VICKIE MARTIN ARTS

SACRED SPACES Lance Carlson's Solo Exhibit

2012-02-08T21:12:00.001-05:00

Sacred Spaces is the current exhibit at Georgia Perimeter College's Clarkston Location in the lobby of the Fine Arts Building. I really thought the work looked great in this environment. To give some background to this work - this is Lance's artist statement for this:

"This series consists of ten 36" x 56" (approximately) pieces on paper. The images and marks on these mixed media pieces are connected (through the artist's mind) to spaces/places that have traditionally become associated with worship and/or are of pivotal importance to the world's religions. Only ten spaces are portrayed which implies that only some of the world's religions and traditions are expressed."

I think it works very well. The paper is from a roll of watercolor paper and he taped the edges and put gromets in the top - a very effective way to present them. The ten places are:

Friends Meeting House - Houston, Texas

Chartres Cathedral, Chartres France

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

Pantheon, Rome

Acropolis, Athens

Stonehenge, Great Britain

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Ziggurate of Ur, Iraq

St. Peters Basilica, Vatican City

I was really drawn to St. Peters Basilica, as well as the Dome of the Rock. There is a reverence, as well as a rhythm about these pieces that are difficult to explain. I felt the work was personal and reflected Lance's spirituality. And the fact that Lance is an architect makes it more interesting to see his interpretations of these places.

While these ten pieces make up the core of the show, it is interspersed with some of Lance's favorite works. Above you see him standing in front of his favorite piece in the show.

The show will be up through February 10th. I encourage you to check it out. AND, I hope Lance finds another places to display these pieces because they deserve to be seen.

Lance's work can be seen at DK Gallery on the square of Marietta.

FOUR EVENTS FEATURING MY ARTWORK THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6th!

2012-01-29T18:20:00.000-05:00

Some of my work at InSideOut in Vinings

February is usually a slow month in the world of art. My plans were to organize in January and February, update my website and set up a good inventory system - and then start a new series and experiment with new techniques. Also, January and February historically is my busiest time in the year for my day job - and I tend to work 50+ hours a week during this time, not leaving me much time for my art!

But something happened, and the week of February 6th has me attending FOUR events that will feature my artwork in and around Atlanta.

Starting with Monday February 6th, which is the opening of the 30th annual Spotlight on Art, an invitational fundraiser for the Trinity School, located on Northside Drive near the Chattahoochee River. A weeklong event, it begins with the Opening Reception 6p-9p on Monday and going through Saturday. It features 350 artists - - all invited to be a part of this show. I will have three pieces on display here.

Song of the Moon
24x36

Up next, on Thursday February 9th. InsideOut Accessories located in Vinings Jubilee will host an evening with the artists from 5-9p. This is an artisan boutique that features everything from jewelry, metal sculptures, glasswares and much more. This is a good destination to find that one of a kind Valentine's Day gift, as everything in the store is handmade by Georgia artists. In addition to what is usually on display in the store, I will have several small original paintings that would make a great Valentine's Day Gift, as small at 3"x3" to 24"x36".

InsideOut

February, Friday, February 10th. Emerging Art Scene, located in Castleberry Hills will be open 6-9p as part of the monthly Art Stroll. My work will be exhibited as part of the Valentine's show!

AND, finally, The Seen Gallery, located on Church Street in Downtown Decatur will feature my work beginning on February 11th. An opening reception will be held on Saturday February 11th from 7-10p.
The painting below will be featured in this show. The show is tentatively titled Journeys.

Hope to see you at one of the events the week of February 6th. I have not entered into any festivals this year, so this is the only chance you will have for awhile to see my work. Of course you can always visit my studio!!!!

THE ADVANTAGES OF OWNING ORIGINAL ART

2012-01-22T14:01:00.000-05:00

Spring Moon 24x36 on canvas

Now you have a place to call your own. But, do you want it to be like everybody else's? Even if it is just a room, an apartment, or a recently purchased house, don't you want your surrounding to reflect who you are? I don't know about you, but I don't want my surrounding to look like it came out of an Ikea catalog. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I've always surrounded myself with furniture and accessories that I felt were unique to me.

Which brings me to the first reason to buy original art - you are purchasing something that is unique to you, it is a one of a kind piece. It is as unique as you are - there is not another one exactly like it in the world, just like you are one of a kind!

The remainder of the reasons are in no particular order.

You have found something that gives you pleasure, it moves you aesthetically, or moves you on a sensory level. This gives you a personal connection to the pieces, a connection only you have with it!

You also are supporting an artist and allowing the artist to continue to create. And, you are probably supporting a small business owner. If you are buying from a local artist, or from a local gallery, you are supporting the local economy.

Don't be afraid to buy original art. It doesn't have to be as difficult or as expensive as many people believe it to be. Most galleries are happy to talk to you about their pieces, and there are many places that carry small pieces that aren't that expensive. I myself have ornament sized paintings that I sale for under $50, and many purchasers have returned to purchase larger pieces. And, if you do buy an original piece from a gallery, most artists are happy to talk to you about the pieces.

So, unless you want your home to look like everybody else's, search our original art in your local area, check out art festivals, check out co-ops. There is plenty out there!

HELLO 2012!

2012-01-01T20:10:00.001-05:00

Because I spent the last several days of 2011 cleaning up my studio, I was raring to go on the first day of 2012. I am going to document my process better in the upcoming year, and give each completed piece a "story" - meaning I'm going to keep up with the materials used in each piece.

Today I started with a piece I have been working on and experimenting with. I had ALOT of texture on it, but wasn't pleased with it. So - I spent some time burning the texture off with a blowtorch, as well as gunpowder. As a result, I burned through the canvas a few times.

The piece I'm experimenting with - with my new hand sander!

Below - you will see a sequence of pictures, beginning with the back of the piece to illustrate how much fire I used on it. I sanded it down and it lightened it up a little bit. I then added red to the areas on the painting that appeared to be bubbles as a result of the fire. I started to see a pattern emerged. I continued to play with it.

the back of the 12x12 canvas

While the piece isn't 100% finished, i think the progression is working nicely. It started out today very dark, and actually it was looking a little burnt because I was overzealous with the fire! A little sanding, finding patterns in the texture to emphasize, spraying alcohol back into it to dilute the paint has made a big difference. I would welcome any suggestions on how to proceed!

Next post will be about the mixed media online workshop I am playing around with. This is where this piece is beginning:

LAST POST OF THE YEAR! - MY STUDIO, MY SUPERSTITIONS, AND MY GUNPOWDER

2011-12-31T18:35:00.000-05:00

Ziggy guarding the flat file!

I don't know if it is a Southern Old Wives tale, but my mother always told me growing up that what you do on New Years Day, you will do all year long. I have taken this statement literally for most of my adult life. In fact, I have to admit, it is a superstition I can't seem to shake. In fact, several years ago I spent the entire day on New Year's watching 12 hours of Law and Order. In looking back, this was the beginning of what became the most unproductive year of my life!!!!!

Because of this, I try to start the New Year off with my home organized and fairly clean. The laundry is always done and put away. This year I made an effort to extend that into my studio. I began with cleaning out my paper closet. Below you will see where it began and how it ended up. I have organized the paper by paper I have manipulated, and other paper by color.

original mess

newly organized

I continued with this and filed all of my papers I had saved for collage and cleaned up.

collage files

work table cleaned off

work in progress, and note the gunpowder on the bookshelf!

I feel I made progress over the last couple of days and can begin the New Year organized and raring to do. Since I have the phrase "what you do on New Year's Day, you will do the rest of the year" so ingrained in me, I will make a point of doing my favorite things on New Years Day, as well as healthy things. I will exercise, pay attention to what I eat, and I will paint!!!!!!

2012 - THE YEAR TO FOCUS

2011-12-18T18:42:00.000-05:00

After reading a blog by social media expert and author Mari Smith about selecting one word that will be your overall theme and guide for the year (you can read the blog here). I have chosen the word FOCUS. One of the definitions of focus is to concentrate vision or energy. That is my plan for 2012 - to concentrate my vision and energy on moving ahead in my art career.

I believe many creative types suffer a little from ADHD and I'm not immune to it. In looking back over the past year, I must admit when I have a deadline, I am able to focus. But, without a deadline I tend to get distracted and go in several directions. I previously wrote a blog about setting goals for 2012 which I published on this blog on November 13th. One of my goals is to blog regularly, so I started a file today to begin collecting ideas for upcoming blogs. Also - I need to get organized, in my studio, my office, my closet, all facets of my life! So - today I cleaned up my home office and organized my finances. Last week I organized my closet.

I guess it is that time of year. My mother always told me that what you do on New Year's Day, you will do for the rest of the year. Case in point - several years ago I woke up early on New Year's Day and moved to the couch and turned on the TV. I lay there all day long and watched 12 hours of Law and Order - never getting dressed. Well, that turned out to be probably the most unproductive year of my life! Since then, I have always made it a point to feel pretty organized on New Years Day, have my bills paid, laundry done and put up!, refrigerator cleaned out. You get the idea!

That leaves me time on New Year's Day to concentrate on what I want to do for the remainder of the year. I will paint, read, exercise, eat healthy.

I also plan on spending the remaining two weeks of the year organizing my office for my day job - to make me more efficient.

In doing these things, I will be able to FOCUS on pushing my art forward, working on my online presence and learning more about social media!

SETTING GOALS

2011-11-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

I am part of a critique group called Shadowline Artist Group which meets every month or so. We have decided to incorporate a "salon" type element to the group and share both long and short term goals.

One of our members, Donna Orti, did a little research on goals which are listed below. I found these thoughts so simple and straightforward, I feel they border on being brilliant!

1. In order for a goal to be effective, it must effect change.

2. Realistic goals are beyond your grasp but within your reach.

3. Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.

4. and my favorite - A goal without a deadline is a wish!

With these thoughts fresh in our minds, we went around the room and discussed our goals. The goals were as varied as finishing a series, finding a regional gallery to developing a website. There was talk about simplfying, finding focus, and organizing.

With hearing everybody's goals, I was inspired enough to put my initial goals on paper. So here goes!

I want to get in the habit of blogging. I haven't been blogging regularly, in fact, I had to stop and think about what my password was for my blog today!!!!! I don't want to just write about my work, but I want to write about the books I've read and the movies/documentaries I've seen that are relevant to my artwork.

I need to organize my collage material - and I want that finished by the end of Thanksgiving weekend. I will be off work for 5 full days over Thanksgiving - and I don't have alot of commitments. So - I'm looking forward to a very productive long weekend to get myself organized.

I also want to send out my electronic newsletter within the next 2 weeks. I haven't sent one since the summer - and it is time I send another one out. My last show of the year will be the first weekend of December, so I want to get it out prior to then.

Over the longterm - I want to work on my online presence and expand my mailing list.

I plan on experimenting more and working on a new series. I'm toying with an idea about destruction and beauty - - - going to work on making this more than a vague idea in my head!

Because I am in two galleries in town, as well as a shop in Vinings I have decided to get away from festivals. After much soul searching, I have decided Atlanta is just too "festival crazy" - there are weekends where there are as many as four or five festivals. The market is just too deluted. So - I'm going to choose my venues more carefully. I feel I am at a point in my art-career where the company I keep is important. I no longer want to show my work at events that have buy/sell or substandard work.

In the other aspects of my life, I want to get on a strict budget. I want to eat healthier and work out more. I want to de-clutter my life, my homes, my wardrobe and my head!!!!

So - here's to my goals. I will refine these by the end of the year and have a good list of goals that I am going to hold myself accountable too!

SEVERAL NEW PIECES

2011-10-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

To the Ball - the original was 12x12 - this is available as a print any size, I have sold it as larger as 3x3 - prints available, as are cards

Chanel with an Attitude - 24x30

Again, this is 24x30 - collage in the background, mixed media painting, using a little blow torch between layers

24x30 - Heavily textured piece of mixed media

Part of my Tango series - there is collage in the background that pertains to tango -

10x20 - using coffee, tea, acrylics

this is only 8x10

There are three of these, the other two are read dresses - 10x30

See anything you like? Let me know!

COLLAGE DEMONSTRATION AT THE ATLANTA ART FESTIVAL

2011-09-11T19:42:00.000-04:00

Come out to Piedmont Park next weekend, September 17 and 18! I will be doing inter-active collage demonstrations throughout both days as part of Creation Station. I will help with people to do a small 5x7 collage they can take with them as long as supplies last. To make it simple, I have chosen four "suggested designs" and am putting together the materials for these.

The first design is a dress - and while anybody can put together any type of dress they want, I am using the following as an example.

I have included several types of paper, as well as dress patterns, paper from a player piano roll, a french book amd a few other things. If this is a design that is chosen, this dress particular dress is just a suggestion. Any type of dress can be done. Embellishments can be added with thread, stamps or colored pencil.

The second design I am including is a musical piece with collage put on top of a piece of music. Below is an example using an old recital piece of mine!

I will help people with a simpler design of this, and I have been busy busy punching out different butterflies and birds for this. I will make copies of the actual music, as well as adding a piece of music called "Yellow Bird" and one called "Dragonfly". I will bring a stamp of a butterfly to use as embellishment.

The third design is much smaller. I did a series several years ago using Tarot cards as the base. See below for an example.

I am bring a regular pack of playing cards that can be collaged on. I will bring some sand paper because I like to rough up the surface a bit, as well as some sequins, thread, stamps, envelopes to name a few things I used on these. I also liked melting crayons on these! I am bringing a stack of magazines too, so images can be found in them also.

The fourth design is an abstract piece, using primarily white and neutral pieces of rice paper. A sample is below:

I will also demonstrate dying paper, using Nev'r Dull on magazine pages, and layering paintings and using a blow torch to work with the layers.

So, come on out - and take home a collage that you have made!!!!!

WAITING FOR THE PAINT TO DRY......

2011-08-07T14:40:00.000-04:00

I have a deadline - I was given around 4-5 weeks to complete 40 paintings in various sizes, but all in my "dress" series. The challenge is to keep it interesting and not keep painting the same thing over and over again. And, at the same time, to make sure they will hang well together,

So - I have been working in groups. Because I layer my paintings, I have some downtime. This is one way this heat wave has helped me! But, today it is overcast and very humid and drying time is VERY SLOW.

So, I began experimenting. Below is a small canvas (5x7) with a very wet red wash over several layers of paint.

Then I covered the canvas with gunpowder (rifle gunpowder BTW).

Then, I lit a match and watched it burn - of course with a spray bottle of water handy, and of course I moved anything flammable away!!!!

It easily burned with no problems, but it was exciting!

It just burned itself out - and of course, it managed to dry the canvas. I love experimenting, but I don't know what this experimentation with fire really says about me. I have been kicking around some ideas about doing a series on destruction vs. beauty. I also have a very stressful job in the advertising business, so I think this destruction and danger is a stress reliever for me. I used to work out to relieve stress......

Well, that solved the problem of one canvas drying, but I have 14 others drying - as you can see in the next couple of photographs.

Here are 5 10x30's that are drying with their 2nd layer. They have been gessoed, but now I'm adding other elements to create more texture, things such as a fondand, bubble wrap, material. Right behind these pieces are 10 5x7 canvases drying.

The three closest to the camera were all burned with gunpowder. I have put medium on top of them - so they should dry quickly. There are 7 more behind them - most of them are in their 5th or 6th layer -they are moving along.

So, now I'm waiting for the paint to dry. I thought I'd be productive and write this blog, but now what? Should I clean up and run some errands, go to the grocery store and plan menus for this week, or just relax and read???? I think I'm going to relax and read, after all I am reading a book about art, so I'm not abandoning my artday totally. Presently, I am reading STEALING REMBRANDTS: The Untold Story of Notorious Art Heists. Few of these heists are new to me, but it is interesting - and I'm learning alot of Rembrandt at the same time.

From this end of my table, you can see my completed pieces - yes, I stacked them up for show! There are 4 20x24x, 12 6x6, and 12 9x12 - which I began on 7/22. Well, actually they aren't 100% finished, they still need the edges painted and the wires put on. And, I want to finish everything with time to spare so I can relook at all of them and make any changes I feel necessary, and make professional looking tags for the back of them with the materials used and maybe I'll even name them all.

PLAYING WITH FIRE - A VIDEO OF BURNING PAPER WITH GUNPOWDER

2011-07-31T14:35:00.000-04:00

What you are looking at is a sheet of Okawaru Japanese paper that I have burned using gunpowder. I lightly spritz the paper with water and lay the gunpowder on top of it. For this experiment I used smokeless rifle powder. I found gunpowder is harder to find than bullets - most gunshops don't carry powder. Even Walmart carries bullets. But Joel found a guy in a gunshop that had gunpowder at home so we took it all off his hands in the name of art!

Click here to see the very short video of burning paper - and I keep water handy!!!!!

http://youtu.be/sh0aJCV1C8w

ADVENTURES IN PAINTING COURTESY OF CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF GEORGIA

2011-07-25T19:12:00.001-04:00

Several weeks ago I was contacted by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) about participating in their annual fund-raiser, Jazz and Art from the Heart . Many artists are approached with regularity about donating art for charity. However, this was different. The premise is to pair and artist and a child together - a child that has benefited from the services of CHOA - to create a piece of artwork that will be auctioned at the fund-raiser, held in September at the Bill Lowe Gallery. I was immediately intrigued.

