Posted on October 13, 2015 in art, events, Shows and Projects

art in the metroplex

Last Friday I went to the opening of the Art in the Metroplex show at the Ft. Worth Creative Arts Center, where my piece “Anomaly” was included in the exhibit.

A tradition in the area since 1983, the show was founded by a group of artists including Beth Lea Clardy, in collaboration with Texas Christian University Art Department faculty and staff. In 2014, the show was moved to the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. This year, over 200 artists entered the competition and Juror Peter Doroshenko of the Dallas Contemporary selected 34 pieces of the 600 submitted. (source: fwcac.com).

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The Ft. Worth Creative Arts Center is located right in the museum district of Ft. Worth, right by the Amon Carter Museum and the Will Rogers Memorial Center, and just a half block from the Kimbell Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth.

There’s my painting at the far left of the wall.

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Gallery Talk by Juror Peter Doroshenko of the Dallas Contemporary

The show is up through October 29, so stop by and see it if you’re near downtown Ft. Worth. There are some fantastic exhibits in the nearby museums (including Kahinde Wiley at the Modern), so make a day of it!

aitm promo

Posted on January 20, 2015January 20, 2015 in art, events, New Work, Shows and Projects

look around

Here are some photos of my current solo exhibit, “Look Around,” which opened on Friday, January 9 at thegallery8680. It was a bitterly cold night (by Texas standards), but we still had a great turnout.

Robyn always has the most beautiful reception table — a work of art in itself.

pano of works on paper — Works on paper in the front gallery.

There will be a closing reception this Sunday, January 25 from 2-4pm.

I’ll be sad to take it down – I liked each piece in my studio, but hanging my art in the gallery really transformed the work into a cohesive unit. Here are some pieces that will have a new home after the show.

Posted on September 14, 2014September 14, 2014 in art, ideas, Inspiration, Shows and Projects

a change of scenery, part I

A change of scenery is good. It stimulates the senses to be in unfamiliar surroundings. I had the privilege this summer to get out of town and take a few small trips, so I thought I’d finally get around to sharing it with you.

My first trip this summer was to see friends in Kansas City. My dear friend Terrin had been telling me for a while about the First Friday art walk in KC, and she had a good feeling it would be something I’d be into. So, I finally made it happen –it was even better than I expected!

It was more like a block party than a gallery walk. But this block party went for blocks and blocks and blocks. The galleries and streets were so crowded, many times we had to make a single-file line just to get through to the next place. I’m not kidding, I’ve never seen so many people out for an art event. They have a lot of good galleries there, all within walking distance, and the atmosphere was fun and casual, not like many of the pretentious gallery walks in Dallas.

For hours, we walked from one street to the next, popping into galleries and seeing a new band performing around every corner. There was the first group of middle-aged performers, happily playing in the corner of a parking lot, while a range of admirers danced to “you can be my bodyguard, and I can be your long lost pal…” Later we were greeted by a slick rock band blaring from a more official-looking stage set up. But probably my favorite was a group of spontaneous break dancers in the middle of the street. Traffic was at a complete stop, and the dancers and the surrounding crowd could have cared less. I was instantly in love with this eclectic mix of people, music and art.

Judy Onofrio at Sherry Leedy Contemporary, KC, 2014 via freshpaintblog.com

One of my favorite exhibits was by Judy Onofrio at Sherry Leedy Contemporary. My attraction to the sculptural work made up of bleached cow bones was a surprise to myself (and the friends that were with me). Her ability to take jawbones, vertebrae and ribs and turn them into fascinating works of art was pretty exceptional. Most of them were wall-hangings, but there were also some large vase-like structures that were very impressive.

Judy Onofrio at Sherry Leedy Contemporary, KC, 2014 via freshpaintblog.com

I only snapped a couple of photos, but you can see more of her work at http://www.judyonofrio.com. And — lucky for me– the artist was actually there during the show! I got to meet her and ask her about her process. She told me she has a neighbor that raises cattle and allows her to collect old bones from his fields.

artists Judy Onofrio and Misty Oliver-Foster — Getting to meet artist Judy Onofrio (left).

