The Art Dept

So what's the deal with harmony?        Harmony lies between he two extremes of monotony and discord. It combines the character of both.        The dictionary defines it as   "A consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity."     Here's one of my family treasures.           My dad acquired this sign and hung it in his Sigma Chi frat house when he was going to Butler University in the forties. He met my mom on campus at the library and the rest is history. She told me recently that the sign was hung in their first house, as well as every house they lived in during their 20 year marriage.  I remember it hanging in the basement where my dad had his office. When mom and dad split up the sign went with her. (So much for marital harmony!) Years later when my mom remarried the sign appeared over the back door in the garage. A few years ago my brother spoke up and said ...

                                                         "Sensual and bold, delicious Marsala is a daringly inviting tone that nurtures; exuding confidence and stability while feeding the body, mind and soul.  Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this robust shade incorporates the warmth and richness of a tastefully fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots point to a sophisticated, natural earthiness." Leatrice Eiseman Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute ®                    Marsala is (drum roll please) the So have a glass of it, and wrap yourself up in its warmth and richness. It is a great leather color. If you were to mix the paint color of Marsala, you would need to mix some green into the red. It's mostly red with a ...

     I went to the Broad Ripple Art Fair Open Jury in Indianapolis in February. I got to be a "fly on the wall," watching five judges as they decided the fate of 539 artists that had applied for the show.    Because I am a jewelry artist who participates in juried art shows, and because the jury process has always been dark and mysterious to me, I decided to attend. It was a show to which I had applied, located an hour from my home, and an invitation had been emailed to all applicants.      When I got there they were finishing up in the photography category. It was in a conference room with a large screen in the front, where the digital images were projected. The five judges sat at two long tables in the front row. Each judge had a laptop in front of them, seeing the same images that were being projected on the large screen. As they viewed the images - all three plus a booth image, the narrator read out loud the artist statement. There is v...

      Reliable and thoughtful, Classic Blue inspires calm, confidence and harmony. Serving as an anchor to the Spring/Summer 2015 palette, Classic Blue is a shade that is strong and reliable. Just as with the sea, because of its waterborne qualities, this Classic Blue is perceived as thoughtful and introspective. Leatrice Eiseman Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute ®          Classic blue is called Ultramarine Blue in the world of paint. JH Bustonoby, in his classic 1939 book Color Mixing, says "The artificial process of making Ultramarine Blue was  discovered by J.B. Guimet in France in 1826. In early times the genuine was obtained from the gem stone, lapis lazuli of Asiatic origin at an exorbitant price. The artificial and genuine Ultramarine are chemically the same." Can you imagine obtaining some lapis lazuli, grinding into a powder, mixing it with an oil, and painting with it? Back in the day, ...

"Aquamarine is an airy blue with a dreamy feel.   It is cool and calming, ethereal. Aquamarine is a shade with a wet and watery feel.  Open and expansive, this restful blue also acts as a stress reducer."                                                             Lee Eismann of Pantone It is also the birthstone for March.        The name aquamarine is derived from the Latin word aqua, meaning water, and marina, meaning the sea.  This  gemstone   was believed to protect sailors, as well as to guarantee a safe voyage.  The serene color of aquamarine is said to cool the temper, allowing the wearer to remain calm and levelheaded.  Its pale, cool color beautifully complements spring and summer wardrobes.  In a wonderful old book by JH Bustanoby ...

Custard. It's one of the Pantone colors of the year. It's also a warm and creamy comfort food. So here's what I've been cooking up in my studio.  Meet Tribal Custard: I know, I know, tribal and custard don't really go together. I mean one is primitive and edgy and the other is a creamy warm comfort food.  Until now. Tribal meets custard.  I started with a thick variegated chunk of dried acrylic paint. I peeled it off the palette, and then it wanted to be embellished and adorned. So I cut it into slices and arranged them in a harmonious order. Then I added beads of copper, clay and wood. "Just as the name implies, PANTONE 13-0720 Custard is a delicious and delectable yellow.  Sweet and sunny, Custard is a cheering tone that brings thoughts of pleasant relaxation and comfort food. Engaging with its soft and mellow warmth and full of good feelings, subtle Custard has an affable and easy disposition." Leatrice Ei...

Last October I shared how our art studio was going through some renovations.  Okay, renovation is putting it lightly. Half of our studio was missing a floor and it was a large mud hole for weeks. My husband did most of the work itself, between work projects. I was pretty concerned about whether we would have it done before winter. Especially because our sole source of heat is a woodstove and there was no floor to put under the stove and therefore no heat.  You can see the "before pictures" here.  We finally opened and enjoyed our first bottle of wine in front of the wood stove in our new and improved country art studio on a cold night in mid December.                                                   In the mornings the studio has wonderful light.  David has recently decided to return to his passion of l...