I was very excited last week to receive in the mail one of the new Derwent “12 Graphic Soft” pencil tins featuring my commissioned drawing on the cover. I had been waiting until I saw it with my own eyes to officially announce the news on my blog. They’ve also designed all new inserts highlighting their sketching and drawing ranges, and my piece is included in a montage on that cover as well, along with two beautiful drawings of a red fox and a seashell. The new tins will most likely be available in art stores in the US in about one and a half months, as they are currently being shipped.
I also had a small exhibition of colored pencil drawings last night in conjunction with a wonderful concert by the Choir of King’s College London. This was part of the St. Andrew’s Performing Arts Series (SAPAS). More information about upcoming SAPAS events can be found at www.sapas.org.
These college students gave a superb performance of Renaissance and contemporary choral works. The Choir of King’s College London is one of the most acclaimed mixed voice university choirs in England, comprising about 27 undergraduates who are awarded choral scholarships, and in addition to performing Renaissance polyphony, they have an extensive and well-reviewed collection of discography available.
I wanted to include a copy of the program cover, which includes my name in such a prominent way that, had they not put “(colored pencil)” after my name, it looks like I was a star soloist! I found this quite amusing, as it’s the closest I’ll ever get to performing with my voice in public!
My colored pencil landscape of Wellesley Hills in traffic at sunset won “Best in Show” at the 75th Anniversary show of the Wellesley Society of Artists. The opening and awards ceremony was this afternoon, and here’s what the juror had to say about my piece:
- Great value range with wonderful mood. Great sense of late afternoon light. Good division of space. Striking piece!
I currently have artwork up in three shows in the Northeast:
- H2O – Artistic Interpretation of Water, Spring Bull Gallery, Newport, Rhode Island, through December 3rd
- Wellesley Society of Artists, Annual Juried Exhibition, Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley, MA, up through November 31st, and
-
Allied Artists of America 95th Annual Juried Exhibition, the National Arts Club Galleries, Gramercy Park South, New York City, New York, November 14th through December 2nd.
My piece at the WSA’s exhibition, “Last Year’s Remnants” was awarded Third Place in the show. Below is a photograph taken of the opening reception at the Spring Bull Gallery showing some of the work on the wall. One of my pieces is in the middle of the photograph: “Still-life with Broken Wings”.
Here’s a crooked photo (sorry!) of the little colored pencil drawing I’ve just finished for the silent auction in conjunction with the H20 Exhibition mentioned in my previous post.
I am going to be exhibiting two colored pencil pieces in conjunction with the Colored Pencil Society of America’s Chapter 112 (New England District) at the Spring Bull Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island, from November 1 through December 3, 2008. The show announcement is reproduced below. If you have the chance, please visit the exhibition, as there will be some wonderful artwork on display by colored pencil artists from all over New England. In addition, there is going to be a silent auction of small colored pencil drawings (approximately 5 x 7 inches) on display. I am currently working on a drawing of Beach stones for the silent auction, in keeping with the water theme, and a photograph of my WIP is posted below.
I have had a show of fourteen pieces of artwork at the Dorset Tea Cafe in Wellesley, MA, that has been up since the beginning of June, and will run through sometime around August 8th. It’s a wonderful little tea and coffee shop run by two sisters who used to live in Dorset, England. They have exquisite loose leaf teas and a variety of food accompaniments. It’s a relaxing and beautiful place to go for a break. They have also devoted themselves to exhibiting local art talent, and it has been nice to be included in their schedule. Below are two photographs I took of the show this week – the first photo is of the front of the shop, where most of the work is hung. The second photo is the back part of the shop, where four larger pieces are hung.
I have had several pieces juried into national shows recently. Currently I have artwork accepted into:
- Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts 97th Annual Juried Exhibition in Mystic, CT, “Bird’s Nest”
- “Out of The Blue” at the Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA, “Last Year’s Remnants”
- Colored Pencil Society of America’s 16th Annual International Exhibition, Seattle, WA, “Still-life with Broken Wings”
Last night was the opening reception for the Attleboro Arts Museum’s 85th Anniversary celebration show “Out of the Blue”. The museum requested artwork that incorporated the color blue for consideration in this national juried show, as the museum’s logo is a vivid teal blue. Over 800 entries from across the country were submitted, from which juror selected about 120 pieces. It was a fun and vibrant show with a wide range of artistic styles, mediums, sizes, and shades of blue. At right is a photograph of me taken by my piece “Last Year’s Remnants” (at top, over feather piece) at the opening last night.
Here is a photograph of me at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Environmental Educational Center in Bristol, RI, after hanging the show. Most, but not all, of the work on display is visible on these two walls. The show is up from now until the 29th of December, so I hope that if you live close by you will be able to visit and see it for yourself!
My friend Jan Reiss accompanied me today to Bristol, Rhode Island, driving in the remnants of Tropical Storm Noel, to hang my show at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Environmental Educational Center. Above is a photograph of me taken after we completed hanging the show. The opening is tomorrow, and I hope to be able to take some more photographs to post.