Exhibitions

Cerdeira Village Residency Journal 6

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Starting on Wednesday through Friday, artists piled into the shared house Julia and I were staying in so that they could set up for the festival (which officially began on Thursday but really truly started on Friday).  In the end, I think we housed more than 16 people in the house, and 7 in our room!  It was really packed and we had to take shifts in the kitchen.  The festival, called Elementos à Solta (Art Meets Nature), took place throughout the village from Thursday through Sunday and involved ceramics as well as fiber arts, wooden pieces, motion-sensing installations, and more.  There were additionally workshops for art novices in the mornings and scheduled theatre and music performances in the evening.  I really enjoyed a stage performance by eight ceramic artists; it was the first theatre piece I've seen that was really nevertheless as much a studio art performance piece.

Many of the displaying artists come to the festival every year (and this was the festival's twelfth year) so they all knew each other very well, but they were also extremely welcoming to Julia and me.  I found a mix of Spanish and English tends to be decently understood by most Portuguese speakers, which was helpful.  We were provided meals during the festival (usually on the residencies I attend you make your own food) and the cooks very kindly made vegetarian fare available each time, which I found very thoughtful.

The festival wound down on Sunday, and Julia left early that afternoon (her installation will remain up until nature has its way with it - perhaps through the winter!) after we finished our scheduled artist presentation.  I grew very close to Julia during our time there, and it was very sad to have her leave.  It also meant my own time to leave was drawing near; I had decided to take a bus from Coimbra to Madrid the following morning.  I had planned to try to use a sort-of legitimized hitchhiking (car-sharing) service, but no one was making the trip the day I needed to go.  I then considered flying, but within-Europe flights don't provide any free checked or carry-on luggage beyond a small bag, and I have two big suitcases with me so it would have been too costly.  The bus was only a few hours longer and was significantly cheaper.

Packing my sculptures took about two hours; I actually packed them about three times trying to get the packing materials to support and protect the pieces.  I have no idea if the sculptures' fragile branches will be in fragments by the time they reach the US; I tried my best, though!  I needed to mail them from Portugal because since I had two suitcases and a backpack already, I didn't have the hands to also carry a large box along.  On Monday morning, Nuno and I went to the post office and mailed my box out (fingers crossed!) before he dropped me off at the bus station.  The trip from Coimbra to Madrid was thankfully uneventful, and the bus driver of the second bus (we had to change buses very early into the trip to connect with the Spanish line) stopped several times such that we could avoid using the bus toilet - I was very appreciative of that!  We did stop at the Spanish border and police came aboard and checked passports; I was a little surprised about this because one of my international students said the borders are not really controlled for ground traffic between EU countries.

Cerdeira Village Residency Journal 5 - New Artwork!

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When I was shopping at the market across from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, I saw a few azulejos tiles of rabbits, and I bought myself one of them - it reminded me a little of Albrecht Dürer's work.

After I finished the turtle sculpture, I decided I would do a rabbit and a bird as a partner piece to the turtle and nest mostly due to that market experience.  When I started looking at various images of rabbits in order to find one to sculpt, I decided that proportionally and structurally, a hare would be more interesting than a rabbit.  And given that I had been thinking about rabbits and hares due to this azulejos tile that reminded me of Dürer, I decided to base my sculpture off of Young Hare.

It was really quite fun sculpting a watercolor painting, as it were, and one that I highly admire.  I started off again with a styrofoam and wire base and then added QCC and began to form the body and head.  

I added the feet in three separate parts, and finally the claws and ears.  After every part was added, I detailed the fur and added some jackalope-esque branches in front of the ears.  This all took several days to come together, and obviously there were parts I had to construct myself in attempting to realize a three-dimensional animal out of a two-dimensional painting of it.

I had planned on sculpting a bird with the hare, but I liked the hare so much alone that I reconsidered.  As I was trying to decide what to do, I thought about how I would progress with the painting of the hare.  In the beginning I had thought about painting the rabbit in azulejos-inspired colors as well, but I realized when doing the turtle that the style that the shell and eggs looked quite good with it because they were fairly smooth, but when I tried to paint the turtle head and legs with various tints of blue, it got too busy and weird due to their pebbled surfaces (so I reverted them back to the clean white).  The fur of the rabbit is quite heavily textured, so I decided to paint it in a fairly realistic coloration through referencing Dürer's piece again but turning the colors just a little bit cooler in a nod to the azulejos theme and my own practice of using blue as a dominant color in my own work.

