A person could not ask for better weather on opening night and the town was out in throngs. The show looks fabulous and I'm very happy to be a part of this month's exhibits. Everything remains up for the month of September and there's still the "Walk and Talk" on Sunday, September 10th at 2:00. Here are a few photographs of the show and my fellow exhibitor.
There are over 30 pieces hanging between us, so it's worth a gander if you're in town!
August began with an email from the McGuffey Art Center with a proposition, do a show, fill two of the main hallway walls with art. What do you say? And of course I said yes and here we are, the week before September and the week before a big show. I am paired with Michael Firkaly and the show is "Whimsy", which was all hung yesterday and today and indeed looks very whimsical.
To build and paint 15 new pieces would be impossible in 3 weeks, so I did my best and managed to complete 6 new and rework others. Time in my studio has been diligent and lengthily, but what came out of that are some really fun, brave and new works. The reception is this Friday, September 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 and the show hangs for the entire month. There is also an Artist's Walk and Talk, Sunday, September 10th, 2:00 - when I will detail some of the whys and ways the building process came along.
First Fridays in Charlottsville are epic and I'm excited to be such an integral part of the action. Lots more photographs of this event will be posted as well as a few before and after. There are 4 shows occupying the McGuffey building for September and they are all spectacular! Not to ignore the concerts, restaurants, and fun shops.
A recent call to jury into another art gallery was well received and I'm happy to say that I have become a member of the C'Ville Arts Co-op, located on the downtown walking mall of Charlottsville. Across from the Paramount Theater, where I first heard Doug Tallamy and Michael Dirr lecture on the same day, one of my fondest memories and a first visit to Charlottsville.
Now that I'm in 2 galleries, there's lots to do and I have just finished these 2 pieces. Still on my shoe kick, the first was created with a pair of "Nine West" shoes so I named her "She Ruled the Land of Nine, East and West". The colors were inspired by beets, specifically the juice of beet root, which is a beautiful purple.
Small hands point to East and West on the bottom.
This next piece began with a rabbit, a lovely running rabbit that needed a nice space to run. Titled "Through the Meadow", it actually has a hidden compartment behind the rabbit, the front piece held in place by strong magnets.
A few other nifty things are coming together, and I'm super happy to be in 2 of the greatest galleries in Charlottsville. If you come this way, please stop by.
Just finished and delivered my pieces for a show titled "Travel". Without hesitation (once the show title was announced), I knew that I wanted to make shoe art. A total of 3 are complete, and each has its own unique twist on travel.
As I was building or placing items, the lion head (formerly a door knocker) was a questionable choice, only in that I wasn't certain what I would name it. Letting it sit for a few days, I was certain that it was a good choice, the placement seemed too ideal, the overall shape was well balanced. Once it was finished, the perfect name came to me "Top of the Food Chain", a title that I loved since it was a human's shoe and a lions head.
Next came the Lady of Grace or the Virgin Mary, she stands inside of a shoe that was very unique but ultimately a real challenge to paint. An artist often works their way into a corner, so to speak, and this one proved challenging in many ways. In the end it was my favorite, mostly because I feel that I conquered it.
The largest one is probably at least a size 10 man's shoe, so there was a lot of room to work with. I had recently taken an online class with Michael deMeng and he used this fantastic map idea, so of course that works perfectly with my traveling shoe. The title is "The Rambling Sole".
All are available at the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottsville, VA where they will be on display for the month of June. The first Friday reception is June the second and I will most definitely be there to see the other travel art.
Some deadlines have arrived for new art. These recently finished pieces are part of these 2 shows, all at the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottsville, VA. They will hang for the month of April and I can't wait to see everyone's art hanging together. I found the Rhymes theme a bit challenging, but decided to go for it and was happy I did. Once again I was challenged to go outside of my comfort zone. With each one I have included the rhyme or collage direction.
This first piece is basically cardboard and paper mache. I loved the poem/rhyme and spent a lot of time on the build.
