Starting Over

Chicago is an amazing city. Having only been here for two months (not including 25 years ago when I grew up and lived here) I am constantly amazed by the people, events, and energy that surrounds me on a daily basis. I love walking my dog to just about everywhere. I went to a Buddhist Temple today where there was a Ginza Holiday celebration (who knew) although because of my dog I could not enter the temple. There was a food tent, performances and demonstrations, interesting crafts available for sale, all to share the Buddhist culture with the neighborhood.

Just down the street was St. Michael's Church, a landmark in Old Town that reminded me of many of the churches I have seen in Europe.

It's such a huge change from the quiet suburban lifestyle I left behind that I am still adjusting (and loving it).

Art opportunities are everywhere, "look and you shall find". I am going to be in a small group show with four other encaustic artists opening September in the Fine Art Building. Our common thread is "Five artists explore the connections between their earlier work in various media and their current work in encaustic medium".

I am also going to be included in the Copley Society Fall Members' Show juried by Boston gallery owner Howard Yezerski. It was a pleasant surprise to be accepted into the show because I know his gallery features contemporary art. I submitted several new landscape mixed media pieces although he chose the one abstract -

"Ebb and Flow"

12" x 12" encaustic on panel

I also joined an artists group that meets for breakfast every Wednesday in a local restaurant. They are having a show in October and I will be participating in that as well. They have a blog which updates their news regularly - Artists Breakfast Group blog    
  
There have been so many opportunities to learn about, I have had trouble making time to paint. Today I was able to work on new small works, pieces that will be floated and mounted in shadowbox frames (and hopefully sold in a holiday show expo at the Evanston Art Center (if I am accepted to exhibit at their holiday Art Expo).

new small works -

"Cedar Street" 

(my mother's neighborhood)

"One Fish Two Fish ..."
(inspired by my recent visit to Lincoln Park Zoo)

"Little Red Barn"

(I had to paint this again, I loved being there!)