Artventuring

When we last left our story....

2013-04-18T13:26:00.000-04:00

I was working on experiments with mudcloth. There were some notable successes, a few epic fails (as my son would say), and through it all, I've arrived at a way to adapt what I've learned into my work. Here is a shot of five new pieces in my Talisman Series. The center one measures 5"w x 38" l, and the others are all 5"w x 24" l. Each combines acrylic paint and polymer, with some of my original stamp designs, polymer beads inspired by Venetian glass trade beads, and metallic inks. They've been a challenge; one of the many I set myself to develop new imagery and products for my upcoming show season. There'll be more to come, so stay tuned....

2013 Wall of Talismans

Recent Creative Pursuits: Mud cloth experiment

2013-02-18T12:17:00.001-05:00

Malian woman drawing pattern on bogolanfini

When people ask me how I create my work, I often say I follow what inspires me, to see where it leads. Every year, I'm committed to showing and selling something just a bit different. I say it's because I'm easily bored (!), but the real reason is twofold: I'm inspired by many things, and I'm always looking for ways to express them in my work, and I never want to be one of those artists who does the same thing year after year. In my experience of doing juried art shows, I've seen artists who do this; who display almost exactly the same pieces at show after show after show. Yes, there's something to be said for having your own, unique style and sticking with it, but if you're boring your customers (how many of almost exactly the same thing does a person need?!), and turning off potential collectors, I'd say it's time to shake things up.

What's been inspiring me lately is mud cloth. Created by the Bambaran people of the Republic of Mali, west Africa, it is known as bogolanfini (bogo=mud, lan=with, fini=cloth). Mud cloth is culturally significant, traditionally created by women, and used in ceremonies as well as for modern day clothing and home accessories.

My first attempt at mud cloth

The colors, patterns and symbols of mud cloth resonate with me, and though I don't often work with cloth, I experiemented with canvas, resist, inks and acrylic paint. I should say at this point that one of my major impetuses to try this was my friend, and phenomenal artist Sharon DiGuilio. We had a play date in her studio a couple of weeks ago, exploring all kinds of ways to print and use resists with fabric. At right, you'll see my first attempt. I'm not certain at this point how I'll use the fabric, or if I'll incorporate it into my wall hangings, but it sure was fun to play! So much so, that Sharon and I have scheduled another play date this Friday, so stay tuned for more....

Slowly, but surely

2013-01-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

As the title suggests, I'm slowly but surely getting back into the creative swing of things. I have a full schedule of shows to which I'm applying, and while last year's slow sales mean I have inventory, I still need to create new work.

Last weekend's time in the studio produced two Talismans, one of which has yet to be titled. They both feature one of my favorite polymer techniques: faux raku. My work in this style confuses many viewers who think the polymer elements are raku fired. I enjoy the process which involves using iron oxide, iridescent powders, acrylic paints, pastels, and patience to get each piece just the way I want it. You can see some of my 'tools of the trade' above, as I work on the largest element of the finished Talisman at left.

The one at right is done with the same technique, and combines polymer beads made by Jeanne Rhea with glass beads and a feather. This one is called "Urafiki, Talisman of Friendship," in honor of Jeanne, who is a fantastic artist, creative inspiration, and dear friend.

Whose work inspires you? Is it a 'famous' artist? A friend?

Have a wildly creative Wednesday.

No Excuses, and a Look Back, part 2

2013-01-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing my 'No Excuses' update, here's what else kept me creatively occupied since August.

Artist Residency

Because of the summer project I'd done with Camp Friendly, which resulted in kids' work being included in the "Celebrating Abilities" show at Marbles Kids Museum, I was selected to become the first Resident Artist at Raleigh's Wake Enterprises (WE), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to assist people with disabilities to achieve their maximum level of independence. The Residency was a pilot program, and I'm grateful to Betsy Ludwig, of Arts Access, for making it possible.

During October and November, in one-hour sessions twice a week, I worked with adults with disabilities to create a variety of art projects. There were nine participants and four caregivers in each session. Prior to the classes, I was not aware of the types of disablilities of the participants--this was purposeful on my part: I wanted to meet each person, and assess for myself his or her level of ability for the projects I'd planned. The only thing I knew was this group was chosen because they were people who usually didn't get to do anything other than their daily work assignments.