"The Little Elf"
I met a little Elf-man, once,
Down where the lilies blow.
I asked him why he was so small,
And why he didn’t grow.
He slightly frowned, and with his eye
He looked me through and through.
I’m just as big for me, “said he,
As you are big for you”.
The lilies or lilium come from Lilium tigrinum or tiger lilies (also known as Lilium lancifolium), which have spots on the inside of the petals. The lily parts; pistil and anthers are blowing sideways, as are the leaves he is sitting on. The idea was to infer movement.
The collage pieces were fun, especially as components were combined, text in the background, elements in the foreground. This one was designed around the small pin at the top which is a Western Safety Award pin. The man with the double stacked eyepieces became a senior safety inspector and the title is "The Senior Safety Inspector Had Seen it All". The propeller spins, loose wires are twisted on the sides, and the text in the background is about how to help someone who is bleeding. I was looking for an industrial feel with the paint, and left parts of the propeller looking very worn. When it's spun the lines become a circle.
In the pre-build on this piece, she was completely different, there were many, many changes. In the end her title became "Her Dark Cloud Hat matched her Raindrop Brooch". The cloud is embossed metal on a piece of wood cut like a cloud (from my scroll saw), the side pieces are from an antique clock and looked like rain channels, her brooch was a last-minute decision and there was a lot of drilling and sanding to get it in.
Each month has a theme, some on the complex side, at least for this artist that builds 3D pieces from available materials. I've also found myself in a blue period, so there will be an effort to do something not blue. We shall see how that goes.
On the eve of Fat Tuesday, I share the last days of my trip to New Orleans. Our arrival is several weeks before Fat Tuesday, but does mark the Mardi Gras season and parades. In past years the Krewe du Vieux was always the first parade, but that's not the case now and there were several during our week in New Orleans. Regardless, once the first parade occurs, the word on the street is "Happy Mardi Gras".
The French Quarter is the center of most events, Bourbon Street, the most famous of New Orleans streets, runs through the center. Parades have a tendency to avoid the congestion and insanity of Bourbon and travel through on neighboring streets. We (the workshop attendees) have learned that the more you are dressed up, the more likely you are to come home with parade trinkets that are thrown your way. Given the times and Covid concerns I only attended one parade, The Krewe du Vieux, which was smaller than usual, and only slightly less congested. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun.
I have photographed this individual 3 times over the years and was actually looking for him. Always on a bike with a great big smile. The following are years 2019 and 2020.
The weather was fantastic and many of the decorated businesses and homes still had hanging baskets out as well as lots of decorations:
For a second time we went to the Broad Theater to catch our own movie with dinner and drinks in the lobby. The movie was "Extra Ordinary" and Rotten Tomatoes had this to say about it: "Extra Ordinary" is an extraordinarily funny tale about ghostbusting, lonely hearts and moving on. It'll possess you. And I couldn't agree more, it was a blast!
The class began on a Sunday and wrapped up on the following Saturday. Our goal was to create a journal style piece of art with the theme of "Dante's Infernal Journal". And I will add that this was one of the harder themes, at least for me. Before the real journal work began, we had a class with Andrea Matus deMeng, Michaels wife. Lighthearted and really fun, we altered cabinet cards by changing the faces to pets.
In working on the real theme and doing some homework, it boils down to 9 layers to hell, each layer is named, examples include treachery, gluttony, lust, greed, etc... The devil himself lies in the River Styx, where the dammed souls are swept away on their way to the lower level of hell. There were many remarkable pieces of art that came from this study of Dante's Inferno and so many interpretations. Some managed to complete the project - I was not one of them. Here is a sampling from the group:
I have since finished what I was working on, here is Dante's Infernal Journal, complete with the devil in his hellish dormer:
the counter is for the souls as they pass through
the treatment for the inside cover is much like the plastered stickers that are everywhere in New Orleans
Our teacher held a critique on the final day, which is worth the price of admission. Dressed in his workshop finest, it used to be white.