These pictures are me working with Catie Claire on a piece of art to be donated. It was great fun for an afternoon, but not being a teacher, I learned a few things to keep in mind in the future.

My idea was to have Catie Claire over (nicknamed Cake) to look through my artwork and we would decide how to go from there. Because I work in layers - I thought we'd start with three pieces and see how they were progressing.

Back to Catie Claire - her mother sent me information about her, but I didn't totally understand it. I do know she spent the first 4 years of her life in and out of CHOA, even had open heart surgery during that time. Right now - she is a healthy ten-year catching up on those lost years.

Well - I realize my idea about the initial collaboration was not the best idea when dealing with a 10 year old. She wanted to do this - she wanted to do that - and it was fun letting her try all of it. In retrospect, I should have started a piece and had her put on the finishing touches on it. After all, I do work coffee into my paint often, which she had great fun doing. I do splatter paint with rubber bands and spray them with paint watered down in plastic bottles. All of these things are great fun, both to me and a 10-year old (what does that say about me?). But, having a clear cut direction would have given me the chance to teach her "less is more".

This is the piece I plan on completing for this - I have put another couple of layers on it - and integrated some collage into it with things Catie Claire loves, like music and dance.

Because she is getting ready to go back to school, seeing her doctors to check her out, etc. I don't know if she will make it back over here to finish it. But if she can come - I know which direction to go in now.

Here we are comtemplating our next move!

Journeys, here and there and back again at the Defoors Center - shot in HD!

2011-06-15T12:09:00.000-04:00

My show is finally up!!!!!!! We have gotten good press and alot of attention. Today there is an article in the Northside Neighbor - Female artists highlighted in Buckhead Art Exhibit!!!!

I hung 70 pieces this weekend. Joel Conison photographed the exhibit in HD - click HERE to not only see my show, but see how great the photographs look!!!!!

It is a great venue - 5500 square feet, 30 foot ceilings!

Come to the opening on Sunday 6/19 - 2-4P

GETTING READY FOR A SHOW AND AN APOLOGY TO MY FRIENDS

2011-05-31T20:52:00.000-04:00

I feel like I have been the absent friend of late, and I owe my friends an apology. Committing to a show of this size in The Forum at the Defoor Centre has taken up ALOT of my time, and I have not been keeping in touch with people as I should. That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about my friends, I just haven't been communicating. I promise, when this show is up, I am going to be back!!!! I might even socialize again!!!

Jill Kettles, of Scribbles Studios contacted me last year and asked if I wanted to do a show in the Forum. I readily agreed. The Forum is a fairly large space and I knew I had alot of work to do. I wanted to paint larger for awhile and had been collecting canvases. This was the opportunity to do this and work on larger works in a couple of series. Because the room has dividers, I feel I can hang 2-3 series and still make it look cohesive.

Because of Jill's expertise with PR, she has managed to get the show listed on the following:
Pressitt
Atlanta Skirt Magazine
Atlanta Planet
eventful
11 ALIVE
as well as the Northside Neighbor (which didn't have a link).

I'm excited to be showing with several of my friends (we all have separate rooms), Laura Parker and Tina Ciranni, as well as Lisa Stevens and Ruth Gogel.

Jill was able to get Ike Stubblefield as the musical guest. He has played with people such as Eric Clapton, B.B.King, Boz Scaggs, The Pointer Sisters among others.

So - what do I have ready to show at this?

Here are 24 pieces that are finished, except some of them still need wires and the edges finished. The largest piece here is 36x48 - my largest piece yet.

Shown here are 14 pieces that are finished, but will be photographed prior to hanging.

Here are the framed pieces - 14 in all. I have 2 additional pieces to be framed - 16 in all.

Three pieces in progress, and yes - I am using hula oops and baking pans!!!!

And - I have a few more I have begun that have been drying by the gardenia bush - which as you can see is in full bloom.

The reception is on June 19th - 2-4p, and is open to the public at the Defoor Art Center, located at 1710 Defoor Avenue, Atlanta, Ga. I really believe this opening will be fun!!!! Not only will the entertainment be great, I think the refreshments will be worth the trip - and - - - The Defoor Art Center is haunted!

THE ADVANTAGES OF USING A PROFESSIONAL TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR ARTWORK, GUEST BLOG WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER JOEL CONISON

2011-04-11T16:37:00.001-04:00

I believe having good images of your work is one of the most important things you need. Before I met Joel, back in the days of slide submissions, i had some work photographed. When I met Joel, I showed them to him, and without taking a close look, he said they were too blue and the color was not corrected. Watching him photograph artwork and spending time in photoshop, I finally asked him to write a guest blog for me about the advantages of using a professional.

Joel Conison was a commercial photographer for over 20 years in Cincinnati. During that time he photographed countless works of art for the Taft Museum, so he has extensive expertise in photographing all types of artwork - both 2d and 3d work. At the end of what Joel wrote, I included two images, one that was corrected and one that wasn't. I think you will be able to tell the difference between them. But I will say since they are images of my work, I know the second image is right on with the correct color.

The following is Joel's blog

There are a number of reasons to hire a professional photographer to photograph your art work. One of them is that they are a professional and have done this before. A pro knows how to properly light your work with the proper equipment. Yes, you can buy the same equipment, I'd be happy to tell you what I use. But, do you want to go that expense? Do you want to take the time and practice to learn how to do that when you could be making art?

A professional also has a light meter which allows them to know if the light is evenly covering your work. Also a professional is using a professional camera. A point & shoot camera will work but only records jpg files. That's fine for the web & submissions but not if you want prints unless your final size of the file is the size you want to print.

Another issue is photographing pieces that have been framed & behind glass. What is needed for this are two filters, one for the camera & one for the lights, each light. The light needs to be polarized in order to remove the reflection. Without filters on both camera lens & both lights you can not remove the entire reflection.

There is also the need to bracket on occasion, which means making a lighter and darker exposure than the "normal" exposure. This allows the photographer to choose the "correct" exposure. This is essential when using the polarizing filters because a meter reading is too difficult to take as you can't take the filter off of the lens because the filter is turned (rotated) until the reflection disappears. The correct exposure is determined by placing a black & white step wedge next to the art work & determining the correct exposure by looking at the step wedge. A step wedge is a series of increasing darker grays beginning at white & progressing to black. For really good files you want to capture that art work in RAW format, which brings another question.

Are you competent with Photoshop, or do you have a few months to battle through the learning curve? A Pro is going to provide two files for every art work. One will be a jpg file for web, submissions & email, and also a psd file (hi-res) for publications. All digital files should be neutralized, meaning there is no color bias in the file (is it too red, too blue, etc) and also sharpened. No matter how well you focus the camera all digital files need to be sharpened. It's the nature of the way digital capture works that sharpening is required for all files.

So in summation it's a good idea to have a pro photograph your work because they have the proper lights, camera, photoshop experience and additional skilsl that you might not posses. Submitting bad files digital files is the same as submitting bad slides.

UNCORRECTED IMAGE

CORRECT IMAGE

If you are interested in getting your artworked photographed for a reasonable fee, contact Joel at jcon77@comcast.net

SPRING CLEANING - or - SHOWING OFF YOUR SOUVENIRS

2011-04-03T11:13:00.000-04:00

It is that time of year again - time for Spring Cleaning. Time to clean out the drawers, organize, and clean,

Below see the collage I did for my niece Mallory using souvenirs she collected after spending a year in Europe. She didn't want to put them into an album - she wanted to be able to look at them and share them with her friends. She recently moved into her first apartment, so I put this together as a housewarming gift for her.

This is an inexpensive way to create a piece of art that is uniquely your own using your memories. I have done several of these for friends using souvenirs from trips or special events. I use the original material selectively and copy others, changing the scale and dying the paper. I then add embelishments that might include rice paper, thread, or anything that is appropriate.

This is another example of what I call a "memory collage". My father rebuilt pianos, and also knew how to tune them. This was something he loved doing and I inherited his book on piano tuning - which included notations my dad had made in his handwriting. I copied some of this and did a collage entitled "Showing of the Piano" - which is a term piano tuners use when the piano is ready to be played. This collage keeps my father's memory alive with something he really loved!

Do you have materials stuck back somewhere that you would like to organize and "show off" in a piece of original art? I'd be happy to put something together and work closely with what is important to include for a reasonable fee. If interested, contact me at vickiemartinarts@comcast.net

Also, if you have done collage along these lines, share them with me!

playing with fire

2011-03-31T21:12:00.000-04:00

I think of painting as an adventure, as long as you continue to learn and experiment. I have always experimented, but lately I find myself doing destructive things to canvases and building on top of that. I have a new series percolating in my little brain, something along the line of "out of destruction comes beauty."

I have long been interested in organic shapes and I continue to explore the circle. The piece above was painted and then layered with Okawara paper , a Japanese rice paper I applied with Benjamin Moore Stays Clear Polyurethane (nothing else seems to work) that creates a layered effect. I then painted back on top of the paper, building my circles and letting the paint drip. However, the destructive part came from running a blow torch over the canvas several times and watching the effect it had on the paint - changing the colors and bubbling up. I never burned through the canvas.

This has me thinking about trying different things, like working with soot, treated paper - I'm open to suggestions. I have been reading about Yves Klein's fire paintings and would like to learn more.

This piece is multi-layered with gesso, modeling paste. Because there are so many layers, I used the blow torch quite a bit here and liked the results.

Tonight I again experimented burning paper with gunpowder. I'm starting to get the hang of it!

This piece isn't finished, but I am having fun with it. Again, it is layered with gesso, as well as collage. When I used the blow torch, it burned the collage off (and didn't burn the canvas). I have applied paper that was burned with gunpowder as collage.

I plan on finishing this piece this weekend, along with these other two I worked on tonight.

No telling what I'll experiment with next. I've tried alcohol, leaving paintings outside, putting small paintings on the grill, mixing in salt, coffee and tea. Hmmmm - where to next?

check out my new newsletter

2011-02-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

Scroll to the bottom and sign up - if you dare!!! I try to make it interesting and include a little Atlanta history and recommend a book or movie.
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BOOKS ABOUT ART I RECOMMEND

2011-02-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

It all began with The Forgery of Venus, a fictional book that deals with time travel, alternate realities, a commercial artists madness AND art forgery.

The Forgery of Venus" is the story of Chaz Wilmot, a brilliant painter who can paint like the old Masters, and nobody in the artworld cares. Chaz is recruited into a psychological study investigating if taking a hallucinogen promotes creativity. Apparently it does. But, it sends Chaz back through time, first to his own childhood, then into the childhood of the famous Spanish court painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660).
Soon Chaz paints even more vividly, but he's both in jeopardy of losing his mind and in danger of being recruited by some very rich and nasty characters determined to use him to forge famous paintings.

After reading this book, I was hooked and started reading about art forgery and theft (which I have previously blogged about). I decided to just list the books I recommend on the subject.

THE GARDNER HEIST

PROVENANCE, HOW A CON MAN AND A FORGER REWROTE THE HISTORY OF MODERN ART

THE RESCUE ARTIST

THE MAN WHO MADE VERMEERS

VANISHED SMILE

PRICELESS: WHO I WENT UNDERCOVER TO RESCUE THE WORLD'S STOLEN TREASURE

THE RAPE OF EUROPA

Some other books that deal with art, but not necessarily about forgery or theft that were very entertaining:

AN OBJECT OF BEAUTY

SEVEN DAYS IN THE ART WORLD

THE $12 MILLION STUFFED SHARK

LIVES OF ARTISTS

I BOUGHT ANDY WARHOL

I SOLD ANDY WARHOL, too soon

Books I have to be read

THE GIRL WITH THE GALLERY

THE ART CROWD

LEO & HIS CIRCLE

A previous blog I wrote titled Some Facts About Art Theft and Vermeer and Why The Scream Cannot Be Forged. may explain why I love these books so much!

Do you have any suggestions? I'd love to hear!

THE POWER OF "LIKE"

2011-01-23T12:05:00.000-05:00

Chances are, if you are reading this, you are using Facebook and have probably clicked the "like" button. After taking a workshop yesterday on Social Marketing for Artists, the power of "like" was referred to. It got me thinking.... what does it mean when it comes to promoting yourself or your business. After all, it has been integrated into millions of sites.

When you click on the button, it ensures your entire network knows you "like" this. This is the only button that allows you to gain access to groups and fan pages.

I believe marketing can be very valuable when word of mouth is utilitzed. This button allows this to happen and in some cases, it will create viral opportunities (maybe one day, maybe!).

Now - liking something on Facebook doesn't mean the same thing as liking something in real life. It let's your network of friends know you appreciate what you have seen. Personally, I think it makes the post more credible when people have "liked" it, because most of us care what our friends like.

Some statistics I found that I thought interesting: On the average, a Facebook user that hits "like" has more than double the average friends and tends to be more active in social media. These users also tend to stay on the sites a little longer.

Think about it and do the math. If an artist posts a painting and has 150 friends, and just 10 of them hit like, then the painting is seen by their friends. If they have an average of 150 friends, that is 1500 extra people!

Do the search engines pick up on the "likes"? Hard to tell. From my reading, Google, Bing and Yahoo are very secretive about their practices. It is possible they are using the like buttons, but I think you would have to have a blog or a website to get their attention. If anybody know more about this, I'd love to know.

I'd love to know your thoughts. Many of you know I love the reciprocity of promoting on facebook, more on that and sharing later.

I think liking something is supporting your friends, it isn't reviewing them.

Your thoughts?

Oh - I can't write a blog without putting an image of my work up -

IT"S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR!!!! Goal Setting for 2011

2010-12-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

Now that 2010 is almost behind us, I've been thinking long and hard about moving forward in all aspects of my life in 2011.   While 2010 yielded some great opportunities, they came at a price, which resulted in a great amount of stress.   After alot of thought, I plan on approaching the next year a little differently.   Here are some of my goals:

BLOGGING - I want to have a semi-structured calendar to send out blogs. I realize now I approach writing a blog as a huge event! Shouldn't I carry a notebook around (which I have tried to do before) and make an effort to record some random ideas and thoughts I have?  I'm going to try to post new work regularly, review books I have read (maybe a blog on the Steve Martin book An Object of Beauty will be next), and maybe have a guest blogger or two!
I plan on reading and commenting on more blogs in the future. Commenting on a blog is like leaving your business card around town, just that you are leaving it on the internet.

WEBSITE - Sadly, my website was not updated in 2010. I need to update my website quarterly.  I've made notes and written ideas, but never followed through. I have photographs of all my artwork, but they are on discs sitting next to my computer. What good is that doing anybody?

NEWSLETTER - One thing I accomplished in 2010 is learning how to use Constant Contact. I want to learn more! My goal is to send out a newsletter on a bi-monthly basis (starting with a holiday newsletter prior to the end of the year), and I want to expand my email list by a minimum of 150 people in 2011.

INVENTORY - I have investigated several inventory options, and over the holidays I'm going to start recording my work. This way I will know where every piece of art I have made is at any given time. I also want to keep better track of the materials that go into each piece, therefore giving every piece a unique story to share.

SUBMIT - There are several websites out there that feature artists, or publish articles written by artists. This is something I plan on investigating and finding the right fit for me.

MISCELLANEOUS - I want to learn to use the video on my camera, duh! I will try a new art technique every month - and top of the list is experimenting with burning paper using unique things such as gunpowder, hot wax or incense.

INVOLVEMENT: I am a member of the Women's Caucus of Art in Georgia, the Atlanta Collage Society, and a past member of the Atlanta Artist Center. I want to do more than just pay my dues!

PERSONAL GOALS: I will make exercise a part of my life. I will also begin journaling (this goes back to carrying a notebook to record those random ideas). Other things include eating healthier, meditating, and getting organized.

I grew up with the belief that what you do on New Year's Day is what you will do for the remainder of the year. Because of that belief, I have a tradition of tying up loose ends the week before New Years, cleaning out drawers, closets, filing, etc. That leaves me able to do my favorite things on New Year's Day -be it reading, painting, exercising - the list can go on and on. I feel this is a positive approach to begin a new year!

Thanks fo Alyson Stanfied, The Art Biz Coach, I know what I will blog about before the end of the year - my accomplishments in the past year, which she suggested in this recent blog.

THE 3/50 PROJECT - A REASON FOR BUYING LOCAL ART FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

2010-10-31T18:41:00.000-04:00

As Joni Mitchell said, "You don't know what you have 'til it's gone". What if three of your favorite local establishments suddenly disappeared? This question launched The 3/50 Project. Using the tagline "Save your local economy... three stores at a time".

What is The 3/50 Project? It encourages people to redirect $50 to three locally owned establishments each month.

