How have you been keeping the winter blues away?
I'm sure I'm not the only one bingeing online shows, this winter! Two of my faves have been The Repair Shop and Blown Away.  Two little gems where creativity and craftsmanship shine. check them out ;-).  

Talking of being blown away, Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem The Hill We Climb, did just that. What a talented young poet. The poem is now available as a collectible gift edition, from Penguin Random House. Here you can also watch her read her poem Earth Rise about Climate Change written in 2018. 

and...

We were hit with a big Nor'easter the first two days of February. So I got busy in the kitchen and made a big pot of Indian Mulligatawny Soup and watched the snow storm.  I've never made this soup before but it was super easy and I loved it! Here's the recipe,  I added chicken and spinach.

Indian Mulligatawny SoupThis fragrant Indian Mulligatawny Soup is spiced with curry and made from creamy red lentils, carrots, apples, and coconut milk. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers!

​This recipe is from the Wanderlustkitchen 

And as It's February...

I was invited to participate in a show at the Velvet Mill, where I used to have a studio. The exhibition features work from local artists and reflects on the current crisis/pandemic, and is sponsored by ARC.

I wasn't sure I hav anything suitable, but one piece came to mind, from a few years back that was originally titled Loves Me, Loves Me Not, and was created to evoke the vulnerability and fragility of a child. 

I decided to embellish the print by adding a mask. After all we all have to adapt.  This will also be available  as an edition of giclee prints. All profits will be donated to Feeding America. But I felt I needed a different title and started to mull it over.

In the early hours of the morning, a time that I consistently wake these days with anxiety, I woke with the melody and words ‘O-o-h Child, things are gonna get easier’, in my head. A wonderful uplifting soulful song. I thought that’s it! it’s perfect for the piece and for the times.  Later that morning while drinking my coffee, I listened to the song by the Five Stairs Steps on YouTube, and searched for the lyrics to print out, and came across The New Yorker article by Amanda Petrusich.

It’s a reminder that in some of the darkest times we crave a salve and that salve often comes from the Arts – music, poetry, literature, film, art, and nature.  Starting my mornings with music is one way I can dissolve the anxiety of the night and start my day a little lighter.  I’m pleased to be reunited with this 70’s classic.

You can listen to the Five Stair Steps sing O-o-h Child here 

I'm also waking up to this tune
A lovely Day by Bill Withers, give it a listen, it'll put a skip in your step!
​
​

O-o-h Child 
is an embellished giclee fine art print
she is available in 4 sizes  11x14 up to 28x36in
starting  at $50 - $500

20% of the profits from print sales will go to Feeding America.
1 in 7 kids in America struggle with hunger.

Each one will be hand embellished with gold petal leaves on the flower and a gold mask. But you can get creative too and customize the mask with polka dots, stripes, flowers, words like vote, peace, whatever you like have fun - let me know!
​

I love this sightline shown below, capturing a view of several smaller works in the show.
Shop small work and other seascapes

Sunlit Seas 48x60" below is a painting that captures the fluidity of the sea, as the waves begin to form and rise. Beads of sunlight glisten on the surface and the surf begins to form as it get closer to shore. 

if you can't get to Newport in person, you can also shop the seascapes in the show online

One silver lining with this whole coronavirus pandemic and quarantine is that it has renewed my love of cooking. Which in turn has been a wonderful way to destress. What started as stress cooking, has transitioned to comfort cooking to feed the soul.

I haven't been able to focus much or concentrate on painting so cooking has been a welcome distraction from the anxiety of life right now. I've found that chopping vegetables, stir the pot, revisiting old familiar recipes and trying new ones has become a soothing and calming experience. Not to mention enjoying a delicious and nutritious home cooked meal.

Many of the meals I've made are pretty basic, and standard, but they still pack a punch in terms of taste and comfort.  But as I now live alone, I've had the opportunity to experiment a little bit and explore more vegetarian/vegan recipes (that is after using up all the animal protein in the freezer). 