In deciding to paint it in naturalistic colors, though, I thought the two pieces wouldn't seem very related, so I figured I should do a bird - but a detachable bird, in case I ended up displaying the pieces separately as well or in case the bird didn't turn out so well.

I knew I wanted the bird to be in the azulejos color scheme, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to approximate an actual species/patterning like I did in the slider turtle shell design.  In the end, I decided the bird should be even more clearly a reference to the azulejos tiles; then there would be this strong representation in the bird and the eggs, a referential-but-also-naturalistic one in the turtle, and then an almost entirely naturalistic representation in the hare.

So here it is!  I also haven't accurately measured or titled it (though Young Hare will show up in the title somehow), but it is a mixed media ceramic sculpture including QCC, acrylic, and found branches.  Some of the photos below are of it in bright sunlight, so the cast shadows on the bird can be a little hard to parse, and all are against a brown/gray background which can make the branches difficult to differentiate too, but I will take photos of it in a white gallery space as well.

Cerdeira Village Residency Journal 3 - New Artwork!

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When I woke up for my first morning in Cerdeira Village, I was still a little tired and quite sneezy - I thought I would escape from my Kansas allergies but there are apparently still plenty of plants I'm allergic to in Portugal!  I soon shook it off, though, and Julia and I made breakfast and started to get to know each other.  Next I went to set up my studio space; the atelier is downstairs and next door from the residency housing.  I took over two small pottery tables and a bigger workshop table and began working on my first piece.  

When I proposed my project for this very competitive residency, I took note of how ceramics-oriented the website was and my proposal was to make some fully 3D pieces out of QCC since of late I've been doing only relief work with QCC.  For my first sculpture, I decided I would create a slider turtle with branches growing atop its back supporting a nest.  I picked a turtle for a few reasons - 1) I'd sculpted two turtles a few years ago out of QCC but never felt I fully resolved their form and wanted to improve upon that work; 2) there is a multicultural myth that the world is supported on the back of a great turtle; 3) I hadn't seen very many animals in Portugal yet given that I'd only been there a couple days, but I had seen at least two different species of slider (red-eared and yellow-bellied) at the Estufa Fria in Lisbon.

I started the sculpture by carving a rough approximation of the shell out of styrofoam.  This was mostly to save on clay usage - I can only carry one bucket of it at a time due to the size and weight it occupies in my luggage, so I want to be smart in how I use it up - but also helps with the weight of the piece, which is important because I will have to ship my artworks back to the US and weight sharply increases the shipping costs.

Then I applied QCC in a relatively thin layer around the styrofoam and began to shape and detail it (hacking out bits of styrofoam as well if I needed to).  The shell took a lot longer than I thought it would to really shape properly; I did not finish it the first day.

I continued work the second and third days on the turtle.  After finally detailing the shell, I moved on to the head and feet.  I did them all separately so I could be very considered in my markmaking, and finally I assembled all the pieces and added a tail and other final detailing by the end of the third day.  I had planned to make the branches and nest out of the QCC as well, but I became enchanted by the local lichens that grow on the trees here and ended up pushing real branches into the turtle's back before curing the whole piece.

 Afterwards, I did add a nest and two eggs made out of QCC into the branches.

On the fourth and fifth days, I painted the turtle, nest, and eggs white.  I had got it into my head to reference the azulejos tiles so common to Portugal in the painting of the sculpture; the starting point was turning the natural light tan of the clay the bright white of the glazed tiles.  I had only brought one type of paint with me - my Golden OPEN Acrylics - which are great for normal painting needs but are really poor as a base coat due to their long dry time.  Here in Cerdeira Village, they seem to dry even slower - in fact, barely at all - and I ended up just going ahead and painting the turtle shell with an azulejos-inspired, painted-turtle-shell-based design on the sixth day here despite the shell still being faintly wet.  I also painted the eggs with a small decorative motif seen in the corners of some azulejos tiles.  The turtle and eggs took almost a week to dry, but aided by my eventual realization that I needed to put them outside in the sun to assist, they were handle-able by the time I needed to install them in their exhibition space the morning of June 2.

So here's the piece!  I haven't measured it yet, nor titled it (I've got some ideas mulling), but that will come.  It is a mixed media ceramic sculpture including 3P QuickCure Clay, acrylic, and found branches and lichens.

