I have been super busy preparing for my show at the Artcapsule Gallery in Oxford next week.  I will take a sec tomorrow to post the announcement but for now, here are a couple of pieces that will be included...

She is an one of my earlier pieces but still, one of my favorites.  

another early piece (gearing up for the Dream Cruise).

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I will also have a small number of prints available.  

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Broken

The original has found a good home but I will have several limited edition prints of this piece available.  

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I really think my work is best viewed in person.  The three dimensional aspect of my pieces is difficult to fully capture in a low-res photo.  With that said, I hope to see you all at the gallery.  - Details to come.

my first solo show!

For some reason, the recent announcement I posted regarding my upcoming show at the Artcapsule Gallery has mysteriously disappeared from the blogosphere.  The artist reception will be held on July 8th and the show will run through July 26th.  This is my first solo show and I am very excited.  I have been working on new images at a feverish pace and hope to have many new pieces to show.  There will also be prints available.  


Recently I have been experimenting with unusual ways of including pressed images into my pieces.  In the above piece, I used flocked wallpaper to create the background on the canvas.  I am pleased with the results.  A closer look...

I am also finding time to feed my spirit by enjoying the beautiful weather here in Michigan.  The abundant spring rain has worked its magic on my gardens and produced a glorious display of colorful blooms.

 My old fashioned peony pilfered from my brother's old farmhouse 

many years ago.

A closer look at one of the blooms.

An old fashioned rose bush flanked by a Miss Kim lilac.

The perfumed blooms are intoxicating.   

This clematis is a a relatively new addition.  Only two years old, her feathery blooms are profuse.

"New" Vintage Finds

Arturo had the day off today and the kids didn’t,  so we decided an outing was in order.  We began with a wonderful brunch at Victorias Delights in downtown Oxford.   The crabby benedict was fantastic (not exactly what I needed after yesterday’s Easter Feast, but I could exercise no self control).  After plying my consort with a wonderful meal, I was able to convince him to escort me on an antiquing mission.   

The birdsong has had my attention lately as it seems spring has finally arrived, and I'm crazy about colorful objects,  so I was immediately drawn to this piece...

It is vintage venetian glass and very evocative of spring.  I had to have it.

My favorite items to shop for at these vintage/antique shoppes are embellishments to add to my art pieces.  I scored with the following items

Vintage letter and number cards.

Lacy hand-tatted doilies.

These vintage Vera linen kitchen towels won't be embellishments, but may show up on my Etsy as fun decorative pillows.  I'll keep you posted.

I love the little ladybug, it is a good gauge when trying to determine the date of her pieces - 1960's - 70's.  The ladybug was discontinued in 1976.

Imagine

"Imagination is everything.  It is the preview of life's coming attractions"

                                                            -Albert Einstein-

I have been struggling with this project for weeks now and I finally see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.  This is my third attempt at creating what I see in my mind and I believe I am now on the right path.  These pieces are soooo difficult to capture on camera and I wish I could invite you into my studio to see them first hand.  There is still much to do to meet the May 15th deadline for entry into my next competition.  

On another note, I will, over the next few weeks, attempt to expand my blogging to include other areas of interest.  When a piece takes this long to bring into existence, I find myself totally immersed in the process and without much to blog about.  By diversifying my blog, I hope to inspire others to bring creative expression to  everyday life.

recreating my dream

I have vivid dreams and I almost always remember them.  I will not trouble you with the details of my latest - I have been on the receiving end of a dream story and it is almost never possible to relate the emotion of a dream experience to another.  I, however, was so very impacted by the imagery in this dream that I took it to a digital level.  Below is the image - straight from inside my head.

On another note, I am still working diligently and daily on a new high-impact piece.  It is a slow process but I hope it will be worth the wait.  I have decided to post another piece that has not been previously posted to the blog although it is on my artwork page.  

I do so enjoy finding unique pictures to incorporate into my Shadowplay pieces.  I have recently been mixing characters from several sources to create my pieces but the above piece was recreated from a vintage shower scene and to me embraces the parallels in us as well as our individuality.