I've been spending lots of time in my studio, in the garage melting new work, and in my frame shop finishing up each work's presentation ... but I've also been having fun outside the actual process of making art! Steve and I had a busy Sunday ... going to a photography show that included a picture of me! ... and attending the South Carolina State Fair where I won an award.
First ... my artwork. Lately I've been making work in my "Stained Glass Series". There's four different sizes of work, each with an architectural name: Lancet Windows, Lunette Windows, Windows, and Large Stained Glass. I go through plenty of polyester stretch velvet when constructing these pieces. All my velvet already has heat-activated adhesive ironed to the reverse. (Brand name: Wonder Under, Pellon 805). There's time and money wrapped up in all the scraps. Once the pile gets this size ...
... it's time to switch gears! It's time to cut the scraps into squares and rectangles ... and turn my attention to the "In Box Series."
I've started this series in 2004. At first, they were all sorts of different sizes. Occasionally, there would be a variation ... like added beads or acorn caps. Eventually, I settled on three different framed sizes: 19" x 15", 21" x 17", and 33" x 21". Yet, I called them all "In Boxes" ... and the number surpassed THREE HUNDRED this week!
These new works will be headed to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show in November. I've excited. Scroll down to see the last two!
(Above: Black and White: Portrait Exhibition by Dalvin Spann and Lee Ann Kornegay. Opening night at 701 Whaley Community Hall. Photo by Molly Harrell.)
Before finishing the last two, new In Box pieces, Steve and I attended the opening reception for friends Dalvin Spann and Lee Ann Kornegay at the Hallway Gallery inside 701 Whaley Street. It was amazing! There were performers, food and drink, and a very excited crowd looking at the various portraits. Lee Ann, a 57 year old white female, took photos of ten interesting African Americans in our arts community. Dalvin, a36-year old black man, took photo of ten interesting white members of our arts community ... including me ...
... laying on my studio floor atop my "palette" of polyester stretch velvet! The fabric doesn't look as hideous as it really does in color! Unbelievably, the zebra print I draped across myself is actually neon lime green and black with glitter!
(Above: Steve and me in the reception ... with a slide show in the background!)
The twenty portraits fit perfectly into the hallway gallery space and will make an excellent welcome for people entering the businesses and 701 Center for Contemporary Art which is on the second floor. The show stays up through December 10th. Yet, one of the most wonderful things about the reception was a running slide show featuring many of the images that were NOT framed in the hallway ... including one Dalvin shot of Steve and me in Mouse House! I think I'll have to contact Dalvin to get a real print of this one!
(Above: [When Women Were] To Be Seen and Not Heard. Mixed Media art quilt. 30 1/2" x 23" unframed; 33" x 25 3/4" framed. Assorted 19th century copper-plate and steel engravings on heavy watercolor paper with hand-stitched shirt buttons.)
We left one art reception in time to attend another at the South Carolina State Fair. Many artists would laugh at the notion of entering a "state fair" but here in South Carolina the award purse tops $24,000. It would be silly NOT to enter ... especially since I live two miles from the fair grounds and there's no fee. Each artist can submit two pieces. One of mine won a $200 merit award! I'm thrilled!
After an exciting weekend, I finished the last two, new In Box Series pieces ... and am hard at work making other pieces. I'll be sharing some soon!
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