Meeting each participant "cold" turned out to be the correct approach for me, and I learned, right along with everyone else, what they could handle. The WE staff was excellent; helping me and the artists (which is what they became over that short six week period) to create work they're proud of.

At the end of the Residency, we mounted an art show, which was a huge success. The excitement and proud smiles on the faces of artists and audience alike were fantastic to see. It was a rewarding, eye-opening, challenging, way-out-of-my-comfort-zone experience, and as it ended, I realized I had learned more than I taught. One of the unexpected, yet wonderful results of the Residency was the experience of the caregivers who also enjoyed the art projects. They valued the ability to see their clients in ways they'd never observed them before, be creative themselves, and have fun. 'Can't ask for much more than that!

Below are some images of the work the WE artists produced. Enjoy.

"Kandinsky Trees" and Chihuly-inspired Flowers and Vases

More "Kandinsky Trees"

Painted Paper Collage

No Excuses, and a Look Back, part 1

2013-01-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

As the title suggests, I'm not going to make excuses for not having posted since the end of August. In the next few posts, I will take a look back at the time between then and now, to give you a sense of what kept me creatively occupied.

Exhibiting and Selling My Work

Customers admiring work at the 2012 African American
Cultural Festival, in Raleigh

In early September, I participated in Raleigh's African American Cultural Festival; a 2-day, outdoor show I had done last year for the first time. It was a good, not a great show, and as usual, weather had a role in the results. I exhibited my 'Naima-biles' for the first time, and though they looked great hanging from the tent supports above our heads (see photo), they didn't generate sales. Disappointing, yes, but since I love them, I've given some as gifts, and have five of them hanging in my studio.

Fumu, Man of Majesty

Najah, Ancestress of Success

Later in the Fall, I made some direct sales to a couple who've since become friends. It's wonderful when someone "gets" my work. Then, no overt selling needs to take place; I can just share my experience of creating the pieces, and answer questions without having to worry that I'm being pushy, or giving more information than the potential collector wants. Two of my Ancestress Series shadow box masks now have a new home. In the interest of full disclosure, "Fumu" is a male mask (I've made only two males in the series), but I'd always envisioned this male and female existing together in the same space, and now they do. These collectors have also acquired one of my Talisman series pieces, and they look great in their home (if I say so myself!).

I don't usually do shows in the fall, and last year was no exception. But, I was still creatively busy. In my next post, I'll tell you how.

Are you planning a busily creative 2013? Tell me how!

Recent Creative Pursuits: Naima-biles

2012-08-23T17:30:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to update you on my month of August, which is unbelievably, almost over. I've continued teaching, worked on a CMMAG project, and got word last week that I was to be included among the artists in the third annual African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County (wow, that's a mouthful, isn't it?!). I'd been on the waiting list for over a month, so I'm glad to know I'm finally in.

Our CMMAG project: "Winds of Change," debuts next month, and will continue through October, Breast Cancer Awareness month. Participating members are creating wind chimes or mobiles which will be auctioned off in early October, at the Carolina Artists Colony in Sanford, NC. It's a great cause, and a lovely idea, but when it was announced, my first thought was: Here's another one of those "out of my comfort zone" projects, since I don't work with anything which makes a good wind chime sounds! Polymer clay is clunky, and beads don't really make sounds, so I was at a loss.

My second thought was: I'll make a mobile. Yay. But wait, I don't know how to build a mobile...uh oh...I need help. After a bit of moaning and complaining, my son the architecture student came to my rescue, and sketched out a design. We figured I could use paper, fishing line, and lightweight wire, but needed a way to hold the wire at the top. So, I made a small cylinder of polymer, cut the wire, and pushed it through. Once baked, the wire stayed inside, and we were in business. My paper shapes are cut, painted and stamped with my original designs, and I love the result! So much so, that after submitting the first one for the Winds of Change event, I've made four more to sell at the African American Cultural Festival. I'm calling them "Naima-biles." Naima is the Arabic word for joy, and these mobiles bring a smile to my face whenever I see them. I hope they will do that for others, too.

