NEW JOURNEY

Secondary Roads
mixed media on paper
28 x 36 (F)

Dana Salvo, owner of Clark Gallery in Lincoln, MA, has chosen my painting "Secondary Roads" for the exhibit Driven to Distraction.  I am honored to have my painting selected!  This show is at the Umbrella Arts Center in Concord , MA. and runs January 7th - February 23, 2015.  An artist reception will take place on Thursday evening 1/8 at 6-8 PM.

"Secondary Roads" is mixed media on 300 lb CP paper and is part of my Journeys series.  This has old road maps collaged on along with acrylic and oil paint.  You can see more of this series on my website.

NOT SURE

At the studio today.  Just sketching with mixed media on paper.  Not sure where I am going but it doesn't matter.   

SAATCHI ART

Boston
mixed media/paper
30 x 22

My painting Boston has been chosen by curator Bridget Carron for the Saatchi Art Color Field Painting Collection.  Saarchi Art is an online international gallery.  Currently I have 8 paintings here with more to be added shortly.  I am honored to have my work featured in this collection and be among such a fine group of artists.  Thank you Bridget!

This painting is from my Journey series and includes fragments of old road maps of trips my parents made.  It is called Boston because my father wrote that word on part of the map.   You can see more of my Journey series on my website.  This series is all mixed media on 300 lb CP paper measuring 30 x 22 inches.

FRIDAY

I finally got back to the studio today after a week working at home.  I have been focusing on two articles for The Palette Magazine.  One involved doing a painting as an exercise then writing about the process.  The other article is an artist profile.  The deadline looms...

But I needed a break from writing as I was feeling stale.  At the studio, also feeling a bit rusty by my absence here, I worked on three paintings just to get back in the flow.  

acrylic/paper
18 x 18

acrylic/paper
30 x 44

acrylic/canvas
82 x 82

All three are still in development.  It feels good to just be in the process.  Hope you had a creative day too.

PLATINUM

Yesterday Today
acrylic/paper
26 x 20 unframed

This recent painting Yesterday Today has been invited to the Platinum show at the Cambridge Art Association.

Platinum is... Timeless.  Rare.  A Catalyst. Lustrous.  A Symbol of Achievement according to the exhibition notes.  I am honored to be in this show and in such fine company of artists including my husband, photographer Pip Shepley with his new work below.

Tribute to Turner
archival digital print
24 x 32 framed 

Alise Upitis, assistant curator of MIT's List Art Visual Art Center juried this show that was open to all New England artists.  The exhibit starts December 4 and runs until January 16, 2015.   A reception will be held on December 5, Friday, from 6-8 PM.

Once I know where our work will be either at the Kathryn Schulz Gallery on Lowell Street, Cambridge or University Place Gallery in Harvard Square I will post that information.

Please join us on  Friday, December 5th for the reception!  (PS address to follow for this too!)

WHILE AT THE STUDIO

Thought for a day at the studio

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (1850-1894)

DIEBENKORN DREAM

Last night I had a dream about Richard Diebenkorn.  Diebenkorn (1922-1993) is considered an important artist of the 20th century and from what I have read he would be an amazing person to know.  He was a key member of the California school of Abstract Expressionism and well known as a Bay Area Figurative painter (and still is).  He broke away from figurative work just when he became nationally known for it to return to abstraction and continued to create an enormously rich body of paintings that gained him international acclaim.

In my dream I actually met him and he asked me to join him and his wife at an event where we would be sitting together.  He was in the process of switching jobs leaving a college post to go teach at an high school where he had also secure a position for his wife to teach sculpture.

During this dream life I thought the college was crazy for letting him go - didn't they know who he was?   I also was surprised to hear his wife was a sculptor (she is not).  And in this imaginary world senseless events conspired against me from finally joining them.  Darn!

one of Diebenkorn's Ocean Park series

I have no idea where this dream came from - to much halloween candy?  Maybe it happened because at this time of year these holidays of Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) and All Souls' Day represent a day to honor our ancestors, family and friends who have passed away.  Some cultures and religions believe that during this time the veil is thinnest between the world of the living and those who have passed on allowing for communication between these two worlds.  What better venue then dreams.

