Modern Wing - What a Wonder!

Last Friday I had the opportunity to visit the new Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago. Although it just opened in May, I had already heard lots of great things and was excited to see it for myself. I must admit, I was so taken with the building itself that my interest in the collections almost became secondary! The artwork I had seen it before, but this building... it's amazing! Built by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, it is light, airy, open and crisp. You are truly looking at works of art while standing in a work of art!

Diffuse natural light bathes everything in the building. The exterior glass walls and roof are covered with louvers which provide wonderful lighting conditions for the artwork and the interior glass walls have pull down shades which can be adjusted in the galleries during different times of day.

The main corridor is breathtaking and open to the top floor of the building with a floating cantilever staircase and balconies on the north side. But for me, the icing is literally on the top of the cake. The third floor galleries house the Modern European collection and seeing the likes of Matisse, Picasso, Mondrian, Kandinsky and Dali in this setting took the experience to a whole new level. Between the canvasses of these great artists are picture-perfect views of the city and Millennium Park and above you, the architectural interest of the louvered roof - also known as the "Flying Carpet".

I was so absorbed in the experience it didn't even occur to me to take any pictures. But it's better that you go see it for yourself! If you can't, be sure to check out the Art Institute website and see what they have to say about it. You'll be impressed with what you see.

Booth Setup Redux - Art in the Arbor

As promised, I'm sharing another booth setup photo today.  This one is from my second outdoor show which was two weekends ago at Art in the Arbor in Louisville, KY.  I decided the walls needed a little jazzing up so I had a couple of photos of my pieces blown up and put them in poster frames on two sides of my booth.  I think the photos added a nice touch which made it easier for people to understand what I was selling without actually stepping into the booth.   I also decided to bring a few different accessories to mix it up a little bit.  In particular, I brought my 'wire lady' to hang one of my necklaces on.  She is such a good display that some people have even tried to buy her from me!   

All in all it was a good show and I was happy with the function of my booth setup but there are still a few things I'd like to tinker with.  I'll probably look to have a professional banner made with my shop name and some images of my work to hang across the back of the booth.  And I'm planning on cleaning up my artist's statement and framing it alongside some photos of my studio so that people can understand me and my process a little bit better.   What are some things that you've seen or done at art shows that you thought were particularly successful?  I'd love to hear about them in the comments section here!

My First Outdoor Booth - Artwalk 2009

So I had my first outdoor art show a couple of weekends ago at the Artwalk at the Promenade Bolingbrook and these are the photos of my first set-up.  For my first time out, I think I did pretty well.  I would like to have had some more levels to the display and want to 'loosen' it up a bit, but I did get lots of compliments and that was nice.  The above photos shows the overall set-up with my pendants all displayed on the two tables on the left.  I put the  tables up on bed risers so that the pendants are higher and easier to see.  On the right I set up a little checkout area on a card table so that people making purchases could select a necklace to go with their pendant, check out and I could wrap their packages.

I used a mixture of jewelry trays and wood and ceramic trays with risotto and black beans to display the pendants.  I think a lot of the pendants show up better in the rice and beans and people always comment about what a neat way that is to display them.

They say that when you do something for the first time you learn exponentially and I couldn't agree more.  Just last weekend I had my second show and already instituted a few improvements.  Setting up the booth itself was a snap because I knew exactly what I needed to do to attach the side walls.  Another handy tip I learned by watching more seasoned show attendees was to roll up my sidewalls before detaching them.  Then you don't have to fight them and the wind to fold them up and store them.

I'll post the photos from last weekend soon so you can see the changes I've already made.  But in the meantime, if you have any suggestions or tips, I'd love to hear them!  

