blog---sketchbook

The Library of Memory, my Solo show at the Woods Gallery

Sat, 25 May 2019 17:18:41 +0100

My first solo show is happening at the Woods Gallery in Huntington Woods and the reception is this coming Saturday on June 2, 2019 from 2pm-4pm. I'm 34-years-old and this is a dream come true. Earlier this year I had a NDE (near death experience) that prompted a lot of reflection and change in my life. While working through these awesome challenges I created a goal to achieve my first solo show....a goal I manifested that has come to fruition. As an energy healer and artist I believe strongly in the power of our thoughts and in particular, the power of our beliefs and how these beliefs and thoughts create our reality. My show, The Library of Memory, is a visual narration of a coming-of-age story for my character, Fern Rose, in my fantasy novel with autobiographical elements. You can read more about Fern and the show by reading my artist statement.

you can read my artist statement here

and come visit me at my show!

7th Annual Venus Rising Show - 2019

Sat, 25 May 2019 17:07:18 +0100

I'm going to be updating my blog more often. This past year has been about learning how to use my voice and the blog is going to support this gift.

Venus Rising is an all women show produced by Fancy Pants Entertainment. In the producer's words, "The goal of this event is to raise community awareness to all of the amazing female artists that are in the Southeast Michigan area, and honor all of the different types of art media that these women use to pursue their artistic ambitions and careers."
Yahoo! I am grateful for the opportunity to show my art and alongside so many awesome women with vision.
This year two of my pieces were shown, The Wheel of Time & Fortune, as well as The 6 of Hearts.

These two pieces were works I created nearly 12 years ago while in grad school at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I was making a large scale tarot deck that was mixed media and worked with fluorescents to be shown under black light.

In a lot of calls for art, the curator asks for recent works, which usually refers to a 2-5 year time period. Their reasoning was to promote artists who continue to make art and are presently making art. I see this perspective but disagree with it. Art can be timeless and depending on a themed show, particular older works might be just the piece or pieces to display. Lucky for me, Fancy Pants didn't ask for recent work so I was able to go through my art archives and find these two babes. AND these pretty thangs found a home, together. Yay for art finding a home so it can be SHOWN year-round rather than in my art closet. And YAY for making a sale.

For more information about the meaning behind each of the pieces, click on the images below.

Frida & Bowie

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 03:47:53 +0100

Awhile back some of my dear friends watched my cats for me. Here are some drawings I made for them.

Venus Rising 2018

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 13:54:29 +0100

Three of my ink drawings were shown at the annual Venus Rising show at Tangent Gallery this past Saturday, April 14th from 7PM-11PM. This show honors women in the arts!

the WOMEN show !

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 01:58:48 +0100

Two of my ink drawings will be on display at the Women Show this coming Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the Carr Center in downtown Detroit. Come out and celebrate women in Detroit!

Miracles

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 02:31:34 +0100

Thanks to the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy I am now a published comic artist. "Miracles" is a short non-fiction story about my experiences with animals in nature and specifically about an experience with a doe who helped me cope with the loss of my Grandma. Below is the first page of the story. You can read the rest here: http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/blog/miracle-animal-interactions-in-nature

Artworks 2017 Art Auction for Matrix Human Services

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 02:26:39 +0100

The Artworks Detroit 2017 Auction occurred on Friday, October 13th at the College for Creative Studies Taubman Center in the New Center neighborhood, a block from the historic Fisher Building. The event raised $90,000 for Matrix Human Services, a not-for-profit helping Detroit families and neighborhoods thrive. They also offer support services for those living with and who are most at risk for HIV/AIDS.

The Auction occurs annually and this was my second time donating to and experiencing the event. In 2015 I donated and sold a 36"x36" acrylic painting, "The Bride" and this year three 4"x6" leaf study ink sketches. Below are a few photos from my camera phone. I went with my friend and fellow artist, Jon Pickell, and my friend, Emily. Jon is solely responsible for introducing me to Art Auction and Matrix Human Services.

This link will take you my camera phone contents-the works I was most taken by.

This link will take you to Matrix's FB page photo album of the event

Auspicious Senses

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 02:38:05 +0100

Shubh Krt picked us up in Chicago's Loop near the Picasso sculpture. He pulled up in a car and inside he had colorful, dangling trim pinned along his ceiling perimeter. A green buddha hung from the rear view mirror. Bright, shiny ornamental pillows, thin for sitting on, rested in the backseat. I felt a calm excitement entering this space.

I introduced my husband and myself to Shubh Krt and asked him his name. Shubh said his name means "auspicious" in hindi-and Krt, "the senses." He talked quite a bit about humans having balanced senses and animals having a prominent one. He talked of goodness, passion, happiness and ignorance. Ignorance is no knowledge, he said. He spoke of the self and the body, of consciousness and becoming enlightened. I have written in my notebook, him saying something about fishing and Hunger versus Greed. He spoke about people's needs and feelings.

