Dubai and Malaysia

Well, SHAME ON ME!  I have been mightily absent from this blog!  The Celebration of Fine Art proved to be ve,ry busy, and when that was over, the grandkids came for a week, and now I am in Malaysia for 3 weeks!  Between the time difference, travel complexities, and visiting relatives I am barely concious.  Add to this that my computer finally gave up the ghost and I am dependant on Syed's largesse to use his.  We're shopping for a new one.  Shopping.  I hate shopping.  But my goal this year is to learn how to load pics onto my computer so I can keep more up to date. 

Meanwhile, a couple of notes about our trip.  We were in Dubai just long enough to cover about 1/3 of the galleries, trying to get a handle on the art scene there.  It's varied, though there are also many galleries specializing in regional art of the Middle East.  On the other side, we spent a lot of time at the Cuadro Gallery which was showing a wide range of international artists -  Some very exciting work by a Mexican woman, Betsabee Romero (show was entitled "Lagrimas negras" - done with recycled tires as printing tool on fabric and paper.  Riyadh Meama's exhibit, "Wall in a Moment", at the Courtyard Gallery are beautifully painted images of children done in black, white and ochre with touches of reds. Reza Aramesh from London has an exhibit entitled "Between the Eys and the Object Falls a Shadow...", photography (and this is done with a large format camera...NO digital work) juxtaposing re-staged photographic scenes from current news events onto classical English interiors, creating much questioning, discussion and wonderings about realities. One of the most intellectually agressive shows was at 1X1 Gallery, an installation by Inian artist Chittrovanu Mazumdar.  Using huge industrial  materials, he constructed a wide range of "books" enclosing various senses and emotions, allowing them to be seen or not seen by means of electronically controlled openings and closings.  Another installation by the same artist is a group of very large photos documenting a length of time of one square metre of land in Mumbai (I think).  We saw mostly art that was more about intellectual, psychological and emotional processes and processing than about decoration. The conversations inherent between artist and viewer concerned matters of universal concern.  I barely slept that night.

 More on Malaysia later.  Be well.  Be concious.

Celebration of Fine Art

Beautiful opening day on Friday!  What's better than art and 70 degrees?  The show is spectacular!  We have some very talented new people and many of the veterans of the show have spent the year getting special pieces ready for this special event.  The Celebration is a very out-of-the-box artshow.  We artists appreciate the support we get for expermenting in new techniques and materials, concepts and ideas that stretch us and ultimately make for more dynamic work. 

Keep an eye on this blog as I post pics from the show, or, just come on in and see the work in person.

Celebration of Fine Art 2009

The tents are up and we're ready to start setting up on Monday - the drive from NC this year was a bit easier since we are pulling a smaller trailer....and because we kept our vow to skip the junk and fast food.  Had a small delay in Dallas with a bad wheel bearing, but found a great garage to do the repairs and we were on our way again.  Come and see us at the Celebration of Fine Art, opening Friday, Jan. 16...lots of new work. 

The Process - adding sculpture medium

Sun's in my eyes.  Need longer arms.

The Process - piece by piece...

Sometimes these things are pretty awkward!  And when it's cold it takes a lot longer because the tool cools off
quickly.

The Process

 What is a clear picture in my head passes through many states of being before completion - currently this newest project (a large commission piece of an Iris garden) is in what I refer to as THE CHINESE NIGHTMARE phase.  Now, this is not meant to be a cultural insult of any kind, so I hope none of you are taking offense.  Rather it is simply what a nightmare dreamt by a single-language American girl might look like in Chinese........but in another couple of weeks it will be quite another story.  Till then, enjoy the pictures of the process....and, btw, the finished work will be on display for the opening weekend of The Celebration of Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ, Jan 16-18.

ACC/Charlotte

It was delightful meeting so many new people this past weekend at the ACC/Charlotte show! It was the first time that I've shown in Charlotte and it was a beautiful and succesful show - and fun to know that many of you will visit our studio/gallery just 40 miles up the road in Salisbury. To those of you who recognized my work from other NC shows in Asheville, Blowing Rock, Piedmont and Cabbarus County, thanks for the compliment! Achieving that "voice" in one's work is something we all strive for. Three days is a long show and I'm glad to be drinking my coffee this morning in my own home. On Wednesday, after the election, I'll be back at work preparing for the Piedmont Craftsmen and Carolina Designer Craftsmen shows. Hope to see you there.

New Work

Pushing the medium again, moving more into the sculpture realm - but never leaving the color behind. Looking forward to showing the new work at the Celebration of Fine Art, Scottsdale, this year. http://www.celebrateart.com/