Upcoming Event: Art in the Arbor

This upcoming Mother's Day weekend Art's Desire is happy to be participating in the 42nd Annual Art in the Arbor in Louisville, KY.  With over 100 artists' booths, great local musicians, good food and beautiful wooded grounds this makes the perfect Mother's Day or post-Derby weekend outing!  As many as 8,000 visitors are expected and free shuttle service will be available every 10-15 minutes with pickup points at the Browenton Building and Ballard High School.  Drop off will be at the festival entrance in Crossgate.  The church and it's grounds are located at 4936 Brownsboro Rd. and the hours of the festival are Saturday the 9th from 10-6 and Sunday the 10th from 10-5. So come out and join us for what promises to be a beautiful weekend of art, music and fun!

Upcoming Event: Artwalk at the Promenade Bolingbrook

I'm happy to announce that Art's Desire will be participating in the 1st Annual Artwalk at the Promenade Bolingbrook on May 2nd & 3rd!  Held the weekend before Mother's Day this is the perfect chance to get out and find a special handmade gift for your Mother or simply find something unique for yourself!  The festival is being held at one of the area's premier open air shopping centers which is conveniently located at the Boughton Rd. exit off of I-355 in Bolingbrook, IL.  With live music, fine dining and tons of great artwork - what's not to love!  If you're in the area be sure to come out and see me!

For more info on the show, visit Virgo Rising Presents or check out the pre-show exhibit on display in one of the storefronts at the Promenade Bolingbrook.  The promoters have done a beautiful job with this exhibit and I'd like to thank them for including my work!

Monday Motivation - Edvard Munch - Painter/Printmaker

This week's Monday Motivation is a day late, but I hope you'll find the featured artist inspiring nonetheless.  On Friday, my husband and I decided to take a trip to The Art Institute of Chicago.  We've been living outside of the city for a full year and have not made our way to the museum yet.  This is a strange thing for me since I made an annual trip with my mother all the way through high school and it's one of my favorite places in Chicago.  But when I learned that admission to the museum is free and that tickets to the new Munch exhibit are half off through the month of February, I decided it was time we made the trip.  My husband had never been and it was a great inaugural visit.  

Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety and Myth opened on Valentine's Day and runs through April 26th.  The exhibit counters the widely held belief that Munch was mentally unstable or that he was not influenced by his Scandinavian peers.  Paintings and prints by Munch are displayed side-by-side with the work of artists like Claude Monet, Max Klinger and James Ensor.  It's a fantastic in-depth look at an artist who spent his career finding ways to express intense emotions through his work.  If you have an opportunity to go, I very much recommend it.  Munch's work is raw and emotional and his story is told well through his own hand. (Above: Edvard Munch, Madonna, 1894-1895, painting)

Monday Motivation - Piet Mondrian - Painter

As I looked at my work area today, I saw the small pieces of colored glass sitting on the gridded work surface and I thought about the paintings of Piet Mondrian.  When he attempted to explain his artistic theory, he said this: "I believe that it is possible that, through horizontal and vertical lines constructed with awareness, but not with calculation, led by high intuition, and brought to harmony and rhythm, these basic forms of beauty, supplemented if necessary by other direct lines or curves, can become a work of art, as strong as it is true."  You see, I've been having a bit of a hard time with inspiration the last couple of weeks.  Everything I do seems too calculated or formulaic.  This week, I'm going to let Piet be my guide and I'm going seek out that harmony and rhythm through my own sense of awareness and intuition.  Hopefully, I'll have some good results that I can share with all of you soon. (Above: Piet Mondrian, Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray, 1921, Oil on Canvas, 60.1 x 60.1 cm, Vertical axis 84.5 cm, The Art Institute of Chicago)

Monday Motivation - Dale Chihuly - Glass Artist

You might say that this week's Monday Motivation is long overdue.  Dale Chihuly is, after all, probably the most recognized glass artist in the world today.  His work is varied; there is something for everyone.  As a founder of the Pilchuck Glass School, glass artists all over the world have learned about their craft because of him.  Furthermore, he has been the leading force in revolutionizing the modern Studio Glass movement.  He has exploded the boundaries of the medium and established a collaborative technique that is unparalleled.

