Monday, June 16, 2008
Artist Reception 6-14-08
To say that I had a most memorable experience at my reception would be an understatement. I can't believe what a wonderful event this really was. The Raue Center for the Arts made me feel so welcome. I was able to meet several people that were on the visual arts committee as well as the jury. They made me feel very special indeed. The beautiful spread, which of course I do not have a picture of, was very sumptuous! Cheese, crackers etc..., and wine etc... I did not even have time to survey the spread. I was so busy talking about myself (which was really weird). I want to thank all those at the Raue for giving me an opportunity to show my work. They are extraordinary.
It was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces come out to support me. My best friend, Joan, sent a beautiful arrangement from a very chic florist. I could not ask for a more thoughtful gesture. Her efforts to come that evening were amazing. She had to pick up her daughter about 45 miles away from the show, go to get a bite with family, drop off a gift for her brother, and then make her way to the artist reception. To top it all, she was early!!!!!!!!! She managed to sneak the tropical arrangement in before I even got there. My children were dancing their hearts out in Coppelia but my family was well represented by my husband Marc and a neighbor, who is like a grandma to my children, Jean. As people arrived, I was amazed at the positive comments I overheard. I think perhaps I was most nervous about those overheard comments. I tried not to spy on people's conversation, but you know how the ears will burn. Those comments alone gave me great encouragement to keep at it. I had a new artist friend, Mary Tefler-Holden, http://www.telfleur.com/home/index.html drop by and she brought several of her devoted students. Thanks to you all for coming and being so inquisitive and complimentary. I loved the questions and was more than happy to talk about my process. It was really nice to receive so many compliments because, well, so often we just don't always get recognized for what we do. I even had an encaustic artist, whose name I do not remember, thank me for sharing my art with so many. She said it is hard to put yourself out there and she was so glad that I did. Wow...was that really my stuff she was talking about? You know, even though you hear all these wonderful words, it is so hard to take them all in and internalize them. I am still soaring but at the same time, in disbelief. To have so much validation is wonderful! There were many more familiar faces, too many to mention, but I must say thank you so much for being there. I do hope you had a nice time
Finally, one of the highlights of the evening was a visit from Mr. Greg Begley and Mrs. Svalander. I would say about half of my work is inspired by these individuals and the ballets that they have choreographed and staged over the years. My children have been dancing with The Judith Svalander School of Ballet http://www.jsvalander.com/school/ for many, many years. I certainly have much to be inspired by. It was such an honor seeing them. It nearly brought me to tears, and as a matter of fact, I did tear up when Mrs. "S" was viewing my work. I could see that she was visibly moved. What more could I ask for? Not much.
One last note...I had so many comments on my little cards, title cards to be exact located under each picture. Most artists list the name of the work, the medium, substrate, size and price...I added a short sentence or two with a dedication for each work or a description of what went through my head when I was creating the piece. I can't tell you how many people said that was wonderful to understand a little bit of what the work means. I am all for letting people interpret things any way they want but I have this thing about being a little more personal with my own thoughts. It worked. I think I will always display like this.
A short slide show will follow. My sweet Marc was very busy socializing and I think he was enjoying the affair as much as I was. Consequently the pictures are few and far between.
k
It was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces come out to support me. My best friend, Joan, sent a beautiful arrangement from a very chic florist. I could not ask for a more thoughtful gesture. Her efforts to come that evening were amazing. She had to pick up her daughter about 45 miles away from the show, go to get a bite with family, drop off a gift for her brother, and then make her way to the artist reception. To top it all, she was early!!!!!!!!! She managed to sneak the tropical arrangement in before I even got there. My children were dancing their hearts out in Coppelia but my family was well represented by my husband Marc and a neighbor, who is like a grandma to my children, Jean. As people arrived, I was amazed at the positive comments I overheard. I think perhaps I was most nervous about those overheard comments. I tried not to spy on people's conversation, but you know how the ears will burn. Those comments alone gave me great encouragement to keep at it. I had a new artist friend, Mary Tefler-Holden, http://www.telfleur.com/home/index.html drop by and she brought several of her devoted students. Thanks to you all for coming and being so inquisitive and complimentary. I loved the questions and was more than happy to talk about my process. It was really nice to receive so many compliments because, well, so often we just don't always get recognized for what we do. I even had an encaustic artist, whose name I do not remember, thank me for sharing my art with so many. She said it is hard to put yourself out there and she was so glad that I did. Wow...was that really my stuff she was talking about? You know, even though you hear all these wonderful words, it is so hard to take them all in and internalize them. I am still soaring but at the same time, in disbelief. To have so much validation is wonderful! There were many more familiar faces, too many to mention, but I must say thank you so much for being there. I do hope you had a nice time
Finally, one of the highlights of the evening was a visit from Mr. Greg Begley and Mrs. Svalander. I would say about half of my work is inspired by these individuals and the ballets that they have choreographed and staged over the years. My children have been dancing with The Judith Svalander School of Ballet http://www.jsvalander.com/school/ for many, many years. I certainly have much to be inspired by. It was such an honor seeing them. It nearly brought me to tears, and as a matter of fact, I did tear up when Mrs. "S" was viewing my work. I could see that she was visibly moved. What more could I ask for? Not much.