Isn't it funny how when you're nudged (or shoved) outside your comfort zone, wonderful things happen that you'd never imagined?

We're still working out how to best photograph them, but here's a first effort. What do you think?

Naima-bile II
©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz

Celebrating Abilities

2012-08-07T18:25:00.001-04:00

In late February while I was the Marbles Kids Museum 'Playdate Artist', I attended a workshop on teaching art to children with developmental and physical disabilities, presented by Betsy Ludwig, the Program Director of Arts Access, Inc. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1982, is based in Raleigh, NC. Its mission is to ensure that the arts are enjoyed by everyone.

Last month, Betsy asked me to assist with a kids' art project which involved developing an exhibit idea and guiding the kids and counselors through it at Raleigh's Camp Friendly. The goal was to have the project displayed at the "Celebrating Abilities" art show, at Marbles Kids Museum. I was honored to have been asked, and jumped in with both feet.

Upper right: a bugs in the grass scene, using the melted
crayon technique. I love the wiggly worms!

My idea for the exhibit was an undersea theme, which was perfect; the campers were learning about ocean life during the weeks I was there (synchronicity!). The campers painted three large boards which would become the water, along with papers which would be used for the ocean floor, seaweed, and fish. Once all the painting was done, I cut a variety of fish shapes from the painted papers, and the kids had a great time decorating them! Next,it was time let the fish swim in the ocean where I had glued strips of the sand-colored paper on the bottom, and cut some "seaweed" for them to swim around. After the kids placed the fish, I added some real shells and sand dollars.

This is the first time I've taught children with disabilities, and while at first I was a bit dismayed that I didn't know anything about the campers or their abilities, I found that it was better for me to approach them as I would any other child. Presenting the colorful fun and messiness of painting, and seeing what the kids did worked out just fine. Some vignettes:

A child entered the room and lay on the floor, seeming to want to block out what we were doing. When his counselor encouraged him and held his hand, he painted the seaweed green papers intently. Each time he completed one, he proudly presented it to me. After he was done, he went back to laying on the floor.

Other campers didn't speak, but were able to paint and decorate multiple fish, and smiled while doing it.

A girl shyly touched my hand and said hello when she remembered I'd been there the week before. Her fish is decorated with many pom poms.

I love the fish with feathers, and the orange one
about to take a bite out of the sand at the bottom.

I observed, guided, and stepped back to let them create, and here's a closeup of one of the finished pieces. The "Celebrating Abilities" exhibit will be up until September 30, and I hope the kids will be able to go see their work on the walls of the museum...it's a thrill for any artist, isn't it?!

I'm so glad I got to be a part of it.

Fun with Workshops and Classes

2012-08-03T16:19:00.001-04:00

This week has been fun. I've been involved in a variety of creative events, and it's not over yet.

My Painted Paper Collage workshop at Jerry's Artarama was a blast. We laughed a lot, learned a lot, and made some beautiful papers for fantastic collages. Thanks to Maria and Janice, who had fun using the Gelli Arts Printing Plate for the first time (funny how when you bring out the Gelli Plate, no one wants to even hear about other techniques!). Below are just some of the papers they created.

Gelli Arts mono prints

The next day, I had a painting class with my 3-to 5-year old "Petite Picassos". Eight little girls listened to the story of "Hungry Monsters ABC," then eagerly put smocks on over their cute little dresses, (including one purple and teal tutu skirt!) to get ready to paint at the easels. See some of the "Friendly Monster" paintings below. This is just the first part of the project; next week, we'll add some 'monster-y' details like eyes, claws, horns and legs...photos to come once they're done.

Petite Picassos hard at work

And tonight, I'll attend the opening of an art show at Marbles Kids Museum. No, it's not my own art, nor from my Playdate Artist workshop I did back in March. This is a very special show, and I was honored to have been asked to play a role in the creation of some of the work which will be exhibited. Details to come in my next post.

Stay tuned....

Upcoming Workshop: Painted Paper Collage

2012-07-25T17:19:00.000-04:00

It's time once again for my "Painted Paper Collage for ATC and More" workshop at Jerry's Artarma in Raleigh. This is a fun, 2-hour session, where we'll jump right in and play with paint effects, do some monoprints, and create sumptuously painted papers appropriate for a variety of uses.

