Lori Anne Boocks - Painting, Interviews, Opportunities to Show, and More

Tamar Assaf at Living Gallery

2012-01-24T16:40:00.000-08:00

1/24/12

Israeli-born artist Tamar Assaf is participating in the Living Gallery Residency at Annmarie Arts Center in Solomons, Maryland through January 29. She's the kind of person whose passion for making art and life itself comes through in conversation. I believe she'll be working on her abstract bird sculptures during her week as shown in the video below. If you have a chance, stop by and see her. I was hoping to myself, but my mom's having surgery this week and I'm heading down to Virginia. Jacqui Crocetta of Rockville will be participating in there as well February 6-12.

Now living in California, Tamar has a degree in Natural Sciences and her sensitivity to animal forms shines through in her work. I'm a fan of crows. They're smart and have the potential to understand play, maybe even sled. Where I'm heading this week, to my grandparent's farmland, they fill trees by the hundreds, give free rowdy symphonies of caws, and rise up to cover the clouds, little ebony dots stringing out over fields stripped of winter wheat to disappear into the horizon's treeline.

Taking Stock: How was your 2011... and how will your 2012 be?

2011-12-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

12/15/11

Ah, December. A time for reflection in between holiday preparations and carting the kid to events.

Did I try something new in my practice?
2012 was the year of finding my voice, trying linen (and I'm now addicted), and drilling holes in paintings and shoving a rope through the opening. I still need to regularly set aside time to paint, but I got better at dedicating time to be in the studio.

Did I try for different venues or shake up my proposals?
Yes, and I'm happy to report that spring 2013 will be mighty busy! A few of my crazier proposals got rejected, which of course makes me that much more determined to get something going with those thoughts.

What am I planning to do differently when promoting my work in 2012?
Blog more often, not necessarily for the public, but for myself. Writing about my own work validates it on a different level and makes me think about process and intentions even more. I need to get out to others' openings more. I hope to print a small catalog of my work and send it out.

Have I sent New Year greetings to all my collectors yet?
Not all, but they'll be out the door soon.

Are you ready for a fresh year of making new art, getting organized, and promoting your work?

Opportunities for the New Year: 2012

2011-11-27T05:18:00.000-08:00

11/27/11

Sugarloaf Craft Festivals Accepting Applications for Spring 2012 -- Sugarloaf Craft Festivals is seeking artists for juried art festivals in Chantilly, VA; Somerset, NJ; Oaks, PA; Gaithersburg, MD; Timonium, MD. Work must be original design, artist must be present all three days at show to sell their work in person. Last year artists sold more than $15.6 million in handmade items to more than 178,000 visitors at Sugarloaf shows. Deadline: January 13, 2012. Visit website at http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/ for application information. Questions? Contact Lorrie Staley at apply@sugarloaffest.com or call 800-210-9900.

4th Annual Mountain Maryland Plein Air -- call for entries
The Allegany Arts Council announces a call to artists for a plein air painting juried exhibition and art competition, May 29 - June 10, 2012 at The Saville Gallery in Cumberland, Maryland. Awards: $5,000 ($1,500 Best of Show). Juror: Steve Doherty, Editor, PleinAir magazine. Open to all Plein Air painters over the age of 18. $30 entry fee. Deadline: March 2, 2012. Visit website at http://www.alleganyartscouncil.org/event.php?eventid=4424 for more info, or send SASE to: Allegany Arts Council, 9 N. Center St., Cumberland, MD 21502. Questions? Contact Emily Thomas at ethomas@allconet.org or call 301-777-ARTS (2787).

35th Annual Art on Paper - Maryland Federation of Art invites artists to enter its annual Art on Paper National Juried Exhibition. Juror: Susan Badder adjunct professor Maryland Institute College of Art and former Senior Curator the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Any 2D/3D original work created on or of paper will be considered. Deadline: January 11, 2012. Works selected will be exhibited at the MFA's Circle Gallery in Annapolis, MD, March 23 - April 22, 2012. Visit website at http://www.mdfedart.com/pages/call_for_artists.php for prospectus. Questions? Send an email to info@mdfedart.org

23rd National Drawing and Print Competitive Exhibition Awards: A minimum of $1,500 available in purchase prize money. Juror: Sue Spaid Executive Director, Contemporary Museum, Baltimore, MD
Eligibility and media: Drawings and prints (not photography) in any medium are eligible with no limitations as to color, surface or materials. All drawings and prints must be original works of art. Each artist may submit up to 3 works on online only. No mailed or emailed entries will be accepted.
Enter online at: https://artndm.slideroom.com Entry fee: $35 for three entries.
www.ndm.edu/gormleygallery Deadline: January 31, 2012

The Appalachian Film Festival is accepting submissions for its 2012 festival to be held Feb. 25-26 at the historic Keith Albee Theater in Huntington. Deadline: January 1, 2012. For entry forms and submission guidelines, visit www.appyfilmfest.com, or enter your work at https://www.withoutabox.com. Questions? Contact festival director, Christopher Lusher, at cdlusher@gmail.com or 304-690-2500.

Artist Interview: Michelle Blades

2011-11-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

11/12/11

Antebellum

While traveling in the Cincinnati area for work this past spring, I had the chance to pop into a co-op gallery where I saw the most amazing tableaux of figures, painstakingly crafted, going about their business in a way that made me stop in my tracks to watch and wonder what they would do next. But I only could get a peek into their world, a momentary glimpse of what had to be a more elaborate narrative that, as the viewer, I had to determine on my own. These pieces still haunt me. The artist is Michelle Blades, and I was delighted when she agreed to let me interview her.

Michelle Blades lives and works in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, Brent Naughton, and two ape-dogs, Chimp and Baboon. Working with stories, words, polymer clay, cotton, wood, fabric, found objects and other mixed media, she creates curious little figures and environments to please, delight and creep out the crowd. Welcome to her tiny and expansive universe.

Share a little bit about you and your work. What is your background? How long does it take to make a piece, and where do you find your materials?
I've been creating environments for my dolls and toys for as long as I can remember. This play-work led me to The University of Cincinnati where I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2001. Since then, I've been creating a tiny universe of my own dolls and kinetic dioramas, promoting interaction from the viewer and engaging folks young and old. Many of the materials that I use are found while digging through boxes of rusty stuff at antique fairs, cruising through the aisles of the craft and hardware stores, reading or watching archetypal fairy tale stories and listening to music. I don't really know how long it takes to create each piece - a lifetime? I know that's an open-ended answer. I suppose in the context of days and hours, I would guessitmate that the smaller work takes a few hours and the bigger work take s a few days. Inspiration generally comes from words and phrases that I read or hear, and sometimes the image comes really quick, but the execution might take a lot longer. This is especially true if I am using a new material in the work - I can get a little intimidated with trying out a new mechanism in a kinetic piece as well.

What's the one thing you'd like people who aren't familiar with you/your work to know about you?

Along Came a Spider

The one thing I would like people to know about me is that yes, my work can get a little creepy. But I swear, it's harmless. Some of the pieces have an 'edge,' but I've found that so does most of life. And it's up to us if we want to fall off that edge, or tap dance on it. I choose to dance and flirt. Sometimes, even I can think the work gets a little too banal and saccharine. Then along comes a wild viewer that mumbles to me, 'this is creepy,' and subsequently, I feel validation about where I've pushed the image visually and contextually.

Who is your biggest influence and why?
My biggest influence... that is tough. The gestalt of my influence lies in the workings of the universe as a whole, and the power of observing those interactions. Sometimes, I feel like I spend more time on the sidelines watching how things and people move with or against each other than I do participating in the action. Being a spectator is a great thing for me - it's rife with the probability of good storytelling. I believe my job is to collect the story in a mason jar terrarium, let it grow into its own species and then show it to the viewer. How vague it all of that?! I guess in a more literal sense, my dad's influence is really strong because of his quirky sense of humor /observation and the fact that he showed me how to use power tools at a young age. I still ask him how to build stuff now. He's been a great resource for all things mechanical and electrical.

Tell us about your local art scene. What makes it great? What are the challenges?

There are a lot of really creative people in Cincinnati. A LOT. However, I often hear folks lamenting the conservative nature of our city - which, no question, the suburbs surrounding Cincy proper are. And I think this fact might lead some folks to feel 'held back' creatively. Thankfully, I've not had any real issue in that regard. I just tend to focus on what I can accomplish here, and search out other venues regionally where the work will also be celebrated.

Hivehead

A lot of artists have that one piece in their studio that they would never ever sell. Tell us about yours.

I don't know that I have a piece that I would not sell. My feeling is that the story came from the universe, and it is okay to give my version of the story back to the universe, and know that the universe will take care of it. The only piece that comes close is 'Hivehead' - the little gal doll with a bee hive on her head and tiny bees buzzing around it. That piece was based on a hive hat I made to wear in a Halloween 5K race I made a few years ago. While a lot of my work has been autobiographical, this piece in particular felt special to me. However, my sister-in-law recently wanted to purchase the doll, and I was pleased with that, so I let her go. I know she's in a good home, and I've been promised visiting hours.

Thanks, Michelle, for sharing insights into your creative world! For more images of her work and process, visit her website and Facebook page.

Artomatic @ Frederick Top Ten (Part Two)

2011-11-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

11/6/11

Sorry to be so slow in getting the rest of faves list together, but it's been a hectic month. My first four are here, and these six round out the list:

Kristin Partridge - Gorgeous photographic prints on vellum. I think she made quite a few top ten lists.

Claire of Synesthia Art - Things referencing synesthia are of particular interest to me because of a current series of paintings I'm working on. Her photos have a lyrical quality that I enjoy. Striking color. Wish I had her eye.

Jennifer Bernhard Hatfield -Delightful, whimsical sculpture. There was work at Artomatic that isn't on her website, which is under construction.

And now for a two-fer: Jeff Bohlander and Kristin Bohlander. Great to see another artist couple! Stephen and I saw an exhibit of Kristin's at Delaplaine a while back, and I loved her organic fiber forms. I was particularly struck by the miniature ones--a catalog of curiosities to ponder. Jeff's elegant collages include painted elements. Jeff's website is under construction, but I hope it goes live soon.

And the last star of Artomatic @ Frederick? I hope this isn't goofy, but it's.... the city of Frederick, which continues to wow me with it's support of the arts community. Of course, this includes the people behind Artomatic like Steven Dobbin and Jennifer Finley, plus all the volunteers who showed for their shifts.

Today is the last day to see this well organized, fun event. This year was too busy with the day job for me to participate, but I hope to be a part of it next go-round!

New Work: October 2011

2011-10-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

10/30/11

Four Corners

40 x 50 inches
Acrylic & Charcoal on Canvas

Manifest Landscape

40 x 50 inches
Acrylic & Charcoal on Canvas

Map of an Imperfect Soul

38 x 28 inches

Acrylic & Charcoal on Linen

Remembering the Body

38 x 28 inches

Acrylic & Charcoal on Linen

Artomatic @ Frederick Top Ten (Part One)

2011-10-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

10/2/11

A lot of quality work here, folks, so please go see this event before it ends November 6th. If you're looking to expand your collection, or are a beginning collector, there is ample opportunity to buy solid work at reasonable prices.

Caveat: A few artists I wanted to list here didn't have a take-away (business card, info sheet, postcard, etc.). And I didn't have a pen. That's why I'm splitting the list.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, my first four:

Rhonda J. Smith - Technical finesse and gorgeous surfaces in her reuse of scarred-up plexi she prints on using intaglio monotype. See a piece here.

Roberta Staat - Lovely, languid use of line in her images of cows and sheep. Large or small, every piece had presence. I want to see her work spread out in a white cube space. I don't think her drawings in the show are on her website, but you can get a feel for the quality of her draftsmanship here.

Shamus Ian Fatzinger - I don't see the work on exhibit on his website but I loved his photos of people in Africa mounted on time-worn wood. In some pieces, he painted around the photo to continue the image.

Andrea McCluskey - Projected video on newspaper strips. Great use of her space.

Including my husband Stephen on here would be a conflict of interest, but check him out in space 34A. He writes about each piece included and using projection in painting here.

Math and Art

2011-09-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

9/17/11

My new series Beautiful Equations uses physics and mathematical concepts or simply numbers as object to explore emotions and perceptions -- check it out here -- so I'm on the lookout for other artists doing the same. There's Alfred Jensen and Jasper Johns of course, but where I sometimes use numbers to create chaos, Ursus Wehrli makes order out of the universe (in one instance, literally). NPR's science feature did an interesting article on him: Extreme Tidying Up.

If he came over to my studio, I wonder if he'd run screaming from the room or stay for hours straightening up. If A&E ever does a Hoarders: The Artist Studio special, I'm so in.

Lottery (Painting for Synesthetes 2)

Acrylic & Charcoal on Canvas

38 x 26 inches

2011

New Art, New Article

2011-09-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

9/14/11

Many thanks to Topher Forhecz at the Gazette for his wonderful feature on Adah Rose Gallery, Elizabeth Grusin-Howe and myself! To celebrate, here's some new work...

The Sum of All Your Parts

60 x 50 inches

Long Division

36 x 24 inches

Down for the Count

12 x 12 inches

Tragic Math

12 x 12 inches

Self-Contained

12 x 12 inches

Split This Rock @ Studio Gallery for the 9/11 Arts Project

2011-09-08T03:31:00.000-07:00

9/8/11

Sunday September 11, 4 - 6 pm: Studio Gallery and Split This Rock collaborate for a special September 11th Reception with poetry and music.

Artists everywhere have been moved to create work in response to the events of 9/11, both immediately afterwards and over the past 10 years. By bringing together past and present work, we hope to illuminate ways in which art can help us to process catastrophe and its aftermath. The participating artists have been asked to reflect on their work in this regard, and their observations and insights will be included in the exhibition. For more happenings in this massive citywide collaboration, visit the 9/11 Arts Project calendar of events.

After You by Lori Anne Boocks

70 x 48 inches

New Works on Paper: Summer 2011

2011-09-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

9/5/11

For my new series of textscapes called Evidence, I'm omitting geometric shapes and keeping the focus on writing. Each one is 22 x 17 inches, and acrylic and charcoal on Annigoni cotton-wool blend paper.

