Dominos

Yes, the art sale went well. I sold a number of prints in various sizes and met a lot of people who were interested in my art. The evening before the sale, I actually sold one of the pieces that I had already displayed at the art sale venue. So I took it back and delivered it today to a sweet woman who really loved the image and the story behind.

It's about this one: "The Things I Know About Mr. Lee", a collage that I made last year after the old shaggy house of someone that I had named Mr. Lee had burnt down. I never found out what happened and if Mr. Lee was still alive. I love to remember him, he often played dominos in his front yard, he kept some extra chairs outside for company. And he grew vegetables.

I know that my piece has gone to the right person because she shares the same sweet memories of him. Like me, she would wave at him, smile at him, and he would smile back. She also never found out his name or what happened to him after the fire.

There is something so sentimental about dominos. I have lots of them in my studio. Whenever I find used ones, I pick them up. I was looking at my domino piles recently and decided to make something out of them.

So, for the people who have been disappointed that I am not making the cute little stuff anymore, I made ornaments from dominos and other wooden game pieces.

Get them while they are still warm.

Getting Somewhere

I've been invited to participate in a 1-day art show nearby.

Various wonderful artists from North Louisiana are going to be presenting their works. I'm probably the one with the least impressive resume, so I am very thankful and excited to be among this fabulous group of artists and for this opportunity to exhibit and sell.

Today is set-up and tomorrow the event. I will be showing mainly my "older" pieces, which I made last year, among them "It's Not Too Late" for which I received First Place in the Mixed Media category at a local art exhibit last summer, that included many submissions also from seasoned artists of the region.

I've been receiving more recognition lately, which is so encouraging. I have the feeling, I'm finally getting somewhere with my art.

It's Not Too Late

Quiet Places

30 Paintings in 30 Days - I always enjoy this challenge. The consequential "30 Frames in 30 Days" is kind of fun too. Thanks to my husband's amazing woodworking skills, I am in the wonderful position of getting a beautiful floater frame for each piece I make.

Apart from the hefty task of staining all those frames multiple times, installing the wires and hundreds of spacers, it is very rewarding to help each piece get into its final glorious wooden home.

Yesterday after dinner, Markus and I worked on the last eight pieces at the kitchen table while listening to one of the more recent Bob Dylan albums. It was pretty quiet otherwise.

Mona was already asleep, and Jacob was lounging in the living room, simultaneously consuming youtube videos and Gumball episodes. Between songs we heard those tiny voices. 

Bob was having his last words when we finished too. Yes, finished! Let's enjoy this moment of silence for a moment. Because tomorrow will be another day, new and full and loud.

Mom, can we watch something? Maybe the Quiet Place? How ironic. So, okay, we did, just for half an hour. Markus, Jacob, and I turned this eerie picture on, to watch a family living in fearful silence.

New Pages

I'm taking a break from producing because I need to focus on varnishing, framing, and wiring those thirty pieces that I have just made. I want to show them at the next big art event here in town, which is the "Holiday Art Crawl:" Lots of downtown shops are hosting regional artists for a couple of days and nights, and people are invited to come in, have some wine, and buy some original art. I love this event, most connections I have made as an artist started right here, and the instant feedback has been so valuable. In a way, this event has helped me discover what my forte is, so that the art business has become a lot more profitable for me.

I kind of enjoy the process of getting the pieces ready for hanging. It's so rewarding to see my thoughts and stories framed. At the same time it is so hard to take this break from creating. I have lots of images in my head, and they keep accumulating. I need to make. Very soon please.

With that in mind, I went to a book sale this weekend and found lots of nice material. Some of the highlights: wiring diagrams, a pile of magazines for movie theater businesses where you can learn about the most efficient popcorn warmers and how a certain enamel can help you give your old cinema chairs a lift. A few vintage books about etiquette and antique furniture, very nice children's books, and a "Man's Magazine" about railroad. Lots of new pages to turn.

Et Voila! - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

30 Paintings in 30 Days - thank you, Leslie Saeta, for hosting it every year!

This was the third time for me to do the challenge, and I think the 2018 is my best so far. It's amazing how productive I can be, once I have the opportunity to mainly focus on my art. 

I have loved seeing daily the other artists' works, and also the wonderful feedback the participants give each other. It feels like a true community. Thank you for the comments I have received, I appreciate the exchange very much.

Here is the summary of my makings:

Endtable

30 Paintings in 30 Days, hosted by fabulous artist Leslie Saeta.

Day Thirty:  "Endtable"

I've been wanting to make a trauma piece, and here it is. For some reason I associate trauma with these particular colors I've chosen. The square room is soaring, or it is in some sort of a vaccuum. It may be hard to see on the photo - the person huddling at the bottom is holding her hands over her ears. Her feet are resting on an endtable.

I used lots of elements of a vintage furniture layout kit to create the landslide in her home. To add dimension, I blackened all sides of each shape with an ink pad.

Because of the build-up of the many shapes, the person is actually sitting in a cave.

"Endtable"

Mixed media: acrylics, vintage furniture layout kit, storybook clipping, ink, on canvas panel, 20" x 16"

Feeling Lucky

30 Paintings in 30 Days, hosted by fabulous artist Leslie Saeta.

Day Twenty-Nine:  "Feeling Lucky"

 

I finally got to use my little frog friend. For weeks he's been waiting in line to be glued on, and today was the day to make that happen. 

 

The illuminated dice come from a book about pinball machines. It is quite a fantastic book from the early 80s with lots of photos not only of the machines but also of the players and the whole cult. The book wasn't in best shape when I first got it, that made it possible for me to actually cut it. 

"Feeling Lucky"

Mixed media: acrylics, book clippings, ink, on canvas panel, 10" x 10"