Artventuring

Playdate with an Artist: Me!

2012-01-31T17:22:00.000-05:00

I'm proud to announce that I've been selected to be the artist-in-residence at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, working with their "Playdate with an Artist" series. I'll be creating art projects with the kids, caregivers, teachers, and parents who visit Marbles, between February 14 and March 3. It's going to be great fun. We'll be doing a large, collaborative canvas project ( I was inspired by the success of the CMMAG "CanvaSynergy" project last year, which you can read about here.), as well as some smaller ones, including gelatin monoprints using the Gelli Arts Printing Plate. I'm looking forward to seeing how the kids interact with the Gelli plate, and we'll be doing some cards, collages and animal shape prints.
Here's the schedule of events, from the Marbles site:

Bringing out the artist in the child and the child in the artist.

Featuring Michelle Davis Petelinz

Tuesday, February 14-Saturday, March 3

Get out of the cold and warm up your creative side with local mixed-media artist Michelle Davis Petelinz. Join Michelle as she creates unique pieces of art with you! The Playdate with an Artist series focuses on Marbles' Create | Innovate initiative, giving kids the tools and resources to imagine, invent, experiment and solve.

Schedule

Tuesday, February 14 | 10am-1pm | Artist Studio
Saturday, February 18 | 10am-3pm | MonoPrint Workshops
Sunday, February 19 | 1-3pm | Collaborative
Tuesday, February 21 | 10am-1pm & 5:30-7:30pm | Artist Studio
Wednesday, February 22 | 10am-1pm | Artist Studio
Saturday, February 25 | 10am-3pm | MonoPrint Workshops
Sunday, February 26 | 1-3pm | Collaborative
Wednesday, February 29 | 10am-1pm | Artist Studio
Friday, March 2 | 5:30-7:30pm | Collaborative
Saturday, March 3 | 10am-3pm | MonoPrint Workshops

Activities
Michelle will be leading a variety of rotating activities - from make-and-take crafts to collaborative activities that will be displayed in the museum. Drop in and take part in the creative activity of the moment or participate in a Saturday MonoPrint Workshop.

Artist Studio (Weekdays)

Create mini masterpieces using Michelle's unique handmade stamps with ink and paper and design your own stamp to take home.
From creating the paper to using it in a collage, explore with Michelle to create a treasured piece of artwork from a simple piece of paper.

MonoPrint Workshops (Saturdays)

10am - ages 5 and under

12pm - all ages

2pm - ages 6 and up

Monoprinting is a form of printmaking where an image can only be printed once. During this workshop, participants will explore this art form using unusual tools to create a one-of-a-kind print. Workshops are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Collaborative (Sundays and during the March First Friday)

Create a large-scale collaborative piece that will be displayed at the museum March 5 - April 9.

As you can see, I'll be very busy for the next month! Got kids? Please come by and play! No kids? Borrow some, or just come by yourself; there'll be lots of paint, paper, stamps, canvases, and Gelli plates...what could be more fun than that?

See you there!

Paper Plates, Deadline Dates and Other News

2012-01-26T17:53:00.000-05:00

Paper Plates: This week one of the new kids' art classes at the Sertoma Art Center. We've been making paper plate ducks, and geese, clay animals and Matisse-inspired cut paper collages...such is the life of an art teacher (you'd be amazed what you can create with a simple paper plate)! Next week, it'll be magic marker monsters, 'smush' paintings, and Aboriginal dot art. My students are from 18-months to 13 years old, and I have great fun coming up with books for the little ones which will inspire our art projects, and exposing the older ones to the work of famous artists. I've been teaching at Sertoma for a year now, and have doubled the classes I teach, including one I designed myself: Spotlight on Famous Artists, for kids between 7 and 13 years old.

Deadline Dates: Dates for submission of applications for upcoming shows are quickly approaching. I've submitted a piece for consideration by the jury for the North Carolina Museum of Art's Art of the Auction again this year. I decided to donate a bamboo wall hanging this year, since I gave an ancestress shadow box last year. I'm hopeful it will be accepted; I'm going to love seeing in on a wall in the Museum! Acceptance notifications will be sent in about 3 weeks. Fingers crossed.
Also on my agenda: applying to Festival for the Eno. Because the tradition is to hold the show on July 4th (which they've done for 32 years), this is the "weird" schedule year; the show will be held on Wednesday, July 4, Saturday July 7, and Sunday, July 8. Yes, that's right. We'll set up on Tuesday, do day one of the show on Wednesday, leave everything set up for two days, and return on the weekend to do the weekend days. The last time this was the schedule, sales were way down from previous years. We're hoping this won't be the case this summer. Fingers crossed again.

