Surprisingly Full
And it's all about art.
I may have written about a “settling down” in May and June to focus on being at rest with family and praying, preparing my mind and prepping for what feels significant for me, an exhibition in the main gallery of the Aiken Center for the Arts, the month of December. Conversations and the presence of others aligning has me feeling pretty sure of what I will be painting. For now, I’ll keep quiet.
I thought May might be an exhale, June a breeze; instead, Ive been surprised by a couple of things and I guess, one or two things I smiled in surprise over my “yes”.
I suppose the best way to share is a simple list.
I’ve added two of my favorite large collage paintings to my Scouted Studio page along with two brand new ones. I wanted to share these with The Scouted Studio audience because I began sharing my collage pieces there first.
The two new ones are called “Glorious I and II” and because I listened to collectors, these feature the dark blue (Payne’s Grey) that is so very strong.
The four collage peices are available here: The Scouted Studio
A Collection born of a simple paint session is one that’s nostalgic and I think a bit of a reminder of what matters most. I'm a grandmother. I’ve been thin and I’ve been thick. I’ve been a runner on the beach and now a woman slippin’ out early for the rising sun. When I sat and painted a woman standing facing forward in a swimsuit, I had no plans to create more. Then, I decided “How could I not paint more?”.
It’s about the beautiful view, the ocean, the sky, your family…
not about how we view ourselves or how we believe others view us.
Tomorrow, I’ll share two a day revealing their names and why I named them that way. I’ll go ahead and tell you one of them is my granddaughter’s favorite and one of them she was very sure is me. (This little observation got me, you’ll see why if you follow along.)
3. Now for the surprise, I was selected as an artist for an upcoming Square Foot Show, one day only JUNE 11th. The online show I was invited to participate in is called Painting the East and I’m one of 24 artists. I chose to go coastal with my art and created five 12X12 paintings of oyster shells using colors that to me, represent Edisto Beach, an island that’s our vacation spot in South Carolina every year. This truly is an honor. The gift of the invitation is not lost one me.
Details here:
Here’s just one of the five.
Not sure how to shop this one night art sale? Be sure to follow me and Square Foot Show (https://www.instagram.com/squarefootshow/) on Instagram.
ALSO, if you follow them on their website you can win a FREE painting!
One last art thing that felt monumental for me. I walked into the Aiken Artists Guild Show about ten minutes after it had opened. I spoke to a couple of artist friends and scanned the room until my eyes rested on my piece, “Thirst No More” and then, the corner where the red dot had been added. This was a first for me. Up until that night, I had never sold a painting so quickly. This is a treasure to me and it’s not about the purchase, it’s about the evidence that my art spoke to someone. I am deeply grateful for this “marker of my art being meant to offer hope to others”.
I can’t thank you enough for the time you’ve spent reading these words. Maybe your inbox is constantly filling up and you chose to settle for a minute and see what I might have to offer through my art and my words.
So, thank you so very much.
You are loved,
Lisa (Anne)