Artist Lecture at ECU UPDATE!

My Artist Lecture on Friday, February 26th at East Carolina University in the Jenkins Fine Arts Center's Auditorium (room 1220) now has a confirmed time of 5:30pm.  If you are in the area, I hope you will be able to join me.  

You can find a Campus Map Here.

Mentor Update!

Well I just found out that one of my mentors from LCAD FINALLY has a website.  You can see a previous post I did that included a mention of him here regarding Flesh Tones.

And enjoy looking through Stephen Douglas' website here! 

Enjoy!

Diane with Kitten

 

Diane with Kitten, oil on panel, 20" x 16"

I've had a few more brief sessions on the painting Diane with Kitten and I'm pleased that I have re-visited this painting.  In the previous post, I noted the size as 24" x 18", when in fact it is actually 20" x 16".  No big deal, except that the incorrect dimensions threw off how I sized the image for the web, and therefore her head felt stretched.  Why didn't I notice that before?  Beyond my apparent ineptitude at reading a ruler, I really am quite pleased with how I have pushed the color and softened the value shifts from light mass to shadow mass on the face.  I'm not sure how much of a difference you'll be able to see from the images here, but I'm happy none the less to call her done.

Also of note:  I have reciprocated the favor of modeling for Diane.  She has posted a (may I say, brilliant)  painted sketch that she's done of me on her blog which you can find here!

Notion Fine Art Grand Opening

Notion Fine Art is a brand new gallery opening in Laguna Beach, CA.  I am proud to be showing along with fellow Laguna College of Art & Design alumna Stefani Tewes for their Grand Opening Exhibition!  The Reception will be Thursday, March 4th to coincide with Laguna Beach's First Thursday Art Walk, and it will continue thru March 30, 2010.  I hope you will be able to make it out to support this new gallery.  Great things are sure to come!

Notion Fine Art
1590 South Coast Hwy. Suite #1
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
www.notionfineart.com

Artist Lecture at ECU

Kitchen Window, oil on panel, 48" x 36"

I am pleased to announce that following student critiques, I will be giving a lecture on my work, methods and art related ramblings on Friday, February 26th at East Carolina University in the Jenkins Fine Arts Center's Auditorium (room 1220).  The lecture will take place in the early evening around 5:30pm.  Stay tuned, as the time still has yet to be confirmed.  You can find out more about ECU's School of Art and Design Here.  Thank you to ECU's Painting Guild and especially Beth Blake for the honor and invitation!

I hope you will come and enjoy the evening with me!  

Click here for a Campus Map

Scattered

It has been a frustrating few weeks.  I've had a series of  distractions that has kept me out of the studio.  The least fun perhaps was the 'chance' to do our taxes.  This yearly endeavor causes nothing but grief and hair loss.  It is rather depressing to see how much money can be spent on the making of art.  In fact, I let it creep into that cyclical crevice in my brain that holds the nefarious creature I've spoken of before...  Yes, good ol' Self Doubt.  I quickly started to doubt the validity of being an artist at all.  What a selfish pursuit it is to be stuck in a room alone to make pretty pictures, when there are masses of people who are in need of real things like food and water and shelter.  How can I quantify the value or cost of my Art to my children?  I let these thoughts paralyze me.  I'm embarrassed to share that I could have given drawings to the Lodi Project's Artist's Unite For Haiti; I had intended too.  Yet, in my tail spin, I missed the drop off dates and lost an opportunity to feel like I affected some small change.  Did I intentionally sabotage myself so that I wouldn't feel a bit better?  And now even, is this post an attempt to appease the guilt felt for being a have instead of a have not?

At some point though, there is a need to breath again; to lift myself from the muddle of thoughts; to regain my determination to become a better artist (whatever that is to me, at that moment).  Once again, it was the by the grace of Mother Nature that yielded inner peace.  We were dealt our first snow storm of the season.  And it was wonderful to see the world anew.  A fresh white palette to observe the minutia in the scheme of the whole.  I wandered into my refuge, the woods, and once again found clarity.  I took these photos of nature undisturbed.  I am sure some of these images will pop up in paintings to come, as personal symbols of calm and clarity.

For the Love of Art

Visual Art Exchange is hosting it's 26th Annual Live & Silent Auction at the beautiful Raleigh Marriott tonight starting at 6pm. 

If you are one of the 400 or so lucky ticket holders, then I will look forward to seeing you there tonight.  I've spared my husband the hassle of accompanying me to this swanky evening.  He hates these kind of social events, especially if it means he has to dress up.  Instead I am joining the lovely and uber-talented Kiki Farish (who happens to have also won First Place for the juried aspect of this event).  You can see all the work that was donated (including my two figure drawings and Kiki's prize winning triptych) by viewing VAE's Flickr site here. 

Unlike my husband, I do like playing dress-up occasionally.  Unfortunately though, the dress in my closet that I had in mind that would be perfect for this event is now way too big!  I guess that is a good thing, but at the same time, I wish I had thought to take it out and try it on sooner than yesterday.  Since my sewing skills are very sub-par these days, I am off to the mall on a rainy day, instead of drawing like I wanted to.  I knew I should have skipped more gym sessions...