Alissa Sheley - Acrylic on Plexiglass Artist

The Perfect Day for an Art Fair

Alissa — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:04:17 +0000

Gee whiz, I don’t think a person could possibly ask for a more beautiful day than Sunday at Lawrence Art in the Park! The sun was warm and bright, and people were out in the masses taking in the rays and enjoying the artwork.

I’m not sure what the other artists experienced, but I thought the turnout was great! My booth was hopping, with people streaming in and out all day. I know, this photo doesn’t exactly show the crowd . . . Brandon said it was one of the few times he was able to snap a shot without lots of people in the way, passing by on the sidewalk in front of my booth.

In the end, I sold two pieces and got a couple of contacts for potential commission work lined up. It turned out to be a pretty successful Sunday!

Lawrence Art in the Park 2008

Alissa — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:29:52 +0000

When: Sunday, May 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: South Park, 12th and Massachusetts streets, Lawrence

Cost: Free

Age limit: All ages

Description: This long-time Lawrence tradition features over 150 artists, musical performances, and children’s activities. This—the 47th annual event, sponsored by the Lawrence Art Guild—is a great opportunity to support area artists and perhaps select that perfect Mother’s Day gift.

I’ll have a booth with my acrylic on plexiglass artwork. Stop by and enjoy the fun atmosphere because the weather is suppose to be great!

Love Local Art?

Alissa — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:07:59 +0000

Don’t miss this year’s Concealed Revealed Art Auction this Saturday, April 26, 6:30 pm at Warehouse 414!

This year’s auction benefiting the YWCA Battered Women Task Force features original artwork created by over 50 local artists, including some of the women and children staying at the task force shelter.

Along with my piece, Sun Valley, you will have the opportunity to place bids on artwork of all mediums - paintings, photography, ceramics, jewelry. Click here for a sneak peak of what’s in store!

Even if you’re not in the market for a new piece of artwork, come out to enjoy the comradere and the atmosphere. There will be complimentary beer, wine, finger foods and desserts, compliments of Daddy Cakes, Henry T’s Bar & Grill, New City Cafe and Tara’s Catering.

Tickets are available in advance for $15 or at the door for $25.

Click here to purchase tickets online.

Family Service and Guidance Center Art Collaboration

Alissa — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:35:17 +0000

My art piece for the new Child and Family Academy wing of the Family Service and Guidance Center went on display last Tuesday, April 15.

This colossal piece (7′ x 4′) combined original artwork from the art sessions I led with children and staff of FSGC, with my own artwork. It came together as a plexiglass collage with the center’s logo projecting off of the surface of the piece. Surrounding the painting are the donor panels honoring the supporters of the center.

Special thanks goes out to Josh Pattie. His framing, installation skills, and access to his brother-in-law’s truck were invaluable in the process!

5th Annual Concealed Revealed Art Auction

Alissa — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:18:49 +0000

Love this painting? Want to hang it on your wall?

Join me at the 5th Annual Concealed Revealed Art Auction on Saturday, April 26th at 6:30 pm at Warehouse 414 for a chance to win my painting "Sun Valley" in a live auction benefiting the YWCA Battered Women Task Force. Tickets for the event are available online here for $15 or at the door for $25.

"Sun Valley" specs:
- Acrylic on plexiglass
- Custom framed in dark wood
- Approximate size 44" x 10"
- Created in 2007
- Valued at $1,200, but will be sold to the highest bidder on auction night!

Have any questions about this piece or the event? Shoot me an email or leave a comment.

An Art Collaboration

Alissa — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:29:38 +0000

I am in the process of creating a colossal 8′ by 4′ piece of artwork to hang in the waiting room of the Family Service and Guidance Center’s new Child & Family Academy building.

This piece of artwork will be comprised of over 35 smaller plexiglass paintings created by myself and some of the children and associates of the center. The process began with a painting session for the children where I taught them my painting style. That night was so successful, we decided to do another class for Family Service and Guidance Center staff members to paint over their lunch break.

After all of the plexiglass panels had been created, I starting working with Josh Pattie to assemble the painting. And with Mike at Creative Signs on the donor panels that will be surrounding the artwork.

Want to check it out? Stop by the ribbon cutting on Wednesday, April 16th starting at 4pm to celebrate the opening of the new facility and get a first look at my largest piece of art to date!

Painting with the Kids

Alissa — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:26:24 +0000

What do you get with 27 tubes of paint and 11 young artists?

Lots of messy fun … and some pretty great artwork!

With aprons and lots of paper towels, creativity soared on Thursday, March 8, at Family Service and Guidance Center. I spent the evening with eleven young artists, teaching them how to paint using acrylic on plexiglass.

