It's all about the journey...

It's a new year and time is flying.  I usually start the new year off ahead of the game.  This year I am behind due to some health issues (now resolved), but am working on catching up without feeling like I have to do it all.

My last post was prior to going to The Biltmore with my niece and sister to see the Chihuly exhibit and visit some art galleries.  We had a wonderful time and it was a perfect get-a-way.  

In October, the Sanford Brush and Palette Club had its 54th Annual Art Show.  I think it was the best show so far.  This was my third year to participate.  I had been to the show about five times prior to becoming a member.

This year, my painting Rise Up and Shine received first place in the abstract category.  We are encouraged to write a statement about paintings that we submit.  You can read my statement about this one below the painting.

Rise Up and Shine

42"x29"x1"

Rise Up and Shine was inspired by the song Rise Up by Andra Day.

  

When painting abstracts, I often do not have a message or theme in mind.  I am more likely to listen to music while painting, and sub-consciously this affects the outcome of a painting.  Such is the case with this one.

Rise Up and Shine has seven layers of resin with a painting on each layer and a final topcoat of resin. I gave this one a final layer of gold and resin to bring out the shimmer.  

We rise by lifting others. Robert Ingersoll

I submitted a coffee table titled Contemplate It! for the sculpture category. It received first place in that category as well. And most importantly, it found a home!  This table had about 12 layers of resin with a painting between each layer.

Contemplate It!

40"x30"x21.5"

I also submitted the first painting from a new geometric series that I am working on.  I am enjoying this process of working on it as it is different that my usual method o painting. This painting received an Honorable Mention.  My statement about the painting is below.

Threading Geometry

24"x18"x1.75"

My favorite abstract artist is Kandinsky.  His work has influenced my paintings even though I had never worked in geometrics in the manner he did.  

I was fascinated by how he was so prolific and how much music influenced his art, and that he never repeated a painting. Only when I decided to put a different spin on my geometric paintings by doing the elements in layers so they appear dimensional did I realize that I could make thousands of different paintings, but with my spin.  

Threading Geometry is the first in a series along these lines. I chose the needle and thread as a symbol of the line that makes up all of the elements and pulls the individual elements together in this painting. 

Each of my paintings will have a theme unlike many of his and will be dimensional.  When wearing 3D glasses, the elements dance across the board just as the elements reverberate in my other ink paintings.  Without the 3D glasses, it is still easy to appreciate the layering of the elements.

I hope you enjoy a different take on my paintings!

Mighty is geometry; joined with art by a thread, resistless.

Euripedes   

I am now on my fourth painting of this series.  I will be revealing the remainder when I complete the series.

I entered two other juried exhibitions in the past couple of months.  The Fabric of Our Lives was selected for the Finalist Award for Circle Artist of the Year for 2019.

The Fabric of Our Lives

20"x20"x2"

I received a Special Recognition for the 2019 All Women Art Exhibition for The Mystery of Locus. 

The Mystery of Locus

40"x30"x2"

These competitions have hundreds or thousands of entries so any placement is a wonderful accomplishment.

If you are interested in any of my paintings, please feel free to contact me by email.



Wishing you an art-filled year!

Studio News

Jeanne Rhea Studio News January 2018

53rd Annual Sanford Brush & Palette Club Art Show I was thrilled that Cosmic Kaleidoscope was the winner of the abstract category for the Sanford Brush and Palette's 53rd Annual Art Show. It is alcohol and acrylic inks, and  resin on Ampersand Claybord™.  The competition was stiff so I am beyond ecstatic to  win this category again this year.   I also entered the oil painting below, World Within, in the abstract category.  It received  third place.   New Paintings Portal to Infinity Each panel is 36"x18"x1". Clockworks VII 24"x18"x1.75" In other news I took a trip to Alaska to install some paintings and to visit family and friends.  While  there, I had two Accidental Painting classes-one for adults and one for kids.  I don't  think I have ever taught any art that is as much fun as acrylic pouring.  It is rare for  a participant to not want to do it over and over.  Below is proof that it is fun for young  and old! This is my two year old granddaughter pouring her chosen colors into her cup. She is already an artist! Lots of fun making gingerbread houses with the little ones for Christmas.  Always fun to see them make their own decisions on how they want their  houses decorated. If you are interested in an acrylic pouring workshop, please email me for available  spots. Happy New Year! For 2018, I decided that I would enter one juried art competition each month.  It is difficult to decide which Calls for Art to enter. My alcohol and acrylic ink paintings have a high gloss resin for the final coating, and in real life, they show their dimensional quality.  It is very difficult to obtain photos that show this dimensional aspect, that  do not have hot spots, and the colors are true. These challenges have been the reasons that I have not entered competitions when judging is from photos. I entered Frenetic Energy and was informed that I placed tenth in the painting category. What a surprise to start the New Year!  I can hear the thoughts a-whirring, "Tenth Place! That is not worth mentioning!" But I'll take it! There were thousands of entries and there were three categories.  There were ten awards and ten honorable mentions for each category.  So I am very happy to place in the top ten of the painting category. This is Frenetic Energy in the All Women Art Exhibition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery.   To view other entries, click on the first link. I look forward to submitting more artwork for juried shows.   2017 just flew by.  I am looking forward to 2018.  Each new year I reflect on the previous year and make a path for the New Year.  I have not made major goal changes for this year. I want to continue to do my art, continue to improve, learn more, and hopefully, make this world a little better place for each of us. Thank you to each of you who has offered kind words of encouragement, purchased my paintings, talked art with me, and shared your lives and passions. I appreciate every one  of you! If I have not met you in person and you wish to see my work in person in my studio,  please contact me by email. I will be happy to set up a time and talk and show art!  If you are interested in attending a monthly Open Studio, please contact me by email for date and time. Jeanne Rhea Website JeanneRhea.com Blog JeanneRhea.blogspot.com Blog Artfortheheart.blogspot.com

