Living in a Dream

2011, Lilac Impressions. 5"x7" acrylic and reflective ink on stretched canvas

I know, there’s no excuse. While there hasn’t been much activity on this blog, there has been a lot of activity around my artwork. Now that I have moved into a studio that was larger than my previous entire apartment, I hope to work larger and bolder (and with armloads of plastic sheeting to keep these gorgeous white walls white-ish) with less constraints. I have room to splash at large canvases, wood panels, holiday cards, my feet… I’m a happy artist.

“I see a handmade napkin or cloth, something sentimental that had a flower on it and someone spills wine on it. It gets thrown away, someone else finds it, and even though it’s “ruined” it’s still special to them.”  I’m starting a series of nature abstracts, and my friend Jeremy had imagined his story when he saw the painting.  I was originally inspired by the etchings of Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th century Dutch artist and naturalist who inspired most of my studio work and my art history thesis while I was in art school.  For this current series I am moving her carefully detailed etchings of flowers and butterflies through my canvas space, obscuring and revealing the precise lines of the delicate petals and leaves through splashes of color.  I want an ethereal, dream-like ground built up from adding and erasing elements.

I am now showing at two consistent venues with Art in the Dark artist collaborative.  Every second Wednesday (I’ll put up the dates on my Events page) I will be showing work at Raven Lounge in Center City, Philadelphia.  Every last Thursday of the month I will be showing work at Wine-o in Northern Liberties, and much of the work will remain the walls throughout the month.  Stop by if you’re in the area, all the artwork looks much better in person.