After a quick lesson, they set off creating their own masterpieces - landscapes and flowers, tributes to their favorite sports teams and even one to Picasso.

Goodbye, Dear Friend

Alissa — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:51:38 +0000

I’m sad to say that my favorite frame shop, J & Co. Frameshop, will be closing February 29th.
I’m so bummed about it. Josh is a good friend of mine and an excellent framer. Josh will be going to work for Bob Victor, a frame wholesaler in Topeka.

Get Involved with Art

Alissa — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:25:40 +0000

This year I am working with several local organizations on their art-related fund raising events coming up this spring and summer.
Here’s just a few of my upcoming projects:

Concealed/Revealed Art Show and Auction for the YWCA Battered Women’s Task Force of Topeka

Works of Heart Art Show and Auction for Family Service and Guidance Center

Aaron Douglas Art Fair with the Turnaround Team

Check back for more information of these events!

In the Studio - 2.3.2008

Alissa — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:20:25 +0000

Truth be told, I’ve not been able to spend much time in my studio lately. Partially because it’s off-season and I don’t have any shows coming up in the immediate future (the next month or two), and partially because my studio is pretty torn up right now.

Brandon and I are in the process of getting our house ready to sell, so we’ve got all kinds of remodeling projects going on. The few rooms that aren’t a work-in-process have become storage areas. So my studio is full of bags of bathroom stuff and building materials, as well as all of my regular painting stuff.

Don’t worry though, this can’t last much longer … at least I hope it won’t. The fact is, I really need to paint, it’s part of me, of who I am. It gives me balance and perspective, and I’m just not able to handle stress as well when I don’t have my creative outlet.

What do YOU think?

Alissa — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:02:44 +0000

Sorry about my posting hiatus. I have been busy with the holidays/sick/work stuff.
I know, I know lame excuse … but really that’s all I have.

I’ve added a new feature to the website … well, technically Brandon added it. Visitors now have the opportunity to leave comments and send eCards with artwork posted in the gallery.

Check it out.

The Second Art Talk Spot

Alissa — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:56:03 +0000

**Update: WIBW removed this video clip about a week after it was originally posted.

Click here to see the second WIBW Art Talk segment featuring my artwork: Local Restaurant Doubles As Art Gallery For Local Artists. This piece focuses more on the RowHouse, the venue for my current show. But there are a couple of clips from my interview and several shots of my artwork.

As seen on TV - With Video

Alissa — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 03:23:37 +0000

Here’s the link to the Art Talk segment WIBW did covering my artwork, Not Your Typical Painting: Local Artist Uses Anything But Brushes.

They actually split my interview into two segments. So unbeknownst to me, a second, completely unique Art Talk segment aired the following Sunday morning talking about my paintings and the RowHouse. I would have never known about it if my boss, Jake hadn’t mentioned seeing it. Guess that’s what I get for sleeping past 10am on a Sunday!

Check back for coverage of the second Art Talk segment.

Local Spotlight - Dan Billen

Alissa — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 04:01:56 +0000

Dan Billen, a senior at Washburn University and co-worker of mine at jhP, is showing his Senior Art Exhibit at the Art Building on Washburn’s campus until Friday, December 14. If you have any way to make it there, I highly encourage it!
Dan’s show is very unique, and uncommonly cohesive for a student. His artwork is bold and humorous, yet heart warming at the same time.
The main feature of the show, is Dan’s series of eight 4′ by 4′ mixed media collages. Each collage features a portrait of a patient he worked with during his year at The Institution. These larger-than-life portraits are simple in overall composition, yet complex with various shapes of papers and their colors and textures. The juxtaposition Dan created brought each character to life and gave it personality.
Click here to see Dan at work making one of his collages. There was also some coverage WIBW TV coverage and the newspaper article in the Capital-Journal.

Camera Found, Brandon Saves the Day

Alissa — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:43:50 +0000

The day before we headed to Lawrence to set up my display for the Lawrence Art Guild’s Holiday Art Fair, Brandon miraculously found the missing battery charger for the digital camera! Hooray!
The timing couldn’t have been better. To the right is a photo of my display. You’ll notice a few new pieces in there. To see them closer, check out the rest of my new photos in Gallery 12.
I was amazed at the number of fair visitors that remembered my artwork being on display at last year’s Holiday Art Fair. That made me extremely proud! Not just because they remembered my work, but because last year’s show was the one that Brandon worked with out me. I was home sick.