Newspaper Article in The Daily Reveille

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Here's some more press on the Polymers in Art Through the Centuries exhibition at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM) and my collaboration with Dr. John Pojman from Louisiana State University (LSU)!  The Daily Reveille even uses a photo of my artwork in the exhibition as the article image!  The show is up through September 3rd, if you will be in the region and want to stop by.

A Photo Gallery from My LASM Exhibition Trip

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I have a few more photos to share from my LASM exhibition and associated demos/events!  This was a fantastically fun trip, all thanks to the amazing Dr. John Pojman.

Video Clip of LASM QCC Demo

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I have a full schedule of demonstrations, lectures, and interviews for the next couple of days associated with the Polymers in Art Through the Centuries exhibition going on at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM) - the first took place earlier this evening!  An LASM public relations staff member posted livestream video to Facebook throughout the night - here's a snippet:

Animals in Art Exhibition at A Different Path Gallery

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And here's another exhibition I'm showing work in - it's the Animals in Art national exhibition juried by Lori Skoog and Katherine Weston at A Different Path Gallery in Brockport, New York.  Three of my pieces will be on display: Perfect Form, Echo, and Littoral Layers. 

The show opens with a reception this Friday (tomorrow!), March 10th, from 7-9pm and will be on exhibit through April 1, 2017.  The gallery is located at 27 Market Street, Brockport, NY 14420.

Polymers in Art Through the Centuries Exhibition at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum

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My collaboration with Dr. John Pojman and his company 3P (Pojman Polymer Products) has led to my exhibiting in this amazing show!  Polymers in Art Through the Centuries is a fantastically interesting exhibition held at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Polymers in Art Through the Centuries opened today!  Its show dates are March 4 - June 4, 2017, and it is held in the Soupçon Gallery in the LASM.  For information about the LASM hours of operation and cost of admission (though please note that there are a number of free admission days), please check this link out.

I will be demonstrating 3P QuickCure Clay and discussing my work with the sculptural and relief medium along with Dr. John Pojman onsite at the LASM during their Art After Hours: The Substance of Art event on Thursday, March 30, 2017 from 5:30 - 7:30pm.  Other artists including Monica Zeringue, violist and composer Christian Frederickson, and local dance company Of Moving Colors will be contributing to the evening as well, and A Work in Process: Paintings by Gustave Blache III and It’s Academic: A Hands-On Art Experience will also be open for viewing.  Complimentary wine and appetizers are included with admission, which is $7.50 for adults, $5.50 for college students with ID, and free for members.

Speaking of Student Work...

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One of my students, Ryan Hill, just sent me this video he made featuring a time lapse of our recent Goppert Gallery installation as well as a tour of the exhibition!  It's super cool:

Info] The art setup on 7 December 2016 at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth. Artwork displayed in the video by various members of the Saint Mary students.

Goppert Gallery Exhibition Photos!

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Here are some images of the show!  I got sidetracked by an alumna when I was walking around photographing so I haven't taken pictures of the whole of the show yet, but that just means there's more to experience if you want to stop by - the show's up through the 15th.

An image of my wall of artwork from the exhibition.

Looking at my wall from the other side.

Goppert Gallery Exhibition

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I'm exhibiting my series of botanical-garden-themed mixed media reliefs made on residency this summer at La Maison Verte in Marnay-sur-Seine, France, as well as the first three paintings in my ongoing puffin series inspired by my 2014 Icelandic residency in the University of Saint Mary's Goppert Gallery!  My work is in its own distinct space, but the Gallery has a number of rooms to it and is also simultaneously exhibiting student artwork from this past semester as well as our graduating senior Brandon Handy's senior thesis exhibition, "Nature from Afar and Close-Up." The gallery is free and open to the public, with exhibition dates and times as follows:

December 9-15, 2016, 10am-4pm with an opening reception today from 3-5pm - complimentary refreshments will be served.

If you'd like to join us, Goppert Gallery is on the ground floor of Xavier Hall on the University of Saint Mary's main campus found at 4100 S. 4th Street in Leavenworth, KS.  Here's the full press release if you're interested, though since we sent it out we've changed a few details so this post has the most current information.

I'll upload some photos shortly!