She said that she enjoys all the parts of collecting, cleaning, and bleaching the bones before assembling them into sculptures. Somehow, she has devised a method to conceal all of the joints where the bones are connected, and she told me that’s also a fun process for her. (Thanks to Terrin for snapping a pic of me talking with Ms. Onofrio).

What a fantastic way to start the summer. I’m eager to go back up to KC and do it again soon.

Posted on April 30, 2014April 14, 2015 in art, events, ideas, Inspiration, journals, Life, New Work, Process, Shows and Projects, studios, travel

awesome april (day 30) – i did it my way

I set a challenge for myself this month to post on my blog daily, and this, my friends, is the final post for the month of April 2014. I did it!

There were days that were a lot more inspiring than others, some very exciting with good news to share, and others that I just didn’t feel so motivated about. But I’ve found that this has been a really good exercise for me — it has kept me focused each day, because I knew I would need to share something interesting each day with you.

Just like my journals, my blog posts are a good resource for me to see what was going on in my life at a particular time.

An overview of this month’s posts:

I have gotten to share some of my visual journals with you, which until this month I hadn’t published online. Posting on my blog daily has encouraged me to finish some of those journal pages that I had started but had been dragging my feet on finishing. See awesome april posts # 18 22, 23, 25 and 27 for new journal entries, and I have a new visual journals page that I’ve been adding to all month.

I shared things that inspire me along the way(days # 5, 6, 7, 14, 20, 28) and the advice I would give to my artist self 20 years ago (#16).

My trip to Europe is officially on the books, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. It’s been 10 years since I traveled overseas, so I’m happy to have something fantastic to look forward to next year.

You got a few glimpses into my studio (day # 10, 15, 26, 28), and the studio of my friend Jennifer Cowley (day #2). I also shared a few of my art friends (day #11 and # 24), as well as some of my students’ work in progress (day #3).

I’ve had a great month getting my work out there. I revealed the news that I was selected to complete a public art mural for McKinney this spring. ( I’m still waiting on a start date, and I’ll keep you all posted on the latest developments with that project). Meanwhile, I’ve also sold a few paintings this month, and been selected for a juried show.

Thanks to all of you who have been reading my blog this month, and to my new ‘followers.’ As always, I’d love to have comments from you on any of the posts.

Here’s looking forward to a Maniacal May.

encaustic painting by Misty Oliver-Foster

Posted on April 29, 2014April 30, 2014 in art, ideas, Inspiration, New Work, Process, Shows and Projects, studios

awesome april (day 29) – encaustic

We're Gonna Have a Good Time — We’re Gonna Have a Good Time

I have been layering found images into my paintings for the last several years, but sometimes I wanted the paint to have more surface texture. There are many additives you can put into acrylic paint, but most of them either take a lot of layers to build up a thick surface, or they are opaque. I wanted the texture, but still with transparency. Enter encaustics!

I have admired encaustic work for some time – it has a very deep, luminous quality — but wasn’t quite sure how the process worked. So, I took a couple of classes over at The Encaustic Center in Richardson and immediately knew this was a medium that I could continue to experiment with.

Portrait of a Boy, Egyptian, Roman Period 2nd Century

What is encaustic? It is painting with heated beeswax! It’s an old method that has been around at least 2500 years, and was used by the Greeks and Egyptians for painting everything from boats to portraits. Find out more about the history of encaustic painting HERE.

Jasper Johns encaustic map painting, 1961

Probably one of the most notable artists from the past 50 years that employed encaustic painting in his work is Jasper Johns, famous for his paintings of maps and the American flag.

I make my encaustic medium (beeswax + damar resin) in a large electric skillet. I then use oil paints to add the color (pigment) to the clear medium. I have a separate griddle for this, with 16 oz. ink tins lined up with the colors I want to use. This is the same setup used at the Encaustic Center, and in most books and articles I’ve read on encaustic painting. Some artists buy their encaustic paint already made (R & F has some really good paints), but they are very expensive.

What I love about encaustic is it’s a very fast, spontaneous medium. It dries quickly (think of how fast candle wax hardens), and can be used for both additive and subtractive techniques. You can also layer paper into your work easily — including drawings, photographs, collage, ephemera, etc. Imagine how exciting this was for me, as I love to glue all kinds of things into my paintings! To have a true “encaustic” painting, you have to fuse each layer together, slightly re-melting each layer to make sure it adheres to the one below it. I use a heat gun most of the time, but have just started enjoying using a torch as well. (However, when I add paper, I try to keep the torch far away).

