A Week to Remember

Wow, last week was incredibly exciting, with three opening receptions for juried shows coming on the heels of my participation in ARTucker! I was able to attend only two of the openings where my work is on display - those at the Booth Western Art Museum and the Downtown Gallery in Cartersville. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make the opening for the "Hands" show at Roswell United Methodist Church's Charis Gallery. I had planned to go, but then found attending just wasn't do-able so, sadly, I had to miss that one.

The opening reception for the exhibition at the Booth was wonderful -- truly a first class affair. It was made even better by the presence of my dear artist friends Baba' and Kathy Woodworth, and a surprise visit from my cousin Rick and his wife Patty, who detoured on their drive from New York to Florida just to attend the show!

Dust Bowl Series: Cimarron County on display at the Booth Western Art Museum

Artist Michael Goettee and I discuss the process I used to achieve the look of aged painted wood on Dust Bowl Series: Abandoned

Conversing with friends Kathy Woodworth and Baba' and family member Patty Murphy

The Dust Bowl Series was inspired by a very special lady named Hazel Mills, who is a native of Oklahoma. Now in her late 90s, Hazel lived through the Dust Bowl, a series of horrific dust storms that struck widespread areas of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Kansas during the 1930s. These storms took a terrible toll on human and animal life, turning once-thriving communities into ghost towns and prompting mass migrations as crops failed and farms were foreclosed upon in the midst of the Great Depression.

Unlike many of their neighbors, Hazel and her family chose to stay put on their farm and tough it out. The determination and persistence it took to do this is beyond my imagination, but persist they did. Hazel and others like her who didn't give up in the face of nearly insurmountable hardship show us what the human spirit is capable of achieving. Hazel, who is related to my sister-in-law, was very much on my mind as I worked on Cimarron County (the first piece in the series). I plan to expand the series further, and hope I get an opportunity to talk with her while visiting family in Oklahoma this summer. Having been witness to one of the greatest natural disasters in America's history, Hazel's experiences and memories will continue to inspire and inform all future Dust Bowl works.

Text and images ©2017 Lynn Edwards

Traveling Light

Those who've been following this blog for a while know that my friend Kathy and I have a standing date to meet once a week to make art. One week she comes to my studio, the next week I go to hers. We've been doing this for 12 years, ever since our first painting class where we met and became friends.

My good friend and longtime painting buddy, Kathy Woodworth, in my studio.

When Kathy travels to my studio for a day of painting, she brings every supply she anticipates needing, and then some. She freely admits she over-packs, but says she'd rather do that than discover she has left an essential something behind. Kathy line dances about 20 times a week and can out-exercise Richard Simmons so hauling enough paint to stock an art supply store doesn't faze her.

Me? The very thought of all that exertion wears me out. I tend to travel as light as possible. When I'm heading to Kathy's studio I pack small, portable projects like artist trading cards, greeting cards and 6x6 canvases. These are almost always collages. Collage papers are feather light compared to paints! Everything fits nicely into a super sturdy canvas tote I bought on Harbor Freight's web site. (The best $14 I ever spent, BTW.)

This week, I challenged myself to pare down even more. I allowed myself just one piece of black card stock and a few painted and stamped papers. The latter had been painted in shades of Prussian Blue and Quinacridone Crimson, overstamped with Iridescent Pearl, Titanium White, and Titan Buff. My aim was to design a series of small abstracts using this limited color palette, just to see how far I could take it.

Here are the three pieces I completed while at Kathy's this week:

"True Friends" 6x6 collage on paper   ©2015 Lynn Edwards

"Growth"  6x6 collage on paper   ©2015 Lynn Edwards

"Balance" 6x6 collage on paper   ©2015 Lynn Edwards

Doing small pieces like this is a good way to experiment with colors and design concepts. Working on a small scale enables you to explore creative options and hone your skills at little if any expense. The resulting pieces can be stand alone works of art, or they can serve as inspirations for larger pieces. Either way, they're great fun to create -- and no heavy lifting is required!

Text and images ©2015 Lynn Edwards

Check out Art-tiques!

A new showroom for art, gifts and antiques is now open in Marietta! The owners of Art-tiques are focusing on carrying work by local artists, so there's an interesting mix of fine art, jewelry, gift items, home decor, and other items in this spacious, gallery-like venue.

Art-tiques is easily accessible, located a block or so west of Interstate 75 at the intersection of the South Loop and Wylie Road. The entrance is on the side of the building facing the South Loop, with plenty of free parking.

Several artist friends of mine have work for sale at Art-tiques. They include beautiful abstract paintings by my longtime friend and painting buddy Kathy Woodworth; jewel-tone wraps, shrugs and fashion accessories

by fiber artist and former studio mate Dinah Rose; and scenes of everyday life and wildlife portraits painted by fellow art group member Karen Snider. I've featured some of their works below. You'll see many more, and have a grand time browsing, if you stop by Art-tiques!

"Family"        ©2014 Karen Snider

"Keta and the Orchid"      ©2014 Karen Snider

"Fun in the Sun"   ©2014 Kathy Woodworth

"The Keyhole"   ©2014 Kathy Woodworth

Bracelets by Dinah Rose   ©2014 Dinah Rose

Text ©2014 Lynn Edwards

Nov. 3 is the 2nd Annual Holiday Studio Tour and Benefit Sale

Save the date and come visit the studio on Saturday, Nov. 3! That's the date for the Artists of Northwest Atlanta's 2nd Annual Holiday Studio Tour and Benefit Sale! Dinah and I will be hosting three guest artists: Kathy Woodworth, Karen Snider and Betty McGlamery. We're five of 25 artists participating this year at 13 different locations in Marietta, Kennesaw, Smyrna, Woodstock and Roswell. This is more than twice as many as were in the first Tour in 2011. Hours this year are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All participants in the 2012 event are donating a percentage of all sales made this day to local animal shelters and rescue groups. Dinah, Kathy, Betty, Karen and I are pledging our donation to the Cobb County Humane Society. Now more than ever they need funds to care for and find homes for countless dogs, cats, puppies and kittens.

We're planning a fun, Open House atmosphere where guests can get a peek at a working studio environment and check out works in progress. Browse a great selection of artwork, jewelry, handwoven fashions and accessories, and artsy gifts. Sip hot apple cider and get some holiday shopping done in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. There will be lots of treasures at all price points to select from.

My new line of Original Art Pendants will be part of the offerings I'll have available.  These are miniature original works captured under glass and suspended on an adjustable 18" cord necklace. I hand paint each and every one, and you will not see a design duplicated, ever. Each pendant is a true, one of a kind original, not a reproduction. They're the perfect gift for that friend or relative who already "has everything" and is impossible to buy for. Or a fellow art lover you'd like to please.

The studio is located at 2931 Lewis St. where Lewis meets Main St. in downtown Kennesaw, a couple of blocks north of the Southern Museum. It's in the Lewis Street Commons Building, directly across from the big First Baptist Church. Look for bright yellow signs and balloons marking the Commons' entrance and exit. There's plenty of parking all around the building. Visit as few or as many participating studios as you'd like; the tour is entirely self-guided and it's FREE. For a downloadable map with addresses of all studios and list of artists, visit http://artiststudiotournorthwestatlanta.blogspot.com.