The website for The 3/50 Project states if just half of those employed in the US spent $50 each month with independently owned businesses, more than $42.6 billion would be generated (it doesn't state if this is an annual figure, but it is my guess it is). In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates that more than $457 billion dollars will be spent this year through the holidays. The also estimated Americans spent $6 billion this year on Halloween!!!!! So, it makes sense, supporting your local businesses will help the local economy. This includes supporting all brick and mortar local businesses, from restaurants to retail, to local farmer's markets, to the shops that specialize in carrying locally produced products. Also, for every $100 that is spent in locally owned businesses, $68 returns to the local economy in the form of other expenditures, including taxes and payroll. Compare that to only $43 that is returned to the local economy with a national chain. The numbers dip drastically to what is returned to the local economy when the money is spent online.

That being said, my artwork is in two establishments that carry local art and crafts. My work can be found at Emerging Artist Scene, an art gallery located in the Castleberry Hill district. Also, my work can be found at HomeGrown Decatur, a boutique located in downtown Decatur representing almost 70 local artists.

So, with the holiday season fast approaching, please consider purchasing gifts at either one of these establishments. You will be supporting the local economy, as well as supporting local artists. Both businesses support the local community, be it participating in the monthly art stroll in Castleberry Hill or taking artists to Junktique in Oakhurst which benefits Oakhurst Elementary School.

THE CREATIVE JOURNEY

2010-10-24T17:12:00.000-04:00

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the symposium at Emory University on The Creative Journey, a Conversation with Artists. This was part of what was called "THE VISIT" of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. Also attending this event with His Holiness were his friends Richard Gere and Alice Walker.

During the introduction, I learned the Emory-Tibet Partnership was founded in 1998. In October, 2007, His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Emory and was installed as Presidential Distinguished Professor, and surprisingly thiis is the only appointment he has accepted outside of India!! This was his 4th visit to Emory University. Read more about the Emory-Tibet Partnership here.

To say I looked forward to this is an understatement, in fact I had these tickets for a full six months before the event!

While His Holiness is very hard to understand, his laugh is infectious. I have always been struck by the serenity and joy that seems to always surround him. The question put to the panel was "do arts have a role in deepening compassion?"

Surprisingly, there is no word in the Tibetan language that is equivalent to creativity. In Eastern Philosophy, one is not looking for dreams, but clarity.

I'm not sure the question was really answered, but I wrote down some statements made by the participants and wanted to share them. Some are exact quotes, and some summaries.

"When freedom is suppressed, so is creativity". His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He also stated it is human nature to feel compassion, but we must remember we are social animals.

In Western Philosophy, it has long been held that creativity comes from torment. However, in Eastern philosophy it is believed creativity comes from balance. Which do you prefer? Personally, I prefer to believe creativity comes from balance.

Alice Walker said when she began writing poetry. she felt it had to be written from sadness and torment. But she has moved progressively towards happiness. According to her, art is a great medicine, and by developing a vision, it has given her incredible joy that has continued growing.

"Pay more attention to your inner world!!!" - His Holiness The Dalai Lama - (I added the explanation points, because I felt it was an emphatic statement from His Holiness issued as a compassionate command).

"You must learn to have joy in the struggle" - His Holiness The Dalai Lama

"We need to band together to make things change. Don't look to our supposed leaders" - Richard Gere

"I think in this country we have the illusion that things are okay...we are drowning in mediocrity" - Richard Gere

"I am here for a reason and there is a purpose for my life. That is why there is such joy in my heart" - Alice Walker

"Creativity is about storytelling. There are many ways to tell a story." Richard Gere

"In the process of learning, we should not just copy what the book says. We must analyze the subject and think more" - His Holiness The Dalai Lama

"Impermanence is reality." His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

Impermanence is a reoccuring them in Eastern philosophy, which is demonstrated with the paintstaking building of the sand mandala, only to be destroyed upon completion. If you have never one built, click HERE.

I have to admit, I have digested all of this over a week. I feel there is a correlation between arts, spirtituality and compassion. I'd like to hear more about what other think, or what those that were there thought. I appreciate any and all comments

CLICK HERE for a short video which is a short synopsis of the event.

SOME FACTS ABOUT ART THEFT AND VERMEER, AND WHY THE SCREAM CANNOT BE FORGED

2010-09-19T21:17:00.012-04:00

I just finished reading The Rescue Artist by Edward Dolnick. This is a rollicking ride of a book about the theft of Edward Munch's The Scream in 1996 in Oslo on the day of the opening ceremonies for the Olympics in Lillehammer. In the early morning, two thieves stole a ladder, propped it up to the museum, broke a window, grabbed the painting and slid it down the ladder. Not only was it caught on film - it took less than a minute.

As I read this book, I became intrigued with facts about art theft, as well as historical facts about artwork that had been stolen. As I read, I jotted down these facts and thought I would share them.

First of all, Interpol estimates that between $4-6 billion dollars changes hands a year relating to stolen art. It is the #3 crime in the world, behind drugs and arms. But, it usually doesn't get the attention of the other crimes unless someone has been hurt.

There are only 36 Vermeers in the world, three of which have been stolen recently. This book was written in 2005, and at that time, if there was what the author called A Museum of the Missing, it would include 551 Picassos, 43 Van Goghs, 174 Rembrandts, 209 Renoirs, along with the 3 Vermeers, and Caravaggios, Titian's among others.

The recovery rate of stolen art is around 10%. Stolen art when sold is generally sold for 10% of the value.

The Gardner Heist, which took place on 3/16/1990 is the Holy Grail in the world of art thefts = $300 million dollars in art was stolen and nothing has been recovered.

It is said it is easier to steal a work of art from the Louvre than from you local department store. In May 1998, someone walked into Room 67, a room without a camera and no guard. A Carot was taken out of the frame and the perpetrator probably calmly walked out the front door and was gone before it was missed. It is estimated to be worth $1.3 million! The Louvre is 800 years old and was built as a palace. The security cameras don't cover all rooms, and they work independently, there isn't a central location for viewing. (Note - The Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911, and wasn't missed for 1/2 a day!)

The National Gallery in Oslo, where The Scream was stolen has been hit several times. In 1980 a drug addict walked in and took a Rembrandt off the wall and sold it for $10,000. It was recovered in Paris.
In 1993, in daytime and at the time of a shift change for the guards while a television crew was filming in another room, another $300,000 Munch was stolen.

The most stolen painting of all time is Rembrandt's portrait of Jacob III de Gheyn. It is very small, not quite 8x10 and has been stolen FOUR times - luckily it has been recovered four times.

Goya's portrait of The Duke of Wellington disappeared in 1961 from the National Gallery in London, who has just purchased it. Before it was recovered, it made an appearance in Dr. No (the first James Bond movie) in the villian's Caribbean hideway!

Unlike stolen cars, stolen art can be locked up and the value will be kept (often going up after recovery). Art is often used as barter for illegal weapons or counterfeit money.

Why is art stolen? Most thieves will say because it is easy to do.

SOME FACTS ABOUT VERMEER

The painting you see here is Vermeer's The Concert, which was stolen from the Gardner Museum and hasn't been seen since. Very little is known about Vermeer, but I did read some interesting things in this book about him.
He died at age 43. His wife gave the painting The Lady Playing A Guitar to the bakery to pay for past debts worth less than $80. That painting now is worth a minimum of $50,000,000, and possibly as much as $100,000,000. Remember, there are only 36 of them in existence, and 3 are presently stolen.
I found this blog, Stolen Vermeer which is devoted to the recovery of the Vermeers.
Vermeer was part of the Delft Art Guild, so he had to apprentice. It is not known who he apprenticed with, but it is known he did not have any students.
He was an obscure artist until 1866 when a French critic wrote three articles about him which caused the Impressionists to become fascinated by his use of light. In fact, he had become so obscure, the Louvre sold The Head of a Girl in 1813 for what would be around $15 today. They sold The Lacemaker for the equivalent of $400. Amazing!

WHY THE SCREAM CAN NOT BE FORGED

The Scream was painted with tempera (basically poster paint) and pastel and chalk on untreated cardboard. Little known facts about the painting are:
In the red bands across the sky, someone has written "This must have been painted by a madman". This is not in Munch's handwriting. No one knows who wrote it, possibly during an early showing of the work. (I wonder if it is written in Danish!)
On the side there is a vertical red stripe. Munch took a sharp knife to it and slit it and then changed his mind about cutting it off and covered it with green paint.
Munch painted late at night. One night he blew out a candle and some of the wax splattered onto the painting. Forensically, you can't blow two candles out the same way twice, so the wax splatter could not be replicated.
On the back of the painting, there is another painting of The Scream that is cruder (and upside down). Apparently Munch didn't like it and turned the cardboard over. In fact, there are four versions of The Scream, this and one at the Munch Museum being the most recognized (and that one was stolen in 2004!)

By the way, the book The Rescue Artist won an Edgar Award given out by the Mystery Writers of America Guild.

Now, to find out how The Scream was recovered, you will have to read the book! What next? I think I'm going to read The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoaz of the Twentieth Century.

UPCOMING EVENTS - August and September!

2010-08-18T23:58:00.000-04:00

August is usually a pretty quiet month in the artworld. But, for some reason, it seems to be cranking up a little early this year. After spending some time getting my studio in order, I was ready to get back in there and work.

First up - IT'S ABOUT TIME, which is a fundraiser for Jane Fonda's pet project G-CAPP. Ikea sponsors this and artists are given a clock to decorate which will be auctioned off to raise money. I was lucky to get involved with this this year, and my clock will be hung at The Alan Avery Gallery, as part of the Sun up to Sun Down event on Saturday 8/21. Below - check out my clock!

Also, my work is being exhibited at the Sun Dial restaurant beginning today, August 18 through the month of September. This is part of the Scenic Elevators at the Sun Dial Event, which benefits the Atlanta Food Bank. This is being curated by Denise Jackson , of Emerging Arts Scene, which is located in Castleberry Hills! (below is an image of a piece that will be there, Grant Field, which began with copying the shapes from an old picture of Grant Field at Georgia Tech and painting over it).

Also, I will be going to Highlands, NC next week to study with Mira Lehr at The Bascom. This is very exciting, I'm excited to just Mira Lehr, much less take a class from her!

I will also be participating in the new shop in downtown Decatur, Home Grown Decatur located on Church Street. The opening date is still a moveable object, working with permits, workmen etc. Hopefully it will open in August, and will be up and running during the Decatur Book Festival over Labor Day weekends.

The festival season begins in September, but I'm really cutting back on them this year. The only confirmed festival I have at this point is the East Atlanta Strut on September 18. More on the decision to cut back on festivals in another blog!

Let me know what else is going on in the artworld of Atlanta!

THE STUDIO REMODEL IS JUST ABOUT COMPLETED

2010-08-15T20:46:00.000-04:00

I am excited to report the cleaning out and organizing of my studio is completed. Here is a quick before and after shot. I was working in utter chaos before. In the bottom picture, there was a couch and a coffee table there too! The bookshelves had everything in it from old picture albums, annuals, just stuff.

Now - I have a wonderful working table with a shelf that keeps it all organized. The book shelves were cleaned out and only collage supplies (i.e. old games, maps, books, playing cards) remain.

Next to the table, we installed a view shelf. I can put 4 canvases that measure 20x24 on it. Down the road - I'm going to instal a metal bar about 2-3 feet above the shelf with magnets, so I can hang up works on paper.

Here you can see the flat file we purchased when Fay Gold closed her doors. The door leads outside, and I plan on putting some flagstone out there because I do use spray paint out there and I use my fence to hang work on to dry.

The biggest thing left to do is paint the floor. Above is an example of what it will look like when complete.

It is so nice to finally have everything in it's place. I purchased a padded stool for the table, and a anti-gravity recliner. All of my collage material is filed. All of my drawing supplies are divided into water soluble and not. My paint is divided by colors in baskets under the table and arrange in the order of the color wheel.

Down the road? A nice flourescent light, but I bought an Ott lamp for the meantime. And, maybe a sink down there one day.

I am looking forward to creating and exploring!!!!

THIRD DAY OF MY STUDIO CLEANUP

2010-07-03T22:05:00.001-04:00

Yes, I will admit it is a mess! But, I have made progress. While going through everything while organizing and cleaning out, it is funny what I have found. Luckily, I relocated some things I had misplaced, most notably my book of Chanel paperdolls! The bookshelf you see was left in a house my parents bought, and I have carried with me through several moves. At one point, it had a complete set of Brittanica's in it, as well as old annuals and scrapbooks from my travels. The boxes you see on the top are pictures from trips. Everything was cleaned off and only art related material remains. I organized the books my genre. Most what is there now are books I use for collage. They consist of foreign language books, plays, mathmatic books, science books, and ALOT of music. I made an area to keep my Art in America magazines, as well as instructional books and catalogs from artists that inspire me.

I cleaned out the closet you see. Joel has some photography stuff in there, and I had about 50 frames from previous show stuff in there. I cleaned that out entirely. Then I moved my tablets of paper in there, they had become such an unsightly mess under the flat files.

I'm happy with the way it is turning out. The little file drawer on the right of the bookcase is full of pens, pencils and pastels. While they are fairly organized, I still need to go through it.

What is next?

Working counter-clockwise around the studio, this comes next. I can't wait to get my table built, because all the gesso and medium sitting in the window will go there. The basket contains my tubes of paint. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to store them for easy access. I have kept my paint on a small table arranged like the color chart. But, that takes up room. Any ideas? How do you organize your paint?

Tomorrow I hope to begin painting the white part of the walls. I've been in this house for 13 years and this room has never been painted. I want to clean the floor too and eventually put a layer of porch paint down on it. I pulled the carpet up after the floods of September, so there is white blobs where the glue was. Since I've already spilled paint all over it, I don't want to get carried away with the floor - just clean it up.

Getting a good start on this has got my mind working overtime. I can't wait to get back to painting because I have so many new ideas and I feel a new series forming in my little brain.

If anyone has a good way they store their paints, I'd be happy to hear about it. I have to clean them out, as well as my spray paints, and my collage material. I'm going to take my time and get it cleaned out correctly - not just stuffing things here and there - as I've done in the past.

HOW A PENDING LAWSUIT GAVE ME THE ENERGY TO TACKLE A CLOSET IN MY STUDIO.

2010-06-28T21:05:00.000-04:00

If you read my blog yesterday, you know I made a commitment to organize what used to be an extra den into a "dream" studio. Tonight I started with a closet that I'm going to keep my collage paper in. See below with what I started out with.

First, I guess I should explain the lawsuit. Back in November, my niece Erin was having car trouble. (She broke down on I-75 with her 3 year old). We have a "family" truck, which I was using, so Erin borrowed my car. On her way to work the next day, she rear ended someone. As Elvis Costello says, accidents will happen! I naively thought her insurance would take care of it, BUT in the state of Georgia a wreck will follow the owner of the car. Now, I have a little Corolla that I just keep running (I haven't had a car payment since 1992!) But, there was absolutely no damage to my car - it was all buffed out by my brother. So, when the other car was repaired I thought the story was over. However, I received a call last month from an insurance investigator. The person she hit has hired a lawyer - he apparently started having neck probems six months after the wreck! My car has since been photographed to show the lack of damage. I have dreaded hearing an updates. So, on my way home tonight, my cell phone rang and it was the insurance investigator. I couldn't get the phone (I was driving after all), so I don't know what has transpired. Of course, I fear the worst. This got my adrenaline going and I knew I have my "dream" studio to work on, so I came home and tackled the closet you see above.

What you see in it is old halloween costumes, wrapping paper and junk, and some nice rice paper hanging up. I decided to make it into a collage paper closet.

I began by getting rid of the old Halloween costumes. Gone is the caterpillar outfit, complete with 6 pairs of children's tennis shoes. Gone is the dress I made out of koozie cups (made after seeing a dress made out of flip-flops in Priscilla Queen of the Desert). I have to admit, I kept the dress I made out of condoms, more on that at a latter date! The wrapping paper is mostly old, so I put it in the recycling bin, and kept the gift bags and put them in the storage room (which I cleaned out after our garage sale this past weekend).

I hung all my bought paper up on hangers with clothespins, organized by color. I discovered some beautiful paper that I had stuck in the wierdest places. I put a shelf in with small pieces left over - as well as tissue paper. On the left is a shelf with stained paper that I love to use.

The top shelf is my encaustic tools.

I'm proud of this - it will help me keep organized.

Next???? The bookshelf and the flat files.

This will be a challenge as I still have "stuff" from when this was a den. Note the top of the book shelf - those boxes contain pictures from travels - they will go into storage and the rest will be cleaned up and organized as collage material. I will reserve a shelf for instructional books, DVD's, and catalogs from shows that feature artists that have inspired me.

I will then tackle the flat file and organize the drawing pads below and clean up around it.

I'm happy my adrenaline surge caused me to make not only a start, but a plan on how to organize the studio. Joel even measured my table, which will be 4x6' with a shelf.

But, I still don't know what the phone call regarding the lawsuit is about. I guess that will wait until tomorrow.