In my newest series, I drew with charcoal or pastel onto tissue paper, then layered those drawings into my paintings using clear encaustic medium (clear paint, with no pigment added). The tissue paper became so transparent, that you can hardly detect the edges in the painting. It allowed me to “float” my drawings on top of previous layers of collage and paint. And the drips are now in 3D!

I just added a few more encaustic pieces to my web site, which you can find HERE.

And I’m happy to announce that two of my larger encaustic paintings were accepted into the 125 Juried Art Show, which opened yesterday. The show is at The ARTS Gallery at Collin College, 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, TX 75074. The show runs April 28 – May 17, with a reception on Thursday, May 8 from 5:30 – 7:30pm.

Posted on April 20, 2014April 21, 2014 in ideas, Inspiration, Life, Shows and Projects, studios

awesome april (day 20) – spring

I’ve never really considered myself a gardener. My mom had a nice vegetable garden and pretty plants around the house, but I didn’t ever want to help out with that growing up (teenagers). On my own, I can’t seem to keep house plants alive. I tried a vegetable garden a couple of years ago, and was very unsuccessful. Last year I limited my vegetable gardening to three tomato plants, which yielded two tomatoes total all summer. Although that was a 100% increase from the prior year – if I kept it up, I might have enough for a couple of nice salads in a few years — I think I’ll just stick to the farmer’s market.

Back Yard 2013 — The garden (right) last September.

I have a lovely location between my house and my studio that was calling for vegetation, so I decided to try a perennial garden last year. I tried to plant a lot of things that were hardy for this weird north Texas weather, using my friends at Shades of Green as an expert resource. The area is shady at high noon, but gets good morning sun, and the north end gets afternoon sun as well.

the garden in october – mostly hardy perennials

After a particularly cold, harsh winter, the garden is growing back!

oakleaf hydrangea — little buds on my oak leaf hydrangea

I’ve also added a few new friends.

salvia may night and caroline jessamine vine — salvia may night and carolina jessamine vine

Fall used to be my favorite season, with the cool breezes coming after a harsh Texas summer. But now, I think Spring has taken the top spot. I love going through the garden each day, seeing what is sprouting or blooming. It’s usually the first thing I do in the morning. I also use the garden as a place to reflect, notice the details and colors of nature, listen to the birds, and give my mind a rest if I’ve been working on a difficult project.

I also think it makes a nice entrance to my studio.

Posted on April 12, 2014April 13, 2014 in art, events, New Work, Shows and Projects

awesome april (day 12) – the reveal

I am happy to announce that I have been selected as the artist for McKinney’s first public mural project. Today I was honored to be a part of the official unveiling of my design, during the Arts in Bloom event on the square.

Here you see me with the design, along with some of the Arts Commission members. Left to right is Matthew Bado, myself, Hamilton Doak, vice-chair of the McKinney Arts Commission and owner of Orison’s Art and Framing, and Mayor Pro Tem Travis Ussery. Also in attendance, but not shown: Linda Spina. (A big thanks to Allegra & Helen Minkes for their support and awesome photography skills!)

In addition to the City’s funding, there have been private donors that have also made the mural project in McKinney a reality, so a big “Thank You” is due to everyone who had the vision of bringing a public mural to their city. I’m grateful to have been chosen for the task, and know it will be a fantastic addition to downtown.

I’ve been working on this project for a few months now. After submitting my application in December, I worked on a couple of rounds of designs in January and February. I was notified in March that my design was selected, and I’m waiting to get the go-ahead, once all the details gets cleared through City Council.

For my concept, I went with an Art Nouveau-esque design, inspired by artists like Alphonse Mucha. The design includes cotton fields (a huge part of McKinney’s history), and native wildflowers that have each special symbolism that relate to the downtown area (paintbrush, trumpet vine, wine cup, blanket flower). The actual mural will be even more vibrant and full of detail.

