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.

Looking Back

I have been thinking back on a very special group of paintings created for "Roadtrip, Impressions of a Memory", the solo exhibition about the trip I took with my dad. The trip was about re-connecting with my father's past...the people and places of his childhood in rural Appalachia.

As usual for me, I got excited about the possiblities and pushed myself for four or five months to express it all...the stories, his memories, the ties to my childhood memories; a plethora of material to process. 15 paintings, 13 monoprints, a book and a video later... a wonderful exhibition. I can call it wonderful... I am happy when I get a BIG idea, and can work out all the crazy details and plans, and hold true to the original sentiment.

It is nice to look back...to that magical trip with my dad, to the stories I will forever treasure and to the artwork that was my attempt to capture many moments in time.

I will be talking about my artwork and the exhibition to a group at Brevard Art Museum tomorrow. My personal take on my creative process is that I am always striving to share my passions through my art. Some of my process may change over the years..but I hope the passion always shines through.

You can read more about "Roadtrip, Impressions of a Memory" at http://www.shop.reneedecator.com/collections/road-trip-impressions-of-a-memory

All 4 Love

All 4 Love is on the walls! We had a wonderful opening last Friday night (March 4th). Hundreds of artists and art lovers checked out the 80 artworks that make up the show. We still have tickets available for the March 19th reception and the books are for sale too. All for a great cause...we're helping raise money for Sentinels Of Freedom Space Coast. They assist the needs of severely injured vets returning to live in Brevard County, with a 4-year life scholarship. Buy a ticket and take an original artwork from the exhibit home with you...

The Fifth Avenue Art Gallery is located at 1470 Highland Avenue,
321-259-8261. http://www.fifthavenueartgallery.com/

I Promise I Have

I promise I have been working...painting, pasting, collecting, reading, looking, planning, dreaming :) lots of dreaming. It's all art stuff, artist's stuff.

I wish I had the 10 new paintings that are in my head, on canvas...but I don't. I will though...the Good Lord willing.

I have been focussing all my creativity toward a project; a big project.

"All 4 Love", is an art exhibition I am putting together to raise money and awareness for a great organization called Sentinels of Freedom Space Coast. They assist the needs of severely injured military personnel who are returning home...in this case, to my home; Brevard County, Florida.

80 artists created 80 works of art and 80 tickets will be sold to a reception on March 19th where the 80 ticketholders will take home an original artwork from the exhibition. You can go to our event page on facebook to read more about it. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119355798133455

An exhibition book will be available for sale, images of all the artworks are included.

I am still finishing my little piece for the show entitled, "Momma's Boy"; my little dachshund waiting for my return, or maybe he saw a squirrel...no, definitely waiting on his "mom".

All 4 Love opens on Friday, March 4th at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery. Tickets to the March 19 reception are now on sale. Buy a ticket, buy a book...it's All 4 Love!

Hopes and Dreams Opens Friday Feb 6, 2009

Finally,

I probably shouldn't say finally, since my artwork for the show is not framed yet. I need to refinish my frame, and it is too cold to use the spray paint. I am hoping for lots of sun today. It is sold though, an area artist stopped by to get a preview of the show, and purchased my entry, "Dream".

Hopes and Dreams, the exhibition to benefit Genesis House opens tomorrow night at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery. I am so pleased with the exhibit! We hung three strands of the hand pulled prints yesterday. Artists and visitors were asked to write a hope or dream on one. They are hanging above the exhibition's artwork. Several artists friends and I printed almost 200 of them. They are so lovely.

Visitors to the gallery during February 09 will have the opportunity to write on a print and share a hope or dream.