The Art Dept

      So here we are at the end of summer and I'm ramping up for the upcoming fall shows. This year I'm grateful to have spent the better part of winter and spring in the studio. I had the privilege of having my first gallery show ever, followed by a succession of juried art fairs all over the Midwest. This put me in production mode like I've never seen before!       And now? Now that its late summer? And all the mowing, gardening and home maintenance has been the bigger priority? Not to mention the "pole shed project" and the "garden cottage project" (More on both those later). The studio and my art have been, sadly, neglected.         It's still there, and it calls to me. Every time I pass it on my way to water the garden or climb on the lawnmower, it calls to me. And yes, sometimes I listen, and turn in to put in some studio time. I mean, a girl can only go so long.        Besides, it is my work. And no...

    This month I was invited to teach a workshop on Mixed Media Collage. It was an all-day event, held at the Gaslight Art Colony, which was the gallery in Marshall Illinois where I had my solo exhibition in February.       I brought one of the large mixed media pieces from my series, entitled Understory. The term understory refers to the ground level growth, the flora and fauna on the forest floor. It's the opposite of the overstory, which is the layer of foliage in a forest canopy. Overstory is also the name of a great book by Richard Powers, which I would highly recommend.  So even though the subject of this painting is a tree, it's really the growth on the forest floor that brings interest to the piece.      In the morning we got to work, making the "parts" for the collage. The parts were pieces of card stock that we painted, textured, and imprinted with all different tools and resources. Some of the resources and tools were bubble wra...

I  am happy to announce that I now have hand painted linocut printed art cards in the shop.   I start with beautiful handmade paper from Etsy seller White Dragon Paper. Using acrylic paint in thin washes, I paint the entire front of the card. Next I print with a hand cut linocut  stamp on white acrylic. The stamps are inspired from the pages of my illustrated art journals. Once the image is printed, I fill in the rest of the space with white.  Here's what the process looks like:  The cards are blank inside, ready for you to add your own heartfelt message. Some  of the cards have a smooth liner paper inside, tied together with harmonious yarn.The cards are one of a kind and made with heart in my studio.  To see more, visit my shop  here

        I recently had a delightful experience at the Gaslight Art Colony. I was invited to have a solo exhibition of my art, which is a collection of mixed media paintings called "Of the Woods". Jo, the gallery director, informed me there would be three rooms and a long hallway available to display my work. She arranged for an opening for a Thursday evening, even though the openings for artists are normally on Saturdays. This invitation motivated me to go into "full-tilt production mode" in the studio, during what is normally "downtime". When I arrived to set up the show, Jo and some of the art colony members were very helpful in deciding where and how to hang all the pieces. The opening was well attended and I received much positive feedback about the art. By the end of the three weeks the show was up, I had sold two paintings and am now scheduled to teach a workshop. I look forward to working together with the Gaslight Art Colony! Here I am stan...

     Last September I sold a painting at the Penrod Art Fair. It was a large painting called Coneflowers in the Woods, similar to this one but larger than life.  My customer and I had a delightful conversation about the name Gypsy Rose, and the local history of Marshall Illinois. Turns out Rose was the queen of the band of gypsies that inhabited the area. At one point Rose blessed the area and decreed that no tornado would cause damage to the town. That blessing has held, as there has never been a tornado that has damaged the town .    Fast forward several weeks. I decided to go to a conference with my ministry, which would be held in Kansas City in February. I registered for the event and booked my reservation at the hotel, then looked at the map and realized that dang it's kind of far. I mean, no problem with a road trip, I am a seasoned solo traveler. But still, this was going to need to be bathed in prayer.  ...

Hello, it's been a minute. Let me introduce myself.          I’ve always been a lover of paint. I vividly remember the excitement I felt opening that  rectangular tin filled with round cakes of watercolor paint in elementary school. From that point on, I have desired to explore and express within the inviting purity of paint.           I studied Art Education and painting in college, and since then have come to enjoy the versatility and freedom of expression found in mixed media. I started a line of mixed media wearable art, which I have sold at juried art fairs in the midwest and Florida for more than 30 years.       In 2015 I began to develop a body of work called "Of the Woods”. These pieces began as watercolor paintings and evolved into mixed media. With these pieces  I hoped to provide a place of visual solace, so that, like the tallest trees, one may reach up to the heavens.  I was origin...

 Patterns is part of my "Of the Woods" miniseries. I combine paint, papers, ink, wax resist, linocut printing, fabric, colored pencils and canvas.  My aim is to combine these various materials to express life in its untamed tangle of exuberant growth. I want to offer a place of solace where, like the tallest trees, one can reach up to the heavens. Patterns is mounted on illustration board; the final size is 8” x 10”. This piece and many more will be available  at the Broad Ripple Art Fair,  May 14th and 15th in Indianapolis, IN