Remnants of a Retreat

Jean Banas & Krista Harris pause for a critique: Last weekend, I was invited to attend a retreat at the Atlantic Center for the Arts by one of my favorite artists, most gracious friends, and mentor: Jean Banas. Jean is an energetic, accomplished action painter whose work never ceases to fascinate me. Twelve other gifted, supportive artist friends joined us, including our colleague, Krista Harris, from Colorado.

While at ACA, I produced some of my own work, but continued working on collaborations with some of Fran Gardner's tapestries. I am still finishing up the wooden boxes and boards on which I've painted my own work and will now install Fran's Gardner art on platforms that I have constructed. Another friend and art diva, Robin Moore, has suggested a name for this series of collaborations: I will be using her concept of "remnants." Here is Remnants of Past Lives:

Remnants of Evidence (below):

And, lastly, Remnants of the Journey:

expanding horizons

I'm newly returned from a workshop (i.e., session with my art coach, Steve Aimone) at New Smyrna Beach, FL's hidden gem: Atlantic Center for the Arts. This workshop focused on moving us yet another step forward in our process. I and eight other artists ventured forward and accepted challenges given us, absorbing the critiques of our colleagues and coach, pushing the envelope.

A few photos of different images from this workshop are attached. Once again, my work is in progress: these pieces may not look like this tomorrow. At one point, midweek and when I was nursing a bad sinus headache, an unknown child whose image had been haunting my dreams for more than two weeks was rendered into a large piece (about 50"). I don't know who she is, but she now exists on canvas...and my dreams of her stopped. After this day, I resumed a more playful method that I most enjoy in painting, incorporating language and iconography that are significant to us, to me and to our common history. A photo of me with the illusive toddler and other symbolic pieces is included here.

I have embraced a new road for myself in creating art. There is something very exciting about positive change.