Decatur Market Cooperative Gallery and it's been hard to do all my online duties when I need to be painting and getting work done! This will be a short one, just wanted to show my latest piece, High frequency. This is part of my series on energy of circles, momentum and creative energy. One of my faves so far, because I loved composing the ribbons flying off the umbrella clothes line! I'm going to be working on some large pieces this week, so the challenge will be to preserve the looseness of my smaller pieces on a bigger format. As always, the print is available in my Etsy shop. Until next time!

Decatur Cooperative Gallery

2009-08-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

The latest is...I'm going to be one of the exhibitors at Decatur Cooperative Gallery! I'm very excited to start a new path with my work, and that means I will need to really PRODUCE. Not just a painting here and there, but start to paint on a daily basis and move towards painting more full time and making graphic design less prominent. Being a member of the the cooperative gallery will give me an opportunity to really connect with other artists, get more recognition in the community and, most importantly, to really get my groove on with creating inventory. This will be a growing year for me, heading into the holiday season, I'm hoping that I'll actually sell work and be able to keep my little space full.

Now that I'm out of the haze of "babydom" and on the edge of exiting "toddlerdom" opportunities are starting to emerge and I'm hoping this is my time to create a reputation and get some local followings. Stay tuned for a lot of work in the upcoming weeks to be posted in preparation for the opening on September 12 that welcomes new artists (me!)

Turn kinetic- collage painting

2009-08-11T05:40:00.001-07:00

This piece is part of a new watercolor and collage series on paper. I've been working with acrylics and gouache on wood panels for awhile and needed to mix it up a bit. These are going to be larger pieces, around 20 x 30 and focus on imagery related to spiraling movement and creative energy. Hopefully I can produce a good collection to show this fall, there are a few galleries I'm submitting to and it would get me in gear to follow through if I have a goal in mind! Turn Kinetic is available as a print in my etsy shop.