ARC's International Salon Finalist

Just found out that I'm a finalist in the Art Renewal Center's International Salon!  Congratulations to the many other artists on the list! It's an honor to be in such great company!

BP Award Submission and Dolphin in New York!

Today I officially made my first submission ever to the BP Award, the National Portrait Gallery's annual portrait competition a showcase of contemporary portraits from around the world.  This competition is difficult to enter, as it requires the actual painting be sent to London England for judging.  In the past this has been too difficult for me, but this year I asked my dear friend Alanna if I could ship my painting to her in England and have her bring it to the competition entry point in London.  She amazingly and generously did do this huge favor for me and here are the photos to prove it was successfully submitted!  So keep your fingers crossed for me!



Also, on this momentous day, I went for a nice walk along the East shore of Manhattan this morning and SAW A DOLPHIN SWIMMING AND JUMPING IN THE WILD WILD WATERS OF NEW YORK!!!!  For those of you who have followed my past posts, you know that the dolphin revealed itself to me as my animal spirit guide about a year ago.  Seeing this amazing creature today was truly magical.  Obviously it was also a bit lost, so I pointed it out to some nearby police and soon saw a police boat out there and the 'lil dolphin disappeared.  I'm sure we can watch the new to find out what happens from here, so keep your fingers crossed for the dolphin as well! (ps, any other New Yorkers that saw this dolphin and got better photos add your links!! I want to see better photos! :)

Tribeca Citizen

Check out the mention in the Tribeca Citizen of my painting that's included in an exhibition at The New York Academy of Art!




"A Forward Pull," 76"x 60," oil on linen 2012

Single Fare

Single Fare 3 was a tremendous success. With a line around the block before the doors opened, the event was standing room only from start to finish.  A huge thank you to Michael Kagan, Jean-Pierre Roy and RH Gallery for putting together this amazing collection of work done on Metrocards!  I'm pleased to say that all three of the pieces I submitted sold.  The support means a lot to me since these paintings felt like new territory to me.  I'm really happy that they were received so well.  So the show's over but you can still view the exhibition online HERE.

Single Fare Exhibition

I have three small paintings done on Metrocards included in the upcoming"Single Fare" exhibition that opens tomorrow evening at
RH Gallery in New York (February 13, 137 Duane Street from 6 to 9 pm).  I'm really excited to have these pieces included in th largest group show in New York.  Below is a photo of the curators, Jean-Pierre Roy and Michael Kagan, along with their assistants, putting together the show. RH Gallery’s entire 3500 square foot space will be consumed by tiny works of art reflecting a network of artist communities in New York and beyond. With last year’s edition bringing lines around the block, the expanded third edition show is sure to be a sensation. Beginning on February 14th, works will be available for purchase at the gallery through February 22nd as well as online at www.single-fare.com.

The plein air painting, "Lotus,"that I did in China this summer, will be included in an exhibition of small works at the New York Academy of Art that opens tomorrow.  If you're in New York I would love to see you there!

DECK THE WALLS
Friday, December 7
6:30 - 9:00 pm

New York Academy of Art
111 Franklin Street, NYC

RSVP
online or deckthewalls@nyaa.edu

Painting in Beijing

After a little over a month in Shanghai, we took a night train to Beijing.  In Beijing I discovered a beautiful lake near our new apartment, which was filled with lotuses and swans.  This place became an inspiration to me.  The first thing I painted in Beijing was a plein air of a lotus pond.  I made a small painting box out of cardboard, taped my tiny canvas to it, sat on a rock and began painting.

"Lotus," oil on canvas, 4"x 4," 2012

I was also inspired by the swans in the nearby lake.  One day on a walk I noticed swan feathers floating in the water and laying on the dock.  I couldn't get to the feathers, since the dock was fenced off from the walkway, but a few days later I saw the swan keeper down on the dock taking care of the swans.  I didn't speak Chinese and he didn't speak English, so I gestured to a feather on the dock and tried to indicate that I wanted him to pass it up to me.  I had become pretty good at charades by this point, and he eventually understood and passed me up the tiny delicate feather.  I walked home excitedly and immediately began painting it. 

"Swan Feather," oil on canvas, 8"x 8," 2012

"Fallen Feather II," oil on linen, 16"x 16," 2012

Art supplies were incredibly inexpensive and high quality in China and I began painting on these beautiful 16"x 16" square linen surfaces.  I was also taking some time in China, so far away from my regular life, to process some of my life events.  My work began to reflect this introspection, and some of my paintings became allegorical expressions of my journey so far.  I did the painting "Spinning" from my imagination, of me spinning in a sports field.  I was happy with the way it was working out almost immediately, so I put it aside and did a study of the spinning figure.  I intend to do this painting large-scale as one of my thesis paintings at The New York Academy of Art this year.

Spinning," oil on linen, 16"x 16," 2012

"Spinning Figure Study," oil on linen, 16"x 16," 2012

"They're Talking About my Death," oil on linen, 16"x 16," 2012

"Jellyfish," oil on linen, 16"x 16," 2012

 

















Nearing the end of our time in China, we had an exhibition of Chinese and North American artists at the Can Art Center, right in the heart of the 798 gallery district, the main gallery district in Beijing.  We were impressed when we arrived and saw the big sign they had installed, with all of our names on it!  They had also made some lovely fans (which we had already become accustomed to using because it was so hot in China) with the names of all the artists in the show printed on them.  The opening reception was a wonderful evening and the exhibition was a memorable closure to our experience in China.














 

The artists in the exhibition at Can Art Center in Beijing