And, in other news, I'll soon have an announcement about what very cool, kids' art-related things I'll be doing next month. Hint: it's local, fun, and there'll be Gelli Arts Printing Plates involved!

Stay tuned.ncartmuseum.org/auction

The Sketchbook: Revealed!

2012-01-13T16:51:00.000-05:00

As I posted earlier in the month, I am participating in this year's The Sketchbook Project, presented by the Art House Co-op. Sixteen of my fellow CMMAG members are doing it too. Last night was the grand reveal of completed books, and I was proud to be among those whose books were actually finished!
Before turning it in, I photographed the whole book, and below are some of my favorite spreads. True to my book publishing roots, I included a title page, introduction and acknowledgements page. And, despite the fact that it took me a very long time to decide what to do with this project, I really enjoyed it. In fact, I think I miss my book already! My book, along with thousands of others, will travel across the country, to England and to Australia, beginning in April, then be permanently catalogued and displayed at the Brooklyn Art Library. How cool is that? The Guild is considering a roadtrip to see the exhibit when it gets to Atlanta, GA in late August, which would be great fun. I'm definitely glad I did this project; it was another 'out of my comfort zone' endeavor which turned out well.
Thanks to my Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate, I was able to achieve patterns and textures reminiscent of African fabrics...I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it's a GREAT product! If you haven't tried it out yet, you should. But when you do, remember I said it's addictive; you'll want to make monoprints all the time!

So, here are some spreads from "Travel With Me, a Sketchbook by Michelle Davis Petelinz". Enjoy.

Happy 2012: "The Pillar of the World is Hope"

2012-01-03T13:02:00.001-05:00

Best wishes for a fantastic, creative, prosperous New Year, filled with love, laughter and fun. That's what I hope 2012 will bring for me and my family, too.

Since mid-December, I've been busy working on my entry for The Sketchbook Project, which is due at the end of the month. Our Guild has several members participating, and we'll do the big reveal of our individual sketchbooks at our January 12th meeting. My theme is "Travel with Me," and after much consideration, I decided to focus on what inspires my work; the colors, textures, patterns and masks of Africa. Since I've never been (the closest I've gotten is the Rock of Gibraltar, where I saw the African coast in the distance across the bay), my sketchbook is full of mask images, African proverbs, my own work, and cut paper collage of patterns and textures inspired by various tribal groups. I've incorporated many pages done with my Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate; one of my favorite tools for creating collage papers. I have about 12 pages to go, and I'm finally enjoying the process (there was quite a long period during the journey where I questioned my decision to do this project at all!). I almost don't want to let it go. But, it will be exciting to know that my work will be seen by many others, and will become part of this permanent exhibition in Brooklyn Art Library, in New York.

Since the big reveal is next week, I'll show only a 'sneak peek' here:

The proverb for this page is: "The pillar of the world is hope," from the Kanuri people of Nigeria; a lovely image for the beginning of the New Year, I think.

Happy 2012 to you and yours.

Holiday Gift Open Studio

2011-12-02T17:22:00.000-05:00

Next weekend, just in time for holiday shopping, I will host what promises to be a fun event, with my friend, the spectacularly talented artist, Larry "Poncho" Brown.

We've titled it a Holidy Gift Open Studio, which basically means you come, see something you like on my walls, and buy it for yourself, or for someone you love.

Poncho will be visiting Raleigh for the last time this year, showing his exciting giclees, originals and Poncho Artwear. Take a look at his website to see his work, and get a taste of what you'll see on Saturday.

Our studios and the rest of our house will be on display too; I'm serious about having people buy things off our walls! Stan's work and mine is hung throughout, and it's a great way to imagine how a piece will actually look on your wall once you get it home. I'm excited to have this opportunity to share my work in my own space. So if you're in the area, or planning to be, plan to stop by between 2:00 and 7:00 pm.

See you then!

Recent Creative Pursuits: I'm a Fashion Designer?!

2011-11-05T16:30:00.001-04:00

Fancy pants, in progress

Fancy outfit: complete!