Happy Mardi Gras!
This weekend I leave for New Orleans, the art workshop that has been cancelled for 3 years is finally going to happen again. There will be sweet reunions of fellow artists, flying in from all over the country and Canada, to spend a week creating a themed piece of art. Activities have been restricted to some degree as Covid is still alive and well. But there are still costumes to create, and a sense of the theatrical, something I hope to embrace.
My first garden has been created, already planted with snowdrops, winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), native azaleas, and Speirantha gardenii or false lily of the valley. The winter aconite was already flowering by January 15th, so I was able to move a few, in a last minute grab before my move. Seed was collected last spring, and they have been dispersed for flowers in 2 or 3 years. First flowers generally appear in February, so it was an exceptionally early bloom this year, and the same could be said for some snowdrops, which I also grabbed in big handfuls to transplant. The cold and rain make for a muddy mess, but we were able to get a tandem dump truck to bring us a gigantic load of compost, so creating beds will be much easier.
I have discovered Monty Don on my limited access to TV. I tried a few other garden programs, only to be hugely disappointed. Monty or Mr. Don is someone I could watch all day and night. He and his associates use the botanical name for each plant, dig in the dirt together, and truly have a broad knowledge of horticulture. The scope of gardens they cover, everything from estates that have been maintained for a hundred years or more, down to small backyard gardens, all speak to me. If there is anything to be said on the downside, this is a British show, you need a decoder ring to sort out the differences in climate and culture.
The art reception at the new gallery was very successful and lots of fun. Those that bought my work all took the time to introduce themselves, and I love meeting my buyers, which sadly doesn't happen that often. If I learned anything from seeing my pieces hung in such a grand place, it's to work bigger. In the new studio, it has taken time to find things, although I thought I organized it well. But once the easel gets its own place, I will begin the "big" process. In the meantime, I have been reworking older pieces and creating new ones that are not large, but still multidimensional. These are 2, the first is a reworked piece, the second is something that is not quite finished, but very close.
The second piece was prompted by the purchase of some perfect German, porcelain doll heads. These have the open mouth with the little row of white teeth behind and a cross between cherub and small child expressions. Other parts are antique finials, a drawer pull, the bottom of an eyeglass holder (the bottom part of her body), and some old thermometer/barometer parts. The painting is done, the finished piece will have fabric bits, which have taken a few days to resolve what and where, plus I still have to come up with a name - some come fast and easy, others not.
Lastly I will add a few photographs from the big reception. Dancers would enter the building at timed intervals to dance alongside the art. There was no choreography, just spontaneous and fun.
This was just one wall, I had another space and a piece on the upper level. My plans are to share a show with some of the other artists, whose work is amazing. If you come to Charlottsville, you must stop in at the McGuffey Art Center.
Stay awhile, go to the downtown mall, drink some wine, call me.
The show of new artists at the McGuffy Center was hung today and will be on display until January 29th. Friday evening (the 6th of January) is the reception for the six that made the cut, but there will be so much more. Dancers, open studios, and music will happen from 5:30 to 7:30.
Here is a link to the class of 2021 and 2022 as well as links to Instagram and websites. The center was originally an elementary school but has been operating as an art center since 1975. Typical of big brick buildings, built in 1915, the hallways are very large which gives a grandiose air to the art that hangs on the walls. In my many years of operating in various art galleries, I have never been so enamored with how my art looks in this space.
Two floors will hold the new members art work, so if you come to the center, be sure to check upstairs too. I did finish one smaller piece for this show, which is titled "A.I. Portal", which is one of eight total on display.
What few people know when it came to moving and finding a new place to live, this art center was my first visit to Charlottsville and a big part of the reason we picked this location to settle down. Next to the open mall, with lots of quaint shops, it's a great place to visit. I live 20 minutes from the center, in what can only be described as the boonies, where rush hour is laughable.
I'll post an update after the show with more photographs, so stay tuned.