Here's the official description on the Jerry's Artarama website:

Rev up your color quotient, and jazz up your ATC and mixed media projects! In this workshop, we'll create colorful cut and torn paper collage compositions for mixed media projects, using hand painted papers. No painting experience is necessary; this is a fun, 'get your hands dirty' workshop, designed to get your creative juices flowing.

Details, and registration are here.

Workshop fee is $35, and all supplies are included, though if you have a favorite type of paper you like to use when you paint, feel free to bring it along. Also, if you're working on a journal, bring it; you may want to do some of the paint techniques I'll demo directly on your pages.

The last time I taught this workshop, we had a great time, and everyone came away with painted papers they really loved. Check out the happy faces, and the description from my March class.

See you next Wednesday, August 1.

From the Sublime to the....

2012-07-12T14:06:00.000-04:00

At least the booth looked great!

Ridiculous. That's the best word to describe our worst show ever: this year's Festival for the Eno. Coming off the best show we've ever had last month, in Columbia, MD, where I received both positive feedback and multiple sales of my newest work, I had hoped Eno would be a positive experience too. As Stan would say, it just shows how wrong a person can be. The less said about Eno the better, but in the interest of full disclosure, I will report that we sat in 99° to 105° heat for three days (Wednesday, July 4th; Saturday, July 7th and Sunday, July 8th), and collected $30. And, that total was collected on the first day--that's right: for two solid days, we sat in the sweltering heat and sold: Nothing. Oh, I heard the usual compliments: "I love your colors," "Oh, they're so beautiful," "Wow!," "I wish I had money to buy these," and my favorite (NOT): "Nice stuff". People just weren't buying; they were there to listen to the music, eat festival food, walk as little as possible in the heat, and go home.

Booth left side closeup

If this had been my first show, right now, I'd probably be ready to give up altogether. It was my 9th consecutive Eno, and I should have known better. The last time the festival was split this way (the organizers insist upon having it on July 4th, no matter when it falls on the calendar), in 2007, here's what I wrote: "Traffic was way down from previous years, and sales were abysmal. Repeat customers, usually a staple, were almost non-existent and we struggled to just make our booth fee. Most artists had the same result, which makes it a little easier to take. Note to selves: do not do Festival for the Eno in 2012--Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday=terrible sales!"
Obviously, we didn't listen to our own sage advice, but you can bet we will not make that mistake in 2017! There was almost no upside to this past weekend; it was a miserable, draining, almost physically painful experience.

Enough about that. Onward and upward, as my friend Penny says! Next up: on or before August 1, notification of acceptance to the 3rd annual African American Cultural Festival (AACF) here in Raleigh, on Labor Day weekend. Okay, so there was an upside to the lack of sales at Eno: I'm still well stocked for the AACF! Even so, I will still create some new wall hangings, and perhaps some new, small clocks.

Looking forward to a better show ahead.

Show Report: Columbia Festival of the Arts

2012-06-22T15:47:00.001-04:00

After receiving notification of my work being accepted to this Columbia, MD show, I was asked if one of my pieces could be used online and as part of the promotional ad for the show. I was pleased to accept. This was the first time I'd applied to ArtPark; part of a 2-week festival which includes dramatic, music, and dance performances. The show consisted of 43 artists, in the usual categories, and the overall quality of the work I saw during the show was high, with no buy/sell.

the view from the back of our booth

We made the 6-hour drive on Thursday, stayed overnight with a friend, and arrived early for our desginated Friday 11 am setup time. We were met by show management, and walked to our tent location. The setting is around a beautiful lake, with tents facing a row of restaurants with both indoor and outdoor seating shaded by large trees. Cars are not allowed onto the actual tent site, so management provided motorized vehicles and able-bodied volunteers to load and deliver everything there. Cool! We like to have a leisurely setup whenever possible, and this fit the bill; the weather was gorgeous (as it was all weekend), and arriving early meant we were set up well ahead of our neighbors.

Friday was slow, and although there were many after dinner strollers, there were virtually no buyers. People who'd done the show before (the few there were) said this was typical of Friday night.

