Throwback Thursday

This week's throwback is one of the large scale paintings I was working on two years ago for the Alternate Realities Show at South Shore Arts - Crown Point.

tumult, 2013, acrylic and ink, 48" x 96"

in the studio

This re-dedication to the #art365 project has been great this month. I've also been working on making three pieces a day, which I accomplished all but one day this week....

So, I have 18 new pieces of art to show for this week. Some really great momentum happening. I've settled on 5" x 7" as a fairly ideal size. There are two postcards (4" x 6") this week, one for the twitter art exhibit and one for the postcardswap.

1.19.15.1

1.19.15.2

1.19.15.3

1.20.15.1

1.20.15.2

1.20.15.3

1.22.15.1

1.22.15.2

1.22.15.3 #twitterartexhibit

1.23.15.1

1.23.15.2

1.23.15.3 #postcardswap

1.24.15.1

1.24.15.2

1.24.15.3

1.25.15.1

1.25.15.2

1.25.15.3

Out of the studio, I stopped by Mike Kaysen's show at 65 Grand Friday night. Beautiful raku fired ceramics. Up next week, I have a papermaking feedback session scheduled tentatively. And this is the last week for the Members Only show at Studio 659. If you haven't made it, this is your last week to see that.

Throwback Thursday

I almost forgot! In my defense, it didn't feel like Thursday all day long.

This week's throwback is from this date last year. I had just started the small #art365 pieces in gouache. This is snow day.

in the studio

This week...I've been busy! I began the week working on painting and in the middle I decided to do some collages.

1.15.15  4" x 5"

1.15.15  4" x 5"

1.15.15  4" x 5"

1.15.15  4" x 5"

I was taking part in a #5dayart challenge on facebook and got renominated/challenged the day I finished so I am redoing the challenge on my art page - with all new art. I finish tomorrow, but I agreed to continue with three new pieces a day for next week, too. (adds what have I done? to the labels on this week's blog post)

1.16.15  10" x 10"

1.16.15  10" x 10"

1.16.15  4" x 6"

I have been having a great time making these. I'm having so much fun. They are being really well received (which is always nice!) and I feel really focused and energized.

1.17.15  5" x 7"

1.17.15  5" x 7"

1.17.15  5" x 7"

I really like the 5" x 7" size and I think I'll be sticking with that for a while (minus the postcard swap and the #twitterartexhibit)

1.18.15  5" x 7"

1.18.15  5" x 7"

1.18.15  5" x 7"

Out of the studio... Yesterday was the closing reception for the SLAC Anniversary show at Paul Henry's Art Gallery. The lovely woman who bought my painting waiting on a change was there and I got to thank her in person. And, of course, tons of local art friends were there, too.
Next week: a lot more work!

I started a new blog, which will be more lifestyle focused and less art focused. Stop by there if you want to get to know me a bit better outside of the studio: So Essential.

Throwback Thursday

Sing to me sweetly, as I turn sour

Lay me down, remembering

That the wind and the rain played a part 

In that dreadful hour.

This week's throwback is inspired by a 5 day art challenge I did on facebook. The challenge was to post three artworks a day for five days, and challenge another artist to the same each day. You can follow some of the posts under #5dayart. 

lay me down, 2012, acrylic, 12" x

On day four, I posted some america series paintings from 2012, which from an artistic standpoint, feels like a million years ago. lay me down was created for a lyrics themed show at Hammond Art Center. The idea was to create a piece of art based on some lyrics, and at the opening all of the songs were performed by a couple of musicians.

in the studio

The good news is I've had a pretty productive week. Making myself always work everyday is a good thing. I need to paint something bigger next week.

1.6.15 gouache, 4: x 6"

1.7.15 gouache, 4" x 6"

1.9.15 gouache, 4" x 6"

1.10.15 gouache, 4" x 6"

wip, acrylic, 11" x 14"

I've been fiddling with the wip for over a week and I think just today I figured out what was not working. Hope to have this finished next week.

Out of the studio, I stopped by White Ripple's 2nd Saturday event. No opening this month, but they still had the open studios and there was an open mic that seems to be gaining some traction. Next week, the SLAC Anniversary show closes at Paul Henry's on Saturday, and with it the live art silent auction. I don't have any work in the auction this year, but lots of artists very generously contributed. There is also a group collaborative piece (on which I did paint a bit). The auction is benefiting the Carmelite Home in East Chicago. That happens 1-5 on Saturday. 

If you are waiting for the postcardswap...I'm getting to it. You'll have your assigned artist in the next couple of days.

2014: a year in review

Last year, I put together a top 13 of '13 list. I accomplished a lot, in no small part to my #art365 pledge. This year, I gave myself some slack. I declared that Art Related Works counted towards making art. So if I spent the day stretching canvases, or wiring work, or delivering work, that counted. There are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that take up a lot of time, that are necessary, that are absolutely not making art. So while this year started winding down, I started evaluating if this had actually been a good idea or not. 

And decided not.

I felt like I hadn't gotten enough done this year. And then I started counting. And updating my resume. And I did actually accomplish a lot this year. No top 14 list, but here are a few of the highlights...

The grant. Once again, I was an IAP grantee from the Indiana Art Commission. Two years ago I was a FY2013 grantee and produced those large scale paintings. This year (FY2015) the grant was used to fund...

Notice the syringe. It's about 1/2" above the surface of the paper.

The residency. My first residency. A week at Hook Pottery Paper working with Andrea Peterson on papermaking. It. Was. Amazing. And that doesn't come close to really describing it. A week of making art with no distractions and the feedback from Andrea all throughout. She pulled a lot out of me that I could not have gotten on my own. She encouraged me to trust myself without thinking about what I was doing.

pulp painting (papermaking) 22" x 30"

Really, I could stop there. The residency was the highlight of the year. But a few other things happened that are worth remembering. 

artwork. I made 159 pieces of art. This is a lot. But it's considerably less than 2013's 216 pieces.

shows. I was in 21 shows. That's up from 15 in 2013. Within that, I showed in several venues which were new to me: Thaddeus C Gallery, Merge Building, South Shore Arts (Salon Show), White Ripple, Taltree Arboretum, Beverly Shores Depot, Hammond Public Library, and Uptown Evolution.

into, acrylic, 10" x 10" at Thaddeus C Gallery

Here's what next aka my plan for 2015.

#art365 needs to be a bigger force. Right after I decided I needed to be brutal about making art everyday again, I got sick. Too sick to be out of bed for a couple of days. There was no possible way I could make art those days. So, while I need to remain in the habit of making art everyday, I also need to accept that there will be days it just won't happen. 

#art365 12.16.14 gouache

The resume needs to be updated more regularly. At least once a month. I'm not entirely sure that 21 shows is accurate but that was all I remembered. It will also need to be edited severely because it's two full pages now and it's already down to 10 point type. I have 4 shows booked for 2015 already and they aren't listed yet. (Members Only and LIVE ART at Studio 659 in January and February, Indigenous Landscapes is travelling to the Indiana Welcome Center in February, and the as-yet-untitled solo show of my papermaking at the Towle Theater in April and May.)

below the surface, acrylic, 11" x 14" at White Ripple

Reach farther Despite the fact that I showed in all those new places, the rest of the shows were all in a handful of spaces. I need to move out of my comfort zone. (and out of Northwest Indiana)

pulp painting (papermaking), 22" x 30"

It has been a great year. Best wishes to all of you and yours for 2015!