Once SubhKrt dropped us at our destination, I felt an urge to give him a gift. Because my notebook was open, in lap, I turned to my favorite sketch and carefully ripped it out. It was done over two pages, which i placed one on top of the other and handed it to him. SubhKrt began chuckling at the writing on one of the backsides. Words from a non-violent communication class about how people don't like to be given advice without asking for it first. I laugh while writing this, because I did ask Subhkrt for his advice. I told him I enjoyed his perspective and enjoyed learning from him.

The sketch that now resides with Subhkrt is a sketch of a home in Ellsworth, MI that I completed over Memorial Day, in person, sitting on a mossy floor. Little did I know at that time that I'd be sitting on a silk pillow in Chicago giving the sketch away.

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The lesson I learned most from Suhbkrt is to practice focusing on each of the senses to truly appreciate them.
*
I believe I gave the sketch to Subhkrt for three reasons: 1) to contribute knowledge to the school Subhkrt created in his vehicle; 2. to offer a mutual exchange of discovery, and 3) to help Subhkrt connect to nature while living and working in an urban environment.

ARC Gallery SHOUT! Opening Reception 7-21-17

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 21:22:12 +0100

My artwork, "The Unforgetting Heart: Calming Insight of Ourselves" will be shown at ARC Gallery's, Shout!, exhibition. If you're in or around the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago, go check it out!

the Unforgetting Heart | Calming Insight of Ourselves

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 18:31:15 +0100

The Unforgetting Heart | Calming Insight of Ourselves
Mixed Media: Acrylic, Ink, Watercolor on Heavyweight Paper
36" x 24"
2017

In honor of Earth's most precious treasures, I have painted 77 circles and have drawn Earth's most endangered animals, humans, trees, waters and national heritage sites within them. The circles can be read vertically, descending-- beginning in the top left.

1. Cuyahuga River - USA

2. Emperor Penguin - Antarctica

3. Yanomami Tribe - Brazil

4. Lake Karachay - Russia,

5. Monarch Butterfly - Canada, USA, Mexico,

6. Amur Leopard - China and Russia

7. Aboriginal Australians - Australia

8. Bamiyan Valley - Afghanistan

9. Everglades - USA

10. Statue of Liberty - USA

11. Baobab Tree - Madagascar

12. Javan Rhinoceros - Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia

13. Tiger Reserve Tribes - India

14. the city of Ani - Turkey

15. Machu Picchu - Peru

16. Clanwilliam Cedar tree - South Africa

17. Old city of Jerusalem - East Jerusalem

18. Stevns Klint - Denmark

19. Yamuna River - India

20. Sea Turtles - all major oceans

21. Fraser Fir Tree - USA

22. Tiger - Africa & Asia

23. Maluti - India

24. Lion - Africa

25. Polar Bear - Antarctica: Denmark, Norway, Russia, USA, Canada

26. Icebergs - North Atlantic, Antarctica, Greenland

27. Nenets Tribe - Siberia

28. Great Barrier Reef - Queensland, Australia

29. Dongria Kondh Tribe - India

30. Citadel of Aleppo - Syria

31. Sequoioideae (Redwood) Trees - USA

32. The pyramids and Sphinx at Giza - Egypt

33. Galapagos Islands - Ecuador

34. Rainforest - South America, Central America

35. Disco Bay - Greenland

36. Taxila - Pakistan

37. Otters (sea and river) - everywhere except Australia & Antarctica

38. Rainforest - Southeast Asia, Africa

39. Rainforest - Australia, Pacific Islands

40. Native Americans - USA

41. Mrauk-U - Myanmar

42. Citarum River - Indonesia

43. Pygmy Tribe - Central African Rainforests

44. Awa Tribe - Amazon Rainforest, Brazil

45. Great Wall of China - China

46. San People/Bushmen - South Africa, Southern Africa

47. Native Bees - everywhere

48. Blue Whale - all major oceans

49. Coral Reef Ecosystems - everywhere

50. Elephant - Asia, Africa

51. Sentinelese Tribe - Andaman Islands, India

52. Seahorses - tropical & subtropical reef waters

53. Giant Panda Bear - Bamboo Forests, Western China

54. Saint Helena Gumwood Tree - Saint Helena, British overseas territory

55. Red Wolf - USA

56. Yellow River - China

57. Bagan - Myanmar

58. Manatees - North America, South America, Africa

59. Angor - Cambodia

60. Honduras Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve - Honduras

61. Dragon Tree - Canary Islands, Spain

62. Rapa Nui, Easter Island

63. Doce River - Brazil

64. Jarawa Tribe - Andaman Islands

65. Cheetah - Africa, Iran

66. Monkey Puzzle Tree - Chile

67. Freshwater Shrimp (Caridina) - Asia, Oceania, Africa

68. Samarra - Iraq

69. Guarani Tribe - Brazil

70. Cuyahuga River - USA,

71. Ivory-horned Woodpecker - USA

72. Belize Barrier Reserve Reef System - Belize

73. Gorilla - Central Africa

74. Cycads - South Africa

75. Chan Chan - Peru

76. Ganges River - India

77. Planet Earth