Autumn Alchemy at NUarts

Autumn Alchemy closed at the end of September at the Whitney Center for the Arts after a wonderful month's visit. I have just hung the show at NUarts Gallery + Studios for the month of October for tonight's First Fridays Artswalk from 5-8 PM.

Below is a page from this month's Berkshire Magazine, with my painting Sky Through Birches accompanied by Jerry Tuckman's haiku. It has been a really wonderful experience working with Jerry on this exhibit. It was so serendipitous and evolved quite magically. I am forever grateful that Jerry and his wife, Jan, walked into my studio during a First Fridays Artswalk in June.

NUarts Gallery + Studios is where my studio space is housed. We currently hold open studios during the Artswalks each month. And I am always happy to welcome folks to my studio by appointment.

Opening Reception Musings

I am excited about tonight's art opening, am happy with all the new work I've created and for my collaboration with poet, Jerry Tuckman. It's been quite a journey and I've learned so much along the way. If I was to pick a favorite piece (considering that changes on a daily basis), I would pick At the Core.

Autumn Alchemy is about change, the cycle of life represented in spirals, the wonders of nature, and abstract expressions honoring all the season brings. 

That's a line from my press release that meant one thing when I wrote it and something deeper now - an alchemy of its own.

This has been a challenging week as my friend, Yvonne, died on Sunday. I am feeling sad for everyone's loss because Yvonne was bigger than life, with a quick smile and sharp wit. I will miss her a lot. What came on the heals of that though, is really heart warming. Yesterday four good friends shared lunch, stories and emotions about the fifth person, now missing. The love for each other and our missing friend was palpable. I feel so blessed to have these ladies in my life.

Life changes in an instant. The cycles continue with or without us present to witness them. There is something that I can't fully articulate in all this, but I can paint what it means to me.

Autumn Alchemy - a pairing of fine art with art inspired poems

This weekend my new exhibit will be hung at the Whitney Center for the Arts in the Colt Gallery.

                                               

Autumn Alchemy is about change, the cycle of life represented in spirals, the wonders of nature, and abstract expressions honoring all the season brings. This exhibit evolved into a pairing of fine art and poetry from a chance meeting when Jan and Jerry Tuckman  walked into my studio during a First Fridays Artswalk in June. I had tacked up some works in progress to see how the new work might be received. I learned Jerry is quite the wordsmith and poet. We exchanged email over the next several weeks and Jerry named many of my other paintings and sent poems inspired by the works. I was thrilled and asked Jerry to join my exhibit. Since that day we have been collaborating on Autumn Alchemy. 

Sacred Spiral

Sacred Spiral - acrylic on canvas board 24" x 20"

Sacred spiral,

stained glass

horn,

trumpeting

(in the richness

of its seashell colors)

all who have been

born . . .

and all

they will

become.

Stare,

be drawn within,

ride each curve,

round each bend.

As life unfolds.

there is a clear

beginning . . .

but no clear

end . . .

Gerald M. Tuckman 7/28/14 


SHOW DATES:  SEPTEMBER 5-27 2014        
OPENING RECEPTION:  SEPTEMBER 5, 20145-8 PM

Grandbaby Love

Sneaking in a photo of my sweet grandbaby, Samantha, among the art photos because frankly, she has stolen my heart. Sometimes when I'm sitting in my studio working out a sketch, waiting for paint to dry or just sipping on a cup of tea, I need a quick look at this sweet baby. She fills my heart with joy. Kate and Joe had some professional photos taken recently by TC Photography and they are all gorgeous, but this one I keep coming back to. It's sooooo Samantha!

Still Here

I visited my Mom in the nursing home and felt we connected for a moment. Maybe that's not a big deal for most of us, but in this case it's significant. My Mom has been living in a nursing home for the past five years needing around the clock supervision and increasing amounts of care. We're told she hasn't much time left. It's been a rocky road for my Mom and me, but God knows I love her. My Mom is on my mind daily. I let my paint brush convey what words alone can not.

Title - Still Here (as in I'm Still Here) - for my mother.

