TINY BIG ART

Tiny Big Art paintings at the Studio Restaurant, Gloucester, MA

Image downloaded from the Rocky Neck Art Colony Facebook page

Here are my 6" x 6" paintings on my new favorite surface: Multimedia Artboard.  These were donated to Rocky Neck Art Colony's event: Tiny Big Art.  The fundraiser took place last Thursday evening, April 26th, at the Studio Restaurant on Rocky Neck in Gloucester, MA.

Working small inspired me to play with materials, shapes, line and very limited palettes.  I really like these orange and black series so I am expanding on this theme creating a series.  

Playing with pink and green was a different direction as its a color combination I seldom experiment with.  Interestingly pink is not a salable color according to my gallery.  Yet I have always been inspired by de Kooning's use of pink and jade green in his paintings.  These three will satisfy my pink craving for now.  

Yesterday I gathered a few paintings and ink sketches for Concord Art's Great Big "small works' Art sale happening on Saturday, May 4th @ 10 AM - 4:30 PM.  This is a fabulous way to collect small works 5"x 7" from your favorite artists.  For details click here.  I will post those after the event on Saturday.  Hope to see you there!

SMALL ART BIG EVENT

Above are some mixed media works I played with for Rocky Neck Art Colony's Big Tiny Art Event.  The paper is Multimedia Artboard.  I love this product for its versatility and flexibility.

As described on Multimedia Artboard website: Artboard is an archival material, which is very light weight, easy to cut, can be used on both sides, and is very durable.  

I ended up sending them 6 small works (not all featured)  6" x 6" in size on this Multimedia Artboard.  I will reveal the tiny art after the event takes place on Thursday, April 26th, at the Studio Restaurant in Gloucester.  (For more details see link under EXHIBITS/EVENTS right)  And working small again was the jumpstart I needed after many weeks of teaching art.  I just ordered more in 11" x 14" and 8" x 8" in white.  Comes in black too.  I found that out by ordering the black in error.

Also, it was lovely to get a recent mention (4/17/19) in the Gloucester Daily Times.  Staff writer Gail McCarthy wrote the article below about the "Big Tiny Art Event."

Tiny Treasures: Art sale and party to benefit Rocky Neck Art Colony

In the world of art, bigger is not always better.

In that spirit, the Rocky Neck Art Colony is holding its second “Big Tiny Art Event” next Thursday, April 25, at The Studio Restaurant, in the heart of this historic cultural district in Gloucester.

Dozens of well-known and emerging artists have created 6-inch-by-6-inch works of art that will be on display at the waterfront establishment. Each $50 ticket includes one of these works of art and dinner. 

One of the organizers, Kathy Archer, said that the fundraiser is a festive way to kick off the spring season.

“We open the doors, and everyone comes in to look at the four boards that have 36 pieces of art on each one, and everyone gets a tiny artwork that goes with the price of entry,” she said. “They are all created by artists that you may or may not know. They sign the back and not the front, so it’s a surprise as to whose work you buy. It’s so much fun. And you can buy additional works of art for $50 apiece.”

Some of the local artists participating are Ruth Mordecai, Barbara Moody, Martha Wakefield, Jason Burroughs and Joan Bediz, among many others.

Thank you Gail McCarthy for the mention!  And best wishes Rocky Neck Art Colony for a very successful event!

NEW HOMES

The Weight of Memory I
10" x 10"
mixed media on paper on panel

Powers Gallery has found a new home for these two paintings!  This pair is part of my Fragility of Memory series.  They are mixed media on Arches oil paper mounted on birch panel.  The mixed media consists of graphite, crayon, cold wax medium and oil.  I delivered these paintings to the gallery on February 20th for the Essence of Abstraction show that was ongoing from January 26th until March 9th.  

The gallery had already sold five of my paintings in this exhibit and were asking for more.  Luckily I had just finished the second painting below and had the panels and frames in house.  I was able to deliver both within the week.  

The Weight of Memory II
10" x 10"
mixed media on paper on panel

It is always rewarding to have one's work being welcomed into a new home.  Thank you Powers Gallery and thank you new collectors! 

ENDINGS

Last Tuesday, I finished 12 weeks of teaching painting.  My classes consisted of Expressive Watercolors, Alchemy of Color I and II, Embrace the Sketchbook and landscape based Power Painting and Dynamic Colors.

I taught series of classes and one-day workshops at Concord Art, Cambridge Art Association, New Art Center and a private club in Boston.

Studio at New Art Center

New Art Center has a wonderful large studio space.  With a full house of 12 students we still had plenty of room to work.

Artist's value study in watercolor

Many artists embrace the versatility of watercolors and the value of doing a black and white painting.  Another fun workshop was my first Embrace the Sketchbook at Cambridge Art Association.  See my post Thursday, February 21st.  This is a class I hope to expand on and teach again

Watercolor class

Artist's color study.

Alchemy of Color I and II are challenging yet rewarding classes based on the feedback from many artists who ave taken these classes.  I teach the properties of color and the magic of mixing in Alchemy I.  In the next session, Alchemy of Color II, we explore color in depth putting many of the principles to practice by painting a still life each week.  Homework is always assigned.

Artist's homework in Alchemy of Color II

Endings are bittersweet for me.  While I am looking forward to spending time in my studio, I will miss the many wonderful artists I had the opportunity to work with.  Each artist brought a unique voice as well as an inspiring drive to pursue their art.   I am grateful to all of the artists who enrolled in my classes and the time we shared pushing paint.  Thank you!