One last note...I had so many comments on my little cards, title cards to be exact located under each picture. Most artists list the name of the work, the medium, substrate, size and price...I added a short sentence or two with a dedication for each work or a description of what went through my head when I was creating the piece. I can't tell you how many people said that was wonderful to understand a little bit of what the work means. I am all for letting people interpret things any way they want but I have this thing about being a little more personal with my own thoughts. It worked. I think I will always display like this.
A short slide show will follow. My sweet Marc was very busy socializing and I think he was enjoying the affair as much as I was. Consequently the pictures are few and far between.
k
Coppelia
Kaitie ,
Kaitie and Colin, Claire
There are times in our lives when we experience something wonderful, something so wonderful that you will never forget it. This past weekend was filled with those experiences for me. My children performed in a new ballet (to their ballet school that is) , I had my artist reception, and we celebrated Fathers Day together. I am choosing to blog about Coppelia first because of the range of emotions that I experienced this weekend. Coppelia debuted over 100 years ago in Paris and has been with us ever since. It is a marvelous ballet based on a book, The Sandman, written by E.T.A. Hoffman (the same guy who wrote the Nutcracker). It is about as comical as any ballet can get. Mrs. Svalander made sure that each class level, from the 4 year olds through the seniors in high school, were given center stage, at least for a few minutes. I can't begin to describe my feelings as the curtain rose. My children, as well, as the entire ballet school, had been working on this ballet for several months, with many long hours spent in rehearsal. I often felt like I should bring an air mattress and camp out at the ballet school. And as the curtain went up for the first time on Friday, my adrenaline was pumping in anticipation of a lavish work. I was completely overwhelmed and amazed by the entire work.
I laughed, I cried, I applauded, and I cheered. I am so fortunate to have been a parent in the audience! All the kids, from littlest to biggest, gave it their all. I am so proud of this group of young people! And then there were my three. My Kaitlyn, who is 15, is finally coming into her own as a dancer. Her carriage was more befitting a ballerina and she finally has a smile that is both serene and wise. Her pointe work has improved and she certainly has more confidence on stage. I did not see a lot of nerves. Way to go Kaitie girl! My daughter Claire, who is 13, has always danced beyond her years. She has the grace and beauty of a much older dancer. She still has 5 years of training before college to improve her technique and strength and then I think she will be formidable. My Claire was partnered with her twin Colin and well, that is where the tears came in. They were unbelievable together. I wish I had a video to post! But alas, no pictures or videos are allowed. My 13 year old son, Colin, is maturing and coming into his own. His jumps are higher, his line is straighter, his balance is better, and his core is stronger. My only complaint about this performance is that it ended...I wanted more. But then, I am insane anyway because the ballet was about 2 1/2 hours. Sigh, I never get tired of watching my children perform. I am so proud of them.
k
PS> Faye, This post was written with you in mind :)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Found Art Tuesday: 6/10/08
OK so the theme of "walk" was due about a week ago...I actually had it finished on Wednesday of last week but I am just now getting around to scanning this. This ATC kills two birds with one stone.
My latest news is that I am ging to teach some mixed media collage classes at "The Studio" in McHenry, IL. http://thestudiomchenry.com/
I thought that a painless way to introduce mixed media concepts was through the ATC. I don't mean to take away from the artistry of these gems. There are plenty of ATC artists that are world renown. However, the small sized substrate always seemed to be less intimidating to me, especially since I have a background in scrapbooking and rubber stamps. So I designed a class that will cover 6 background techniques. Since I wanted to make some samples for the class, and I am one to find ways to cut corners too, I decided to use a background technique to make this little silly card.
The title of the work is "Space Walk" and you can interpret that any way you want! I used watercolor paper, a Krylon silver leaf pen, and really dilute watercolors. The rest is just silly drawing. I want the student to see how easy this is (took me about 10 minutes if that) and that even though the main elements are scribbles, it does not take away from the theme.
On another note, this Saturday is my artist reception at the Raue center. I am so excited! There will be a small crowd there and I am a little nervous about remarks. It is also the night that Big Voodoo Daddy is performing so I know there will be a lot of people going through the gallery. Cool! This should be a neat experience but I am still a little nervous :)
k
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