No, I haven't actually changed focus, but I have been nudged outside my comfort zone in terms of substrate as a result of another Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild project (funny how the Guild seems to be at the root of most of my non-comfort zone forays, isn't it?!). Earlier this year, Penny Arrowood and I were invited to a meeting of Arts for Life, which is a local 501-C non-profit organization "dedicated to providing artistic education and emotional well-being to children across the state." Their staff members and artists provide art programs for children at Duke Children's Hospital. As we saw a video presentation showing the kids and their work, and listened to stories about the impact these creative art activities have on the critically ill patients, we knew the Guild had to become involved in some way with this effort.

Of course I had to have
matching fancy earrings!

At the very least, we knew we'd want to join Arts for Life during their annual fundraiser called the "Fancy Pants Dance," where attendees show off their fanciest, and I'm told, most outrageous pants. There's also a silent auction of donated art items (I've donated a 12-inch bamboo wall hanging from the 'Leaf Dance' series), dinner and information about the great work Arts for Life has done at the hospital during the past year. So naturally, I had to have fancy pants! And, of course, not just any pants would do: I had to paint my own. I found some at a fantastic local consignment shop called Passage, decided upon a design, and got to work. Once I finished them though, I realized I needed an equally fancy top to go with them...so, I got a plain, brown long-sleeved shirt, and got to work. Once I finished it, though, I realized I needed equally fancy earrings to go with the pants and the shirt (is this starting to sound like If You Give a Moose a Muffin?!), so, I made some, out of paper. Fashion designer I'm not, but it was a fun project to do. Here are the results...the dance is tonight, so photos of me in my finery, along with my CMMAG pals to come.

We also collaborated with Arts for Life on a wonderful project which will make its debut tonight, and at Art of the Carolinas, but that deserves its own, special post. Stay tuned.

Recent Creative Pursuits: CanvaSynergy

2011-11-05T13:02:00.000-04:00

My lists, color palette, map, design plan and guidelines
for CanvaSynergy 2011

Our Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild often takes on creative challenges, and I set one for the group in August, called CanvaSynergy. I'd seen a collaborative piece done by a group of painters, and thought we could add another dimension (literally!) to this idea. So, with canvases and paint donated by our favorite art supply store, Jerry's Artarama, 25 member artists were given a 12"x12" canvas, one tube each of Soho Acrylic mineral blue, cadmium red medium hue, cadmium orange hue and burnt sienna, and a list of guidelines I'd prepared. The guidelines included permission to use black and white in addition to the four colors of paint, and the encouragement to "showcase our mixed media marvelousness". I'd drawn out a design on all 25 canvases--unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever way you want to look at it, there are no photos of the gyrations I performed to do this, at first on the floor (a bad idea, given how un-limber I am!), then on my dining room table (much easier on the knees!). Once the design was on all canvases, I assigned one canvas to each artist, and the challenge was on. Members brought their finished canvases to our October meeting, and there was great excitement when they all came together. The public, big reveal won't take place until next week at Art of the Carolinas. Stan is building a framework which will house and display them all, and the finished collaborative piece will, we hope, be donated to a children's hospital. My canvas is below, but you'll have to come to Art of the Carolinas next week to see the rest, or stay tuned--I'll post photos of the grand reveal after November 13th.

New Toy: Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate

2011-10-11T13:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the ever-creative, and ever-resourceful Penny Arrowood, I have a new toy to play with. It's the Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate for "monoprinting without a press". Penny used one to do a demo at our recent Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild play date, to several rounds of enthusiastic 'oohs' and 'aahs'. I decided I had to have one right then and there. They're only available online, and I ordered the 6"x6" plate which came very quickly. I later discovered a Facebook page devoted to all things Gelli Arts, here.

At left you'll see the results of my first attempts at gelatin printing with the Gel Printing Plate. I used some of my own hand carved rubber stamps (you know I love carving new ones, and this was a great excuse to do that!), as well as one Penny made for me (the large circle with squares). And, at the left edge of the photo is a strip of drawings for new rubber stamps I'm considering carving next.

Working with the printing plate was pretty easy, though I have yet to come up with the perfect amount of paint to use for the best results (practice makes better, if not perfect, though). I did find that it was easier to use liquid acrylics than heavier bodied paints (although the heavier ones did provide a deeper, richer color). I also found that cleaning the stamp between impressions on the plate produced the best images (though I'm usually too impatient to do that!). I liked being able to use a number of different stamps on the same plate, and the fun of seeing results so quickly is great for those of us who have problems with delay of creative gratification. I have yet to explore using more than one layer, or using textures other than rubber stamps (like the strip of ribbon with holes at the bottom left of the photo, which was a gift with purchase of the Gel Printing Plate--thanks, ladies!), but I look forward to doing that and more with my 'new toy'!

