Happy belated New Year, though we’re only 61 days in, so I’m not THAT late ; )

After a rough end to 2018, I am happy to report that 2019 is off to a promising start. I’ve got some artwork in exhibits in Chicago (coming soon) and Evanston (an extended stay), a lot of work in progress, and as of later this month I will be starting a new job!

I will be working full-time as an art instructor for the residents of Misericordia! I was not looking but when I saw the posting for this job online I knew I had to pursue it wholeheartedly. My art and work life has always been cyclical, and for most of my professional life I have had a separate full-time or part-time job while maintaining my art practice in my studio. The last few years I worked in my studio full-time and taught at the Oak Park Art League, but after last year I felt big changes on the horizon, and here they are! I am so excited and honored to teach at Misericordia and eagerly look forward to getting started later this month!

Meanwhile, I’ve got a couple of artwork happenings around the area in March. First, my show, Lore, at Gather, has been extended through the end of the month. If you find yourself downtown Evanston stop by 602 Davis Street to check it out. It is mostly the same work I had in my show at the Oak Park Public Library last April, but with a couple of pieces I finished later in the year.

The second happening is for the launch party for an exciting new business a couple of my friends have started, called Curated Home + Office, in which they match businesses and individuals with regional and local art. Their launch party will be next Sunday at Relic Furniture Gallery in Chicago, from 3-5:00 pm. I will have a piece at the launch exhibition, among pieces by a dozen or so other artists.

I’ve also got quite a bit of work in progress; a huge painting (48″ x 36″) I started back in 2017 (here it is in every iteration since day one), and then four little paintings (8″ x 8″) in the begining of a series of ancestry-inspired work. I started them last January when I was visiting my parents in PA for a couple of weeks.

 I’m calling this one, “Forget Me Not.” It is acrylic, collage, image transfer, and oil pastel on canvas. 

Here are bits and pieces of the small family history pieces so far:

Lastly, though I’ve stopped teaching regular classes at the Oak Park Art League, I hope to offer workshops and private classes in mixed media and watercolor once I get settled in at Misericordia. THANK YOU to people who have taken my classes at OPAL over the years, and to those who supported the program there. I miss you already and hope to see you soon. XO

My Parents’ Love Story

My Parents’ Love Story

I didn't know about this until two days prior to the story being published in Philadelphia's biggest newspaper, but I wouldn't have expected anything different. My mom isn't one to be public about anything. I am actually surprised she and dad went through with the...

Beyond 100 National Juried Exhibition

Beyond 100 National Juried Exhibition

It's the Oak Park Art League's 100th Anniversary this year, and part of the celebration is coming up next month, and I am delighted to have a painting that has been accepted into the National Juried Exhibition, "Beyond 100"! It will be on from September 1 - 30 in the...

July Road Trips and Digital Vacation

July Road Trips and Digital Vacation

July was the month of driving, and I don't mean that lightly. I haven't added it up but I clocked something in the neighborhood of 3,000 miles on my car between July 7 and 31. It was part vacation, visiting family, bringing family to our house in IL, taking them home,...

Current Shows and Classes

Current Shows and Classes

My piece in the current exhibition at the Oak Park Art League, "Intersection: Art & Word" is one I thought I finished in 2017, but I had it hanging on my studio wall and every time I walked past it something would make me stop and think, "It's not quite there...

Changes

Changes

I will have a piece in the Oak Park Art League's upcoming show, "Intersection: Art & Word," which will be up until May 28 (my birthday!). I will also have a piece in the adjacent PopUp Gallery's "World Collage Day" show, running the same dates. My work will also...

Spring Fever and 100 Day Challenges

Spring Fever and 100 Day Challenges

I posted this painting of mine on social media over the weekend to celebrate the arrival of Spring, and it is one of the favorite paintings I've ever done, created about six months after moving to the lake and inspired by morning walks to the water. It is on exhibit...

Lots of Good Stuff Going On

Lots of Good Stuff Going On

Hello Spring! The last few days of breezy, sunny, 60-ish degree days have me feeling so energized! It also helps that there are signs of covid restrictions loosening up, tennis can be played without masks, and I notice a lot of people have glimmers of hope about being...

Happy New Year?!

Happy New Year?!

As much as I would love to believe that 2021 turns the page on everything we have experienced with the past year, I keep hearing that it's all going to get worse before it gets better, so I'm trying to keep expectations in check. I am an ever hopeful optimist, though,...

Good Wishes to All

Good Wishes to All

This week wrapped up my teaching year with my last mixed media class on Tuesday. It was surprisingly emotional as we all acknowledged our sessions together as part of what has kept each of us going and trying to remain sane in the insane year we've had. In a year with...