Richard Diebenkorn is not an ancestor, family or friend but he is my favorite artist.  He would be vital member of my artist family tree, an important tree for any artist to consider, as inspired by Austin Kleon's TED talk.

There is a message here from last night.  I just have to figure it out.  Maybe in time or when I get back to the studio tomorrow or sleep tonight it will reveal itself.  I hope so... unlike most dreams this one has stuck with me all day.

Hope your dreams are as sweet!

OCTOBER WORK

Here is the start of another painting where I am paying attention to my mark making and exploring the language.  This is acrylic on 300 lb cold press paper 30 x 22.  Initially the marks and colors are chaotic and the space is broken up into to many segments.  But I was having fun!

It went through many changes before deciding on this final version (below).  With this painting I really enjoyed the process. 

NEW WORK

I have been working away this month with a focus on my mark making.  Here is a finished painting on 2 sheets of 300 lb cold press (30" x 22") paper using acrylics, graphite and India Ink.  Below is the story of its humble beginnings in the studio.  These photos were taken as reference images only so are shot under less than optimal conditions.  However I find it helpful to take photos of my work's progression as I like to study them on a computer screen once away from the studio

Above is the start with India ink scribbles.

While it is a double panel painting I tended to work on one panel at a time on the easel.  I then transferred both to the floor and worked on it there ala Helen Frankenthaler.  The different viewpoints help me to study it with "fresh" eyes.  I also like to view the work upside down.

This was a process of building and burying elements.

As you can see it went through many transitions.  I do like the finished piece (at the top) and I also  like working with acrylic paint again.  This is a plus as I cannot use oils in my studio due to the lack of proper ventilation.  

More new work to come in the following days.

SWEET AFFIRMATIONS

WILD BEAUTY
oil/panel
8" x 8"

I delivered this painting (above) last week to the new owner.  They bought it when they first saw my announcement of my August show as guest artist at the Barb Jackson Gallery in Rockport, Maine.  That was a wonderful response to my new work just painted this summer while in my home state.

DRIFTING ECHOES
oil/panel
8" x 8"

And I feel very fortunate and grateful that these other three paintings received the same acknowledgment and are now in new homes.   Thank you new owners!

HEARTBEAT
oil/panel
8" x 8"

A secret about this body of work is that I painted in the same place everyday down by the ocean on a jagged spit of land with views of a cove rimmed with the granite running from the sea up to bushes and brambles then topped by the pointy pine trees that are iconic of this state.  These paintings are my emotional response to the landscape and its wild beauty.

WHERE ROCKS WANDER
oil/panel
8" x 8"

RECENT SALES

Isle of Shoals
mixed media on paper
28 x 36 framed

These two paintings recently sold at the Rocky Neck Gallery in Gloucester, MA.  Both are from my Journeys series started in 2012 and this series continues to expand.  Originally I was working with old road maps retracing the routes my parents traveled and imagining the trips they took.  This evolved to the concept of travel we take once we recall our own stories.

I feel very honored that these works on paper have been invited to new homes.  You can see more of my work on my website.  The Journey series has sparked a new body of work I started this summer called Remnants.   I am very excited to be exploring this idea in the studio now.

If I Leave Now
mixed media on paper
36 x 28 framed

On another note my painting workshop scheduled for this weekend at Mother Brook Arts in Dedham has been cancelled due to low enrollment.  We are planning another concept for the spring that might be more attractive for interested artists.  I will keep you posted.

PAINTING WORKSHOP

I am teaching a 3 day painting workshop at Mother Brook Arts & Community Center in Dedham, MA starting Friday, 10/24 - Sunday 10/26.  This workshop explores the graphic language and helps students become stronger painters and develop their unique creative voice.  I hope you can join me for a fun and rewarding few days in a supportive environment painting and experimenting with the language.  Mother Brook Arts is located on 123 High Street in Dedham (formerly the Avery Elementary School.  For more information email info@motherbrookarts.org

This is a brief description of the workshop:

Learn how to become a stronger painter and develop your skills by exploring the elements of the painting language: color, value, shape, line, texture, size and direction. Each class will cover a subject (or two) on form and through demos, viewing master artworks and doing painting exercises students will strengthen their comprehension of the visual language. Class time will allow students to paint with individual attention. Each session ends with a critique/class discussion. Watermedia.

