artescape

Like everything in life; there are postives and negatives to all artists' studio situations. When I first moved to Brevard County I had a small studio in my home. It was a big corner really... and it didn't take long before I outgrew it and knew I needed a bigger space.

I currently have a large studio space; Artescape Studio,  where I have gathered all kinds of supplies and inspirations over the years. I am messy! I love that if I drip paint on the floor... it's okay.

Having a home studio meant I could work throughout the day and evening; in between my daily tasks of raising a family. Working away from home means organizing myself to have ample studio time...  making sure I get there regularly.

There's nothing like walking through the doorway and getting out the paint and paper and glue... turning off the world and escaping through the creative process.

I am loving the challenges of the new techniques I am "playing" with; balancing design, texture and pattern. I have so many new ideas for these mixed media pieces... exploring many of my past "subjects" in a very different way. Sea turtles and lush tropical landscapes and koi ponds...it's difficult to stay focused :)

 

Artists should always challenge themselves. We should never be afraid to make new discoveries.

Mystery of Birds 18"x24"

new work in progress 8"x10"

Pretty Paper

Girl with Papaya

It's been a very busy time lately... I'm just finishing up a project that has been "challenging" but extremely rewarding. I organized What A Difference A Day Makes; 24 Hour Art Challenge for my gallery; Fifth Avenue Art Gallery in Melbourne Florida. (March 1-31, 2013), go see . This exhibition challenged 24 artists, including myself, to create a piece of artwork within an assigned 24 hour period... oh, and just so you didn't pre-plan everything down to the last stroke, you were given a list of prompts the morning of your workday. One of the most exciting parts of the project is the collaboration with a local creative marketing and branding company; Brandt Ronat & Company. They partnered with us to videotape a portion of each of the 24 artists workday and created an incredible video documentary all about the project, see it online. Our goal, along with the experience of the project was to raise money and awareness for Very Special Arts Brevard. They bring art to children and adults with special needs. It's a great local organization playing a very important part in enriching lives through art.

I used the challenge to push myself not only to complete a piece of art in 24 hours, but to use the techniques I have been "playing with" over the last year or so. I love the work of Anne Bagby and also love printmaking! The process includes aspects of painting and printmaking with texture, stencils, stamps; designing patterned paper by hand then using the paper as a element of the composition. I am enjoyed the tactile experience of layering with gesso and paint... getting very messy in the process and then playing with the design of the composition. My finished piece, Girl with Papaya was definitely challenging to complete in 24 hours... I looked up the list of prompts and chose the three that I would work with: rare, metamorphosis and flourish, then starting working on ideas for the composition. I am happy to have finished it... in 17 hours, and happy with the comments I have been hearing about the work;  it's very encouraging.
I'll be finishing my second piece soon and working on many more ideas for this new direction... I still love working with paint, and the stencils and patterns are finding their way into that work as well.
Prints of Girl with Papaya are available here.