Southern Living In Style

©Southern Living Magazine

Excited to share that Cow Art and More and my artwork are included in the March 2011 issue of Southern Living magazine in their decorating "Rodeo Chic in Style" section!

Cow Art and More features giclée prints on demand of several of my cow and barnyard images. Southern Living found my art through their blog and asked us to be a part of this issue!

We are very excited about selling prints of this cow image (which is incorrectly titled in the publication, this image is actually called "Lazy Afternoon.") The original is 20x24, framed in reclaimed Kentucky barn wood and available for purchase through the Grand Bohemian Gallery in St. Augustine, FL

Paper Paintings Book Cover Art

Israel Parker is Closet Independent Writer

A couple of days ago I received an email from Israel Parker. He said that he happenned upon my work when he accidentally clicked "next blog" from the top of his own blog and there I was featured on Jessica Carter's blog (thank you Jessica!) from when she took a collage workshop with me. (Jessica was both of my kid's kindergarten teacher and she happened upon my artwork while flipping through Cloth, Paper Scissors Magazine!)

Talk about serendipity!

Israel said that when he happened upon my work, he knew it was just what he wanted for the cover of his book, especially since one of the characters in the book is a painter. The book is a story about a Newfoundland who loses his precious master in the sinking of a fishing boat off the coast of Maine. You remember that I am from New England and have been to visit Maine quite a few times in my youth, even spent a week in a fishing village one summer with my family!

Israel is self publishing his first book and the title is The Anne Marie you can read a snippet of it on his blog.

I am excited about working with an up and coming writer on his first book. I am happy that it will combine both my fine art and graphic design skills as I have to keep in mind incorporating the title of the book and the name of the author along with the artwork for the 6x9 cover.

 I'll let you know more about the book and the cover as we progress

Collaboration for Celebrations Gallery

©Robin Maria Pedrero, stage two

Robin Maria Pedrero and I have embarked on yet another collaboration! I'm very excited because last time for "Chalk, Paper, Scissors" we both created the same artwork image in our own style and medium and they were exhibited side-by-side. We were also in a two-woman show at Seminole State College Fine Art Gallery. For the SSC show we produced a catalogue that is still available on Lulu.com

Robin and I are great friends and we are both from New England. Robin introduced my work to the folks at Celebrations Gallery in Pomfret Center, CT and the rest was history. Now, not only are we both represented by this lovely gallery, but we are ready to jump in and participate in their call for artists to create a collaborative art project!

Over a Greek lunch, we decided that we would each start a piece in our own style on a 18x24 cradled birch panel, and then we would swap and finish each other's work. Robin's stage two is so beautiful that I'm afraid to touch it!

©Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson, stage one

Here is my stage one, it's cake recipes glued down to the wood panel which was primed with clear acrylic polymer. This is a different way of starting off for me, I'm experimenting with our project. I plan to put some brown stain over this to tone down the papers, prime it again with clear gesso to give it tooth, and then sketch a birthday cake on top of the recipes. Robin and I once had mirror images of cupcakes in our "Chalk, Paper, Scissors" show,  but this takes the cake.

Liberty Pines Academy

Top: Student Collage Work

Bottom: Meet The Artist, Slide Presentation, Liberty Pines Academy PTO

Sherri Edens sent me a Facebook message a few days ago and showed me a photo of a second grade student's collage that she said was inspired by my work! She then proceeded to tell me that the PTO at Liberty Pines Academy put together a presentation for their students all about me and my artwork! check out the great company I am with in the Liberty Pines Meet The Artist Program

Now if you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I volunteer monthly at the elementary school behind my house in a PTA sponsored program called Art See. In this program, we present famous artists and a project that reinforces their style to grades K-5. I have been a presenter and a coordinator of this program for seven years. I also am a co-chair of the PTA Reflections Art, Video, Dance, Music, and Literature annual student contest with end-of-year art show, at the same school. 

I LOVE to inspire kids in art. This year I presented my work and taught collage to six fifth grade classes and it's a wonderful feeling to teach something to children and watch them take it and run with it. I have said this before, and I can't say it enough... if it were not for my public high school art teacher, I would have never gone to college for art. My teacher inspired me to pursue a career in art and helped me put together a portfolio that got me accepted into the Fine Art program at Syracuse University. Without her encouragement I would not be where I am today.

Take a moment to look at the presentation that Sherri Edens and her co-volunteers put together to show the children about my life, my work, my inspiration and my style: http://www-lpa.stjohns.k12.fl.us/pto/MTANelsonSlidehow.pdf 

I can't tell you how FLATTERED I am to be featured in this program. It was a complete surprise to me! Thank you Sherri for all you do in presenting art to children and thank you for including me in your Meet The Artist program.

Landfill Art Project

"All American Diner" ©2011 St.Hilaire Nelson

My hubcap project is finally complete! In addition to the old hubcap that Ken from Landfill Art sent me, I also purchased vintage silverware on eBay to further the diner feel. I also repurposed some old Scrabble tiles and much of the papers used in the collage are found papers.

The gingham blue and white background was inspired by the uniforms of the actresses in the film "The Waitress" which is one of my all time favorites and was behind much of the inspiration on the project.

I sent Ken from Landfill Art a photo of my piece this week and told him it was on the way and his response was "Elizabeth, your art project is just super!" That made me feel great, since he's already got an amazing gallery of hubcaps on his website.

My husband had to come to the rescue when it came to drilling holes in both the hubcap and the silverware. My skills with power tools are lacking, I made it through three spoons, but then the drill bit started jumping around and I could not get any more to work. Doug broke several bits drilling through the knife blades, he informed me that they are stainless steel and quite resilient! You can see the whole gallery of in-progress images on my Facebook Fan Page photo album.

Doug is also the photographer of all my artwork, 2-D and 3-D, I'd never have such a nice presentation without his help. He shot this photo on a nice black background so as to highlight the shiny silver. My mother was in town while I worked on this, she was the one who suggested I polish the silver so that it would look better!

For The Birds

Exotic Bird Head Series for reproduction by Pier One Imports

These Paper Paintings were created for reproduction by Pier One Imports. I experimented with some splattered, scratched, painted backgrounds that would allow the collage technique to be as much the focus as the subject matter. I have been using dripping, white gesso mixed with fluid acrylic, and Derwent InkTense pencils on these backgrounds.

If you are interested in owning a signed original from the Exotic Bird Series (which may be available in giclée reproduction nationwide) on 10x12 wood panel, unframed, for $250 email me and I'll ship yours out today!

Original artwork makes a great gift, I will sign a dedication on the back if you like.

Orange TV

United Arts pARTicipate program on Orange County Government TV in Orlando, FL
click here to view my interview on blubrry

Many thanks to Emma Krutch for inviting me to be the featured artist and Cory Warren for doing such a great job hosting the show. pARTicipate is yet another way United Arts of Central Florida brings art and culture to the Central Florida community.

If you remember, I also received a Professional Development Grant from United Arts for my solo show at Maitland Art Center in 2010. I appreciate all UA have done for me in helping me to grow as a professional artist. You are eligible for a Professional Development Grant once every three years and 2010 was my SECOND time qualifying. My first Professional Development Grant in 2006 helped to fund my very first solo exhibition in Jasper Indiana at the Jasper Art Center.