As Seen on TV

Alissa — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:32:36 +0000

WIBW’s Morning Show featured me and my artwork on their weekly Art Talk segment on Sunday. It was great!
I actually taped the interview for the piece on Wednesday before I left town for Thanksgiving. The whole thing was pretty cool. I met Lindsey Shively and her cameraman at the RowHouse, and talked for about 20 minutes without me even realizing that they were rolling tape. I was really impressed with the camera work and the close-up shots that the cameraman got of my new piece.
WIBW is going to be posting the spot on their website soon. As soon as it’s up, I’ll provide a link.

Holiday Art Fair

Alissa — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 01:24:06 +0000

I’m preparing for my last art weekend of the year, Lawrence Art Guild’s Holiday Art Fair. The indoor fair will showcase local artists specializing in lots of different mediums. I always enjoy seeing what everyone else in the area is doing!
The Holiday Art Fair is at Lawrence Art Center on Saturday, December 1. Doors open 10am - 6pm.

This painting Flowers for Alice was created in memory of my grandma Alice Stahl. I finished it a couple of months ago, but hadn’t had a chance to take a photo until recently.

Speaking of photos, I’ve lost the battery charger for our camera … so it might be awhile before I’m able to share any new work. I’m really bummed because I have lots of new stuff that I’ve just finished!

Another Commission Done!

Alissa — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:32:08 +0000

Brandon and I drove to Kansas City on Sunday to deliver my most recent commission piece, a 3-panel acrylic on plexiglass painting with bright waves of color.

The new owners plan on hanging it in their living room with vaulted ceilings and tons of natural light. The panels will go in a series of 3 windows that are above a giant picture window, overlooking their couch. This is going to allow a soft, Northern light to shine through the paintings during the daytime hours.

The painting will be in good company, because their house is full of colorful pieces of original artwork!

Click here to see more photos of this piece.

In the Studio - 11.5.2007

Alissa — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:22:01 +0000

I’ve enjoyed a lot of time in the studio since I’ve been home from Chicago. Hooray!
I’ve got lots of paintings in various stages of being finished … I’m pretty excited about all of the new work.
I have spent the majority of my time working on a 3-panel commission piece that I finished last night. I’ve also finished a big purple flower and a sunny day in the hills, but both are unnamed and waiting to be photographed. I’ve also got a set of 3 flower groups that need to be signed, named, finished and framed.
I should have some photos to post soon … check back!

Chicago - A Cultural Experience

Alissa — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:59:38 +0000

Chicago was amazing! Although we weren’t able to accomplish as much as I had hoped, we were able to see a lot . . . and we had a great time being able to do things at our own pace!

Day 1:

Our flight to Chicago was delayed, causing us to lose most of the day Thursday to travel. Once we arrived in town, we navigated the Blue Line and found our hotel pretty quickly. Unfortunately all of the new motion (plane, train . . . and probably the chili cheese nachos we ate prior to departure) did a number on Brandon’s stomach so we pretty much laid low for the rest of the night.

Day 2:

On Friday, we woke up bright-eyed and full of energy! We mapped out a route to get our trolley tour passes and our GO cards, and set off on foot for a 14 block trek. 40 or 50 blocks later (I lost track after all that walking), we finally found our destination. Needless to say we got more than a little lost . . . unfortunately that’s a theme that followed us throughout the trip.
We rode the trolley tour for about an hour before we arrived at The Art Institute of Chicago. Their Impressionism and Post-Impressionism collection is amazing - we could have spent hours checking everything out! But, in an effort to be efficient, we selected our favorite sections and spent about 3 hours looking. The Institute has several pieces by Picasso and Van Gogh, my favorites on display were The Old Guitarist (one of Picasso’s works from his Blue Period before he started the Cubist movement) and The Bedroom (a colorful painting by Van Gogh that showed his bedroom). We also had an opportunity to see the classic American Gothic by Grant Wood, and La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. I couldn’t get over how large La Grande Jatte really was . . . until now, I had only seen in printed in textbooks.
Next we caught the bus and headed north to the Contemporary Arts Museum. I can’t say that I was a huge fan of the exhibit Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll since 1967 . . . there was a lot of video and audio which isn’t really conducive of large, mostly empty spaces with hard wood floors. The echo was loud and after a few rooms, all of the sounds started blending into one big headache. There was some cool pieces, and an interesting piece of performance art (an entire room was dedicated to a guy and girl, dress in blue jeans and white t-shirts, making out on the floor).
We then headed back to our room, enjoyed an hour of cocktails and appetizers at the hotel’s happy hour, and then headed to the theater district to see Wicked the Musical. The show was impressive - the set was very grand with lots of scenery and props, and the costumes were fun. The cast sang and danced for the majority of the 2 1/2-hour show - they had to be in great shape to pull that off!
Late that evening we met up with one of Brandon’s friends from high school, Suzanne DeBauge. We spent a couple of hours hitting two local bars that were far away from the tourist trap that is the Magnificent Mile (don’t get me wrong, the Magnificent Mile is cool; but if you’re on a budget, the shopping is less than ideal). It was a nice change in pace from the rest of the day!

