I’m opening my doors and you’re invited!

Yours Truly at last year's open studio! photo by Micha Hamilton

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Constructed Drwaing 00401 © Heidi Van Weiren

One of the great pleasures of my gig at the New York Times Local, is having a chance to meet all sorts of interesting artists and art professionals. Heidi Van Weiren is no exception.

Heidi’s work has been on my radar for a while; I’ve been drawn to her dreamy landscapes since first seeing them at Margaret Thatcher Projects in Chelsea a few years back. I imediately felt a kinship with her use of glue as a medium (the very first paintings in my Nowhere Here -2006 series were composed using glue as the layering medium).

Heidi — a native to western Michigan as well — will be joining me and over 1200 other artists in Grand Rapids, Mich. later this month, as we all take part in this very interesting experiment that is ArtPrize. I thought it would be interesting to look at what it takes to break into the New York art market as an outsider.

Read what she has to say…

Badlands 00701 © Heidi Van Weiren

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The man with the plan! Courtesy of Brian Kelly

I was delighted to interview Rick Devos this week, for my usual West of Chelsea feature on The New York Times Local. He’s the brainchild (and bucks) behind ArtPrize.

It’s not uncommon for big money to support art — but what he’s got going really does shake things up. You go Rick!

Check out the interview here!

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The first time I met Walter Zimmerman was years ago at “Essex Exposed” — a juried exhibition at The Pierro Gallery in South Orange, N.J. (We both had work in the show.) I knew he was a kindred spirit the minute I met him; he had introduced himself, and he said how much he like my work — but the thing I remember most was his description of my work as “beautiful and just a little bit creepy.”

That is me in a nutshell. Most people either don’t see it or don’t mention it. (I mean the “creepy” part.)

It made sense that Walter would see the dark side to my work: I have no doubt that to many, the powerful assemblages he creates around his meticulously crafted glass pieces may seem “a little bit creepy.”

Don’t be afraid to take a closer look. Peek inside these mysterious networks and see the tireless work involved in finding beauty — against all odds.

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Fresh out of the studio! Pink Isotopes © Nancy Tobin

It’s been a busy week.

Not a physical busy, more of a mental busy. There were several proposals for shows and grants due this week — of course, those things never seem to make it out the door until the last minute — along with juggling and planning for the three shows I have coming later this year. Mix in the fact that I want to keep up with my blog, the New York Times West of Chelsea interviews, my Etsy shop and painting (hello, that is what this is all about!), and I feel a little like my head is going to pop!

Just to prove (to myself, at least) that I am still a painter — I’m posting this brand new painting Pink Isotopes. Hope you enjoy the painting and the weekend!

xo

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Susan Napack's studio is a delight everywhere you look!

This week I visited with artist Susan Napack in my West of Chelsea feature for The New York Times Local.

The first time I ever saw Susan’s work was at an opening for a show she had at The Dancing Goat — local cafe and performance space. The “Goat” is now defunct, but Susan’s work left a lasting impression.

Susan describes her work as “an offbeat examination of found objects and nature culled from these collections — including hundreds of wishbones — which have supplied material for sculpture, digitally enhanced photographs, drawings and paintings.”

I would descibe them as pure magic!

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I should known this. I should have a mental Post-It note blocking out certain times on the calendar. Doesn’t matter if I’m well prepared, June hits, and my life gets crazy.

The Downside: weeks have gone by without a single blog post. Worst of all, I completely forgot about my Art-by-the-Inch Necklace giveaway. (The results of which are in the following post.)

The Upside: I’ve been doing a lot of wonderful things, while I wasn’t keeping up with my blog!

All of my blogging energy was used for good: Last week, The New York Times Local ran a series of mini-profiles of the artists who were opening their doors for the South Orange/Maplewood Studio Tours.

I opened my studio doors for the tour as well. It was an amazing day: I met a lot of new friends, caught up with many old friends and even managed to sell some art!

I’m finishing tons of paintings, yay! I just posted a few new ones on my web site, and there are many more to come. It feels so great to clear out some space in my studio and my brain so I can concentrate on the next big thing.

So enough with the excuses, June is almost halfway over, and I’m going to see if I can make up for lost time on my blog. Here’s to tomorrow!

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Looking at Thea Clark’s jewelry in a photo, you may think you’re enjoying a piece of sculpture . Her one-of-a-kind pieces stretch the boundaries of what we think of jewelry. Combining unusual materials such as felt, linen and PVC plastic, she addresses issues such as women’s identity in society.Read more about Thea’s fascinating work and life, in my third installment of The New York Times Local’s West of Chelsea.

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Tuesday: Stopped into the local grocery store for a few much needed items. Later in the evening, with a flimsy tearing bag of sloppy garbage in one hand, I searched high and low for the huge box of garbage bags I bought earlier, nowhere to be found!

Later Tuesday: Paid for a $5.50 hair thingy for my daughter’s dance recital. Used my last $20 bill ’til payday. Later, as I was preparing for the next day’s field trip I was to chaperon the next day, I stared in my wallet with a feeling of frustration realizing that I had been given change for a $10, not a $20. Now I have $4.50 to last me ’til payday.

Thursday: Trying to buy dinner for my family at the local pizza place, I tried to use my Paypal card. I knew I had money on this card, I checked before I left the house. The nice girl at the counter told me my card had been declined, “please try again” I asked. Second time, no better luck. So I ran back to my car, got my bank card, took out twenty dollars and ran back to get the food. Later, double checking that stinkin’ Paypal account, I noticed that I had indeed been charged for the food on my card! Oh please.

Now, I’m absolutely certain that none of the people involved in these transactions had nefarious deeds in mind. But I can’t help but wonder if subconsciously everyone is holding on to things a little tighter? Or, it could be just a crazy coincidence, highlighted by the fact that it was very busy week and I may not have checked things as well as usual.

Coincidence or not, I’m going to be checking what I pay for vs. what I get a little closer!

Read this! With the tightening of belts, comes the loosening of creativity. Here’s an article from the New York Times about how the economy is affecting artists and their work.

UPDATE: OK, maybe it is just me. Coming back to check this post that I put up this morning, I found three grammatical errors, and one misspelling. (And that’s just the ones that I found I’m sure there are more my trusty editor-husband is out of town!)

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Touch by Jennifer Lewis Takahashi

In my second installment of West of Chelsea for the New York Times Local, I interviewed Jennifer Lewis Takahashi.

Jennifer spins a web with her fascinating still lifes. She talks with me about her work and life; reflecting on how one influences the other.

Still life was the best subject because I could arrange things exactly how I wanted them. That, along with my realistic style, felt like a dot of control in a blaze of chaos! These compositions were busy and crowded and echoed how I was feeling in many ways.

In my own struggles with realism, I admire her ability to express herself in this context, and do it in such an engaging way.

Read it here, then tell me what you think!

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