So where will this mural go? Glad you asked! The mural will be on an exterior wall of a downtown building (currently slated to go on the south wall of the Cadillac Pizza building). The finished painting will be 40 feet wide, and about 9 – 10 feet tall, and I estimate it will take 4-6 weeks. I plan on posting pics of my progress along the way, so stay tuned!

While I was there, I enjoyed seeing the other artists working live out on the square. I was excited to meet Lynne Hubner, a very talented and skilled printmaker. I had seen and admired her work before, and she currently has a great exhibit of her prints at the front of Orison’s gallery. She was super nice, and I was even able to pick her brain about some of her printmaking techniques. I’ve got my eye on a couple of her prints……. you can see her work at lynnehubnerprints.com.

And I also had to stop and meet this artist, as I had watched his painting progress over a couple of hours. Being a fan of color, I was impressed with his use of complementary colors (green/red is a difficult combo to make look good, but he’s doing it!), and his expressive use of line. He told me he has a Facebook page of his art, so I’ll need to check that out.

Thanks for sharing day 12 with me!

Posted on October 15, 2013April 20, 2014 in ideas, Shows and Projects, studios

countdown to the studio tour…

The ArtSeen Studio Tour is this weekend!

It’s Monday night, and I’m sitting in my studio, thinking about how much cleaning up I need to do before the weekend! (The pic above is of last year’s tour — I guarantee it’s not that clean….yet!) But I’m very excited to open the studio again, and I hope you’ll take a minute to stop by this Saturday or Sunday. The tour hours are 10am -5pm on Saturday, and 1-5pm on Sunday.

I’m really excited that two of my artist friends are joining me in the studio this year. Carolyn M. Nelson will be working live – she does terrific portraits and figurative work. You’ll have to congratulate her while you’re here – she just got married a couple of days ago! Find her work at www.carolynmnelson.com (That’s Mrs. Funk to you.)

And you don’t want to miss a HUGE art sale by T. Scott Stromberg. He has 85 paintings for sale — with them all priced at $199 and under! There are some really large paintings, too. I have been a fan of his work for about 7 years, and I am trying to figure out which of these will fit in my house the best. You will want to get here early to get first dibs. You can see his work at www.tscottstromberg.com.

The fun starts Friday night with a Kickoff Party at thegallery8680 from 7-9pm. The folks at Swanky Couch (www.swankycouch.com) are setting up a bohemian-style lounge, and Robyn always treats visitors to a buffet of tasty foods. There will be a free screening of the movie “Moonrise Kingdom,” so bring a friend and enjoy an artsy evening. Located at 8680 W. Main Street in the Crestview Professional Center.

Of course, there are lots of other artists featured in other studios on the tour. You’ll be so impressed with the amazing talent Frisco has! Print out a tour map and visit any and all of them at your own pace. You can find a printable map and details about the tour at www.artseentour.com.

ArtSeen Studio Tour

Saturday, October 19 10am -5pm

Sunday, October 20 1-5pm www.artseentour.com

I hope to see you this weekend!

Posted on October 19, 2012April 20, 2014 in Process, Shows and Projects, studios

studio transformation

In honor of the studio tour this weekend, I thought it would be fun to post a few photos of my studio as it has progressed over the past several months. Originally, I thought I’d post as we went, but life had other ideas. So, better late than never….

studio before — the studio when we first moved in

We moved in November of last year, but it was after Christmas before we got to start working on the studio. It was so cold!

In the spring, I received some reclaimed cabinets from the house I grew up in from age 12. They’re great oak cabinets that were custom built for that house, but somehow my hubby did his magic to make them fit just right into the studio.

So, now, to make a very long story short, here’s the “after.” Our secret: lots of paint and elbow grease.

Come by this weekend and see it in person, if you’re near Frisco. Details at www.artseenhere.com

Up next: insulating the roof and adding a ceiling. I’m hoping to avoid freezing fingers this winter!

Posted on August 29, 2012April 20, 2014 in art, ideas, New Work, Shows and Projects

50/50 solo show

About the 50/50 show.

As you probably know, I moved into a new studio this past year, and as I’ve been sorting through my work, I noticed I had a lot of smaller paintings and works on paper. Many of these are either studies for larger works, small works from a larger series, or figure drawings from multiple live modeling sessions I’ve attended over the past few years. Seeing these works, and considering the current ‘economic crisis,’ I was inspired to create a show that involved 50 works of art for only $50 each.