NEW HOMES

Powers Gallery
Photo courtesy of Powers Gallery

The Essence of Abstraction show, currently on view at Powers Gallery, continues to draw new art collectors.  I am happy to report that Powers Gallery has found new homes for three more of my paintings.

The Edge of Possibilities
36" x 36" mixed media/panel

My paintings explore the fragility and emotional anatomy of memory.  I am intrigued by how memory has many forms from persistent vividness to fleeting passages to total loss.  Memory has no physicality: we cannot hold it in our hands yet we carry it with us.  It has no weight yet can weigh us down.  We bury it deep inside until a scent, a voice or place conjures it's power to rise.  This exploration of memory is a very personal journey so having interested collectors of my work is a high honor.

The Things We Carry
8" x 8" mixed media/panel

I work both big and very small.  My mixed media consists of acrylic, India ink, crayon, graphite, marker, cold wax medium and oils.   

Spirit & Soul
6'x6" mixed media/panel

Thank you Powers Gallery and collectors.  I am exciting these three paintings have found new homes.

EMBRACE THE SKETCHBOOK

Last Thursday, Valentine's Day, I taught a workshop at Cambridge Art Association's Kathryn Schultz Gallery in Cambridge, MA.  Embrace the Sketchbook workshop compliments the current exhibit This is How it Starts showcasing 23 artists sketchbooks.  I had the honor of jurying this show (please see prior blog post).  Do see this new exhibit as it is very inspiring.  

For this workshop the goal was to embrace the sketchbook as an important tool in our art practice. My class description:

The sketchbook is a wonderful tool in any studio practice to improve creativity, explore ideas, stay inspired and motivated. It becomes visual diary committing to paper those ideas rattling in the right brain. We will review some master artists’ sketchbooks (most pretty messy), sketchbook options and experiment with a variety of materials from a simple pencil to markers, paint and collage. Through exercises students can engage in the process of playing as it is the beginning stage of creativity allowing more risk taking since a “finished” piece is not the goal here. At the end of the workshop artist may find some gems to explore further in their art practice.

After my demo/lecture which I tried to keep short, nine artists embraced the materials and the time to play.  

Some of the many tools available to play with

The results were exciting.  We did a few exercises but the majority of the time the artists  pushed the materials and tools, experimented and transformed the blank pages into exciting content. 

doodling is important

A collaborative product with fun results

new sketches in the book

creating a pile of material to play with some more

One thing we all learned was that 3 hours were not enough.  I definitely could see this as a day long workshop.  Hmmm...

I wish to thank all the artists for enrolling in this workshop and for their inspiring energy and enthusiasm!  Many thanks to Cambridge Art Association for the opportunity to teach this. 

The Sketchbook Exhibit

Sketches by Emily Manning-Mingle

This is How It Starts is a new concept exhibit featuring sketchbooks at Cambridge Art Association's Kathryn Schultz Gallery. The show opened Thursday 2/7 and runs until 2/27.  Yesterday a reception was held from 11-1 PM and well attended by an enthusiastic crowd of artists, families, friends and art lovers.  It was fun for me to see some many people engage with each book. 

Sketchbook by Susan Byrne

I had the honor of jurying this show and was delighted by the quality and diversity of the work submitted. I commend all the artists who bravely brought their sketchbooks forth. Handling each book is like entering a sacred sanctuary as artists' sketchbooks can be very personal and private.  

Sketches by Roz Sommer

Despite the differences in process, media and mark-making, a few themes emerged: figures, abstraction, landscape, collage and botanicals. My aim was to come up with an inspiring show of cohesive diversity.  Do see the exhibit, engage with the books and loose sketches and celebrate the mystery and magic that emerges when artists are at play. 

Award winner Mick Provencher with Erin Becker & me.
Mick has two sketchbooks in the show.

Rom Sommer award winner.  See her work in the image above.

My juror statement:

“The portable studio,” is how Richard Diebenkorn defined his sketchbook. Andrew Wyeth referred to his sketches as his “messy side” and debated letting them out of the studio.  A sketchbook is a pad or book of paper for drawing according to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.   In the hands of an artist these blank sheets of paper are transformed into personal artistic meditations.

In a first ever exhibit This is How it Starts we enter the inner sanctum of private scribbles, exploration of ideas and celebration of play by 24 talented artists.  Each has a distinctive and personal process chosen from a wide variety of materials and techniques.  The interplay of the conscious line to sub-conscious doodles meld as this ritual is practiced. 

The hands-on craft of creativity is evident, as is the innate curiosity to experiment and the capacity to wonder in each artists’ mark-making.  Here we witness the endeavors of form, shape, and line as well as circling in on intriguing projects.

As artists we spend inordinate amounts of solo time mysteriously working in our studios.  Yet we share a strong need to engage with other creatives.  In this exhibit the sketchbooks are linked by the process and motivation as artists commit ideas to paper.  And each in turn unveils the mystery by welcoming the viewer to peek through the keyhole of the studio door.  

It was years after Diebenkorn’s death that his wife Phyllis decided his 29 sketchbooks should be shared with the public.  I thank all the artists who courageously reveal their sketchbooks for this exhibit. 

Sketchbook by Martha Chasson-Sokol

I also wish to thank Erin Becker, Norma Jean Calderwood Director of Cambridge Art Association, Rebecca  Schnopp, assistant director and members of the exhibition committee for the honor to jury This is How It Starts.