Take a look at some of Chihuly's work.  Which pieces do you like the best?  The Seaforms?  The Macchia?  What about the Installations or Chandeliers?  They are all so different, yet his fascination with color, light and transparency are evident in all of them.  As you go about your week, challenge yourself to break new ground and try something you've never tried before.  Chihuly's work shows us the wonderful things that can happen when you do.  (Above: Dale Chihuly, Squero di San Trovaso, 1996, 10'x4', Chihuly Over Venice)

Monday Motivation - William Morris - Glass Artist

Today's Monday Motivation features William "Billy" Morris. His work reminds us that things are not always what they seem. Yes people, what you're looking at here is glass. William Morris is a uniquely talented glassblower who can transform a delicate, fragile medium into something that it isn't: rough, solid and full of texture.  His pieces resemble artifacts from an ancient past, beckoning us to learn more about where they came from.  I encourage you to take a closer look at some of Billy's work and as you go about your week challenge yourself to look beneath the surface and see the true beauty of the things around you. (Above: William Morris, Situla, 2000, 22"x24"x18", blown glass, steel stand, photo: Rob Vinnedge)

Monday Motivation - Jasper Johns - Painter

As you can tell, this week's Monday Motivation was directly influenced by last week's Presidential Inauguration.  I think it can safely be said that no matter your political preference, the peaceful transfer of power is an amazing thing to witness and a great source of pride for us here in the United States.  So, when I received an e-mail from the Museum of Modern Art featuring Jasper Johns' painting, Flag, it struck me that artists are uniquely able to express those feelings in a very powerful, but non-verbal way.  His use of the symbol as a visual object allows us to divorce the subject from it's symbolic meaning.  But, for me it's exactly that separation that allows me to see it's true beauty.  His treatment of the surface and the variations in color lend a depth to the image that can be hard to see when you think of the flag in a strictly symbolic way.  Strangely enough, it is through Johns' eyes that I see the flag as more beautiful and powerful than ever before.  I hope you'll take a moment to explore more of Jasper Johns' work and let his work inspire your week.

Monday Motivation - Lino Tagliapietra - Glass Artist

It's time for our Monday Motivation again and today I'm writing about the man, the maestro: Lino Tagliapietra. He's considered by many to be the best glass artist ever and I'm one of those people.

Born on the island of Murano in 1934, Lino apprenticed under Archimede Seguso and became a maestro at the age of 21.  Over the span of his career, his work has evolved to combine traditional Venetian technique with a contemporary artistic concept.  

In last week's post I talked about Centre College and it's wonderful glass program run by Stephen Rolfe Powell.  Since 2000, Lino has visited the program four times and generously shared his expertise and talent.  Like Steve, he's not only a fabulous artist, but a mentor and teacher as well.  So take a look at some of Lino's work and get your Monday Motivation!

Monday Motivation - Stephen Rolfe Powell - Glass Artist

Each Monday I'll publish a post about an artist. Some of the artists will be well-known, highly recognized figures, others will be friends and colleagues; all of them will be people who inspire me both in work and life and thus provide me with my Monday Motivation.

I guess I should start where it all began for me.  I was always an artsy kid.  I loved going to art fairs and museums, I was into dance and music instead of sports, I even took private art lessons when I was still in grade school!  It just seemed to follow naturally that when I went to college, I majored in Studio Art.  I started out focusing on my strengths - painting and drawing.  But there was something special about my college, something no other college nearby could offer.  A fantastic glass program with a world-class instructor.

Stephen Rolfe Powell is that instructor and since 1983 he's been sharing his talent and love of glass with the students of Centre College.  A former Centre student himself, Steve has built an incredible program that is turning out many of today's emerging glass artists.  He is an expert with color and texture and his pieces have received international recognition.  I highly encourage you to check out his website and his recently published book.  If you are in Chicago, stop by Marx-Saunders Gallery to see some of his work in real life.  In addition to being an amazing artist, Steve is also a great mentor.  He genuinely loves what he does and is happy to share his knowledge with anyone that's interested.  Now that's what I call inspiring!