WHAT A MESS I'VE MADE, AND IT ALL BEGAN WITH REFINISHING MY GRANDMOTHER'S DINING ROOM TABLE

2010-06-27T14:00:00.000-04:00

My uncle recently refinished my grandmother's dining room table for me, as seen above. Somehow getting this table has caused me to partially gut my studio downstairs and begin the dream studio I have long wanted. How are these two thing related?

Well, first of all a brief history of the table. I remember eating on this table from my childhood. My grandparents lived on a farm, so I remember the creamed corn, fried squash and okra, fresh watermelon, being served on it. I remember my grandmother pouring buttermilk in her saucer and dunking her cornbrad in it. We did some great "eating" on this table.
Somehow my brother ended up with it and somewhere along the way it became a computer table. The chairs were not used and languished in a basement sonewhere. Then it ended up in my mother's basement and I vowed then I'd have it refinished and restored and used again for what it should be used for! My previous table was a larger, darker more formal table. I prefer this table and it began a huge cleaning out project.

So - on to my studio.... Getting the table left me with an extra dining room table. Also, the storage room downstairs that was busting at the seams. It was time to have a garage sale and really clean this out. The room that had become my studio began as a downstairs den - so the remnants of that life was still there. The room had a sleeper sofa, a coffee table, 3 bookshelves (that held picture albums and annuals), and other furniture. Interspersed in that were my easels, an ugly wire shelf that held alot of supplies, an art table that was on it's last leg. I am happy to say - that is ALL gone (except the easels of course). What remains is what you can see here.

Yes, it does appear overwhelming to get it back in order again. But I have a plan. All the junk you see sitting around came off the shelves that I got rid of. I am going to have a table in the center that is 6x8 feet, with a shelves underneath. I have a double door cabinet that I may possibly cover with cork board. I also want to put an oversized chair rail somewhere to view pieces as I'm working on them - and possibly in the future invite artists over for critiques. The large bookshelf will be cleaned off and will hold only art related books and books I use for collage. There are 3 closets at the other end of the room.

The door on the left has shelves in it and I store framed pieces in there. The middle drawer has rice paper in it, along with past Halloween costumes - it is time to find them another home. The 3rd closet on the right doesn't belong to me!

I'm excited about the prospect. In the next week I want to go through everything and make sure it belongs in the room. Next weekend I plan to paint the walls and get the material for the table. Then decide where to place everything and decide what else is needed.

Follow me on this journey - I hope it ends in a nice studio grand-opening to invite my friends to, so they can enjoy it with me.

BIG WEEKEND COMING UP - June 12-13th

2010-06-10T15:52:00.013-04:00

This is my last weekend out and about for awhile. It is time to regroup and create some new art!

I have been working with Emerging Art Scene, which was located in the Stacks in Cabbagetown. It has now moved to a storefront in Castleberry Hills, and the unveiling will be on Friday June 11, as part of the monthly artwalk in Castleberry. There will be beer and wine available, and free parking in the Castleberry Point Lofts parking desk. . All of the galleries will be open from 7-10p on Friday. This was recently voted the best art stroll in Atlanta. CLICK HERE for more information regarding the stroll. I am very excited to be a part of this!!!

On Saturday and Sunday I will be taking part in the third annual Art-B-Que in Avondale. Held in the Railroad Arts District or RAD as it is known. Comprised of a community of art studios, relocated Buckhead galleries, performing arts studios, there is more to see than just a festival here! There will be an artist market, a kids zone, and art car show, and of course bar-b-que. There is also an artist reception at Little Tree Studio later on Saturday, and a surprise guest on Saturday night! (burlesque maybe???) There will be live music throughout the day both days. This is a fun, laid back event - definitely without the crowds of Summerfest and Inman Park, but with the same quality of art and entertainment. CLICK HERE for more information.

After this weekend, I'm going to start a blog and chronicle the journey of a painting, the largest I have ever done. And, I'm going to work on getting my studio in order so I can have an open studio sometime in the fall!

Hope to see you soon.

The Subject Of Art #6: Collage - The Origins Of A Modern Art Expression

2010-06-05T11:25:00.000-04:00

The Subject Of Art #6: Collage - The Origins Of A Modern Art Expression

Check out my @constantcontact newsletter

2010-06-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

Check out my @constantcontact newsletter

Mayretta Days, and other amazing things about Marietta, Ga.

2010-04-28T12:05:00.022-04:00

I am excited to be a part of the 34th annual May-Retta Daze Festival taking place this weekend 5/1 and 5/2. Located around beautiful Glover Park (pictured above), my booth will be located on Cherokee Street, down the street from the beautiful, refurbished Strand Theater. While there, check out Traci Browning's stunning photography and the feel good and green work of Laura Wellem. You just might find your next masterpiece at Mayretta-Daze!

OTHER THINGS TO CHECK OUT WHILE IN MARIETTA:

This weekend marks the opening of the Marietta Square Farmers Market which takes place on Saturday between 9a-12n. This is your chance to buy locally grown food, and locally produced delicacies, such as organic dog biscuits, lcoal honey, soaps, candles among some things available. While there, make sure you stop by the booth of my brother and sister-in-law (Scott and Glendy) and sample their wonderful Jalopy Jelly , jellies made using jalopenos, mangos and peaches.

Make a day of your visit to historic Marietta. Also near the square is the Gone with the Wind Museum, the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art or the Marietta Museum of History.

What is "May-retta" you may ask? Apparently this is considered the traditional pronunciation of the city Marietta, which is currently pronounced as Mary-etta. However, I grew up in Marietta, and I rarely heard it pronounced May-retta by natives!

SOME QUICK HISTORICAL FACTS OF MARIETTA\

Marietta is older than Atlanta, with the first plot laid out in 1833.

It is the county seat for Cobb County, named for US Supreme Court Judge Thomas Willis Cobb.

Marietta is named after the wife of Judge Cobb, Mary Cobb.

The town was selected at the base for the Western and Atlantic Railroad.

John Glover arrived in 1948 and was elected mayor, when it was incorporated in 1852. Glover Park is named for him.

During the 1850's, fire destroyed much of the city three times.

The city played a crucial part in the civil war, with the Andrews Raiders boarding The General, which led to the Great Locomotive Chase. Read more here

Sherman invaded Marietta in the summer of 1864, and General Kilpatrick set fire to it in November of 1864, beginning Sherman's March to the Sea.

Leo Frank was lynched at Frey's Gin in 1913 (which was located across the street from my kindergarten), allegedly for the murder of Mary Phagan. This incident led to the founding of the Anti-Defamation League. No one was ever prosecuted for the lynching, but rumors have long hounded Marietta families. Read more of the story here.

As a child, I remember the following things happening in Marietta:

On Halloween, 1963, Atherton Drugs (located on the square) exploded while people were shopping for their costumes. Attributed to a build up gases, 6 people were killed. I remember everybody going downtown and standing silently around the empty shell.

The Big Chicken - built in 1963
need i saw more????

Across the street from The Big Chicken was The Thrift Market, which eventually became K-Mart. I remember going to the grand opening and watching the ribbon cut by Jayne Mansfield.

There are other memories, Parkaire Field Airport, Varner's Drive-in Restaurant, the list goes on and on.

So - come out this weekend and visit historic Marietta, and stop in to see me, Scott & Glendy, Traci and Laura!!!!!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF INMAN PARK

2010-04-20T13:33:00.044-04:00

I will have a booth this weekend at the INMAN PARK FESTIVAL (4/24-25). As many of you know, this is one of the most unique and fun festivals in Atlanta, complete with a funky parade on Saturday. But, do you know anything about the history of this historic neighborhood?

Because the lots were first auctioned off in 1889, Inman Park is considered the first suburb developed in Atlanta.

The Battle of Atlanta was fought primarily along the swatch of land from the Carter Center on through Inman Park to Dekalb Avenue. (see The Atlanta Cyclorama.

Inman Park was originally developed by local entrepreneur Joel Hurt. He envisioned a country-like neighborhood adjacent to a business district. He managed to achieve this by having larger lots, curving streets and open park areas (this was to be repeated several years later in Druid Hills, also originally developed by Joel Hurt).

When the neighborhood proved to be popular, more land was acquired by Joel Hurt and Samuel Inman, a financier and cotton broker for whom the neighborhood was named. Prominent Atlanta families made Inman Park their home, including Asa Candler,the founder of Coca-cola, who called his home Callan Castle. (pictured below)

Because this area was home to so many prominent Atlanta families, easy access to downtown Atlanta was needed.. Thus, one of the nation's first streetcar systems was founded by Joel Hurt, running from downtown to the Trolley Barn (pictured below), which stands today on Edgewood Avenue, one block south of the Inman Park Marta Station.

10 acres were set aside and Springvale Park was landscaped, complete with Crystal Lake. This became THE place to live in Atlanta.

But, unfortunately, the area went into decline in the early 1900's and continued until the 1970's. When the automobile became more commonplace, people began moving away, new suburbs further away were developed. Apartment homes were being built. Many of the wonderful elegant homes in Inman Park were owned by absentee landlords and thus divided into apartments. Crystal Lake was eventually drained because it was filled with weeds and gargage and had become mosquito-ridden.

But, luckily urban pioneers discovered the neighborhood in the 1970's, and Inman Park Restoration Inc was formed. Within a year, 40 houses were being renovated to their original luster. Then Inman Park did something that had rarely been done before, the entire neighborhood was zoned back to residential and in 1973 was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

To learn more about the history of Inman Park , The Atlanta Preservation Center conducts tours April-October.

SPRING SCHEDULE - Come on out!

2010-03-24T19:04:00.013-04:00

Well, my spring is finally shaping up. It is going to start with Art on Argonne This will take place at the home of Linda Hirsch on Saturday and Sunday 4/17 and 4/18. This is the weekend of the Dogwood Festival, and Argonne is an easy walk from the Park. The street turns off 10th Ave! There will be 8 artists there and it is a way for you to enjoy local art without the crowds of the Dogwood Festival. And - we will have light refreshments, something the Dogwood Festival does not have for free!!!

The week of 4/24, you will find me in the Inman Park Festival. If you have never been to it before, check it out. It is different from any other festival in Atlanta, complete with a parade on Saturday. I swear, you will think you are at the Mardi Gras! I don't know my location until I arrive there bright and early on Saturday morning! One thing I will really miss about being in the festival this year is taking part of the Tour of Homes - one of the best in town.

On the weekend of May 1st, you can find me on the square in Marietta for the annual http://www.mariettaga.gov/departments/parks_rec/artsandcrafts.aspx Festival. This is a nice relaxing stroll around historic Marietta. Get there early on Saturday and enjoy the weekly Farmers Market - and you can purchase my sister in law's Jalopy Jelly if she hasn't sold out!!!!

On May 15th, I will be at the 8th Annual Kirkwood Fling. This is located in the historic Kirkwood neighborhood, which has a wonderful collection of homes from Victorian Cottages to Craftsmen Bungalows, to modern lofts. I may have to go back on Sunday and take the tour of homes.

Last but not least, I will be at the Metro Martket, which is a European inspired local market with handmade art and food. This is an indoor market, with gifts, cooking classes, demonstrations and more. It will be located on Piedmont Road - in the old Design building next to I-85. I just haven't decided which weekend I'll do it - 5/9 or Memorial Day weekend! This is a Friday through Saturday market that is open throughout May.

I hope to see you out there. If you know of any events I should check out, leave me a comments!

AN EPIPHANY IN THE DARK

2010-03-22T14:22:00.041-04:00

Many artists say they had a life-changing moment. This is such a story. Joel Conison saw something in the blink of an eye that changed the direction of his life.

What if you were brought up in a traditional household and never thought of yourself as an artist. You had the advantage of a mother being an award winning sculptor in both stone and marble. Your father is a CPA. A career in art never crosses your mind because you are too busy being a kid.

Going to Ohio State, he did what any normal college boy would do, and trust me, he didn't write home about it.

He will admit he had an interest in photography. BUT - when taking a photography class, the teacher had a lesson called "art in the dark" - showing famous photographs on a screen. It was here he saw the famous photograph, Pepper 30 by Edward Weston. At that exact moment he knew he was meant to be a still life photographer. Truly an epiphany in the dark (that is the photograph above).

After seeing that photograph, he moved to Chicago and apprenticed for five years with several still photographers (and yes, one worked for Playboy).

Joel became a successful commercial photographer in the Cincinnati area, photographing prestigious clients like the Cincinnati Symphony and the Cincinnati Ballet, But, after 20 years, he found himself a little bored and he knew the advertising business was changing. He had been teaching adults in the evening and realized he liked it. So, he sold everything and moved to Brooklyn and pursued his MFA at Pratt. (This is the highest you can go as a studio artist)

Fast forward to today, he has come full circle. After practicing commercial photography, getting an MFA, teaching on the college level, he went back to what originally made his heart beat - still life art photography.

At this moment he is photographing taxidermied birds. (see them and read his artist statement here) Yes, I didn't understand taxidermy either, but trust me - animal lovers out there - they are the biggest animal lovers in the world.

So - compare Pepper 30 to what Joel is doing now (see below Empire on the left, Raven on the right)

I'd love to hear other stories of a moment that changed your life!

CREATING A SIGNATURE STYLE FOR A BODY OF WORK

2010-03-14T15:23:00.022-04:00

2010 is the year I want to move forward in my art career business. To help facilitate this, i have begun working with art advisor Aletta De Wal with Artist Career Training throughout the year. I am learning to set up a foundation upon which to build my business. This involves going back and setting up a database to build a mailing list and to track my artwork, as well as getting a business license and separate bank accounts, the list goes on and on!

However, this month's exercise is one of the most important steps an artist will take in their artistic career - developing a "signature style". To do this, you have to have a body of work and assess the direction your art is taking. Luckily, I have continued taking part in critique groups, as well as taking classes and workshops. Through this, I saw a style emerging that differentiates my work from others. No matter what series of paintings or drawings I'm was working on, I began seeing pieces that were heavily layered, with details that emerge upon closer inspection. I was experimenting with different mediums, which further gave my pieces a "story" (i.e. using salt, of coffee and tea and why).

Now, it is time to perfect and expand this style.

To do so, I approached my friend and fellow artist Lance Carlson to take part in an exercise. I feel my work is very different from Lance's, but because we use similar techniques, we have found our work very compatible to show together. Is it too compatible??? To answer this question and see if our styles are our "signature" individually, we have set up an exercise.

We are both going to create a series of 10 works, measuring 12x12 each on 100 lb Lenox paper. The theme of our personal series is music. We have given ourselves roughly a month to complete this task. At that point, we are going to mix them up and show them to our friends in the Shadowline Artist Group. We'll see if they are able to discern my pieces for Lance's!

Now - I have to figure out how to incorporate my "signature style" into my collages, etc. Please leave your comments about your journey in developing a signature style!

THE HIGH PROJECT

2010-02-21T16:40:00.018-05:00

THE HIGH PROJECT was an experimental collaboration between one dancer and two local abstract artists while creating a three-dimensional canvas. I was one of the painters, along with my friend Lance Carlson. This was organized by Heather Harper, the Artistic Managing Director of the Harper Continuum Dance Theatre with Stacey Perkinson dancing.

The artwork was painted live while the dancer moved between the two canvases. The canvases were made of spandex, which allowed the dancer the freedom to move within the actual material. This was a fun project, but because it was at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, we were restricted by the materials we used. In the end, we used primarily washable tempura paint. After alot of experimentation, we found watered down food coloring in spray bottles, as well as food coloring in shaving cream worked well too. We were also allowed to use charcoal. The piece featured abaove is my finished piece. When I started seeing a figure developing I concentrated on channelling DeKoonings large women paintings!

Because the canvases were so porous, we applied gesso to the canvases prior to the event. We didn't want to cover the entire canvases, as we didn't want to restrict the Stacey's movements. We wrote words we felt had meanings in both the visual arts and the dance. We used the words Rhythm, Movement, Composition and Fusion. CLICK HERE TO SEE A VIDEO ON THE PERFORMANCE

We hope to repeat this at a future date - Heather has been contacted from as far away as Idaho with interest in the event!

For those of you not familiar with the High Museum of Art, it was founded as the Atlanta Art Association in 1906. Two decades later, the High family donated their family home on Peachtree Street , thus the name The High Museum! It now houses over 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection.

I am excited about my upcoming project with the Harper Continuum Dance Theatre (click here) and the High Museum of Art. This is an experimental collaboration beween one dancer and two painters while creating two canvases made of spandex. The painting will be live and the artists and dancer will explore the connection between both movement and composition.

The event will be January 23rd at the High Museum of Art and take place in the atrium (of the original High Museum) .
How did this happen? . Heather has recently relocated to Atlanta and is starting a dance company. To begin this process and gain attention as a choreographer, she is looking for new and different ways to approach dance. She saw my website and liked the rhythm and movement in my paintings. I found the project very interesting. I searched and searched the web, but couldn't find anything like it. So -not one to back down from a challenge, I readily agreed to be part of the project. I am happy my painting buddy and friend, Lance Carlson, is going to participate too because of his use of gesture, color and of course his speed!!!!
So, this project is exciting, and I am excited to be a part of this. But the countdown is here and we are scrambling to get organized. The High Museum has very strict rules about what materials we can use and the more we get involved the more restrictive they become. But, in the creative spirit, we are all trying out new and different mediums.
I have experimented with Tumeric, Beets, coffee and tea. Unfortunately, these materials just stained the canvas. Then I experimented with food coloring, which had much better results. Today I used shaving cream and added watercolor and food coloring and was happy with the results! Tomorrow I may try whipping cream!
So, check back and see our progress. If you have any suggestions, or know of anything like this that has been done, please leave a comment!

