Fossil, Trace, or Impressions Finished

Okay I think this is finished now.

I'm really pleased with the addition of the ferns on the wall face. As part of the Zen series, I wanted the wall as much a part of the picture as the girl. I see the surroundings she is in as an abstract expressionist painting - all about the surface, like a Pollack or Rothko.  The wall face is brought to the surface of the painting by being cropped off, by the texture, and by the decorative fern pattern. I think bringing this pattern to the surface matches what we do when we decide to pay attention to the beauty of nature.

I plan on getting this professionally photographed so I will repost it in a couple of weeks when I get it back.

Oh and any opinions on the title? "Fossil," "Trace," or "Impressions."

"Fossil" at the end of the day

Fossil

16" x 25"

No Props Required

No Props Required.. okay not a good title, but something I was thinking while I saved the photograph of it. I believe the size is 14 x 22, but as I am down in the Prime Roast  coffee shop around the corner from my studio (for a cappuccino and to bum internet) I can't be sure. 

The full view.

The close-up

The set

Finished Portrait 1 on to 2!

Here it is finished. Below are some close-ups that you can click on to see larger. Now the difficult task of titles! I think its between "Testing Boundaries" and "Hide and Seek." 

& I started this one today... I plan on submitting both to CPSA at the end of the month if this 2nd one turns out ok. 

EDIT: It is Thursday and my little one (the one in the picure actually) has a stomach bug, so 'till Tuesday then...

It's Official!

I know I already posted about this but it is now up on their site. My dawing Zen won 3rd place in the children's category in the Portrait Society of America's Member's Showcase Competition (for those of you that didn't see that post)! Here are the winners in the show http://portraitsociety.org/membersonly-competitions/2008/winners.htm

It is soooo amazing to see my colored pencil drawing alongside all those traditional oils! & and dang good traditional oils! I just wish it listed the media it was made in and the sizes along with the titles. but YAY!

I feel bad, but I won't be posting any new artwork this week. The kids have winter break this week from school  and I am busy cleaning the house from after leaving the kids at home with their father for four days... and planning my 6 year old's birthday party which we are having on  Thursday. We invited her entire kindergarten class - 20 kids - to my little house, so we are having to put furniture in the garage etc. Fun huh? I think I'll be buying the cake instead of making it this year! 

OMG!

OMG!

My piece 'Zen" won Best of Show at the Thorne Sagendorph Biennial Regional Juried Show!

It is a regional juried show open to artists living within 30 miles of Keene and is one of those shows that you are just happy to get your piece accepted in. My hope was to get in (my fingers were crossed as well as my stomach in knots waiting to find out if I got in) and have a piece that, this year, people might stop and look at instead of walk past. The last two times I got in, my pieces were small or insignificant next to the amazing art in the show and it hit a nerve when it seemed no one even stopped to take a look at my drawings. So this time, I just hoped my pieces would command a little looksee from the viewers of the show.

BUT to win Best of Show was beyond my expectations!

Seriously, just getting in the show had me excited. The gallery space is such a phenomenal space & they really know how to hang and light work. Just to see my pieces hanging, lit up better than when I was working on them was a thrill I was looking forward to.

If you remember I did the piece Zen with the intention of entering it in this show and one other - the CPSA national show... and if you remember more... I found out that it is too big to be entered in the CPSA show. :-( Oh well........ I would have liked to have had the chance to get it in an all colored pencil show.

Here are some pics from the opening last night.

Another piece of mine got in the show, and here it is with me and my model posing in front of it. People kept on coming up to her during the opening asking her "Haven't I seen you before."

Here's me with my beautiful older daughter who is the model in Zen. :-)

& look! People stopped and looked at it, lol!

If you didn't have a chance to go to the opening -

the show runs January 24 - February 26, 2009.

The gallery hours are:

Saturday – Wednesday noon to 4 p.m.
Thursday and Friday noon to 7 p.m.

The Thorne Sagendorph Gallery is on the Keene State College campus on Wyman Way (off of Main St.)

If anyone would like to look back at 'Zen' being made - it is in my October archive (link below) Just scroll down the page:

http://nicolecaulfieldfineart.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

Grey Matters finished!

Untitled
27" x 40"

I still don't have a name for this one either... names are not my strong point!

I may fiddle with the grey area a bit more on this, but we'll call this tentatively finished.

I did this piece with two shows in mind: a regional show at the Thorne Sagendorph Gallery at KSC locally, and the 2009 International Exhibition of the Colored Pencil Society of America. Well, that was until Katherine Tyrrell (of the Making a Mark blog) reminded me that there are size constraints for the CPSA show. The regional show is fine - which I am sure of since they regularly get 9 ft high pieces in the semiannual event, but I won't be able to submit my all colored pencil piece to the national Colored Pencil Society of America show. :-( The rule is that the FRAMED work must not exceed 32 x 40", which means with matting and framing the maximum the piece can be is 24" x 32."

Size makes an impact. In an art world where bigger is better, an art society that is trying to promote a medium, that in some circles, is considered a hobby medium, constraining the size of the artwork entered to such a small size seems a silly thing to do. I understand that not all galleries can take very many large pieces, and this show is huge, but maybe that could be a prerequisite for the gallery chosen for the event?

Size had been on my brain when I started this piece after the discussion Katherine had on her blog: Juried Art Competitions - does size matter? In the Thorne Sagendorph show, my piece of 40" tall will actually be dwarfed by the other pieces trying to get in, if the show looks as it has in the past. I love the show. Yes there are more intimate pieces that get in, but its the larger than life pieces that strike you from across the gallery and pull you in....