Grand Funk, do you remember?

Another painting completed, would you be interested in seeing this one? "Grand Funk" is full of vibrant color, lines and texture. Don't you just love vivid  rich blues, purples, reds and little touch of warmth add from the yellows to the oranges? I do. This abstract painting has movement with a blue texture grid running through the painting. What does it make you think of, a railroad, perhaps? I gave the pleasure of naming this painting to my husband, Mike. Thus, the name "Grand Funk". Do you remember the The Grand Trunk Western? (And you thought I was referring to the band, right?) A former railroad line, and if he had the opportunity, he'd love to give you all the details. I did enjoy working on this one, I have to say...the vibrancy of the palette...just makes one feel alive.

Moving right along, here's the painting!

"The Grand Funk"

24" x 36"

Acrylic

Sold!

Close Up View

Another Close Up View

Hope you enjoyed seeing my latest addition from the art studio.

Profound Moments in Time. What are yours?

Have you experienced moments where it seemed as if time stood still? Or something within just knew you were experiencing a profound moment? Recently, I had this experience after an extended family member passed away. While I won't depress or bore you with the details, I do want to share my experience after this person's passing and how it relates to my recent painting. 

I don't know about you, but I wonder about odd things, such as just why it is so calm and peaceful in the moments immediately following someone's passing. The awe I felt for that atmosphere of peace and grace was so great, that I began to think and wonder about one mystery that I want to know; What was it like, when in a split second when that soul left the body? And, when it's my turn, what will I feel? Will it be beautiful? Confusing? Easy? Graceful? Will I be full of energy? Will I feel relief? Of course, I have not experienced it, so I can only imagine and that doesn't fully fill in the details.

This became a nice distraction to my grief. I was still enjoying that beautiful moment of profound peacefulness, calm, and even lightness, even as I had to directly face the dreaded business details of death. It's poetically strange, isn't it? And my fascination with this event lead me to paint this experience.

As I sat down at the canvas, I pushed aside my sadness, disappointment and anger at cancer. I tried to feel what it must have felt like in that exact moment in time when one's soul leaves it's body and begins it's lift off... I began to paint this experience. I didn't even mix my paint or decide on a color palette beforehand, I didn't know what color choices would fit such an event. Dark colors? Light? Dramatic or soft? I didn't know. It's not like you plan for such an event, right? Well, this painting wasn't planned either.

This is my interpretation of a soul leaving it's shell and beginning it's transformation process. I used mixed fibers to add texture to this painting. It represents the actual process of leaving "stuff" behind. I frequently use a process of layering paint and then remove a top layer or two to allow other layers of color to be exposed. In addition to the textures, there is an iridescent quality to the paint, as well, to give a sense of mystery. 

"Morning Soul Lift"

22" (h) x 28" (w)

Acrylic, mixed media

Close Up View

Close up view of texture and colors

My hope is that you enjoyed the painting and ready about my experience. Feel free to comment on your experiences, it's easy on my blog.

ArtTip: How do you decide what colors to use in your painting?

I thought include an art tip to show how I go about deciding what colors I want to use for each painting. This will work whether you paint landscapes or abstracts. Do you have those color chips from the hardware stores stuffed in a drawer somewhere in your house? Here's what you can do with them. If you don't paint, they are also handy in finding the right shade in picking out your clothes or accessories. You can organize your closet this way too.

Here you see, I have paint chips for both families of cool colors and warm colors. First, I have laid them out on a white canvas or you can use a white poster broad to keep the colors pure. Then, you can group them however you like, either cool vs. warm or light vs. dark shades. You can also lay them out by intensity, either calm color groups, vivid colors or fresh colors, and etc. Now, I can go through each group and see what colors inspire me. Since I'm an abstract painter, I tend to choose what I'm drawn to at that time. But basically, I pick  up what grabs my eye, lay them out together and see how it feels to me. 

 

In this photo above, you can see I have selected my final color choices. I have decided to use a vivid colors group to make a lively abstract painting. Using a mixture of color and warm colors can add dramatic.

In the photos below, I will show you my  paint palette mixed up from my final paint chip selection.

Here is the yellow and aqua paint already mixed and ready to go! You see having the paint chip helps me to see if I have the paint mixed properly. Not a bad match, if I do say so myself! 

Purple and green ready to go.

Next up, pink and brown.

Blue

And lastly, Raspberry Sorbet. Sounds good, doesn't it? 

Now my palette is ready and I'm feeling good about the final mix. In case you wondered, these are oil paints. I hope this helps in working with color and choosing your paint palette or organize your closet! So, how do you set up your painting palette? Do you tend to stick to the same color palette? Will be interesting to hear how you decide on colors.

Allison

Paint and Chocolate. What a great combination.

Hello!
I just had to write you! I just got back from an opening reception and solo exhibition of work by artist Genie Maples of Asheville, NC. Oh, and did I ever enjoy this one. First of all, Genie is one of my favorite artists. Why? Genie's major work is comprised of oil on canvas and they are huge! Some of her canvases were so large I couldn't get them all into the photos! Her masterful paintings have strong composition, layered colors, beautiful surface, and strong emotional impact. Her color choices are so vivid giving the feeling they are alive. And the pastels are so fluid and energetic. Perhaps that's why I love her work.