Here are some of the recipes that have been a comfort during this time of corona! I hope you enjoy them. 
​

I find working on a small scale exciting and fun to let paint be paint, and explore mark making and happy accidents.  Creating lots of energy and texture!   I try to bring this experience to the easel when I am working on larger paintings too. At least thats the goal!
​

Avondale Arts is located at 95 Watch Hill Road, Westerly, RI 02891

 ​We had a glimpse of summer on Saturday here in the North East. The sun was shinning and a lovely breeze drifted into the gallery during the opening as we listened to the ethereal sounds of the live performance  of Music for Water Music by @auroracollaborative. it was a sensory delight and complimented the show so well. I know this won't do it justice but I tried to captured a little snippet of the performance in video.  You can watch here.

Description of Music for Water Music (2019) by Antonio Forte, written by the composer
​
Music for Water Music is a piece of sound art composed for live flute accompanied by pre-recorded digital tape manipulations. The piece embodies a transformation of the second movement ("Alla Hornpipe") of the Water Music suite in D major, composed by George Frederic Handel in 1717. The original recording has been digitally stretched out from 3 minutes 45 seconds to last nearly 2 hours, while maintaining its relative pitch (being transposed down just a half-step from D to Db). In addition to being stretched, the original recording is played backwards over itself at the same time as it is going forwards, a total structural retrograde. The flute part incorporates similar rhythmic stretching of the original melody, structural retrograde on local and global levels, as well as repetitions of smaller note clusters within larger melodic phrases; all played freely, senza misura with the stretched recording. Techniques such as key slaps, wind sounds, and overblown harmonics are used to further create watery effects. The overall aesthetic of Music for Water Music is the evocation of the sea, ocean waves, and the ebb and flow of the tides.

This three person exhibition is curated by gallery owner and director Shari Weschler, she explains that ".each artists Annie Wildey Susan Schultz and Michele Poirier Mozzone focus on water, examining the life that resides and plays within, or the destructive realities of waste that are discarded into its magnificence.  All also recognize and honor time that passes as a journey.  Be it through erosion, an emotion or recreation, water carries strength, offers a cleansing breath, a moment to honor the past or sit in the present.  It breaks down surface with relentless persistence, is vastly deep holding darkness and mystery, distorts reality and can exist in three physical states.  Water makes up sixty percent of our adult bodies and it is a relevant metaphor for our complex lives and the human condition; fleeting as each wave, bubbles and reflections of light travel up and out". 

you can read more about the show and the other artisits work here.

Ei was excited to help hang a show which features work by my stepson Jack!

Opening Wednesday, May 1st, the show celebrates young artists in our community, who have nurtured their creativity at  Julie Duba's Art Studio.  Julie and I hung almost 60 works of art yesterday at Setra Artes gallery in the Boro.  The show looks great and features several pieces by High School seniors who will be heading off to college this fall including Jack you can see some of his work here.
 
We would love you to join us at the opening tomorrow

Wednesday, May 1, 4.30pm -8pm
Setra Artes Gallery 
11 Grand Street, Stonington Borough, CT

I was recently invited to make an artist video. I said yes I'd love to. But the truth is up until now I've been resistant to making one.

luckily I watched my stepson Jack create a video in iMovie for his art school portfolio last month. It looked a little complicated seeing the backend of his movie, all the slicing of layers of video, sound, music, and titles, But it also looked like a lot of fun watching him make tweaks along the way, fine-tuning his vision.

I love how he picks things up so quickly and dives right in. Rarely is there any hesitation, it's inspiring. I'll miss having him around when he heads off to college this fall.

As I sat down to start, I realized my resistance wasn't so much about learning to use iMovie, it was actually resistance to putting myself out there in a video. I felt vulnerable and still do. But as I pulled some images into iMove I started to have fun and enjoy the creative aspect of trying to make a video and tell a story, so here you go. 

Put the kettle on, make yourself a cuppa, sit back and hopefully enjoy. I'd love to know what you think ;-)

I'm kind of excited to make more so watch out for version 2.0 with video footage and narration!

Cheers

This month I will be exhibiting in TriBeCa, alongside fellow alumni and faculty of The New York Academy of Art. The show is curated by Rick Davidman of the former DFN gallery, Kim Power graduate of the school, and art dealer Elizabeth Garvey.

