Collage and Cocktails

Check out my recent art and music inspired Collage and Cocktails class which took place at the Grand Bohemian Hotel and Gallery in downtown Orlando, FL.

We had a wonderful time with our Blueberry Açaí Blueberry Van Gogh vodka cocktail and an iris collage project inspired by the art of Van Gogh.

Check it out here on my Growing Bolder Blog

New Workshop - Asheville, NC

Grand Bohemian Gallery – June 1/2/3
Once again I'll be in Asheville, NC for a spring featured show and collage workshop.

Located just steps away from gates of the famous Biltmore Estate, this exquisite Asheville hotel holds authentic Old-World, rustic ambiance of a Tudor inspired boutique hotel, masterfully blended with all of the modern luxuries synonymous with a contemporary Kessler Collection hotel experience. Among other Asheville hotels, the Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville offers exceptional style combined with luxury accommodations and is central to many of Asheville’s enriching experiences.


The Grand Bohemian Gallery is located inside the amazing hunting lodge lobby pictured above. The workshop will feature lunch included in the price, catered from the Red Stag Grill Restaurant. The hotel is putting together some package options including spa treatments, yoga classes and a champagne artists reception on Saturday, June 2nd.


Stay tuned for more details, check out the gallery website 
or call: 828-398-5555
OR visit my Facebook Fan Page
http://www.dwellable.com/u/add_post/3315

Cardinal in Progress and Carolina Bound

Cardinal Sketch ©St.Hilaire Nelson

This morning I'm headed to Asheville, NC to teach a workshop and be present at my show opening at the Grand Bohemian Gallery. Recently the gallery took a commission for me to create a cardinal as a pair to on they have on hand, a collector wanted to purchase two together. So, this week I worked on the cardinal while putting finishing touches on some work for the show and shipping.

Cardinal background underpainting ©St.Hilaire Nelson

As usual, I begin with a sketch on wood panel primed with clear gesso. I then under paint the background, let it dry and move to my favorite part, collage. The collector said they wanted more collage in the background than some of the pieces I leave more painted, so I tried to accommodate this request.

Cardinal complete underpainting ©St. Hilaire Nelson

This cardinal will go into a hand made 9x12 red rustic barn wood frame by my frame maker Owen Tomlin to match its mate. If you are interested in some super unique frames, contact Tomlin Wood Products and tell them I sent you!

Cardinal complete ©St.Hilaire Nelson

I am looking forward to my class and opening this weekend. If you are in the area, please stop by or consider the Friday/Saturday/Sunday Workshop, we still have a few slots! (click gallery link for contact info)

The show reception is Saturday, June 4th from 5:30-8:30pm in the gallery, which is located inside the 5-Star boutique Grand Bohemian Hotel in the Biltmore Village section of Asheville, NC.

Bigger is Better

Peacocks, Purple, and Klimt

Richard Kessler, of Kessler Hotel fame has commissioned me to create a peacock collage. Mr. Kessler owns the Grand Bohemian Hotels which are home to the Grand Bohemian Galleries which represent my work in Orlando, Celebration, St. Augustine, Asheville, and Savannah.

A few weeks ago I was painting live at the Orlando location for Sunday Brunch and I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Kessler for the first time. He came up to me, put his arm around my shoulders and pointed to my piece "Fine Feathers" and said "I want that one.... only BIGGER!" He asked me if I could do that, I said "sure, as long as you don't need it next week!" We agreed that 30x60 was a size he would be happy with and that he had no immediate deadline. Coming from a world of advertising as my day job, I NEVER get this kind of deadline.

"Fine Feathers" caught Mr. Kessler's eye. 

He's a fan of peacocks, purple and Klimt

This weekend my husband built me the support for the 30x60 (did you know that 60 inches is FIVE FEET????) peacock which will be my biggest collage EVER. Mr Kessler said he just loved the pinks and purples I had utilized in "Fine Feathers" and I told him that purple was, in fact, my favorite color. "Me too!" he said, as he smiled at his wife, they were on their way out the door to spend the afternoon at Leu Gardens with friends. As he rushed out I wanted to tell him how much I loved the "Klimt Rotunda" in the hotel, because Klimt was my favorite artist and I even had his signature and a copy of one of his images tattooed on my leg.... I guess I'll have to save that for future conversation.

The Orlando Hotel's Klimt Rotunda features Klimt etchings and a very rare Bösendorfer piano

Visit my Facebook Fan Page for a complete album of photos taken yesterday as Doug built me the support. My daughter is going to make me a documentary video of the project in her own fun style, you can see her amazing videography skills on her YouTube channel.

Fine Feathers

To create this extreme horizontal format my husband attached a 20x24 and a 16x20 set of American Easel Wood Painting Panels together for me. He use wood filler to smooth the surface on the front and used both screws and glue to adhere the panels together.

After the sketch was completed and the wood was primed, I completed an under-painting as I always do. I posted the underpainting to my Facebook fan page and had a couple of people ask why I would want to cover the painting with paper, because it was already so nice! I appreciated these compliments, but I try never to fall in love with my under-painting for just this reason.

"Fine Feathers", 20x40, collage of hand painted papers on cradled wood panel

Upon close examination of the final piece, I'm sure you will agree that covering the under-painting with my collage technique was still the way to go! I delivered this piece to the Grand Bohemian Gallery in Downtown Orlando and they are quite pleased with it. If you live locally, you can go downtown and see it in person!

Sweet Savannah

SCAD Graphic Design and Admissions Bldg. makes me want to go back to art school!