Mom, I know you are still in there. I can't imagine the frustration of not being able to communicate that at all. But the look in your eyes, even for a moment, let me know you are still here. I love you, Mom.

Fresh Paint

I have a "thing" for spirals in general and this one has been calling to me daily saying - finish me. Currently there are four works in progress and this has been by far the most demanding. But I'm calling it finished now; the paint is still drying. Next!

Hello Summer

And what a gorgeous summer it is in New England this year! Yesterday after work George and I took a long country drive, stopped at our favorite outdoor barbeque for dinner and just soaked in the summer sun. It was magical and revitalizing. It reminded me how much I enjoy summer and the longer days.

As many of you know, I've been working a lot of hours around my day job to create new paintings for my solo show in September. The painting is going well and my body of work is growing. I have six more weeks to finish my artwork...and I'm happy to say I'm on track. This is kind of a big deal for me, as I'm a slow painter and this it is a big challenge to put together so much work in this time period.

These paintings and a number of other works were added to my website yesterday. They are untitled and the dimensions are not yet listed, but I wanted to put some new work "out there" to give you an idea of what I will be including in this exhibition. 



Below is a painting I created a while ago, but have not yet exhibited. I added more lines with warmer colors to strengthen the impression of a tree trunk more strongly as shown on the right. Think it works?

While I will be back in the studio this weekend, I'm going to make some time to go to my favorite swimming hole and soak up some more of summer's goodness.

Happy Friday - wishing you a great weekend!

10x10 RAP (Real Art Party)

Throughout the Berkshires the excitement is growing for Pittsfield's 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival  running from February 13th - 23rd. One of the highlights that George and I particularly love is Berkshire Art Association's 10x10 RAP (Real Art Party). I was at the Berkshire Museum yesterday with some fellow BAA board members receiving artist's works and am so impressed by the quality and generosity of artists here. (impressed, but not surprised!)
 
Today I will drop off George's block print. There's still time to submit your work from 3:00-5:00PM at the Berkshire Museum.


Castlerigg by George Himmel
 

Details Feb 15 - 20:  10X10 RAP EXHIBIT on view at the Berkshire Museum
Feb 20:  10x10 RAP and PechaKucha FREE ADMISSION

5:30 pm Doors open to the 10x10 Real Art Party
7 pm ARTIX drawn: Each $25 ARTIX guarantees a piece of original art to take home
8 pm PechaKucha

This is really a fun evening for a great cause. Proceeds will benefit Berkshire County art students: BAA Fellowships for college art majors • Art field trip grants for high school art classes • Free admission for art students to the Berkshire Museum

Acrylic Obsession

I am a watercolorist who also creates mixed media paintings, but over the last week I've become OBSESSED with acrylic paint on canvas. I started thinking weeks ago about paintings I wanted to create for the Berkshire Art Association's 10x10 RAP (Real Art Party) and at least one painting for the "10x10 Show" at the NUarts Gallery - all due this month. Still things were very slow in the creation department. Then a couple of weekends ago I dove into a bag full of heavy body acrylics and I haven't been able to stop painting ever since. Why had I never tried acrylics like this before? I really love them.  

  

 

I'm halfway through a great resource, New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook by Rheni Tauchid. It's a wonderful guide that delves into the alchemy and science of working with acrylics. I've used fluid acrylics in my mixed media art, but I have only scratched the surface of all that's possible with this versatile medium. The bold colors and high viscosity have hooked me.

 

I've painted three cloudscapes, all 10"x10" for February events - First Fridays Artswalk (2/7) and BAA's 10x10 RAP (Real Art Party) which is 2/20.

 

 

Sweet Baby Samantha

One month ago today Kate brought this sweet child into the world. Welcome Samantha Catherine! She is loved by so many people already and has changed us all by her presence. We're a large family, with steps and blends...and the thing that ties us together is love - love for each other and now love for this new little one.

I am a grandmother now; a whole new chapter has begun. I am full of gratitude and awe....pretty much speechless. Thank you universe.