In the Midnight Garden

Smoke and Lilacs (by your side)

Summer Came In (all heat and promise like your first kiss)

Under My Skin

New Space for Metro DC Art: Adah Rose Gallery

2011-09-02T03:47:00.000-07:00

9/2/11

Adah Rose Bitterbaum, independent curator and former director of Studio Gallery in Dupont Circle, is launching Adah Rose Gallery in Kensington's Antique Row, and she's featuring Elizabeth Grusin-Howe and me in her inaugural exhibition. Joan Belmar and Mei Mei Chang's duo show will be up after ours. Antique Row also has Third Thursdays, and Adah Rose looks forward to hosting music and literary events and, in the future, she hopes to offer art classes for children and adults. The Montgomery County arts scene is evolving, and I'm excited about being a part of this new venue. Showing with Elizabeth is great because even though we work in different mediums, we have similar processes of applying and removing layers and layers of color in our works.

The Mysteries of Place and Space
September 7 - October 9, 2011
Opening Reception: September 10, 6-9pm
Music by Walker Road
Catering by "Cookies"

Adah Rose Gallery
3766 Howard Ave
Kensington, Maryland 20895
Hours: Friday through Sunday 12-6pm and by appointment.
301-922-0162
www.adahrosegallery.weebly.com
info@adahrosegallery.com

The inaugural show at Adah Rose Gallery features the work of artists Lori Anne Boocks and Elizabeth Grusin-Howe. Ms Boocks, a painter, is the keeper of stories. The act of remembering and sharing stories is a powerful influence on her work. Just as the passage of time creates layers of experiencing -- the remembering of an event, the misremembering of it, the distancing, the forgetting -- are all important pieces in her process and thinking. In her paintings, text serves as both subject matter and the basis for mark-making. Texture for each piece comes from her hands, brushwork, and a subtractive process where layers of poured washes are added to the surface, then partially removed with cloth. Ms Grusin-Howe, a printmaker, also uses layering in her one of a kind prints that revel in the splendor, decay and serenity of Venice. In layers of paint, metallic pigments and waxes, she builds layer upon layer reflecting the experiences of the city itself and the intrigue and stories implicit in such a mysterious place.

New Work: August 2011

2011-08-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

8/14/11

After You

48 x 70 inches

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

Made for the Studio Gallery member show as part of the citywide 9/11 Arts Project launched by the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery. Stories that grow out of tragedy last a long time, sometimes forever, but some stories from this particular event we can only imagine: The last words of the dying as the planes went down and the towers disintegrated. The unspoken prayers of the grieving. The heroic acts buried in flame and ash. Fragments of over 20 possible stories are documented in this piece about altruism, survivor's guilt, and how life has changed after 9/11.

August 31 - September 24, 2011

First Friday Reception: September 2, 6-8pm

Special 9/11 Event: Sunday, September 11, 4-6pm

Artists Reception: Saturday, September 17, 4-6pm

Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW, Washington, DC

Corner

28 x 22 inches

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

Looming

28 x 22 inches

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

Round-up: Solo opportunities due fall 2011

2011-08-09T04:13:00.000-07:00

8/9/11

Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) Call for Exhibition Proposals, 2013 Season: Artists living or working in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia are invited to submit proposals that experiment and expand their work in an open, contemporary space in Reston, Virginia. The arts center is now accepting proposals for periods of approximately 4 – 6 weeks from November 2012 through September of 2013. Six solo artists will be grouped into two Focus Exhibitions, each featuring three artists in separate areas of the gallery. Group exhibition proposals are also welcomed. View prospectus Deadline: October 16, 2011

Dumbo Arts Center Open Call for Submissions: We invite artists and curators from all levels of experience to submit proposals for 2012. 3-4 exhibitions will be chosen for production in our gallery space at 111 Front St. in Dumbo, Brooklyn. For 2012, DAC will be organizing exhibitions around the theme of "Focus." Artists and curators are encouraged to interpret the theme as they see fit. We will consider all proposals, though we will admit a bias to installation, video, the very loud, the very quiet and/or the very small. Proposals can be for solo or group exhibitions. As DAC is a small (and nimble!) institution, artists and curators will have a very hands-on role in developing and installing the show. Proposals that include elements of public programming are encouraged. View prospectus for Exhibition Proposals to be realized in 2012. Deadline: September 12, 2011

BlackRock Center For the Arts is now accepting entries for the October 2012 - August 2013 exhibit season. BlackRock Center for the Arts gallery is 1500 square feet of exquisite gallery space located in Germantown, Maryland. With its high neutral walls and beautiful windows strategically placed it allows in just the right amount of natural light. The windows are located above the walls making it an ideal space for fiber art. BlackRock Center for the Arts takes pride in the eclectic group of artists we have exhibited in the gallery since 2002. View prospectus Deadline October, 28, 2011

Interview with The Frederick News-Post

2011-08-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

8/4/11

Thanks to Lauren LaRocca for this article on my Delaplaine installation, The Distance Between, which ends August 21. There's a First Saturday reception on the 6th from 3-5pm, plus it's the big dog days event downtown. A lot of fun!

Tomorrow from 6-8pm is the First Friday reception for the all members show Unseen at Studio Gallery in Dupont Circle. My new painting, Evidence of an Unstoppable Heart, (below) is on view.

Stop by. Pet a dog. Have some wine. See lots of art.

Small Wonders Opp at MFA

2011-07-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

7/27/11

SMALL WONDERS NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION

December 1 - December 28, 2011

DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

Prospectus Now Available at www.mfedart.org

Submit online today at:

http://www.mdfedart.com/pages/online_entry.php

Juror: Georgia Deal, Professor and Printmaking Chair at

Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington DC

Entry Fees: 1 or 2 entries=$30, MFA members $20

$5 for each additional entry up to 6

Awards total $1500 inclusive of a $500 Caruso Award for Painting designated for an MFA artist member.

Small Wonders Size Limitations

2D measurements must include the outside edges of the frame,

or work if unframed, and cannot exceed 11" on any one side.

3D measurements cannot exceed 7" in any one direction.

Writing & Talking about Art... art21 and 100 Artists of Washington, DC

2011-07-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

7/25/11

If you're new to writing artist statements or talking about your work, or if you want to refine what you've already got, these two resources may help... plus you'll learn more about artists in the process.

Stephen and I came late to this party but have been enjoying catching up on watching art21: Art in the Twenty-First Century from PBS in which artists talk about their work, process, influences, past, present, future... And we were struck during the same episode, almost at the same time, by how differently men and women tend to talk about their work, with women often looking inward, following the personal first, then bringing it outward. Maya Lin was the exception. It'll be interesting to see if this holds true as we move through the series. (On a side note, Stephen and I are working on a proposal for a two-person show called He Said/She Said that will present our different ways of tackling stuff - mark-making, titles, composition, etc. - and I wonder how much of the male/female stereotypes will hold up.)

The feature on Michael Ray Charles is my favorite so far. His studio is in his home, and the video showed him with his family as he talked about his work. A familiar scene here at the Boocks house.

On a related note, 100 Artists of Washington, DC from Lenny Campello is now out. The Metro DC area has such a vibrant art scene, and this new book captures the diversity of both established and emerging artists from the area or working in this area and beyond. Whether you want to know more about the DC area scene, or use it as a tool to start or build your collection, this is an essential text. But I also recommend it for artists new to assembling a portfolio or writing or talking about their work. Consider how the work depicted supports the narrative. If you could have the same amount of pieces represent what you do, what would they be?

And take this a step further... What is your "elevator speech" - when you say to someone new that you're an artist, and they ask, What do you do?, what is your quick reply (with a visual like a business card or postcard) that gets right to what you do and why it's worth a second look from them?

More on Cy, and Process

2011-07-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

7/24/11

"It's more like I'm having an experience than making a picture." - Cy Twombly

Stephen and I often talk about how the paining process is so different for each of us. He's more detached and analytical in his approach. My work is capturing past and present and sometimes future and I'm in the moment, hashing out emotions as they course through me. I'm reacting to a fresh mark on the fly even though I have a solid idea of what I want the final look and feel of the piece to be. And there's a tension between planning and this final knowing of a painting in my head and how I get there. Will I veer off-course? If so, will it be a happy accident or will I have a dud on my hands?

The New York Times has a nice, quickie slideshow overview of his life and work. I heartily recommend the book Cy Twombly: Cycles and Seasons, although it's currently out of print and the price has been jacked up considerably.

Fraser Gallery Moves to Gaithersburg

2011-07-16T04:24:00.000-07:00

7/16/11

Very cool to read in the Gazette that the Fraser Gallery is moving to 438 N. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. Between this venue, BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, and the arts scene in Frederick, I don't have to Metro or drive into the city to feed my art viewing jones.

New Work: July 2011

2011-07-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

7/11/11

Evidence of an Unstoppable Heart

Acrylic & Charcoal on Canvas

30 x 40 inches

July 2011

In That Soft Green Place

Acrylic & Charcoal on Linen

28 x 38 inches

July 2011

Evidence of an Unstoppable Heart is specifically for Unseen, the summer upcoming all-members show at Studio Gallery. Self-contained (Breach) will be entered into a local juried show. I usually don't let national or international events influence my work, but In That Soft Green Place is for Caylee Anthony. I had started this piece and was thinking of doing squares in memoriam to echo Berlin's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, but the Anthony trial ended and I thought about all the small voices silenced by a blanket of earth, the close of a suitcase, or layers of water. Stories ignored by someone who should've asked or helped. Stories swept up in a media frenzy or buried on page 8 by the press. Kids deserve to know love. Caylee deserves to feel peace.

Buggin' for Some New Opps?

2011-07-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

7/7/11

"Masks" @ Torpedo Factory Art Center's Target Gallery

Show dates: October 1-30, 2011

Juror: Brittany Yam, Director Project 4 Gallery, Washington DC. Masks is an all media exhibition that is open to all artists, nationally and internationally. Masks have long served as a symbol and a tool for concealment, protection, amusement and performance. Artists are being asked to create work based on the theme of masks, literally and conceptually. Deadline: August 1, 2011. $35 entry fee. Prospectus>>

Eye of the Beholder: The Fine Art of the Found Object -- The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the US and Canada to enter any two or three dimensional work that includes at least one or more found objects. The selected work will be on exhibit at the MFA Circle Gallery in Annapolis, MD from Oct. 30 - Nov. 26, 2011. $1000 in awards. Juror: Janet Maher, Associate Professor of Art at Loyola University Maryland. 1 or 2 entries = $35 ($20 for MFA members); $5 each for any additional up to 6. Artists can submit online or send CD to Attn. Found Objects, MFA, 18 State Circle, Annapolis MD 21401. Deadline: August 28, 2011.

Utrecht Art Supplies Third Annual Art Competition 2011

Deadline September 1, 2011. No fee. Enter at www.utrecht.com/contest, where complete entry instructions are posted. Entries will consist of one (1) digital file of each original work of art, no larger than 800 pixels tall or wide and not to exceed 4 MB, that is being entered in the Competition. There is a limit of 3 total entries per entrant, 1 per category. Winner Selection : On or about November 1, 2011.

Utopias at Anne Arundel Community College's Cade Art Gallery - new visions and better places in contemporary art, an all-media show juried by Jeffrey Cudlin, Professor of Curatorial Studies at Md. Institute, College of Art, and freelance writer for the Washington Post and the Washington City Paper. All artists working with themes in the show title are invited to submit up to six jpegs on CD and the entry form available at www.aacc.edu/cadegallery (click on "national juried show") along with a $20 entry fee by the postmark deadline of October 6, 2011.

RIP, Cy

2011-07-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

7/5/11

Enjoy writing on the clouds in the big studio in the sky...

Panorama, 1955

Video: The Distance Between - Installation and Concept

2011-06-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

6/29/11

Strokes of Genius @ MFA

2011-06-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

6/22/11

A Beautiful Gravity (Falling) was accepted in this Annapolis show. I usually don't make my text this legible (except the pieces in The Distance Between) but it's a love letter to my husband and I wanted to share it with the world.

Strokes of Genius
July 14 - August 7, 2011
Reception: Sunday, July 24, 3 - 6pm
Maryland Federation of Art

A Beautiful Gravity (Falling)

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

36 x 36 inches

2011

I know what it feels like to fall and I'm falling hard, harder than ever, and there's nothing

I can do about it, nothing that I want to do but just give in to this beautiful gravity.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T04:36:00.000-07:00

6/19/11

If you're a dad, have an awesome day! If you're an artist-dad, also check out this thoughtful post by Marty Coleman on Alyssa B. Stanfield's uber-wonderful blog: 6 Steps for the Artist-Father to Help Grow Creative Kids. Applies to moms too!

Speaking of artists parenting, the kiddo put down her bass for a little while to make this cool poster for my solo at Delaplaine.

The Distance Between: July 2 - August 21 at Delaplaine

2011-06-18T01:37:00.000-07:00

6/18/11

Opening Reception: Saturday, July 2, 3 - 5 pm

Show Dates: July 2 - August 21, 2011

Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center

This is a long time coming, over five years evolving in my head. I'm looking forward to installing it the last week of June.

For people who see the world in black and white, in absolutes, the distance between is irrelevant. You either are or you aren’t. You either do or do not. A white lie is just as bad as life in prison. They can’t appreciate the gradual descent, the slow, silent slide into a different state of being.

For those of us who can see the grays, the distance between is viewed as a continuum where one can shift left or right, up or down. We may not realize our movement along the line, between the planes, until we reach a different spot.

These works in acrylic and charcoal on wood panels represent my personal distances between two or more concepts fixed in time. Using rope to tether paintings closely together or to force a large space between other pairings creates a concrete, physical measurement of the emotional distances between each word in my life and invites viewers to consider where these intersections occur in their own. Read the press release

WPA Options 2011 Show for Emerging & Unrepresented Artists

2011-05-07T05:29:00.000-07:00

5/7/11

Curator: Stefanie Fedor, Assistant Director, American University Museum at the Katzen Art Center
Deadline: Monday, June 20, 2011 at midnight
Show dates: September 15 – October 29, 2011
Location: Downtown DC, exact address TBA
Details on WPA's call for entries web page

OPTIONS 2011 is the fifteenth WPA biennial exhibition of emerging and unrepresented artists from the Mid-Atlantic region. OPTIONS presents visitors with a glimpse into the breadth and diversity of contemporary art practice in the area and showcases work in any medium by artists without gallery representation. WPA began the OPTIONS biennial series in 1981 with legendary artist Gene Davis and Washington Review Managing Editor Mary Swift as curators. Stefanie Fedor, the curator for OPTIONS 2011, encourages the submission of work in all media, including installation, performance and new media. A catalogue will be produced to accompany the exhibition. Participating artists will receive a $300 stipend.

