Three Upcoming Shows !

Be careful what you ask for ! I wanted a 2012 show at Hyde Park and several more options have come my way and I am thrilled to be back in the studio. This is what is happening on my art calendar :

E.A.S.T East Austin Studio Tour I will be showing 2 Saturdays Nov. 12th and Nov. 19th @ Joe Cooks Restaurant and Connie's Beer Garden 11am-10pm. It is located Chicon and MLK and a beautiful space and great food ! I hang an art show with my work and Ziya's art shipped from Hawaii Nov. 13th at Hyde Park Bar and Grill @ Westgate (South Austin). We will also show with talented March Mattingly. We hang a second part of that show on Nov. 21st and have our artist reception that evening from 5pm-7pm. The last show will by my home show hosted at my home backyard patio Fri. & Sat. Dec. 9th and 10th with about a dozen artisans. It is a busy time considering a also help prepare "Lightcrafters" for the Armadillo Bazaar in December. I am excited about all the opportunities and hope my friends, collectors and family can make it to all or some of the festivities !

August Group Show @ http://www.russandcompanysalon.com/

In August I am participating in a group show with 5 other very talented artists at a local Austin Salon : http://www.russandcompanysalon.com/. Address : 1805 West. Ave, Austin, Tx. 78701. Show will exhibit August 1st-31st. Reception August 14th time 4-6pm. 

Robbin Robertson Polter

Robbin is a 4th generation folk artist and considers herself a contemporary folk artist .Her portfolio is colorful and  whimsical with an slight off balance edge. Robbin often moves easily between painting, found object collage, metal work and photography. Robbin has travelled extensively & is inpired by Central & South America, Hawaii and the Carribbean. Currently represented by Austin and Puerto Rican Art Galleries.  Manages several websites and business including : www.uniqueurns.com, www.robbinrobertsonstudios.com & www.austinartcoop.com.

Camille LaRue Olsen

Camille's oil paintings are primarily impressionistic, leaning toward fauvism and/or expressionism.  From portraits to landscapes and still lifes, she expresses both a heightened and blurred perception which mimics the feeling of momentarily zoning out.  Subject matter is occasionally whimsical or may be more contemplative. She hopes never to settle on exactly one way of seeing or conveying her vision.http://www.camilleolsenart.com, http://www.imaramblingal.blogspot

 Karina Martens

Karina Martens, is a textile and collage artist who grew up in the Appalachians. Her portfolio is colorful, complex, and psychological. Karina has lived and traveled in Europe, Quebec, New Zealand and throughout the United States. Her work has been displayed and sold in Texas, New York, Kansas, and Colorado. When not making art Karina is a nanny and photo editor. Her passions are family, travel, and the children she works with. You can see more of her work at http://runningstitches.com

 Connie Miller

Connie Miller's palette knife, thick with rich oil paints, butters the canvas in a manner that gives us an impression of a summer's day or an impending storm. Landscapes and flowers, close up, are redolent of hikes through the woods, contemplative walks through a garden or a hot summer week at the beach. The light and color and shapes of a landscape all beckon to be painted and provide inspiration to the viewer.www.conniemiller.net

Deborah Thomas

I paint exclusively in Oils. When I paint, I lose all track of time. It provides me with an outlet for my creativity and a time for myself. I love to paint landscapes and figures. I paint animals and am told often that my paintings capture the spirit of the person, scene or animal.I do plein air painting whenever I get the chance and the weather cooperates. In 2008, I went with a group of artists from Austin to paint in France with Ian Roberts. We painted in the vineyard and hills of Provence.This year I was juried in the Salon International at the Greenhouse Gallery. At the Wimberley Valley Art League shows I won several honorable mentions and Third Place. I also won Fourth Place at The Mahoning Valley Art Festival. View my blog to see my newest paintings: http://deborah-thomas.blogspot.com/  

