Diptych at this stage together

Below is the diptych at this stage side by side.

(Sorry, I couldn't get more space between two:-o)

You will have to stop by the Mint Museum Uptown on Saturday, October 2 from 10AM-Noon to see how it turns out. (I will probably leave them there for remainder of day Saturday and will post pics next week.)

Mint Museum Uptown work... IN PROCESS

Following are three stages of my new diptych (20x16" each) inspired by the art collection of the soon to open Mint Museum Uptown:











1a) Above is a pastel board painted with acrylic, and then a little light & dark pastel added. Finally, water and acrylic washes are painted, sprayed and slung across surface.












1b) Above is the pastel on newsprint sketch of next abstract layer of marks. I was practicing what I wanted to do before doing it on final painting.















1c) Above are steps a & b combined. Not sure where I am going next. (Also notice I changed orientation.)












2a) Above is the second pastel board painted with acrylic, and then a little light & dark pastel added. Finally, water and acrylic washes are painted, sprayed and slung across surface.













2b) Above is the second panel's pastel on newsprint sketch of next abstract layer of marks. I was practicing what I wanted to do before doing it on final painting.















1c) Above are steps a & b combined on the second panel. Not sure where I am going next. (Also notice I changed orientation.)

More Mint Museum Uptown work in process

Here are a few more in process shots of the evolution of my Mint Museum Uptown paintings...

First, you can see the small pastel painting that was the original idea for my more abstract diptych. Then, there are two pastel boards that are basically toned surfaces. Finally in the top middle and bottom left are two acrylic painting experiments.

My original idea was to create a diptych pair of acrylic and pastel paintings inspired by the Mint Museum Uptown art collection. The composition was to be an abstraction of one of my women in water with fabric images. (There is a small pastel painting of this original idea source.)














But, as I have been working on this process of underpainting and figuring out the composition, I am just not into the abstract composition. The full figure keeps coming back. Therefore in this picture below, you can see the original pastel inspiration (in top right), a more abstract acrylic painting that will be the under painting for the pastel boards (bottom left) and the two 20x16" pastel boards with their two separate images.

These will still be a pair, a set, a diptych so to speak... but are starting from two separate images instead of one.














Below is a detail of the more abstract acrylic painting that will be the under painting for the pastel paintings. (I am now working on the under painting of the final boards and will post more pics in the next week:-)

Traffic info for Mint Museum Uptown Grand Opening

Traffic in uptown Charlotte, NC is going to be crazy during the Mint Museum Uptown Grand Opening weekend, October 1st & 2nd. There is a huge race for the cure that same weekend and the Mint expects HUGE crowds. It might be a good time to take light rail into Uptown, ride the city bus or just have someone drop you off.

Regardless of your travel methods, you probably do want to use some extra planning... Following is a link to the SUN (Street Use and Event Notice) by Charlotte Department of Transportation.

It’s a great resource that was used a lot at MMC+D (Mint Museum of Craft + Design). It provides the times and maps for upcoming streets closings, and event routes with partial streets closings.

www.charmeck.org/city/charlotte/Transportation/ClosingsandEvents

Mint Museum Uptown-inspired diptych (In process)

[I don't post but once a month for quite awhile and then three in one
day!]

Anyway... here is where my basic composition is coming from... for my Mint Museum Uptown inspired diptych painting. (Diptych means two panels... in this case two 16x20" pastel boards.)

Below is an in-process pastel painting, standing alone as a work in itself, from the photo of my model with tulle. The composition for Mint Museum Uptown inspired diptych painting is derived from this. But, I am hoping it to be more abstract.












Below is a-bad-picture of my rough compositional sketches for diptych panels. I will post more as it evolves... as well as invite you, if you're in the Charlotte, NC area on October 2, 2010, to stop by and see my paintings in person. It is FREE. (And, of course, see the AMAZING new Mint Museum Uptown:-)

Mint Museum Uptown in Charlotte, NC

The youtube link below is some pictures of several artist's responses to NEW Mint Museum Uptown in Charlotte, NC...