Eligibility
• All artists residing in DC, Maryland, and Virginia are eligible.
• Artists must not have gallery represenation or have had representation within the past year.
• You do not have to be a WPA member to apply and there is no submission fee.
• All work must have been produced within the past 3 years.
• Submissions from artists working in all media are welcome.

artdc Patron Art Show

2011-04-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

4/19/11

The artdc.org forum has been a great source of info for me, and the artdc Gallery offers artists with patron status the opportunity to be a part of the annual patron show. It only costs $35 to become a patron... learn more here.

BMORE Opp

2011-04-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

4/15/11

The UMUC Arts program invites entries of works by artists in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C., for the first Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibit, August 1 through October 16, 2011, in the Arts Program Gallery at the UMUC Inn and Conference Center, Adelphi, Maryland.

Jurors for the exhibition will be Helen Frederick, professor, George Mason University; Helen Jackson, independent art consultant/curator; and Evangeline J. Montgomery, artist, retired program development officer, United States Department for the Arts American Program.

Prizes will be awarded for accepted works in four categories:

- President's Best of Show
- Jurors Choice Award
- Award of Merit
- Arts Program Honorable Mention

A full-color catalog of works by all participants will accompany the exhibit. All participating artists will receive 20 copies of the catalog to be provided at the opening reception.

The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2011. There is a $20 application fee, which covers up to four entries.

For more information and to apply, visit
http://www.umuc.edu/art/biennial_maryland_exhibit/call_for_entries.shtml

Fire & Brimstone Floor (Saving Her Soul)

2011-04-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

4/9/11

Fire & Brimstone Floor (Saving Her Soul)

Acrylic & Charcoal on Canvas

60 x 70 inches

2011

Show Your Stuff Opps

2011-04-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

4/5/11

NY Gallery owner to jury National Small Works at WPG
Washington Printmakers Gallery seeks entries for a juried printmaking exhibition, August 3-28, 2011 in Silver Spring, MD. First Prize: Solo exhibition, 2012, Second Prize: $200 Purchase Award from Graphic Chemical & Ink Co., other prizes awarded. Juror: Robert K. Newman, owner, Old Print Shop, New York, NY.

Open to artists nationwide age 18 years+ who are creating traditional, hand-pulled prints (no digital or photographic processes accepted). Work must be no larger than 170 square inches.

Early bird online special: $20/4 images. Regular Online: $30/4 images. CD: $40/4 images. Deadline: April 15 for reduced fee; May 15 for all entries. Visit http://washingtonprintmakers.com/programs/small-works-exhibition for prospectus, or send a SASE to: WPG, Attn: NSW, 8230 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Questions? Please contact Annie Turner at info@washingtonprintmakers.com or call 301.273.3660.

Call for Exhibition Proposals: “Intersections: Where Art Meets Science”
In collaboration with a college-wide initiative to celebrate the intersection of arts and science, the Department of Visual Arts and Design is calling for exhibition proposals for the Annex Gallery in The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center that address this theme. These exhibitions will be scheduled for the 2011–2012 academic year. Proposals are welcomed from individual artists, artist groups, and curators. Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 21 years of age. Current Montgomery College students are not eligible to submit proposals. Eligible works: The Annex Gallery is primarily linear wall space that can accommodate two-dimensional works up to 54” tall. Freestanding, pedestal, and wall hung three-dimensional works up to 75lbs. will also be considered. Video projections are not eligible.

Application procedure: Visit http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/artstp/exhibitions for proposal form and instructions. Submit the completed proposal form along with the requested materials to the Department of Visual Arts on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus. Mail or deliver all proposal materials in one envelope to: Lincoln Mudd Montgomery College, TP/SS Campus 7600 Takoma Avenue, CF-134 Takoma Park, MD 20912 Deadline: April 15, 2011

Strokes of Genius: A Fine Art Painting National Juried Exhibition: The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the US and Canada to enter its all painting competition. Awards total $1500, inclusive of a $500 Caruso Painting Award for MFA members only. Juror: Daniel Shay, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.

Exhibit will be on view July 14 - August 7, 2011 at MFA Circle Gallery in Annapolis, MD. Any original work created through any painting media (inc. oil, acrylic, watercolor, encaustic, etc) will be considered. 1 or 2 entries: $35 (MFA members $20); additional entries $5 each. Up to 6 max. Deadline: May 4, 2011. Visit http://www.mdfedart.com/ for prospectus, or send a SASE to: MFA Circle Gallery, 18 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401. Questions? Please contact Tiffany Jordan at info@mdfedart.org or call 410-268-4566.

Strictly Painting 8: McLean Project for the Arts

Due April 11, 2011, 5pm; Juror: Jayme McLellan is an artist and curator living and working in Washington, DC. She is the founding director of Civilian Art Projects, a gallery representing emerging and established artists located in downtown Washington just north of Chinatown.

Exhibition Dates: Jun 16 - Jul 30, 2011
Rules and entry form here

Nancy Spero

2011-03-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

3/26/11

My birthday's not until April 7th but I got this wonderful gift early from Stephen.

Living Gallery Reception at Annmarie Arts Center

2011-03-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

3/18/11

I have three pieces in this show. If you live nearby, I'd love to see you there!

Friday, March 18, 6-9pm
Featured Exhibits: Calvert Artists' Guild Annual Spring Show & Sale and Living Gallery Exhibition & Sale
Directions to Annmarie in Solomons, MD
Appetizers by: Dream Weaver Events & Catering
Live Music by: Folk Salad Trio

Explore the work of the seventeen artists who participated in the Living Gallery program. Fiber, jewelry, sculpture, painting, and more - this exhibit and sale will brighten a cold winter evening. The Calvert Artists' Guild will also open their annual spring show featuring the work of their members. Enjoy wine, light hors d'oeurves, and live music - and don't forget to visit the Gift Shop for some retail therapy!

Material World Opening Tonite @ artdc

2011-03-12T02:53:00.000-08:00

3/12/11

Material World, an exhibition at artdc Gallery from Saturday, March 12 to Sunday, April 3, 2011 will feature works by Sherill Anne Gross, Michael Janis, J. T. Kirkland, Matthew Langley, Katherine Mann, and Marie Ringwald.

“The commitment these artists have for their materials and craft lets their processes inform the content of the work, not overwhelm it,” notes curator Stephen Boocks. “While viewers will inevitably wonder how the works were made and will marvel at the technical prowess, the pieces selected ultimately transcend the materials used, allowing each finished object to stand on its own.”

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. Two artists talks will be held: Michael Janis, Sherill Anne Gross, and Marie Ringwald on Saturday, March 19, and Matt Langley on Saturday, April 2. Gallery hours are Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. The gallery is located at The Lustine Center, 5710 Baltimore Avenue in Hyattsville, Maryland.

“Material World features exceptional work diverse in style and serves as a testament to the rich pool of talented artists from or with close ties to the DC area,” adds Boocks. “These six artists at varying stages of their careers all have a clear vision of what they’re trying to achieve with their preferred media.”

View a detailed catalog of the show here.

Artist websites:
matthewlangley.com
marieringwald.com
katherinemann.net
michaeljanis.com
sagworks.com
jtkirkland.com

artdc Gallery – 5710 Baltimore Avenue Hyattsville, MD 20781
Contact the gallery for appointments here.

New Work: March 2011

2011-03-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

3/4/11

Counting Coup is a definite nod to Miquel Barcelo's La Solitude Organisative. It's about a lot of things: painting oneself into a corner, my stint working at the prison, chaos in the midst of physical or emotional structure... organization that still can't make sense of it all, just attempt to impose some boundaries to contain something wild and unpredictable.

A Beautiful Gravity (Full Tilt) continues the theme of 'beautiful equations' where I reinterpret math formulas into emotions/something I can understand.

Counting Coup

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

60 x 50 inches

2011

A Beautiful Gravity (Full Tilt)

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

42 x 30 inches

2011

Sedona Love Poem (somehow it was enough)

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

36 x 36 inches

2011

Living the Artist's Life: My Spring 2011 Residency

2011-03-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

3/3/11

Here it is March already and I haven't written about the wonderful gift of a week to paint. Just paint. No day job. No ugly commute. Just paint, and me and a lovely short walk from the artist's house to the Annmarie Arts Center...

Sunday: Dropped off my groceries and light luggage, then unloaded the gear. I felt like Dexter, wrapping tables and floors in plastic and drop cloths. Being a pretty shy gal, it was awkward at first to start 'doing my thing' in front of people. Cherished private rituals turned inside-out for all to see. The idea of the Living Gallery is that the process is the product. The act is the art. There weren't many visitors throughout the week, but the majority of the conversations I did have were great. A 6-year-old with his wonderful grandparents showing me his drawings of the sculptures outside. Many people thinking I worked in oils or encaustic from the looks of my work instead of that red-headed stepchild acrylics.

Monday: Many of the canvases were marked up with charcoal. My personal challenges were to 1) explore blue, mix it better, use it more; 2) learn better how to dole out my paint for less waste but enough to make the amount of mixed colors I need in one session; 3) better understand my process--it can be so intuitive I lose the 'how' while losing myself; and 4) play around with a few new directions tempting me. It was a good, full day. A bit draining but solid.

Tuesday: Time has slowed down considerably. No Internet. No TV. No highway noises outside my window in the early morning hours. I'm slowing down too, in my head, with less monkey mind and scattered thoughts. I get a bittersweet glimpse of who I would really be if I were an artist full-time. I'm soaking things in--the crisp smell of winter air, the way the light from the huge windows hits my palette, and how I feel inside, really calm, as if I can wait for things to happen and not have to cram a painting session into 1 hour at night. I resolved to not regret that this is not my reality and instead think of this week as a gift.

Wednesday: The artist house is very cool. Simple. There are neat murals. Staying there reinforces the simplicity I'm feeling. It's very cold outside, and my joints are on fire. Painting stalls out a bit today, and I worry that I've bitten off too much. Self-doubt hits me like a brick wall but I get back on track, one small goal at a time.

Thursday: I'm feeling really good about the work I've done so far, but as a whole, the pieces don't seem too related. I start rushing a bit. Then at lunch I take a leisurely walk around the sculpture garden, my first since I arrived. One raised, spiraling walkway bears messages for the observant. Memory is a form of renewal, it offers a second chance. You never know how much you've done until you look back. Since my work relies heavily on my memories, the words resonate, almost physically. I feel so lucky to be here, fully engaged in the moment. Even though I'm the only one there, I feel surrounded by friends from my past and I vow (once again) to reconnect and let people know how much they have meant to me. The afternoon painting goes well, though not quite in the directions I had expected. I let the paintings take me where they want me to go, a willing passenger.

Friday: My last day. I've been thinking more about my total inability to understand the language of math although its formulas are like a code I desperately want to crack. I am finishing up A Beautiful Gravity. It's a different work for me--the text is visible. It's a love poem. Even though I can't grasp math and physics, I know what it's like to fall. To lose your grip on something solid.

If you're an artist, particularly if you work full-time at a day job, look for a short-term residency where you can give yourself the gift of time and interact with other artists. Lose yourself. You never know where you'll land.

Curator Interview: Melissa Langley

2011-02-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

2/15/11

Last week participating in the Living Gallery at Annemarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center was a wonderful experience, and I'll be posting about my stay there soon. While there, I had the opportunity to talk with Melissa Langley, Curator of Exhibits, to learn more about her and this wonderful program.

Q: How long have you been at Annmarie Gardens?
A: I've been the curator for three years, ever since the Arts Center was built. Before that, I had been here for seven years managing special events and marketing for the sculpture garden.

Q: How long has Annmarie Gardens offered the Living Gallery residency program?
A: This is our second year.

Q: Approximately how many artists per year are selected?
A: In 2010, ten participated, and we have sixteen for 2011.

Q: Where do the artists come from?
A: There's a mix of local artists from the tri-county area -- Anne Arundel, Calvert, and St. Mary's -- plus artists as far away as Indiana and New York. In 2011, six participants were from outside the local area, with several from the DC area.

Q: What do you look for when selecting artists?
A: We don't look for a particular style or medium. We do look for someone working on a body of work. We hope that artists use this opportunity to get work done while offering the public the opportunity to see this work evolving. The Living Gallery is great for both emerging and established artists.

Q: How has the community responded to the Living Gallery?
A: We receive a lot of positive feedback. The public likes that people are in here working. Plus the artists get a lot from each other during their time here.

Q: How have you and other staff benefited from this program?
A: It gives us the opportunity to learn about their work as well as the chance to see work for possible inclusion in future exhibits.

Q: What's the horizon for Annmarie Gardens in terms of new sculpture from the Smithsonian or future shows?
A: We have calls out for About Face and Supersize Me exhibit opportunities, and we'll be installing a piece from the National Gallery in a few weeks. Spring and summer brings more visitors to the area, plus we're always changing up our robust programming, which includes a variety of classes taught by experienced teachers.

Thanks, Melissa! Taking part in the Living Gallery was the whole package for me -- a great space, supportive staff, a chance to interact with other artists, and time to paint away from distractions. If you want to take some time and work on a new series in 2012, look for the next call for the Living Gallery in late 2011.

New Favorite Quote

2011-02-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

2/2/11

“…as all the stories that had ever been told and many that were still in the process of being invented could be found here, the Ocean of the Streams of Story was in fact the biggest library in the universe. And because the stories were held here in fluid form, they retained the ability to change, to become new versions of themselves, to join up with other stories and so become yet other stories…”

– Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Artist Interview: Steve Fleming

2011-01-31T17:53:00.000-08:00

1/31/11

Fellow Studio Gallery member Steve Fleming has a solo show from February 2nd to the 26th with a First Friday Reception (as part of the Dupont Circle Galleries openings) on 2/4 from 6 - 8 pm and another reception, Saturday 2/5, 3 - 5 pm.