Kevin Dunne

Kevin was born in a beautiful jewel by the sea, Corpus Christi, Texas, where his mother often took him to feed the seagulls on the bayfront or search for seashells on nearby Padre Island.  The rich play of water, light, color, salt and wind thrilled his senses and oft reflects in his multi-media work. What he can't say, write or otherwise communicate has to come out somehow - thus...the art. He graduated from the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas.  His nascent art career is being jump-started by a few lovely and supportive souls including his wife, Lori, a fellow artist, Camille Olsen and a dear friend, Janie Proctor. His statement:  "More a medium than an artist, I feel my art is barely my own and yet I deeply connect with it.  When I surrender control, I'm at my best in channeling colorful impressions of a lush emotional realm that exists just beyond our normal abilities to sense.  Relaxing the viewer’s perspective and inciting their appreciation for our profoundly abundant lives is my hope.  Love and Creation are the muses of my medium-ship – and, probably, they are one.http://www.kevindunneart.fineartstudioonline.com/                contact: MrIrish51@yahoo.com

Next Stop Santa Fe

My talented friend Terrell Powell has invited me to participate in a group art show in Santa Fe in July ! What a great excuse to visit Santa Fe while the largest Folk Art Market it going on. Check it out : http://www.folkartmarket.org/. Artists come from all over the world and we will set up our show near by the Folk Art market at : 1041 Governor Dempsey , Santa Fe, NM 87501 beginning July 6th. Also included in the art show are several other artists friends of Terrell's and Dallas artist Donna Weaver.  We are very excited about the show and hope you can make it by ! 

Portrait Commission

I recently was commissioned to paint my friends 2 children . We had discussed it for years painting her beautiful daughter as a mermaid. Everytime we saw each other we were mortified we had not began to process and so this year I contacted every person interested in a commission. When we got together and brainstormed we realized it would be only right to paint both her great kids in separate paintings. We wanted them to capture their personalities as well as their hobbies and pet dog that had passed away. Honestly I was more than nervous. For perfect likenesses I use my camera not my paint brush... my whimsical translation is not always realistic. I marched on and the paintings came . I had so much fun thinking of both the kids while I worked and prayed not only would my friend be satisfied but the kids (now entering teenager cool age) would be happy as well. I delivered both paintings last week and to my relief all was happy with my version of their gorgeous kids ! 

Downtown scenes keep coming

This is my 5th or 6th time to paint downtown Austin. I grew up in Dallas and downtown was not particularly a friendly place to go and I ran the streets of Dallas high and low with no hesitation....I love downtown Austin and people love using Town Lake or now called "Lady Bird" lake ! The buildings are fun, the capital we watched give a facelift too. In this version of "Springtime in Austin" I included my 78 Chevy pick up pulling our boat, "Leslie" in his thong, vespas, Emergency helicopters, Cars to Go, moms pulling kids in those space ship pods, VW , unicycles, Seg Ways, fisherman, both my dogs, David cycling, Ezra running, Delta (used to work for and still in my gypsy blood), Moon Towers and the bats, hot air balloons, skate boarders, cyclists, folks and their dogs and me painting the painting ! My next piece will be of the lake and I will include my daughter working her magic ! Very fun to live in this town and enjoy all it has to offer ! 

Annual Spring Art Show & Gift Sale

We are gearing up now for our Spring show in a few weeks. Spring is the most beautiful time  of year in Austin and this is a great opportunity to show fresh art and gifts for Mothers Day. Our family had a fabulous Spring Break in Akumal Mexico in Azul Riviera house owned by Kathy Sonheim. A Beautiful home to bring lots of friends and family together. The trip was a great rest before the Spring flurry of activities. This years show will be Saturday April 16th from 11-7pm at my house 4401 Sinclair Ave. Austin Texas 78756 (backyard patio). Artists participating are: myself,  Donna Weaver,  Edie Kemp, Melanie Johnston, Jim Robinson, Kelly Hill, Emma Genet , Sarah St Laurent and full massage by Rowena Valentine.  We hope you can make it by and bring a dozen friends too !

2011...new directions ?

I think it is natural that the new year brings new goals, new directions and this is great for artists . The new year brings an inspiration of a new start . I was in 9 art shows last year. That may not be so many for so many professional artists but with a part time job and mother of 2 it was allot and by December I was exhausted. The economy has hit artists square on and most the time the prices of my art are at such a spread I can still sell art. This year I would still like to host a show or 2 and possibly participate in another show.  I also hope to follow up on commissions that have been floating around for years. I started this year with my 3rd version of an Austin cityscape. It is a fun painting to work on and changes every time. This version Downtown III includes the lovely woman that commissioned it and her 2 fabulous poodles. I hope to lock myself up and paint more this year and I look forward to new inspirations this year.