DECEMBER EVENTS - 10% limited discount on purchases, details below

2009-11-29T20:15:00.007-05:00

I always thought the winter was a slow time for art, but I've got an amazing amount of things going on this month. This weekend is especially busy.
First of all, I will be exhibiting at the DECATUR HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE AND CAFE on Friday and Saturday (12/4 and 12/5). This is an established market located at the Clariemont Elementary School.
Also, for the month of December, I will be part of a group show at the Limelight Gallery (in Binders Art) as part of the Shadowline Artist Group. The reception for this is Sunday 12-6 2-5p.
Also - for you East Marietta people, I have five pieces at the Art Gallery at Paper Mill, and the opening reception is Friday 12/4. Stop by on your way home for some food and wine!
The last thing going on next weekend is the Artist Loft Tour at the Stacks in Cabbagetown. I will also have work on view at the Emerging Art Scene.

Then - on 12/12 and 12/13 I will be part of Art on Argonne, located at 863 Argonne Ave, NE. I am one of 6 artists showing their work for the holidays in a nice relaxed home setting. It will be Saturday 11a-6p and Sunday 11-5p

If you mention this post to me at the Decatur Holiday Marketplace or at Art on Argonne, I will give you a 10% discount!!!!!!

NEW BLOG FOR ART ON ARGONNE

2009-10-29T14:51:00.002-04:00

In December I am going to take part in the first annual Art on Argonne holiday show. In anticipation of this show - I start a new blog for it so the information can be accessed and we can use it to publicize the show. Click HERE to see and check back for more information as other artists that are participating post information too.

MY EXPERIENCE FROM SHOWING MY WORK AT THE ALLIANCE THEATRE

2009-10-08T15:22:00.009-04:00

Maybe I should title this piece - "What I Would Have Done Differently" because I learn something every time I show my artwork.

To start with, the Alliance Theatre was presented several artists by Digital Arts Studios - 12 artists were chosen, and 2 will be showing their work one hour prior to the performance opening weekend. I was fortunate enough to be chosen for the season opener which is the world premiere of "Come Fly With Me", featuring the voice of Sinatra with the choreopgraphy and direction of Twyla Tharpe. This is definitely Broadway Bound!

So, Ian Greathead and I were there an hour before every performance, and stayed until the performance was opening during opening week. The Alliance Theatre got such positive feedback they asked if we wanted to come back. We came back the following weekend, and I will return alone for the closing Friday and Saturday nights.

Let me say upfront, it was great exposure, and I didn't really expect record sales. After all, people are cominng to the theater, they are not coming to buy art. AND, the Alliance Theatre shares the lobby with the Atlanta Symphony. Where else could you get a better audience of people that might actually BUY art. The feedback has been very good, and I learned people are starting to recognize my work. While I sold some small things (prints and cards), I feel the interest was genuine and people will eventually seek me out again!

What I would have done differently?
1. Have a professional nametag. I've been thinking about this for awhile, and I don't know why I haven't had one made. When people come to look at the work, you want to be available, but you don't want to hover too closely. I can't tell you how many times I was asked if I was the actual artist, and seen the surprise and delight in their face when they realized they were talking to an "actual artist"!
2. When you don't have control over the lighting, chose dramatic pieces - they will show up better. My artwork has ALOT of detail, so I think those that are interested in my artwork will be very pleased when they see it in proper lighting.
3. Show affordable artwork. You might put up a couple of large expensive pieces to get attention, but I doubt they would sell at a venue where people are going to the theater. However, they will remember them. They are more apt to purchase a piece they can fit in their purse to take home with them.
4. I broke my own rule of showing a complete body of work, and for good reason. I have a series of dresses, and this is what impresseed the Alliance Theatre, so I felt I should include them. Because the production is "Fly Me to the Moon", I brought my series of moons. Because the symphony was also playing, I put some of my musical pieces facing the symphony, which garnered alot of attention. So, if you have work that fits into the theme of the show, use it. If you have time to create work that is specific to that show, then go for it! Ian did a painting using Sinatra;s hat, his cigar, a bottle of Jack Daniel's, sitting on top of the music for "Come Fly With Me". That was perfect and got alot of conversations going for him.
5. Digital Arts Studio supplied the gridwalls and the hangers, and there was a shelf to put our information. Space was limited, so I didn't bring anything to collect names and addresses. BIG MISTAKE! People that actually asked for my card would probably have given me their email address.

Would I do it again? You betcha!!! This was the inauguration of a new tradition. As theatergoers get more and more used to seeing artwork for sale in the lobby - they might start coming prepared to purchase something!

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR

2009-09-28T19:09:00.006-04:00

I had a very busy month of September and haven't had time to really sit down and compose something for my blog. In the month of September, I demonstrated collage during the Atlanta Arts Festival for 2 days, my work was taken to the events for Fashion Week, and I have been exhibiting my artwork prior to the performance of "Come Fly With Me" a world premiere at the Alliance Theater utilizing the voice of Sinatra with the choreagraphy of Twyla Tharp. (see picture above - Gallery in the Galleria) All of this has been excellent exposure for me!
Coming up for the remainder of the year:
Chastain Park Art Festival, Oct 16-17
Georgia Perimeter College will have a group show of the Atlanta Collage Society in the month of October.
Cabbagetown Chomp and Stomp - a very fun day on November 7th
Group show with Shadowline Artist Group - month of December in the Limelight Gallery in Binders
Group show with Atlanta Collage Society - month of December in the Quinlan Museum in Gainesville, Ga.
12/11 - 12/12 - Art on Argonne - more information to come
There are a couple of events I've applied to and haven't heard from yet, as well as a couple of things I'm considering doing, such at The Metro Atlanta Holiday Market located in Le Fais
Do-Do on Ellsworth Boulevard. I will probably do a market at Virginia and Highland when the weather cools off too!
I'm looking at the spring festivals as well! And, Denise Jackson with Emerging Art Scene in the Stacks in Cabbagetown keeps finding new and interesting places to exhibit also - and she has my work up there too.
If anybody has any ideas of places to exhibit I may have missed, please leave me a comment!

ARTICLE IN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL ABOUT THE ATLANTA ARTS FESTIVAL

2009-09-09T16:16:00.001-04:00

Check out this article in todays AJC (9/9/09). I am mentioned as a demonstrator!!!!

TUNING IN TO TWITTER

2009-08-27T19:59:00.009-04:00

What are you doing?

If you have twittered, you have answered that question everytime you twitter. If you are reading this, you know what Twitter is. However, if you are like me, much of Twitter is still a mystery. Twitter allows you to "follow" experts - all in 140 characters. What you get from Twitter depends on what you put into it. I thought I'd post some things I've found that have helped me get followers. Here goes!!!!

1. Be active - post regularly. I try to post something every day just so my name is "out there" regularly. The more frequently you post, the more people will find you.
2. Share - send an interesting tweet you see to your followers. This is done by placing "RT" in front of the message and then it becomes a "retweet". When I don't have anything to say, I "retweet" interesting tweets or quotes that are posted.
3. Say something interesting - do your followers want to you know you are doing your laundry or brushing your teeth? Unless some laundry detergent or toothpaste is following you (and brands do follow you), chances are they don't care. Think about sharing information that your followers will find interesting. I found I get retweeted the most when I say something about my painting process. I posted a tweet that said "i need to keep a record of what I'm layerng in paintings. right now gesso, then soot, coffee, run a comb through it, dry, start again" - it got retweeted several times. I also post the link to my blog and my Facebook fanpage when I have a new posting. This always results in more followers and fans on Facebook. Ask questions too - I often ask if anybody knows what is going on in #atlanta art (more about the # later).
4. "Shrink the Link" - Back to the link mentioned above - shrink it! I do this by going to Tinyurl.com which gives me a much smaller link. You don't 1/2 of your 140 characters be the link.
5. Getting Retweeted -a good rule of thumb for retweeting is to post around 110 characters. When you are retweeted, your name, becomes part of the 140 characters. That is one of the reasons you shrink your name. If you are using a name with 20 characters, it makes retweeting an entire post tough. I learned this and finally adjusted my name on Twitter to @vmartinart
6. Interact - comment on other posts. Think about the old Dale Carnegie model to listen to your customers (followers - and don't get a big head because you have "followers", everybody on Twitter does).
7. Be searchable - if you are reading this, chances are you have an interest in art. To find other artists - use the hashtag (#) in front of key words. In Atlanta, both Art Relish and Creative Loafing use the hashtag for #atlart. I was able to read a book with a group of artists by using #dekooning. To find these people, go to search.twitter.com and type in the # - with whatever keyword you are interested in. Of course, put this in your post so you can be found by those with the same interest.
8. You want more followers? Use #follow Friday (#ff). Tweeters post the names of their favorite twitters with #ff in front of it. Look to see if they are of interest to you and follow them and they will generally follow you back. And, post your own favorite twitterers on Friday too.
9. Before you follow someone back, make sure it isn't a spammer or a porn sight, unless that is what you are looking for. They are lurkers and are always looking for new twitterers hungry for followers.

I'm still learning. I have found some amazing artists around the globe. Ok, some of them are from another globe, or planet. I have had success with connecting with artists. So, if anybody knows how to connect with COLLECTORS, let me know.

I'd like to know how you find Twitter, and how it has helped you. And, I'm sure I left much out, so tell me what else we should all know!

TIPS ON COLLECTING ART

2009-08-16T19:39:00.000-04:00

We all know we are in a worldwide recession. So , is this the time to begin collecting art? Yes!!! While sales of luxury items such as planes, yachts, high end cars, and real-estate have plummeted. However, art by established masters has held its value. Collectible pieces of art that haven't been on the market for awhile are suddenly available as people need the money. However, you want to start an art collection and you are a long way from purchasing a Picasso or a Da Vinci. What do you need to know?

History has shown that fashionable art in its own time often does not increase in value. This means to pay attention and don't invest in the art just because it is hot today. Always look at art with you heart and your eyes and not with your ears. The first and foremost rule of buying art is to buy something that you like, that sings to your soul.

Also, remember original art is one of a kind. If something is speaking to you and you decide to wait because you don't know where to put it, you might lose the opportunity of purchasing it forever. Chances are, if it speaks to you, it will speak to someone else. Timing is critical in purchasing art.

Look, Look, Look and Read Read Read. Go to museums, galleries, art walks, artists studios. Be as knowledgeable as you can. You don't need to go back to school and get an MFA in Art History. But you do need to know what is going on and where the market is going.

Art as an investment has withstood economics. But, still be cautious. All collectors stress collecting for aesthetic reasons, and not for economic reasons. Dealers can smell someone that is collecting to make money a mile away! They will not offer you any favors if they sense that.

I have read and read many people are telling people to go direct to the artists. I don't agree with this. Any artist that will undercut his gallery and representation is not to be trusted and will not last long in the artworld. If the artist doesn't last, what will the art ultimately be worth. Reputable artists have been taught that a price is a price is a price - no matter who sells it or where it sells.

If you want to collect art on a budget, start small. Often there are limited edition prints available. There are also programs that allow people to lease art.

Look for local emerging artists too. This will give you, as a collector, the opportunity to meet the local artists. If you purchase several pieces from a local emerging artist, you will have other opportunities to see new work as it is created.

Just remember, above all, look at as much art as you can. Read the reviews in the art magazines and in the newspapers. Go to the artist's talks and art walks, as well as festivals. Network with other collectors. And, have an open mind and an open heart

ART EVENTS

2009-08-16T14:59:00.005-04:00

I had a goal to get my artwork out and noticed. Now that I look at this list I can honestly say I have am pretty sure I have achieved that goal
.
WHERE MY ART IS CURRENTLY:

Emerging Art Scene, located in the Stacks in Cabbagetown in Atlanta. Sign up to be part of the group on Facebook, because there is always something going on.
Michael Joseph Gallery, located in Ft. Lauderedate, through 8/31 - The show is celebrating 100 artists.
Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, the Canvas Project with the Arthouse Coop

COMING UP

Artlanta Art Festival, September 12-13. I will be demonstrating the art of collage in Piedmont Park, details to follow. I'm very excited about this opportunity and I hope some of my collage friends will stop by and help me demonstrate.

East Atlanta Strut on September 19th, This is one of the funkier parts of Atlanta, so come and enjoy the day!

Alliance Theatre - September 23-27. The 2009-2010 season's opener is "Come Fly Me To The Moon", with vocals by Frank Sinatra and dance by Twyla Tharp. I have been given the opportunity of setting up my work prior to the performances the opening week of the show. I will be in the lobby an hour prior to the show and during the intermission.

October - the Atlanta Collage Society is having a group show at the Georgia Perimeter College. Details to follow. However, it is important to note the National Collage Society will be held at Mason Murer Gallery in the month of Novembert, so look for alot of collage events around town in October and November.

Chastain Park Art Festival - October 17 and 18th
Because I know the promoters of this event, I expect this to be a high quality professional art festival.

December - The Atlanta Collage Society will be having a group show at Quinlan Art Center in Gainesville. I am excited about being part of a show in such a prestigious venue.

December - Winter Solstice, group show of the Shadowline Artist Group at the Limelight Gallery in Binders in Atlanta. We began as a critique group and have been together since 2004. This is our first group show in a couple of years!

THINGS NOT CONFIRMED:

Oakhurst Art Festival October 10th
Cabbagetown Chomp and Stomp - November 7th
Terrific Thursdays in Decatur in November and December.

STROKE OF THE BRUSH AWARD

2009-08-05T19:34:00.004-04:00

My blogging friend Kim Bennett forwarded the Stroke of the Brush Award to me. She writes very inspirational blogs about painting as well as travelling between the UK and the US. Thank you Kim for your generous award.

Of course, it comes with a catch! I have to list 7 things that are not really known about me, and send the award to 7 bloggers. So, here goes.

1, I don't know my right from my left - and I've always blamed it on being left-handed!
2. Being left-handed is what made me pick up a pencil to draw. When I found out your creativity is in the right side of your brain, I began to understand why I've always been drawn to art and artists.
3. I hate to fly. It makes me nervous.
4. Jeopardy is my favorite show on television - yes, I love it more than Law and Order
5. I secretly would like to win big on Jeopardy.
6. I want to put together a class on the History of Atlanta to teach to adults.
7. My dream job is to be a dog-walker, to make enough money to support my art life and get out of the corporate rat race! or replace Alex Trebeck!

I want to pass this award on to some of my favorite bloggers

Of course, I have to include my life partner Joel Conison. I think he is really one of the best photographers around anywhere. He knows his stuff!

Lance Carlson and I have exhibited together repeatedly. I love his work, and his quirky sense of humor. I hope his recent fight with a runaway car resulting in a broken finger doesn't waylay his creativity for long.

It has been fun to watch Jacqueline Allison really grow as an artist and really pursue her art education seriously. Her work is amazing to me, and she really loves to experiment new techniques.

You have to check out the vibrant colors in Alisha Kay Ard's shoes!!!! I'm glad she found me on Facebook so I can continue looking at her work!

Someone else I connected with on Facebook is Suzanne Clem-Wheeler. She recently took an art vacation in Europe and it was a pleasure reading her blog throughout the trip. I highly recommend you scroll through it and find the story about painting and attracting a group of children!! I hope someday to actually meet in person!!

I connected with Magdalena Castaneda through taking a class on blogging from Alyson Stanfield's BLOG TRIAGE class (I highly recommend the class!) and was instantly struck with her passion for art.

Last but not least, Kipp Mullis's blog BoyohBoyohBoy. I felt Kipp could be included in this because he paints with words. I've known Kipp the longest on this list, being co-workers for quite awhile. But unemployment has shown us all a talent we didn't know he had! Take a look at the blog and subscribe to it - all the posts are beautiful

So - you guys need to write on your blog seven things about yourself and send the award to seven other artists of some sort. If you don't have seven to send it to right now, then take you time and get out there on the internet and start following other blogs like yours. You will be amazed by who and what you will find!

COMING SOON

2009-08-03T00:32:00.003-04:00

I am working on a blog about networking on twitter. If anybody has anything to share I can use - please let me know

CAN ARTISTS REALLY NETWORK ON FACEBOOK????

2009-07-12T14:26:00.007-04:00

I came to the Facebook party a little late, signing on last Fall. My original purpose was to communicate with my 18 year old niece, but I quickly learned what a networking tool this could be if utilized properly.

Now, you may be saying you want to keep your page private, and that is up to you. But, if you want to network, I say - go for it. Just don't post anything you wouldn't want your mother to see (remember prospective Employers are beginning to search Facebook) If you want to utilize Facebook for networking, don't post pictures of you and the gang raising your glass for any and everything under the sun.