Q: What's your favorite piece from the show and why?

A: I really like the earliest Kalahari painting, especially Kalahari 1 (above). It represents the freshest and most sensitive handling of my impression of the desert floor as seen from a small aircraft. The colors have a nice wide range considering I am painting a dry very desolate place. I really like the scratch work indicating the eons old paths that the animals use to cross the desert in search of food and water and the patches of white paint that are pulled over top of the foundation colors giving the impression of sand forming pockets and ridges on the earth's surface. I like all the later pieces; they became much more involved in terms of color, texture and the feeling of movement but the simplicity of the early work still says the most to me.

Q: Do you paint intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?

A: When painting acrylics I really do start with a plan and just put paint on paper and canvas and then I let the painting push me to new conclusions and destinations. This approach is very different for me because in my impressionistic watercolor landscapes I use a design pattern which is very specific in terms of the relationship of lights and darks and the location of focal centers of interest. I paint very fluidly and spontaneously but I have a definite plan. By contrast, when I paint acrylics I have a general theme or motif I want to try but I just let the medium and canvas drive me in new directions. I think this works with acrylics because they are great for changing the surface and restating dull and unsuccessful areas in the painting. I can really keep adding and trying one more thing and not stop until the painting feels complete. Many times the painting has a totally different look when finished than I anticipated when starting.

One thing that does define my works is my tendency to paint in a series of work following a theme or concept and then exhausting all of its possibilities. The two major themes of this show are the desert impressions in which I have tried to produce work that evokes the color, texture and character of the Botswana desert. I have flown over it many times and am always stunned by the dry, ancient grays and the spotty areas of life supporting water and vegetation. It has the look of an ancient face gritty, lined and expressive I tried to portray this in my show. The second theme is called "Layers" which came about with juxtaposition of zen circles on top of color fields and forms. I have tried to establish the feeling of looking into the picture plane through layers of symbols finding the distance and subject of the painting deep in the canvas.

Q: For this show, did you do anything differently... new techniques, subject matter, palette, etc.?

A: Actually, since this is the first time I have ever shown my acrylics, everything is new for me and the viewer. I have been a painter of transparent watercolors for 40 years and have just recently made the move to acrylics. I made this move because I wanted to work on a bigger scale and I wanted to get more surface textures without the tricks associated with the transparent watercolors. Most of the paintings were done using a palette knife and for me this is really different because I am pretty much noted for being a really expressive brush painter in watercolor. The journey to paint this show has really taken me to and through some rough yet exciting patches. For the longest time I would mention that I felt my relationship with acrylics was like a marriage that was on the rocks and in serious couples counseling.

Q: A lot of artists have that one piece in their studio that they would never sell. Do you?

A: Funny but I really have no painting that fits that description. Once I am done with a painting I am on to the next one. My favorite is always the one I haven't painted yet. My goal is to sell everything I paint and have the painting make the owners happy for the rest of their lives. I lose interest in a painting pretty soon after its completion and if I am left with it for too long I will begin to tear it apart intellectually and seriously consider painting over top of it. I look at each painting to be a process of creativity and immediate artistic energy, but once I feel it is finished I move all of my passion to the next piece. I belief that when an artist is too involved with past work then the future work will suffer. We must always be looking towards our next painting not the last one. Artistic growth comes from trying new things and pushing out beyond our comfort boundaries.

Thanks, Steve, for sharing insights about your upcoming show!

Artist Interview: Elena Stamberg

2011-01-28T18:50:00.000-08:00

1/27/11

Fellow Studio Gallery member Elena Stamberg has a two-person show up soon with Trix Kuijper. The exhibit runs February 2 - 26, 2011 with a First Friday Reception (as part of the Dupont Circle Galleries openings) on 2/4 from 6 - 8 pm and another reception, Saturday 2/5, 3 - 5 pm.

Q. What's the one thing you'd like people who aren't familiar with you/your work to know about you?
A: My heart is with needle, thread and cloth. That's a fact that I should probably whisper very softly. But then, what is canvas, but cloth with a treated surface? So all painters use cloth in their work. The needle is my brush.

Q: What's your favorite piece from the show and why?
A: The pieces done on organza are my favorites. They attempt to capture the atmospheric feeling of being by the surrounding and soothing ocean.

Q: Do you work intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?
A: I work intuitively in the moment having no preconceived notions as to the outcome. Sometimes the muse dances on my head and sometimes she doesn't. Then I wait.

Q: Who is your biggest influence and why?
A: I'm not really influenced by anyone. I observe, absorb and just am.

Q: For this show, did you do anything differently... new techniques, subject matter, palette, etc.?
A: The different part is that I'm showing work drawn with needle on cloth, rather than brush on paper or canvas.

Q: Where do you see the DC art scene in five years? In ten?
A: I haven't a clue. Who can predict the future, or even tomorrow?

Q: What do you feel is the best thing about being an artist in the DC area?
A: Studio Gallery. It's a wonderful space with a sculpture garden, high ceilings, we have a dynamic director, and the artists are supportive.

Q: A lot of artists have that one piece in their studio that they would never ever sell. Tell us about yours.
A: Some of my pieces have family members included and involve lots of detailed work which takes many months to complete. Those I would never sell because they are too personal.

Thanks, Elena, and best of luck with your show!

Don't Miss...

2011-01-23T05:08:00.000-08:00

1/23/11

Jacqui Crocetta, Rachel Rotenberg, and Sonya Lawyer are up at BlackRock Center for the Arts until Saturday, January 29th. It's a wonderful show of wood sculpture, paintings, and fiber collage in a gorgeous space out here in Germantown, MD.

BlackRock is also looking for Montgomery County artists for solos of two months in duration in their upstairs space -- the new Terrace Gallery -- with a deadline of 2/1//11. This new space features one large wall and lots of natural light right off their lounge. It's perfect for two very large paintings. Details here.

Also stopped by Bound last night at Hamiltonian featuring Katherine Mann and Selin Balchi. Beautiful, lush work not to be missed.

Annemarie Sculpture Garden & Art Center's Living Gallery

2011-01-17T17:20:00.000-08:00

1/17/11

I can't wait to participate in this residency program next month! A reception will be held from March 5 - May 1, 2011 with a reception March 18th from 6 to 9 pm. If you have a chance to stop by, I'd love to see you and share my process. About the Living Gallery>>

From January 17-February 25, 2011, Annmarie's spectacular Main Gallery will be transformed into artist studios and sales space. This wonderful atmosphere will give artists room to develop new work while allowing visitors the opportunity to observe, interact, and appreciate the artistic process. A diverse group of artists have been selected for this exhibition. Please review the schedule to select a time to visit!

Living Gallery 2011 Schedule:

Jan. 17-22	Francis Borchardt	mixed media
Jan. 19-21	Norma LeVally	art quilts
Jan. 23-28	Khara Koffel	mixed media
Jan. 24-Feb. 4	Suzanne Shelden	painting
Jan. 30-Feb. 4	Mary Blumberg	watercolor
Jan. 30-Feb. 4	Paul Rhymer	sculpture
Jan. 30-Feb.12	Nancy Shippen	painting
Feb. 6-11	Lori Anne Boocks	painting
Feb. 6-18	Melinda Fabian	illustration
Feb. 13-18	Carl Tucker	drawing
Feb. 14-19	Ann Crain	painting
Feb. 14-19	Colleen Lochausen	sculpture
Feb. 20-26	Robyn Strayer	fiber
Feb. 20-26	Mickey Kunkle	jewelry
Feb. 20-26	Diana Manchak	ceramic
Feb. 21-25	Bertram White	painting
Feb. 21-25	Liz Printz	jewelry

New Opp: The Art Advisory

2011-01-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

1/7/11

From The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery:

Art Advisory Mission
The Art Advisory, a full service entity of The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, assists private collectors, corporations and healthcare facilities in the transformation of their home or office into beautiful live and work environments through the integration of artwork, which enhances creativity, promotes tranquility, and offers inspiration.

Call to Artists
The Art Advisory seeks works by painters, photographers, sculptors, printmakers, muralists, installation and new media artists to support its advisory services and future projects. We accept two and three-dimensional works of art, including works on paper (edition of 500 or less) and Giclée prints (edition of 250 or less). Individual art works will not be selected from the call; rather, we will invite selected artists to be non-exclusively represented by the Advisory. Chosen Advisory artists will work with the gallery to sell existing works or to create commissioned pieces specific to future clients’ needs.

Jurors
Rosana Azar, Creative Adventures; Myrtis Bedolla, Galerie Myrtis; Mary Early, Hemphill Fine Arts; Lillian Fitzgerald, National Institutes of Health; Helen Frederick, George Mason University School of Art and Design; Anne Marchand, Professional Artist; Foon Sham, University of Maryland College Park; Alec Simpson, Brentwood Arts Exchange at Gateway Arts Center; and Tim Tate, The Washington Glass School.

Learn more and download the application here.

New Year, New Work

2011-01-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

1/2/11

She Set Herself on Fire So She Could Feel Color

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

30 x 30 inches

2011

What's New

2010-12-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

12/28/10

I'm working on pieces for my summer solo at Delaplaine in which I'll be documenting the distance between two opposing concepts. These personal continuums, fixed in time, explore the gradual shift between things like desire and regret, or will and fate, and invite viewers to consider where these intersections occur in their own lives.

For people who see the world in black and white, in absolutes, the distance between is irrelevant. You either are or you aren’t. You either do or do not. A white lie is just as bad as life in prison. They can’t appreciate the gradual descent, the slow, silent slide into a different state of being. For those of us who can see the grays, the distance between is viewed as a continuum where one can shift left or right, up or down. We may not realize our movement along the line, between the planes, until we reach a different spot. And once there and cognizant of our new location along this continuum, we face the distance between quiet acceptance and self-loathing.

Apart from one large piece, The Distance Between Sorrow and Song, this installation will consist of paired paintings connected by rope. Also new is painting on wood panels. My favorite, acrylics and charcoal, will still be used, and there will be drilling to insert the rope after the painting is done. Eek...

Another cool thing on the horizon is that I'll have the opportunity to immerse myself in painting for an extended period of time -- haven't done that since college -- at a week-long residency at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center this spring.

Great Show Upcoming @ Studio Gallery

2010-12-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

12/22/10

The Magic of the Melting Pot:
Immigration in America

Shahla Arbabi, Joan Belmar, Jon Benjamin, Graham Boyle, Susan Cho, Natalie Guerrieri, Esther Hidalgo, Juan Hernandez, Linda Hesh, Cesar Maxit, Favianna Rodriguez, Lou Stovall, Aniekan Udofia, Solomon Wondimu

Studio Gallery

2108 R Street N.W. Washington, DC 20008 202.232.8734

EXHIBITION: January 5 - January 29, 2011
Opening Reception, Friday January 7, 6 - 9pm
Author Talk: Steve Roberts, Wednesday January 12, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Artist Panels January 19 and 20th: 7 - 9 p.m.

Painters, Pacifists, Revolutionists and Dreamers have all contributed to the beauty of Art and Culture in America. Studio Gallery applauds the unique American spirit in this show featuring the diverse work of artists all informed or influenced by the immigrant experience.

This show is made possible by a grant from the CrossCurrents Foundation and Theo and Konstantina Margas.

Beauty in Decay

2010-12-10T20:23:00.001-08:00

12/10/10

Nice video on documenting urban decay here.

Landscape + Abstraction

2010-12-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

12/3/10

Here's a video from Tame Impala that puts them together and throws in some awesome sounds. Speaking of mixing landscapes and abstraction, two of my pieces are in Studio Gallery's All Member Show through December 23rd. Stop by the opening tonite if you can: 6 - 8pm at 2108 R St. NW. I'd love to see you there!

A Cornucopia of Opportunities

2010-11-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

11/21/10

A [horn of] plenty of opps are open for your submitting pleasure...

Cartoon Cult
The Soundry in Vienna, Virginia
Celebrating contemporary cartoons, cartoon characters,comic strips, digital animation, illustration, anime, and videogames (emphasis on original characters)
Due 11/25/10
Show dates: December 4 - January 4, 2011
Fee $25 for up to 5 pieces
Full deets

The Living Gallery
Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center in Solomons, MD
Annmarie seeks artists working in any media to submit proposals to set up a working studio space in the Main Gallery for 1-2 week periods. Through this exhibition, artists gain exposure, sell artwork, and work in a free studio space in a beautiful setting. This is a nice occasion for a serene retreat to immerse yourself in your artwork. Future group or solo show opportunities may also be awarded.
Due 12/16/10
Fee $20
Full deets

Art on Paper National Juried Exhibition
Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis
Juror: Johanna Halford-MacLeod. Any 2D or 3D work on or of paper will be considered.
Fee: 1 or 2 entries: $35 (MFA members $20); additional 4 entries $5 each. Up to 6 max.
Due 1/14/11
Show dates: March 18 - April 17, 2011
Full deets

Flashpoint RFPs
Flashpoint, a Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC) project, Washington DC
Artists interested in exhibiting their work at the Flashpoint Gallery in the 2011–12 season can download the RFP, which includes information about the program, guidelines and an application form. Each artist/project selected for funding will be awarded up to $2,500.
Fee $30
Due 1/1/10
Full deets

The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival

Ranked #78 on the 200 Best Shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine in 2008, making it the highest ranked fine art show in Maryland! All original fine art and fine craft are eligible to apply, including but not limited to jewelry, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, wood, furniture and drawing. 150 booth spaces are available. The show boasts 20,000 visitors over the course of the two-day show. Artist amenities include free breakfast, lunch and parking; as well as $2,500 in artist awards.
Festival dates: May 14, 10am-6pm and May 15, 10am-5pm
Due 12/10/10

Application fee $30

Full deets

10th Annual International Photography Competition

The Fraser Gallery in Bethesda, MD

An international photography competition; $950 in awards.
Show dates: February 11 - March 5, 2011

Fee: $25 for 3 entries

Due 1/4/11
Full deets

22nd National Drawing and Print Competitive Exhibition

College of Notre Dame of Maryland Gormley Gallery, Baltimore, MD

Exhibit Dates: March 28 - April 29, 2011

Due 1/31/10

Fees: $30 for 3 entries
Full deets

Academy of Fine Arts National Juried Show
Lynchburg, Virginia
Over $3000 in awards, with $1000 Best In Show Award. Juror: George Billis. Open to U.S. residents, 18 years or older, working in the following disciplines; painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, fiber, glass, ceramics, wood, metal and mixed media. No photography accepted.
Show dates: April 1-30, 2011.
Due 2/4/11
Fee: $35 (for 3 entries)
Full deets

Plume

2010-11-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

11/20/10

Something new in my small boxes on fire series. In this piece, all text is located inside the box. This painting is more of a true landscape than any of my work in this series.

