A Part of Horse of Her Dreams

Tami Bone from Austin,Texas is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

Amanda Smith, Windy
Silver gelatin print
©ASmithPhotographs

I have a gorgeous photograph by my friend, Amanda Smith, artist and director of A Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas. The image titled Windy is part of the project, Horse of Her Dreams and is a warm-toned silver gelatin print. Amanda has photographed horses for a number of years, and many of the prints are in The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University.

Usually I lean towards choosing dark wood frames for fine art photography, but for this piece I chose a more ornate frame. I love the contrast of the simple composition of the image and the more elaborate frame.

The piece is hanging on a wall in an open stairwell by the front entry to my house. I see it many times a day. It's a piece that could go anywhere in my home, although having it near the front door assures that others see and enjoy it as well.

Tami Bone engages photography and photomontage as a means of story telling and self- expression. Her work pulls from his early beginnings in deep South Texas, calling forth yearnings, hopes, fears and dreams.

Catching Up- a little Art History

The story behind our show opening Saturday, September 21, from 7-9 pm at the Transformations Gallery at the Old Franklin Schoolhouse in Metuchen, NJ.

Photographer Catherine (Romeo) Hartigan and I met in High School art class back in the late 70's (can you tell- how's the hair?)

We became fast friends, sharing our love of art, music, dogs and a good laugh.

We even went to the prom together...
  as you can see- our dates (then boyfriends are out of the picture!)

We stayed in touch through college, ended up on opposite coasts for the next 30 years. Then Facebook comes along and we reconnect. The rest is “art history” —at least in the local sense.

Even though our lives had taken different paths on different coasts, time didn’t change the bond of friendship. Cathie found my Butterfly Kisses book online and looked me up on Facebook. We reconnected, and discovered we were both now on the east coast and were both still creating art and now, with families. Cathie, her husband Jack, their son Will and two dogs live in Wilton, CT. Scott and I, our two sons, and two dogs live in Landenberg, PA.

During one of our conversations, Cathie mentioned she was off to Martha's Vineyard for a family summer vacation. I asked Cathie to keep her eye out for any fishing nets as I was incorporating net imagery in my new work. Cathie found a perfect old fishing net in a second hand store. Cathie sent the net to me as a gift, along with one of her photographs with nets as the subject as well.

Netscape
Archival print
20" x 24"
©CatherineHartiganPhotography

Beneath the Surface II, 2013
Acrylic on canvas
30" x 40"
©NanciHersh

Such is the story of “Catching Up” – two Jersey girls returning to their roots, and sharing their passion for color and light, capturing nature and beauty, weaving it into the lines and threads of their lives.

The show will include a selection of our work: My Koi Pond paintings and Cathie's landscape photographs, including select images of Martha’s Vineyard. 

Exhibition open on September 21^st running through November 16, 2013 at the Transformations Gallery at the Old Franklin Schoolhouse, 491 Middlesex Avenue (Rt 27) in Metuchen, NJ, across the street from Metuchen Boro Hall. 

The artists will be present at a Reception will be held from 7:00 through 9:00 pm on September 21^st.

There will also be an Artist talk and Art Workshop that is free and open to the public on Sunday, September 22, from 12:00 noon through 2:00 pm at the gallery. 

Registration is preferred. You can email me at nancihersh@gmail.com

Loving The Other Woman

 Philadelphia based artist Aubrie Costello is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

Darla Jackson

They watched… (Rabbit)

Gypsum Cement

8”h x 5”w x 6”d

©2010DarlaJackson

Darla Jackson and I are close friends and collaborators. Her work resonates with me. I acquired this piece from Darla in a trade.

We were in an art collective for 5 years called The Other Woman. Our art works well together when shown in the same space. We both address themes about life and death, beauty and sadness, and femininity. There's always an interesting dialogue between our pieces- as well as a mutual love and respect for each other's work.

Aubrie Costello works with a variety of materials in drawing, fiber art, and installation to examine and discuss her current interest in relationships, both broad and intimate, mostly between boys and girls.

Aubrie states about her work:

I fixate on human desire, both primal and innate, the desire for pleasure, wealth, and dominance. I am intrigued by the gaze, by the sight of a preoccupied mind, by the dynamic relationships between male and female, rich and poor, weak and strong, old and young. 

  

Kindred Spirits- Artist as Collector

Colorado based artist, Rebecca Dierickx Taylor is our guest blogger this week for the Artist as Collector Series.

Sandra Dunn, Tephra
Encaustic on panel
3" x 3"
©SandraDunn
collection of Rebecca Dierickx Taylor

Sandra Dunn and I were introduced by a mutual friend when I was living in Oklahoma. When I met Sandra it was like conversing with a sister I never had.   Then when I saw her artwork I truly felt that we were on the same wavelength.  Sandra told me she likes to “connect the dots” in her artwork between nature and spirit. And like me, she works in multiple mediums—painting, printmaking, sculpture and mixed media. With her encaustics, she says she might have an impulse or idea that she is initially following then the encaustic leads her into new territory.  For Sandra the creative process is more important than the final product.  

