"Women to Watch: 2016" Exhibit (Bettye Clark Cannon Gallery) (Review)

I had the distinct pleasure of being invited to participate in a new exhibit at the Bettye Clark Cannon Gallery in Muskegon, Michigan and attended the opening reception last night. What great fun! I had the chance to sit and chat with some of the other artists who also have their work showcased at this event as well as enjoy the artwork while sipping punch and munching on snacks with fellow artist and Facebook friend, Bette DelVecchio, whose wonderful works are also on display at this exhibit.  I also had the pleasure of talking with Polly Doctor, Special Projects Coordinator who has done a wonderful job in coordinating this show.

There is a lot of talent here to see, if you are in the area over then next couple of months, stop by and see what the area's women artist are doing. This cozy gallery is in the upper level of the Hilt Building. Each artists work was very tasteful presented and very aesthetically pleasing to the eye, with the artwork well spaced under good lighting that lets you fully appreciate each detail of the art.

I have three of my mixed media works displayed here, one of which was also the entry in the Michigan Regional Show. All  three of my pieces are available to purchase. Email me if you would like a price on them. The gallery is located at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, 425 W. Western Avenue, Muskegon, Michigan. The exhibit runs from November 12, 2015 through February 29, 2016.Admission is free.

Next post 11/18-19: "The Art of the Nude"

Namaste-Marie

Summer's Gold

Marigolds

My apologies for the lateness of my post. I had every intention of getting back to the business of blogging in September, but things being what they were......enjoying our brief  Michigan summer, catching up house projects and learning how to do my blog on an android tablet, it was not to be. I have been dragged kicking and screaming into today's mobile technology with auto-correct, emojies, and using the hunt and peck method of typing. It's been a challenge for me because I was so comfortable with my old desktop. But I'll adapt.......eventually.

Michigan Regional Entry

Artistically speaking, the summer did bring some interesting things my way. I was fortunate enough to have a piece of artwork accepted into the 87th Michigan Regional Art and Show as well as a 3D work accepted into the Art in The City show. I named this piece Thoughts Of Freedom In Copper And Blue.


  The Michigan Regional Art Exhibit is a well established show in Michigan, being the longest running art show in the state.  This year there was a record number of entries of over 775 with over 200 entries being accepted. After this selection, some that weren't chosen were selected for the Art in the City Exhibit. The best of show at the Regional went to David Huang of Sand Lake for Luminous Relic #133. While mine didn't place, I was ecstatic that I had an entry. This was the first time I had entered an art show and having two being shown in galleries at the same time. At long last I felt like an artist.

The second work was shown at The Red Lotus Gallery as a 3D work, titled Mercury's Shoes-Steampunked! This gallery in downtown Muskegon is located in a historic building, and is very charming with a friendly staff.

Art in the City Entry

As you can see by the top photo, I also tried my hand at growing marigolds. These are one of my favorite flowers, not for their scent but for their bright golden yellow and orange-red blooms but are also useful in making a healing balm good for insects bites or rashes, something that comes in handy when the Skeeter's are bugging us in summer. They seemed to like the Sandy soil out in the front of my house.

The two works mentioned can be purchased. If you're interested, contact me for
pricing and shipping information.

Please have patience with me while I work out the bugs

Th

How to Find Great Art in Michigan

Mackinac Bridge

The winter of 2014-2015 has been an especially grueling one in Michigan. Sometimes it seems we only have two seasons these parts; cold and colder. But the summers in Michigan are great, especially for arts and crafts! While this list is by no means complete, here are a few well-known Michigan venues and promoters of the arts and artists. Take heart, Michiganders, Spring is on its way......or so they tell us.

1.         MichiganArtists Gallery 

Billed as one of the best galleries in Leelanau County, this gallery in Suttons Bay, Michigan is well known in the region for their contemporary folk art with work by contemporary mixed media and folk art, landscape and still life artists, photography, jewelry, wearable art, pottery, ceramics and much more. Their website states they were named “one of three essential art venues in “100 Best Art Towns in America” for the Grand Traverse area. It was also five times voted "Best Gallery in Leelanau County."

It is located in Suttons Bay and has been in business for 16 years, is open the year around with events and special exhibits the whole year around. Be sure to check out their colorful website. Their address according to the web is:  309 N. St. Joseph, PO Box 272, Suttons Bay, MI 49682

2.         MichiganArtisans

Michigan Artisans is a group of area artists, designers and musicians who create unique hand-crafted goods as well as original music all within the great state of Michigan. Michigan Artisans support local businesses and offer quality goods regionally made. Their website states they focus on “on artisans and musicians from our region, and offering the general public access to these vendors and musicians online and in person.” They are located in the old Germack Pistachio building at 1400 E. Fisher at Detroit's Historic Eastern Market. Their site states they are undergoing a transition for 2015 and new owner is Ms. Wendy Reezer. It states they will be open during the transition stage, but to call for hours of operation at 313.355.4316.

