One more thing that I can count on this time of year is painted Christmas ornaments! They are so popular and have received so many requests this year. I am loving every single one. The perfect keepsake gift. I really should create ornaments all year long!!
This show features the very finest and most notorious collection of juried artwork in SWFL, all dedicated to the spirit of horror, macabre, and darkness during the Halloween season. I am honored to have been chosen this year to be included in such a spectacular event! The range of creativity expressed in the other artworks and performances was extraordinary.
I really stepped out of my comfort zone for this one. Macabre or the spirit of horror is certainly not normally the subject of, well, any of my artwork up until now, but I was up to the challenge.
So, how on earth was I going to to create something that still follows this category without going somewhere I couldn't, or wouldn't, or even challenging my own faith. And even bring a touch of beauty to it, if possible. I didn't want to do something simple either. What else is new? LOL.
Ultimately, I am really proud of this painting and it really did challenge me. It even kept showing up in my dreams - not in a bad way - just in a way that kept me grounded and faithful and reminded me that things that were uncomfortable were not necessarily bad. It really may not be a big deal for some, but it was a big deal for me and I am thankful to have decided to create the painting and chosen to be part of such a creative art show.
I am so excited to be included in the juried 'Aquarium' show at the Cape Coral Art Center this month!
I will admit this piece challenged me in new ways and, well, I also ran out of time to finish her. Even after I dropped the painting off, I continued to paint and repaint portions of it in my mind for days and days afterward. Something tells me I will be revisiting this piece again after the show is over.
Aquarium is a juried show with over 60 artworks ranging in media including painting, lampwork, ceramic, glass, metal, and more! Cap
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Fast-forward to today. In two days, I will be at the opening reception of my first solo art show! The opening reception will be at DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts in conjunction with the monthly Fort Myers Art Walk event. How cool is that?
Inspired by the John Muir quote "And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul", this series I have been working on titled "Into the Forest" weaves figurative and nature together, as well as smaller botanical works. The figurative paintings express bold strength and beauty while a gentle kindness emerges. Something I believe every woman carries inside.
Each painting begins with a collaboration of materials and photography that, once combined with mark-making, paints and a number of other expressive materials, create a new story of life energy and soul. When I created my first piece that provoked this series, it was sort of an experimentation and exploration. My goal: not to be bound by any medium and I wanted to paint using an assemblage of layers of, well, all the materials. All of them because I love them all!! Acrylics, inks, pastels, monoprints, photo transfers, vintage ephemeral papers or any other method or medium that struck my fancy. How can you choose just one, right? I wasn't going to listen or be swayed by trends or the latest set of rules for artists. I was just going to pick up a paint brush and go! And I did and it was FANTASTIC!!
....and here we are, a couple days away from my first solo show.