I wanted to make my art affordable for those who want to collect my work, but may not be ready to invest in larger, more expensive paintings. I also personally love to see artists’ quick studies and smaller works, as I feel that they sometimes show spontaneity that larger, more deliberate works may not possess. Maybe you’ll enjoy that, too.

About half are works on paper, and the other half are paintings. The largest work is 30 x 22″ and the smallest work is 8 x 8″. There are quite a few figurative works in the show, which may seem out of line with the work that is currently on my web site. However, I have always really loved figure drawing. (Ok, maybe not my first day of Figure Drawing 101, when I was too embarrassed to actually look around my drawing board to see the nude male model. But soon, I began to love the endless possibilities of drawing the figure, with all its angles and curves and lines). I still attend sessions with live models as often as I can. It gives me a great excuse to play with color and line. These figures are going to show up in new work, too, so keep an eye out.

I’m trying to keep most of the show under wraps until the opening. If you can’t make the show, I’ll have it posted here on the blog on Saturday (09/22/12). Click the 50/50 link at the top of the page.

If you just can’t wait, and want to be teased a bit, here are some detail shots of some of the work.

Posted on February 14, 2012June 21, 2012 in art, events, New Work, Shows and Projects

Iconic Love

Here’s a look at some of my newest work, hanging in the Iconic Love show here in Frisco.

Here is a look at my work at the Discovery Center (8004 N. Dallas Pkwy). The reception for that venue is this Friday, February 17, from 6:30 – 9:00pm. Come see it — they all look so much better in person! Details (and better pics) on my web site www.moliverfoster.com.

Posted on September 28, 2011September 28, 2011 in art, events, Shows and Projects

‘originals’ art and music this friday

Originals

“Originals” is a multi-media, multi-genre, multi-cultural event, combining the talents of three original singer/songwriters and four talented visual artists, for a night of multi-sensory experience.

This event kicks off the new HD venue, Theatre 166 in Carrollton, offering suburban art and music lovers an inexpensive night out on the town.

The evening will feature an exciting art exhibit, curated by thegallery8680, featuring artists Misty Oliver-Foster , Brandon Snow, and Amy Ishmeal Carter, and Asher Feehan in the gallery hall.

The concert will take place in an “Austin City Limits” style listening room, presenting Peter Bixby in a short singer/songwriter style set, original contemporary Latin Fusion music byTania Cordobés, with a special ensemble including some of the area’s finest professional Latin music specialists ( Carlos ‘Fifo’ Rengifo, Jorge Ginorio, Jose Aponte, Yoban Quijano), and an original set by “Stereo Child”, featuring Christian Ross, Peter Bixby and Lisa Clough-Lachri.

The listening room has 124 seats available, so seats are limited. Tickets are $10, and may be purchased at the door.

Theatre 166 is located at 2425 Parker Road, Carrollton, Texas 75010. If you are driving from the Dallas North Tollway, exit and go west on Parker, it’s not very far past the Arbor Hills trails on the right, kind of where Plano turns into Carrollton.

Theatre 166 is BYOB for adult beverages. Lone Star coffee sells light snacks, coffee and the like. True Spirits is next door and they have a large selection of beverages if you need to pick something up at the last moment.

The show begins at 7:30 pm on Friday evening, Sept. 30, 2011. and will last until about 10:30 pm.

Find out more about these originals at www.theatre166.com/ www.stereochild.com/ taniacordobes.com/ www.thegallery8680.blogspot.com/ www.moliverfoster.com

Posted on September 21, 2011April 20, 2014 in art, events, Shows and Projects, studios

artseen studio tour coming this october

So if you’ve found me here, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve already heard about the artseen studio tour, coming in October to Frisco. Just in case you haven’t, let me fill you in.

Earlier in the year, I began collaborating with other artists and art lovers to come up with a way to connect our working artists with the community. Many of us are involved with local arts groups, such as Frisco Arts and the Visual Arts Guild of Frisco, and we participate in many shows here in the area, including the great shows at thegallery8680. But we wanted to make a more personal connection with other artists, collectors and admirers that we’ve met (and hopefully, some that we haven’t yet). We decided to organize a studio tour, opening our creative spaces to the public. And, thus, the artseen studio tour was born!