Plume

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas

50 x 36 inches

2010

Slammin' the Gavel To Support artdc Gallery

2010-11-20T06:52:00.000-08:00

11/20/10

Stephen and I both have a piece up for grabs. This is a wonderful opportunity to own local art to add to your collection, or to start collecting. The piece I'm offering is one of my earliest textscapes in acrylic on acrylic sheet. Stephen is offering Nemesis.

Silence
Acrylic on Acrylic
20 x 32 inches

Nemesis

Stephen Boocks

Acrylic on Canvas

36 x 36 inches

Who: artdc Gallery and Fine Art Ventures, LLC

What: Auction Fundraiser

Where: 5710 Baltimore Ave., Hyattsville, MD 20781

When: December 4, 2010

Preview 5:15 p.m.

Auction 6:15 p.m.

Web: artdc.com

The artdc Gallery is pleased to announce our Gallery Auction Fundraiser on December 4, 2010. Two years ago we developed our Hyattsville Gallery project as a result from our first auction, which we hosted at the Wohlfarth Gallery. Since then, we have developed over 20 gallery exhibitions dedicated to representing the work of Washington, DC-area artists and developing awareness of our vibrant art scene.

We’ve expanded our presence, and worked hard on the development of two additional pop-up gallery exhibitions in Arlington, VA with efforts to reach beyond Maryland and DC.

We’ve started an art collection based off of works that ardc (Fine Art Ventures, LLC) has purchased to create an exhibition of area work that’s hung in our space.

We are growing and giving back to the community with our activity, and now we need your support. We’ve assembled a tremendous exhibition, which is on display now at the artdc Gallery. Fifty percent of all sales developed through the auction at the close of this show will support our activity, pursuit of pop-up galleries, and Web presence.

Our auction is a tremendous opportunity to add to your collection and cover your walls at great prices while supporting artists and a grassroots movement. Artists are offering amazing savings in the effort to support the Gallery.

Cheryl Edwards will act as the auctioneer. She will provide an active and exciting environment for bidders and patrons.

Don’t miss this opportunity to own a great work of art. Support our efforts and keep artdc moving forward.

Artists include:

Grayson Heck, D.B. Stoval, Mei Mei Chang, Wayson Jones, Sean Hennessey, Alexandra Zealand, Kimberly Stark, Christopher Brady, Heather Schmaedeke, Ric Garcia, Kelly Pearl, Cheryl Edwards, Tom Cardarella, Sarah M. Swift, Philip Yabut, Lori Anne Boocks, Stephen Boocks, Joe Rogers (Aiven), Paul T. Farley, Alan Rich, Ian Doherty, Angela Kleis, Jesse Cohen, and more.

Learning the Ropes

2010-11-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

11/16/10

I can't say enough wonderful things about this blog about the business of art. It's helped me stay motivated and on top of things like organization (ugh). Whether you've been in the game a while or you're new to it all, check out Alyson B. Stanfield's artbizblog.

Exploring the Creative Process

2010-11-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

11/5/10

Women need loneliness to create, without interference.

Heard this in an NPR interview with singer Buika, whom I've never heard before. Lovely, lovely voice. Smooth and rough at the same time.

Just last year, Buika worked with the legendary, gun-toting, 91-year-old singer Chavela Vargas. Vargas, she says, unlocked the prison door of loneliness for her — by explaining that women need loneliness to create, without interference.

"So, to me, [it] was like a boom. Like a big boom in my head," Buika says. "Because I was so scared of loneliness. So scared of loneliness. Because when you are alone, you hear yourself. And I didn't want to hear myself."

I think this is very true for me as an artist. I often thought I wasn't interacting enough with people during the creative process, but it's also emotionally taxing working alone, no warm bodies in a neighboring studio, just me and my thoughts pouring out on canvas. But this aloneness is what forces me to take it all down to the bone, reformulate it, and then pull it outside of myself for all the world to see. Or at least for some of the Metro DC area to see.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

10/30/10

Have fun, be safe, and check out this scary cool event:

Ofrenda - Art for the Dead
An art exhibition of local artists' shrines, altars, paintings, photography, music, dancing, magic and spoken word based on the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) tradition.

Torpedo Factory Art Center
105 N Union Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Party Saturday, Oct 30, 2010 from 4pm - 10pm
Exhibit open to the public from Oct 28 - Nov 9, 2010
No Cover, Cash Bar
Details

2010 Artists include:

Michael Auger
Jennifer Beinhacker
Andrea Collins
Jackie Ehle
Emily Greene Liddle
Jeannette Herrera
Kevin Irvin
Jessica Jastrzebski
Paul Jutton
Lori Katz
Fareeha Khawaja
Matthew Michae Malone
Carolina Mayorga
Heather Miller
Shannon Peshkopia
Lisa Rosenstein
Skeeter Scheid
Heather Schmaedeke
Constance Springer Zabowski
Kimberly Keyes Stark
Henrik Sundqvist
Roy Utley

Artomatic's hair- and fund-raising event Surreal DC is sold-out, but if you were one of the lucky souls to get tickets, have a blast!

Artist Interview: Daniel Calder

2010-10-01T03:42:00.000-07:00

10/1/10

As a non-objective painter, there's nothing that gets me salivating more than an amazing non-objective painting. The kind I could lose myself in for hours at a time. The kind like Daniel Calder's. But Daniel does more than paint...

Cling

Acrylic on Panel

36 x 36 inches

2009

Q: Do you paint intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?

A: The primary series of my paintings is built on a favored motif which was arrived at through conceptual and formal considerations. I deviate from this from time to time to pursue other trains of thought but never abandon it. The arrangement of the vertical forms in my work is a device for examining the relationship of individuals to a group or set. A grid or schematic serves as a starting point. From this beginning I work to blend presence with absence. I see the forms as alternating between part empty and part full with the structure of the overall composition varying accordingly. It is a metaphor for family, identity, and existence.

My work is motivated by my experiences with my sense of self and identity in the context of changing family knowledge (and revealed familial history) and the consideration of various ideas, both historic and personal about the nature of existence.

All art is about existence.

Q: Who is your biggest influence and why?

A: That’s a tough one – the influences of my work are rather slippery and varied. Though I try not to let another artist’s work dictate the look of mine there are many things and people that qualify as influences. Such as; the drama and contained energy of Gericault, the search for un-dogmatic profundity of Richard Dawkins, and the economy of Malevich.

Q: A lot of artists have that one piece in their studio that they would never ever sell. Tell us about yours.

A: I think I sold it. In any case, when I do a painting like that I resist the urge to keep it. I find that the memory of it serves me better than having it readily accessible. Sometimes the memory is better. The thing I treasure is the intellectual construct I crafted to allow these paintings to be possible.

“Thanks, I’m good,” says Daniel Calder, to drivers who paused at the intersection of Broad Street and Staples Mill Road last week. The rest of his audience whizzes by at about 40 miles per hour, blowing his hair, voice and sign in the wind. For two weeks, as a kind of performance art piece, Calder has ventured out to the intersection sporadically, usually around noon. In the middle of a 3-foot-wide median in one of Richmond’s busiest intersections, he holds a sign that says: “I don’t need anything. Thanks.”

Calder, 39, says he’s been an artist all his life. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a master’s degree in painting in 1990 and is a member of 1708 Gallery. Now he’s framing pictures while he’s in the midst of a career change. “It’s an interesting social experiment,” he says of his outings. Calder seems to be getting a lot of positive response. He says most people who see him give him a thumbs-up. “I get lots of waves,” he says. Still, Calder says, “many people can’t seem to get their heads around it.” He speculates that some people probably think he’s a jerk; others seem to be relieved that he’s not someone in need. “It’s the madness of art,” he says. “It’s not all explainable.” — Stephen Salpukas, Style Weekly

Check out the video here, and see his paintings online at ArtQuiver. Thanks, Daniel, for the opportunity to learn more about you.

October Opp-o-rama

2010-09-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

9/29/10

Don't be afraid to enter these great opportunities...

BlackRock Center for the Arts: Proposals for 2011 Shows
Germantown, MD
Fee = $35
Due 10/30/10
Full deets

Greater Reston Art Center: Proposals for 2012 Shows
Reston, VA
Fee = $25 ($10 if you are a member)
Due 10/17/10
Full deets

The Soundry: TechnoPunk 1801-2099
Unjuried visual & performing arts
Vienna, VA
Fee = $25 for up to 5 pieces
Commit to submit using this link by 10/13/10
Artwork due to The Soundry by 10/16/10

Artists Wanted: Art Takes Miami
Your own feature at SCOPE 2010, $10K and a trip to Miami
Fee = $10 per image
Due 10/27/10
Full deets

Artist Interview: Marcie Wolf-Hubbard

2010-09-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

9/25/10

I met Marcie at the reception for UMUC's Mind, Body, Spirit: Celebrating Regional Women Artists. Her Rock Creek Trees, painted in acrylic on tar paper was displayed near my piece and was a smaller work, like mine. And her vibrant painting was one of my favorites in the show.

She teaches classes for children and adults in her studio at Pyramid Atlantic Arts Studio, with accommodations offered for students with special needs to ensure access and provide full participation. Marcie can communicate in American Sign Language and has experience working with deaf and hard of hearing students. She earned a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Yours Truly

Encaustic painting, charcoal drawing with mixed
media,oil stick, collage elements and wax.
14”H x 9.75”W x .5”D
2010

Q: What's the one thing you'd like people who aren't familiar with you/your work to know about you?

A: I’m honest. I guess it must translate to my work because I’m focusing on what I’m seeing. It is something I value and feel compelled to investigate or look at further. I may be revealing something internal as I incorporate text into my mixed media paintings.

Q: What's your favorite piece from your recent show and why?

A: “Yours Truly,” a charcoal and encaustic painting that includes a postcard collage, is my favorite piece from my series of figure and encaustic painting. In "Yours Truly" the woman's posture does not look relaxed, but ready for new experiences, energetic and upbeat. She is thinking about what’s to come. The lines I’ve drawn in the wax background, which derive from the style of my charcoal drawing, convey her potential energy.

I feel “right on” with the amount of color, the intensity of color and the color of the rustic-looking wood. The postcards give another sense of time to the artwork--- history, including a photo of a lone person standing on the sidewalk. I've combined these elements and it is not an obvious message, but has a spirit about it. She feels young and vibrant; I like that.

Q: Do you paint intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?

A: For the purpose of illustration, I have a definite plan. I’ve been working on illustrations for my husband’s children’s book, “The Shiny Shell,” an environmental fantasy about a boy who is befriended by a dolphin. The two travel to another galaxy where they attend “The Gathering.” The dolphin introduces the boy to sea creatures at The Gathering where they work together to solve ecological problems. I have been using a combination of charcoal drawing and encaustic painting in this series. I love the gentleness that can be conveyed in charcoal and have been pleased with the dreamlike quality achieved by combining the drawings with encaustic painting. My plan is to paint in wax with the charcoal drawings for the final children’s book illustrations.

I approach other subjects differently. In my landscape plein air painting or in painting in the studio I work on a composition which begins with a drawing, either in pencil, charcoal or loose brush. I aim to retain the energy of the drawing in my painting. The starting point of the drawing may be intuitive rather than planned.

Q: Who is your biggest influence and why?

A: Larry Rivers and Richard Diebenkorn first come to mind. I’ve always loved seeing the evidence of drawing, and energy in their paintings. I especially like Diebenkorn’s involvement with geometry in lines, planes and areas of color. A few years ago I saw the John Alexander retrospective exhibit at the American Art Museum. I am inspired by the energy of his brushwork, and the richness of color and contrast of light in his paintings. I am very much drawn to the color palette of local painter Ellyn Weiss. I also admire the sensibility of line in her drawing. Colors in her individual paintings feel right together. I was fortunate to have Ellyn give me a tutorial in encaustic painting.

Q: For your recent show, did you do anything differently... new techniques, subject matter, palette, etc.?

A: I’m joining my husband in an artist’s market, and am bringing my smaller, “more affordable” paintings done on a smaller scale -- approximately 5” x 9”. I’m varying the palette, but continue to lean towards the blue/aquas.

Q: What do you feel is the best thing about being an artist in the DC area?

A: Many things come to mind, such as access to the museums (Smithsonian Museums, National Gallery of Art, The Kreeger Museum, The Katzen Art Center at AU); Rock Creek Park and Great Falls National Park; life drawing sessions; and my studio at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center. One of the best things about being an artist in the DC area is the Artomatic experience. Its a reminder that we really have an art community breathing with life. Artomatic brings a greater audience to view art and to participate in art. It’s inviting, fun, daring and it’s a season when our area comes alive.

Q: As an artist, what have you noticed outside of DC?

A: Visiting other places can be good for the soul.

I have visited Philadelphia five or more times in the past three years and feel that Philadelphia supports its artists (and vegetarians.) I’ve learned that the city of Philadelphia has the most murals in any city in the world. It's obvious that the city is innovative in ways to support artists and has been successful in implementing outreach for individuals related to arts in healthcare settings, in healing, and for at-risk youth. It seems to be celebrated. Being in the area of the Old City, you see the energy that art brings to the area in the galleries, the foot traffic -- it just always seems lively when I visit.

Last year I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Southwestern VA teaching an artist residency at Covington High School. Over the two week period, I visited Lewisburg, WV, Lexington, VA, and Roanoke VA. I was overtired after driving non-stop to get to Covington, but accompanied my host to attend an informative lecture at The Divas and Iron Chefs of Encaustic exhibit at Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, VA. Many people came to hear the lecture and enjoy the art and reception. I visited Lewisburg, WV twice and was able to speak with gallery owners and others in the town. The first Friday art evening in Lewisburg was popular. I was very impressed with the revitalized area of historic downtown Roanoke. Roanoke’s Artist Open Studios were well-attended and people were enthusiastically buying art.

