Decay

12/29/09

...the look of it, the feel, is becoming a bigger influence in my work. I'm torn between thinking it's rather depressing and loving the surfaces. When the wood on the side of a barn cracks open from rain or bricks algae up or metal siding weeps with rust, isn't it just growing old gracefully, unashamed?


Substrate
Acrylic on Acrylic Sheet
9 x 9 inches
2009


I wasn't sure what to call this, but a word stuck with me today from a discussion of aquarium set-ups. When I looked it up, I thought all the definitions could apply to this piece.

sub•strate n. 1. The material or substance on which an enzyme acts. 2. A surface on which an organism grows or is attached. 3. An underlying layer; a substratum. 4. An indigenous language that contributes features to the language of an invading people who impose their language on the indigenous population.

Been a While

12/27/09

...with the holidays and all. Finally got back into the studio this weekend to finish something.


Burnish / Banish
Acrylic on Acrylic Sheet
18 x 24"
2009



Burnish / Banish
detail



Burnish / Banish
detail

Patron Members Show @ artdc Gallery

12/11/09

This Saturday will be awesome day for art and music! Stephen and I have a piece in the show. Full deets below.


artdc Gallery
The Lustine Center
5710 Baltimore Avenue
Hyattsville, MD 20781
Exhibit dates: 12/6/09 to 1/3/10
Reception: Sat 12/11 from 11 - 12
Cool Yule Party: Sat 12/11 from 12 - 6
www.artdc.com

The artdc Gallery will feature a Patron Members' Exhibition from December 6, 2009, to January 3, 2010. A reception, open studio, and cash-and-carry event, titled “Cool Yule Arty Party,” will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2009, from noon to 6 p.m.

"This is a great way to give back to the patron members who support artdc's discussion forum and other projects," said gallery director and artist Jesse Cohen. "You'll see an amazing variety of work in a broad range of mediums. If you're looking to build your collection--or start one--this show brings together talented established and emerging artists in the metro DC area who offer unique, top-quality work at recession-friendly prices."

The “Cool Yule Arty Party” will also feature performances by:

Alex Culbreth – 12:00 p.m.
http://www.myspace.com/alexculbreth
“Well-constructed music and a stirring voice. A definite up-and-comer.” - Joel Pomerantz, SAW Songwriters Showcase

John Mason Legal Lecture – 1 p.m.
http://www.artlaws.com/
John Mason is an active DC-area intellectual property lawyer.

Margot MacDonald – 2:30 p.m.
http://www.margotmacdonald.com/
2009 New Artist of the Year and Modern Rock Vocalist Wammie winner

Ellen Winter – 3:30 p.m.
http://www.myspace.com/ellenwinter
Reminiscent of Regina Spektor, Ben Folds and Kate Nash all combined into one.

Jessica Bennett of Parliament Hill – 4:30 p.m.
http://www.myspace.com/jess4bennett
A stunning acoustic musician with an amazing voice.

For more information, contact Jesse Cohen at 703-217-2006 or fineartventures@gmail.com

About the artdc Gallery

Located in the burgeoning Arts District in Hyattsville, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC, the artdc Gallery features painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media and more by metro DC artists. Its light-filled space in the storefront of the Lustine Center, a striking, re-imagined 1950s car dealership, anchors a lively street of shops, restaurants, independent businesses and artist studios. Visit artdc.com for information about the exhibits, and artdc.org for social networking, resources and discussion forums on a variety of topics. The gallery is located at The Lustine Center, 5710 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20781.

Acceptance: UMUC's Mind, Body and Spirit

12/6/09

A Beautiful Destruction was selected for the University of Maryland University College's juried exhibition of works on paper by regional women artists. Mind, Body and Spirit will celebrate the diverse perspectives of regional women artists as they share their unique interpretations of self-identity.

The exhibition will be co-curated by Harriet McNamee, art historian and former curator of education for the National Museum of Women in the Arts and by Bobby Donovan, painter and printmaker and assistant director of the UMUC Arts program. A small catalog will accompany the exhibition.

Mind, Body and Spirit
Exhibit Dates: January 18 to March 14, 2010
Reception: Sunday, January 31 from 3 to 5 pm
Main Art Gallery, UMUC Inn and Conference Center
3501 University Blvd. East
Adelphi, Maryland 20783
Hours: 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

I also had my first sale at Studio Gallery. It's been a great week :)

First Friday... Wow!

