New home, new inspiration, new work space

I arrived in Chicago on June 7, followed a few days later by the movers. I thought I had done such a good job whittling down and moving only the essentials but living in a 2 bedroom apartment is much different than a 3 story townhouse with enough room for all three of my adult children, unlimited storage closets, and a two car garage. It's been a whirlwind to say the least and the good news is I have made my dining room an accessible, working studio.

Walking around in the neighborhood has already got me planning on new small works. And the fact that I actually know where my paints are is an added bonus!

I think the biggest change is what I see when I sit at my desk... fire escapes, angles, and shapes here are quite different from the ocean waves and rolling meadows of Vermont!

Lots of catching up to do on a month of everyone's blogs posts, it feels good to have the time to be back.

FUSEDChicago

Ever so slowly, it feels like I am inching my way toward Chicago. My daughter graduates from high school on June 2, the main reason I am still here on the east coast.

I decided to join an art group that focuses on using the encaustic medium -
FUSEDChicago      

and I have already been added to the member listing page - here

After viewing other member's websites, I am impressed with the quality of their work. Many of these artists share in their abstract visions. I find I am battling myself once again, abstract vs. representational.

I plan to continue landscape painting even though concrete and rectangles may replace rolling waves and billowing clouds, I will embrace city influences once I am moved.

Two of my mini works at the Jacksonville State University show received awards -
First Prize Award for "Summer Pathway" and the "Recollected Books Purchase Award" for "Morning Mist", both works can be viewed in a previous blog post here.

I also just received an Award of Merit for "Spring Vineyards", currently in the small works Copley Society show - Co|So Artists' Small Works: Coalesce

and I will be leaving Boston as one of the participating artists in the Danforth Museum show, opening on June 6 - Community of Artists

Lots of unknowns in the near future.

Down the street from my front door, Fisherman's Beach, Swampscott, MA

New "front door", Chicago, IL

Final countdown...

It's been a crazy April, I have missed blogging and following fellow bloggers, and I expect May to be more of the same. I want to share several art updates now and maybe by summertime I will have time to be back in the blogosphere on a regular basis!

Received notification today that all 3 of my encaustic submissions were accepted into the Danforth Museum of Art "Community of Artists" show - http://www.danforthart.org/exhibits.html       

These small encaustic landscape paintings have found a niche in a variety of art markets and juried shows. I love painting them and fortunately their juried show track record continues to grow. Once I am able to setup work space in my new apartment I will finally get back into creating new mini works. I miss having the time to paint.

Danforth Museum show accepted works -

"Rangeley Lake"

"Golden Mist"

(I painted 2 different versions of this and both are in national shows right now!)

"Beyond the Meadow"

And last week I received a copy of the advertisement that will be on the back cover of Watercolor Artist Magazine, summer issue (due out in June). Yes, the quote in the ad was actually written by me!

I am getting ready to submit work to the Copley Society summer show - and yes, I am still trying to maintain my show opportunities in the midst of moving insanity - the theme of this show will be paintings inspired by the artists that were featured in the 1913 Armory show.

The local art association hosted a farewell party for me this past weekend, (the day after my moving and yard sale) and my calendar for the month of May is filled with dates to see people that have been in my life for the past 25 years before I move to Chicago. Moving will be bittersweet but I can hardly wait to get into the next stage, city life.

Art News

Between organizing and preparing for my upcoming moving sale (now scheduled for May 4) it's hard to even think about the art world. However, last week I had a bit of good news... all 3 of my mini-works on paper submissions were accepted into a national show at Jacksonville State University.

Each piece is 3.5 x 2.5, the show requires work to be matted (not framed) in plain 8 x 10 or 11 x 14 matts. I have never presented my small works this way until now and may start using matts instead of shadowbox frames going forward.

I don't have a photo of the 3rd piece in the matt, here it is alone -

My other bit of news is a few months ago I had submitted my contact information on the Dick Blick website in hopes I would be selected to be a featured artist in one of their catalogs. I received a call from them on Friday and have been chosen to be featured on the back cover of the summer issue of Watercolor Artist magazine! I will have a copy of the ad once it has been finalized and I look forward to purchasing a copy of the magazine once it's released.

The best things happen when you least expect them.

Painting chosen for the ad -

"Lunar Eclipse"

Frames, anyone?

It has taken some time for me to come to terms with the fact that I can not move many of the framed works I have accumulated over the past 20+ years. I have slowly started the process of downsizing what goes into a May moving sale, what goes to Chicago with me, and what gets tossed. Fortunately, I have a large paper file and many unframed watercolor paintings will be safe.