It was great to travel in New England last month. Highlights in viewing art: Visited the Corning Museum of Glass for the first time and highly recommend it. It was our second visit to MASSMOCA in the Berkshires - always exciting. We attended an author’s talk at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and I felt inspired to see the range of children’s book illustration in a beautiful museum. It was great to draw and enjoy the scenery. I feel fortunate that I was able to visit Maine this Summer and spend time canoeing to private places and drawing in the beautiful unpopulated areas in peace and quiet.

Q: How would you describe your recent work?

A: My encaustic paintings can be rugged with the wood support and textural elements, but I retain my focus on the grace of the figure. I have loved re-immersing myself in figure drawing and combining drawing with wax painting adds to my excitement. The effect produced by applying wax to charcoal drawing is that of an image floating on vellum. The “back and forth” of additive collage imagery is married with encaustic’s mysterious depth and transparency. Drawing and carving into the wax with a tool and then applying pigment augments the sense of energy in the brushwork.

Here are some comments I’ve received about the series:
“How wild and calm it is at the same time, the lines are wild and fast...love it.”
“Harmony as well as contrast in colors...great achieved balance.. Exquisite use of media...”
“I love the tonal quality and the colors...Pow! You've aroused my taste in art buds with this series.”

Thanks, Marcie! It was great to get to know more about you and your work.

17th Street Festival @ Dupont Circle

2010-09-24T03:36:00.000-07:00

9/24/10

The 17th Street Street-scape Project commenced in December 2009 and is now in its final stage of completion. Residents, businesses and visitors have patiently endured this lengthy process as a collective whole, and will finally get to enjoy the end result! From businesses to the local school and residents to local organizations, our collaboration brings about this unique event. Come celebrate with us!

Saturday, September 25th

2:00-6:00 PM

Free movie at Stead Park 8 PM

Learn more>>

Studio Gallery will be among the artists/galleries represented. There'll be musical performances throughout the afternoon, artist vendors, a pet zone, a kids zone, auction tent, and exposure for non-profit groups and appearances by city officials to celebrate the unveiling of our new street-scape.

Reception Saturday

2010-09-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

9/10/10

If you're in the DC area tomorrow, stop by Studio Gallery from 4-6 pm for a reception featuring my husband's wonderful truffles. Oh, and my art. Hope to see you there!

Red Deluge (After Me)

2010-09-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

9/7/10

Red Deluge (After Me)
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
48 x 70 inches
September 2010

This piece is the large work-in-progress in my profile pic. Having worked in a prison, I am intrigued by lines, both literally and figuratively, so I plan to incorporate them into more work.

A Great Night

2010-09-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

9/4/10

Thanks to everyone who dropped in last night at First Friday. If you couldn't make it, I hope you can stop by Saturday the 11th from 4 to 6pm. I really enjoyed being part of the conversation; it's always insightful to talk about your work with people who don't know you and who've never seen the work before. Another artist said my pieces looked like they had a lot of history. I'd never really thought about the paintings having their own baggage but I'm glad they give that impression.

Please Drop By

2010-09-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

9/1/10

The work is up, the wine is chilled, and First Friday is almost here. I hope you can drop by.

My Interview at Artists Speak

2010-08-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

8/31/10

Artists Speak is interviewing artists about the state of art today, and how this condition relates to society and the artist as an instigator. Check out my interview and those of a variety of artists working in a wide range of media. Thanks for the opportunity, Artists Speak!

Time for Some More Opps

2010-08-30T03:44:00.000-07:00

8/30/10

Small Wonders National Juried Exhibition
Maryland Federation of Art
2D or 3D not exceeding 11" in any dimension
Show info: MFA Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD 12/1-28/10.
Juror: Jule Cavnor, Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, MD
Awards totaling $1000
Due 9/15/10
Fees: $30 for 1 or 2 entries ($20 for MFA members); $5 each for any additional entries up to 6.
Download prospectus

Literary Reference Exhibit
Howard County Arts Council
Due 10/1/10
Fees: Appears to be free
Bodies of work that reference literature or literary themes or ideas, but are not explicitly illustrative. Work must fit through a doorway measuring 54 x 80” and fit appropriately in the HCAC gallery.
Download prospectus

14th Annual National Juried Show
Gallery West in Alexandria, VA
Show Dates: 2/9 - 3/6/11
Cash awards of $1,000
Juror: F. Lennox Campello
Open to all local and national artists over 18 years old. Original fine art in any medium. No videos or reproductions.
Fee: $35.00 for up to 3 original 2D or 3D works
Due 11/12/10
Prospectus & full details

New Work (August 2010)

2010-08-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

8/22/10

For my upcoming two-person show at Studio Gallery in September...

An Inside Job
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
22 x 28 inches

Black Box Memories
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
22 x 28 inches

Nothing But Blue Skies
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
22 x 28 inches

Small Box on Fire
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
22 x 28 inches

Where There's Smoke
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
22 x 28 inches

Nothing like a little pre-show anxiety

2010-08-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

8/8/10

It's about three weeks until my first show in ages so Stephen made me watch New York Stories last night...

Pour / Burn

2010-07-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

7/25/10

For my September show at Studio Gallery entitled small boxes... some on fire.

Pour / Burn
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
38 x 58 inches
2010

Travelogue: Eastern State Penitentiary

2010-07-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

7/24/10

If you ever get a chance to visit Eastern State Penitentiary, you won't be disappointed. Whether you're into penal history, art, urban decay or historic preservation projects, this Philadelphia landmark has everything. As they state on their website, "Bring a camera: And extra film. Eastern State may be the most photogenic place you see in years!" They're not kidding. I'm no photographer by any stretch but, with subject matter this rich, my amateur shots looked pretty cool.

Left: Barber Shop Chair, Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA

The self-guided audio tour is narrated by Steve Buscemi, and offers just enough detail to keep you informed but moving through at a steady pace. There are additional stops along the way where you can delve deeper with the audio component. Special tours are offered as well, though I'm not sure if these are a daily happening.

They hold a haunted house called "Terror Behind the Walls" that helps fund artist installations. Very cool.

Here's a slideshow from the visit. Go full screen with 'em -- the textures and colors are amazing there.

July Opps Round-Up

2010-07-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

7/6/10

CITY Gallery's First Annual Juried Exhibit - Due 7/12/10
Open to artists 18 years of age or older working in oil, pastels, watercolor, glass, ceramic, sculpture, photography and mixed media. Full details

The District of Columbia Arts Center's 1460 Wall Mountables - Install 7/21/10

On Wednesday, July 21 DCAC will open its doors at 3pm, beginning a three-day installation process during which artists can purchase up to four 2' x 2' spaces at $15 each (max 4 spaces) to hang their work. Full details

Washington School of Photography Permanent Exhibit

Due 7/30/10 Full details

An Interview with Kelly Perl

2010-07-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

Kelly Perl's Fast Food Fortress #1

DC-based architectural and industrial photographer Kelly Perl is a fellow artdc forum member, and I recently had a chance to learn more about her work. From her website: Interestingly enough, much of what I shoot is no longer in that form within a few months. I love how she's documenting the processes of both decay and building, sometimes in the same shot.

Q: What's the one thing you'd like people who aren't familiar with you/your work to know about you?

A: I am an architectural photographer, and I shoot parts of buildings or groups of buildings to find abstract compositions within them. In fact, I’d consider shooting only one building for my art a sort of plagiarism.

Q: Why photography?

A: I had a latent interest in photography when I was a kid, even had a friend whose parents had a darkroom, but my folks didn’t have much disposable income so I didn’t think about it seriously at the time.

One day in 1999, I was in Pittsburgh and saw railroad tracks, possibly abandoned, built against a small hill. I told myself if I ever came that way again, I’d have a decent camera and take pictures. I’ve never been there since but within a year I did have a 35mm film camera.

Q: Do you shoot intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?

A: Somewhere in between. I shoot in the field so I have to have an idea where I’m going that day. I tend to spend a few weeks in a general area and then go somewhere else. Recently, I have been shooting up and down Rhode Island Avenue in the Gateway area and I’ll just go where my eyes want me to go. I often go back to places to reshoot, and my best picture will be something I haven’t planned at all.

I am an economist by profession and only started taking pictures in my mid-thirties. I have to be attuned to the nonverbal and nonmathematical and be willing to follow an impulse all the way to exhibiting something. I have works that I think are good and cannot tell you why. Fast Food Fortress #1 (above) is one of those.

Q: What are you thinking of working on next?

A: Unconventionally shaped work. Right now I have a triangular work that is the real art within a photo of a wall in Brentwood, Maryland. I also have a row of warehouses in DC that I’m trying to fit in triangular form.

Q: What do you feel is the best thing about being an artist in the DC area?

A: For a photographer, it’s that there are many people working different processes. I shoot 35mm digital and medium format film, in color. Even the medium format is conventional when there are photographers in the area who make tintypes, use a Holga for serious work, shoot large format pinhole, or play with emulsions.

Visit her website to see more of her work. Thanks, Kelly! And keep shooting :)

Explorations: New Member Show at Studio Gallery

2010-06-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

6/24/10

Nine new members. Two floors of art to explore.

If you're local, please drop by and say hello during one of the three receptions being held. I have several pieces up as well as fellow SG members Pam Frederick, Elizabeth Grusin-Howe, Carolee Jakes, Flora Kanter, Peter Karp, Gene Markowski, Veronica Szalus, and Angelika Wamsler. I'd love to see you there!

Exhibit Dates: June 23 - July 17, 2010
Artist's Reception: Saturday, June 26, 4 - 6 pm
First Friday Reception (as part of the Dupont Circle Galleries openings): July 2, 6 - 8 pm
Reception: Friday, July 9, 6 - 8 pm

Studio Gallery

2108 R Street N.W. Washington, DC 20008

202.232.8734

Gallery Hours:
Wednesday and Thursday, 1 - 7pm
Friday, 1 - 8pm
Saturday, 1 - 6pm

An Interview with Nancy Frankel

2010-06-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

Water Falls by Nancy Frankel

6/23/10

In her solo show, Summer Steel +, Nancy Frankel’s new steel sculptures combine the interplay of space and form, delicate balance, and playfulness. Also on display are her fired clay reliefs, which grew out of an experience two years ago in a Plein Air group with Russian and Bulgarian artists in Bulgaria.

To see Water Falls and Nancy’s other wonderful work on display, drop by Studio Gallery during one of the receptions and talk with this wonderful artist who has given so much to the local arts scene.

June 23 - July 17, 2010

First Friday Reception (as part of the Dupont Circle Galleries openings): July 2, 6 - 8 pm
Reception: Friday, July 9, 6 - 8 pm
Artist's Reception: Saturday, June 26, 4 - 6 pm

Q: What's your favorite work from the show and why?

A: Usually my favorite piece is the one I’ve just finished but that isn’t the case this time. The frame for Water Falls had been given to me in the past and had been in my studio for a year. I like that it’s using color, and that it’s curvilinear. Water Falls wasn’t created in the typical way I work -- I didn’t plan it ahead of time, and I had to create it by bending and curving the steel then attach the steel to the frame. I had no preconceived idea about what it would look like completed. My steel pieces have to be thought out ahead time, even though when working with wax and playing with sketches I can be spontaneous until something takes hold. Once I get the specific idea down, I then have to be very careful about the model. With Water Falls, I could take a very different approach.

Q: What kinds of opportunities have you had as artist in the DC area during your career?

A: I’ve been in DC a long time -- 40 years -- and have been active as an artist with several organizations during this period. I’ve been with Studio Gallery since the 1980s, and it’s been a great place for me to connect with other artists and get good exposure. Here, there is no dictation about what to display or what sells. I’m also a part of the Washington Sculptors Group, and they exist to provide opportunities to show and make connections. I’m also a member of a group of women artists who meet once a month -- the First Sunday Group. It’s a fluid group with a solid core.

Q: If you could wish for one major change in the local art scene, what would it be?

A: The DC art scene’s shortcoming is the lack of attention to given to arts and lack of respect for local artists. The local papers often ignore local artists. Maybe this lack of interest is due to the fact that we’re surrounded by national galleries and also how close we are to New York. I wish people would pay attention to the vibrant art scene here, which unfortunately seems mostly underground.

New DC Area Art Rag: Stamp Magazine

2010-06-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

6/20/10

Artist/Designer Jason Nickens is publishing a new art magazine to answer the question, "Where has all the good art gone?" Here's a teaser of the magazine to give people a view of the publication before its printed. It features the work of Washington Metropolitan artists. It's funded by the DC Commission and will be distributed throughout the city.

From the STAMP blog:

STAMP is a new catalog style magazine, created to be a platform that will serve as a voice for artists to promote and share their artistic expression throughout the community and beyond. STAMP offers the opportunity for any artist with a passion for their work to be promoted on the blog and perhaps the magazine. We encourage all artists who wish to have their work seen, or just need a visual stage, to submit their work to STAMP. To be considered for any of the upcoming issues or the blog, simply email STAMP at stampmagazine@jasonnickens.com. Please include a short biography, any contact information (website, email), and at least 5 hi-res works you want featured. That's it!!! Enjoy the artists and uploads on STAMP!!!

Out and About

2010-06-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

6/19/10

I really enjoyed Don't Feed the Art over at artdc Gallery in Hyattsville. Those disembodied faces? You had to walk a gauntlet of them to get into the show. Be sure to check it out before it closes July 10th.

Also stopped by the Fraser Gallery to see work selected for the Bethesda Painting Awards. I think there was only one red dot among these wonderful and very reasonably priced pieces. Very dismayed to see that. I'd never seen the work of First Place winner Nora Sturges. Lovely, rich pieces that I kept coming back to. I remember seeing work by James Halloran at Artomatic 2009. His Hallway was my favorite single piece. This show closes June 26th. If you're at all interested in painting, this show is a must-see.