12/5/09

So the Studio Gallery All Members Show was called "Call and Response" and man did the community respond by coming out to this event! I'm guessing at least 200 dropped by, and it was great for me as a new artist to see work by all the other members.

If you came, thanks for stopping by! If you didn't, there's still plenty of time to see a wide variety of work by all members:

Studio Gallery - studiogallerydc.com
Exhibit Dates: November 25 - December 19, 2009
Regular Gallery Hours: Wed/Thu 1 - 7pm, Fri 1 - 8pm, Sat 1 - 6pm
2108 R Street N.W. Washington, DC 20008
202.232.8734







Opening Reception - All Members Show @ Studio Gallery

12/4/09

"Call & Response" - Studio Gallery Group Show & Reception

If you're local, please drop by!

Studio Gallery - studiogallerydc.com
Exhibit Dates: November 25 - December 19, 2009
First Friday Reception: December 4, 6 - 8 pm
Regular Gallery Hours: Wed/Thu 1 - 7pm, Fri 1 - 8pm, Sat 1 - 6pm
2108 R Street N.W. Washington, DC 20008
202.232.8734

My piece Adrift is featured.


The world calls to us, and as artists, we respond. We have ways of creating, and each chooses the "way" according to our own sensitivities. As an exercise in understanding, this group show by Studio Gallery artists has been arranged according to the way that we work and respond to the world.

The categories are: gesture, line, figure/ground relationships, the grid, organic and big forms. We invite you to view the variety and playfulness of 42 artists in this metropolitan area!

A Few New Things

11/17/09

I guess I'm into dreary landscapes right now. Must be the shorter days, the longer shadows...


Scorch
Acrylic and Charcoal on Paper
22 x 17 inches
2009



Landscape for Laura
Acrylic on Acrylic Sheet
8 x 10 inches
2009

Heather & Foto Week DC

11/1/09

The kiddo was awarded 2nd Place in the catergory of "Anything Goes" for the Youth Contest of Foto Week DC! There were over 1200 entries, and she was really thrilled to win. Of course, she's already plotting how to spend her check... :)






Happy Halloween!


The house is decorated, the candy ready... Hope you get treats, not tricks!

Who I'm Digging

10/26/09

No pun intended, but this guy's stuff is my eye candy du jour. He paints on plexi and often uses text in his work. What more could a girl ask for? Check him out -> Tony Savoie

Here's another plexi painter whose work I really admire -> Monica Reede

Some New Pieces

10/25/09


A Thin Line Between Heaven and Earth
Acrylic and Charcoal on Paper
17 x 22"




Ways to Live Forever
Acrylic on Paper
17 x 22"

More New Work

10/17/09

I completed some things on paper for a regional juried show. All pieces are around the 9 x 12" size.

Adrift



A Beautiful Destruction



An Inside Job



Three Songs of the Sea

Acceptance: New Narratives (Nov 10 - Dec 10, 2009)

10/10/09

Just got word that Into the Woods was accepted for this show! Unfortunately I'll be out of town the during the day when the juror gives a talk. The reception is that same evening, so I'm going to try to make it there for that.

I'm really excited to be included in this show since storytelling is a central theme to most of my work.

New Narratives: Stories and Messages in Contemporary Art
National All-media Juried Show
Cade Fine Arts Center Gallery
Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD
Juror: Peter Bruun, Artistic Director, Art on Purpose, Baltimore, MD

Nov. 10 - Dec. 10, 2009: Exhibition
Thursday, Nov. 12, 12:30 p.m.: Juror's Talk
Thursday, Nov. 12, 6-8 p.m.: Reception

New Work

10/5/09

Two are still works in progress, but I had a great day off just losing myself in color and texture and washes.


Adrift
9 x 11"
Acrylic and Charcoal on Paper



Buoy
11 x 7.5"
Acrylic on Paper



Hidden History
11 x 9"
Acrylic on Paper



Small Losses
8.5 x 8.5"
Acrylic on Acrylic Sheet
(Work in Progress)



[Currently Untitled]
8 x 9"
Acrylic on Acrylic Sheet



Untitled
8 x 10"
Acrylic on Acrylic Sheet
(Work in Progress)

Louisville

10/4/09

Just got back from attending a conference for work there. I love this town.

I walked around to see some of the places I'd photographed in spring 2008, and most looked the same. I had hoped that some of the renovations for the interiors of the old buildings would be done and filled with thriving shops. I guess when 1 of 10 people are unemployed in a city, these kinds of projects fall to the wayside.

I dug up my old photos since I forgot my camera this time around. Such lovely surfaces...