Thinking about the show this month reminded me of a time back in 2005 when I found myself wandering around TriBeCa on a Saturday afternoon. I came across some exquisite figurative sculptures in the windows of a building that turned out to be the New York Academy of Art. The sign also said that it was a graduate school for figurative Art and that HRH the Prince of Wales was the Parton.  I had goosebumps!  

I had been working with a coach to help me figure out how I could transition from my career at the British Consulate to an artistic one.  Returning to education and graduate school was something I was considering but hadn't fully explored. Changing career and moving to another city seemed overwhelming. So as I stood outside the school, a 2o minute walk from apartment, I couldn’t help but think this was a sign. I walked in and picked up their catalogue.  

I felt pretty excited and inspired, so with a spring in my step I carried on walking.  A block or two away, I found myself again stopping because of something exquisite in a window. This time it was DFN gallery and a figurative painting that caught my eye. I walked in to take a closer look at the exhibition and felt I'd stepped into a little piece of heaven. I was surrounded by amazing figurative paintings by Alyssa Monks. I couldn't help but smile when I looked at the catalogue to find out she was a graduate of the Academy.

I heard a little voice inside say 'I'm going to study there,' it seemed like fate. I wasn't sure how I could make it happen, but the seed was sewn.

Fast forward to Sept of 2006, when I walked into the building as a mature student in the MFA program. I spent a magical three years there, two as an MFA student and one as a post-graduate fellow.  Shortly thereafter, I also had the opportunity to participate in a couple of group shows with Rick at DFN gallery before it closed. 

It will be nice to think of these memories and connections, as I return to TriBeCa this month and see the painting Deep Water III hanging in some good company. 

Feeling very grateful.

As a painter I am always looking for interesting and exciting ways to apply paint, and make marks that express and describe the energy and movement of water.  The sweet spot is that place in between freedom and control where the spontaneity and energy of the mark is preserved, but is also successful in describing the form.

For the past 5 years I've had the opportunity to assist Dan with these two workshops and they are the highlight of my year. Whether you do one or both, they make for a wonderful creative retreat in the peaceful and picturesque Omega Campus in Rhinebeck NY. These workshops always seem to attract a beautiful group of people.  I'm so looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting some new ones! ​

Featuring:
Alan Bray, Dina Brodsky, Zaria Forman, Cornelia Foss, April Gornik, Susan Grossman, John Hardy, Catherine Howe, Shiva Jlayer, Lisa Lebofsky, Alyssa Monks, Mary Reilly, Joan Semmel, Susan Shatter, Keiji Shinohara, Daniel Sprick, Emma Tapley, Tula Telfair, Annie Wildey, Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth

About the Curators
Rick Davidman, a financial advisor based in New York, opened DFN Gallery in SoHo in 1996.  At first, DFN exhibited artwork in various styles and media – painting, photography, sculpture, video, and installation. There were also frequent theatre and dance performances, as well as book and poetry readings.  But by the time Rick moved the gallery to Tribeca in September 2001, the focus of the program became contemporary representational painting and drawing.  Many of the artists in the Land & Sea & Sky exhibition, such as Susan Grossman, Mary Reilly, Alyssa Monks, and Zaria Forman, were just beginning their careers when they became represented by DFN.  Others, including Cornelia Foss, Tula Telfair, John Hardy, and Susan Shatter were already quite established, but were attracted to the energy and commitment of DFN. Rick closed DFN after 15 years in 2011, but he continues to work behind the scenes advising artists, dealers, and collectors.  Rick also curates exhibitions in galleries and public spaces around the U.S. and Europe that feature many of today’s top artists. 
 
MM Fine Art is the collaboration of Peter Marcelle and Catherine McCormick. With over a half century of combined experience in the art business, they work closely with both firmly established blue chip and emerging contemporary artists and present exhibitions regularly in both NYC and Southampton, NY.  In this exhibition, noted gallery artists Daniel Sprick and Cornelia Foss are included, along with works by Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, in whom the gallery specializes.
 
