New Work

Busy working to prepare for the RISD show on Dec. 13 but I took the day off to go to the movies.  I saw Interstellar which was very good but almost three hours.  Just the thing to do on a cold and rainy day.  There were only six people in the theater.  A private showing!

Here are some new examples of 12 x 12 cold wax pieces:

Here is a little variation from the formula:

This is 10 x 10 with some rusty pieces attached.  I like the shadows cast by the wire.  I may go in this direction for a while.

Hard at Work

I have been hard at work in the studio getting ready for the RISD Christmas show on December 13th.  I finished up a couple of cold wax pieces and I have been experimenting with some loose mixed media pieces.

I met with my art group and presented my challenge piece which was "simple pleasures".

I collaged the paper but then I put too much gesso over it so you can't see any of it.  I really liked that back ground.  This is gesso and india ink.  The letters are rub ons which I cut up into small squares and glues.

Not wanting to make the same mistake by obliterating the collaged background, I knocked this one out pretty quickly:

I used the same process as above but I went easy on the gesso and rubbed out the ink at the bottom.  I may do more of these.

Gearing Up

I'm gearing up for the holiday season.  I have my stuff spread out over several venues including the holiday show at Mad Dog Studios where I have my studio space.  I am also participating in South County's sale, South Shore Art Center, and Save the Bay.  I also put my name on the waiting list for the RISD holiday and I never expected a call but they did!  Now that really makes me nervous because I have no idea what to bring.

I spent a few hours figuring out a display format for the show and I think it is going to work out.  It is a good thing that I kept my old display racks from Yesteryear.

It's a Winner!

I entered the photo contest in Wickford with this:

It is probably my favorite photo from San Miguel.  A group of us were sitting in a roof top bar during happy hour (buy one, get one free).  I saw these pigeon on the ledge across the street performing a mating dance and then you know what.  Here they are in the afterglow of it all.

You can't image my shock and surprise when this took first place!  I am pretty sure the other contestants knew what they were doing with their cameras which makes this all the more amazing.

Nothing like a little validation to keep you on target.

New Work

October has slipped through my fingers and between work and upcoming shows, I wonder what I have been doing with my time.  I am still in the cold wax mode and here are a couple of my latest projects:

The first one is slated for a group show in Wickford in March and the second one will probably go to one of the Christmas shows in the area.  In the second, the tree trunks are collaged papers, some tissue and others are from a cut up canvas.  This was a bit of a struggle.

October and Tim Gunn

October is one of those months where time becomes a blur.  There is so much happening that I can't keep up. There are holiday shows to prepare and fundraisers to attend. The weather is changing but the trees are still holding onto their green. It gets dark so early which is a sign that we all know what's coming next.  The Trim a Tree section is up and running at Lord and Taylor.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a lecture with Tim Gunn of Project Runway.  I am a big fan of this series, having seen all of the episodes including the All Stars which is not one of my favorites.   Tim confessed that he had not seen All Stars at all.

I probably should not say it was a lecture.  It was more of a stand up.  Tim Gunn is hilarious which we don't always see on the show.  He told stories about fashion, his mother who must have been a hoot, writing books, teaching and his very good friend, Diane von Furstenburg (DVF).  He was dapper, charming, and very funny.  I wished he talked longer.

Tomorrow is the Rhode Island School of Design Alumni and Student sale which is held on the street.  I hope they aren't rained out.  There is also a benefit road race, a Waterfire celebration and I am going to an "Art Heist" fundraiser where I get to bring home a  piece of art of my choosing.  Since my name is never chosen first at of of these things, I just hope I don't end up with my own painting.

Sunday

Another beautiful day in Providence.  It was more like summer than fall.  I will take some more of this.

I went to the Botanical Garden  at the Roger Williams Park with my sister.  The Botanical contest is coming to a close and I didn't have a lot to show for it so we snapped a few pictures.

This is my best butterfly shot without a macro lens

Some well fed koi

A carousel horse

This is a freeze frame water shot from a fountain