Via Colori 2011

This years Via Colori festival is quickly approaching! I have decided to recreate Sandro Botticelli's version of the Birth of Venus, and signed up for a 6ft by 6ft square to do so.



The Birth of Venus

 I am really really hoping for everything to go well this weekend. Last year I was sick as a dog, it was insanely hot, my spot was right in the sun, it rained overnight, and I had to work. I am really crossing my fingers that none of that happens this year!!!

I just started practicing for the festival by recreating the painting in a 16x20 format in prisma pencils.

Practice, practice, practice!

During the month of September the Ponshop is hosting a show for Via Colori artists only, in order to give us a chance to advertise representations of what we will be drawing in chalk. I will be submitting my Venus of Sebastiano Ricci painting, and possibly my Birth of Venus practice as well.

More of Via Colori to come as the date approaches...

In Progress

These days it seems like I have more projects in progress than actually finished. There is one thing that I have actually completed recently:

Black Capped Chickadee

Here is something I am currently working on, trying to go with the green theme and only use natural or recycled materials. The feathers are all going to be made of flower petals, with the frame, legs, and beak being made of wood. I'm still thinking about the eye though...

Flower Canary
(sorry for the poor quality photo--more the come as it progresses!)

And that's not even mentioning the things that I still need to START! Like several 6x6 octopus paintings for the October show. Whew, I'm getting tired just thinking about it! Wish me luck!

Lucketts Show

I did not end up being able to make it to the Lucketts show this past spring, but my aunt and mother were kind enough to take a few of my paintings with them. Unsurprisingly, none sold. Apparently there was a woman interested in my original rooster, but did not want to offend by making a ridiculous offer. One cool thing that did happen though, was that I designed a logo for my aunts craft business, called Off The Porch, and she had it made into an awesome stamp to use on the bags and tags.

Food Show

This month has been so crazy! It's the end of the semester, I got my wisdom teeth removed, and there is just a whole lot of stuff going on. I didn't get to make it to any of the galleries on First Friday, but its been a couple days since my surgery and I've been cooped up, so I decided today would be the perfect day to go see! I only had the cupcakes up this month, and unfortuneately they didn't sell or place. After looking at all the other pieces though, I wasn't surprised. There were a ton of entries this month, and everybody really stepped up to the plate (and kicked my butt)!
At the beginning of the month The Freelance Star wrote an article about the upcoming shows and in the article about Liberty Town there was a little section describing three different paintings and I was lucky enough to be one of them, so that was really cool. Guess the cupcakes are going to Lucketts then!

Ahh!

There is just too much to do and never enough time. At this point I really would have to be a full time artist to get everything done that I need to. Not sure I'd make enough money even then though... There are so many show and fairs coming up, back to back, that I think I will have to start to pick and choose. April food show is fast approaching! Who knows what the heck is after that. X)

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are finally finished! Here they are. :) I will be doing a couple individual ones in different shades for the April Food Art show at Liberty Town, and I am starting my sushi paintings tonight. Enjoy!

February's First Friday

Well First Friday at Liberty Town was this past week and I entered 5 paintings that I just had lying around into the Young Fredericksburg exhibit. I was all amped up all week waiting for Friday, thinking about winning awards and selling hundreds of dollars worth of art and all that. I suppose that because my first gallery experience was so awesome that I just expected it would be like that every time. Not so. I didn't sell anything on opening day, and don't expect that I will in this show either. Nor did they give out any awards in order to not hurt any young kids' feelings. I'm pretty dissapointed, but I know that I shouldn't be. The show was very small, and only one fairly cheaply priced photograph sold, which is the norm for Liberty Town. I think that it was the subject matter--it was almost all people, and normal people don't want buy expensive paintings of random people to put in their home. I understand this, but I still feel like I kind of let myself down because, if I were really awesome enough, I could overcome that. Oh well. It was a lesson that had to be learned I suppose. Having said that, the painting WILL still be up in the gallery all month for sale, so you never know... ;)

5 paintings entered into February's Young Fredericksburg show.

Venus of Sebastiano Ricci, all matted, framed, and beautified!

Update: I just got notified that Frederick Douglass did in fact sell! Yay! :D