Art in the Most Unlikely Place

Nancy's train station at Sedgewick.  

Judy's princess bird

Shirley's beaded shell

Sheila's horses with medium still not dry

Wow.  What a great day in Lewellen, Nebraska!  We had 4 fabulous women come together to play with collage in a 3 hour workshop.  Thanks to Sheila, Shirley, Judy, and Nancy for sharing your afternoon with me.  ELEVEN paintings were created (4 shown here), and lots of information exchanged in the comforting atmosphere of The Most Unlikely Place (bistro and gallery).  Cynthia is amazing as the hostess/waitress/owner of this wonderful place.  Try the beautiful fruit water...the salads and sandwiches are delicious and healthy!  The Ash Hollow Festival is happening there next weekend.  It's a great time to visit and see work by their new guest artist, Cindi Egging. Thanks MUP for hosting my art, and my student's art in your gallery for the last 2 months.

Opening at The Most Unlikely Place--GWR Band

 Saturday was an awesome evening at The Most Unlikely Place in Lewellen, Nebraska.  The left photo shows some of my art on the south wall.  Notice the cornice.  They have painted wonderful words all around the large room in a shadow style that looks like carved stone!  The other photo shows the George William Ray Band warming up in the music area at the east end of the gallery/cafe.  They were wonderful...a top-notch performance after spending all day in the sun and winning medals at the Ogallala track meet.  Thanks guys!  The place was full for the evening, with lots of people traveling over 80 miles for this artist reception/concert/gourmet meal.  I am humbled and grateful.

Here, on the left is the latest postcard collage, titled Moonlight Sonata.  The music in it is a gel transfer from a line in Beethoven's fourteenth Sonata.  I am amazed at how beautifully this turned out.  It sat for several weeks in the confusing, unfinished state shown on the right.  I couldn't decide what to do next...that's the miracle of art...and especially of collage...it appears and evolves.  I wonder how and why I make the brushstrokes and additions of ephemera that I do.  There is definitely a Spirit leading the process. Patience and flexibility are essential.

Make your reservations (308-778-9557) at The Most Unlikely Place for dinner Saturday night.  If you can't make dinner, the George WIlliam Ray Band will play from 6:30-8:30.  You will love this great venue for art, music, food and fun.  Moonlight Sonata will be a part of my show there through the month of April.  They are open 8-2 Wednesday-Saturday.

The Vote is In! On to Lewellen...

Thanks to all of you who voted on what I'd enter in the postcard contest with the National Collage Society.  I was amazed at the response.  The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of #4 Tropicalfleur.  This painting is in the mail to the gallery at Kent State University.  The other five collages are framed and ready for the exhibit at The Most Unlikely Place. It's going to be fun on Saturday night, April 2nd!  Come to Lewellen, Nebraska for good art, good food, good music!  Call 308-778-9557 for reservations if you are wanting to eat...dinner served from 5-7, George William Ray Band from 6:30-8:30.

Update: Artist Reception in Lewellen April 2nd

Fast planning happening here.  I told you last week my art will be in Lewellen, NE for the month of April.  Today, we decided the artist reception at The Most Unlikely Place will be NEXT SATURDAY!  They will serve an evening dinner that night.  AND, besides seeing me there, you will have the privilege of hearing the awesome sounds of the George William Ray Band!!!  This group includes three of the greatest boys in the world...my son, Lucas and two of his best friends, Tyler and Paul.  Check out the MUP website HERE...its a great day trip for breakfast or lunch Wed-Sat if you can't make it on the 2nd.

Thanks for voting on the postcard collages...one is way ahead of the others!  But I can't tell you which collage will be going to the NCS competition until Monday. The collage here is one of the six you can view on my website, where I'm asking viewers to help me decide which to enter.  It's title: A Rose Is. The rose image is a gel transfer.  It includes hand-painted papers and Zentangle-type doodling.  There's still time to vote. Be sure to let me know which one you think I should enter...either on the contact the artist link there, in a comment here, at my email, or on facebook.  You will be able to see the five pieces that don't enter the competition at the Most Unlikely Place!

Your Vote Will Determine My Entry

I've added a new page to my website, so you can let me know which of six postcard size collages I should enter into this year's National Collage Society show.  It has to be in the mail by March 26th, so hop on over to my site, HERE, and get me a message about your choice! 

The five that don't go to the NCS show will be included in the show at The Most Unlikely Place in Lewellen, NE starting March 31st and running through the month of April.  Make plans to see them in person, and enjoy a very special coffee break or meal!

Last Show, Next Show, Miles, and Memories

 Just had to share a couple more photos from the Nebraska Governor's Residence.  You can see how the space is used for a variety of meetings with a completely different table configuration when I took these photos compared to those I posted the week before.  The show came down last Friday.  It was such an honor to have my art in this space and a pleasure to work with the Residence Staff. 

The next showing of my art will be during the month of April at The Most Unlikely Place, a wonderfully fun art gallery, espresso bar, and luncheon cafe in Lewellen, Nebraska!  Tentative plans call for a reception on April 23rd...the Saturday afternoon before Easter...possibly with live music!  This wonderful space is owned by three sibling artists: Dennis and Rex Miller, and Jean Jensen.  I have painted with Dennis at the Autumn Art Workshop at the 4-H Camp near Halsey.  The cafe is open Wednesday-Saturday, with special menus that change every week!  They have parties once a month and host classes in art, dance and music.  Sure hope you can make it to Lewellen.  You will be amazed.

Lots of miles were covered last weekend.  After the trip across the state to Lincoln, I drove to south-central Kansas to paint a bathroom for my mother.  The extreme winter got the best of some pipes, which flooded their guest house, requiring new drywall and a restoration service.

I ran into a couple of high school friends while I was there.  It was fun to have my art along in the car to show Arlene, an active artist, who was in Richard VanSickle's art class with me--was that 38 years ago? (Yow!)  I found a trace of Mr. VanSickle on Google...teaching on the potter's wheel at Wichita Pottery.  I still have the large acrylic painting I did as a senior in high school--an impressionistic attempt to copy a painting I loved that hung in our high school library! I ran from the basement art room up the stairs to the third floor library many times as I tried to capture the composition...no digital cameras to help out!  After all the moves, it has a small hole in one spot, and is a bit warped, but is in pretty good shape.