State of the Art, Art of the State

I had a whirlwind trip through the east coast of NC this past weekend. It started with a trip to the Cameron Museum to drop off a piece of artwork for the State of the Art, Art of the State exhibit. Over 800 works of art were included by any artist that brought work in during a 24 hour period. The show will be up for 6 months and is a wonderful opportunity for me to exhibit in a new part of the state. My piece is below and is entitled "Afternoon Sail On Broad Creek". It includes nautical charts as well as scraping and stamping techniques in acrylic.

From Wilmington, I traveled to New Bern to drop off several pieces at the New Bern Artworks Gallery on Middle St. I was excited to learn that they will soon be moving to a much larger space on Pollock St. If you happen to be in either New Bern or Wilmington, stop by to see my work!

The Faces of Education

Over 2000 educators came together on May 3 to urge the legislature to keep the one cent sales tax and avoid massive public educaton layoffs and cuts. Keeping the sales tax, along with some much smaller cuts will almost single-handedly wipe out the state budget deficit. To me, it makes no sense that at a time when we need to be most competitive with the rest of the world, some in our legislature is hellbent on destroying public education, one of the main things businesses need to compete. Look at my photos and see all the faces of teachers and assistants who are in education because they truly care about their students, and not because of the money!

see more photos

Chihuly Glass in San Antonio

I was in San Antonio recently for my son and son-in-law's graduation from Air Force BMT. Had the chance to visit the San Antonio Museum of Art, located on the riverwalk. It is a large and beautiful museum and included this work by Dale Chihuly. These are just 2 parts of a large piece hanging from the ceiling. I always enjoy the colors, textures and massiveness of Chihuly's work.

Ten Steps To A Creative Life!

 Just finished sending out my 3rd newsletter, Ten steps to a Creative Life 

I am starting a series of short articles on the steps I have taken to get my artist life back on track. This first step is on "Carving Out Your Space", probably the most important step for me. With each newsletter, I will write about a different step I have taken and how it has helped me as an artist. Please join me on my creative journey by signing up for my newsletter. Join in with comments about your own journey. For those that post comments or pictures of their studio spaces between now and May 30, you will have the chance to win a poster of one of my artworks. Let's get creative!

Such Beauty!

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to see the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. This photo doesn't do it justice since it was taken with my phone. The rainbow stretched from horizon to horizon, completely unbroken and even had a second, very faint rainbow over top of it. You can see it if you look closely. Hope you enjoy this photo!

More New Journals

 Here are 2 more pages from my current journal. This one, when I finish it, will be on display at Barton College this August. I will also be giving a workshop there on journaling as well. More on that later.

First Workshop at Hickory Mountain Weavery

 

 












The weather was beautiful this past Saturday for my first workshop at  the Hickory Mountain Weavery near Siler City. Although I was expecting 5, I had 3 students who made it. A couple were camera shy, but one student was happy to show off his finished paintings. Here is some of the work that was finished.

New Journal Pages

I started these journal pages as a demo for a workshop I gave this past summer. I was showing students how to add a window to their books. Finished them off recently with a couple of different sayings.

Workshop This Saturday!

If you haven't signed up for my collage and paintings workshops this Saturday, Feb 26th, it is not too late. They will be offered at the beautiful Hickory Mountain Weavery between Ramseur and Siler City on Hwy 64. In the morning class we will be creating black, white and grey collages that act as value studies for larger paintings. I will be discussing the importance of value, the rule of thirds and other ideas for an interesting compostion. In the afternoon class we will take several of our studies from the morning, choose color schemes and paint some small color studies. If there is time, you can choose your favorite and paint on a larger scale. Many of these studies will be suitable for framing! Go to the "upcoming workshops" page on my blog to find registration information and a paypal button. All supplies are included. Hope to see you there!

Resolve to be More Creative!

The holidays are over, the New Year has come and gone and now we are left with those dreaded resolutions. How many of you resolved to lose weight or exercise more? Instead of the same old goals, how about making one that will be fun and different.  This year, plan on becoming a more creative person! There are many ways to accomplish this and best of all you will enjoy your efforts. Maybe you love to cook and want to try some new recipes. Perhaps you like to sing or play an instrument. Maybe you want to get that scrapbook you started finished or learn to paint. Whatever your joy in life is, vow that this year, you will make more time to do the things you love. The wonderful thing about this resolution is that unlike losing weight or exercising, there is no way to fail! The key is to start small. Pick something creative that you can easily do in 1-3 hours. You don’t have to do it every day, maybe just once a week or even once a month. If it is more that you did last year, you are on the right track to becoming more creative. This is a no-fail resolution.

For those of you who are more artistically inclined or are interested in becoming more artistic, I have the perfect opportunity for you. The START program through Jerry’s Artarama offers short, 2 hour classes in a variety of art processes for just $30. All materials are included so there is no need to spend lots of money on art supplies. I will be teaching classes in 2 different locations on 2 different Saturdays each month. Each month a different class is offered, so you are bound to find something that interests you. These classes will allow you to relax and focus on your creativity through the exploration of new artistic methods and mediums. Drawing skills are not required, just a willingness to try something new. Check out my classes to find your chance to become more creative!

My classes offer a small, supportive environment and although designed for beginners, I can easily adjust my teaching to challenge those students who are more advanced. These classes are also good for high school students working on their portfolio for scholarships, art schools and Advanced Placement Studio Art classes. I am in my 22^nd year of teaching art to all age groups. My experience and knowledge will help you create that masterpiece you have always been dreaming of. To make it even easier for you to experience this creative exploration, I am offering a $10 coupon good towards the first 2 classes you sign up for. That’s 4 hours of instruction by an experienced and highly qualified instructor for the low price of just $50, ALL MATERIALS INCLUDED!
 You can find out more about this program and see all the classes I will be offering as well as classes from other instructors at the S.T.A.R.T. website. Don’t see a class that you are interested in? Email me your suggestions and I will try to set something up.

If you or anyone else you know would like to receive information about these workshops, along with tips and techniques for successful art making, please sign up for my newsletter. It will be sent out bi- monthly so as not to clutter your inbox. You can opt out at any time. Just remember, with each newsletter, one lucky subscriber will receive a free, 18"x24" poster of one of my artworks! Congratulations go out to Jodi Ohl who was last month's winner. Visit my webpage to see my artwork. Let's go CREATE!

Webpage Update

Just finished updating my web page with new workshops, a paypal button and a newsletter signup form. Be sure to look at the changes. When you sign up for my newsletter, you will be entered in a chance to win a poster of one of my artworks. With each bi-monthly newsletter, a lucky subscriber will win. You will also receive $10 off the first 2 workshops you sign up for. Let's go CREATE!