Taking a tip from a friend

Taking a tip from an astrologically-minded friend, I'm doing my best not to start anything new this week, but rather to make an attempt at finishing works.  So far I've worked on four paintings and a drawing since yesterday, which is just the top of the pile.  

To keep the work happening, I'm staying offline as long as possible.  (Beyond these two short check-ins today.)

This is where I am thankful for unabridged audio books keeping me at the desk, especially as I'm tethered with headphones to keep from disturbing Arkonbey as he tries to sleep downstairs.  First was "Poirot Investigates:  11 Hercule Poirot Mysteries by Agatha Christie", read by the fantastic David Suchet.  And now I'm on disc 2 of Bill Bryson's "At Home."  Disc 2 of 13 total!  I'll be able to ride this one for the whole week!

dress me UP!

Hey, did you know you can sample the "Dress Me Up" show online, whenever you fancy?  And oh, you certainly may have to get fancy with this, because there are so many deliciously silly possibilities.

Arkonbey pulled all our gifs together into one big happy Flash interactive, and here it is!

Speaking of "here it is"  HERE at last, in full, are the two costumes I designed for the event.  And it looks like I'll have loan of them for Open Studio Weekend as well.  (Thanks Christy!)

Fox and Rabbit Dress  (Responsible fur!) 

Aquarium Dress

Another action-packed week, and April is up and running.

Father loves good ale... from Granfa Grig by Wallace Tripp, image from http://simchafisher.files.wordpress.com

KW and I made it to the Wallace Tripp exhibit at Lyndon State College on Monday, despite the sleet storm that we followed all the way there.  After a brown-bag lunch in the student lounge, we tried finding a.) the bathrooms and b.) the gallery.

If you saw the same two women going up and down the hall past your office, oh, I don't know... maybe eight times?  That was us.

But we did find the gallery.  However, it was dark & locked up!  Ahh, college galleries.  Fortunately one of the staff happened by as he was touching up paint, and kindly let us in.  The look of panic on our faces when he asked if we'd be "about ten minutes?" probably tipped him off that he'd best give us a good deal longer.

Wallace Tripp's Wurst Seller; image from http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com

It's in a very small room, with only some pieces titled and few dates if any, but we could easily have stayed for an hour or two.  Of course I left my camera behind.  But to give you a refresher on his work, don't forget this blog.  Some of the pieces were from books, some from his greeting card company "PawPrints Press" and some were personal works.  All were wonderful.  It was hard to choose just one favorite, I would have gladly brought them all home, had they been for sale (and had I the money!)


Since our visit had to be quick, we went to the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, just 20 minutes away, which I highly recommend.  KW had been before and seen the art exhibit, but alas, when we arrived the Athenaeum where the exhibit is housed was closed for renovations.  The library itself was certainly worth the trip, however, and the sweetest most earnest docent in the world gave us every ounce of information she could muster regarding the collection, and the renovation, and more and more.  KW said she learned more in this visit than in her previous three!  Take a digital tour here, but try to get up there this Fall!

Today I spent mostly soaking up more art marketing information, at the VT Crafts Council Open Studio Weekend Seminar.  whew.  And another seminar next week.  Ai!  Now it's time to get back to that drawing I started last night...

Wallace Tripp Gallery Show at Lyndon State College in Vermont!

When I saw this show announcement last night, I experienced true fangirl glee.  

One of my prized possessions is a slightly worn copy of "A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me," which certainly laid the foundation for my sense of humor and my love of line.

Unfortunately I won't be able to get up to the opening (it's 2 hours East of us, and I work that evening) but I plan on going up next week.  If Lyndon State College is at all accessible to you, GO.

Especially if you can get there Friday night!

"Wally will attend the opening on Friday, March 18 at 6pm. "

Runs March 21 through April 11, 2011 at the Quimby Gallery in the Harvey Academic Center. Gallery Hours: 8-4, Monday-Friday.

Intrigued?  If you'd like to read a beautifully illustrated mini-bio
of Mr. Tripp, be sure to check this link out.