On Saturday, there was a steady stream of people all day, though no huge crowds. In Baltimore, which is about a 30-minute drive away, there was a major event going on at the harbor, with tall ships and the Blue Angels, so this may have accounted for the smaller numbers. We had several sales during the late afternoon, including one of my Kindred Visage mask bowls, as well as the usual complement of "I'll be backs," and overall, we were positive about the show.

Sunday brought us some fantastic surprises: two of the "I'll be backs" actually did come back. One to purchase a companion piece to one she'd purchased on Saturday, and the other, to purchase three of my newest pieces, to adorn a law office wall. Adding these two sales made Sunday my highest grossing day ever, and I was beyond thrilled! The show ended with an efficient breakdown and load out, with the motorized carts, helpers, and advantageous parking space making it among the easiest we've ever had.

Would I do ArtPark again? Absolutely. In fact, I may be invited to do it next year. Apparently, the management extends invitations to previous exhibitors, which means they don't have to be juried for that year.

So, my show season has gotten off to a roaring start, and now it's back to the drawing board (literally!), to create more wall hangings to replace these, which now have new homes:

Nguvu

Kibali

Kituo

Asili

Milele

Recent Creative Pursuits: The Talisman Series

2012-06-20T18:06:00.000-04:00

In the hectic runup to the show we did last weekend, I neglected to post pictures of my newest work: the Talisman Series of wall hangings. There are three sizes, and each incorporates textured polymer elements with wire, mulberry or banana paper and beads. Some of the beads are imported and hand-delivered to me by my wonderful sister Melanie from her recent trip to South Africa. Others have my own, handcrafted beads and natural feathers. I loved using my "old" jewelry designing skills on this series; many of the talismans contain elements which could almost be worn as necklaces. Each Talisman has a Swahili word as its title, describing my vision of its meaning.

"Kituo, Talisman of Peace"
12"x30"
©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz

"Imani, Talisman of Faith"
19"x30"
©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz

"Nguvu, Talisman of Strength"
12"x30"
©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz

"Kibali, Talisman of Acceptance"
12"x30"
©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz

"Sanaa, Talisman of Creativity"
5"x24"
©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz

"Milele, Talisman of Eternity"
5"x24"
©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz

"Asili, Talisman of the Ancestors"
5"x24"
©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz

Inspirational Weekend: Silver Fox Gallery

2012-06-07T16:40:00.001-04:00

From Asheville, on our way home, we stopped in Hendersonville, NC. Longtime Artventuring readers may recall this was where my last (and worst) gallery experience occurred, but we're not going to dwell on that! If you care to, you can read the post about it here.

The reason we went to Hendersonville was to visit the Silver Fox Gallery again. On Main Street in the historic district, this fine craft gallery has been in business for over 8 years. It is a veritable treasure trove, with three floors of exquisite things everywhere you look. The gracious, friendly owner took the time to tell us about some of the work we admired, and as always, knowing the story "behind the scenes" of the work makes the experience all the richer. Here's just a glimpse of what we saw:

"Love," by Natalie Blake

I am a longtime fan of Natalie Blake's work. I love her use of sgraffito, the funky shapes of her vessel tops, and her color sense speaks to my own.

New to me was artist William Martin Jean, who works in painted paper. I was immediately drawn to two pieces in his Kimono series, recognizing a kindred spirit in his use of pre-painted papers to construct the finished composition. The image below is from his extensive website, and is similar to the ones I saw.

"Kimono VI," 2006
by William Martin Jean

"Quito," by Ron Artman

Ron Artman (great name for an artist, isn't it?!) works in clay, and his forms are simple, elegant and evocative. He also has an extensive website...a visit there is another visual treat.

Interlocking End Table
by Andrew Muggleton

Silver Fox Gallery has an extensive collection of lighting and artisan furniture, and we saw many, many things we liked. Andrew Muggleton's tables were fantastic; I could just see one of them in our entryway (just after the NC lottery win, that is!). When you visit his site, notice his extremely cool monogram...appeals to my font-loving nature! After viewing all of the delights to be had at Silver Fox, it was time for us to make our way back home from our inspiring, creative weekend. Now, back in the studio, I'm still feeling some of that creative energy, which is a good thing, since I'm working to finish pieces which will debut a week from tomorrow at our first show of the season, in Columbia, MD.

