in the studio

Just one work in progress this week. I'm maybe eight layers in and a ways to go. The blue is too heavy, or heavier than I intended at this level, but I'm enjoying the vibrancy. I think it will remain very green. Earlier in the week, I finished the final reporting for the grant project and that is a relief to be done with.

acrylic, 24" x 36"

in the studio

In the studio this week (last week, actually: this is a Mother's Day delayed post.) One finished piece and one work in progress. Still need to title these.

acrylic, 8" x 8"

wip, acrylic, 11" x 14"

Out of the studio, Friday at HAC, Corey Hagelberg's In the Garden woodcuts opened. Saturday was the ATC trade at Nido Bianco. (There will be a separate post about that.) I ventured up to Michigan with fellow artist Leslie Lambert, and was back in time for BJAM's Armonia at White Ripple.


Up next: getting ready for heartland to go to Dyer at the end of the month for the Dyer Arts Visionaries. Reception 5.29, save the date now!

in the studio

In the studio this week, I've been still playing around with this piece. Layering, layering, layering.

I've also started gathering feedback on the paper I made during my residency. I included this as part of my grant proposal and I've had two official feedbacks. One at my place and one not. This is not at my house. I do not have this kind of free floor space in my studio.

Out of the studio this week, I had an opening Friday at Thaddeus C Gallery in La Porte. I have ten small paintings in FOOT LONG! a small works show also celebrating the gallery's 10th Anniversary. Next week: I have another feedback scheduled midweek. Saturday is the 2nd Saturday opening at White Ripple. The Small Works Show is still up there. And I think ink and gouache will make a return.

in the studio

This week in the studio, I've been working through how I can take what I learned in the residency last week and apply it to my current body of work. This is definitely a trial and error effort. I've had the paper out once to show some during an interview I did for a local paper - it should be out mid-December. I spent most of this week dabbling with an existing canvas - and taking it a direction I hadn't originally planned.  It started here.

From here, I added in several layers of text using ink pens and then some paper cut out letters followed up with watered down acrylic. I think the acrylic was the most effective. I also think going forward that additional papers (written on) could be layered in underneath. Here is where I finished out the week.

It still needs some more work, and this may not ever get finished.

Today, though! Today was fun. my younger son played studio assistant and we printed our own holiday cards! He was reluctant to start but had a good time once we got going.

Out of the studio this week, I delivered the basketball for the Hoosier Hoop Dreams fundraiser. And delivered work for this week's opening of FOOT LONG! Small Works show at Thaddeus C. Gallery in La Porte. That show opens 5-8pm this Friday (December 5th) I know several other artists exhibiting in this show, and it should be a great show, with lots of gift-giving potential. Next week, I pick up the rest of the paper I made on the last day and will start soliciting input for what will end up in the show. I need to start photographing what I've got on hand already. I'm hoping to "release" one paper each week between now and the show opening.

in the studio

I was planning to post this later tonight, but then I realized my camera (battery) was dying, and figured I should take some photos before it's too late. I still didn't finish anything this week...but I'm closer than last week. There are three wips right now. The first is hoping to be plush. It is very different than last week, as threatened promised. The second has an ethereal quality which I'm hoping not ruin, and the last one (devil's slide) is a little mesmerizing in person. I decided to just embrace the patterning and not try to stop it. at all. 

Out of the studio, I saw Patti Tobin Davis' exhibit Rhythm Unfolding at South Shore Arts. Her work is up through the end of next week. I picked up work from the Salon Show and Oliver Brown exhibit and delivered work for the Small Works show at White Ripple and Artistic License at Studio 659. The Artistic License show is a juried exhibit, in its third year. I always describe it as all of the work and none of the glory of curating a show, since I end up doing the bulk of the behind the scenes work. On the plus side, we get to give out awards, which is always fun, and because I am not choosing the work selected into the show or for awards, I get to enter work in it, too. I finished installing today, and the show looks great! This year's juror is Ish Muhammad.

Up next week: Tuesday, there's an opening at Taltree Arboretum 11:30-1:30 (and it's free admission that day!) Friday, Artistic License opens at 6:59 pm and awards will be given out at 7:30. Saturday the Small Works Show opens at White Ripple at 7pm on the third floor. The Indigenous Landscapes Show is still up in the Mezzanine Gallery, so if you missed that exhibit during their Grand Opening last month, you've got a second chance to see that.

in the studio

This week was spent on just one painting. And while I try to post artwork everyday, I always feel like it gets a little boring to keep looking at the same piece day after day. I mean for all of you on the interwebs. I'm not bored. Usually.