"Eleven area artists were challenged to create an original work of art in response to the opening of the new Mint Museum Uptown, and as part of the Community Grand Opening. The artists toured the new facility and collection galleries, with sketchbooks in hand. Watch the slideshow for a sample of pieces in progress. The artists and their works will be at the museum during the opening celebration on Saturday, 2 October. Stop by and join in the dialogue!"

www.youtube.com

(And, again, the link to Mint Museum website with Mint Museum Uptown Grand Opening DETAILS... www.mintmuseum.org/grand-opening)

Mint Museum Uptown Grand Opening in Charlotte, NC

I am very excited to be creating a diptych painting inspired by the NEW Mint Museum Uptown! I will finish it during the Grand Opening weekend, working on it Saturday, October 2nd from 10AM to Noon in the 2-D studio. I do hope you'll mark your calendars for this momentous event in the history of Charlotte, North Carolina!!

Saturday's events are FREE! (BUT, it will be a crazy busy uptown with both the Grand Opening and Race for the Cure going on at the same time:-o) Here is a link to find out DETAILS... www.mintmuseum.org/grand-opening

After accepting this invitation to create a new piece of work inspired by the new Mint Museum Uptown, I was treated to a private preview of most work installed up to that point. The Danny Lane commission was almost complete and WOW is it incredible.

I also saw their American Art Collection literally in a new light... they have conserved ALL these paintings and many look like new works, with their details and colors exposed!

SO... following is a peek into my process... I'll write some brief explanations and will post more later.

I am inspired by Chuck Close, Julie Heffernan, Romare Bearden, Eric Fischl and Danny Lane among many others in the New Mint Museum Uptown collection! For the grand opening celebration, I am painting a diptych inspired by these artists, compositionally based on a photo of a woman and fabric in water (seen at the top area of this photo below... along with a smaller pastel painting of this image).














1) Above you see my pencil sketches from the original paintings in the Mint Museum Uptown Collections... and one 16x20" painted pastel board underneath.











2) Here (above) you can see my process... acrylic paints in palette (with pencil sketches from actual works of art in the collection and dark pastel board).














3) Above you can see my process of first painting layers of acrylic metallic washes that will peek through the final pastel layers. (I will then hand brush a layer of clear pastel medium over to give surface some "tooth" to hold soft pastel.)











4) Above is a detail of an experiment with Hosho paper & acrylic paint. Underneath is a glazed pastel board.

5) The two final photos are also details of experimentations with various acrylic washes and metallic paints on this same Hosho paper. (I was thinking I would collage some of these-Bearden style-to the pastel board.... then, cover them with pastel medium and add pastel on top, BUT the thin paper did not collage too well.)

Reflection

I realized last night that even though I have been an artist all my life and was a teaching artist for thirteen years after college, I have only be a full time artist for four years. It was a quiet epiphany for me.

There are many things that I have accomplished, professionally, since June 2006. But, when I look at how far I have to go, I sometimes get overwhelmed. Last night I clearly saw just how far I have come (especially considering our current economy).

There are a number of entrepreneurial folks I look up to and am learning from... so impressed with their success. But, success takes time... it's usually based on step by step, calculated hard work. This summer has renewed my spirit. I am still up for this challenge! (Now, I must get back into my studio:-)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

If an artist is going to put themselves out there, they will experience rejection. The trick is to think strategically and be smart and thorough. I quit my safe full time teaching job to be a full time artist over four years ago.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." (Charles Dickens quote) This describes my past six months. I have worked very hard over the last four years (and of course before that, but my art business always came after my teaching job). Yet, this summer I have experienced some fruits of those efforts.

However, I have also experienced some serious rejection this summer! SO, simultaneously, there are great things like in September (right now) I have local, regional and national art publicity! But, I also heard a "no" from several grants applications and one residency.

If I were gauging my success on my rejections, I would have never quit my safe teaching job in the first place. Business is a balance of passion (doing what you love), marketing (finding who shares your passion and will invest) and strategic planning (where do you want to be down the road and then steps to get there).

I love to paint women in water. I create other work, but I am passionate about this series and it has become my "brand". Several years ago I said I want to be in American Art Collector Magazine. I waited because strategically, I thought it best to have an ad with a gallery. Now, I am in that magazine in a RedSky Gallery ad and I am mentioned by name in an interview with the gallery owner.

Yet, at the same time, I have received numerous rejection letters... for things I really thought I had a chance at "this time"! So, artists, brace yourself for rejection. Learn from those rejections and move on. IF you want to make your art a business, you must learn what you can from the ups and the downs! Business is just like your art practice in that is a process. I would encourage you to enjoy more of it and use these experiences to get closer to your goals.