Collyer's Gallery

I just paid a visit to Collyer's, the gallery in Mattapoisett that is carrying my art right now. I thought it would be fun to bring her a copy of the newspaper article that just came out today about my work. OK....not the best article written...but it was nice to get some press. Certainly there are things that I would have been sure to put into it...such as a little better description about how the art is actually created...a mention of the gallery....as well as my website!!

Oh well....as I said....it was at least nice to get some press...lol

While I was at the gallery I decided it would be a good chance to take a shot or two of the current display of my work. It was great to see it hanging.

Had a nice chat with the gallery owner who was telling me how much attention the pieces are getting. Seems that a lot of people are taking notice. She even had one woman questioning her about having me do a larger commission piece. This was great to hear considering that the busy season around here hasn't even begun!!

A Very Tiny Neighborhood

On my regular mail art trading site we are creating a tiny "magnet" neighborhood.

All of the little houses or assorted buildings we do can not be any larger than an ATC. They can take on different shapes, but must stay no larger than that. We must create at least five, and each one must also contain some text.

I've just completed my five little buildings. They all started out with a watercolor wash on rice paper and then attached to bristol for strength. The beautiful colors that were left on the rice paper became the main color of the building.

From there I drew in all the details with pens.

I'm looking forward to seeing what little buildings I end up with after the trade. I've been seeing some really fun pieces being made for this swap!

Jewelry break

Every now and then I need to take a bit of a break from the regular art and when I do, it's usually to do a bit of jewelry.

Here's a few new pieces I decided to add to my Etsy shop. I've been having a lot of fun doing some summer earrings.

Show at Navio

Over the weekend I attended an art show opening with my husband and daughter. This was a show I didn't want to miss because it is was the Paper Painting work of Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.

As it has been through the ages with one artist being inspired by another, when I was first moving from watercolor and started working with collage and had begun creating my paper style, I saw Elizabeth's work and was quite inspired.

I'd seen some other's similiar, but her work was quite eye catching! She indeed has her process down.

I was not only interested meeting her that evening, but very much wanted to see her work up close as well.

It was soo interesting for me to see the vast difference in our work this way.

As any painter can tell you, just because you use the same paint as another, doesn't mean the works will look alike.

We both use paper...but honestly...that's where it ends. From a distance one might say that the style is the same, but up close is where that changes.

Elizabeth's work looks soo much like an oil painting! Yes, indeed you know it's paper, but she works in a darker palette of colors and applies her paper in a bolder, heavier manner than mine.

She also works on wood panel and all her wonderful farm animals are framed in barn board frames without glass...again, as oil. They are beautiful to look at and the textures make you keep your hands behind your back because otherwise you're tempted to reach out and touch them!

My paper pieces are quite different in the fact that I come from a watercolor background. My palette is quite a bit softer in color and my application of paper is much lighter. I don't use the wood panel...they are done mainly on 200lb watercolor paper, so I can only push the paper just so far. As for framing...I create a floating mat style for mine and they are framed under glass.

Soo...although they are both Paper creations...one looks like oil and the other like watercolor.

For me, this was great to be able to see in person.

As for meeting Elizabeth, this was a lovely bonus. She was very warm and friendly and we had a long and interesting chat. I was delighted she was able to fly up for the opening.

Elizabeth...it was also great to be able to see that "paper skirt" up close as well!!

It was also nice to find a new gallery, Navio, so close to home. What a lovely job these artists have done with it. I plan to watch for more of their shows and I wish them the best.

A Paper Variation

I decided to do a little experiment on the usual torn paper painting.

I needed to create a small piece for this months "nature challenge" which is to be a 4"x6" sealife postcard.

Normally the background on the paper pieces are made up of many different pieces of paper the same way the subject of the piece is done. With this one, I decided to change it up a bit.

I'd been painting some rice paper with splashes of watercolors and salt treatments to be used at a later time as torn paper for my larger pieces.

The colors and effects came out soo beautifully and looked so much like water, I decided to simply use a full 4"x6" piece without tearing it for the background on this one and simply do the torn pieces for the fish.

I think the final piece is rather sweet.