3          MichiganArt Shows.

Michigan Art Shows promotes community events in the state.  Their goal is to bring together those interested art with a wide range of artists. Their webpage has information for three upcoming art events happening around the Michigan area from May through September. Palmer Park art fair, Royal Oak Clay, Glass, and Metal Show and the Funky Ferndale Art Fair. The website lists info including applications for venders.

Got comment, question, or would like to purchase a link, email me. Namaste!  

"Awakening Spring" (Art Print Study)

Close up of a section of work

Two weeks ago, I posted my struggles with my decision to color in my black and white drawing, my version of an early Harry Clark print; then deciding I didn’t like it. I originally thought I was committed to coloring in the entire thing. I decided to leave that corner alone for the time being and concentrate on getting the rest of it finished in the black marker. This took another three or four days, finishing that up that portion around 1:00 a.m. But there was still the little problem with that glittery corner. The whole thing was nagging at me. I tend to be one of those pesky “problem-solvers” and sometimes I’m like the proverbial dog with the bone.

Ever come up with a solution at the most inopportune time? I wanted to get started on “fixing” the piece, now that I thought I had figured out how to have this turn out like I wanted. I remembered that acetone nail polish remover will take off marker. One am is not the time to start working with acetones, so thought it best to wait until morning. I don’t know about other creative people, but there is always a sense that if you don’t get the idea down and solidify it into material being, it will dissipate into thin air. I know I have written poems or short stories in my head while out walking, and of course by the time I get home, the idea is gone! Forcing the mind to try and recall something as ethereal as a poem just doesn’t seem to work.

Luckily the acetone remover worked to take off the glitter and metallic marker and with just a dab of titanium white acrylic paint, that area of canvas was almost as good as new, ready for the re-do. I was pretty happy with the result, although I think my next Art Nouveau projects will be smaller.While not technical, it is labor-intensive. I wonder at the intricacy and minute detailing of earlier Art Nouveau pieces. Amazing!

While this piece isn’t a total original, it is my take on it.  I liked it better with some of the back detail taken out, as it left it more open. Obviously a masterpiece can never really be recreated by another but one of the best ways for an artist to improve their craft is to study other artist’s works. This is one of those studies.

I would call this "Awakening Spring."

The original was from an unnamed print by Harry Clarke who was born in Dublin on March 17, 1889 and died on January 6, 1931. He created hundreds of commissioned  stained glass windows and book illustrations for works such as Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson and Charles Perrault’s Fairy Tales of Perrault. 

Source: Grafton, C.B. (1994). Treasury of Art Nouveau  Design and Ornament. A Pictorial Archive of 577 Illustrations. Dover Publications. NY. (copyright free image)

I hope you like my version of this print-Namaste-Mariehelena.

Confessions of a Jewelry Fanatic (with a bit of jewelry history and lore thrown in)

"Walking to Mass", Perm. Marker

I love jewelry. I love wearing it, seeing what new jewelry designs are in fashion, and what jewelry people are wearing. I also love creating jewelry for myself and for others. I began making my own jewelry at age 15, taking a long purchased chain necklace which had broken, taking it apart, making a sort of headgear from it, patterned after the head-wear of the medieval era. My only tools at that time were large, clunky pair of pliers and my fingernails. I planned out my design, cut the pieces, and put them together. It was delicate and time-consuming but after a while, I managed to put it together so that it fit my head just right. Right now it sits upon a glass case, a memento of my first creation as well as a template if I wish to make another. I did make one similar but thought it looked good as a necklace or modified it a bit, which is the Vintage Choker with crystals below.

Painting the Roses Red....or Maybe Venetian Pink

Venetian Roses & Lilies in Carnival Glass

Tiger Lily

Ah, flowers. Roses-red and otherwise, lilies, white, yellow, pink and spotted, gold and yellow marigolds. They sooth us with their scent. They inspire us to write poetry. We grow them. We decorate our home with them. They adorn our celebrations; we  give them to our sweethearts and we give them to our mothers....at least once a year.

Artistically, we also photograph them, sketch them, sculpt them, and paint them in many different genres and methods. Many times on my walks along Muskegon Lake, I take my camera to photograph flowers I come across.

Flags flying Purple

Some are from my garden.

I, like many other artists, enjoy recreating the beauty of a flower.

Lilies from my yard, color pencil

Of course the results may depend on the skill of the artist, and flowers are not easy to paint, but it can also be fun and relaxing.

Tulip in a vase, colored pencil

Besides drawing in grade school, my first attempt at flower drawing was in 1982 in color pencils, one of my favorite mediums.

My first attempts at flower painting in acrylic were of single flowers, not really having the skills I felt I needed,


 I felt it best to start small. Some of these turned out rather well for first attempts.

Very Pink Flowers in a Curved Vase

Later on, I felt brave enough to attempt painting bouquets! I hope you like them! 

Roses, Marigolds and Pinks in a Blue Vase

In an internet search I found quite a few websites dedicated to flower painting, some of which state they offer free lessons.