Day 3:

With last night being such a late evening, we decided to sleep in little and got off to a late start. We caught lunch (technically breakfast for us) at the Rain Forest Cafe. I’m glad we decided to stop there because the table we sat at was next to an aquarium full of tropical fish, and that was the closest we came to seeing the any fish on our trip. The visit to the Shedd Aquarium just didn’t fit in our schedule very well this time.
After eating, we once again escaped the downtown/loop area and headed north to meet up with Ian and Lauren, long-time friends of several of our Topeka friends (Arron and Larry). We spent most of the afternoon hanging out at their place, exchanging stories about Topeka (they both lived here before they moved to Chicago) and about our mutual friends. Brandon and I both really enjoyed our time with Ian and Lauren - their hospitality made the trip very special, and we enjoyed the local insight to life in Chicago!
Ian pointed out several local art galleries that we visited on our way back downtown. We spent most of our time at the Judy A. Saslow Gallery where we decided to purchase our token souvenir for the trip, a cool little 10" x 10" Monotype Collage by local artist Jordan Scott. We had a tough time deciding between the collage and another huge acrylic piece from Italy. But in the end, the acrylic painting was going to be too big to hang in our house . . . and we always try to support local art.
That night we took a horse-drawn carriage ride around downtown and then visited The Hancock Observatory. We went up to the 94th floor for a view of the city lights - it was pretty impressive to also be able to see lights from across Lake Michigan - 69 miles away!

Day 4:

Our trip back to Kansas was a breeze compared to our experience 3 days earlier . . . but it still took up the majority of the day! We got back just in time to unpack, watch a movie and then head to bed.

A Vacation for Inspiration

Alissa — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 05:55:30 +0000

Brandon and I leave for Chicago tomorrow to celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary! We plan on spending the majority of our time checking out the arts scene. Here are the top four must see attractions on our list:
1. The Art Institute of Chicago - We’ll get to see La Grande Jatte by Seurat in person . . . it’s going to be huge!
2. Museum of Contemporary Art - There’s a special exhibit called Sympathy for the Devil - The Art of Rock & Roll Since 1967, that’s got to be cool!
3. Wicked the Musical - We’ve got tickets Friday night to see The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz.
4. Shedd Aquarium - I’m especially interested in the Wild Reef Exhibit.

Desserts to Delight

Alissa — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:59:55 +0000

My Sunday night opening at RowHouse last weekend went well. The desserts were fancy, the spread and sangria were top-notch and the visitors were lively, enjoying themselves while taking in the art.
The show will be on display through December, so if you stop by RowHouse in the next few months, make sure you go upstairs and check them out!

Sangria Sunday at RowHouse

Alissa — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:29:03 +0000

Stop by RowHouse Restaurant on Sunday, October 7 from 4pm - 8pm for the opening of a 3-Women Show: Myself, Traci Osborn & Susie Corbett. My artwork is featured in two rooms upstairs; I am showing: Pacific Sun, Paradise, Lazy Afternoon, Summer Breeze and Hang Ten.

Food, Sangria and a Cash Bar will be available.

Deserts by guest chef Karen Hafling.

3-Woman Show at RowHouse

Alissa — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:05:14 +0000

This weekend I will be hanging some of my artwork up at RowHouse, a cool new restaurant here in Topeka. If you’re looking for a new, unique dining experience in Topeka, you should check them out at 515 Van Buren.
Susie Corbett and Traci Osborn are also showing. Please join us for an opening reception on Sunday, October 7th.
Check back soon for more information on the opening!

Gallery in the Garden - Top Ten

Alissa — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:01:17 +0000

In an effort to try something new with my blog, I’ve decided to mix it up some. So instead of the usual summary of my trip to Wichita last weekend, I present:

Alissa’s Top 10 Botanica Moments:
10. Riding in the rental SUV.
9. Walking around to look at other artist’s booths.
8. Photographing all of the beautiful flowers.
7. Talking with booth visitors about my artwork.
6. Talking with Janice Hoesch, a family friend that moved to Wichita years ago.
5. Feeding the Coy that swam in the pond right next to my booth.
4. Helping a neighbor whose artwork got caught in the wind, causing the glass to break.
3. Talking with Marsha Clasen, one of my teammates from my college volleyball days.
2. Visiting the Butteryfly Garden.
1. Using a cart to haul my booth back and forth to the rental.