Have you tried the Gel Printing Plate yet? If so, what did you think?

It's All About Respect

2011-10-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

What do you do when you've been wronged...when you discover your work was included in a publication without your knowledge or consent? And, when you look for the credit line, acknowledging your work in that book, and find nothing? What do you do then?

These aren't idle questions; this situation happened to dear friend and Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild president Penny Arrowood. You can read about the whole story, the satisfactory conclusion and lessons learned on her blog, "Thoughts Askance".

As events unfolded, Penny asked me to be another set of eyes reading through her correspondence prior to sending it. In each letter or email, I was struck by the way she was always respectful of the author and publisher; asking questions instead of hurling accusations. It was a great illustration of what my grandmother used to say--"You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar". In this situation, it was clear that reasoned, calm discourse and asking pointed questions produced the desired results. Kudos to Penny for her perserverance, good humor, and for her unwavering insistence on doing the right thing.

For me, one of the lessons learned is that we as artists must be vigilant about how our work, the product of our own creativity, is handled. And, while sometimes this makes us seem unkind or rigid (for example, I do not allow photography of my work when I am at shows unless I know specifically how that photo is to be used), we must respect our work enough to value it, and require others to do the same. We artists must give and receive credit for our creative output; it's the right thing to do.

You'll note the addition of the "Artists for Respect" badge on the sidebar at right. It represents the following pledge, from Julie Prichard, on her blog:

You are pledging to:

Review copyright laws and be conscious about using images in your artwork that are not your own.

You're pledging not to use music in your videos without consent from the recording artist. (Not even for a minute.)

You will not pass off someone else's work as your own whether it be online or in person.

You're pledging to respect the artist or instructor who worked hard to provide art or instruction for you.

If you're an artist with a blog, and agree with this pledge, grab the badge and display it too.

It's all about respect.

Show Report: African American Festival of Raleigh

2011-10-02T13:12:00.000-04:00

Kindred Spirit Studios display at AACF 2011

One month ago today, I was doing last-minute preparations for the African American Festival of Raleigh and Wake County. This was the second year of this Labor Day weekend show, and my first time there as an exhibitor. I attended last year's event, to check it out (which is what I always advise artists--don't do a show unless you've checked to see if it suits your work, is well-run, and seems to have a good, buying crowd).

The set up went easily, and since the venue was downtown Raleigh, which is about 15 minutes from home, we didn't have to wake up at the 'crack of dawn' as we often do on day one of a show. There was a very small juried section of artists, including my friends Larry "Poncho" Brown and Karen Y. Buster, who'd both done the show last year. The rest of the exhibitors sold buy/sell objects of various types.

Over the two days, we greeted friends who became new collectors, and met new people who became new collectors, too. It was a very good show for me, despite the dire predictions that the economy would keep people away. In my experience, people enjoy meeting artists, learning about their processes, and I love seeing them appreciate my work, and subsequently purchasing a piece which I hope they will enjoy for years to come.

Leaf Dance series: now sold out!

My Kindred Visage series of bamboo wall hangings made their debut at this show. And while there were many, many positive comments and interesting questions about them, none sold. I know from experience that this does not indicate anything except that the right people weren't there to acquire them. Mirrors, magnets, clocks and some of my other bamboo bowl wall hangings were popular items, and we came home with empty bins--a sure sign of a good show.

This was our last scheduled show of the season, since we decided after last year to severely curtail the number of shows for this year. It's time to make our 2012 show schedule, and we're looking into some new venues and new opportunities...details as they become available!

A Name at Last: The Kindred Visage Series

2011-09-17T18:50:00.000-04:00

Presenting:
Kiburi, the Proud, the sixth in the Kindred Visage Series.

Yes, I did finally come up with a name for the series, and the individual mask names followed soon after. I think the Kindred Visage name embodies what I wanted to convey: masks/visages with common features, and a sense of community or oneness despite differences.

Here is the series thus far, names included:

Dayo, The Joyous

Fanikia, The Prosperous

Gimbya, The Princess

Serwa, The Noble Woman

Macaria, The Seeker

There's a seventh one to come, but not for a bit; my other creative endeavor, that of part time art teacher with the Raleigh Parks and Recreation system will take precedence for awhile.