Daffodil

While I did not personally check out their sites thoroughly, I offer you their links and because I am always interested in learning new techniques and gaining experience as a painter, I will be checking them out myself (especially the last one).

Here are three that looked interesting: 

How to do things.com

How to learn flower painting techniques

 Craftsy Online Classes

If you are interested in purchasing any paintings/drawings you see here, you may contact me at my email address. Namaste!

What to do After you Smash that Guitar Against a Tree.

The Winged Quill is back. It took me a bit longer than stated to decide whether to say goodbye to this blog or continue plugging away at it. It is going to be a more free-flying blog, so be prepared to be surprised. I've haven't idle, though. Been working on some art projects, this and that. One of the projects I finished was something that happened to come about when a small guitar kind of got sat on. After trying to fix it several times, to no avail, I told my grandson, "here, do something with this" He did. He took it out and smashed it up against a tree. I suppose just to see what the result would be. Anyway, I looked at it and in my weirdness, thought it would come in handy to make an art project with, so I kept the back and front of it. After a year or more of laying around in a box of other junk that I lovingly call "materials" I hauled it out and starting playing around with an idea. I thought it may fit with the memorabilia I had stashed away from visiting Memphis and Graceland about five years ago. 

Music, Memphis and Memories

While I realize that the Beatles don't figure into the Memphis music scene as well as Elvis, I like the Beatles, so I threw on some small pictures of them too, and while I definitely would love to go to Memphis again, I will think twice about eating at the restaurant that advertised "The Best Meal on Beale" (it wasn't, should have ordered the alligator instead of the fish, I guess). Creating art out of things that others throw away to me is the joy of envisioning the possibilities and potentials of what something can BE, not just what it was before it was broken. Imagine life like that. Awesome!

One Swan a swimming (along with some other North American Wildlife) (Photos)

Whistling swan

Sorry there was no post last week readers. I found out that having no air conditioning in my house on a hot, humid Michigan day; a desire to clean out the dust bunnies that have taken up residence under the bed and everywhere else they find cozy; and that my metabolism is held together by a little yellow pill all conspired to

Here’s why walls don’t have to be blah anymore.

mud turtle sketch

When the RE committee and RE Education Director, Janet Perrault,at Harbor Unitarian Universalist Congregation decided it was  time to renovate their nursery, (entitled the Beatrix Potter Nursery), they thought it would be fun as well as educational to put wildlife scenery around the walls, as part of their tenets is to respect the “web of life.”

Mallard

So a group of us got together on the weekends and with a little talent and a lot of elbow grease we livened it up with marsh grass and an apple tree on three of the walls. After a little discussion, it was decided that the back wall that was blue would look great as a small pond. I offered to do this undertaken as, well as you pretty much guessed…I like birds, swans in particular and thought it would be a fun project.

It is an undertaking that will take a few days but so far it is going well. After sketching out the originals onto sheet paper, I transferred them to the wall a few days ago. Today I finished the water and now will add all the birdies. I can’t wait!

Sunfish sketches

The idea that the walls in your house have to be a certain color or plain may be a little outdated. More and more people are really thinking outside the box when it comes to room décor. I did check out a few websites that do custom-made murals. Some of them are spectacular. Nothing boring about those walls! Wall paint can be easily colored to suit whatever your inspired ideas can come up with and the spectrum of colors available is only limited by your imagination. With the use of either purchased or hand-cut patterns, anyone can create a completely innovative look to a room. For supplies or other DIY info, check out Better Homes and Gardens site at:  http://www.bhg.com/decorating/paint/projects/paint-projects-ideas-and-patterns/ 

For myself, I think having a huge Madre Gras scene on my bedroom wall would be so fabulous. I will post on my progress next week. Thanks for visiting. If you have a comment or question, email me.

Creative Cakes That Will Make You Say "Ooh" and "Ahh."

Elmo sitting pretty!

For today's Winged Quill Gallery entry I'd like to share with you some very creative cakes cakes baked and decorated by a very artistic and creative women, Kendra Hulbert of Twin Lakes, Michigan.

The Winged Quill has a new online gallery! ( With Photos)

Of Bees and Light, Acrylic 2014

The Winged Quill has a new category! It is tentatively called "The Gallery" and hopefully will be featuring new artwork as well as other creative exploits from artists, writers, musicians, crafters, jewelry designers, creative cooking, etc., young and old.

How to Make a Mixed Media Collage in One Day

Platitudes

Mixed media refers to works of art that combine

My Art Project is finally done!

"In Quiet Contemplation"

I have had a busy week. As such, my blogging suffered. I apologize for  the delay in posting.

How to make art out of chaos (photos)

"heavy metal chaos"

Ever have one of those moments when you are

Garden Flower Photo gallery

My small birdbath surrounded by Delphines  and salvia

 Even living in an urban setting, I have been able to enjoy the peace and tranquility of nature by

How I put New Life into an Old (really bad) Painting

What the Bleep is Steampunk anyway?

                                            The white rabbit in a watch-my first steampunk necklace

My first encounter with the term “Steampunk” was