My art and the Cancer Therapy Artist's Mandalas will still be at the Meadowlark Gallery in Grant this weekend! The gallery requested an extended showing to provide a backdrop for the opening of a pottery show by a Kansas man with ties to people in Grant.  So, get on over there!  It is open 6-8 Fridays and Saturdays, and will also be hosting an open house on Sunday, October 2nd, 12-3

Meadowlark Gallery

This is the last weekend for the show at the Meadowlark Gallery in Grant, Nebraska.  The gallery is open Friday and Saturday 6-8pm.  On one wall, there are 24 framed mandalas colored by cancer survivors and family members.  Another wall has sunflower and non-objective art.  In another area, you can see 10 of my postcard sized collage paintings.  It's a great little venue...sure hope you can get there!  And, thanks to all of you who have stopped in already this month.  It's been surprising to those Grant people to have so many visitors from Imperial!

Sunset at Memorial Stadium

This piece of illustration board had “a pour” of pink, teal, and gold (watered down acrylic) and was waiting patiently for direction.   Cue the window salesmen, hopefully knocking on our door, leaving estimates and advertising magnets after hail damage.  One magnet was a very useful schedule of the Cornhusker’s football season, but I really didn’t want all the advertising and photo taking up fridge real estate.  So, it was chopped off.  The remains were on my painting table when I set out to tackle the next postcard collage.  The colors of the pour jumped out at me as they echoed the colors of the magnet photo.  I sliced the magnet and peeled off the photo strips...can you see the upper press box of the stadium?  Also, notice the shadowy silhouette of the Nebraska State Capitol inspired by graphics on UNL admissions papers from my son’s impending flight from the nest.   Once the jewel-toned image became all about Lincoln, it couldn’t exist without some red, so the corrugated strip from an old American Girl doll box was included—even split and sliced to underline the stadium images.  I really never know what the end result will be when I start painting, but it is a joy to realize the influence of a higher power.  

This little gem and 29 of my other paintings can be seen at the Meadowlark Gallery in Grant, Nebraska throughout the month of September.  Gallery hours are 6-8 every Friday and Saturday, and there will be an open house on Sunday, September 11th.  Also in this show will be over 30 pieces of art created by Imperial's Cancer Survivor's Art Therapy class.  It's a great show!  Hope you can get there to see it!

Show Up!

A big series of "postcard" collages has me excited and making art every day.  I Have Decided is the latest. Inspired by a person who loves God, water, and music, this image includes the melody and words to the hymn, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus". The song is not related to this person, but is there because I played it for church two weeks ago!  It was stuck in my mind and sitting in front of me. The black circular edge on the left is there because of experimenting with cardstock to use for framing the mandalas from our cancer therapy class for the September show in the Meadowlark Gallery. The scraps were sitting on my worktable and it was the first application to this collage. The "bubbles" on the right half of the image make me smile. The last addition to the image, those little circles were started to symbolize this person and her family. Then more circles were added for extended family and friends, which turned into floating bubbles and became notes on the musical staff lines. Many of the papers used here were painted nearly five years ago. Also included are some rice papers and a  lightbulb wrapper, pieces of which have been used in other paintings from over ten years ago! This creative process never ceases to amaze me...the evolving and layering of thoughts, scraps, papers, and history into a balanced and pleasing work of art. There is a magical, wondrous, awesome power in charge. The more I show up to do the work, the greater the power. And, that thought can be applied to every relationship and task in life.  Show up. Be there.

Guests Put an End to Procrastination

A year ago, I was so excited about my new 12 foot tall Christmas tree that I told my friends at the Ogallala Art Society they should plan to have the December 2010 meeting at my house so they could see my tree...and so they could appreciate how far I travel for the meetings with them!  It is 56 miles north to Ogallala, and some of them live 15 miles north of there.  Well, last month I started dreading my commitment.  The "studio" they wanted to see was far from being a "studio."  I could barely walk in the door to the guest room/place where the paint supplies are stored.  I still needed to get that big tree up and decorate for Christmas.  It was a twisted sort of relief when my son got the flu on the night before they were supposed to arrive.  I actually was sort of prepared at that time, but rescheduling for a week later was a blessing that allowed for a much cleaner house and that makes me happy.  Maybe it's because it doesn't happen often for me, but I just love the feeling of a clean house!

