Now on Display

This past weekend I was able to attend the opening of the Hygienic Art show. I've done this show for the past 6 years and this is the first time I was able to attend on opening night. The best part, however, was being able to share it with some of my close friends. This made is even more special. Opening night is crazy! The gallery is PACKED with people of all kinds. This year there was a funky Black Light Garden next door, and many of the nearby bars had live music.

Another thing I love about participating in the Hygienic is that my boyfriend has also entered art in the show. It's so much fun to be able to share the experience with a fellow artist. The above print is his pick for this year's show.

I'm also excited that my work "In the Garden" was picked for the Slater Art Show. Even though I've seen my work in galleries for almost ten years now it's always thrilling!

Found a prime spot near the window. And Kevin found a great spot next to a giant Trump painting!

So if you're looking for a an afternoon excursion, check out these two wonderful shows full of amazing talent.

Hygienic Art's Salon Des Independants shows runs from January 28 - February 12th.

The Slater Memorial Museum's 73rd Annual Connecticut Artists Juried Exhibition is on display from January 22 to March 17.

*And if you love Kevin's bus stop image, you can check out more of his hilarious comics and illustration at http://kevstees.com/

Winter Blues

January seems to stretch on endlessly. Short days with little to no sun followed by long dark winter nights. A bitter chill that seeps into your bones and stays with you all day long. It's no wonder that most people get the winter blues this time of year. The only small break from these doldrums are the various art shows that pop up around Connecticut. Next Saturday marks my favorite; Hygienic Art Gallery's 39th annual Salon des Independants. I've been working on my submission all week. Usually I like to do something crazy and out of the box. This year however, in effort to exhibit more of my portraiture, I'm showing a traditional piece. A digital portrait titled "Forever Twenty-One."

New Year New Skills

January is here which means it's time to revisit my goals and set some new ones. It means a fresh start with new opportunities. It also means art show season! It's the one glimmer of excitement during the cold, dark winter months. The first show is the 73rd Annual Connecticut Artist's Juried Exhibition. It's a fantastic collection of artists from all over the state. I'm always impressed by the variety and talent I see at this show. I've been lucky for the past several years in that at least one of my works has gotten in. This year, however, I'm going in a different direction which is a bit of a gamble. I'm planning to enter a piece showcasing my newest skill in progress, digital painting. At first look digital painting may seem easy, but after several attempts I can tell you it's anything but. Both images painted in this blog took over 4 hours each to paint. Even now I've barely scratched the surface of what can be done!

This painting involved an underpaiting in red which I allowed to show through which is an oil painting technique my Auntie Barbara taught me. Both paintings were meant to be an ode to impressionism both in technique and subject.