We’ve gathered a group of fifteen talented and diverse artists who wanted to show the community what they make and how they make it. Some will be at their home studios, and others have paired with merchants in downtown Frisco to bring their ‘studio’ to the streets. As a result, most of our artists are geographically close together, making the tour easy for our guests. In addition to the artists, thegallery8680 is a part of the tour, featuring their new show “Black&White.” The Visual Arts Guild of Frisco will host their Fall Member Show, “Beautiful” at The Art Gallery at Frisco Discovery Center during the tour as well.

pear studies, charcoal drawings of pears — pear studies

We are delighted to have two unique art collections open to the public during the tour. Frisco residents Rex & Betsy Lowe are opening their home for guests to view their amazing private art collection in their Starwood home, and Marla Fields has gathered a small collection of works by Texas artist Frank Reaugh to be on display at her historic home in downtown Frisco. We are so privileged to have these collections on the tour, and we are grateful to the Lowes and Ms. Fields for joining us.

I hope you can make it to my studio on October 15 or 16. I will be showing a lot of work that I haven’t shown before — drawings, prints, and mixed media works, as well as paintings that you love. I’m looking forward to getting to share my sacred studio space with you.

For more information on the artseen studio tour, please visit: http://www.artseenhere.com/studiotour2011

Posted on April 5, 2011April 21, 2014 in Inspiration, New Work, Shows and Projects

art city austin

I got to spend this past weekend exhibiting at Art City Austin, enjoying a great location right at the intersection of the 1st Street Bridge and Caesar Chavez streets.

It was great hearing what attracted people to my work, and it’s always interesting how different artworks affect different people. Of course, most people knew right away if they even wanted to wander into my booth– if they were afraid of color, then my art wasn’t for them. But those who have a passion for color like I do, came on in and took some time to study the layers in my work. They were often impressed by the depth of color in my work. A lot of my works have many layers of paint — (sometimes one or two entire paintings) underneath the surface. I also use glazes in my work to create transparent layers, which really help to make the colors deep. It’s really hard to get good photographs of my work, and seeing them in person is the only way to truly appreciate the depth of color.

I met a lot of great people — gave away hundreds of business cards, and sold several works of art. Thanks to Patrick, Ellie, Colleen, Remi, and Katherine for their patronage and encouragement! Austin has been one of my favorite places to visit for the past couple of years, and Art City Austin was a great place to show my work.

Posted on February 22, 2011April 21, 2014 in Inspiration, Shows and Projects

progress in motion

When I moved to Frisco, TX almost five years ago, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect on a personal level. I knew it had great schools, so that appealed to my maternal need to give my kids “the best.” It has a pretty good city plan, as far as suburbs go. And we found a good little house in a nice neighborhood at a great price. Plus, it had a studio for me! But I wondered what would be in store for me career wise– you know, artistically. At the time, I was doing a lot of decorative painting, which included murals and faux finishes, and Frisco was (and still is) one of the fastest-growing cities in the US. There were lots of possibilities for those kinds of jobs here. I kept pretty busy.

On the side, I was making my art when I could, and I was eager to meet other artists. I was hoping that the art scene reflected the progressive attitude I saw in the rest of the city. I joined the local art guild, and soon started meeting some great artists — many artists around my age who were making some really great work. It really inspired me to keep making more art and to keep showing it. Over the past couple of years, the art guild has grown into a really cool group (www.vagf.org), and it looks like the rest of the city is catching up.

This past weekend, we hosted the reception for our first show of 2011, “Resolutions,” to a crowd of well over 100 people. We had a great time hanging out at the new Discovery Center– Frisco’s new visual and performing arts venue. Awards were given, artwork was sold, new connections were made. I had several conversations with other Friscoans (non-artists) that had been longing for art events to attend within the city limits. They could actually have a classy date-night right here in town.

The previous weekend, thegallery8680 held their first opening of the year, and I am privileged to be a part of that show. Director Robyn Parker Feehan is the visionary behind thegallery8680; she started the space last year to promote contemporary artists in the region. This show, “Celebrating Women Artists” includes photography, drawing, painting and mixed media works from nine female artists from Texas. The reception was a great success, again with over 100 people in attendance. More proof that Frisco is becoming a hot spot for the visual arts in North Texas!

