Mad Potter of Biloxi

On our way home, we checked out the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum in Biloxi. The museum is dedicated to George Ohr who called himself the Mad Potter of Biloxi. The building was designed by Frank Gehry and is an interesting mix of metal and red brick. I think Mr. Gehry was also influenced by the giant live oaks that survived Katrina. The museum overlooks the bay and these pictures are from the shoefly deck on the roof. The whole complex should be open in a year.

They had a strict no photo policy in the galleries and very friendly docents. However, I did sneak this one. It is a Ohr mug that is owned by the University of Mississippi Department of Anthropology and Sociology. hmmmm.... I would love to hear the rest of that story.

Ocean Springs, MS

 Spring has sprung on the coast. The azealas were giant and vibrant.

 We went to Davis Bayou on the Gulf Islands National Seashore. It was threatening to rain the whole time so we didn't stay long.

Pelicans in the bay.... This was at the end of the main street in Ocean Springs.

Modern technology saves the day... We were cruising around thinking about where we were going to eat. I remembered that I had bought John T Edge's Southern Belly app. I just loaded it up and it recommended a po-boy/ vietnamese place in D'Iberville. We had the best dinner- shrimp and soft shelled crab poboy and beef pho. Yum!

WAMA!

It is spring break around these parts so Kevin and I headed to the coast. We checked out the Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs.The first exhibit was the Tradition/Innovation which focuses on Contemporary Craft from the South. There were some new (to me) artists....

Shawne Major, Opelousas, LA, Portal to Portal, 2005

Darryl Montana, Mardi Gras Indian Chief Suit, New Orleans, LA, 1997

Old friends.... Mark Peiser,  Penland, NC

and Elizabeth Brim!!! Oh Betty- it is a terrible picture but a lovely piece.

The other exhibits focused on Walter Anderson. Here are some drawings that I love (and did a master copy).

Walter Anderson's watercolors are incredibly vibrant and psychedelic. They remind me of Charles Burchfield.

Here is the little room off his studio that he painted a mural. Get ready Kevi Kev- I might get out my paint brush.

in between

I am in transition in the studio. Finally, after 4 years of really, really needing a new space. I am moving out. Where to... I don't know? But I had some photos of my new work shot and I even updated my website. 

Here are the stacks of paintings and boxes of paint, brushes, etc. I have a lot of stuff...

As I was cleaning and packing, I found a rolled up tube of canvas and two old paintings from grad school were there. Surprise!

I can't wait to share with you a new space as soon as I find one....

small paintings....

 Here are a couple of 16" x 20" or 12" x 15" paintings that I have been working on recently. My studio is in transition right now. I will be working on paper and on small paintings for the time being.

A couple of things that are going on....

At the Ole Miss Art Department (Gallery 120)

Not everyone (can carry the weight of the world)
curated by Les Christensen & John Salvest

February 7-29, 2012

Gallery Talk: Thursday, February 29, 2:30pm

This is a great installation piece about the civil rights movement and more specifically about Ole Miss. It is really powerful. 

The Oxford Film Fest and Music Festival kicks off tonight with a Thacker Mountain Radio at the Lyric. They are also screening the community film, The Show Must Go On (the trailer is below).

The film fest is absolutely one of my favorite weekends! 

Sketchbook project

Way back in October, I decided to take on a challenge (for me)- The Sketchbook Project. My interest in works on paper has been growing this year and I thought the deadline would be good for me.

The Brooklyn Art Library sent me a 5" x 7" sketchbook with 32 pages. Over the fall, I became obsessed with frames and circles and I wanted to continue with those ideas. Ultimately, I would like to make some large drawings. One day, I want to do a works on paper show.

I chose a monochromatic theme because I love to organize anything by color. The book starts with red and ends with violet- ROY G BIV. Some of the small drawings/paintings in the frames were recycled from the 100 drawings project and I also made some new works. I used fluid acrylics, pencil, pen, colored pencils, stenciling, and collage.

I had a really good time experimenting with new materials and hopefully this will make it into new work.

If you are in the following places on the dates listed- you should check this out in person along with hundreds of other sketchbooks.

Brooklyn, NY
April 14th-30th
Brooklyn Art Library
103A N. 3rd St
Brooklyn, NY 11249

Chicago, IL
May 3rd-5th
Hyde Park Art Center
5020 S. Cornell Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615

Portland, OR
May 11th-13th
The Cleaners at the Ace Hotel
1022 SW Stark St
Portland, OR

Vancouver, Canada
May 15th-16th
W2 Media Cafe
111 W Hastings St.
Vancouver, BC

Los Angeles, CA
May 24th-26th
iam8bit
2147 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

San Francisco, CA
June 2nd-June 23rd
Pop-Up Shop

Greater Boston Area
July 6th-8th
LynnArts
25 Exchange Street
Lynn, MA

Portland, ME
July 11th-14th
SPACE Gallery
538 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101

Toronto, Canada
July 18th-22nd
The Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen St. W
Toronto, ON

Philadelphia, PA
Aug 23rd-25th
The Painted Bride
co-presented with InLiquid
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Atlanta, GA
Aug 29th - Sept 1st
MASS Collective
364 Nelson St. SW
Atlanta, GA

Austin, TX
September 8th-16th
Co-Lab Project Space
613 Allen St.
Austin, TX

Melbourne, Australia*
November 10th-25th
NGV Studio
Federation Square
Russell & Flinders Sts
Melbourne

***the call number is 147.4-8***

quick update

I have a small break before the spring semester starts. I think small (quick) paintings and drawings are on my agenda for the next couple of months. I just started this painting on Monday and I am not sure if it is finished....

Here is a detail shot from a lace cowl (Imogen cowl). I love negative space of lace.

Ole Miss meet OES

 I have been teaching a Service Learning in the Arts class for Winter Intersession. Our community project was to beautify the Oxford Elementary School cafeteria. Here is the before and below are some progress shots.

Kids painting...

 The murals or Walls that Teach were actually 4' x 6' panels. It is hard to paint on concrete blocks. The kids chose life cycles as the subject. The second graders painted the outside blocks and my students painted the cycles of plants, water, and animals.

 Here are all the kids with my students and the teachers.

I did the welcome sign and the penguin is the school mascot.

A more intellectually stimulating and aesthetically pleasing environment I must say!

Finally....

I think this might be done. I have been working on this since August and it feels so good to resolve it....

Any ideas on a title?

Christmas in Cottonplant, MS

 Last night, we headed up to Cottonplant, Mississippi for a Christmas spectacular. It was something else! They have over 475 inflatables. We should have know it was pretty great when we were stuck in a 45 minute long traffic jam on the highway (rookie mistake- 8pm on the Saturday before Christmas). Everyone was going to Cottonplant... they even had state troopers directing traffic.

 Here are some drawings/paintings that I have been working on in my studio. They are on yupo with fluid acrylics.

Based on a "sculpture" from a Nactitoches, LA gift shop

 We also picked up the "Lou with a View" show in Niceville, Florida at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College. Here are some installation shots.