Such a strange feeling... reviewing through years of my artistic growth... pulling out works that are no longer a reflection of where I am as an artist. Even some early encaustic paintings are going to be included in the upcoming moving sale. I have to admit, it feels good to be purging which offsets these feelings that I am tossing out parts of my past.

As I read about local art competitions and juried shows, I remind myself how I won't be here and for the first time I am not submitting work. Once I have settled in the Midwest I sure hope it doesn't take long for me to discover new opportunities and organizations. Next week I will be in Chicago, looking at my new apartment plus attending a reception for the National Juried show at Harper College. Maybe I will even make a new friend or two.

Moving Sale

It's overwhelming to me when over 20 years of artwork has to be whittled down into cardboard boxes onto a moving truck. Knowing the cost involved to make the move has me cringing! In response to the sticker shock I am having a huge sale of large frames, and many of my large and smaller paintings. For my blogger friends I wanted to mention in my Etsy shop I am offering free shipping, just enter code SPRING2013. For my local friends, contact me directly if interested in viewing work first hand via email

Despite my relocating, the internet does allow for business as usual and I am comforted knowing I will continue to blog. Just last week I had a therapist in the UK ask permission to use one of my paintings on her website, http://www.sonialee.co.uk and I was surprised she even thought to ask. I know copyright online is impossible to control and it's a price artists pay when we use the internet to share images but the sincerity with this professional has impressed me. She may even end up with a print of the work she asked to use on her website.

"The White Lotus" 

Today I begin organizing and downsizing, wish me luck!

Rangeley, Maine

"North of Rangeley"

18 x 24 

watercolor on paper

Living in New England for the past 24 years has allowed me to travel to some of the most beautiful places, all of which have been inspirational to me. After yesterday's class, I was able to finish working on the demo today. There is so much natural beauty, from rocky coastlines, mountain ranges and rolling meadows. I forget how beautiful it is until I take the time to paint.

WIP

For a while today it was questionable whether I would be teaching tomorrow due to an unexpected major snow storm. It's incredible to me that with all of the available technology weather forecasts can be so wrong. We were told to expect about 4 inches of snowfall (nothing major) and it's just starting to ease up, 13 inches later. Being stuck home today allowed me more time to work on a demo painting for the workshop but I had to force myself to stop painting in order to share process with students. I think the best way to teach is by demonstrating.

Work in Progress, after today -

I will show students how to paint negative space allowing the paper white and lighter colors to pop. Working on the foreground will be the main focus on my demo tomorrow.

Stopping point from yesterday -

A bit of snow from today, view looking out back. Is it time to shovel yet?!

Demo painting

It's been a while since I have taken out my watercolor paints and yesterday was the first of a two Saturday workshop at Montserrat College. I could say painting is like riding a bicycle -- you don't forget how -- although I did have to spend a large portion of today fixing problems I created because I didn't plan out beyond the wash resists I had demonstrated.

I will be adding seaweed and underwater growth, the challenge will be that not having saved the white of the paper, mud is bound to appear.

"Goldfish with Lilies" - a work in progress

watercolor

12 x 18

I used a paper cutout to create the koi. Usually I go for trees as a first subject, but this time fish were on the brain. My goal was to get everyone comfortable with their paints, creating a resist, working wet, using a spray bottle, layering color washes, and letting the paint flow.

Next week I will bring in a still life setup and also plan another favorite warmup lesson. This is my last scheduled workshop as I am getting more involved with my upcoming move to Chicago.

Moving forward

Last week I received word that my painting "Drought" was accepted into the 36th Harper College  National Exhibition featuring small works. 23 pieces were accepted out of 893 submissions. I was thrilled to be included and this show will be the first of what I hope to be many more successful exhibition opportunities in the Midwest. I may even be able to attend the reception in April although I won't be living in Chicago full time until June. It's a good sign.

"Drought"

12" x 12" encaustic on panel

For several months I have been unhappy with a large painting that has been begging me to re-work it. After hearing about the show acceptance and reviewing the direction my work has taken, I decided to make changes by exposing the colored layers of wax below the surface. I also added color inlays and now feel this newer version shares greater depth, texture, and interest.

"Rise", old version

"Rise", final version

24" x 24" encaustic on panel

Last week ended with additional small works inspired by my Tuscan stay-cation, details can be seen in my Etsy shop