We'll be shooting photos of the new work this weekend, and I'll post some before we leave...I promise!

Inspirational Weekend: Asheville, NC

2012-06-05T16:04:00.000-04:00

After our tour of the Penland School of Crafts, we went to Asheville. This western NC city is known for its art galleries, art shows and thriving artist community. We'd last been there 7 years ago, and were eager to see some favorite sites again and to discover new ones. Here are some of the places and artists' work we saw:

"One With Nature,"
terra-cotta, 36" tall
by Ed Byers

"Golden Ovoid"
by Steven Forbes-deSoule

Ariel Craft Gallery: a cooperative gallery, owned and run by the artists who show work there. We were pleased to see the work of Ed Byers, with whom we did the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in 2008. New to me was the work of ceramicist Steven Forbes-deSoule. His sculptural raku pieces are exquisite; I love the surface textures and color palettes in his large vessels. The gallery's tagline is: 'for the well crafted life'...we agreed!

Charles Donaldson

Woolworth Walk: this gallery is housed in the former store, and showcases the work of local artists. We had visited 7 years ago, and looked forward to seeing it again. Some highlights:
Glass artist Charles Donaldson's bold colors and swooping curves and slashes,
Una Barrett's "relics of a new age" jewelry, and Cynthia Decker's digital art were standouts.

"Narcissism" by Cynthia Decker

Una Barrett

New Morning Gallery: this place has to be seen to be believed. There are two floors, with multiple nooks and crannies filled with the most beautiful things! It's a definite 'must see' when you're in Biltmore Village. The gallery bills itself as having home furnishings by American artisans, and it also carries jewelry and garden art.
I've long admired Myra Burg's "Quiet Oboes," from advertisements in art magazines, but I'd never seen one in person. New Morning Gallery had a collection of them. I was surprised to see the large sizes, and the color combinations are ones which speak to me.

Because it was Sunday, we didn't get to see Blue Spiral Gallery or Bellagio, but since we'd been to each before, we weren't too disappointed.

Our trip ended with a quick drive to Hendersonville, but that's yet another post....stay tuned!

Winter Colors Quiet Oboes by Myra Burg

Inspirational weekend: Penland School of Crafts

2012-06-04T13:25:00.000-04:00

I loved seeing the old type in the print and letterpress studio

For Christmas last year, we decided to give each other "experience gifts". Knowing how much I love crafts, and being a mixed media artist, my sister Melanie gave me a 'behind the scenes' tour of the Penland School of Crafts, in Penland, NC. Stan and I traveled to the western mountains of North Carolina on Saturday, and received that, and so much more. Our guide was Robin Dreyer, the Communications Director, who also photographs the school's facilities, staff and projects for their brochures, website and blog. We began our visit at the Penland Gallery, admiring the work of instructors past and present.

The wild and wondrous fence outside the ironworking workshop

During our tour of the beautiful, 420-acre campus (no, we didn't walk the whole thing, though my feet felt like it later that night), we saw the studio and workshop areas for wood, books and paper, ironwork, photography, textiles, clay, glass, printmaking and metals. And, because classes were going on, we were able to see and speak to the students and instructors in many of the areas. We watched students blowing glass and saw some pieces in progress (including orbs blown into old blue jeans!); teachers and students designing wooden lamps with rice paper and strips of LED lights; a workshop full of dried and drying plant material which will be used in handmade paper (you know I loved seeing this!); a student inking a gelatin plate she'd made earlier in the week (and you know I told her about the Gelli Arts Printing Plate!); students in the forging area using giant machines and tools making lots of noise; a wild and wondrous fence outside the iron workshop; a jewelry designer, a student in the metals studio working 'out of her comfort zone' in small-scale sculpture; the work of an instructor in digital photography, with multi-layered organic images; first-time weaving students who'd produced remarkably beautiful scarves; students in the textile studios creating overdyed fabrics; a collaborative mosaic wall done by two separate clay classes some years ago, and lovely student-created letterpress prints combined with their original poetry. Our tour lasted two and a half hours, and at the end of it, we felt inspired, invigorated, and fortunate to have been given such a wonderful look at this magically creative place. I was so entranced that I didn't stop to take very many pictures, and these two don't do it justice, but here they are.