Land & Sea & Sky, which opens August 4th   at MM Fine Art in Southampton, predominantly features paintings and drawings by artists who are well known for landscapes – such as April Gornik, Tula Telfair and Cornelia Foss. Also in this exhibition are landscapes by artists better known for their figurative works, including Joan Semmel, Alyssa Monks and others.
 
Rick, Catherine and Peter have known and worked together for many years and are excited to bring some of their favorite artists together.  Many of the artists are close friends and are thrilled to have this opportunity to show together in Southampton on the first weekend in August.
Read more about the curators and the exhibition here

MM Fine Art, 4 North Main Street, Southampton, NY
www.mmfineart.com

Celebrating Summer
Chester Gallery
Opening Friday,August 4, 5-8pm
​

This will be the first time in 62 years that Easter has fallen on April fools day. So I'd keep your wits about you, in case the pranksters in your family or circle of friends are feeling frisky!

Did you know that April 1st used to mark the new year up until the 1500s when the Gregorian calendar took over from the Julian calendar. Those who forgot the change and attempted to celebrate New Year’s  on the wrong date were teased as “April fools.” 

April 1st has come to mark new beginnings for me and holds quite a few memories. Rewind a few years...

It was always a day to watch your back growing up in the UK, especially at my high school. It was often the teachers you had to watch out for not the kids! Every year our mischeivous art teacher would manage to out smart and out prank us, in often elaborate ways, planned over months! I feel for one hook line a sinker one year...  I was an excited but insecure 17-year-old, high on life after being accepted into art school. That is until I received a formal letter on April 1st, from the art school, with instructions for an essay and self-directed project. Loaded with art speak gobbledy gook, my heart stopped and my excitement turned to fear and dread. That morning, I hurried into the art room in a panic waving the letter at my art teacher, who had a huge smirk on his face. Thankfully, he didn’t leave me in my misery too long. I’d been had, well and truly! Fast forward 5 years...

...At 24, young and carefree, I arrived in the US at JFK airport, on April's Fools Day 1989. I was just as relieved to find my best friend from high school, waiting for me, as she was to see me in the flesh.  I think both of us were quietly suspecting this cross Atlantic reunion might just be a prank.  Fast forward quite a few more years... 

...After an 18 year career with the British Government in New York City.  I decided to start a new career in the Arts.  My last day at work kept getting pushed back until March 31st and yep, April 1st, 2006 I, began another new chapter as a full-time MFA student at the New York Academy of Art...

...fast forward a few more years...

...on April 1st, 2012, I married my husband at Dubois Beach in Stonington, CT. became a stepmom, and settled into a new life in Mystic, CT with a studio a the Velvet Mill.​

,Today, ​I came across a post at @Elisemorrispaint. Ellie had been invited to join the #atouchofkind project initiated by @featherandwild. To join you would offer to pay something forward and invite your followers to do the same. I've always wanted one of Elise Morris's paintings, and love the idea.  So I jumped on the project with my Acadia Rocks art print.  Want to join me in a @touchofkind project too, and receive my art print?  Here's what you have to do ....

Hop on over to my instagram post add a comment, letting me know what gift you have to pay it forward, and tag a friend (your gift doesn’t have to be art by the way).  Then on Friday March 16, I’ll pick one of you to receive my print.  In exchange, you promise to pay it forward.

Let's spread some kindness! 

On International Women's Day, I want to give a shout out to all of the women at Velvet Mill!  The Velvet Mill has been home to my studio since moving to Mystic CT 7 years ago. It's a community of artists, small businesses and entrepreneurs. Since being at the mill, many tenants have come and gone and now I'm one of the old timers ;-).  I created our tenant website thevelvetmill.com, a few years back, so that we would have a presence on the web and visitors could find information on our growing community.  It was only today Intl Women's Day, that I realized women probably make up the majority of the tenants with over 45 women artists and small business. This photo highlights just a few great women. Visit our wider community online or in person at thevelvetmill.com.

Follow these lovely ladies on instagram:
⠀
j.noelle.jewelry @lauragaffke, @anniewildey @harrietmooreballard @lisa.simonds, @aliciapiccoloart @frommisstobliss,   @zestfreshpastry @the_velvetmill MaryLys Jackson

​