Flour Power

 Flour Power is done and is going to Mobile.

The cards for the show look great! I named the L.A. because when I was in grad school in Los Angeles, I went out one night when I was home. I ran into this guy I knew from high school. He asked me where I lived and I said "LA." He said, "Lower Alabama?" Mobile- the capital of Lower Alabama...

Huntsville Museum of Art

My mother and I scooted over to Huntsville yesterday. The Huntsville Museum of Art had a big expansion and it just reopened. Here are some images of my favorite things.

 American Studio glass

 Buccellati Silver Animals

 Mark Messersmith renders the coastal Southeastern landscape as a mysterious environment still inhabited by powerful birds, vigilant panthers, weary gators, blackwater swamps and old cypress trees—all vying with mankind for space and survival.

These painting are big, over-the-top, colorful, and contain dioramas. I should love them.... However, it was a whole room of paintings that where too close together. The paintings were all the same size and the subject matter didn't vary much. The paintings all had a diorama at the bottom and the carved pediment on the frame. The things hanging on the front were a bit gimmicky.

The strongest show was We Hate Jackson Pollock. That is an unfortunate title, but the show highlighted Pop and photorealism from the 1960s and 1970s. They had some Warhols, Lichtensteins, Stellas, Rauschenbergs, and some surprises.

 Richard Estes, screenprint

 James Vallerio, graphite on paper

A discovery- David Parrish. He is a Huntsville artist who shows all over the world. He makes giant photorealistic paintings of pop culture. He is like Glenray Tutor but more abstract. hmmm...

Christmas in Decatur

 I went home to visit my parents. Luckily, some of the Christmas decorations were still up. Old Decatur and Albany, the Victorian neighborhoods, have Christmas decorating contests every year. This is the overall "Best in Show." I love the apples and over the top lighting!

throwing "snowballs"

 This house won 1st place in Christmas with a twist. The car in the driveway had an "ArtEd" vanity license tag. The figures (we counted 11) are life-sized and plastic. I am envisioning a family art project with saran wrap and packing tape. This is an amazing group!

1st place- christmas with a twist

plastic people hanging lights

Finally, here is a bit of Christmas kitsch from my parents. My mother has a fiber-optic forest on the back porch. She has a least 12 fiber-optic trees. It is like a giant christmas lava lamp.

Bastrop, LA

On our way back from Shreveport, Kevin and I cut through the Delta. I am not sure what the most boring interstate in the country is... but I would vote for 55 north from Jackson to Batesville. I love driving through the country because of jems like this. We drove past the sign and then did a u-turn to take a picture. This is the most amazing slogan.

 Stage 1 with the background- It was working for me- too big, too many colors, not right

Stage 2 is much better in my opinion. I used a neutral (chromatic gray) and a tiny stencil. I am working on the tongs now.

I promise this isn't a knitting blog

However, here are a couple of things I made this month. This is a cowl from Norah Gaughan volume 7. Norah is my favorite knitting designer. Her version is much more classy. Mine is inspired by Nintendo, more specifically Super Mario Brothers!

 My grandmother's sweater. This is another pattern by Norah called Drift.

 And last but not least, here is the latest painting. I am making some progress. It is not finished, but it will not be long.  The main colors are pink and gray. While looking at it, I remembered a painting that I saw at the Frick a couple of summers ago. The painting is Whistler, Harmony in Pink and Gray, Valerie, Lady Meux 1881. 8881

I want to go to there....

 Design Sponge did a house tour of a local, Erin Austen Abbot. Look at the rest of her house. Who knew Water Valley?

Here is a painting update. It is coming along.

Robert Storr in the house! Jan. 19 in Oxford, MS

Exam week

It is Exam Week and I am done. Woo Hoo!

Northeast auger

Kevin and I headed downtown on Monday night for the Oxford Christmas Parade. We were VERY cold, but I loved it! The floats were fantastic. Northeast Power decorated an auger (for large drilling) with christmas lights and drove it through town. You have to love this stuff.

animal shelter pirate theme float

I have been grading and grading. I am 3 drawings short of being completely finished. Here are some of my Drawing 1 Student work. It is a make your own still life drawing. The students build their own dioramas (with shoeboxes and hot glue) and they draw them. The brown craft paper was a popular support this year.

 

I have been walking to school this semester. Here is my neighbor's house. I took this picture after my last exam.

I am finally back in the studio with some serious time. This painting is harder than I thought. Oh well...

 

Kevin and I are hosting a Holiday Sale and Open House at our house on Saturday. Ashley Chavis (maybe Ginny Chavis too), Brooke White, and Katherine Fields will be selling/hanging out. Send me an email if you are interested in coming.

Petit four

 I started a new small painting this week. I am really looking forward to spending some serious time in the studio. I'll be done with exams next Tuesday at 5pm! This painting's subject is petit fours. Yum- my favorite ones are from La Baguette on Poplar in Memphis.

I think this bad boy is finished. I am not sure of the title yet... "I want candy" stands out at this point.

empty calories

I am plugging along in the studio. I ultimately decided against painting the tie-dye. It wasn't translating in paint. I think I am going to put in some shadows on the flat background.

out and about in O-town

 I saw this one of my walks from my house to campus. I love the unnatural color.

 We have a great BFA show up at Gallery 120 in Meek Hall. It is a group show with Alex Parsons, Thomas Groskoph, Priscilla Hamric, and Jaime Johnson. Here are some highlights.

 Thomas's Ray gun

Jaime's firefly installation with sound, photography, and light.

I want candy!

I am getting back to my studio as school starts to wind down. Can you believe we have one more week of classes?

I am working on a smaller painting (3' x 2'). I am painting candy- gummy centipedes, butterflies, frogs, and twizzler spirals. I bought this candy at Dylan's Candy in NYC this summer. I took a picture of it soon after I got home. I am going to attempt a tie-dye background. stay tuned!

Piped Dreams

I think this is done! Kevin came up with the title, "Piped Dreams." What do you think?

This painting is 4' x 4'. I had so much fun painting the plastic boxes.

CAC

During the brief interim between my meetings, I visited the Cincinnati Arts Center. The building was designed by Zaha Hadid. The installation in the photo is Ernesto Neto, "dancing allowed."

The other show on the upper floors is a private collection show,"where do we go from here." the collection, La Coleccion Jumex, features Andy Warhol, jeff Koons, jenny holzer, and Paul McCarthy.

I wish could show more pictures... I am not sure how to upload more than one.

Cincinnati

I am here in Ohio for the nasad conference. Fun times... However, there is some great art deco buildings in downtown. This is a rookwood ceramic mosaic. Nice!

Kenwood, California

I just got back from my friend julie's wedding extravaganza. It was a bumpy ride. It included an unplanned overnight stay at the holiday inn lax.

My laptop was totaled by the Mac guy on campus.... So apparently I am getting a new computer. Woo hoo! Until I get the new computer, posting might be light.