For more information about the Penland School of Crafts, visit their website, or blog.

Our weekend continued, as we explored downtown Asheville and Biltmore Village, but that's the topic for my next post....stay tuned.

Workshop: Easy Paper Marbling

2012-06-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Marbled paper created in my February, 2012 workshop

Once again, I'll be offering my Easy Paper Marbling workshop at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh. The 2-hour workshop begins at 10:30, and all supplies are included in the $35 fee. For registration and other information, click here. This is a fun workshop where you'll come away with gorgeous marbled papers you created yourself, in one of two ways (you'll be surprised by one of the methods, which uses something you've probably never had in your studio, but might be in your medicine cabinet!). So, if you're free on Wednesday, June 14, come on over to Jerry's and play with us.

See you there!

And the winner is:

2012-05-31T12:35:00.000-04:00

The winner of my very first May Giveaway is: Robin Vaughan. Her entry comment was: "In the almost four decades that I've been an admirer of your work, regretfully I do not have a piece to call my own. It would be lovely to look at this creation daily, smile and say, 'yes, I know the artist personally'"

Robin and I were in the same Wellesley College graduating class...'not telling the year, but suffice it to say we have a reunion coming up in 2013....

Thanks to everyone who said such complimentary things about my work, and congratulations, Robin; "Jubilee" will be on its way to you very soon.

May Giveaway Drawing: Tomorrow!

2012-05-30T14:16:00.001-04:00

If you haven't entered yet, now's the time. My May Giveaway winner will be chosen at random tomorrow afternoon.

Just comment on this post, or on my Kindred Spirit Studios Facebook page (click on tab at right), and you're entered.

The lucky winner will be notified via email and/or Facebook message.

Good luck, and thank you for being a loyal reader of Artventuring.

New Work: The Talisman Series

2012-05-21T15:04:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post: I'm working steadily on my newest wall hangings, which I think I'm going to call the Talisman Series. Each will evoke my African and Native American ancestry, and combine many of my mixed media techniques, including jewelry design, original hand carved stamps, faux raku, and multi-textured backgrounds. I'm really excited about this new work, and I can tell I'm fully engaged in it: I'm designing in my mind as I drive, see something which triggers a color or compositional idea, or as I brush my teeth! Inspiration strikes when it wants to, doesn't it?

This is the first of six wall hangings which will debut next month at ArtPark, in Columbia, MD.

Talisman One ©2012 Michelle Davis Petelinz
acrylic paint, chalk ink, metallic watercolor, oil pastel
on mulberry paper and
medium density fiberboard

Talisman One, detail

It's a May Giveaway!

2012-05-07T10:30:00.000-04:00

To celebrate my newest work; my original, hand painted paper collages, I'm doing a May Giveaway of "Jubilee!".

"Jubilee!"

How to enter:
Just comment on this post, and you're entered. And, if you recommend Artventuring to a friend, who becomes a follower, you double your chances of winning! So, tell your friends (who must mention your name in their posted comment).

Another way to win:
If you're a Facebook friend of Michelle Davis Petelinz/Kindred Spirit Studios, (which I hope you are!) post a comment there about the giveaway, or anything else on your mind (it's as easy as saying: "Hey Michelle, I want to win!"), and voilà, you're entered.

Drawing:
The drawing will take place on Thursday, May 31st, and the winner will be notified by email and/or Facebook private message.

Good luck, and thanks so much for spreading the word about my work. I truly appreciate it!

Recent Creative Pursuits: Painted Paper Collage

2012-05-06T13:33:00.000-04:00

I've had a busy, creative month since my last post! I've been working on my latest project: framed painted paper collages. These were a natural result of my workshops at Jerry's Artarama on hand carved stamps and painted paper collage, as well as my work with the kids at Marbles...producing all of these cool papers which were ready for me to turn them into creative compositions! So, here's a 'sneak peek' at some of my favorites.

Enjoy, and stay tuned for an exciting giveaway, coming next week!