The Kindred Visage Series was very well received at my last show, the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County. That's the subject of my next post, so stay tuned!

Another in the still to be named series....

2011-08-18T10:55:00.001-04:00

This is the fourth mask in the series of 18-inch bamboo bowl wall hangings. I'm still awaiting the inspiration which will give me names--ideas are always welcome from you, dear readers!

This mask is simpler than the previous three, but maintains the same basic facial features, and incorporates textured polymer elements. And at right, a detail of the metallic pen designs in the crown and face.

Back to work: mask wall hanging number 5 is about halfway done. Photos soon.

Nameless But Not Faceless....

2011-08-08T17:09:00.000-04:00

New Work
These are the first three large bamboo bowl (18" diameter) masks in what will be a multi-piece series. Inspired by fused glass work I've been seeing lately, and actual African masks, they are my take on contemporary Afrocentric design. Each mask will have the same facial features, to tie the series together. And, each contains mixed media elements including: wood, polymer, acrylic paint, metallic inks, PearlEx powders, cowrie shells and my own hand carved stamps.

Here are some quick shots of them (our photo setup is still packed away, due to our tornado renovations which finally ended late last month).

I'm in search of titles for each.

I'm thinking they are yet another part of my Ancestress Series shadow box masks, but do these feel feminine or masculine to you?
Please weigh in on comments, and thanks as always for joining me along this creative journey.

Back in the Studio

2011-07-17T14:40:00.000-04:00

After what seems like months, I'm back in the studio, creating new work. This time, I am inspired by glass work I've seen online while searching for a piece for our home. I've often said that everything inspires me in some way. Sometimes, I'm not even aware of what the inspiration is until it comes out in my work. In the glass work I've been seeing, the use of textured glass against smooth and the juxtaposition of colors within abstract pieces has been the jumping-off point for creativity.

I'm allowing myself to experiment, and to use a variety of techniques within one piece to achieve the look I want. This isn't as easy as it sounds, and there have been a few wrong turns. I've almost completed the first in a series, and will show it here as soon as I solve the final 'problem' I see with it. Until then, here is the work of some of the inspiring glass artists I've been viewing.

Enjoy, and have a creative week.

Dan Barnes

Rothfuss Designs

Nancy Bonig

Show Report: Festival for the Eno, 2011

2011-07-07T12:06:00.000-04:00

Booth shot on day two of Eno, 2011

Very hot weather, large crowds, continuous music, good sales, fun, and did I mention very hot weather? All of that and more is what we experienced at our eighth annual Festival of the Eno. We had a great first day, making good sales, and greeting the many people who visited our booth. Sunday, the second day, was hot and muggy, and was apparently not a day for art; we sold just one $5 magnet. Undeterred, and since we had to be there anyway, we looked forward to a better day on Monday, the 4th. Sales picked up, the crowd was in a good mood, and things were great until a thunderstorm arrived and cleared everyone out at about 4:30. Load out was a soggy mess, but we were happy with the weekend overall.

Left side of booth

Right side of booth

Response to my new clock line was great; I sold half of those I'd brought. People were curious about how I create my cut paper collage clocks and mirrors, and were amazed when I told them I cut all my shapes with scissors (except for the small, hole punched circles--I'm good, but not that good!). It's at shows that I remember how much people are interested in the creative process. What seems normal or even mundane to me about how I work can be fascinating to someone who doesn't know anything about art.
So, another Eno is in the books, and we look forward to participating in a new show here in Raleigh in September, the African American Cultural Festival. I've got lots to do before then, and will share the progress as it happens, so stay tuned.

What's New After 8 Years?

2011-06-27T12:53:00.000-04:00

You'll find out what's new when you join us this weekend as we celebrate our 8th year of displaying and selling work at Festival for the Eno, in Durham, NC. Eno is one of our favorite shows: there's always great weather, it's July 4th weekend, the location on the Eno river about 45 minutes from home (sleeping in our own bed after show days is a tremedous plus!), there's great music, a loyal audience which appreciates art, and, best of all, it benefits a great cause: preserving and protecting parklands.

Here's a hint: I've been working on some new clock designs amid the demolition and construction in and around our house due to the tornado in April. Here's just a sneak peek at one of them...you'll have to come to Durham this weekend to see the rest of the collection. Mention that you're an Artventuring reader, and you'll receive 20% off your purchase!

"Free Spirit I" clock
6"x 6" wood
with original stamp background
and hand cut paste paper shapes

But now, it's back to creating...see you there.