Tonight, I convinced my 6yr. old daughter to go with me (the fact they were serving gourmet chocolate truffles, helped don't ya think?!), see her photo below. Who would turn down the fact the venue was the French Broad Chocolate Lounge? This beautiful September evening offered wine, gourmet truffles, and beautiful art in a lovely urban setting.

Around the crowd, I snapped some photos for you. I hope you enjoy Genie's paintings as much as I do. This evening was a pleasure for me and I wanted to share it with you.

Allison

 My precious daughter Sarah, she's high on chocolate!

Ever been on a Safari Art StudioTour?

Hello everyone!
This past spring, I was busy attending several art events around the area and thought I'd share with you photos of the events, artists I've met and their art! I usually take a break from painting in the summer to spend time with my family and the break allows me to get out and meet other artists. I truly enjoy meeting other artists, seeing their work and coming back to post about it. I hope you're not bored with my outings, I promise I will be back to posting my paintings this fall.

I had an exciting event that came up this past spring, called Weaverville's Art Safari Spring Studio Tours and was I ever so glad I went! This event was so well organized, which generally isn't a strong trait for artists. So what is a Safari Art Studio Tour?

 

 Well, you're given a map of all the participating artists and their studios, and you had to look for the signs to each artist's home, which was fun for us as a family. Not only beautiful art did we see, but this below.

Two artists that happened to be married to each other, had this lovely view from their home on Hamburg Mountain.

Studios were dotted along the mountainside here in Western NC and you never knew what was around the next bend.This was their 10th anniversary and they started it off with a Friday night art auction held at this beautiful farm just outside Weaverville, NC, Claxton Farm. Wow! so beautiful and what a perfect setting. Their website is worth visiting. I had no idea where the winding mountain road was taken me when I started out, I was just following the Art Safari signs and lo, and behold... I ended up in a scene right from a movie. Simply breathtaking. I wish my photos would do it justice, but they won't, sorry Claxton Farm. But I was in love with the place. And inside, it was every bit charming, great appetizers, a bluegrass band and the art?, Oh, my.... I wish you could have been there, seriously. Very impressive. From jewelry like I've never seen, to fibers, to pottery, to paintings, to bronze sculptures. These people were serious about promoting their work and did an excellent job doing so. The drawings for the free gifts were stunning as well.

I've taken some photos of the farm, please add the dreaminess, charm, and sense of freedom as if you're there. Like I said, my photos won't do justice, so bear with me as I relive my wonderful experience there.

Okay, I'll move on and share photos from Claxton Farms Art Auction.

When I first pulled up I had no idea the amount of people that would be there. I was on time and there were rows of vehicles already there!
Once you arrived, you parked in an open field. It made me so excited to see such a turnout, in fact, I later heard it was the largest attendance, ever.

The barn for the art auction held Friday night.

Here's the facility. Great patio and awesome mountain views.

Here's the view from that patio. Just makes you say, "Ahhh", right?

Wildflowers growing along the barn.

This is the three-piece bluegrass band playing for us that night. The lady in the middle playing a guitar is an artist also.

A nearby pond and more colorful wildflowers to enjoy.

The next day, Saturday morning, we started out on the Safari Studio Tour, following the great signs to each artist's studio. Most of the artists had home studios, but all were fabulous in their layout, space, and they way they chose to show their artwork. Many of the studios were inviting and gorgeous. All very functional, but leaving you with the feeling that you'd like to have one just like them. I know I did. Each had their own personalities, as well. I'll introduce you to one artist that set up her beautiful home as a gallery to not only show off her paintings, but also so you could get the idea how her paintings would look in your home or office. Great idea!

When I arrived at Joy Moser's art studio in her home, I was greeted by a bluegrass band on her wide front porch and inviting rocking chairs. That was a special treat to be greeted in such a way. Joy is such a talented musician as well as a successful artist. I had no idea she was the one playing at the art auction the night before. What a great combination, music and art!

 Artist Joy Moser

She welcomed me into her home and I was so amazed. She did something so smart. She painted the inside of her lovely large two story home with beautiful warm colors to be the backdrop for her art work. She shared with me her desire to display her work in a way her patrons could see how each painting could possibly look in their own home or office. Great idea, Joy! She gave us a tour of each room with her beautifully displayed paintings. Yes, she had the right idea and it paid off, she had shared with me she just sold three paintings that morning! Yay, Joy! Her landscapes are so lovely in their warm, but vibrant colors and the movement of each brush stroke relaxes the viewer. But, I'll give you the chance to see her paintings for yourself.

Landscapes by Joy Moser

 I loved this winter scene, Joy painted. See the reflections in the water.

Hope you enjoyed seeing Joy's paintings as much as I did. Just working on this post and seeing her work all over again, warms my heart. Definitely, this fall you'll want to meet Joy Moser at her home studio. Her music, her art, her home and front porch will make it worth the trip! Plus, she's just a delightful person to meet. Thanks, Joy for a great time at your home.

