Wooden Bones

So I'm a proud mother! I wasn't going to mention it on here but I can't help myself. My middle son Todd is the singer songwriter in a Canadian band called Pilot Speed. On April 28th they release their new CD, "Wooden Bones," in both Canada and the US. It has been a long time in the making and it's fantastic. Well naturally I would think so being his mother wouldn't I. We are very proud of him and all the work that he has put into this creative effort. The whole process of creating is the same for all of us. We just have to trust the process and then put it out there. How it is recieved is another thing but I do hope the world embraces his wonderful music. The first single from the CD is now out with a rather artsy video. See the video of "Please Put the Phone Down" on youtube. It's pretty crazy and during part of the making they had Todd attached to a rope flying around in the air which made him feel quite ill.

Alpharetta Art Festival

Last weekend I did the Alpharetta Arts Festival. I can't say it was a successful show for me however I did manage to cover my costs and have enough over to buy us both dinner and a few wines. I'm not complaining though. It was actually really fun and we met some wonderful fellow exhibitors. We also learnt a lot more about the whole Art Festival Process which was very helpful. One of the most interesting things though, was seeing what work was selling well at the other booths in the show. My husband was almost incredulous at the success of some of the work but it just goes to show that taste differs and that's a good thing. As for me, I was really inspired by the amazing work created by many of the people.

To put a nice end to the story, I just heard that two of my collagraphs sold at Rev Coffee.

Toilet Art

My art is in the toilet! This is not a depressing thing. Actually I feel quite happy about it as where else do people have a few moments alone and time to actually look at art without any distractions. The painting I am talking about is Golden Sax, a very vibrant work in reds and golds and on the deep red wall in the toilet, it looks fantastic! The painting is in a show at Rev Coffee in Smyrna, just out of Atlanta. This is a fun coffee shop with an eclectic feel. They have lots of art on the wall and at night there is live music. The show opening last night had a really good feel and the coffee they make there is some of the best I have had.

Exhibition Update

The next few weeks will be pretty busy for me. I have the opening of the Dogwood Show at the AAC tomorrow, April 11th 1pm, and I also have some work in a show at Rev Coffee in Smyrna. This is a fun coffee shop with an eclectic feel. They have lots of art on the wall and at night there is live music. The art opening for this is at 8pm Saturday 11th. Next comes the Alpharetta Streetfest, 18th and 19th April, and then the Wesleyan School's "Joie de Vivre"on April 30th and May 1 and 2.

I am now working on some very small musical pieces. They are 6 inches square and at that size the smallest work I have ever done. I am having fun with these though and really enjoying the challenge. Once I have a few finished I will post them here. I hope to keep the cost at under $100.00. Sunlit Sails above, is one of my newer works. After a lot af red paintings it is refreshing to do something in summer colors.

Atlanta Artists Center

The "Dogwood Show"

I received a nice surprise this week. I entered several pieces into the local Dogwood Show at the Atlanta Artists Center in Buckhead and received an Honorable Mention for my collagraph print called "Under the Hot Sun". My acrylic painting called "Abstract in Red" was also accepted. The opening reception will be held Saturday, April 11 from 5-7 PM at 2979 Grandview Ave. Atlanta, GA 30305. The exhibit is on display from April 7 - May 1. Hours Tuesday - Saturday: 10 am - 4pm.

The Painters Keys

After writing yesterdays blog I received an email newsletter from "The Painter's Keys" . This is an interesting site developed by Robert Genn a Canadian artist. The email was about recent research on artists incomes to which I will post a link. This is a wonderful site to subscribe to and the click backs, or replies that come in from all around the world, are often really good reading. Artists can also have a free listing on his site.
http://clicks.robertgenn.com/art-income.php

Art and the Recession

If you have been following my blog you will know that I have been working on a group of abstract paintings for a local gallery who were going to exhibit them in March/April this year. I have enjoyed the process of doing them but unfortunately the gallery has been badly affected by the recession and they have decided it's not worth the risk of staying open. The same week it was on the news that one of the major galleries here in Atlanta has also decided to close after twenty years or more in the business. I'm sure there will be more to follow. Tough times.

We hear a lot about the difficulties affecting other industries but no one ever mentions artists and how hard it is for them. I think it stems back to the idea that it's not a proper or real job however, for many artists it's their sole source of income and the coming year will be challenging.

Last year I made the decision to take part in some local Art Fairs this summer. The applications for many shows have to be in months in advance. Well, what a bad time to start! My optimistic husband made the comment that "Oh well by the time the economy comes back you should know what you are doing". The first one is the Alpharetta Streetfest on April 18 and 19.

Portugal

Portugal was wonderful especially the areas away from the built up tourist areas. The old towns with their winding narrow streets and alleys are so lovely to see. I took quite a few photos but here is one that I really like. It was taken in Silves inland from Albufeira in the Algarve which is in the southern part of Portugal. There is a lot of decorative tile work but I loved the way this one was set into a doorway. I shall post a few more photos in the next post.