MD Sculptors: Get Your Fund On

2010-06-18T04:32:00.000-07:00

6/18/10

Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards are made to Maryland artists to encourage and sustain their pursuit of artistic excellence. The categories offered for 2011 include classical music composition and solo performance, choreography, dance solo performance, poetry, sculpture, and world music composition and solo performance
(FYI - 2012 will rotate to include crafts and photography; 2013 has painting, media/digital/electronic arts, & works on paper).

A limited number of awards of $1,000, $3,000, and $6,000 will be offered. The application deadline for the 2011 Maryland program is August 4, 2010.

See guidelines and access the online application>>

Who May Apply: Individuals who are Maryland residents, 18 years of age or older may apply. Applicants must have established residence and be living in Maryland at least six months prior to the application deadline, and must be residents living in Maryland at the time the award is granted by MSAC. Proof of residency may be required.

Who May Not Apply:
- Individuals enrolled in high school or any undergraduate classes or programs during FY 2011 (July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011).
- Individuals pursuing graduate instruction in any MSAC IAA artistic category during FY 2011 (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011).
- Collaborating artists may not apply for their collaborative work.
- Artists who received a $6,000 MSAC Individual Artist Award for FY 2009 or FY 2010.

Turn-about is fair play...

2010-06-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

6/17/10

Two of the wonderful Studio Gallery interns interviewed me today, and it was fun being on the other side of the questions, which dealt with process, using text, and my take on why you should experience local art. Check it out at the Dupont Circle Arts blog.

The Art, It's Hungry...

2010-06-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

6/15/10

Don’t feed the art, because it may bite... This show coming up at artdc Gallery encompasses a wide range of techniques that are powered by motors and the viewer, creating motion ranging from random physical movements to very defined circles. It's wind-powered. It's moving disembodied faces. It's a bunch of parts that "crank, buzz, flap, blink and jitter," notes gallery director Jesse Cohen.

How can you resist moving disembodied faces?

Jesse adds, "In a room overflowing with tweaker-like energy, Sarah Martin’s paintings jump out and grab your attention with calming power."

artdc Gallery
5710 Baltimore Ave.
Hyattsville, MD 20781
Dates: June 5th to July 10th 2010

Reception: Saturday June 18th 7:30 to 10pm

Visit the artists' sites below, and be sure to check out the 2-D work by Christian and Peter. I love their surfaces.

Zac Jackson
Christian Benefiel
Grayson Heck
Peter Gordon
Sarah Martin

Small Boxes... Some on Fire

2010-06-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

6/13/10

Had a full day in the studio yesterday and came up with the title for my September two-person show. Here are two relatively small pieces I hope to include that got wrapped up yesterday.

Things She Wanted To Be
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
12 x 16 inches

Shadow Lessons
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
12 x 16 inches

Meet the Artists at Iona

2010-06-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

6/11/10

Artist in Residence Melanie Grishman (art featured above), Special Guest Artist Chuck Baxter and Poet in Residence Anne Becker join the Gallery at Iona for a Meet the Artist Reception on Thursday, June 17 from 5 - 7 pm. The exhibit continues through August 23. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 to 5, and the gallery is located at 4125 Albemarle Street, NW in DC.

At Iona, we understand the relationship between wellness and arts and aging well. We offer a whole host of creative arts activities ranging from a chorale group to short story clubs. We also are very proud of The Gallery at Iona which features the works of highly talented senior artists in the community.

For more information about the Artist in residence program, special workshops and events, please call Gallery Coordinator Patricia Dubroof at (202) 895-9407 or email pdubroof@iona.org.

Exhibit: Through Their Eyes: Haitian Artists' Visions of Home

2010-06-11T03:52:00.000-07:00

6/11/10

Haitian Children & Artists Use Art to Tell Their Stories

Washington, DC - June 23, 2010 - The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery located at 1632 U Street, NW announces the opening of Through Their Eyes: Haitian Artists' Visions of Home, also featuring the work of National Geographic photojournalist, Maggie Steber. Haitian artworks provided by the American Visionary Art Museum, Zanmi Lakay and the Art Creation Foundation for Children. Opening Reception: Friday, June 25, 6:00-8:00PM. The exhibition runs from June 23 to August 7. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Friday 11AM-5PM, Saturday 11AM-3PM and by appointment.

Haiti's January 12th earthquake may seem like a distant memory for those of us safely grounded here in the U.S., but for Haitians the tragedy of that day is an everyday reality and far from over.

Those who survived the earthquake are now falling victim to infection and disease, and up to a million have been rendered homeless. From our vantage point in the US we can only speculate how Haitians find the strength and hope to face the daily suffering surrounding them. Yet, in this rare exhibition, Maggie Steber, award-winning National Geographic photographer, and over 30 Haitian artists offer us a window into how Haitians perceive their disrupted world and a glimpse at their extraordinary strength of spirit and unwavering faith.

"Through Their Eyes" exhibits the work of artists and children currently living in Haiti and actively using the arts to heal: Featuring over 100 photographs and handcrafts produced by children, and traditional Vodou flags hand-sequined by seasoned artisans. Alongside the Haitian artists' surprisingly uplifting visions, we are also showing Maggie Steber's poignant pre and post-earthquake works, which capture the "tortured, enchanted place" she has fallen in love with over her 20 years covering Haiti and its remarkable people.

The American Visionary Art Museum, Zanmi Lakay and Art Creation Foundation For Children have generously provided the exhibition's Haitian artworks. All works are available for purchase with 100% of the proceeds donated to Haiti relief.

IMAGE: Man Doing A Handstand by the River, 2010 by Cheldine Bazile, 15 years old, Jacmel, Haiti

2010-06-07T17:18:00.001-07:00

An Interview with Artist Thierry Guillemin

2010-06-07T16:49:00.001-07:00

6/7/10

Into the Mystic
Thierry Guillemin

For his portion of a duo show with Micheline Klagsburn, fellow Studio Gallery artist Thierry Guillemin talks about why the work for this show Something in Common is different from his past pieces. Be sure to stop by and see his energetic paintings, up through June 19th at Studio Gallery.

Q: What's your favorite piece from the show and why?

A: My favorite piece in the show is “Into the Mystic”. I am very much in tune with what it reflects and at the same time it surprises me, which I expect every strong work to do. It is a very interesting synthesis. I made it in a very physical way, and yet it has the serenity of inner silence and the transparency of water. I “action painted” it but many people who see it tell me that it reminds them of Monet. Water lilies? My childhood in little villages of the “France profonde” must be coming back to me, in quite unexpected ways. The title of this work comes from a song of Van Morrison that I love and listened to continuously when I painted this work.

Q: Do you paint intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?

A: I paint intuitively and try to be open to what happens. A plan would interfere with the attention that is needed and would waste precious energy. The quality of the work depends entirely on the quality of my attention. If I am present to my work, the work has a good chance to be alive. If I lose myself in plans, or any other intellectual day dream, life is drained from the painting and it begins to lie, and at some point to die.

Q: Who is your biggest influence and why?

A: I am certainly influenced by many things: lights, perfumes, places, strong emotional moments, people I love, music, poems, personalities, sincerity, honesty, energy. Many great artists, whether writers, painters or musicians have been a strong source of inspiration when I was younger: Nabokov, Matisse, Coltrane, Hendrix, and a very long list of contemporary painters. But a lot is happening now. I keep discovering amazing artists who create now. Gabriela Proksch in Austria, Jean-Francois Provost and Jean-Pierre Lafrance in Canada, Eeva-Leena Airaksinen in Finland are all incredibly strong and original abstract painters who fascinate me.

Q: For this show, did you do anything differently... new techniques, subject matter, palette, etc.?

A: This is a little show with 6 pieces, 4 of them very recent. I let energy flow much more freely than I used to, the paints I use are more fluid “soft-body” type, the colors richer and I use more elements of language, like projections of paint or long black lines. There is a watery quality to my most recent work, more depth and transparencies. These are directions I feel compelled to explore, there is more to find there.

Q: What's your favorite part about being a Studio Gallery member?

A: My favorite parts of being a Studio gallery member are the friendship of many artists, the love and energy Adah Rose gives us all, and the blessing of being part of a group where the main ambition and focus is to make our art grow and develop.

Thanks, Thierry, for sharing insights into your paintings! I look forward to seeing them in person this week.

Semblance of a Responsible Life

2010-05-31T14:20:00.000-07:00

5/31/10

Semblance of a Responsible Life
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
36 x 50 inches
May 2010

Interesting installation opp

2010-05-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

5/25/10

Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia, PA
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site seeks proposals for its 2011 tour season and beyond. Full details are available on the website at www.easternstate.org/exhibits/guidelines.php. Here are some projects that have been done there.

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world's first true "penitentiary," a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of convicts. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held many of America's most notorious criminals, including bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone. Tours today include the cellblocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone's Cell, and Death Row. A critically-acclaimed series of artists' installations is free with admission.

Deadline for proposals: Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130

An Interview with Artist Micheline Klagsbrun

2010-05-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

5/23/10

For her portion of a duo show with Thierry Guillemin, fellow Studio Gallery artist Micheline Klagsbrun draws on her exploration of a story by Ovid as well as the lotus flowers featured at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

Keep reading for more insights into Micheline's lush show, Lotus/Lotis, May 26 - June 19, 2010 and be sure to drop by one of the receptions:

First Friday Reception June 4, 6-8 pm
Artist's Reception Saturday, June 5, 3-5 pm
Studio Gallery - 2108 R Street N.W. Washington, DC
Directions and Hours>>

Q: For this show, did you do anything differently... new techniques, subject matter, palette, etc.?

A: It's unusual for me to create an extended series of work, using a single theme and media: a continuous flow of work.

Q: Tell us more about your theme and inspiration.

A: The source: immersion in the extraordinary display of lotus at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, at the same time as I was working on Ovid's story of Dryope (from The Metamorphoses). Dryope, a lovely young mother, plucks a lotus, unaware that this blossom is a transformed nymph, Lotis. The flower starts to drip blood, and Dryope suffers the fate of being turned into a tree.

The lotus painted by Ovid is a plant of fantasy, open to botanical interpretation, though I see her clearly as the water-lotus (botanically of the Nymphaeaceae family). She is warmblooded still, almost unique among plants in her ability to maintain her body temperature, just as she used to do when she played with human beings.

Sacred to Hinduism and Buddhism, she rises pure and glowing from the muddy riverbed. As I draw her I feel myself drawn into this tradition of worship, but also into the tradition of centuries of classical artists painting the ideal woman, all translucent skin and soft curves...perfect petal, perfect complexion.

According to the Ancient Greeks, nymphs were also guardians of the sacred spring of water that symbolizes knowledge -- knowledge that was powerful and possibly dangerous. I learned this from Roberto Calasso, who states in Literature and the Gods: "To approach a Nymph is to be seized, possessed by something, to immerse oneself in an element at once soft and unstable, that may be thrilling or may equally well prove fatal."

Q: Do you paint intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?

A: Although I will often plan my work, especially if it based on one of Ovid’s stories, in this case I just stepped aside and let the work emerge in a purely intuitive flow. Maybe Lotis allowed me access to the sacred spring!

Q: What challenges does the DC area present for local artists?

A: We face the same challenges as artists everywhere: how to survive in times of economic recession, how to build creative and nurturing community, how to get exposure for and critical feedback about our work. Last month we held an Open Forum at my studio in the 52O Street Building on just these topics, and after an hour and a half of fervent dialogue no one wanted to stop! The art world in DC is bubbling with ideas in these areas.

Thanks, Micheline, for sharing these insights into your new work and the DC art scene! Can't make her show? Visit her gorgeous online portfolio at the Studio Gallery website.

An Interview with Artist Jacqui Crocetta

2010-05-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

5/3/10

Enduring
Jacqui Crocetta
48 x 48 inches
Photo by Ulf Wallin

Jacqui Crocetta's two-person show, extending trust, is now up at the Studio Gallery through May 22, 2010 along with Marie Straw's Creating Characters from Abstraction and Andrea Kraus's solo show, Painting in Haiku: "Surface of a petal-covered pond". I hope you have a chance to stop by to see her new work in person!

First Friday Reception: May 7, 6 - 8 pm
Artist's Reception: Saturday, May 8, 4 - 6 pm
Studio Gallery ~ 2108 R Street N.W. Washington, DC
Gallery location and hours

Q: What's your favorite piece from the show and why?

A: One of my favorite paintings in the show is enduring a 48 x 48 abstract acrylic on canvas. There are actually quite a few paintings, or painting "attempts" underneath the final, resolved painting which, to me, adds an interesting dimension. The painting's history seems to add depth, just as the experiences in a person's life add character.

Q: Do you paint intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?

A: My point of departure might be a specific color palette, but my only plan is to follow where the painting takes me. I begin by freely and fearlessly applying paint to the canvas, often times deliberately painting myself into a corner, until I reach the point in the process where I begin editing. The dance between chaos and control is what I love most about the process--moving back and forth in the space between inspiration and intention. I find that by easing up on control, I am rewarded by the discovery of complex colors and compositions, which I can then coax into becoming a painting.

Q: For this show, did you do anything differently... new techniques, subject matter, palette, etc.?

A: I created three-dimensional work for this show, which has given me the opportunity to work with new materials, an added dimension, and a different process/approach. I'm intrigued by the organic way in which an artist's work evolves--the three-dimensional pieces are in response to a nagging need I had to respond to some of the issues and events in life that challenge and fascinate me.

Q: Where do you see the DC art scene in five years? In ten?

A: I believe the future holds a rich, blended art scene for DC. There will be an increase in unique collaborations between artists and professionals in a range of industries... visual and performing artists, poets, scientists, architects, designers, urban planners, inventors, teachers, etc. Our understanding, definition of, and access to art will expand far greater than where it is today. There will be a greater emphasis on, and appreciation of, the significance of art and creativity in the evolution of society. Art will be more seamlessly integrated into everyday living.

Q: What challenges does the DC area present for local artists?

A: The lack of affordable studio space is a real problem. We need the equivalent of the incubators that exist for science and technology.

Q: What's your favorite part of being a Studio Gallery member?

A: I'm grateful to be part of the Studio Gallery community for many reasons... because our director, Adah Rose, is so innovative and passionate about art and artists, we have the best interns in town, and we have a diverse and talented group of member artists who are a source of endless support and inspiration.

