Thursday, June 23, 2011

"Playing Dress-up" in FAV's Top 15%

Playing Dress-Up                             18x24 acrylic
Why am I so thrilled that this painting got in Fine Art Views Top 15% for May?  One reason is because this monthly showcase of artwork is consistently great.  It pushes me to do better and better work just to stay on the same page with the artists represented.  Another reason is that the judge for May was Kevin Macpherson.
When there are many entries (approximately 695, in this case), the FAV jury chooses the Top 15% to narrow down the field of artworks that the judge needs to view to choose the winners.  I may not have placed in the finalist circle this time, but I feel like a winner knowing that one of my art heroes viewed my work in the process!

Friday, June 17, 2011

CALL for ARTISTS !

 Please click on the sidebar "CALL for ARTISTS" for full details.
You may email me if you'd like a full prospectus/application sent to you.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mona Leasha

"Mona Leasha"..............  14"x17" acrylic on panel
Monroe County Arts Alliance gave its' artists a challenge... to create original paintings based on Old Masters to be auctioned off during their gala fundraiser "Art a la Carte" on June 25th.  Serious or spoofs, these fabulous fakes are sure to be the highlight of the evening.  Here's a sneak peek at my offering....I hope I captured that enigmatic smile!  Curious about the other paintings?  Come to the party to see!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

FIRST PLACE !

"One Down, Two to Go"  16x20 oil
This is one of my favorite paintings, so I was really pleased when it took First Place at Arts Clayton's new show, "Here and Now".  Asked about the format, I told the story of this 'slice of life' painting:
I received permission to use a photo reference taken by a four-year-old of the preparations her family goes through for a 4-H lamb show.  Whether she meant to crop her dad's head out of the picture or not, she achieved a focus on the activity instead of a face, which I found compelling to paint.  You can feel the warm, humid spring in Georgia as her dad wipes the sweat from his brow and says "Whew...one down, two to go", referring to the two unshorn sheep in the pasture.
The judge, Will Fenn, said that he considered it "a stand-out".  Will is a visiting professor at Ernest G. Welch School of Design at Georgia State University.  He is Arts Clayton's 2010 Juried Photography Judge and currently has a solo show in their second gallery called "Pearls", a collection of photographic images using the tin-type process.
Tin-type photographic images by Will Fenn

We got into a discussion about the time processes of tin-type and traditional representational painting.  In this era of instant gratification, he at first gets resistance from his students, who can take 100 reproducible digital shots to one original non-reproducible tin-type, which requires even further processing to complete.  I get the same reaction when teaching layers of painting to my students.  But as his students settle into the process, they get a certain satisfaction that has many putting in extra hours on their own, he says.  As the world moves faster and faster, we both expressed hope that there will be a resurgence in the appreciation of the traditional and historical arts and crafts, even though there may be fewer of us producing them.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

"Here & Now" Show

ACG-Logo-High-Res.jpg
136 S. Main Street
Jonesboro, GA  30236
Free Admission. 
Open T-F 9-5pm. Sat 10-4pm 
"HERE AND NOW"

Opening Reception - Friday, June 10th - 5:30-7:30pm

Show Runs June 7 - July 15, 2011 
DH Lawrence said, "The living moment is everything."  This show looks to explore our exhibiting artist's interpretations of the present.
 

You are invited to come to the reception or to visit this lovely gallery during the run of this show where I have three paintings, including the recent "Playing Dress-Up".  Arts Clayton has a deserved reputation of hanging strong, diverse artwork ...sure to be a visual treat!