Welcome to the Salon...

Hi there!  

Q:  What's the last thing that goes through a bug's mind 

when it hits the windshield?

A:  The butt.

Nothing like a little third-grade humor to get the post off to a good start.

I thought I'd share a few of the many pieces that I'll have on display at SPACE 

for the new show:  Christy's:  Salon Art Event

I'm one of eleven local artists to be displayed, and it's going to be a wonderful mix.  

"As curator to The SPACE, Christy Mitchell has come to know and love the work of many of the artists who have shown in the gallery since opening it’s doors in August of 2009.  You’ll see vignettes featuring new and older work by:

Beth Robinson, Christy Mitchell, Jme Wheeler, John Brickels, Jonathan Ward, Justin Atherton, Kristen L’Esperance, Kristin Richland, Sage Tucker-Ketcham, Wendy James, & Wylie Sofia Garcia"

I hope you can make it!  

If you aren't able to see it in person, Arkonbey has promised to take pictures while we're at the opening.

If you can't make it to the opening but want to see the show, the exhibit will run through the month of March, open every Thursday-Saturday from 11-4 p.m.  

www.spacegalleryvt.com

Until next time...  

Black and Green go well together

Okay, I've been remiss in posting all my pictures, partly because I've been busy with paintstiks and the next show at S.P.A.C.E., but here's a sweet little taste from the Seven Days website:
Body by Jme Wheeler, Black Gear by Justin Atherton, and the Green bits are by yours truly!
(click the link to read the nice little write-up)

And what's next at S.P.A.C.E. you ask?  Why, this!

Christy's: Salon Art Event March 4th - 26th Opening Reception: First Friday Art Walk, March 4th 5-9pm Take a stroll through The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery's Great Room this March, as Christy  Mitchell showcases the work of Burlington's finest.  Curator and Creative Facilitator of The S.P.A.C.E.,  Christy has come to know and love a talented group of local artisans  since opening the gallery doors in August, 2009.  Christy invites you to enjoy selections from each artist's body of work, presenting you with the opportunity to expand your own personal collections. You'll see work by: Beth Robinson Christy Mitchell John Brickels Jonathan Ward Jme Wheeler Justin Atherton Kristen L'Esperance Kristin Richland Sage Tucker-Ketcham Wendy James Wylie Sofia Garcia

See you there!

Winter catch-up!

So the past few weeks have gone by in a bit of an art-making blur, though I don't have the usual type of finished product to show for it.

First came the a day of three art demos for the Vermont Maturity magazine's 50+ Expo:  Relief printing, Walnut ink, and Oil Paintstiks.  I spent the majority of the prep time working with paintstiks, as those were entirely new to me.  Here's the photoset.  I'm doing another demo (of paintstiks) on the 26th of February at Artists' Mediums.



In the middle of the January I went to my third "Cross Pollinators" crit group.  There I shared a project I'd worked on at the beginning of the month:  living dress drawings done super-small, in just graphite, trying to mimic old photographs.  I've started creating a loose story line around them (very loose!) and am setting them in a vintage-style black photo album/ scrapbook.  
But THEN!  Just as I'm working super small, and everyone at the group was interested in seeing the dresses far bigger, I got an email from S.P.A.C.E. facilitator Christy Mitchell.  The call to action was for an interactive, almost life-sized paper doll show for February.  I came up with two outfit designs and got them fully painted in the nick of time to be scanned by the originator of the  idea, Jme Wheeler.  The night before the opening, scissors flew as pieces came out of the printer.  



The opening itself had a nice turnout, and several of us are hoping we could take the idea a bit further.  Once we find out how much the printing actually cost, perhaps we will! 



Artists involved in the Dress Me Up Show:  Jme Wheeler, Christy Mitchell, Wylie Sofia Garcia, Beth Robinson, Justin Atherton, and me!


I'll edit this post later to add the images of my two outfits.  
Ciao!  
Off to make valentines and eat good food.