Who do you friend? That is up to you. I started out "friending" only those people I know. But, I took a blogging class from Alyson Stanfield, The Art Biz Coach and I met fellow artists around the world. At that point I started "friending" people if I only had one friend in common. Interestingly, these requests always came from fellow artists. Connecting with other artists was enlightening - reading their approaches to art and exhibiting. As we talked more - gallery owners joined in.

I have a day job in advertising, I buy time on television and radio (I know - I buy air). The old model in advertising is someone needs to see your advertisement three times minumum to remember it. I think this works here too. If you are marketing yourself as a brand (which you should be) the more your name is out there, the more it validates your life as an artist. (I find this helpful not being a full time artist)

But, to really network as artists, we have to do it together. If my artist friend "B" has an upcoming event, or even a new piece of work and they post it on their wall, then I will take that posting and "share" it back to my profile page. That is 250+ new eyes that will see the posting. Kind of like the old commercial, tell a friend, who tells a friend, who tells a friend - and it goes on and on. If only 5 people with 200 friends repost an event or a new work, that could be 1000 NEW sets of eyes!

You may be thinking isn't this a little invasive? Not really. People post their breakfast habits, their life in lines at the grocery store etc. Don't you think seeing someone posting an art event or a new art project is more interesting to even the average reader. And, how interesting is it to someone interested in art, someone you didn't suspect has an interest in art. And, you never know. A friend of a friend might be looking for exactly that piece of art.

BUT - and it is a BIG BUT - give, and you will receive! If you, as an artist, share and also repost other artists work and shows, then hopefully they will repost you. It is a reciprocal world on the internet. I'll post it once to help you, twice to help you again, but if you haven't reciprocated and posted my work, I probably won't continue reposting it. (you know the saying, fool me once, fool me twice)

So, can artists really network on Facebook? Absolutely!!! But, you have to remember, we are all in this together and it works best if we support each other and promote each other. Many artists work alone and the value of social networking is immeasurable.

As my friend Don Browning stated, "we have been given a key to unlock a door". What we do once that door is opened is up to the individual artist. You can hover at the entrance, or you can march down the hall, and occasionally look at all the rooms available to you.

Your thoughts and experience? What has worked and hasn't? I'd love to hear them

The BINDERS Art Blog: The Most Expensive Painting in the World

2009-07-08T15:52:00.002-04:00

The BINDERS Art Blog: The Most Expensive Painting in the World

Shared via AddThis

Do you think these paintings should be the most expensive paintings in the world? Granted, there are some paintings that are probably more valuable, but they are in museums. Do you think there are other paintings that are more valuable? Let me know what you think? I definitely think these are more valuable than the Jeffrey Koons and Damien Hirst pieces that have sold recently. Or Richard Price's.

THE TOP 200 ARTISTS OF THE 20th CENTURY????

2009-07-05T22:13:00.005-04:00

The following list was published in London with a poll taken with Saatchi and Saatchi. There is alot I agree with and there are some things I just don't understand. I don't have a problem with Picasso and Cezanne in the #1 and #2 slot, but Klimt in #3? I am a big fan of Klimt's work, and I like seeing it recognized. But still, is it ahead of DeKooning, Miro, and others? However, it makes you wonder when this is opened to the public, do they for artists because there was a recent sale of the work that made headlines or possibly retrospective at a major museum.
These are personal reflections, and I am not an art critic, just a lifelong student. I would never put Warhol ahead of DeKooning. I would never put Richard Price above Ansel Adams. Price appropriated artwork from the Marlboro ads!
There is little representation from women artists, and even less from African American artists - Basquiat being the only one on the list. Where is Romare Bearden??????
Some names I was happy to see are Yves Klein, Anselm Kiefer and even Mathew Barney. Teachers are here too - most notably Hans Hoffman and Josef Albers, who taught Pollack and DeKooning both..
Why is Kippenberger ahead of Rothko? Is it because he had a retrospective at MOMA this year( I saw it). Personal preference to painting? I wonder.
There is very little representation to Asian artists, and what is there is mostly late 20th century art (leanings to graffiti and cartoon, as well as anime, which I have to accept as valid forms of art!)
On a personal note - I'm glad Claes Oldenburg made the list at 100- Joel used to photograph his sculptures.

What do you think? any and all thoughts and discussions are welcome

Artist list Votes

1
Pablo Picasso
21587

2 Paul Cezanne 21098
3 Gustav Klimt 20823
4 Claude Monet 20684
5 Marcel Duchamp 20647
6 Henri Matisse 17096
7 Jackson Pollock 17051
8 Andy Warhol 17047
9 Willem De Kooning 17042
10 Piet Mondrian 17028
11 Paul Gauguin 17027
12 Francis Bacon 17018
13 Robert Rauschenberg 16956
14 Georges Braque 16788
15 Wassily Kandinsky 16055
16 Constantin Brancusi 14224
17 Kasimir Malevich 13609
18 Jasper Johns 12988
19 Frida Kahlo 12940
20 Martin Kippenberger 12784
21 Paul Klee 12750
2 Egon Schiele 12696
23 Donald Judd 12613
24 Bruce Nauman 12517
25 Alberto Giacometti 12098
26 Salvador Dalí 11496
27 Auguste Rodin 8989
28 Mark Rothko 8951
29 Edward Hopper 8918
30 Lucian Freud 8897
31 Richard Serra 8858
32 Rene Magritte 8837
33 David Hockney 8787
34 Philip Guston 8786
35 Henri Cartier-Bresson 8779
36 Pierre Bonnard 8778
7 Jean-Michel Basquiat 8746
38 Max Ernst 8737
39 Diane Arbus 8733
40 Georgia O'Keeffe 8714
41 Cy Twombly 8708
42 Max Beckmann 8690
43 Barnett Newman 8643
44 Giorgio De Chirico 8462
45 Roy Lichtenstein 7441
46 Edvard Munch 5080
47 Pierre Auguste Renoir 5063
48 Man Ray 5050
49 Henry Moore 5045
50 Cindy Sherman 5041
51 Jeff Koons 5028
2 Tracey Emin 4961
53 Damien Hirst 4960
54 Yves Klein 4948
55 Henri Rousseau 4944
56 Chaim Soutine 4927
57 Arshile Gorky 4926
58 Amedeo Modigliani 4924
59 Umberto Boccioni 4918
60 Jean Dubuffet 4910
61 Eva Hesse 4908
62 Edouard Vuillard 4899
63 Carl Andre 4898
64 Juan Gris 4898
65 Lucio Fontana 4896
66 Franz Kline 4894
67 David Smith 4842
68 Joseph Beuys 4480
69 Alexander Calder 3241
70 Louise Bourgeois 3240
71 Marc Chagall 3224
72 Gerhard Richter 3123
73 Balthus 3090
74 Joan Miro 3087
75 Ernst Ludwig Kirchner 3084
76 Frank Stella 3078
77 Georg Baselitz 3048
78 Francis Picabia 3046
79 Jenny Saville 3034
80 Dan Flavin 3024
81 Alfred Stieglitz 3017
82 Anselm Kiefer 3010
83 Matthew Barney 3005
84 George Grosz 2990
85 Bernd And Hilla Becher 2980
86 Sigmar Polke 2966
87 Brice Marden 2947
88 Maurizio Cattelan 2940
89 Sol LeWitt 2926
90 Chuck Close 2915
91 Edward Weston 2899
92 Joseph Cornell 2893
93 Karel Appel 2890
94 Bridget Riley 2885
95 Alexander Archipenko 2884
96 Anthony Caro 2879
97 Richard Hamilton 2878
98 Clyfford Still 2864
99 Luc Tuymans 2862
100 Claes Oldenburg 2843
101 Eduardo Paolozzi 2839
102 Frank Auerbach 2836
103 Dinos and Jake Chapman 2827
104 Marlene Dumas 2827
105 Antoni Tapies 2825
106 Giorgio Morandi 2824
107 Walker Evans 2823
108 Nan Goldin 2819
109 Robert Frank 2818
110 Georges Rouault 2818
111 Jean Arp 2817
112 August Sander 2809
113 James Rosenquist 2808
114 Andreas Gursky 2804
115 Eugene Atget 2802
116 Jeff Wall 2790
117 Ellsworth Kelly 2789
118 Bill Brandt 2787
119 Christo And Jeanne Claude 2782
120 Howard Hodgkin 2781
121 Josef Albers 2781
122 Piero Manzoni 2777
123 Agnes Martin 2771
124 Anish Kapoor 2768
125 L.S. Lowry 2761
126 Robert Motherwell 2754
127 Robert Delaunay 2747
128 Stuart Davis 2742
129 Ed Ruscha 2731
130 Gilbert & George 2729
131 Stanley Spencer 2720
132 James Ensor 2719
133 Fernand Leger 2718
134 Brassai (Gyula Halasz) 2717
135 Alexander Rodchenko 2715
136 Robert Ryman 2711
137 Ad Reinhardt 2709
138 Hans Bellmer 2700
139 Isa Genzken 2699
140 Kees Van Dongen 2698
141 Weegee 2698
142 Paula Rego 2695
143 Thomas Hart Benton 2689
144 Hans Hofmann 2684
145 Vladimir Tatlin 2679
146 Odilon Redon 2653
147 George Segal 2619
148 Jorg Immendorff 2611
149 Robert Smithson 2435
150 Peter Doig 2324
151 Ed and Nancy Kienholz 2293
152 Richard Prince 2266
153 Ansel Adams 2262
154 Naum Gabo 2256
155 Diego Rivera 2239
156 Barbara Hepworth 2237
157 Nicolas De Stael 2237
158 Walter De Maria 2229
159 Felix Gonzalez-Torres 2228
160 Giacomo Balla 2225
161 Ben Nicholson 2221
162 Anthony Gormley 2218
163 Lyonel Feininger 2216
164 Emil Nolde 2213
165 Mark Wallinger 2211
166 Hermann Nitsch 2209
167 Paul Signac 2209
168 Jean Tinguely 2209
169 Kurt Schwitters 2209
170 Grayson Perry 2208
171 Julian Schnabel 2208
172 Raymond Duchamp-Villon 2208
173 Robert Gober 2208
174 Duane Hanson 2208
175 Richard Diebenkorn 2207
176 Alex Katz 2207
177 Alighiero E Boetti 2206
178 Henri Gaudier-Brzeska 2206
179 Laszlo Moholy-Nagy 2205
180 Jacques-Henri Lartigue 2205
181 Robert Morris 2205
182 Sarah Lucas 2204
183 Jannis Kounellis 2204
184 Chris Burden 2204
185 Otto Dix 2203
186 David Bomberg 2203
187 Fischli & Weiss 2203
188 Augustus John 2203
189 Marsden Hartley 2203
190 Takashi Murakami 2203
191 James Turrell 2202
192 Isamu Noguchi 2201
193 Robert Mangold 2201
194 John Chamberlain 2201
195 Charles Demuth 2200
196 John Currin 2200
197 Alberto Burri 2200
198 Arnulf Rainer 2200
199 David Salle 2200
200 Hiroshi Sugimoto 2199

LAST WEEK FOR RHYTHM OF MY LIFE SOLO SHOW

2009-06-27T18:19:00.005-04:00

GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD © 2005

Just a reminder, my solo show at the Sandy Springs library, located on Johnson Ferry Road, will be coming down on 6/30. This show consists of the drawing show above, and collages based on composers or pieces of music.

PASSION ©2005

CONNECTING INTERNATIONALLY WHILE READING ABOUT DE KOONING

2009-06-19T15:53:00.013-04:00

If someone had suggested to me a month ago I'd be reading a biography of an artist with people around the world on Twitter, I wouldn't have known what they were talking about. I had heard of Twitter, but I didn't know what it really was, or that people connected there. To start at the beginning, this began when I took a blogging class from Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris. Alyson is known to many artists are the "ART BIZ COACH". Well, after several weeks of working on my blog and reading fascinating blogs by other artists, we were told to subscribe to Twitter. At first I resisted. Understand, I don't text, IM, or have any phone apps. But, I succumbed and dutifully signed up. At first I was totally lost, but I slowly started getting the hang of it. Alyson thought it would be a good idea to use Twitter to read a book as a group. This helped me learn to navigate through Twitter, interact with people internationally, and read a great book - all at the same time.

The book, De Kooning, An American Master, is 600 pages long. The intent was to read 100 pages a week and discuss it for 6 weeks. Unfortunately, once I began, I couldn't put it down and completed the book in less than two weeks. We use #dekooning to connect through Search/Twitter.

The book is rich in detail, the world De Kooning inhabited is alive within the pages of this fascinating story of a fascinating era in American art. Heavily researched and ten years in the making, it deservingly won the Pulitzer Price.

It begins with Dekooning's childhood in Rotterdam; his mother beat him with wooden shoes, he was trained in old school portraiture, he arrived in the US as a stowaway, and then made his way to the bohemian art world of New York. It covers his marriage to Elaine, his womanizing, his ascent to being one of the most important artists in the 20th century, and his descent in alcoholism and finally Alzheimers.

It is a page turner, with people like Jackson Pollock, Gorky (his mentor), Franz Klein, Rothko inhabiting the pages. (Paul and Linda McCartney make an appearance, as does David Bryne.) The book is both chatty and educational as many chapters end with a lengthy dissertation on a particular important painting of the era.

DeKooning put his work above all else, and it took him a long time to get a body of work. He never learned to drive, he didn't have a checking account until he was in his 40's, he was always worried he would be deported, as he entered the US illegally. He was both charming and abusive to his friends and lovers.

I highly recommend this page turning biography!

(above painting EXCAVATION)

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR JUNE

2009-06-09T20:18:00.006-04:00

I thought I would be finished for the summer by now. However, opportunities keep popping up. I thought I'd post where you can find my art over the next several weeks.

First of all, I have artwork on display at the Emerging Art Scene at the Stacks. This is located in the infamous lofts in Cabbagetown. Why are they infamous? When they were being built out as lofts, one of them caught on fire. It is remembered by the extraordinary rescue of a fireman by a helicopter. Then, last March a tornado hit the building the gallery is in - taking out almost the entire top floor. The gallery is open on Saturday and Sunday and there will be an event there on 6/20, 1-3p in E119

This Saturday on 6/13, I will be taking part of the 2nd Annual Art-B-Que in Avondale Estates. 10A-6p (approx). Music, bar-b-que, art and even burlesque!

On June 20, I will have a booth at the 2nd Annual Midsummer Music Festivall in Candler Park. Click here for information. Bands that are performing include Rusted Root and Guster.

Finally, I will be taken part of the Castleberry Art Walk on June26 6-9p Click here for information.

In July, I will have a piece in a gallery in Ft. Lauderdale, Michael Joseph Gallery, who represents my musical collages. There are a couple of other things in the works, and I'll post them as soon as the details are confirmed.

Hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please leave a comment, I respond to all comments. And, to keep up with where I might be next, subscribe to this blog, either with the RSS feed, or with the networked blogs on Facebook!

ECLIPSE

2009-06-07T17:25:00.004-04:00

This piece was started in a class and finished it at home. It began with collage of dress patterns in the shape of a cityscape. After layers and layers of acrylic paint and ink, I would mask certain areas and paint over it and move the masks around. This was entered into a show and I am happy to say it won an honorable mention. The judges remarks were "sophisticated with rich colors, great textural quality, really draws you in". However, it was suggested I hang it vertically. Personally, I like it better this way, but knowing it can hang differently let's me know there is balance in the painting.

RHYTHM OF MY LIFE SHOW

2009-06-04T21:58:00.009-04:00

I currently have a solo show up at the Sandy Springs Library, here in Atlanta. The piece to the left, MUSIC OF THE WORLD, is one of the pieces I am showing. Because I am the daughter and the grand-daughter of piano tuners, I have always turned to music for inspiration. I have always like the way music looks on the page.

Also, the piece on the left side of the banner (above) is in the show. This piece began with a page from a book of music I found at the Goodwill Book Sale. Each page was devoted to a different composer, with the top half devoted to a short biography, and the bottom with a simplified version of a piece of music often associated with that partciular composter. This one was devoted to Bizet, and the music is from Carmen. I used the word "passion" prominently because that best describes this music.

Enjoy. Come to the show at the Sandy Spring Library on Johnson Ferry Road, through 6/31.

Let me know what you think of these pieces. If you use music in your artwork, please share!

AN INTERVIEW WITH FINE ARTIST LANCE CARLSON

2009-06-01T12:38:00.050-04:00

Lance and I have not only painted together for years and we have even shown our work together many times.I was intriqued about his new "Face" series and I wanted to learn more about his process. I knew he began by seeing a face in an inanimate object (i.e. the more obvious ones are seeing a face in a house or the front of a car), but I wanted to know where he went from there, so I posed several questions to him.Read on and see his answers to his interesting approach to art.