A supply list is on the Mother Brook Arts site course description.  If you have any questions please email me at marthawake@aol.com.

Friday, October 24 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 25 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 26 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Course ID: 

Painting Workshop

Categories: 

adults

RECEPTION TONIGHT

April's Woodlands
oil/panel
2014

April's Woodlands is currently on exhibit at the Arnold Arboretum in the new show Artists of the Arboretum 2014.  This juried show features work by 27 artists.  This painting resulted from my very first visit here this past April just when the trees were budding.  My friend, Maine artist Linda Packard, joined me for a day of plein air painting.  Linda also has a painting in the show.

Tonight, 9/18, is the reception from 6-8 PM.  The Arnold Arboretum is located at 125 Arborway in Jamaica Plains.  This event also ties in with Jamaica Plains Open Studios happening this weekend Saturday & Sunday from 10 AM - 5 PM.

DEMO SUNDAY

Lexington Arts and Crafts Society has invited me to do a watercolor demo this Sunday, September 14th from 2-4 PM.

Red Slip # 3
watercolor
30 x 22

I will be painting in front of the attendees.  This will be fun and challenging as I am not use to painting with an audience.  However I will bring plenty of props and tools to enliven my talk about why I love to paint in this medium.

Red Shears
watercolor
22 x 30

The demonstration will take place in the Plummer Studio of the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society at 130 Waltham Street in Lexington.  Admission and parking are free and it is handicapped accessible.  

Memories of Home
cropped view
watercolor
18 x 24

I hope to see you there!  For more information please visit their website @ www.LACSma.org or call:  781-862-9696.

LARGER THAN THE SUM...

Here is the poster featuring a preview of selected work in the show by (starting top left clockwise) Catherine Evans, Jodi Colella, Merill Comeau, Ilana Manolson, Kathleen Volp and Jeanne Williamson.  The show Larger than the Sum of its Parts opens today in the Wedeman Gallery at the Yamawaki Art & Cultural Center at Lasell College.

Catherine Evans outdoor installation 

photo by John Evans

Also exhibiting work are Adria Arch, Brenda Cirioni, Margot Stage and myself.  For the very first time I am showing two of my circle paintings - new & very large work for me.  Here is Circle # 4 hanging in the gallery.

Circle # 4
acrylic/canvas
82" x 60"

Larger Than the Sum of its Parts features paintings, sculptures and installations in celebration of the power of our coaching group experience.  As a group we have met monthly for over 6 years to craft our careers and find support for our individual studio practices.  

A reception will be held on Sunday, September 21st from 5-7 PM at the gallery located at 47 Myrtle Street, Newton, MA.  Hope to see you there!

BUSY MONTH

September is developing into a busy month with exhibits and artists' receptions.  Tuesday I hung two of my circle paintings at Lasell College's Yamawki Art & Cultural Center in Newton, MA.  The show, Larger than the Sum of its Parts, is a group show featuring the work of my artist coaching group: Adria Arch, Brenda Cirioni,  Jodi Colella,  Merill Comeau, Catherine Evans, Kathleen Volp, Margot Stage, Ilana Manolson, and Jeanne Williamson.

Circle #4
acrylic/canvas
82" x 60"

This show opens Tuesday, September 9th, until October 4th.  An artists' reception will be held on Sunday, September 21st from 5-7 PM. The gallery hours are Tuesday  - Saturday from 1 - 4 PM.  And is located on 37 Myrtle Street with parking available across the street.

Brenda Cirioni, Jeanne Williamson & Kathleen Volp hanging one of Jeanne's works. 

Merill Comeau installing her piece in the tower

More September events coming up:

 The closing reception at The Schwamb Mill this Saturday, 9/6 from 2-4 PM. (Please see yesterday's post.)

Watercolor demo at Lexington Arts and Crafts Society on Sunday, 9/14, from 2-4 PM

Artists' reception for Artists in the Arboretum 2014 on Thursday 9/18 from 6-8 PM

Hope to see you at one of these events!

CLOSING RECEPTION

If I Leave Now
mixed media/paper
30 x 22

This Saturday is a closing artists' reception for the group show of artists in our studio building.  This show: The Schwamb Mills Artistry and Craftsmanship Today, opened June 21st and has received rave reviews by visitors and the staff of The Old Schwamb Mill.  It features work by 15 + artists including Christiane Corcelle, Wendy Young, Adrienne Landry, and Rick Berry to name a few....