I really believe that moving to Frisco was the right move for me as an artist. We’ve got a core group of artists who are working to create an active arts community. It’s still in the formative stage, but we’re definitely headed in the right direction. It will be interesting to see what the next few years bring.

If you’re in town, check out these exhibits:

The “Resolutions” VAGF Member Show will be on display at Frisco Discovery Center through Saturday, February 26. Frisco Discovery Center is located at 8004 N. Dallas Parkway, Frisco 75034. Hours are M-F 10-5, Sat. 10-6 and Sun. noon-6pm. Admission is free. Information on the Visual Arts Guild of Frisco can be found at www.vagf.org.

thegallery8680 presents "Celebrating Women Artists" — thegallery8680

“Celebrating Women Artists” runs through March 12 at thegallery8680, located at 8680 Main Street, Frisco 75034. There will be a daytime reception/luncheon on Wednesday, March 9, from 11:30am – 3:00pm. Visit thegallery8680 blog at www.thegallery8680.blogspot.com. Call Robyn for an appointment to see the artwork at 214.585.8175.

Posted on June 12, 2010April 21, 2014 in art, ideas, Inspiration, Life, New Work, Process, Shows and Projects

the gift

I recently received the “Best of Show” award at the Texas and Neighbors 25th Annual Art Show in Irving for “The Gift,” so I wanted to share a little bit about this painting/mixed media piece.

The composition for “The Gift” was inspired by a historical painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres called “Venus at Paphos.”

Venus at Paphos

I am interested in taking art historical depictions of women (typically created by male artists) and keeping the overall composition, but changing the meaning entirely. These women are no longer in the background; they are no longer simply seen as allegories of beauty and desire. They are now active participants in their own life, everyday women with interesting stories to tell.

Stylistically, I prefer looser lines and more abstracted forms than used in traditional paintings. I am influenced by the modernists: Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh, Valadon, and Toulouse-Lautrec, to name a few. I feel a connection to their liberated use of color and simplification of forms. In this particular work, I first layered paper onto the canvas. The underlying image (a photograph of a sculpture that I took while in Boston) shows through only near the bottom of the composition — the dark areas in the female’s dress, and under the red garment of the child.

Another influece on my art is stained glass windows. I believe this comes from my background in Art History, and eventual travels in Europe. Each panel of stained glass tells a story through simple lines and bold colors. Likewise, each canvas or panel of my work captures a simple moment in time (a conversation, an exchange between mother and child), and elevates it to a moment of the sublime. Although I use the “aura” or halo in some of my work, it not meant to be religious, but rather to bring to light the sacred acts of everyday life. Using these female subjects, much of my art work deals with my interpretation of my own life: my role as mother, daughter, and wife.

Pablo Picasso said, ” Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” For me, at least, this is true.

Posted on February 6, 2010April 21, 2014 in art, New Work, Process, Shows and Projects

fhs mural project

A lot has happened since my last post. I can’t believe it’s been so long, but I’ve been so busy creating, that I haven’t had time to write about it!

Between September and now, I’ve participated in one art festival, two solo exhibits, and three group exhibits. I began serving as the President of our local arts Guild in January. And over the past four months I’ve also designed and produced four very large public murals. So, now, it’s time to catch my breath and show you what I’ve been up to.

Starting in October, I began to come up with designs for four murals that would be in the library at Frisco High School. I met with the librarian and principal at FHS, and we discussed how they would like the murals to be very colorful, livening up the library walls and appealing to the students there. They wanted something that reflected how the library was used, and were looking for a more modern, less traditional feel for the murals. Other than that, I was on my own!

This is the first of the four murals, which measures 24′ x 8′, and is located behind the long circulation desk. I call this mural “Connected,” because it shows the students connecting with books, technology and each other in the library. I thought it would be fun to play with scale in the composition, so I made the books and notebook very large. I tried to incorporate a variety of types of students, and I even used four FHS students as models for this mural. By the time I finished, I had several requests from other students who wanted to be painted, too!