After such a nice holiday I am eager to get back into my studio again.

Revitalization of the Creative Spirit

On Monday I am off on holiday for two weeks. The last four months have not been the best in our lives and I think my creative spirit has suffered from the anxiety and general stress. Now that the health issues that landed unexpected on both of us over the holiday period have been resolved, we are ready for some fun.

So where are we off to you are wondering. We are going to Portugal to the Algarve. We have been to Spain several times before when we were living in the UK and really liked it so I am sure we will enjoy Portugal too. One of the really nice things about the trip is that we will be meeting up with another couple from the UK who we went to Spain with last time. My friend is a wonderful artist and we used to spend many hours together in the UK visiting art galleries and attending painting courses. It's so nice to have friends with similar interests and I especially miss her company now that I am in Atlanta. That is one of the sad things about moving so often, you leave wonderful friends behind.

I hope to take some photos of the beautiful beaches on the Algarve and to see some great art and local crafts. I also hope to be inspired and revitalized so that when I return in a few weeks time I am ready to plunge into my art with renewed gusto!

Go Figure

Go Figure is the name of an exhibition that is currently showing here in Atlanta at the Spruill Gallery. It's a really good exhibition with a variety of work focused on the figure. A couple of weekends ago they held an event where three of the artists whose work is on show, spoke about their work. It was very interesting and one of the best events of it's kind that I heve been to. I got there early as I thought that there would be quite a crowd however there were only the three artists, the gallery director and assistant and less than five visitors! I was amazed and I think they were too. I think they had expected a lot of local art students to attend along with other members of the public. I'm sure it was very disapointing for them however they may need to look at their attitude to the public. When I first arrived in the area I went in to see an exhibit and then went and asked the person on the desk where I could find out about local art events or classes. He was very abrupt and not at all friendly or helpful. Every time since then when I have been there to see an exhibit I have found the staff very unwelcoming. I have never been greeted with a hello or welcome to the gallery and if I made a comment about how nice the show was I only got a curt reply. Prior to the Go Figure artists talk I met a friend and we went to see the exhibition. Once again we were not greeted and the gallery director came in and started talking to the assistant and ignored us. My friend mentioned to the assistant, as we were about to leave, that she thought it was a lovely exhibition to which we got no reply. Once outside my friend said to me how she thought that the girl was quite rude for not even answering and that she had found them very unfriendly whenever she had been in the gallery on previous occasions. Exactly my own experience. I find people in the area very helpful, polite and friendly and I can't understand why it's so bad at this gallery. Perhaps that's why they didn't get many visitors for their talk.


Just to brighten up this post I will attach one of my small abstracts.

Collagraph Artists Proofs

I have just pulled another collagraph print of 'Breathe'. This one is a much brighter version. I now have four options to submit to the 'Trees in Art' National Exhibition here in Atlanta and I have to decide which one to go with. I would have liked to do a painting to enter but somehow this print just asked to be done. I only hope that the judges actually realise what I am trying to say and don't just think it is an odd looking little tree. Here are the last two variations.

The Green Version

After printing up two or three versions of my 'lung tree' in blues I decided to do a green version which is probably more in keeping with the ecological idea. I think my name for this piece will be 'Breathe'.

Which one do you like best?

Trees - Lungs of the Earth

I have just spent the morning printmaking. There is an upcoming exhibition with the theme "Trees" and although I don't usually do trees I thought it would be fun to have something to submit. I also wanted to create a piece with a slight ecological twist and because trees breathe I decided to combine lungs and a tree shape and put it into a landscape. Here is the result so far. Below the image you will find the process described.



The picture doesn't show up all the colours that well however after proofing it twice I am now reasonably happy with it. Here is the process I used for making a collagraph print.

After drawing out the design on mat board I cut into the trunk and branch areas where I wanted the shapes to be raised. Remember that in the printing process everything is in reverse. Anything cut deep into the printing plate becomes raised after printing and the raised areas of the plate become deep, plus the image is reversed. I then built up the landforms and added carborundum where I wanted the very dark area. Once the plate was finished and had been covered with shellac to seal it I was ready to ink it up. The first colour was deep blue which went over the whole plate filling all the cracks and branches. After wiping off most of the blue ink then I rolled over the whole plate with a transparent green and then followed up with another roll of light creamy orange. This last colour I will make stronger next time I print it to bring out the definition more and to warm the whole thing up.

I need a good name for this work. Any ideas ?

Just as an afterthought, I have trouble deciding how to spell things in these posts. Should I use the English spelling of words or the American way now that I am living in the US. Somehow I just couldn't bring myself to write colour as color today. Perhaps another time.

Saxophone Print Winner

Finally I have done the draw for the free Saxophone print that I offered in November. I will be contacting the winner today. I won't give the full email address here but it starts with Rott, so if that's you make sure you look out for the incoming email.

