As I gear up the inventory for the up coming AppleFest here in Franklin and look over the art I’ve done since I started this adventure three short years ago, it is amazing how different it is.  I’ve never really considered myself an artist and I mean to take some painting lessons sometime soon, but the look of the pieces now compared to then still surprises me.  The older pieces seem unfinished somehow… more rudimentary I guess.  One thing for certain, they are much smaller in size than what I am doing lately.  Also I am learning more with the patinas and experimenting a bit more.

And I’m meeting new clients all the time….so many great ideas come from people who find this web site and say…. do you think you could  ________?  I think that’s one of the best parts about doing this work…the challenges you throw out there that turn out to be truly one of a kind pieces.

So I think the new look is fantastic and I want to thank my new friend, Cia Williford for designing and implementing the change.  Cia is a fabulous artist, herself.  Be sure to check out her web site, Briarwoodstudio.com!

As I mentioned…AppleFest is only a few short weeks away.  I am trying to ramp up the inventory and get it done in a timely manner so I can give my framer, Kyla of Victorian City Art & Frame time to do her thing also…

finished a fish today… enjoy!

The finished Walleye waiting to go into town and be framed. Picture of the framed piece will be posted under Fish Niche when completed.

Had a great conversation with Dawn…. can’t wait to see the frame when it’s done!  This time I’ve gone with a gold frame – something I haven’t done in the past, but this piece is a little different for me as I used new ink colors – more pastel than normal and the gold just seemed to work.  I’ll post a picture of the finished product when I can.

Six and one-half Sunflowers!

This copper exhibition I’m working on is part of the community outreach campaign in Singapore to bring higher awareness for copper and copper use. There will be showcases illustrating various walks of life, e.g. copper in engineering, copper in healthcare, copper in sustainable development, copper in homes, copper in arts of course. I am still working on bringing more interesting exhibits into the event at this point.

What’s happening on my plate is a mini all-copper exhibition at local libraries to demonstrate copper’s role and use in daily affairs/lifestyles/industries/economies. The event will take place in April and June. And I think your work will make a very neat stage under the section of Copper in Arts.”

Wow!  How cool is that,  you ask?  Very. Cool. Indeed.  And so I got to work.  Although Wen-Ee was not that concerned regarding which particular pieces she had in mind, she thought a fish and some flowers – nature kind of things would be good.  I asked her about flowers in Singapore, and she sent me a picture of an orchid which is publicized as the flower of Singapore by the Ministry of Culture as their national flower.  I also looked for a native fish.  In all, I sent five pieces, one of which was a piece already in stock…

The Peacock Bass

The Vanda Miss Joaquim

Water Lily

Hibiscus

So, art is on it’s way to Singapore, should be there on the 20th of March.  Wun-Ee has promised to send  pictures of the exhibition sometime in mid April…. I will be sure to post them!

kim

The Back Splash!

Only one problem…. now I want a new kitchen!

Let’s see… what’s new?  Art is getting larger, receiving more commissions, and leaving the Liberty Galleria.  I’m finding it more difficult these days to get interested in art for small frames.  I remember October 2010 when I first started showing my work in the Galleria talking to someone about how recently I had started this endeavor.  The remark was that they couldn’t wait to see how my art would look in a year.  I was thinking to myself that that was a strange remark as I couldn’t foresee any changes.  I now realize I had no vision.  Vision is apparently a part of an artist’s workset…. one which I suppose comes naturally to ‘real’ artitists – of which I’ve never considered myself to be.  Oh sure, I can copy stuff….and, I’ve discovered I like the painting bits, but to me, artists can create art right out their brains!  Point is, I have actually seen the art changing over this past year – and getting bigger and bolder.  As a result, those little frames that fit so nicely in the shop are no longer holding my interest….

To illustrate the point, the photo below is my latest piece.  This was originally intended to be part of a screen project in conjunction with my brother who is to build the frame…. but it may end up at the frame shop to be displayed elsewhere.  The size is 24″x62″… the largest piece I’ve done so far.

The newest piece….@24×62″, too big to tote around!

So, this new direction is causing a shift in where I will be displaying my artwork now.  The Liberty Galleria is managed by an entity called Franklin Moving Forward, Inc., and is a small business retail incubator.  I joined October 2010 by renting shelf space.  In the ensuing year, the Galleria and myself have flourished.  In November of last year, I increased my presense and graduated up to floor space.  The Galleria has afforded me  exposure and valuable experience and I will treasure that and the people I ‘worked’ with.  I have grown a lot in this past year and it is time to move on!  Next step to becoming a famous artist is to concentrate on getting into galleries and perhaps on or two juried events (including my home town Applefest, of course).  So, although my official last day at the Galleria is the end of this February, I will still maintain a small presense there.

Barco Oncology Institution Installation

I just want to share one more thing here before I head off….The artwork above is going to be displayed at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, PA. (another large piece all three pieces together are 23″x47″)  I am fortunate to be included as a member of the art committee. This institute takes the entire patient approach which includes, among other disciplines, art. This first installation of mine will be displayed on their art-ready walls for three months at which time I will have another project for them.  Notice the butterflies?  This is a fun thing… I originally had them in frames and was going to have them hung around the pieces when I received a suggestion that I cut them out and attach them to the artwork.  I love the whimiscal look!  Tell me what you think!

I have copied the rest of this information from their web site: “The Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute offers a way of caring for patients that centers on convenience and compassion in a comfortable and pleasant environment. At the heart of the whole-person approach to health and wellness, the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute provides coordinated counseling and nutrition consultations as well as stress reduction opportunities in the form of art and music recreation therapy. An innovative keyboard program known as the Clavinova Connection, developed by Yamaha, allows patients with no musical experience to simply follow keyboard lights for specially arranged musical compositions. This musical “diversion” will help them relax and, as recent research suggests, reverse the DNA switches that literally turn on the human stress response.”

Oh, and I mentioned commissions…. here is a almost full size test piece of a back splash I am currently working on for a commission I received through this web site.  It will be over the stove so I had to find a material to cover the piece so it can be cleaned, etc.  I have used an epoxy resin.  The results were a bit surprising in that the resin increased the saturation of the color… you really have to see it in person to appreciate it!

This kitchen backsplash measures 15″x12″ and has a hard epoxy resin coating on top.

Thanks for stopping by… love to hear from you!