So this week, I put together a little clip of the current painting, future wishes, or the road less traveled.

  


See? it really did change. I am not quite happy with the mountain tops. I was and then wasn't and have to decide sort of which direction they are heading. So look for that change next week. And this should be knocked out next week and I can start on something else. Right after I order more stretcher bars, or possibly reclaim some more canvases. I am out of room. Studio Independence Sale ends today. 

in the studio

I told a friend yesterday that I was fighting a painting that hated me. He laughed. But it was an I've been there laugh.

Last week, I decided I needed to put this piece aside because I didn't really know where it was going. Of course, I did not do that. I just kept throwing paint at it, in hopes that I'd figure out what I was doing. I didn't. 

But, on a drive past the prairie, I thought, I just don't want to paint green. And there you have it. I got rid of all the green in the painting, and now I have a direction. I still think this piece will change a bit more, but I feel like it is now heading in the right direction. Or at least a direction.

this is where the river turns, wip, acrylic, 36" x 36"

Also this week: I snuck in and saw Summer Sizzle, which is the instructors' show at Substation. I have three paintings in it. The show will be up all summer, but the reception has been set for July 17, 5-8 pm. I spent Friday night at the Beverly Shores Depot opening, where I will have work all season. Their openings are on the 2nd Friday of the month from 5-7 pm. Saturday, I started at White Ripple's opening and then wandered over to SideCar where there was a raku firing. This bowl was thrown by Mike Kaysen.  Lauren Ball and I glazed it last night. That was a very cool experience. If you ever have the chance to see pots pulled out of the kiln, do it.

in the studio

This week in the studio has been all about experimenting. I had the idea to print on my paintings and had an old canvas that was never really completed. I'm still not done with this. I think I actually will finish this piece and I could see a series develop out of what I'm learning this week.

I'm printing with existing plates on this canvas and I'm using acrylic paint, not ink. The block ink I have right now is water soluble so it would get incorporated into the next layer if I were to paint over it. I will need to get some permanent block ink before I really finish working through this idea. For now, acrylic paint is fine.

Here are some work in progress pics. I began with the acrylic paint of the original painting and added in ink linework, followed by:

relief printing (styrofoam)

acrylic paint, relief printing (styrofoam)

I'm not crazy about the brick pattern that forms with the styrofoam plate printing. They print much better when burnished from the backside of the canvas. This is going back to these prints and I need to get some positive space text and not just negative space text. I'm also thinking about carving blocks for each word of text, and even creating an entire alphabet, so I could have a sort of movable text. I think both of these ideas allow for a lot more flexibility and a somewhat cleaner looking end result.

acrylic (text)

relief printing (collagraph)

relief printing (collagraph)

While my original printing-on-paintings idea wasn't to have this end result, it does remind me of the peeling paint/graffiti/old painted billboards look of the styrofoam prints which I liked and that is where I can see this particular piece heading. There will be several more collagraph layers added. The two on there right now are just cardboard plates. It's also sparked a bunch of other old ideas that never quite resolved themselves. The experimenting will continue...

in the studio

This week I spent most days still working on out of reach...

but, I also got to try encaustics! That's painting with melted wax, for those of you not familiar with the lingo. You can see work in progress pics in the encaustics post here. It was pretty amazing and I'm glad I got to finally try it! I would like to try translating the #art365 landscapes into encaustic. This will take a lot of practice, as there is quite a learning curve.

And a pair of #art365 landscapes. The first field, crown point, sold less than an hour after it was posted! If only everything sold that fast! The second is the same field, crown point. These are small canvases, which were purchased pre-#art365 and I felt were too small to do anything. Now I kind of like them, and I like working on this field, so I expect to do a few more.

This week I firmed up three upcoming shows: one of my large scale paintings will be in TEXT: Louder Than Words at Studio 659, two #art365 landscapes will be in SLAC's Hot! at The Sip, and somewhere in the neighborhood of sixty(!) #art365 landscapes will be part of a two person show at Paul Henry's Art Gallery, where I will be showing with the charming Brabant Lenting.

in the studio

Most of this week was spent in bits and pieces working on and so it begins again. Finally, it is starting to come together. Today, I declared it almost done. Should be finished next week.

and so it begins again, acrylic and ink on canvas, 36" x 90"

I spent two days out of the house at my kid's scout camp and I'm still recovering from the sun burn. (ouch!) The #art365 landscapes are from the camp days and the drive there.

wildflowers, acrylic on paper, 5" x 7"

light and shadow, acrylic on paper, 5" x 7"

ditch (tiger lilies), acrylic on paper, 5" x 7"