My painting If I Leave Now is from my Journeys series.  You can see more of this series on my website.

Please join us this Saturday 9/6, from 2-4 PM at 17 Mill Lane off Lowell Street in Arlington, MA.  Besides the fantastic artwork on display the building itself is a fascinating structure and historic treasure trove worth exploring.

NICE WORDS

WHERE ROCKS WANDER
oil/panel
8" x 8"

I LOVE ...

- Like Nowhere Else
- Heartbeat
- Where Rocks Wander
- Here Once Before
- Granite Flow
- Lily Pond and Dark Woods (grrr!)
- Harmony

Oh ... so hard to choose.  The next question will be when / how can I see
them?  

 I received the above wonderful words in an email today. This is truly flattering to know my work resonates with someone.  The paintings mentioned are a new body of work titled Wild Beauty and are now up on my website.  (Thank you Jeanne!)  This series, I painted in Pemaquid and Stonington, Maine over the summer and is currently at the Barb Jackson Gallery in Rockport, Maine until August 31st. 

 I am really excited about another new series I also started in Maine called Remnants.  You can see a few on my updated website under Works on Paper: Maine. 

The above painting Where Rocks Wander just sold and will stay in Maine with the new owners - that too makes me very happy!

GUEST ARTIST

Here I am at the Barb Jackson Gallery as the guest artist for this month of August with my 15 new paintings.  14 of them are oil on panel painted this year.  The show will be up through August 31st.  If you are in the area of Rockport, Maine please stop in at 22 Central Street.  The gallery is open Tuesday - Saturday 12 - 5 PM.

I am also happy to report two paintings in this show now have new owners.  Wild Beauty and Drifting Echoes are going to the homes of good friends and painting pals!  Thank you dear friends.

Wild Beauty

oil/panel

8" x 8"

Drifting Echoes

oil/panel

8" x 8"

Soon my website will be updated with a all the new work I have been doing this year.  I will keep you posted.

ARNOLD ARBORETUM

oil/panel 10" x 10"

April's Woodlands has been selected for the exhibit Artists in the Arboretum 2014 at The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Jamaica Plain, MA.  I went there for the first time with my friend artist Linda Packard to paint there.   It was on Friday, April 25th.  The only reason I marked this day was because Linda was visiting from Maine to attend some events in Boston and at the Danforth Museum in honor of our mentor and friend Jon Imber.  We spent a glorious spring day painting there as a way to celebrate all the gifts Jon gave us.  Linda's painting Overwintered Cattails was also selected for the show.  You can see that on her website under Recent Work.

There was a large number of entries and only 28 paintings have been accepted so I am honored to be part of this show.  The exhibit opens on Thursday, September 18th with a reception that evening from 6-8 PM.  And the show runs until Saturday, October 19th.  The opening also coincides with Jamaica Plain Open Studios (JPOS) weekend on 9/20-21.  Viewing hours are 10 AM - 5 PM every day except Wednesday.  Please join us on Thursday, September 18th, for the artists' reception!

GUEST ARTIST

WILD BEAUTY
8" x 8"
oil/panel
2014

Barb Jackson Gallery of Rockport, Maine has invited me to be the guest artist for the month of August.  This unique boutique gallery is located at the head of historic Rockport Harbor on 22 Central Street, just down the street from the Center for Maine Contemporary Arts. I am very excited about this opportunity to show my work for the first time in my home state.

Last week I dropped off 12 new paintings, all oil on panel, ranging in sizes 8" x 8" to 18" x 18".  This new work is a series of semi-abstractions of the Maine coastline, from Pemaquid to Stonington,  where I have been painting these past several weeks.  The new work will be on view starting Friday, August 1st, until Sunday, August 31st.

If you are in the area please stop in at 22 Central Street.  Rockport is just north of Rockland.  Next week, on Thursday, August 7th, the gallery is hosting an artist reception from 5-7 PM.  I will be there and am looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  Please join me for a festive event!

IN OURSELVES WE DREAM
18" x 18"
oil/panel
2014

The gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday 12 - 5 PM.  For more information please contact me or call 207-542-6873.