Reminder: All Things Animals! at the Boston Children's Museum

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If you're in or passing through Boston this Friday, consider stopping by the Boston Children's Museum for the reception for the All Things Animals! exhibition I'm participating in (two of my paintings are on display).  The reception runs from 6-8pm on Friday, October 21st.   Here's some more info directly from the museum itself:

We hope you can join us to celebrate! Due to museum policy, we unfortunately cannot provide food and beverages at the reception. Museum admission is only $1.00 after 5:00pm on Fridays, so bring the family! Adults attending without kids, be sure to bring your IDs- as part of the museum's "Unaccompanied Adult" policy, they ask that you leave a photo ID at the Admissions desk for safety reasons while visiting.  To get to the gallery, you can take the stairs or elevator to the second floor. Once you reach the second floor, take a right and follow the hallway to the Keva exhibit. In Keva, continue right, which will lead you straight into the gallery. Here is a link to the museum’s floor plan, just in case you would prefer a visual: http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/visit/floor-plan.

KCKPL South Branch Gallery Exhibition Press Release

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I installed my solo exhibition at the KCKPL South Branch Gallery yesterday evening!  USM's Marketing Department was kind enough to issue a press release on it (as well as on other recent shows).  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my digital camera along at installation so all I have is crappy cell phone imagery, but I'll definitely take some better photos before I deinstall.

Upcoming: Solo Exhibition at the Kansas Public Library South Branch Gallery

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I've got a solo exhibition coming up next week!  The Kansas City Kansas Public Library has booked me for a show at their South Branch Gallery.  The exhibition will be titled Natural Narratives.  I will be installing the show on Tuesday, September 6th at 6pm, so I'd probably start visiting it on Wednesday, September 7th despite an official opening date of September 6th.

Exhibition dates: September 6 - November 8, 2016
Location: South Library, 3104 Strong Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66106
Phone: 913-722-7400
Hours: 9-9 Mon-Thur & 9-5 Fri-Sat & 1-5 Sun

Upcoming: Boston Children's Museum All Things Animals! Exhibition

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My stream of good luck continues - I've had two pieces accepted into the curated All Things Animals! exhibition at Boston Children's Museum (the pieces are Temerity and Spirit).

Exhibition dates: September 23 - November 26, 2016
Public event: Date TBD
Location: 308 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Hours: Open everyday 10AM–5PM
Phone: (617) 426-6500

I'll update with more information as I learn it!

Exhibition Photos from La Maison Verte Residency at the Jardin Botanique de Marnay-sur-Seine

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Here are a few images from the La Mason Verte June 2016 Artists in Residence Exhibition I had in the Jardin Botanique de Marnay-sur-Seine.  My exhibition was entitled Garden Lore.  The door, obviously, is permanently installed, and was about 20 feet away from the display area I used for the rest of my pieces.  Note how the garden staff tidied up the door's surrounding area for the exhibition and added a permanent sign with my details on it!  Two of the photos below (the ones with a bit of an apricot tint) were taken by photographer Abril M. Barruecos.

Upcoming - Juried Animals in Art Exhibition at Mills Pond Gallery

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I've been accepted into yet another exhibition this summer!  The Smithtown Township Arts Council is holding its Animals in Art - Our Partners on the Planet Exhibition and juror Tim Newton has chosen to display all three of my submitted pieces (Perspective, Lambs in Field, and Little Brother of the North).  

Exhibition opening reception: Saturday, July 30th from 2 - 4 pm
Exhibit dates: July 30 - August 28, 2016
Gallery hours: The gallery is open Wednesday through Friday 10am - 4pm; Saturdays & Sundays 12 - 4pm.
Location: Smithtown Township Arts Council, Mills Pond House Gallery, 660 Route 25A, St.James, NY 11780
Phone: 631.862.6575

Upcoming - The St. Augustine Art Association's 7th Annual Nature and Wildlife Exhibit

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Whew, I've got a packed exhibition schedule coming up - not that I'm complaining!  Here's another confirmation that just came in.  I've been selected to exhibit two pieces, Perfect Form and Balancing Act, at the competitive 7th Annual Nature and Wildlife Exhibit held by the St. Augustine Art Association.  

Opening reception and awards ceremony: Saturday, July 23, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Exhibition dates: July 23 - August 28, 2016
Gallery hours: Tue-Sat: Noon to 4pm, Sundays: 2-5pm, Artwalk: First Friday of every month 5-9pm
Location: St. Augustine Art Association, 22 Marine St., St. Augustine, Florida, 32084
Contact: 904-842-2310, www.staaa.org