arts in Raleigh

With a little over a month of parenting underway, I'm excited to share that I've slowly started to get back to creating art.  Probably more to the point, I have a new studio set up (pictures coming soon!) and will get a teaching schedule up soon for winter / spring classes offered in 2014.  In the meantime, I've been digging this short video a friend of mine produced.  It's all about our wonderful city of Raleigh and the burgeoning arts sector here.  

 

 

The Creative Class - RTP180 from Drawbridge Media on Vimeo.

 

 

creative juice: kids playspaces

 

my belly photo progression

 

There's an undeniable "baby cloud" that has been hovering over my head for a few months now, but now that I'm at 39 weeks, it seems unavoidable.  (If you're just tuning in, this blog has been a bit saturated in the last few months with posts on creative kids projects, an artist-mother in residency, a recent art installation inspired by becoming a mother, and artful parenting)  

 

I've been thinking a lot about creative spaces for kids.  What kind of environment is most conducive to imaginative, whimsical, unstructured play?  What kind of toys, objects, colors, textures, or props would make such a space ready and inviting for a child of any age to dream, create and play?  I certainly don't have any answers, but I have been excited to find some images and resources that have been fueling my thinking of how to transform our current office / home studio space into a kids playspace:

 

kids playspace inspiration board

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

 

 

And I imagine this blog may be stale for a little while until I'm on the other side of pregnancy.  Until then, happy creating!  :)

 

 

 

 

Authentic Visual Voices: Contemporary Paper and Encaustic

I'm so excited to announce that Catherine Nash's latest project: "Authentic Visual Voices: Contemporary Paper and Encaustic" is now available for purchase and viewing! 

 

Authentic Visual Voices: Contemporary Paper and Encaustic by Catherine Nash

 

Nash's project includes 28 video interviews of artists in their studios, talking about their process, and also includes images of work from more than 100 international encaustic artists.  I'm honored and humbled to be a part of this project by being featured among some of my very favorite encaustic artists: Jessica Drenk, Deborah Kapoor, Daniella Woolf and mentor-friend Erica Grimm.

 

Masterpieces of World Literature by Shannon Newby | encaustic, cut book on panel

 

Shannon Newby | Masterpieces of World Literatre | Encaustic, cut book on panel | 2011 | Featured in Authentic Visual Voices E-book

 

 

I've only just begun to dig into the wonderful interviews and have already found them to be rich and insightful.  If you're interested in the materials of wax and paper, I can't recommend this resource enough!

 

 

Here's an excerpt:

"What is an authentic visual voice? It is the expression of a creative vision that is fueled by deep thinking, self knowledge and personal concerns about both one’s internal and external world. It is sustained by consistent studio practice and a deep understanding and fluency in one’s chosen media. Going deeper into one’s art means trusting one’s inner sight and intuition as well as utilizing observation during the act of creating. There has to be a willingness to shift directions as the work itself might dictate and reveal within the process. An authentic visual voice is expressed by artists who pursue the creating of work that articulates their personal truths in a powerful and visually engaging way." - Catherine Nash