After completing my first mural, I moved on to the mural in the entry way of the library. I knew it would be one of the first things you would see when entering, so I wanted to create another image that really grabbed your attention.

On this mural, the background images were inspired by posters featuring travel, science, fine arts, mathematics, health & fitness, etc. Because of the popularity of using the students in the other mural, I photographed FHS students for each of these figures, putting them into the pose I had already sketched out on my plan. I wanted these figures to really “pop,” so I made them resting on blocks that seem to project out into space. It was fun to interact with the students who came into the library. I call this mural “Inquiring Minds.”

The third mural was at the very end of the long, narrow library. It is over the “College & Career” section, and it is called, “Outlook on the Future.” I decided to go with a simpler, more graphic design, but still wanted to play with scale and three-dimensionality. The background of this design includes a college building, a (long and) winding road, fields of blue, and a city in the back ground. The sky is full of gears, one with a compass, pointing the way to go. A lone figure stands atop a stack of books, looking at the future. In the foreground is a large book, that seems to be balanced atop the bookcase, with a graduation cap on top of it. The tassel really fools the eye, looking like it pops right off the wall. It has been fun to see the students and staff come into the library and try to decide if that book is real or not. They often have to go up close to find out.

This is the final mural I painted for the library, in the fiction section. I wanted this one to be loose and fun, with a graphic, pop art look. I included references to 16 fiction books, two non-fiction books, and one really great bard. This is very close to the entry mural, and is visible from the second floor of the school, through glass windows.

The library hosted a reception for me today, and it was great to hear the responses of all those who were seeing the murals for the first time. It’s always interesting to see how each mural appeals to people in a different way. Some prefer the realism of “Connection” and “Inquiring Minds,” while others are drawn to the more stylized designs of “Outlook on the Future” and “Imagine.” I love the fact that hundreds (thousands?) of people will get to enjoy them for many years. That’s very gratifying. This project has been a great experience for me, and I hope that it makes the library an even more appealing place for the students of FHS to hang out.

Posted on July 30, 2009April 21, 2014 in events, Process, Shows and Projects

art hangover

The “Color: Between the Lines” show has been success. Thanks to all who were able to make it out so far, and thanks to all of you who live to far away to attend but sent me your good karma anyway.

Putting together an art exhibit is quite the task, and I can really appreciate the benefit of having a gallery handle it for you (although we were not privileged to that benefit in this case). In addition to making half of the art in the show, we’ve spent weeks preparing biographies, planning the menu and trying to invite anyone and everyone we could possibly think of. Then there was updating my web site, sending e-mails, updating Facebook, etc., etc. I may sound like I’m complaining, but really I’m not. As hectic as it is, I rather enjoy all of the prep work. And I feel very privileged to have the opportunity. It really is a lot of work, though. All in the hopes of baring your soul to the world (or rather a small circle of friends and acquaintances) and hoping to break even. What a romantic life, being an artist.

In addition to the reception, I’ve been up to the gallery space a few other times to show friends and family my work. Each time I had to take my daughters, they kind of groaned under their breath, saying “But we’ve already seen it fifty times.” Experts in hyperbole. Not yet experts in flattering their mother. Makes me wonder how they’ll remember their childhood……”My mother used to make me go sit still in the galleries where her art work was on display. We’d have to look at the same boring things over and over and over. It was absolute torture…”

The show closes this Friday. The gallery will be open Friday night from 5-8pm, so if you still haven’t seen it and want to, please come by. Thanks to T. Scott Stromberg and his wife Sammie for all of their work in pulling this show off, too!

fresh paint studio

Category: Shows and Projects

art in the metroplex

look around

a change of scenery, part I

awesome april (day 30) – i did it my way

awesome april (day 29) – encaustic

awesome april (day 20) – spring

awesome april (day 12) – the reveal

countdown to the studio tour…

ArtSeen Studio Tour

Saturday, October 19 10am -5pm

Sunday, October 20 1-5pm www.artseentour.com

studio transformation

50/50 solo show

Iconic Love

‘originals’ art and music this friday

artseen studio tour coming this october

art city austin

progress in motion

the gift

fhs mural project

art hangover

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ArtSeen Studio Tour

Saturday, October 19 10am -5pm

Sunday, October 20 1-5pm www.artseentour.com

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