August is almost here, and for me,  August this year is quite special.  The Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville and Douglas County has invited me to be their August Pop Up Artist. This is the second time they've bestowed this honor on me; the first was in December of 2019.

 For the past few months I've been preparing sufficient inventory to fill the Pop Up space in the gallery with lots of hand painted and collaged goodies in the colorful style that characterizes my work. Leaving large paintings at home, this is an opportunity to feature all the small items I love to create -- my fun new jewelry line, art cards with easels, pocket sized collaged notebooks and other treasures perfect for gift giving and self pampering.With prices ranging from $5.00 to $75.00  there's something here to fit every budget. And after the stresses of the past year, what better way to celebrate re-emergence than with a fun purchase for yourself and/or loved ones?

So pop in to the Pop Up this August! You'll be able to see my work from August 2 - 31. If you visit between August 4 and August 25 you'll be able to take in the exhibition in the main gallery, "How I Got Over - A Lockdown Collection." It features works by artists Joseph McKinney, Akua Hardy, Tiffany Charesse, Ren Dillard, Crystal Jin Kim, and Sean Mulkey that express their feelings and experiences during the pandemic and lockdown. 

The Cultural Arts Council is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The address is 8652 Campbellton St., Douglasville GA 30134. Parking is free. For more information call 770-949-2787. 

 

 

 

Getting a Not So Early Start for the Holidays

It's the last day of March -- with nine months to go before the holidays arrive. But I can't be lulled into thinking I've got plenty of time to get ready for them. Oh no. I'll be doing a Pop Up show in December for which I'll need plenty of inventory.

Normally, nine months would be more than adequate to prepare, but when I take into account the large chunks of time between now and December that I won't be able to put in studio time due to out of town travel, family coming to visit, teaching workshops, etc., that deceptively large "window" shrinks dramatically.

So this morning I kicked off my Get to Work initiative by starting with collaged cards. They're always popular, and I love making them. With coffee cup in hand as I waited for Hubs to wake up I turned out Card #1:

The substrate is 140 lb. hot press watercolor paper. The design is made from scraps left over from larger works. I'm loving this color scheme, probably because it reminds me of Santa Fe.

After flattening it under some heavy books I'll affix it to a blank Strathmore note card, and slip it along with matching envelope into a clear sleeve. Then it will be stored away until December. It seems a bit odd to be thinking of Christmas with the dogwoods in bloom, but it beats waiting until the leaves start falling!