We left home on December 27 from just North of Orlando, FL. My husband and my two kids and I drove to up MA to visit my family for three days. After sledding and enjoying the snow (and food) in Western Massachusetts, we headed over to Northern New Jersey to visit my husband's family. After visiting NYC and getting over the novelty of snow and cold, we headed back home to the South.

Grand Bohemian Gallery at the Mansion on Forsyth Park, not to be missed on your trip to Savannah

Today we arrived in Savannah, GA. We wanted to stop here before our last four hours to Orlando so that we could stay at the NEW Kessler boutique hotel Bohemian Savannah Riverfront. Since Kessler hotel's Grand Bohemian Gallery represent my collage work, I wanted to visit the NEW Savannah property and go over to the Mansion on Forsyth Park to introduce myself to new Gallery director Sasha Nikulina. Sasha recognized me right away when we walked into the gallery, what a warm welcome!

Espresso Gallery, coffee, art, and very cool light fixtures

Walking around Savannah with the kids was a lot of fun. In a city that is host to such a school as Savannah College of Art and Design, you know I could replenish my collage glue! After having an AMAZING lunch at Kayak Kafe on Broughton Street, we ventured across the street to Primary Art Supply. Are you kidding? This is like a candy store for me and I wanted to just get glue but my husband was right, I HAD to look around.

TWO levels! All the SCAD students are shopping here with their class lists, reminds me of my freshman year at SU

Behold the paper selection!

Connor chooses a glittery version of printed floral, My husband Doug gets a kick out of his excitement.

Connor found the art papers selection and helped me pick out a few glittery sheets, he's always one for the BLING when it comes to paper. This place had a huge selection of art papers and I gathered a big pile of paper, in addition to my glue for the 4-hour road trip home tomorrow.

Savannah Candy Company, Connor and Emilie were in heaven!

After dragging the kids around the art supply, I had to take them to the Savannah Candy Kitchen to sample their famous pralines, buy some chocolate covered marshmallows and chocolate bark. Mmmmmmm, sugar.

View from our balcony, watching cargo ships head down the river from the port.

Back at the Bohemian Savannah Riverfront Hotel, we loved the lobby, the room, the rooftop bar and The Rocks On The River Restaurant for dinner. The restaurant offered amazing interior design, original artwork, excellent service, and a diverse menu. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner.

I love Savannah and I'm super lucky to be represented by the Grand Bohemian Gallery here. It was great to meet Sasha in person and to share the experience with my family. Tomorrow we head out for Orlando. Since we only drove two hours today, I made minimal progress on my Yorkie collage. Tomorrow I might get close to finishing that piece now that I have more glue!

Yorkie, 12x16, cradled birch panel, in progress 

Reflections - 2010

Workshop students at the Grand Bohemian Gallery in Asheville, NC

I would be remiss if I did not highlight the wonderful relationship I have with the Grand Bohemian Galleries and their corporate director, Vanessa Hall. This year Vanessa has expanded my work into six locations across the country, and she has facilitated two workshops.

We had a great time at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville, NC our first workshop at my best selling gallery. We took that product and tried to perfect it, by adding a day of painting paper at the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine in conjunction with the Gallery there.

Today I found out that the gallery director in Asheville has suffered a tragedy. Constance's husband Vadim Bora has suffered a stroke and he's in ICU. Vadim is an accomplished artist and sculptor, this year he was commissioned to create a sculpture "Cornelia and Cedric" for the Biltmore House, quite an amazing honor. In addition to being the Gallery director at the Asheville Grand Bohemian, Constance Richards is also the author of "Artful Asheville: Along the Urban Trail" a wonderful book that covers all the art there is to see in Asheville, NC.

Please keep this artistic family in your heart this holiday season.

St. Augustine Collage Workshop

Green Apple, 12x12, Rebecca's apple exercise

We had a great time at the Casa Monica Hotel painting papers and collaging in a three-day workshop through the Grand Bohemian Gallery in St. Augustine, FL recently. I have posted an album of the apple exercise on my facebook fan page where you can also see several great photos of student paper painting.

The Casa Monica Hotel's award winning 95 Cordova Restaurant catered lunch every day, and the food was excellent (lunch is included in the workshop fee!) Many of the students complimented the workshop hostess, Vanessa Hall, for coordinating such a successful weekend. On Friday, we painted papers out by the pool deck and enjoyed our lunch in the artistic setting of the restaurant. Saturday and Sunday we worked in the hotel's Alcazar room which overlooks the pool. We spent the day collaging and enjoying coffee and lunch catered in the room. The weather was so nice on Saturday that we took our lunch out by the pool.

Grand Bohemian Gallery represents my work in six locations nationwide. We have done workshops together in Asheville, NC and St. Augustine, FL. I can honestly say that Vanessa puts on a first class weekend for the students and myself. I always have a featured show opening on Friday night and if students stay in the hotel, they can take advantage of a reduced room rate.

Keep your eyes open for future workshops with the Grand Bohemian!

Asheville Workshop Photos

Pictured: Sharon, Emily, Suzy, Joan, Yours Truly, Betsy, Karla

The Asheville Workshop and featured artist exhibition at the Grand Bohemian Gallery, in the Grand Bohemian Hotel was a big success last weekend. What a great group of people we had for two full days of Paper Painting. Everyone enjoyed the process and the atmosphere within the gallery was inspirational.

We enjoyed lunch both days at the Red Stag Grill which offered an amazing array of fantastic food! Chef Adam really knows his stuff! The Kessler Calamari was my favorite.

I was tickled to have a room key with my artwork on it! The general manager John Luckett could not have been more accommodating, as was his amazing staff. Constance in the gallery is a joy to work with. If you find yourself in Asheville, NC anytime soon, stop in and say hello!