Soon after meeting Sandra, she was in an art fair and I visited her booth.  Many beautiful encaustics were displayed.  I found one I really liked and as I turned to talk to another friend, someone else came up and bought the piece I had been interested in!  I was a disappointed, but I also believe that piece then wasn’t meant for me. When Sandra created some more encaustics there was one she thought I would like.  When she showed it to me I loved it even better than the one that sold.   

“Tephra” was meant for me. I acquired this piece in a trade for one of my monotypes. I think I got the better end of the deal. This photo really doesn’t do the piece justice; the layers, the depth and the luminosity just draws you in.   

I now live in Colorado and “Tephra” hangs above my desk.   It is a daily reminder of Sandra and to remember that the creative process is sometimes more important than the final product.

Rebecca Dierickx Taylor works in a variety of medium to give form to her memories of growing up in the Midwest and later, of her time in Oklahoma. The big skies and contrast of light and dark created by weather conditions in her environment provide endless inspiration with its beauty and potential for chaos and destruction.

What's in a Name

A prince name George.

A Fish Called Wanda.

A Rottweiler named Sheila.

For now: Summer Koi #4
Acrylic on canvas
10" x 10"
©2013NanciHersh

I am working on new koi paintings for my upcoming exhibition in September at the Transformations Gallery in NJ with photographer and friend Cathie Hartigan and I seem to be at a loss for some memorable titles. Titles help me identify and often remember works of art when I get ready for cataloguing and labeling them. Right now they are named and numbered such as Summer Koi #1, Summer Koi #2, etc. Confusing and not too interesting.

Naming something or someone gives it an identity and can set a trajectory.  Because of this power, it's not always easy finding the perfect name for your child, a pet, or in this case a painting. Often, I know the perfect title for a piece, be it the painting's or sculpture's composition or the narrative behind it.  

Recently, my son Nate was telling me about a Rottweiler, a large gentle giant he met at a friend's house named Sheila. Nothing butch like King, or Queen or Diva, but Sheila. It makes me smile, having never even met her. 

Then there's the film from the late 80's with Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, a quirky comedy called A Fish Called Wanda.  I sort of remember the story, but I'll never forget the movie's title. 

I have decided to give my paintings, or more specifically the koi in my paintings names- so I can identify and remember them. I will be posting my Summer Koi paintings on this blog and my FB page and I will be taking suggestions for names. 

This is where you come in. I'd like your help... any suggestions for this fish?  
(FYI- Whitey, Gefilte or Pike are not what I am looking for)

Please click on the word comments below and help me give my new paintings their rightful appellation. 

More than Meets the Eye - Artist as Collector

Honolulu based artist, Gaye Chan is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Charles Cohan
from the series PEAKS (2006)
Screen print on paper
30" x 22.5"
©charlescohan

I got this print by trade. Both Charlie and I often use images made by official sources as inspiration. PEAKS (his) from topographical maps and FRASS (mine) from google map. 

PEAKS is one of my favorite projects by Charlie. The images are so spare that they are barely there. I am attracted to work where the artist's confidence allows them to look like they did very little, regardless of the actual work that went into crafting the work.

Gaye Chan is a conceptual artist based in Honolulu. Her recent work often ruminates on how cartography and photography simultaneously offer and occlude information. She is currently a professor and the Chair of the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Hawai'i.

Marshall Bridge Workshop Celebration

Today from 5-9 pm is the celebration for the Marshall Bridge Welding Workshops.  This is the 10th year that Stan Smokler has been offering these weeklong intensive welding workshops. 

I stopped by at the end of the week while the guys were setting up for this evening and to hang one of my pieces from a tree along the creek. Most of the work is within the "walls" so when you come this evening remember to "step outside" and see my 3 pieces.

This is the first piece I did during the week.  Found that fabulous
netting a.k.a. fencing that you will see in all 3 pieces at the end of this post.
I envision this pond side in my backyard.

Artist and workshop techie Bob Bickey made this piece for Stan to commemorate this auspicious occasion, we all signed in limestone chalk and Bob torched our signatures.  

Love the shadow cast by this sculpture by
another participant Maureen McCarthy

The SPACE... where most of the work is. 

But then... step "outside" to see the "Nanci Hersh's"

One view of my 3 pieces...
A pedestal piece, a floor or ground piece... and then
a hanging piece.

I made the hanging piece as a structure to hang my wire and pulp nets... but am rethinking that. The piece works by itself and I did end up making a much simpler structure that could work for the smaller nets...

so many possibilities... bazinga!

Welding Sculpture Celebration

Please join us if you are in the area. I will have 3 pieces on exhibit in this beautiful setting.

Also stopped in on this week's workshop and saw this week's participants busy at work. There will be lots of interesting wonderful work to see and lots of food and drink to share.