In the last 6 weeks, things have gotten done around here that should have been done 15 years ago!  My husband laid new flooring over the old peeling linoleum in the hall bath.  Drywall damage was repaired and painted, 45 year old carpet was hauled out of the basement and to the dump, and the remaining floor has been painted.  I even finished painting the concrete block wall in my "studio" which had been only partially painted for at least 8 years!  A swiveling stool I ordered for the studio is now usable after sitting in a box for two years.  In the last few months, the focus I had worked toward with my art had been put aside too many times with other commitments, but now I am inspired to set some new goals and get back at it.  I think the Art Society members left here a bit inspired, too. 

It's time for resolutions, and theme words.  Last year I decided on "willingness" in order to increase creative joy.  The year before, I chose the word "perseverance," to help me focus on continued, patient effort.  In the next week, besides altering 5 show choir dresses, wrapping and mailing Christmas gifts, accompanying the church concert, planning a college class for the spring semester, writing the church blog, and worrying about my son's scholarship applications, I hope to come up with the theme word for 2011.  Any ideas?  It'll be a big year.  My Governor's Mansion Exhibit will be held February 9-March 11, and I will be showing in the Meadowlark Gallery with my Cancer Survivor Painters in September.  I plan to take an online art journaling class in January, and get to the ANAC art camp at Halsey in September.  Maybe since my house is clean, I will be able to just sit for a bit, basking in the glow of Christmas lights, and think.  Then I can start painting!

Progress in the Painting Therapy Group

Bruce is cranking out the boxes and inspiring us all!  This is his second finished box with a great spiral effect.  And, Stephanie has finished her first box in blue and silver.  We had five painters today!  They are amazing.

First finished product from Cancer Therapy

Just a quick post while we're packing for the Safari Club convention!  It's been busy here with lots of substitute teaching, sewing costumes for the school musical...not enough painting.  The pirate king in Penzance will be awesome next week in his blue jacket with striped lining!  For now, I want you to see the first finished box by Bruce in the Cancer Painting Therapy class.  He is really taking off with this...inspiring me and the other students.  Bruce will handle the class this week, while I'm "vacationing" with the wild African animals and super hunters in Nevada.  I'm googling about art galleries in Reno right now...will definitely check out the Stremmel Gallery.  It will be a great trip...if the weather allows us to even get there!  Happy January!

Jumpstart Christmas

Wow, November just got away from me, and now it's time for Christmas!  We enjoyed a big showchoir festival in Scottsbluff, and a trip to Lincoln to watch our son in the All-State Chorus.  It was dad's day at the sorority, so we also got to a UNL basketball game and the UNL v. KSU football game (which means I went shopping!)  I was subbing at the school a lot, and then hosted my family here for Thanksgiving. The school's one-act play (Something's Rotten in the State of Denmark--a spoof on Hamlet) took first place at the conference competition, and will go to District's this week. Oh yea, and the family has been hunting a lot.  They got three deer in the first hour of the season. Corn harvest is late due to early snows, so the pheasants are just now being forced out.  It's busy here.

My big art news for the last month is the painting class I've started for Cancer Survivors.  We are meeting once a week (Thursdays at 10:00am).  The hospital foundation has generously purchased supplies for us on a six month trial basis.  I've had 3 students so far, and others are welcome whenever they can make it.  Caregivers are also welcome as long as space is available.  We are starting with an old standard for me:  JoSonja Jansen's Slavic Round Design on papier mache boxes.  Later, we may try watercolor or collage, but I've found that this project gives a great introduction to the acrylic medium and forces brush control, because of the amount of strokework, which also creates a very showy piece.  And, there is so much there that people can't see any mistakes!

I also sold a painting and 5 doodleboxes this week.  I'm working on a new website...up before Christmas! Trying to meet at least most of those goals I set last year.  Have you been thinking about new goals for 2010?  It's time!  Happy December everyone!