Another nest

I did this piece with Prismacolor pencil on wood. The one exhibited at the Quinlan show is done with the same materials. I was inspired by the furniture pieces; working on wood feels good to the touch. I have been toying with the idea of carving into wood and drawing into the carving. Haven't tried it yet, but it is floating around with other future ideas.

Birds' nests

I recently was invited to participate in a show at the Quinlan Arts Center in Gainesville, Ga. It is called the Birds Nest Invitational, inspired by paintings done by Roseta Santiago, who was also the juror. The Quinlan teamed up with the Elachee Nature Science Center, to have part of the proceeds from sales go to the center.

More views of Tree of Life

Tree of Life

I recently had the pleasure of doing some new pieces that reflect the Tree of Life imagery. I did some research before and found that this symbol is very relevant to many cultures. I love the idea of an image that transcends language and speaks to a vast population of spiritual beliefs.
These first pieces were done for a cantorial concert at Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell, Georgia. Their cantor, Nancy Kassel, is celebrating her Bat Mitzvah year there. In honor of her service to the congregation and the community, I thought I would do Trees of Life for Nancy and the other guest cantors. It is a way for me to personally say thank you and communicate what I think they do for others; I am learning how a cantor has a very unique and spiritual relationship to a congregation.

Another table covering

This cover was actually done for a larger table. It was put here to catch candle wax, which can be cleaned off the surface of the cover. The palette on these cloths can be any color; these were done to match the decor.
There are other artists featured here. Roberta Elliot, a blacksmith, made the beautiful candleabra pair. Her company name is The Velvet Hammer. The large platter is by Ruth Hablutzel, and the black and white piece is by Chris Baumann. If you go to Raiford Gallery you can find their work. I also have work exhibited there. I highly recommend a visit to the gallery. There are many beautiful pieces there.

Table runners

I have toyed with this technique in the past and found a need for it again. In a search for a table covering that was resistant to spills and could be cleaned easily, I went back to my technique to create some table coverings. The photos illustrate some that I have done recently. They are done on heavy artist canvas. I use acrylic paint and paint layers to create a wrinkled effect on the canvas, then seal it with an acrylic medium. The finish tends to feel like leather and it is easy to keep clean.

The First Table

Here is another table that I have been working on. This one is closer to completion. I have worked with Prismacolor on this one too. There is something about the images wrapping around the edges of the table that I like as well. I started this in preparation for another table drawing I will be starting soon.

New work to show

I've been working on many things lately. This is a table that I started drawing on. It is not completed, but I wanted to see it up here on my post. It is something that I am really excited about. The medium is Prismacolor pencil. I will be filling in more detail and putting a final finish on it soon. I have found it is good to get away from a piece like this for a while and come back fresh, so I don't overwork it.