 Next stop on the tour, I met Artist Diane Hall at her home studio. Her work ranges from various subjects of animal portraits to mystical paintings with richly colored acrylics, textures, and layers. Her collages are so intriguing to me, as they are very unique. Since I wasn't that familiar with the collage style of her work, she was so kind to demo how she uses colored tissue paper with washes to achieve her results. 

Diane also offers art classes to children and was so kind to do an inprompto art class with my daughter, Sarah. Thank you very much, Diane! I have to say as an abstract painter, Diane gave me new ideas to try out in the future.

Another beauty from Artist Diane Hall

Collage Landscapes

 Vibrant sunflowers and other works of Diane Hall from the walls of her studio.

Artist Meryl Meyer 

 Then I met Artist Meryl Meyer at her home studio. Meryl has eye for detail that is to be envied. She is extremely patient with her painting and her skill for details shows. I studied her paintings, wishing I had the technical skill and patience that comes from Meryl. She shared with me, how working on the details was a very calming experience for her. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't relate. I haven't perfected, nor am I gifted with patience. Her pet portraits are incredible due to her detailed work. Each one is truly a valued masterpiece. I only regret I didn't get more photos of her portraits for you to see.

These were a few of the many talented artists from the Weaverville Art Safari Studio Tour. Save these dates, October 29th- 30th, 2001 for their next Fall art studio tour! What a beautiful time in the mountains of Western North Carolina to visit or if you're local, meet our talented area artists. I hope you enjoyed my post. 

A healthy and creative Summer to you, Allison

Two more talented artists from Asheville's River Arts District

Hello All! Greetings from cool, green Asheville, NC! Hope you are having a good summer. We can't complain about the weather here, it's been great so far in the "Land of the Sky".
Today's post is about two more fabulous artists that I met in Asheville's River Arts District. I've really enjoyed taking time to meet the River Arts District artists and I'd like to share their work with you. And if you've already been to the River Arts District, please comment on your experience.

But first, I have a couple of updates from my other post Asheville's Talented River Arts District Artists. Artist Joyce Thornburg is an featured artist at the Atelier Gallery of Fine Art on 24 Lexington Ave., Asheville. She has an "Retrospective of Faces" exhibit that started June 11th. Click on  Joyce Thornburg's  name to read about the article I wrote about her. She has a large 1800's farmhouse door painted her her folk art faces on it and it is a striking anchor to her exhibit in their street front window. Her show will end on June 30th. But if you miss her show and are local, then go Curra's Mexican restaurant in Woodfin, you'll see one of her "Faces" doors there.

Secondly, a bit of some odd news for one of our talented artists, Stephen Lange (to read my post about Stephen Lange click on his name.) Stephen, while working on one of his uniquely natural and beautiful circle paintings, he decided to place it outside the studio building to dry and came back to notice it had been stolen! Now you have understand, this painting was 6 feet wide! To view the video about the reported incident see this video from WLOS-TV. To view an article on the matter, here's a link. On Stephen Lange's website you can see his beautiful circle paintings.

Now I'll get to our next artist and painter, Benjamin Kaleblevi as shown here with his paintings. Ben considers his work to be abstract surrealistic.

You can find Benjamin's studio at the Riverside Studios, 174 West Haywood St. Asheville.  Even though, most of his work is abstract, of late, he has been busy with commissions of pet portraits. I found his abstract paintings very mysterious. The viewer must take some time with each painting in order to see all of the hidden information that Benjamin has included within.  These hidden clues tells the story of Benjamin's life journey, as he so kindly shared with me. And I like that quality about Ben's paintings. You'll see what I'm talking about in the photo below. Ben takes time with his paintings, they are not rushed. 

Inside Ben's studio, he was working on a cat portrait. And right now, he seemed to be very content working on his new subjects. He has an update and notified me that he is presently painting on location at a local hangout called "The Bywater" on Riverside Dr. His website is under construction, but you can find his bio and art on the River Arts District website.

A larger view, below, of Ben's studio space.

While walking along the River Arts District, here is a few photos of outdoor sculptures you'll want to see.

Garden sculpture below just outside the Curve studios.

Now, I have to say, I had goosebumps just seeing artist Heather Knight's work at her Element Clay Studio  . Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to meet her in person, but get to meet her assistant as she was setting up Heather's new studio space. Her textile wall tile collection in this photo is stunning, yet she has a varied body of work of bowls, exhibit pieces, and commissioned pieces. You can see work on her website and many items are available for purchase online.

Her stunning porcelain and clay work has been featured in magazines like, Coastal Living, House Beautiful, Charleston Home and many more. We are fortunate to have her here in the Wedge studios in the RAD.  She works mostly with porcelain, but also works in clay. Her works are a balance I would say, of modernism and nature, which she does so well. There's no denying her style, once you've seen it, you'll be able to easily recognize it again. The textures and the movement of her work will keep your interest and her choice of size for her elements is unique in itself.

Closeup

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post about Asheville's Talented River Arts District Artists. Please feel free to leave comments.  

Oh, I can't forget! White Duck Taco Shop has recently opened up in the RAD. Here's an article about the owners and their new restaurant.  Have a creative summer! Allison