I know you are an architect by trade, but when did you begin shifting over to fine art? I took a painting class about 15 years ago and was hooked immediately. It brought back alot of memories of creating art in my youth. (Painting to the left is FAMILY+REUNION)

Has your style changed from when you began as an artist? I don't think I really had a style to begin with, it was just a matter of putting paint on paper. As I progressed, a certain style emerged. For a while, I vassilated between abstract and something more representational. But, I have pretty much adapted an abstract style. However I make personal connections to literature, music and pop culture.

Can you explain this series? This series began with finding a face (of sorts) in the still life (basically a grouping of objects). I find a rudimentary face and base my initial composition on that. As the painting progresses, the face may appear and disappear and the composition that remains becomes the most important thing.

What medium are you using? For the face series, it was back to basics for me. I had become enamored with mixed media where I could throw together a bunch of varying media and then solve the final composition with a little drawing. I wanted to see if I was using the drawing (on top of paintings) as a crutch. So, I limited myself to acrylic paint on canvas for this series. There was some collage in a few, but this was from "painted over" previous paintings.

Of the 4 images displayed here, I see the palette is very similar. How did you choose the palette? Because I work on several pieces at the same, I am using the same colors on all when I'm finalizing the image.

I see the relationship between the titles and the paintings, except for the one titled "Without at Name", will you explain this? That is the name of a song by Kisschasy. I know it is pretty obscure, but it held meaning for me. (Painting to the left is WITHOUT A NAME)

What visual elements do you repeat in this series? There are alot of curves, to make it lyrical. There is also a good change in values, and I use some form of stripes and bands in each one.

How do you know when a piece is finished? I like to get outside the critique, because for me, an internal knowledge or satisfaction that I know it is complete works for me.

Do you have any plans to exhibit this series in the future? Sure, any ideas? I have submitted it to competitions and galleries. I will keep you posted when it is up somewhere.

Who is your favorite artist? I don't know if I have a favorite, as there are several artists that speak to me. I get an adranline rush out of Ann Hamilton, but I was super excited when I recently saw the back of a Rubens/ I am also influenced by great architecture for le Corbusier to Graves to Calitrava

Who do you consider your biggest influences in art? My mom and dad and brother had plein air outings when I was a kid. They all had easels while I did somersaults in the grass. I think in some ways Franz Klein and Rodin. Wierd combo, eh? But, their work both dealt with human figures and also drawn to bodies and faces.

What do you see in your future as an artist? My future is so bright. I will just continue to create art and see where it takes me. I am taking paths as they come, but not really forging new territory or looking for wealth of fame. I wouldn't turn it down if it came. (Painting to the left is WISE AND DEEP AS THE SEA)

Thank you Lance for taking the time to answer these questions thoughtfully and honestly. However, I have to disagree on your last answer. I think you are forging new territory by continuing to learn and explore new techniques in art.

After reading this, if you think I have left anything out, please leave a comment. And you can continue to follow this series with Lance on his blog.

M Castaneda Fine Art Oil Portraits - Paintings - City Scapes: Memorial Day - Proud to Remember

2009-05-24T18:49:00.000-04:00

M Castaneda Fine Art Oil Portraits - Paintings - City Scapes: Memorial Day - Proud to Remember

REVIEW OF SIMON SCHAMA THE POWER OF ART - Caravaggio

2009-05-24T18:17:00.008-04:00

"GREAT ART HAS DREADFUL MANNERS" Schama says at the start of this series.

Who is Simon Schama and what qualifies him to produce a series for the BBC titled THE POWER OF ART? Schama is the University Professor of Art History and History at Columbia, previously teaching at Cambridge and Harvard. In the documentary series, THE POWER OF ART tells the story of eight remarkable artists and how they transformed the world of art.

I had seen some of this on PBS last year, and decided to start at the beginning. First up is Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio. Schama delivers his story with an almost boyscout zeal of enthusiasm and passion, asking Caravaggio questions, which he then answers.. The documentary has three elements; Schama standing in front of a particular piece of art, Schama standing in a place that was important to Caravaggio, and last but not least, effective recreations.

The result was a fascinating story of an artist whose dramatic life was as dramatic as the paintings he painted. Even though he was considered dangerous, he never lacked commissions. He was jailed frequently, and actually killed a man in a duel and was forced to leave Rome with a price on his head. He fled to Naples, and finally to Malta, where he actually became a knight. He often tried to paint his way out of trouble, which is exactly what he was doing with the painting shown above. He painted it to give to the Pope's counsel in payment for a pardon. Along the way back to Rome he was jailed again, left by the boat, and died of a fever.

Why is his art important? When he arrived in Rome, art consisted primarily of beautiful paintings of Christ, Mary and the apostles. Caravaggio believed Christ was human, made of flesh and blood. He proceeded to paint him that way, making people more earthy and physical, something that had never been done before. He took his models from the street, taverns and brothels. With this, he changed forever what a painting could do, bring the viewer into the painting and often making them very uncomfortable. His paintings began a shift to naturalism with an almost theatrical use of lighting. Art was no longer "safe".

Watch the dramatic first 10 minutes here. The question Schama poses in the first 10 minutes was why would Caravaggio paint a self portrait of himself as the severed head of Goliath. I was hooked!

If there is anything you'd like me to review, please leave me a comment. I'd love some feedback on this post

ART HAPPENINGS IN ATLANTA OVER MEMORIÅL DAY WEEKEND

2009-05-21T18:17:00.007-04:00

I am considering beginning a weekly series of blogs about the art happenings in Atlanta. I'm beginning with a weekend that is jammed packed with events. Here goes:
Friday 5/22
Decatur Art Stroll; 5-10p downtown Decatur (I will be at the Decatur Market and Gallery!)
SYNTHESIS: A Delicious Fine Arts Soup: Recent works from 14 fine art majors at SCAD. ONE NIGHT ONLY. 6-9p
final show at Gallery 709, 709 Myrtle Street
CIVIC REMEDIES - new works from Tokyo by Scott Silvey at Whitespace, 7-10p
AYANO THESIS SHOW "Centimeters to Japan", 7-9p, Naomi Silva Gallery, Tula Arts Center, 75 Bennett Street
Shannon L. Clark COMBAT, Tula Arts Center, 75 Bennett Street, 7-9p
Castleberry Art Stroll; 7-10p

Saturday 5/23
Mark Wentzel discusses his installation on Moral Hazards at the THE CONTEMPORARY
POLAROIDLAND, The Mint Gallery, 8-11p

FESTIVALS

DECATUR ARTS FESTIVAL
MONDOHOMO
AMERICAN INDIAN FESTIVAL
ATLANTA CARIBBEAN FESTIVÅL
ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL

SERIES OF POSTS

2009-05-19T21:42:00.003-04:00

I have decided to review a movie/documentary about an artist or art once a month and post the review on my blog. I wish I could do it weekly, but I doubt if I will watch one that often. Maybe bi-monthly. So - I went back to netflix, where else can you find the great documentaries. First up - Simon Shama: The Power of Art

MUSINGS ABOUT ART FESTIVALS - are they worth it?

2009-05-17T17:54:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I exhibited at the Kirkwood Festival in Atlanta. Because lately it has been raining everyday, I had an hour of down time during a steady rain. I used that time to reflect on my observations from exhibiting at festivals.

First of all, let me explain. This spring was my "dress rehearsal" into the festival business. I have been experimenting with different setups to see what works best. We all know, it isn't always the good art that sells, it is often the art that generates a buzz and has a story. But, my dress rehearsal is coming to an end, and I am going to apply to festivals in the future that I think will attract an audience that really has an interest in the arts.
So, here are my 10 observations:
1. Where is the festival located? While the Kirkwood Festival was in a city neighborhood where young families have relocated for the past several years, I now know it is a close knit neighborhood. I estimate 90% of the festival goers walked there. People were not there to purchase art, or even look at it, they were visiting their neighbors and having a family day out.

2. How much should you expect to make? General rule of thumb is your booth fee should be 7-10% of what you make. But for me, just starting out, there are other things I want to happen. While I want make a good profit, I also want to network with other artists, learn of other opportunities, and be recognizable to festival goers. Artists at festivals have a wealth of information about what works and what doesn't. There is an agreement from artists which neighborhoods in Atlanta are more supportive of the arts and have residents that like to purchase local art.

3. It is an art festival, or a community event? If there are alot of family activitiesl, purchases probably will be few and far between. I unwittingly did a festival that had rides, complete with a ferris wheel and pony rides. Every parent was literally being pulled to the rides by their children and very few were able to stop for very long. However, if your product is geared to children, this might be the place for you!

4. What kind of company are you in? Look at past websites and see who has been exhibiting at this particular festival. For me, being a fine artist, I want to be in a festival that has art. While crafts are good, I want art to be prevelant.

5. Do you down size in the recession? I don't have the answer for this one. Yes, I have done smaller pieces for under $100. However, you don't want to cheat past collectors by "cheapening" your work too much. If someone that had paid $600 for a painting walks by and see everything now is $50 - how is that person going to feel? You must tread gently here.

6. Why is continuity important? If you are embarking on a career in festivals, doing them with consistency is important. But, once you have a toe-hold, you need to pick and choose the events that are good for you. I have done 4 festivals this spring, and had someone at each festival tell me they have seen my work before and have been looking for me ever since.

7. What should an artist do when there are no patrons? It is easy to take a book and sit down and read. However, I reserve that for a storm, when no one will be coming by. As a festival goer, I never go into a booth where someone is reading. So, when I nothing to do, I straighten up, organize, clean, stay busy. I'll talk to my neighbors and learn new opportunities, never straying far from my booth.

8. Is the festival desperate for artists? I am no longer going to submit to festivals that are "until full", except for a couple in town that have been very profitable for me already.

9. How do you greet clients? Never say "can I help you?", you will get the SAME answer, "No - I'm just looking" - and I feel at that point, conversation is over, until the client opens it up again. Just offer to answer questions, and if they look at something with interest, start telling the story about it.

10. How do you get someone inside your tent? When someone would stop in the opening of the booth and look around, I'd urge them in by telling them the art is more interesting up close, there was alot of detail they couldn't see from there. I have also tried having drawing for a free print, to grow my mailing list. But, I'm open to suggestions on this too.

If you have any observations to share, please let me know. I'm learning, and I know there is not any right or wrong way.

My GOALS

2009-05-13T21:22:00.007-04:00

GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD © 2007

There is so much I want to accomplish within the next couple of years. I wrote everything down at the first of the year, and I just relooked at that post. Some of the things I have accomplished include creatiging a line of greeting cards to sell at festivals, and I have made bookmarks out of one of my dresses. I have learned how to set up a tent and my presentation is getting better. But the things I want to accomplish as:

1. Become more self-sufficient, I have a dollar goal in mind. This is my retirement after all.

2. Continue to learn

3. Expand my Rhythms of the Universe Series. I am incorporating constellations as an overalay in them now.

4. Read more about art - serious art. Understand some of the articles in Art in America better

5. Learn more art history

6. Have a gallery show within a year.

7. Find alternative spaces, and working with Leitch Fine Art is helping me there

8. Be more involved in the Atlanta art community

9. Blog, and continue to learn more about blogging. I'm kind of lost in the technical aspect, but I'm working on it.

10. Update my website when I finish a new body of work

I think that is enough for now!

Beyond the Art Fair: How Long Did That Take to Make?

2009-05-09T20:40:00.001-04:00

Beyond the Art Fair: How Long Did That Take to Make?

HOMEWORK HOMEWORK

2009-05-09T19:06:00.012-04:00

So - the most recent lesson in my Blog Triage class was to put five links in an article. Well, I could sit down and write a very compelling article, but it took me all afternoon to figure out how to insert the links. I think I might have it now.
First of all, I want to congratule Lance Carlson on his inclusion in the juried show which is hanging at the Knoxville Airport.

Secondly, I want to mention Joel Conison's show at Naomi Silva of his Birds series. He now has 30 completed, and plans on going to Cincinnati and Charleston to shoot more taxidermied birds. They are getting great reception, and giving him the attention he so deserves. When Naomi learned he had 30 finished now (the show has 17), she told people this was the inaugural showing of this series! He is investigating London galleries now - he needs to get a passport, mine is valid!

I really like my friend Jacqueline Allison's new series of work called relational . She has really been experimenting with new techniques and she isn't afraid to try something new.

Why the homework? I am currently taking a class entitled Blog Triage from Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris.. I hope to migrate this blog over to Wordpress soon, so I've been playing around over there!

Atlanta 1970 - how to organize a page

2009-05-06T22:40:00.004-04:00

I was looking for a way to organize a page and chose to take a picture of the skyline of Atlanta in 1970. I took the shapes it created and collaged the background. The collage included my airplane tickets to various places and Atlanta memoriabilia, such as coke labels, CNN and such. Oh - and I also used failed mono-prints I had (don't throw anything away, you will use them someday!).
After I had my interpretation of the skyline of Atlanta, I began painting over it. Many people living here in 1970 will not recognize it. The Polaris at the Regency was the highest point, at least to me. If I could find it in the sky, I could get to Peachtree and get home. So - notice the building with the circles that is painted blue, it is the Polaris with the color inverted.

Not only do I paint, but I have given historical tours of Atlanta, (i.e. Fox Theater and Druid Hills) so sometimes the city pops up in a work!

PICTURES OF MY SHOW AT TROY PEERLESS LOFTS

2009-05-04T21:25:00.002-04:00

I really like the space, and it was a very successful show. I decided it was important to show what my work looks like when it is actually up on a wall!

BLOGGING ABOUT ART

2009-04-29T20:43:00.004-04:00

I am taking a four week blogging class. Today's assignment was coming up with 20 topics to blog about in the future. So - here goes:
Gallery Happenings in Atlanta;
How My Rhythm of the Series is evolving right now
The Importance of Learning Art History
Who are my ancestors in Art?
The importance of having an organized studio
Are we ever going to install the flat files in the studio? Or are they going to stay in the dining room?
Spring Cleaning is late, Atlanta skipped Spring this year
Festival Happenings in Atlanta
Are Salons making a comeback
Everything in my kitchen is fair game to be used as art materials
Should I stop collecting junk mail for collage materials, and jar lids for circles?
Review of a movie about art - maybe Who The *&%* is Jackson Pollack
Why I love my Critique Group - Shadowline Artists
the National Collage Society national show is in Atlanta this year
I know How important it is to do blind contours, so why don't I do them?
My dress series is evolving into men's clothing

I have a google alert for Atlanta Artists, and Atlanta Collage Artists, and my recent posts are popping up in there!!!

WHO IS THIS BLOG FOR?

2009-04-26T21:03:00.008-04:00

BLUE NOTE, mixed media on paper framed
© 2007 Vickie Martin

In taking the on-line BLOG TRIAGE class offered by Cynthia Morris and Alyson Stanfield I find I am spending more time teaching myself how to set up the page instead of writing a compelling blog.
One of the basic assignments it to post who we are trying to reach on our blog. I have been thinking about this for days and as a result, I am falling behind in class. I have got to learn I have to sit down and actually post on the blog instead of keeping everything in my head.
Who do I want to reach? You of course. For one thing, I want to reach other artists. Artists I can network with and share work with. I want to find compelling venues for my artwork. I also want to reach people that are interested in art and will leave compelling comments about my work and share their work, or artwork they find interesting and/or similar to mine.

So - Here's to a New Beginning

2009-04-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

I have made a commitment to building a more vibrant and interesting blog by signing up for the 4-week Blog Triage class with Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris . Today's assignment/homework is to post a description of the people I want to reach with my blog, and what I want to accomplish. Another part of the assignment is to write about what I want to get from blogging.
I have decided to start with the 2nd step. I want to make my blog more interesting, to both readers and to myself. I don't want it to be just the place I post my most recent artwork and where I will be showing my work. I want it to include information about other artists that inspire me and have a interesting story to share. It will have some educational articles, especially articles of interest to other artists that pertain to marketing and eventually selling their artwork. I want to start enjoying blogging, and not look at it as a tedious chore. Hopefully, it will eventually help me network with artists, collectors and students. I am inspired artistically when I am around others.
I'm going to sleep on the first part - who I want to reach with my blog.

THIS WEEKEND

2009-04-21T21:18:00.000-04:00

I will have a booth at the Sweet P Festival in Marietta this weekend. I'm still in my "dress rehearsal" phase - trying to get my tent to look professional and enticing! I have had greeting cards, as well as bookmarks printed - so I'm ready to go sell!!!!
Sweet P's is locatd at 1975 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta Ga. at the Episcopal Church of St. Peter and Paul.

THE UNIVERSE WE KNOW

2009-02-16T17:54:00.000-05:00

This consists of 4 canvases, each measuring 20x24. I started with the sun on the left, and moved to Mercury, then Venus, Earth and Mars, complete with the moons each one has. All of the planets, and the sun contain collage material that pertains to them. For example, the sun has a tarot card with a sun on it. Earth has a picture of my house from google earth. I used a lot of layers to create a very tactile environment. This was done with collage, as well as modeling paste and paint. I did this as part of my TRANSFORMATION show at Georgia Perimeter College in October. Maybe someday I will go back and finish the entire universe as we know it - but I have to admit, I quit when I got to Jupiter, it is just SO BIG!!!!