Visual Delights: New Views of Artventuring

2011-06-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Blogger, there are new ways to experience Artventuring, and the other blogs you enjoy. Thanks to the blog How About Orange, I now know about flipshare, snapshot and mosaic views. Here's a screen shot of how the snapshot feature looks:

As you can see, it places photos from each blog post into a Polaroid-type frame. I think it's a pretty cool way to see the individual posts, and an easier way to scroll through the posts. It's also a good tool for searching blogs, especially for we visual people.

Flipcard is even cooler: It shows more images per screen, and when you pass your mouse over each, they flip to show the title of the blog post and the number of comments. A click takes you to the full version of the post.

I love how Artventuring looks in these views! If you have a blog on Blogger.com, or follow blogs there, go check out these new features, and read about all of them here!

Thanks to Jessica Jones of How About Orange for the tip! Check out her blog to view her textile designs.

I wonder how this post will look in flipshare and mosaic? I'm off to go see.

Enjoy.

The Zen of carving

2011-06-01T11:57:00.000-04:00

My original hand carved stamps, old and new,
along with my trusty blade

Needing a way to segue back into my own work, I remembered what I call the Zen of carving my own rubber stamps. So, I pulled out a large block, and with just a germ of an idea in my head, started to draw. I was inspired by the stamp I'd carved for my kimono jacket. What resulted was the stamp at left under the bird I carved last year. For me, there is a meditative quality to carving stamps; the world melts away, I'm totally focused, and even the banging which accompanied the workers replacing our roof (tornado damage repair has finally begun) didn't disturb me. There is something about the careful way the blade must be held, the way the design emerges from the flat surface, and the monotony of the motions which calms and settles me.

How will I use the new stamps? Here's a 6"x6" wood panel clock, using one of my newest stamps.

What do you think?

Alyson Stanfield Book Party

2011-05-23T15:38:00.000-04:00

Alyson Stanfield and I are posing in front of
fiber work by Gabrielle Duggan at VAE

Last weekend, I finally got to meet Alyson Stanfield, the Art Biz coach, author and all-around inspiring woman. The occasion was the Carolina Mixed Media Guild's (CMMAG) book party to celebrate the release of the newly updated version of her book, "I'd Rather Be in the Studio, The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion".

If you're an Artventuring reader from way back, you know that I led an Art Marketing Salon group in 2007, based upon Alyson's model. It was a transformative experience; it was the reason I began blogging, gained the confidence to apply to juried shows, and developed better, more effective promotional materials. Since then, I've subscribed to Alyson's newsletter, was a guest blogger on her Artbiz blog, and had my "Land and Sea" wall hanging featured on the blog last year.

CMMAG President
Penny Arrowood with Alyson

When I learned Alyson would be coming to Durham to do her "Shameless Self-Promotion" art marketing workshop, I contacted her to ask if she'd also come to Raleigh. Her visit coincided with the release of the newly updated edition of her book, so we decided a book party would be a fun event. Our CMMAG members agreed. As a member of the Visual Art Exchange (VAE), I was able to rent the gallery, which provided a lovely backdrop for us to meet Alyson, hear her speak, ask questions, and mingle with fellow artists. Alyson was ending her 9-day swing through North and South Carolina, and though she'd been alternately speaking and driving for all that time, she was gracious, knowledgeable and extremely generous with her time. I think everyone enjoyed the event, and came away with new ideas about promoting their work. Thanks so much, Alyson--we all really enjoyed meeting and spending time with you!

Updates

2011-05-16T15:28:00.000-04:00

The time since my last post has been filled with tornado damage related things, as well as family celebrations and teaching my kids art classes. Notice what's missing? My own work. It's been so long since I've done a project of my own, I almost don't rmember what it feels like! I'll have to get back to it soon, since my first show of the season is Festival for the Eno on July 4th weekend, which is a mere 7 weeks away!

The jacket in progress, with two stamped patterns showing

The Art of the Auction Preview Party at the North Carolina Museum of Art was a lovely evening. As I wrote here, I was thrilled to learn that one of my shadow boxes was selected from over 400 entries for inclusion in the auction. So of course, I had to have something simply fabulous to wear for the event to celebrate the artists! My friend Debbie who is an expert seamstress collaborated with me on a handpainted kimono-style jacket. It was a fun process, and I learned about working with Shiva Paintstiks on fabric. After a bit of trial and error, I decided to cut a large rubber stamp, then rub the oil paint sticks across the surface of the fabric with the stamp underneath. What resulted was a panel of color and pattern which looked like it had been printed.