Thank you, Jacqui, for sharing these insights into your new work plus your vision of the DC art scene in the future! For more about Jacqui, including additional work, artist statement and a link to her website, visit the Studio Gallery on the web and be sure to stop by the receptions and meet her in person.

A Nice Surprise!

2010-04-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

4/26/10

Got a belated birthday gift from hubby.

Cy makes me proud to have been born in Virginia.
Cy makes me want to paint.
Cy makes me not want to paint.
Cy's work makes me, well, sigh.

An Interview with Artist Andrea Kraus

2010-04-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

4/24/10

Fellow Studio Gallery member Andrea Kraus has a solo show coming up. There will be two receptions, plus a two-person show happening at the same time for members Jacqui Crocetta and Marie Straw. I enjoyed getting to learn more about her and her work, and I hope you have a chance to go see her new pieces in person!

Painting in Haiku: "Surface of a petal-covered pond" - Andrea Kraus
Show dates: April 28 - May 22, 2010
First Friday Reception: May 7, 6 - 8 pm
Artist's Reception: Saturday, May 8, 4 - 6 pm
2108 R Street N.W. Washington, DC
Regular gallery hours and contact info

Q: What inspired your new pieces for this exhibit?

A: For this show, I was inspired by the koi pond that we have on the Eastern Shore. I tried to capture the movement and peacefulness of the fish as they swim around the dark pool. They are very colorful and contrast with the dark green and brown of the water.

Q: Did you do anything differently--new techniques, subject matter, palette, etc.--for this show?

A: I tend to get bored with one subject so most of my shows change subject. This time I returned to large format acrylic with just a few monoprints (Chine-collé) and linoleum prints. I have used collage a lot in the past and for this show I repeated one composition three different times, one with shiny collage, one with Japanese patterned paper and one with just acrylic paint using a windowpane effect.

Q: What's your favorite part about being a Studio Gallery member?

A: I have been part of Studio Gallery for many years. It really affords me the freedom to explore and show what I want to without thinking about what someone else would like for me to exhibit. Having a "show date" helps me to focus and gives me a much needed deadline. Of course, knowing my fellow artists is always wonderful and the gallery members are very supportive of each other.

Thank you so much, Andrea, for sharing these insights into your new work--I look forward to seeing it!

Opps Round-Up: Due in June

2010-04-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

Posted 4/21/10
Conner: gogo emerging art projects for 2011/2012
1358 Florida Ave NE, DC
Seeking proposals from emerging artists (individual or collaborative groups) for a new project, a new performance, or an exhibition of new work in any medium, which utilizes the gallery's outdoor area, or media room, or gallery B space. Duration of the show may range from a one night event up to an 8-week exhibition.
Due 6/1/10
Full deets

Art Institute & Gallery 19th Annual National Juried Exhibition
Salisbury, MD
Open to 2-D and 3-D. Juror: Edward Evans, Director of Gallery 705, Stroudsberg, PA http://edwardevansart.com/
Due 6/1/10
$35 entry fee, cash awards
Get prospectus

10th Annual American Landscapes
Open to all artists residing in the USA. Any two or three dimensional artwork in any medium depicting or interpreting the American landscape.
Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, MD
Due 6/10/10
$30 entry fee, cash awards
Show dates: 8/20 - 9/19/10
Get prospectus

Systems Failure: All-media Juried Exhibition
Torpedo Factory's Target Gallery
All media juried show open to all artists examining the current crises facing our country/world like collapse of world wide financial systems, the mortgage crisis, failing health systems, and the plight of the people who most suffer from these failures.
Due 6/21/10
Entry fee $35
Show dates: 8/21 - 9/26/10
Get prospectus

Academy of Fine Arts National Juried Photography Exhibition
Lynchburg, VA
Due 6/25/10
Show dates: 9/3-24/10
Entry fee $30, cash awards
Get prospectus

Interview Opp

2010-04-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Got a show coming up? Just wanna let me pick your brain?

Whether you're emerging or established, I invite Metro DC area artists to email me at lboocks@yahoo.com with answers to 5 of the following questions. Please let me know if you have any questions (either about this project, or a question you'd like to answer that I didn't think of). Send a jpg of yourself and one for your pieces if you'd like. Just be sure to include title/dimensions/medium/etc.

Interviews will be posted here, my facebook page and artdc.org (and your blog/facebook if you want). Thanks for considering this!

1. What's the one thing you'd like people who aren't familiar with you/your work to know about you?

2. (If you have a show coming up...) What's your favorite piece from the show and why?

3. Do you paint intuitively, with a hardcore plan, or somewhere in between?

4. Who is your biggest influence and why?

5. (If you have a show coming up...) For this show, did you do anything differently... new techniques, subject matter, palette, etc.?

6. Where do you see the DC art scene in five years? In ten?

7. What do you feel is the best thing about being an artist in the DC area?

8. What challenges does the DC area present for local artists?

9. If you could wish for one major change in the local art scene, what would it be?

10. A lot of artists have that one piece in their studio that they would never ever sell. Tell us about yours.

Gallery Space of My Dreams

2010-04-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

4/17/10

I'm here in Chicago for work, so not much time for sight-seeing, but man did I visit the most amazing set of galleries last night: River East Art Center. (Okay, visit wasn't quite the right word. They were closed and prepping for a big event, but deliveries were coming and going, so I snuck in for quick stroll...)

I was drooling like a fiend: Strong work, exposed brick walls, what looked like reclaimed timber, glass walls.

The neighborhood has arrived. The stage is now set for River East Art Center, MCL’s daring vision of River East’s artistic, cultural hub.

The Mission of River East Art Center can best be expressed by the Mandala, the universal, ancient diagram River East Art Center has adopted as its logo. The Mandala is symbolic of individuals coming together to create something larger then themselves, while maintaining personal uniqueness.

We consider River East Art Center to be Chicago’s embodiment of Mandala – a place of enrichment, expression and inspiration... a place to discover fine art, and the finer things in life... a place of community, ideas, poetry, performances, lavish galas and corporate affairs. Moreover, it is a place of surpassing beauty – breathtaking spaces, dazzling views, daring architecture. In the coming years, River East Art Center will give rise to stunning works of importance – masterpieces to be discovered and cherished by local residents.

As a neighborhood resource, it will bring sophisticated Chicago residents and artists together, and forward, into a new age of growth, expression and appreciation of life, for each individual, and for the community as a whole.

Incredibly cool. Planning to visit Chicago? Put this place on your to-see list!

Time's Almost Up: Local Opps

2010-04-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

4/9/10

Juried Summer Group Show
The Adam Lister Gallery
Fairfax
Exhibit Dates: 6/4 - 7/18/10
Fee $10
Due 5/1/10
Drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, photography, installation, and anything else you work with is acceptable... as long as it'll fit through the door (70"x82").
Submit here

Eye of the Beholder: The Fine Art of the Found Object
Maryland Federation of Art Circle Gallery
Postmark Deadline: 5/3/10
Exhibit Dates: 7/15 - 8/15/10
Awards: $1000
Any two or three dimensional artwork incorporating at least one or more found objects.
Fees: 1 or 2 entries $25 (MFA members $15); Additional entries $5 each totaling 6 entries
Full details here

New Stuff

2010-04-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

4/6/10

Remediation
Acrylic and Charcoal
40 x 32 inches
2010

Self-Edit
Acrylic and Charcoal
12 x 12 inches
2010

Cool & Unusual - New Opps

2010-03-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

3/21/10

Looking for something a little different? Check these out:

Fantastic Journeys
Juried show for Mid-Atlantic artists @ McLean Project for the Arts (MPA)
Due 4/12/10
Works inspired by the spirit of adventure, exploration or utopian visions are sought
2 or 3-D, installation, or video. Cash awards of $1500
$25 entry fee (waived for current members); Fee includes one-year MPA membership
Full details here

Everything Must Go
Twenty artist-modified shopping carts at Anne Arundel Community College’s Cade Art Gallery
Due 5/15/10
Find an abandoned shopping cart and physically alter, modify or incorporate it into an artpiece. Artpieces/shopping carts by all participating artists will be shown in the Cade Art Gallery, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Md., Nov. 8 – Dec. 8, 2010. To participate, call Chris Mona (410) 777-7028 or e-mail: cpmona@aacc.edu Cade Art Gallery, AACC, 101 College Pky., Arnold, MD 21012

Transforming Baltimore's Vacant Alleys
Due 3/30/10
Axis Alley seeks to turn vacant properties and vacant lots into creative works to transform Baltimore’s back alleys and "provide a fascinating possibility of urban intervention and creative gesture."
Full deets at http://www.axisalley.wordpress.com, or email axisalley@hotmail.com

New Work

2010-03-20T15:52:00.003-07:00

3/20/10

Stephen said, "Why don't you give canvas a try again?" It's been over a decade, but I did.

Nine Levels of Anger
Acrylic and Charcoal
32 x 40 inches
2010

Chalkboard Diary
Please check a box so I will know
Acrylic and Charcoal
30 x 40 inches
2010

Pay It Forward Opps

2010-03-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

3/14/10

Here are 2 opportunities to donate work, give back to the community, and get some exposure.

DC SCORES Inspired Art Gala May 19 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art:

DC SCORES students devote countless hours to expressing themselves through creative writing. To commemorate their hard work and thoughtful pieces of prose, Inspired Art will feature pieces of art inspired by their youthful musings.

Artists of every medium are invited to take an original poem from a DC SCORES student and create a piece of art inspired by their words and poetic imagery. While the vision of Inspired Art is to bring each student’s creative expression to life through the artistic lens of a professional artist, we also welcome donations of existing pieces of art that can be paired with our students’ poems.

All art submissions will be entered into the silent auction at Inspired Art, with 100% of the proceeds going to support the 700 DC youth whom DC SCORES engages annually. Artists will also have the opportunity to attend the Inspired Art Gala, with access to a special artist reception for networking and socializing with other local artists.

Please contact Beth Morrison at bmorrison@americascores.org or 202.393.6999 x312 for more info on getting involved, or visit the event website.

The Art Connection in the Capital Region is Seeking Artwork
The Art Connection in the Capital Region (ACCR) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization originated in 2004 to expand community access to art in the greater metropolitan area of Washington DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Modeled after The Art Connection in Boston, which was founded by painter and sculptor Fay Chandler in 1995, ACCR facilitates the placement of original works of art donated by artists and art collectors within not-for-profit social service organizations to encourage healing and provide inspiration.

Organizations benefiting from this unique partnership often serve individuals faced with the most vulnerable circumstances and include: shelters, children's centers, and treatment facilities, amongst others.

The criterion for placement stipulates that a partnering organization must reside within the Capital Region and have no funding for art. Artwork that is donated to the not-for-profit is considered a permanent donation, cannot be sold, and must be exhibited in a secure public area where clients served by the organization have direct access to it.

To learn more about The Art Connection, the communities it empowers, and the art donation process, please visit www.artconnection-cr.org or call 202-536-2607.

Opening: Scents & Medical Sensibility

2010-03-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

3/9/10

Sounds like a feast for the senses...

Scents & Medical Sensibility
The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery
1632 U Street, NW, Washington DC 20009
Curated by Kóan Jeff Baysa, MD
Exhibition Dates: March 1 – May 3
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 11, 6-8pm
Gallery Hours: Wed-Fri 11AM-5PM, Sat 11AM-3PM & by appointment

Exhibiting Artists: Peter Hopkins, Mathias Kessler, Josee Lepage, Anne McClain, Gayil Nalls, Carrie Paterson, Jiayi Young, Shih-Wen Young, and Tobias Wong

Outdoor Art Festival Opps

2010-02-28T06:38:00.000-08:00

2/28/10

There's still mounds of snow in my backyard, but it's never too early to start dusting off the ol' tent and planning for outdoor art fairs if that's your thing...

Artsfest ’10 Fine Arts Festival
Annmarie Garden in Solomons, Maryland.
Note: "Loyal crowds, well-run"... Cash awards, Emerging Artist Opp as well
Event date: September 18 & 19 10am-5pm
$25 entry fee; space fees vary
Due March 31, 2010
Full details here

Towson ARTS Collective's Arts in the Park Spring
Cromwell Vally Park in Towson MD
Note: "to show and sell high caliber artistic creations in a beautiful setting"
Event date: April 18, 2010 from 10am-5pm
$35 entry fee (non-member); 15% of sales due to the park
Due March 27, 2010
Full details here

Rockville Art & Craft Festival
Rockville MD
May 29 & 30, 2010 from 1-8 pm
Due March 12, 2010
Request application from hhaliniewski@rockvillemd.gov

Art and Wine Festival
Main Street in Sykesville MD and in Baldwin's Station Restaurant
Event date: May 23rd 12-5pm
Fee: $40 booth fee upon acceptance.
Note: Looks like an actual photo submission
"no mass produced items allowed"
Full details here
Due May 1, 2010

Inter-Mural Arts

2010-02-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

2/27/10

I'm doing a mural for my kid's ortho office. It's a very large wall, and I've learned a lot from it. I've done murals before but never one quite this large.

Mural tips:

1. Use chalk, not pencil, to sketch on the wall.
2. Paint a small scale sample on paper (the same color as the wall) to work through contrast, brush strokes, shadows/depth, and any special issues you think your piece may entail.
3. Consider lighting - what you see during the day may not be the same at night.
4. Inspect the walls carefully for nubs and indentions; either hide them with your paint/design, or fix them before you start.

I'll probably think of more later, but I'm beat :)

Thinkin' Big & Congrats & More Lust

2010-02-20T16:48:00.001-08:00

I got a commission to do a mural at my kiddo's orthodontist office. The wall is huge and I'm really excited. It also got me thinking about what I would do if I had no limits... on time, money, space and most importantly courage. There are some current opps floating around for installation proposals so I'm thinkin' I just might submit. Maybe something like 100 Words of Solitude. A hundred painted plexi panel spread out/clustered that depict words that invoke the feeling of being alone. We'll see...

Congrats to the man for getting into the Laurel Art Guild annual juried show. Way to go, Stephen! Also congrats to fellow artdc.org member Erin Antognoli and Studio Gallery member Jacqui Crocetta :)

Lust, the 3-gallery show in Hyattsville, has another opening at all 3 locations on Feb 27th a Saturday from 6 to 9 pm. I hope you have a chance to check it out!