Breath of Fresh Air

I have joined the Atlanta Collage Society and I'm very excited about it! We have a show at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center from December 10 to February 20th, and I have three pieces on display. If anyone lives near that area, you might like to check it out!

I had been communicating with the president, Barbara Dunhan, for almost two years about joining the Society and coming up to visit, talk about workshops, and see the Society Show. I finally made arrangements and will be headed to Atlanta on the weekend of December 18.

My membership in the Atlanta Collage Society is in addition to my membership in the National Collage Society, I figure you can never have enough collage in your life, at least not mine!

Exquisite Harmony

Looking for Inspiration

Lullaby | 15x30 | collage on panel

Next September I have been offered the amazing opportunity of a solo exhibition at the Maitland Art Center. The theme of the show will be Art and Music, which is fitting because I also play the violin for the Maitland Symphony Orchestra. I have been looking for musical inspiration for the 30-40 collages I will need for this significant show. This evening I attended the Home for the Holidays concert with my daughter performed by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, all the while thinking about unique and different ways to visually represent music.

I hope to keep blog postings of my musical progress leading up to the show. I'd love suggestions of what visuals bring music to mind for you, if you have a moment to comment.

Looking in on Jane

My Mother Poses With Her Portrait

My Mom visited for Thanksgiving from Massachusetts and it was the first time she had ever seen her portrait "Looking in on Jane" in person. She had only seen it in print in my book. What makes this collage significant is not only that it's my first collage, AND a portrait of my mother, but that it contains personal notes and ephemera dating back to before my birth, including my Mother's graduation from Nursing School the year before she had me. There is also a diaper pin and baby photos of me included with my first pediatrician's visit bill ($5.00)

This piece is on display with three others at the Casselberry Art House through the end of the month.

Holiday Gift Ideas

5x7 motivational messages

My frame maker Owen Tomlin sent me a sample of one of his reclaimed barn wood frames in a 5x7 size, thinking I might like to "go small." Thank goodness for suggestions from others, huh?

I am making these small scrabble tile collages because I think they would make a nice gift, original signed artwork - framed and ready to hang! The barn wood frame is hand made in Kentucky and adds charm to these one-of-a-kind collages.

Email me if you want me to do one for you with your own specific word!

SOLD

Holiday Gift Ideas

5x7 Framed Motivational Messages

Here is the second one of these available for purchase on the blog. They are so small that you don't need to re-arrange a room to hang them! They make great gifts as they are framed and wired and ready to hang, they are small and ship easily. No glass on these frames, the art is protected with a coat of UVLS varnish

Frame is handmade by Owen Tomlin in Kentucky from reclaimed barn wood. These pieces are also being offered at Mary Woerner Fine Arts Gallery in West Palm Beach along with the Collage Brush ornaments, if you live close and would like to see them in person.

Email me if you would like me to create one for you with your own Scrabble word!

SOLD

Collage Christmas Brushes

Set of Three Collage Brush Ornaments

The Katharine Butler Gallery asked their gallery artists to provide hand-made ornaments this season, to be sold for charity. I broke out the glue and my scrap bag and covered the wooden handles of these paint brushes. They came out so nice that I thought I might offer them to my blog followers.

This is a set of three (two large, one small) collaged and signed paint brushes. They are made to order, so give me a couple of days to produce them and please order early!

Set of Three Collage Brushes
collage on paint brushes, signed
$25 plus $4.95 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Flashbags, Carry A Conversation™

More Great Holiday Gift Ideas

Flashbags has licensed my artwork and is putting it on handbags, handmade in Vermont. There are photos of two bags in the sidebar of this blog, but take a minute to go check them out on the Flashbags website, they have bags in all shapes and sizes and at many price points.

Featured Artist Exhibit

Buttercup #1 & 2 | 30x20 | collage on panel | ©2009 Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson

Opening Reception Friday 11/20, 6-10pm | Show Runs Nov. 19-Dec. 12

Katharine Butler Gallery, 1943 Morrill St., Sarasota, FL will feature Paper Paintings along with the pottery of Charlie Barmonde and the oil paintings of Martha Kelly.

I will be giving a Demonstration of my collage technique at the Gallery on Saturday, December 5, from 2-4pm. Come out and Join us!

Paper Paintings collages will include images of animals and nature, including blueberries on a branch, dogwood blossoms, warm colored peacock, and cows! I will have at least 10 new pieces in this show that have not been exhibited before. Please introduce yourself to me if you make it to the opening, I'll be driving over from Orlando and will be there from 6pm until at least 8:30pm.

Katharine Butler Gallery is located in Towles Court Artists Colony, spend the evening of the opening strolling and enjoying live music, restaurants and other art galleries and shops.

New Workshop in Altamonte Springs

Don't Miss this Wonderful Combo Workshop!

Come out and learn how to create your own handmade collage papers. Learn the art of handmade paper from Judy Segall (see older posts on handmade paper by Judy) and then use those papers in a collage workshop with me!

These are two separate weekend days, January 9 from 10am-2pm for handmade paper making (which needs time to dry) and then January 16 from 10am-2pm for the collage workshop. Both workshops will be held at the studio of Judy Segall in Altamonte Springs, FL

You may take both days for $65 or you may choose one day only for $45. A minimum of 12 students is required to fill each workshop day. Click here for the registration forms.

Email me with any collage questions or e-mail Judy with handmade paper questions

LAST DAY TO REGISTER IS DECEMBER 20

A Bird of a Different Feather

The Cool Bird in Warm Colors is Complete!

20x24 | collage on panel | framed in reclaimed barn wood

Here it is, ready to be included in my featured artist exhibition at the Katharine Butler Gallery in Sarasota, FL which opens on November 20, 6-10pm

I received another shipment of hand crafted reclaimed barn wood frames from my faithful frame maker Owen Tomlin in Kentucky, who makes the most wonderful frames I could ask for! Often times I put Owen and his wife Louise through the wringer, asking for more frames with tighter deadlines! They always take good care of me though. Check out their website, they also hand make turkey calls! Tell them that Elizabeth sent you.

Hand Made Paper by Judy

Paper Heaven!

This week on my way to orchestra rehearsal, I stopped by Judy's to pickup some of the custom hand made paper sheets she had done for me. WOW! was I ever thrilled with the intense colors, textures, fibers and bits and pieces included in her 100% cotton hand made paper.

I thought I'd share with you some images of the finished product, as a follow up to the paper making posts earlier in this blog.

If you are interested in purchasing some of these wonderful papers, contact Judy via email: JudyOrlando@CFL.rr.com

Reusing is Recycling

Starbucks, Anyone?

Cardinal Out on a Limb, Detail | Les Plumes II, Detail | Out To Pasture, Detail

I have been using Starbucks bags in my work for years. Recently they changed their small bags for the holiday season, removing the wonderful grass green I have become so accustomed to using in my landscapes, and golden brown with zig zag pattern I love to use in the bird collges. I am currently working on two cows and when I went to grab my Starbucks green, I noticed that the new holiday bag is teal.

I flipped over the new holiday bag and it says "Reusing is Recycling" along with other verbiage about the many ways you can reuse a Starbucks bag. This stuck in my mind, as did a blurb I read the other day which stated, "Collage is the original form of recycling!"

This got me thinking. Do you think Starbucks might be interested in seeing how I take their bags to the original form of recycled material? So I went to their website, which was very detailed and confusing in terms of finding a place to show them my use of their bags.

So I ask you.... does anyone know someone in Starbucks marketing that I could send my collages to? You just never know, a contact name could be a foot in the door. Do me a favor and forward this blog post around, SOMEONE knows someone I'm sure!