Back from Québec City

My visit to Ville de Québec

I just returned from my trip to Canada. I wanted to visit Québec City and the Canadian province of Québec because my of my French-Canadian heritage and the fact that I had been told by many that this city so rich in history and culture was like being in Europe, but not so far away! 

While we were there, I learned much about the history of Québec, like the fact that it was founded in 1608 and that the ramparts surrounding Vieux-Québec (Old Québec) are the only remaining fortified city walls in the Americas north of Mexico. In an attempt to preserve the native language there, school children are required to attend French speaking school in their primary years.

I am thinking about going back in the winter for the Carnival de Québec  and staying at the Hotel de Glace, this seems like it would be amazing! And again, it's much closer than going to Lapland, Sweden where the first hotel made entirely of ice was built.

My Studio Space

A Labor of Love
I used to paint in an extra bedroom in our home, that was before I had kids. The kids kept me busy for a number of years, because I had two of them, back to back. When I was ready to paint again, my husband (my biggest fan and strongest supporter) carved me out a corner of our two car garage, framed it in, tiled the floor and air conditioned it. I painted there for a several years but eventually I needed more space. We decided to construct a free-standing studio for me in our back yard two years ago. My brother, an expert builder and an engineer, was the man for the job! My husband and I contracted him to build me a new and improved space that would offer the natural light that the garage space did not, as well as more room and a separation from the house. Alan stayed with us for 10 days, and made me his apprentice on the job. I must tell you that operating the nail gun, hanging the insulation and cutting the tile made this apprentice appreciate every square inch of her new studio space even more! Now Alan was teaching me how to do new things, and he was very patient in the process!

I came away with something more than a new studio in the summer of 2006.

My brother is 9 years younger than me and he lives in Massachusetts, I moved from there to Florida 15 years ago. Making multiple trips to The Home Depot wearing their logo hats, filling our complimentary plastic travel mugs with "contractor coffee," and working side by side, I got to know my little brother a little better.

Alan's life has changed a lot since I cared for him as a baby. He now has a two college degrees, owns a home, has a wife and two babies of his own! My baby brother is all grown up. I still think of what fun we had building the studio when I am out there painting in what has become my sanctuary, and I think about how generous it was for him to give me 10 days away from his own family and the opportunity to learn a few things from him!

Strutting and Schelpping My Stuff!

This month I have been featured as the solo artist at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery in Melbourne, FL. It has been really exciting being the solo artist at this very professional and beautiful gallery. This got me thinking that July is here again, and that marks a year since I was the featured Artist of the Month at the Orlando Museum of Art. These opportunities to really strut your stuff are few and far between. As an artist, I really have had to work hard to score such an opportunity. In both cases, Fifth Avenue Art Gallery and the Orlando Museum of Art, this opportunity was based on merit. I was awarded the solo exhibition at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery because I won "Best of Show" last year in their 100% Pure Florida competition, the solo show was the payoff. I must say it has paid off a second time with sales from the show! Thanks to everyone at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery who have worked very hard to represent my work. The Orlando Museum of Art show, one year ago in July, was awarded as a result of many months of submissions to First Thursdays and the work catching the eye of Jamieson Thomas, the museum shop manager and buyer. As the featured Artist of the Month, I sold two pieces of my work, and a third piece went on to the National Collage Society show in Delray Beach. This piece also sold when it returned to Orlando, to a local friend of the arts–– Lezlie Laws–– who was very patient and waited for "Reflection," which she first saw and fell in love with at the OMA, to be available four months later! Jamieson has also been very successful in the sales of my "Paper Paintings" books and cards at the OMA Museum Shop over the past year. Today I am reflecting on these wonderful opportunities I have had to be a featured artist, and giving thanks to all the folks behind the scenes at galleries and museums who work so hard to help me strut my stuff!

smART

After driving a mini van for almost ten years, I was longing for something a little more unique and fun. Everything we looked at that would still be large enough for shuttling to and from art shows, was not big enough to allow for the kids to have a friend. We came up with an alternative idea all together. I decided to keep the van for the kids, the dog, the groceries and for the delivery of my artwork to and from shows, rather than replace it. Yesterday we added a smart car to our "fleet" for me to attend art openings (you know, the second trip to the venue in the same week!), go to lunch with other artists, go to the post office to mail out self promotional art packets, go to the bank to cash art sales checks, pickup Starbucks to stay awake enough at night to create new art, go to the gym to have strength to hang a show.... all these things that I do in the car when it's just me!

My Love of Collage, How it All Began

My love of collage started with a scrap box of papers from my childhood (going all the way back) that my father passed down to me a couple of years ago. It seemed a shame to put all of these memories in a box under my bed,but what does one do with the original hospital bill for their birth and Mom’s graduation cards from nursing school? I decided to find a way to incorporate these papers, notes and cards that my family took great care in saving for me, into a work of art, a "visual quilt."