Up next week: finishing and so it begins again, hopefully starting a new larger version of tired (with a strong back but an empty soul), and revamping my website. Not looking forward to the last bit, but it's needed. And postcard art! I've seen a few pieces for the #postcardswap and I'm really looking forward to more!

in the studio

This week was mostly spent on drawing, although I did manage to do one little #art365 landscape after a trip out to Wolf Lake in Chicago. Wolf Lake straddles the state line, and while I often drive by on the Indiana side, I'd never been over to the Illinois side. It was quite peaceful.

wolf lake from chicago, acrylic on paper, 5" x 7"
available for purchase here

I finished up four drawings: other people's kindnesses, maybe this, semantics, and silver lining. This is all the drawings I had started. I am loosely calling this series of drawings conversations in my head. Loosely meaning, it is subject to change slightly in wording but not in idea. I really feel like these pieces work in conjunction with my recent large scale paintings, stylistically. 

It would be great to be able to have several drawings up around a large studio where I could work on several in quicker succession. The drying time on washes does test my patience some days. I would like to do these drawings larger as well, but for now I am limited to materials on hand. Sewing paper together may be in order. I do believe there will be more of these drawings, but I have 3 medium-sized canvases which were given to me and they are going to make a new larger piece at 34" x 90". At least that is the plan for now. I want to go back to painting.

other people's kindnesses always catch me off guard. I never expect them.
other people's kindnesses, watercolor pencil, ink, conté on paper, 30" x 23"

maybe this was all in my head.
maybe this, watercolor pencil, ink on paper, 30" x 22"

finding the silver lining always makes me sound like a bitch.
silver lining, watercolor pencil, ink, conté on paper, 30" x 23"

semantics does not excuse your words.
semantics, watercolor pencil, ink, conté on paper, 30" x 22"

Just a reminder: the good karma giveaway deadline is Monday June 24th at 4pm and the postcard swap deadline is Friday July 5th. Be sure to sign up for these if you're interested!

in the studio

this week began with an #art365 landscape 

dappled, acrylic on paper, 5" x 7"

and then I started a whole new series of drawings. I started thinking about this while I was painting seneca. I just couldn't tackle it then because I had to finish work for the show. I imagined figurative abstracts, messy, with a lot of different media: ink, charcoal, conté, watercolor, pastel... I've started 3 pieces this week. All starting with watercolor pencil, then ink washes and some masked out text. silver lining also has additional conté and ink washes on it. And I feel like it is heading in the right direction.


let me tell you a fairy tale of mediocrity: this is as good as it's going to get. 

mediocrity, 30" x 23" work in progress

finding the silver lining always makes me sound like a bitch.

other people's kindnesses always catch me off guard. I never expect them.

other people's kindnesses, 30" x 23" work in progress

I'm still looking for a few more likes on my facebook page for the good karma giveaway. So if you're on facebook, I'd appreciate it if you clicked over and liked me!

On my to do list for next week is etsy. My work is for sale through my website, but I think the #art365 landscapes could use a wider audience. Have you shopped on etsy? Do you have a shop on etsy? If you have any feedback and/or suggestions about it, let me know!

in the studio

I feel like I don't have a lot to show for this week. I didn't do any of the #art365 landscapes. I still painted everyday, but I did get a little lazy about posting it a couple of days. Layers and layers of washes in the same spot of the same painting look kind of ...well, they don't look like much. They are much, but they don't look it.

There are two days worth of washes on this was only a dream, all of them focused on the upper left portion. It's close to where I feel like it should be but I've been really wanting to get back to painting larger. At 24" x 48" this is too small.

And so I reclaimed three old canvases and began bad penny.

before: awaiting, limb,and before the dream

after: day 1 the beginning of bad penny

day 2

day 3

day 4 text added

day 5

grant update part 2

I don't have a whole lot to update since the last post as far as the grant work goes, but I have been working jointly with another regional artist, Melissa Washburn for updates at nwicreative.org. She is also an IAC visual arts grant recipient this year, so the two of us are representing northwest Indiana.

Here's  a few of Melissa's drawings from her time at the Field Museum, which didn't make it into the updates.

You can follow our previous progress on nwicreative.org: the introduction, the first month, the second month, and the third month.

nwicreative is an online group which focuses on creative professions in northwest Indiana. It's very design heavy, but they haven't turned me away. You can continue for follow our progress there monthly. Melissa also posts updates on her facebook page and if you want to see some of her non-grant work in person, you can check out her show Out of Place at HAC on October 19th.