Blog

Entering an Exhibition

11/28/2020

Over the past 12 years, I have entered more than 100 exhibit opportunities. I got into about 50% of them as a fiber artist and loved seeing my work out there.
Now, having changed my medium to mixed media and book arts several years ago, I have just entered my first competition to be included in Pandemonium — an exhibition being managed and judged by Alicia Bailey, a well-known book artist here in Colorado.
I don't know if I will be accepted but if not, I will continue to look for opportunities to have my book art displayed in other exhibits.
Exhibiting my fiber art led to many exciting opportunities and it took several years to "get noticed". I think this will be the same for me in this new medium so I will have patience and know that working hard always brings results!
Meanwhile, I just love making books and journals, in lots of different formats. For me, it's about the process, not the end result!

Thanksgiving 2020

11/22/2020

Every thanksgiving, I think about my grandparents who owned a turkey farm in Hanover, NH. My family spent many years at the farm and I actually worked in the "factory" preparing the birds for packaging and distribution.
They were "gentleman" farmers and donated all of their profits to Dartmouth College.
I remember as a young child, visiting the turkey cages and yelling "gobble, gobble, gobble" and having them gobble me back.
2020 is a totally different Thanksgiving year. My husband and I will celebrate together in our apartment. No need to feed 30 people that was our family tradition. We will be sharing a turkey and all the sides with neighbors instead. And that feels good.
We are planning on zooming with our family on the East coast and in Dallas.
We are looking forward to 2021 when, perhaps, we will have tamed this virus and can once again smile at one another.
I wish you all a safe and healthy Thanksgiving.

Frida Kahlo

11/14/2020

I ventured out of my apartment to see the highly touted Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism exhibit at the Denver Museum of Art.

So disappointed.

Most of the exhibit consisted of black & white photos of Frida, Diego and their friends. While historically interesting, I really wanted to see more of their original paintings.

Also, in this COVID time, I was annoyed that too many people were allowed into the exhibit at the same time and that made keeping 6 feet apart impossible. So I didn't feel safe.

There was a video, showing Diego's control over Frida that I felt was almost showing his abuse, and another "movie" that was also hard to view.

All in all, I don't recommend going to this exhibit. You can learn more and see more in books and online.

Commission

11/9/2020

One of my friends took this photo of my commission that has been hung at Denver Health last week.

Hard to see how it will look once all the furniture has been unwrapped!

But I'm happy that it makes a major statement and the different values leads the eye across each of the panels and gives this piece energy.

Can't wait to see it in person!

Artist Highlight: Deidre Adams and Brooke Atherton

11/1/2020

Another of my favorite pieces from Pink Progression at the Arvada Art Center in Colorado.

I've known and admired the work of both these artists and this piece reflected both their unique voices, expressed in fiber, and yet, they melded perfectly into one holistic concept.

I know you can't see the detail of this piece but while I was there, several women spent at least a half hour reading this amazing installation. I know that because I wanted to take a photo and ended up leaving to visit other areas of the exhibit and finally was able to do so after 30 minutes!

I returned the next week with my sister and ended up spending another 30 minutes interacting with this piece. Its complexity, layering, texts, and images made each panel of this enormous installation more intriguing than the next. Each of the 32 panels measured 20" x 22" — approximately 14 -1/2 feet by 6 - 1/2 feet. I just wish there was a step stool available so I could get closer to the top panels to further explore their meaning.

Visit their websites to see more of their amazing work: Deidre Adams and Brooke Atherton

Artist Highlight: Victoria Eubanks & Jennifer Ghormley

10/27/2020

Another of my favorite pieces from Pink Progression at the Arvada Art Center in Colorado.

This piece is a collaboration between my friend Victoria Eubanks and Jennifer Ghormley, both teachers at the Art Student's League of Denver.

I was attracted to the 3 layers of transparent fabric that hung from the ceiling and created a visual pattern that changed depending on how you looked at it.

I could look at this for hours, finding new meaning every minute.

The exhibit will close soon, so if you can, go visit! I went back again last Thursday and my sister and I were the only people in this huge space so totally safe!

And very inspiring!

Artist Highlight - Judy Anderson & Ginny Hoyle

10/17/2020

The Arvada Center for the Arts curated an exhibit to celebrate 100 years of voting rights for woman. The exhibit is called Pink Progressions: Collaborations.

Given my love of fabric, paper, paint, stitch and texture, this pieces stood out among the 3 pieces I absolutely loved.

The exhibit asked artists to work with one or two other artists to create something supporting the theme. Collaborating during a pandemic had its challenges but the artists rose to the occasion. This was one of the strongest art exhibits I've attended this year.

The exhibit is up until November 8th so if you have a chance, GO! you won't be disappointed. It's free but you need to make a reservation.

We the People

10/4/2020

Nari Ward is a New York artist that staged an exhibit in Denver this month.

A powerful statement.

I was blown away walking through his installation with all the discarded strollers.

He uses many media to convey his thoughts and inspiration -- many links to quilts. He also uses shoelaces to spell out words, as in the title of this exhibit.

I would like to meet him some day.

Artist Highlight: Jandel Allen-Davis

9/27/2020

I met Jandel several years ago because we were introduced by a mutual friend who was a physician in Denver and who we "scootered" with on many weekends.

She showed me her amazing vessels and I was intrigued.
Jandel worked for Kaiser at the time and when we re-connected recently, she told me she was now the CEO of Craig Hospital -- a very prestigious hospital in Denver.

So she is one of the rare artists who can work on both sides of the brain.

I met my other artist friends at the Botanic Gardens this week and saw this plaque dedicated to her support of this institution and wanted to share this with my blog readers.

This quote by Maya Angelou resonates with me as we navigate this difficult time. Things WILL get better. We need to believe in this and each other. And its people like Jandel who can lead the way by leading our medical institutions, our cultural communities and our art communities. I am thankful I know this amazing woman.

Commission - Part 5

9/20/2020

Here's the fourth and final panel for my commission.

Still lots of work to do (binding, quilting, mounting, and attaching a hanging wire) before sending it over to my photographer. I like to have high quality photos of all my work because, eventually, I will print a portfolio of my Conversations pieces.

My art consultant moved up the delivery date for these pieces by 4 weeks (yikes!) but I'm thankful I started to work on these early and will be able to meet the new delivery date.

Just one more thing to consider when working on a commission!