Last month I returned from a residency at the Vermont Studio Center (VSC) in Johnson, Vermont. I greatly enjoyed my first experience there in November 2019 and looked forward to my return.
Read MoreA Residency: Respite and Rejuvenation
A New View
I was invited to exhibit work in the Moira Fitzsimmons Arons Art Gallery at the Hamden Country Day School (Hamden, CT). It's curator, Caryn Azoff, has had an integral part in creating a rich and wide-ranging art program, as well as a vibrant exhibition schedule rooted in both traditional and contemporary art. It is an unusual space in that its main wall is a large, curved surface facing a bank of glass windows and doors.
Read MoreSavoring Summer: Stepping back to step forward
After the anticipation and intense work involved in mounting my solo exhibition, it came down at the end of May. I felt unable to dive back into my work. I was drained, listless, let down and had little desire to actively create.
Read MoreCommunity, Conversation and Camaraderie
As an artist working alone in my studio, being part of a larger art community is essential. I have been actively involved as a member of several cooperative art galleries, and supported other artists by attending openings, offering resources, trading and buying art. However, when I first learned about the International Encaustic Conference in 2011, I had never been away for multiple days solely for my art practice.
Read MoreThe Post-Solo Slump
It happens every time. Even though I know it's coming. Even though I've experienced it before. It still creeps up on me… the post-solo slump. My work comes down. I drive past the gallery windows and see the empty walls. I feel a little anxious, decidedly blue, and somewhat at loose ends.
Read MoreHolding On
Giving my artist talk for the Marking Time exhibition at Palmer Art, I was endeavoring to explain my lifelong habit, dare I say need, to collect objects. From a young age I have sought out secondhand stores, flea markets, and garage sales, searched for sea glass by the shore. I imagine all the hands that touched the object, wonder about the lives led; sense the history contained within.
Read MoreCreating A Solo Exhibition
As the date looms…
After the holiday rush, family visits and winter digging out, it was suddenly time to get ready for my solo exhibition. Marking Time opens on April 1st. and that date rushed towards me with unexpected urgency. The creation of work, though vital and essential, is only one part of preparing for a solo exhibition.
Read MoreJurying: A Look From the Other Side
Watching the process
Years ago, I had the fortunate experience of watching a juror choose work for an exhibit at the local nonprofit arts gallery. At the time, I believed a juror picked the best work and rejected the rest and therefore if my work was not chosen, it meant it was not good enough.
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