New Mosaics at the Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, KS

Here are two new mosaics that I made, that will be on display and are for sale at the Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, Kansas, from early November through December, 2011.

 

Each Mosaic, Winter Tree and From the Dark, includes many hours of work. I first created the basic concept and design for each, and then shaped the ceramic pieces to fit where I wanted them to go. The images change as I proceed, and I design each piece anew as each element is placed and new relationships are formed. I find the process to be a bit like putting together a puzzle that evolves as the creative process unfolds.

 

I made both mosaics from ceramic dishes that I found over time, mostly from thrift stores. Sometimes friends give me the remains of beloved dishes that were dropped or met some other dark fate, and I incorporate these, too. I stockpile dishes of particular colors that inspire me or that I know I’ll need eventually, especially black and white.

 

Each piece was inspired in part by the impending winter.  I wanted to create a stark winter beauty in the piece Winter Tree.  I have been thinking about the arch that appears in this piece for a long time.  It is a personal symbol for everything that is here within, a bit like a rainbow but matter of fact and without the emotion.  The other mosaic, From the Dark, is about illumination — the light that carries one through the dark — a dark winter or a dark time. The carrier of the light in this piece for me connotes fragility, yet the medium renders these papers boats rather solid.  The boats were interesting shapes for me to work with.

 

The Strecker-Nelson Gallery is located at 406 1/2 Poyntz Avenue, Manahattan, KS.  Hours are Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm. Phone the gallery at 785-537-2099.

Wheatfields Bakery Exhibit, Lawrence, KS

Have some coffee and a scone and see my art at Wheatfields Bakery in Lawrence, Kansas!

 

My art is on display at Wheatfields Bakery (904 Vermont) from Monday, October 10 – Sunday, December 5, 2011.  The exhibit includes mixed-media collages, clayboard drawings, and mosaics that I have made in the last few years through the present.

 

Some of my work is now available as prints, and these are listed on the information sheet at Wheatfields. Wheatfields is open M – F 6:30 am – 8 pm, S 6:30 am – 6:30 pm, and Su 7:30 am – 4 pm.

The Painted Donkey: An Art Auction Event

More than thirty-five artists and I have contributed art to The Painted Donkey! It’s a party and a silent art auction to support the Kansas Democratic Party. The event is Thursday, September 8th at the Carnegie Building (9th and Vermont in Lawrence, KS) from 7-9 pm. Tickets are just $15. All of the contributed art will be roughly the same size and a list of artists will be available. But there is a “blind auction” twist — you won’t know which artist made which piece — so you’ll have to guess. Representative Barbara Ballard will be the Master of Ceremonies for the event. Should be loads of fun. Bids start at $100.

Going / Home / Coming at the Percolator

This is a detail of "Democrats!" at the Lawrence Percolator.

Everyone is invited to the opening reception for the exhibit Going / Home / Coming on August 13, 6 – 9 pm, at the Lawrence Percolator in Lawrence, KS. The artists whose work will be shown explore the theme of “home” with the following in mind: When do you become aware of home? In what situations do you not feel at home? How does the idea of home change over time?

 

My piece in the exhibit includes an anecdote from my childhood about growing up as a Democrat in a Republican state — my home state of Kansas. I made the piece by applying and scratching off various inks on a clayboard surface. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing and reading this quirky little piece.

 

The Lawrence Percolator is located in the alley between 9th and 10th streets and behind the Lawrence Arts Center on New Hampshire St. The exhibit runs August 13 – September 11, 2011, and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon – 6 pm, and on the Final Friday of each month from 5 – 8 pm.

“Scratch, Sprinkle, Cut” at the Carnegie Cultural Center

Come see my clayboard drawings in a three-person exhibit called Scratch, Sprinkle, Cut, at the Carnegie Cultural Center in Ottawa, KS. The exhibit features the black-and-white art of Azyz Sharafy (sandtoning), Angela Pickman (cut paper), and me (clayboard).

 

The Carnegie Cultural Center is at 5th and Main in Ottawa, KS. The exhibit runs August 5 – September 30, 2011, and the hours are Wednesday – Friday, noon – 5 pm, and by appointment on Saturdays. The exhibit reception is open to all on Friday, August 19, 5:30 – 7:30 pm.

 

I will offer a two-hour Scratchboard Workshop at the Carnegie on Saturday, August 27, from 10 am – noon. The cost is $20. Call to pre-register at 785-242-8478.

Final Friday Events in Lawrence, March 25, 2011

Join me for the Final Friday festivities in Lawrence, KS, on March 25, 2011, from 5:30 – 9 pm.
I will show this new mosaic at the Lawrence Art Party,  at the Hobbs-Taylor Lofts on 8th and New Hampshire. I’ll be grouting this mosaic tomorrow, so wish me luck!

I’ll also be showing this new clayboard (also called scratchboard) piece at the Lawrence Art Party.

And finally, I made this new clayboard piece with colored ink, and it is only 5 inches square.  Come see it, and bid on it, at the Lawrence Arts Center’s annual art auction.  The opening is part of the Final Friday festivities on March 25.

Works in Progress and Upcoming Shows

Here are two new art pieces that I plan to finish for the Final Friday Art Party on March 25, 2011, at the Hobbs-Taylor lofts in Lawrence, Kansas.

Additional upcoming exhibits:

–My clayboard (also called scratchboard) pieces will be included in an exhibit of three artists who work in black and white, at the Carnegie Cultural Center in Ottawa, Kansas, in August and September, 2011

–My art will be exhibited at Wheatfield’s Bakery in Lawrence, Kansas, mid-October through mid-December

Linked in Spirit at the Percolator

I enjoyed showing my exhibit Linked in Spirit at the Percolator in Lawrence, Kansas in May and June of 2010. 

Here are some of the art pieces that I showed in the exhibit, including clayboard drawings, mixed-media collages, and mosaics.

Look for additional images from my exhibit under Pages: Portfolio: Linked in Spirit

I painted mural-figures related to my art on a movable wall. The figures directed people to one of my favorite pieces, and led viewers around to the other side of the wall.

On the other side I made a collage of photos, sketchbook entries, and memorabilia that represented some of the ways I find inspiration for my art.

I held an all-ages art making workshop at the Percolator where participants experimented with materials and made clayboard drawings, mosaics, and mixed-media collages.

I’m looking forward to showing this exhibit again, including new work, at the Yost Art Gallery at Highland Community College (Highland, Kansas) in November of 2010.