While driving today, in this new location, I felt a sense of exhilaration. After living in the same house for almost 50 years, the thought gave me pause. As a much younger person, moving was an event that happened regularly, or at least every 2 to 4 years. The same exhilaration came from that, new faces, new roads, and a different home. December was very difficult and there are more boxes to unpack, but in the end - I did it! Damn it, I did it!
On more positive notes, we were without electric for about 20 hours during the severe dip in temperatures (5 degrees here). The house has a "full house" generator which also includes the cabin, so for a crazy cold period everything was fine.
We have signed up for a CSA share of vegetables from an organic farm, which is a first. This farm is only a couple miles down the road and we tested their products this past fall. With them and the giant garden I plan on growing, we will be veggied up!
I am one of the new members of the McGuffy Art Center. Only 7 were juried in for 2022, and January is the month that we get to show off. There will be a reception on their first Friday, January 6th. Starting over at an art gallery is a very humbling experience, but I am game.
For my other gardens, I ordered native perennial plant plugs today. Since I have been able to study the spot since spring, I'm pretty certain my plant choices are good and this mini meadow will thrive.
Only 2 weeks ago, as fall bulbs were reduced by most suppliers, I ordered over 3,000 minor bulbs and got them in before the freeze. My mix is a combination of Crocus tommasinianus (2 colors), galanthus, ipheons, and muscari. In a perfect world, they will naturalize in the lawn.
Lastly I booked a flight to New Orleans for the art workshop that has been cancelled for 3 years. My first class flight cost me $11.00 because I used my miles, which have piled up since Covid. So this serves as a warning, you will get sick and tired of my (too many) photographs and Yee Ha!
Happy New Year!
Sometimes, after a lot of preparation, things come together. While I am in the thick of reorganizing and moving, the overwhelm is a constant, so any progress in that direction is excellent. Today was one of those days that was just that and more. A meeting with the Aldie Horticultural Society at Oak Hill was a real highlight, not just seeing the gardens, but meeting old friends. We talked horticulture, something I hadn't missed until I was in the thick of it again.
There was also the matter of giving away furniture, lovely teak pieces that needed a loving home. Also accomplished today, something that has been many days, possibly months, in the making. How do we manage to gather so many things in our lives?
And last week, in an emergency situation, I had a tooth pulled. A big one, a molar, which did not make for an excellent day. While I'm in the doctor's chair, I notice that he likes photography. Knowing that one of my next chores was to give away some large, framed prints, I asked if he might like them for his office. He is opening a new office and was excited at the prospect, so those were also dropped off today to a very grateful tooth puller. Now a person may not think highly of a visit to get a tooth pulled, but the pain involved in keeping that tooth is far worse, so I was happy to make him happy.
There has also been the making of art to jury into a gallery in Charlottsville. Since it's been many, many years since I've had to jury into a gallery, I was a bit undecided as to how this was going to go. The good news; I'm in! So the beginning of another adventure, something you will hear a lot about. I submitted these as new works and took a few things to Art A La Carte in Occoquan, where I will be keeping a space.
When fall arrives I always think of masks, so I have 3 finished, and I may keep going. More to come on that topic.
And lastly, the thing that makes me super happy was just a little thing. As many of you know, I am usually driving my little Volkswagon GTI, a hatchback that works perfectly for loading lots of stuff - plants, tools, framed prints, etc..... I passed another, almost identical to mine on Route 15 and the driver flashed me a peace sign. Without hesitation, I flashed him one back, all in a split second. I know this is of little to no consequence to most of you, but ever since I've been driving this car, I've wanted to reach out to other GTI drivers. I see 1 or 2 in my travels on a regular basis (really not that many). As it turns out, it is expected (google GTI drivers and peace sign), so I will delightfully be peace signing away, just another reason I love my car!
So an excellent day indeed. Next week is party week for me and sisters at the house in Charlottsville. Just a little sista time before the final thrust to really get stuff done. There are enough beds and places to sit, I just have to bring more forks.
