I'm home!!!!

I made it back to Mississippi in one piece. Before I become engrossed in other things, I want to show some work from the open studios at VSC. This is a small sampling of some incredible work by all of the residents.

Genevieve Chevalier, mixed media, 4' tall

Elke Pessl, photography/ silkscreen
Lisa Tubach, detail of a very large painting

Kathleen Kucka, enamels on paper
Amanda Fieldler, mixed media sculpture

ps the heat index today is 106

Last post from the frozen north

I am heading back home... Here are some open studio shots from my studio. I am amazed how much I got done. Stay tuned for an overview of the other residents' open studios.

It's raining...

Crosswalk from the studios to the dining hall- It took me 2 weeks before I noticed the paintbrush in his hand....
Painting in progress- This is painted on Tyvek. It needs a title and I have already used "Sausage Fest"...


The sun is finally out this morning after a solid week of rain. The rain is good for concentrating in the studio, but it is draining after awhile. Last night, Tom Butter
gave a talk about his work. Of the two sculptors (Jean Blackburn and Tom) both have joined the dark side and started painting. hmmmmm....

About last night....

After 2 weeks in Johnson, several of us decided to "get off the reservation." Bread and Puppets was the answer to break the daily grind of blissfully working away in the studio. We arrived right at 8 ( after a harrowing drive through the rainy, foggy mountains, chock full of moose crossing signs). We went straight into the theater/ barn for the performance. It was a political performance with lots of props, music, and jumping- but very little dialogue. The performance space was decorated (almost like a medieval cathedral) with paper mache and woodburning. It was a cross between Italian frescoes and outsider art.

After the performance concluded and we had our bread and vegan aioli spread, we checked out the museum. The museum houses all of the puppets and props from past shows. It was a truly amazing sight- nonsensical and absurd at times..... Here are some of my favorite exhibits...

Open Studio Night at VSC

I finished "Peachy Keen" (thanks mamma for the title). It is 16"x 20"

Here are some random pictures from Johnson. We had an open studio on Thursday night. I took a couple of pictures of some interesting work.
Michael Velliquette- drawing
Cecile Chong- encaustic painting
Aaron Richmond- mixed media (charcoal and fabric on craft paper)
Kate Budd- wax sculpture
John Schiro- enamel painting
More shots coming soom... stay tuned....

VSC studio update

Studio view
I have a couple of new things to share. First of all, I finished "Mint Loulep." I really pushed to finish it because I had a studio visit with Sarah Walker. She is a painter who is based in Brooklyn who makes these big, trippy abstract paintings. She is a self-described "maximalist." Needless to say, we share a similar aesthetic. The studio visit went well and I am excited to make more work! Tomorrow night, I will give a short slide lecture to the other residents.

small painting- 9"x 12". I really just wanted to paint the floral.
newest painting- Peaches and Ice Cream... I need a new title for this one as well because I have already used Peaches 'N Cream. This one is small 16" x 20"
"Mint Loulep" acrylic on canvas 24" x 36"

Snapshots from Vermont

Here are some pictures of Johnson. This is the river that runs through town and next to the dining hall. I love to find a table at meals that looks over the water.

The next shots are of the house I am living in and the view from my window.

The here is the Mint Julep progress shot. The condensation on the cup is killing me.... slow going.
We finally have cooler weather. Everyone here complained about the humidity (which was nothing) while I lamented the lack of air conditioning.

it is still a baby

I just started this painting yesterday. so far so good.... I need a campy "mint" title. I'll keep thinking.

Vermont Studio Center

For the next four weeks, I am doing a residency at the Vermont Studio Center. This is my studio.... it is large and has great light. I am just realizing how crappy studios have been for the last couple of years. I have not had a space this good since grad school. Woo Hoo!

I will show some pictures of the work I am doing, along with scenic pictures of Vermont. Stay tuned!

Done! (maybe)

So I added a newspaper under the shrimp. Painting text in persepective was difficult. I am think I am done, however I may see things that need to be fixed when I get back.

I am leaving tomorrow morning for 4 weeks at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont. I am going to blog from the road and the frozen north!

almost there

So here is a progress shot....

I think I found a good title- Jumbo Shrimp. I think the title makes more sense in person. The painting is 6 feet by 4 feet. The shrimp are a foot tall. I also like oxymorons.

the newest work

Here is what I have been working on since Lemon LeMonde. It is amazing how fast this is going! I haven't come up with a title yet... shrimp boil? prawn fawn?

May- a month for quilting

From top to bottom- 1. First quilt 2. Zig Zag quilt 3. Millefiori quilt 4. Stripe pieced top







Every May, I get the urge to make as much as possible. I think it has something to do with the Academic calendar. I finish school and get crafty. I made my first quilt in 2005. I followed the directions I found online. I also decided to hand-quilt it as well. However, hand-quilting is slow and not as visual impactful for the effort. In 2006, I made 2 quilts- one for my godson and the zig zag quilt. In 2007, I got very ambitious and decided to make a queen size quilt. Looking over my collection of vintage fabric, I focused on the florals. The title of my quilt is Millefiori ( a milllion flowers in my pathetic Italian). I loved the overall unity of the fabric choices. So this year, I keep the theme tight- Stripes. This was a quick quilt- big blocks, simple designs. I just need to find a quilt shop to get it machine quilted. No more needle and thread for me!

Ta Da!

Lemon LeMonde is finished! On to the next painting.....

Lemon LeMonde Part 2

I am still plugging away at this painting. It think it might get done this month which is so exciting!

Some of you might notice the floating painting brushes... I tend to flip my paintings around. Some of the really detailed stuff is easier to see upside down- if it easier to see it is easier to paint. I also like to sit on the floor and work. I move the painting to a comfortable position and away I go. The digital camera is great. I can take a picture and see what it looks like right- side up. I can also see what parts are not working. For instance the platter is not round and the top of the plate needs work.

Stay tuned....