We chose one fabric and used both sides of it, along with a second fabric with a contrasting color and texture for the trim. The jacket turned out beautifully, and I received many compliments on it. (Thanks, Debbie!)

Here I am, standing under my shadow box, and with Stan at the Preview Party. It was a great time, and I hope Busara, Ancestress of Wisdom will bring in a good deal of money for the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation.

The auction will be held at the Museum on Saturday, May 21. Tickets are on sale here. If that's not in your budget, you can see all of the items for both the live and silent auctions which are on display now in the Museum's East building.

Enjoy!

Life goes on

2011-04-24T18:08:00.000-04:00

We live in the bright pink area of the map = direct hit

Lots going on, not the least of which was a tornado 8 days ago here in Raleigh, or should I say, a reported 25 tornadoes which touched down in our area. Fortunately for us, we were out of town, visiting UPenn. Unfortunately for our house, it couldn't go with us. Our neighborhood was among the most damaged; power was out for hours due to huge power towers going down with electrical wires strewn across the access road, and many homes sustained major damage. Almost everyone's home has aluminum siding missing and broken windows. We were luckier than some, including our next door neighbors who can't live in their home (60% of their roof was destroyed).

An event like this makes you thankful, and appreciative of the important things in life--especially the health and safety of your family (pets included--our cat, Sienna, weathered the storm like a trooper, all by herself. When my sister found her the day after the storm, she was in a small area under the basement stairs, with no windows--just like she'd heard the weather reporters telling her where to go!)

We're all okay, my studio was untouched, and life goes on.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

2011-03-30T15:24:00.000-04:00

Between my classes for Raleigh Parks & Recreation and Abrakadoodle, I've been pretty busy. But earlier this month, I did take the time to enter one of my Ancestress Series shadow boxes for consideration by the jury of the North Carolina Museum of Art's "Art of the Auction" event.

As I would have blogged about it then (but had no time to!), I was hesitant at first to enter any of my work, thinking they'd be looking more for so-called fine art, especially works on canvas. But, when I reread the call to artists to donate work, it was clear they were open to more, including mixed media (yay!), jewelry and pottery. Next, I had to decide among the Ancestresses. We artists are usually our own worst critics, and this time was no exception for me. I found something to reject in each shadow box I considered, trying to second-guess the jury. Of course, I know this is a futile task, but I did it anyway. After about a week, I settled upon Busara. My reason was that people have described her face as solemn, haunting, and like a death mask (though that was not my intention in creating her), which meant that it affected people--a good thing for a jury to consider, I thought. Stan took a great photo of her, I spruced up my Artist Statement and Biography (thank you, Alyson Stanfield, and "I'd Rather be in the Studio!"), and with a deep breath full of hope, I pressed 'send'. Then, Iwaited. Luckily, the wait wasn't too long.

Logo for North Carolina
Museum of Art benefit
'Art of the Auction'

Last night, I received a congratulatory email, saying the jury had selected Busara for inclusion in the auction. Yes! Yes! Yes! I'm so excited.
I will deliver her to the Museum this weekend. So what's the lesson here? To quote the NY State Lotto slogan: 'Hey, you never know.'
If I'd listened to my doubts and criticisms, I wouldn't have even entered. Because I pushed through those and put myself and my work 'out there,' this very cool opportunity to see my work on a Museum wall has happened.

The Auction Preview is scheduled for Friday, May 6th, kicking off a two-week celebration of the Auction artists and art. With all proceeds going to support Museum education and exhibition programming, Art of the Auction, a Benefit for the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation will be on Saturday, May 21.
I can't wait!

New Creative Adventures

2011-03-21T17:35:00.000-04:00

A Work in Search of a Title

Tech Shop, a membership-based Raleigh workshop full of machines (many of which I had never seen or imagined), ideas and very creative people, hosted a 'Play Day' for the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild yesterday. We got a tour of the buildings, including the aforementioned machines, participated in a group activity, and got to play with some of the materials they had on hand.

Here's a sculpture I made, from cast off wood pieces from various member projects. Suprisingly, since I've never done something like this before, I really enjoyed making this from things other people had discarded.

It has a whimsical, and sort of tribal feel to it, I think. I had been planning to add color or pattern to it with either markers or paint, but the more I see it, the more I think I should leave it alone. What do you think?