Resin Studio Demo

My third newsletter is online here.  If you would like to receive it in your inbox each month, please subscribe at the bottom of it.

This past month has been busier than usual, but not busy as in hurry, hurry, hurry---just more commitments.  I am as always trying to stay focused on the task at hand while still taking a little time to dream, wander, and take it easy when possible.

I gave a demo last Sunday afternoon for some of our Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild members and a couple of our Sanford Brush and Palette Club members on how to use a two part resin and a few other short demos on using Jacquard silk fabric dyes and salts to create backgrounds.  A few participants painted with alcohol inks and applied resin to their paintings.

I used ArtResin for the demo. With about twelve people in my studio sampling resin, I wanted to be sure the odor was not overwhelming to those who are sensitive to resin. I heard no complaint about the odor of this resin unlike other resins I have used.  ArtResin is a superb resin in many ways.  If you wish to know more about it in comparison to others, you can read about it here.  

Each person applied resin on at least two paintings.  I had planned to take photos of participants and their art, but forgot.  These were some of the ones that were left in my studio to cure.  (Permission was granted to post these images.)

Elena Gage brought several of her Pēbēo paintings to test the effect that resin had on them.  They had been painted over a week earlier. This is important if applying resin over Pēbēo.  These are some of her first paintings and they are wonderful, but even better in person!

These are a couple of photos of Cathy Hooper's alcohol ink paintings that she did at the studio and applied an ArtResin™ finish. These are on Ampersand Claybord™.

I enjoyed doing this demo so much that I have plans to do this type of activity once a month in my studio.  It will be a potluck demo--anything that I have a 'taste' for at the time and the supplies that I have on hand so participants can experiment using their own style and art.

If you are interested in attending, the demos will most likely be on a Sunday afternoon in my studio in Sanford.  Please email me and I will put you on a notification list. Demos will be limited to 15 participants.  There will be a jar for donations---no more than $5 per person. This money will be donated to the Sanford Brush & Palette or the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild.  

Sorry, I cannot tell you what I will demo until I stumble across it! 

Huge changes and going with the flow

It has been awhile since I posted here.  Lots of things have happened and I chose to let my blog go in order to create and deal with life.  

The biggest news is that I am sad to report that the Carolina Artists' Colony has closed after almost five years.  It was a wonderful gallery for me and I have made some life long friends.  The owners and managers worked hard to make it a success, but it was difficult to keep it open. Considering that the Colony was open seven days a week and this is a small town, I can see the challenge, but they still did an amazing job for a long time.

I loved that I could hang my work and change it out any time I wanted and no one limited what I exhibited.  But that is all over and I must move on. 

During the month of September, I will be moving my work from the Colony to my studio. Rearranging my studio to hold my work will be a big challenge, but I will make it work.  I am a very organized person, but I have so much 'stuff' that I will need time to make the transition.

My temporary plan is to have a monthly open studio to show my work. Hopefully, after the first of the year, I will have found 15 local artists who wish to start a co-op and work a few days a month and rent space for their artwork. If you are a local artist and are interested in this venture, please email me.

I joined the Sanford Brush and Palette Club and will be exhibiting some work at the Temple Theatre the middle of September.  I also plan to participate in the SBPC's 52nd Annual Fall Art Show in October.

During September and October, I am working on a show that I will be the featured artist for November and December at Liquidambar in Pittsboro. I am attempting to make all new work for that show!

November is Art of the Carolinas.  I will be demo'ing Pebeo paints for the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild.  We have a Make and Take room and guild members demo products that are sold at the trade show.  If you live near Raleigh (or even if you don't), it is a good time to test new products and buy art supplies, take some workshops and enjoy spending time with other artists.

Here are a few images of recent paintings and experiments.

Enjoy!  

If you wish to be added to a mailing list, please send me your email address or snail mail address and I will keep you posted when I have open studio events!

The above painting is made with alcohol inks, and the large jellyfish is Pebeo paints.  It is coated in resin.

Below are some experiments using metallic paints with alcohol inks. 

The painting below has a new alcohol ink in it.