So it's a new year and I'm ready for some new work. I have been asked by a local gallery to create more of my abstract works to show in a few months time. I actually really like working in less realistic manner. It always amazes me how the shapes flow from the unconscious and the fascination that happens as I work with the imagery. Strange but very interesting. The new pieces have a lot of underlying pattern and texture. I have attached a picture of the largest piece which is 48H x 36W inches and another smaller work. As you will see they are quite different from the saxophone and cello paintings I have posted here. I would be very interested to get your comments

In The Art Studio Again

I finally made it back into the art studio again today. I started preparing for a Simple Printmaking course that I am due to give at the Atlanta Artists Center on January 17th although I just found out that they haven't posted it on their web site yet. With peoples holiday costs, the late listing and the economy I'm not sure that we will get enough people for it to go ahead but I will do the preparation anyway.

I find printmaking very seductive. The effects are exciting and there is always the compulsion to try just one more print to see how it turns out. I am eager to do a lot more printmaking this year now that I am all set up with the press and fantastic inks from the UK.

The holidays were both enjoyable and stressful. After having surgery a few days before I left for Toronto and then not feeling the best while I was there, took a bit of the fun out of it all. I was actually quite happy to be back home again, however Toronto was heavily blanketed with the wonderful white stuff and not very cold so that was lovely.

With the unexpected surgery and the holidays I am way behind on updating my blog and sending out the winner of the Nov free gift. I will post that in the next few days.

Life's Irritations

If you have been wondering why I haven't been posting to the blog the last few weeks it's because I haven't been in the studio working but instead fighting a very resistant sinus infection. After three or four lots of antibiotics I finally got to an ENT person this week, had a CT scan, and found out I have to have surgery. Right on Christmas too! I had a tooth out back in April/May and since then have had pain in the same area followed by a very nasty ongoing sinus infection. Dental x-rays showed nothing but the CT scan showed what looks like a little piece of bone or tooth lodged up in the sinuses. They are going to try and hunt it down and remove it. Once that goes I should get rid of the infection and feel normal again. It's very hard to feel creative when all your teeth and face aches. The one good thing is that in another day and age, or even a country without dental or medical care, I would probably die from the infection going into my brain. I think I should count my blessings and not complain.

November Free Draw

I know that it is late in the month to write about this but the free draw for November, for signing up to receive email updates to this blog, is a giclee print of the cello painting posted here today. Remember you have to be in to win!

You will find the box to sign up just down a little and to the right. Do it NOW!

Abstract Painting

I feel this piece is finished although after a few more days I will probably find something I want to change. Next week I will be back into printmaking. I have some ideas I am eager to try out.

I have finally set the dates for my two printmaking workshops at the Atlanta Artists Center. The first one, Simple Printmaking Without a Press, will be on Saturday January 17th. In mid March I will do the Collagraph Printmaking Workshop which will be two full days. The dates for this are March 22nd and 23rd. I'm really looking forward to doing both these workshops. Once all the info is up on the AAC web site I will put a link here to it.

Abstract In Process Sailing Along

I have been busy in the studio again today. I had this nice sized canvas just waiting for something to be put on it. It's 30 inches square so a good size to work on. I wanted to work in a more abstract way again and while looking through a magazine I saw some pictures of sail boats. They have lovely swooping lines which really appeal to me. I seem to have a fixation for lines and flowing shapes.

Inspired by the sails I drew out a few shapes and then started adding lines and shapes that flowed organically from one to another until I got a basic design that I liked however I kept extending and deleting lines as I went along. Before I laid out the design on the canvas I made a messy underpainting with lots of colors and drips etc to get me started. I then began to block in the shapes by painting around each shape with color.

I have posted two photos of the process up to where I am now. I have lots of transparent layers ready for the next stage which is to start using more opaque paint You can see a couple of places where I have started this already. It's always exciting to see where the process leads and if it is successful or not.

Abstract Work

I have been taking a break from printmaking to play around with some more abstract work. I used to work this way a lot but recently my paintings have been leaning towards a more realistic look. It has been fun and I am eager to experiment with more of this type of work in the future.

I had a tidy up in my studio last week although looking at it this morning you would never think that I had. Part of the clean up included pulling out lots of work and trashing some of it. Every six months or so I like to have a throw out. I keep things for a time as a record of what I was doing and to see if there has been any progress. A few pieces I have kept for years and others only a month or so. Lots go in the bin the day I do them especially the work from the life drawing session I try and attend each week.

This week at the life drawing I decided to work in oils instead of just drawing. The pose was quite stiff and unnatural looking but the girl had this wonderful curly orange hair. The session was only a couple of hours so it's unfinished but I've posted it here, along with one of my abstracts, to show you the two different kinds of work I have done this past week. You can see how strange they look together. The "Girl with the Orange Hair" painting is likely to be trash in a week or so too.