And, it's a piece in search of a title. Any suggestions?

One of our guides, Mark Plaga, who works in a variety of media, took a photo of me with my piece, and you can see it here. Go check out his work on his Flickr pages (there is a lot to see!).

Thanks to Guild member, Ilona, who suggested this Play Day. It was a fun time, which opened up a whole new avenue of creative endeavor for me...hmmm, 'wonder where this adventure will lead?

When Was the Last Time....

2011-03-15T15:05:00.000-04:00

You played with Play-Doh?
Or colored with crayons, just because you wanted to?
Or cut shapes out of construction paper, just to see what you could make?
Or made a duck out of a paper plate?

Luckily, for me, the answers to those questions are all 'just the other day,' since I've been teaching art to toddlers and pre-school kids at Sertoma Art Center. Because I'm free to develop the activities for both age groups (18 months to 30 months) and (ages 3 and 4), I've had a great time doing all of the above. And, because I think it's really important to instill a love of reading at every age, I pair my art activities with storybooks appropriate for the age level. It's a fun way of leading in to what we'll create, and we even get to do some animal noises and rhymes.

I love teaching and seeing creativity blossom, even in the youngest students. I learn something in every class, and I try to see the materials, the process and even the finished product through the eyes of the children. I'm learning about what they like (getting messy with paint is big fun when you're 3 or 4, but not so much when you're only 18 months old); and what they don't like (getting frustrated because you can't figure something out isn't fun at any age--ain't that the truth?!), and the joy on their faces (and on the faces of the moms and grandpas) when they've made something themselves is wonderful to see.

Here are examples of the kinds of projects we've done...the kids take theirs home to hang on refrigerators, bedroom walls, or on daddy's office walls, so these are my samples.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, my dental issues have subsided, though I think I'll have a sensitivity to cold for awhile yet. Thankfully, it didn't take the predicted three weeks to heal; just two. Way too long, in my opinion, but I'm just glad I'm not in constant pain any longer.

Do something just for creative fun today...you'll be glad you did!

A Challenge of Another Kind

2011-03-04T13:46:00.000-05:00

My last post about challenges concerned our latest Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild project, which was coming along nicely, albeit with some bumps in the road. This post, a week later, is about why I haven't touched my challenge piece since then.

Among the things people who know me may not know is that I've never had a cavity. I considered this a badge of honor, since I've had a number of other health issues in my life: curvature of the spine, causing me to have to wear a back brace at age 13 (which did a number on my social life!); spinal fusion surgery at age 14, which meant I was flat on my back, in a full body cast for 9 months ("attended" school through an intercom system, and had to learn to walk all over again, after 5-minute per month intervals of being vertical); a tonsillectomy at age 16 (quite late, I know) and a 19-hour labor which ended in a C-section to deliver Jordan. Through it all, I've always had a pretty high tolerance for pain.

This tolerance is being tested now, since a week ago, I had all four wisdom teeth extracted. I should say here that this was not my choice; if left up to me, I'd have kept them until they bothered me, which is what I'd done for the 35 or so years I've had them. But, according to my dentist, they would cause problems down the road, and it didn't make sense to wait until those problems occured. Okay, I thought, as long as I could be sedated (that high a pain tolerance I do not have!).

This little pup looks happier
than I feel!

The actual extractions went fine, though I did not enjoy hearing the sounds associated with them, nor did I anticipate the amount of blood I'd have to deal with afterward (no descriptions here, I'll let you imagine, or not, as you will). Or. The. Pain. Yes, I have painkillers with codeine. Yes, I've been taking them. Have they worked consistently? No. Do I still have pain, 8 days later? Yes, in just one of the 4 sites. Have I been able to work, or feel like being creative all week? No. Is this normal, 8 days post-op? I'd say no, but apparently, the answer is yes.

I've been back to the dentist twice, once for treatment of 'dry socket,' which it wasn't, and once to be told, finally, that the pain is probably due to the fact that this tooth required more effort to remove (again, no description here. Suffice it to say they had to inflict more trauma to this area than the others). Prognosis? It could take up to 3 weeks for it to stop being painful as it heals completely. Treatment? None. Message? Suck it up (though not with a straw, that's bad for it), and go about your normal routine, even though your mouth is screaming with pain.

So, I'm figuring out how to live with this, and hope to be able to get back to some level of normalcy soon.

My challenge piece will have to wait a bit longer, while I deal with this new challenge of another kind.