Recent Creative Pursuits: Monoprints

2012-04-06T18:24:00.000-04:00

I love turning my designs into stamps. I love the "Zen" of cutting into a new rubber carving block, and I'm also enamored with my new method of creating stamps with "fun" foam. This month, I'm teaching a stamp-making workshop: "Hand Carved Stamps with Polymer Clay," at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh. I'll share techniques for making stamps which can also be used with paper and fabric. Click here to register for the April 18th workshop.

Today, I've been working with my handcrafted stamps and my Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate (have I mentioned how much I enjoy working with this fantastic invention?! Okay, yes, I guess I have, just a couple of times!) to create the monoprints above. I'm loving the ones which look like African fabrics (they're all papers), and I have great plans; they'll be showing up in projects I'm working on for my upcoming shows this summer.

Back to work...photos to come!

"Art of the Auction" Preview Party

2012-04-01T18:03:00.000-04:00

Here I am, posing with "Radiant Spiral V," my donation to the North Carolina Museum of Art's "Art of the Auction," during the Preview Party last Friday evening. The program, and my name tag are at right. It was another gala NCMA affair, complete with jazz musicians, drinks, and delicious food.

Many of my fellow artists were there, and it was fun to see people posing with their pieces; the thrill of having our work seen in an art museum evident on our beaming faces. Although my piece wasn't hung on the wall, it was prominently placed at the entrance to Section 4. In fact, I was told that people commented favorably on it even before the area was open to the public! Museum Director Larry Wheeler also complimented me on it, saying he'd admired it earlier in the evening. There were several pieces I liked very much, including work by my friends Jillian Goldberg, Michael Pendergrass and Connie Pappalardo, as well as a fantastic ceramic bowl by Pat Scull. All in all, it was a very lovely evening, and I hope my piece will bring in a good amount for the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation. The work will be up until the Auction, on Saturday, April 14th.

Painted Paper Collage Workshop: "We're Having FUN!"

2012-03-14T17:23:00.000-04:00

My workshop at Jerry's Artarama was a blast. Here are my proud students showing off their collages, which were made from papers they created themselves.

I think one of the signs of a successful workshop is that no one wants to leave because it's so much fun...that was definitely the case today! Some people even asked if they could come back tomorrow...sorry to say, it was just a one-day class.

Everyone came away with a piece they liked, and the desire to do more on their own. Thanks to Alison, Elizabeth, Jeanne, Marcia, Marianne, Marie, Megan and Sarah for being great students. And, as always, thanks to Katie and Sharon at Jerry's for making the workshops such a joy to do.

Five of the workshop students are teachers of various academic subjects at a charter school of the arts. I was pleased to hear them say they gained knowledge of techniques and the confidence to use them, to take back to their classrooms to inspire young students' creativity.
As a teacher, I can't ask for more than that.

Playdate Report: All Over Except the Oohs and Aahs

2012-03-05T18:28:00.000-05:00

Saturday was my last "official" day at Marbles, but today, I was there to put the finishing touches on our second collaborative canvas project. Here are some images of girls painting on Friday evening (there were some very serious faces while they were working, and some big smiles when they were done).

I found this project to be a rewarding one for the children and for me. The children got to feel like they were "real artists" (an exact quote from one proud 7 year old), and everyone seemed excited by the idea they'd be able to see what they'd worked on hung up at the Museum. For me, it was fun to see how each child approached lines on a canvas which usually didn't look like very much, even after I explained the whole idea behind the collaboration. After they were completed, one of my favorite moments was finding one small, reddish six-legged octopus and two tiny fish added to the bottom right corner of the first canvas, swimming beside the large fish I'd drawn. I also love the beautiful, radiating colors of the sun. There are some surprising color similarities, and some areas where the colors don't seem to relate at all, but when you see the 25 canvases together, it works as a whole painting.

Though the official reveal isn't until tomorrow, here's a sneak peek at the first canvas, "Create!" which was hung just as I left this afternoon. The second one, "Play!" will go in the large, blank area to the right of my work. I wish I could be there to hear all the "oohs" and "aahs" tomorrow...I think I'll have to make a trip back later this week, just to see how the children and parents respond.

Enjoy!

This is how it looked when I left. "Play!" will go in the empty space at right