Which tent looks best?

2009-02-16T17:51:00.001-05:00

I'm still learning how to set up for the festivals. As much as I've read and observed, I'm still confused.

ARTIST GOALS FOR 2009

2009-02-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

I have decided, if I put it out there, I am therefore accountable. I have become to believe if you either visualize your goals, or you write them down, you have a much better chance of making them happen. So - this is my first step in achieving my goals.
I took a class from Alyson Stanfield, "Blast Off" - which deal wtih much of this. I am also involved in an Art Marketing Salon, and we meet every two weeks and have specific things to achieve between meetings. So - here goes

1. I want to be self-sufficient on my artwork so I can retire earlier than originally planned.
2. Solo Show in a gallery within the next 15 months
3. Submit to juried festivals, and be accepted in a minimum of 10 of them a year
4. Look for alternative places to show my work, places where they will be purchased.
5. Get marketing material organized and always have it ready to go.
6. Print a line of cards to sell at festivals
7. Grow a mailing list - to 300+ active people
8. Learn how to put together a newsletter that looks professional and is interesting to read - sent 4x a year minimum
9. Write on my blog a minimum of 1x
10. Grow my network of artists - get more involved with the AAC and the WCAGA
11. Acceptance into a national juried show
12. take a monday off a month at a minimum to devote 100% to art endeavors
13. Learn more about blogging
14. Update website a minimum of 2x a year - more often if needed
15. Read about art and artists - go to galleries - go to museums

PASSION OF THE DANCE - ABSTRACT DRESS

2009-02-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

Because Valentine's Days is coming up, I thought I should post a painting that I believe shows the romance and passion of the holiday. This is a large piece - 24x36". I built the texture with paint, and added paper. All of the paper has references to the dance of the tango, either how to dance it with the footsteps, or narrative in both English and Spanish.

Enjoy - and feel free to leave a post!

MY NEW DRESSES!

2008-11-27T09:10:00.000-05:00

This is the direction I am heading in with my new dress paintings. These are made with multiple layering, to get the background a deep rich earthy tone. I have used white and black gesso, inks, coffee and tea - as well as layers of colors. I am working on getting the texture to be lacelike to give them a mysterious quality.

REPRESENTATION WITH MICHAEL JOSEPH GALLERY IN FT. LAUDERDALE

2008-10-19T19:07:00.000-04:00

Below is the press release that was sent out by Michael Joseph gallery. I will be sending 6-8 pieces down there this week to be exhibited in a group show, with an opening on 11/14. Read about the gallery by clicking on the following link. All of my pieces are available as prints too.

http://michaeljosephgallery.com/

VICKIE MARTIN
Award winning abstract Atlanta artist Vickie Martin uses a variety of material to create her mixed media work. Among them are acrylic paint, ink, pastels, charcoal and collage. She is inspired by different themes including music, geometric shapes and architecture.

Vickie’s art has been described as a dance of shapes, textures and rhythms. Being the daughter and grand-daughter of piano tuners, using rhythm is natural for her.

Textures are created using several things, many of which are found around the house. Collage is one of things used to create texture. Some of the things she regularly uses are old maps, dress patterns, insides of envelopes, old books (in any language), newspaper, stamps, tissue paper, produce bags, or anything that may attract her attention.

Some of the things she uses to create a tactile tecture are sand, coffee, tea and salt (from table salt to rock salt). Not afraid of experimenting, she has also used baby oil, alcohol, even miracle grow, and has been known to set canvases outside during a rainstorm. The layering of all of this creates a depth and the more one looks at the work, the more unexpected things being appearing.

TRANSFORMATION SHOW AT GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE

2008-10-03T23:07:00.001-04:00

WELL, the time has finally arrived for us to hang the show at Ga. Perimeter College's Dunwoody campus. Donna and I have been working on this since April, and I think the hard work is going to pay off. I have 24 pieces that I have completed for this. This is the debut of both this work and using this space in the library for a gallery. My work consists of multi-layered mixed media, using everything in my studio from ink, pen, pencil, pastels, acrylic, to salt and coffee. I hope people will come out to see the work. Located on Womack Drive in Dunwoody (off Tilly Mill), the show will be in the library.

wow! Atlanta

2008-08-15T21:03:00.002-04:00

So often people think of Atlanta as not being at all "cultural", but that is about to change. As I watch the Olympics, I am reminded what a wonderful time it was here. We pulled it off in 1996. And we are going to pull it off again. Starting in November, we will have 2 of the most important, awe inspiring exhibits in Atlanta. Beginning November 16th - we will have the Terracotta soldiers from China at the High Museum of Art (through 4/19), AND the King Tut exhibit beginning November 15th. I hope this will prove to the naysayers that we really art a world class city. SO - come on down! we can't wait to see you!

wow! Atlanta

2008-08-15T21:03:00.001-04:00

My NEW WEBSITE!

2008-08-15T19:40:00.000-04:00

My new website is up and running. I like the way it looks and I think my work is showcased very nicely. Click n My NEW WEBSITE, and it will take you directly there

MUSICAL COLLAGE

2008-08-07T09:40:00.001-04:00

This isn't new, but I think I might go back to doing some musical collages. I have so much material, as my father rebuilt pianos and my grandfather was a piano tuner. I spent last week cleaning out my studio and I found my collage material is heavy in musical themes - and fashion! primarily shoes!

THIS IS WHAT I SPENT MY $600 ON. I AM SUBMITTING TO FESTIVALS!!!!

2008-08-03T14:32:00.001-04:00

Yes - I have too much work sitting around and I need to get rid of it. While festivals are hard work getting ready, I think it will be worth it. I'm sure there will be boring times, but I'll just relax and people watch! Once we figured out how to get the tent up - it was easy. And the take down was easy too. The first time is by far the hardest! - because the roof stays on!!!!! I've submitted to Oakhurst, so that's a start. Plus it is only a one - day festival! A good start!

Abstract view of Atlanta in 1980

2008-07-27T21:16:00.000-04:00

Here is a fairly new piece of work. Once again I used collage to organize the page and was inspired by a photograph of the skyline of Atlanta in 1980. Of course, I took some artistic license and moved some of the shapes around to suit my composition. I painted on top of the collage with acrylics. This measures 20x24" and is on paper.

the continued journey of a painting

2008-07-26T13:28:00.000-04:00

well, it is hard to believe the journey this little painting has taken. I think it changed drastically when I decided to fit it into my "rhythm of the universe" series. It was a natural mutation, the original painting was just the beginning layer. Many layers and much work later, hopefully you can see the evolution. Using salt, celophane and coffee, then drawing back on the marking that were made created great texture!

Back in December, I was involved in a show titled 12x12. It consisted of 12 artists that did 12 pieces of work that measured 12"x12", and of course, it was held on 12/12. While the show was successful, I had some inventory left.

Well, early in 2008 I started my "Rhythm of the Universe" series, which you can see below. The other day I was looking at this painting and realized I was already utilizing circle. However, it didn't fit in that series. So, I started out by neutralizing the color, and added texture with sand and salt. I thought it would be interesting to post where the painting is going now.

What you see above is the direction of the current painting on the top, with the original painting, as it appeared in the 12x12 show in December.

I am hoping by posting here reqularly, it will help me paint more consistently. If I post a 1/2 finished painting, I will go ahead and finish it in a couple of days to post the new one.

I will be having a one - person show at Georgia Perimeter College in October, and I only have 12 pieces completed, and most are not framed. I have 5 paintings that have been started, so I have to get busy!!!!!

PASSION OF THE DANCE - ABSTRACT DRESS

2008-07-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

This is one of the larger pieces I've done, measuring 36" x24". The first layer of the painting is made up of dress patterns and collage that contains references to tango. There are small dance steps through out the painting. I like to paint dresses that appear to be worn, but the person isn't visible. Because of the dance references, I softened the edges to make it appear as if it is motion. This was originally done for a show entitled "RED", that was shown at Georgia Perimeter College with the Women's Caucus of Art in Georgia. I am going to continue a series like this

ABSTRACT COLLAGE BASED ON A PHOTOGRAPH OF ATLANTA

2008-07-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

This is basically a collage, I organized the page with paper, including airline tickets and old monoprints, stamps, etc. I used a photograph of the skyline of Atlanta in 1970 to organize the page. Once the page was organized with the collage, I painted on top of it, creating an abstract view of Atlanta in 1970. This is back when the Polaris at the Regency was the highest point on the skyline. My how it has changed!

ATLANTA COLLAGE SOCIETY GROUP SHOW

2008-07-14T23:05:00.000-04:00

if you want to see these pieces in person - come to the opening on 7/17 at Limetree Gallery on Lavista Road! This piece has collage of outdated Italian Lire, as wel as stamps and netting. I think it is kind of interesting!

WHAT TO HANG UP FOR THE ATLANTA COLLAGE SOCIETY SHOW?

2008-07-14T23:04:00.000-04:00

I titled this piece "Let's Dance" - I like the way the dress moves without a body. The collage is dress patterns, appropriate for the image! I love using dress patterns as collage, I love the lines and the shapes. They are a great tool for organizing a page

A CREATIVE IDEA FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE FELLOW ATLANTA ABSTRACT ARTIST

2008-07-13T22:39:00.000-04:00

Check out my friend Lance's blog by clicking on the title. He has found a unique way of using blogging to help him decide what to submit to shows. The Atlanta Collage Society's next show will open on Thursday 7/17 at LimeTree Gallery on Lavista Road in Atlanta. I am submitting paintings that began as collage - so they are technically "collage".

Fireworks in the sky

2008-07-13T20:52:00.001-04:00

Marc Chagall -

2008-07-12T18:20:00.000-04:00

Did you know Marc Chagall was actually born Moishe Shagal, and when the namae was rendered in Russian, it became Mark Zakharovich Shaglalov. Today, I was feeling a little whimsical, and because his works often have whimsy and fantasy in them, I decided to do a little research on him.

One of my favorite art quotes is attributed to him: "Great art picks up where nature ends".

also "If I create art from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing".

Look him up on wikipedia - the link is http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_chagall

Who is your favorite painter?

ART QUOTES OF THE DAY

2008-07-08T10:59:00.000-04:00

I have decided to post art quotes, when I haven't any new work to post. Today I was looking at quotes regarding accidents in paintings. My Rhythm of the Universe series began as an accident. It began with me putting down layer and layers, experiementing with as many different things I could come up with. Surprisingly, circles began emerging, and alas, my new series! So - a couple of quote, I'll begin with George Carlin, an homage to a great comedian.

"Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?" George Carlin

"All painting is an accident. But it's also not an accident, because one must select what part of the accident one chooses to preserve." Francis Bacon

MORE RHYTHM OF THE UNIVERSE

2008-06-29T19:08:00.001-04:00

What to do in the artworld today?

2008-06-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

This is a collage I did last year. I used an old photograph of Lenox Square, back when it was still just a shopping center to organize the page. I collaged different things down, including tickets, envelopes, and just junk paper. I then painted back on top of it. I am considering submitting this to the national collage show. Any comments?

Wow - I have so much to complete. I have to have a series completed and framed by October 22. I am taking the much dreaded composition class right now with Chery Baird. I have completed 7 of the first 100 paintings in the first series. I may never finish!!!! Where to start? Maybe I'll start by cleaning the house, maybe that will clean my head.

THE RHYTHM OF THE UNIVERSE

2008-04-18T19:10:00.001-04:00

Here is the what has been completed in the series so far.

MERIT AWARD WON FOR DUET!!!!

2008-04-18T19:01:00.001-04:00

This piece is part of my new series "THE RHYTHM OF THE UNIVERSE". It is currently on display at the Atlanta Artist Center, located on Grandview Avenue in Buckhead. I was chosen as one of the top three pieces, out of a field of almost 300 participants. So far, there are 6 completed pieces in this series, with another 6 close behind.

SUENO ON VIEW AT ABERNATHY ARTS CENTER

2008-04-18T18:49:00.001-04:00

SUENO CURRENTLY ON VIEW AT THE ABERNATHY ART CENTER IN GEORGIA ARTISTS: A JURIED EVENT

WILL BE ON VIEW UNTIL 4/25

Vickie Martin solo show at Carroll Street Cafe

2007-10-19T12:42:00.001-04:00

Be sure to stop by the Carroll Street Cafe in the month of November and see Vickie's work. This restaurant is located in the unique Atlanta neighborhood of Cabbagetown. It is owned by the owners of Apres Diem and Carpe Diem, so it is well worth a visit!

http://www.apresdiem.com/carroll/

VICKIE MARTIN ARTS

SACRED SPACES Lance Carlson's Solo Exhibit

FOUR EVENTS FEATURING MY ARTWORK THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6th!

THE ADVANTAGES OF OWNING ORIGINAL ART

HELLO 2012!

LAST POST OF THE YEAR! - MY STUDIO, MY SUPERSTITIONS, AND MY GUNPOWDER

2012 - THE YEAR TO FOCUS

SETTING GOALS

SEVERAL NEW PIECES

COLLAGE DEMONSTRATION AT THE ATLANTA ART FESTIVAL

WAITING FOR THE PAINT TO DRY......

PLAYING WITH FIRE - A VIDEO OF BURNING PAPER WITH GUNPOWDER

ADVENTURES IN PAINTING COURTESY OF CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF GEORGIA

Journeys, here and there and back again at the Defoors Center - shot in HD!

GETTING READY FOR A SHOW AND AN APOLOGY TO MY FRIENDS

THE ADVANTAGES OF USING A PROFESSIONAL TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR ARTWORK, GUEST BLOG WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER JOEL CONISON

SPRING CLEANING - or - SHOWING OFF YOUR SOUVENIRS

playing with fire

check out my new newsletter

BOOKS ABOUT ART I RECOMMEND

THE POWER OF "LIKE"

IT"S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR!!!! Goal Setting for 2011

THE 3/50 PROJECT - A REASON FOR BUYING LOCAL ART FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

THE CREATIVE JOURNEY

SOME FACTS ABOUT ART THEFT AND VERMEER, AND WHY THE SCREAM CANNOT BE FORGED

UPCOMING EVENTS - August and September!

THE STUDIO REMODEL IS JUST ABOUT COMPLETED

THIRD DAY OF MY STUDIO CLEANUP

HOW A PENDING LAWSUIT GAVE ME THE ENERGY TO TACKLE A CLOSET IN MY STUDIO.

WHAT A MESS I'VE MADE, AND IT ALL BEGAN WITH REFINISHING MY GRANDMOTHER'S DINING ROOM TABLE

BIG WEEKEND COMING UP - June 12-13th

The Subject Of Art #6: Collage - The Origins Of A Modern Art Expression

Check out my @constantcontact newsletter

Mayretta Days, and other amazing things about Marietta, Ga.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF INMAN PARK

SPRING SCHEDULE - Come on out!

AN EPIPHANY IN THE DARK

CREATING A SIGNATURE STYLE FOR A BODY OF WORK

THE HIGH PROJECT

UPCOMING EVENT - HIGH MUSEUM PROJECT

DECEMBER EVENTS - 10% limited discount on purchases, details below

NEW BLOG FOR ART ON ARGONNE

MY EXPERIENCE FROM SHOWING MY WORK AT THE ALLIANCE THEATRE

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR

ARTICLE IN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL ABOUT THE ATLANTA ARTS FESTIVAL

TUNING IN TO TWITTER

TIPS ON COLLECTING ART

ART EVENTS

STROKE OF THE BRUSH AWARD

COMING SOON

CAN ARTISTS REALLY NETWORK ON FACEBOOK????

The BINDERS Art Blog: The Most Expensive Painting in the World

THE TOP 200 ARTISTS OF THE 20th CENTURY????

LAST WEEK FOR RHYTHM OF MY LIFE SOLO SHOW

CONNECTING INTERNATIONALLY WHILE READING ABOUT DE KOONING

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR JUNE

ECLIPSE

RHYTHM OF MY LIFE SHOW

AN INTERVIEW WITH FINE ARTIST LANCE CARLSON

M Castaneda Fine Art Oil Portraits - Paintings - City Scapes: Memorial Day - Proud to Remember

REVIEW OF SIMON SCHAMA THE POWER OF ART - Caravaggio

ART HAPPENINGS IN ATLANTA OVER MEMORIÅL DAY WEEKEND

SERIES OF POSTS

MUSINGS ABOUT ART FESTIVALS - are they worth it?

My GOALS

Beyond the Art Fair: How Long Did That Take to Make?

HOMEWORK HOMEWORK

Atlanta 1970 - how to organize a page

PICTURES OF MY SHOW AT TROY PEERLESS LOFTS

BLOGGING ABOUT ART

WHO IS THIS BLOG FOR?

So - Here's to a New Beginning

THIS WEEKEND

THE UNIVERSE WE KNOW

Which tent looks best?

ARTIST GOALS FOR 2009

PASSION OF THE DANCE - ABSTRACT DRESS

MY NEW DRESSES!

REPRESENTATION WITH MICHAEL JOSEPH GALLERY IN FT. LAUDERDALE

TRANSFORMATION SHOW AT GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE