Works in progress, where I share what I'm working on and what I'm thinking about, and also show my Instagram feed.
Remembrances and Charms, pages 4 and 5, oils and mixed media, 40"x30”
When artists show work at Ming Toy Gallery, owner Teresa Gleason has them answer five questions:
When did you know you were going to be an artist?
How do you describe your process?
What are the three most important things in your studio space?
Where do you find inspiration?
What do you want others to know about you/your work?
See my answers about the work in “Weirder, Wilder, Witchier” here
Here I am at the opening reception of “Weirder, Wilder, Witchier” at Ming Toy Gallery in front of “Lunar Phases and Growth Stages, pages 8-13”.
Artists write statements about particular work or shows to provide context, backstories and sometimes a little bit of insight into their process. I admit to wrestling with this one a bit. The work in this show, while abstract, feels personal in a way that many previous paintings or projects are not. The hope is that personal details connect viewers to something larger and more universal.
“Weirder, Wilder, Witchier”
Last summer, I proposed making a large-scale accordion book for a new library. The large hinged wood panels would expand on ideas I’d been playing with on a smaller scale for several years. My proposal — to combine visual elements inspired by prairie plants and landscapes with text from written works by Great Plains authors — was rejected, but I held onto the idea and considered it from other angles.
I’ve been making small accordion books filled paintings and collages. One series is called “Incantations without words.” Each page reads like a visual spell, wish or poem. I’ve always felt connected to nature’s rhythms, and that connection has deepened by hosting more native plants and animals in my small urban yard. I read stories about ancient women’s knowledge and rituals. And when I make these small art books as meditations, I can contemplate multiple connections.
I’ve scaled up those ideas, raising my visual voice with the linked panels. As I worked on layering the pigments, composing shapes and sculpting texture, the ideas bubbling up were looser, less literary, less literal and much weirder, wilder, and witchier than those presented in last summer’s proposal.
The pieces on view reflect my current state of mind — references to prairie, to seasonal cycles, to finding direction and purpose, to defining and referencing sources of power and deciding about how best to move through days ahead. These pieces are filled with personal symbols, colors that I find restful and reassuring. Sunflower seeds become marks of India ink; feeling a little lost has me appreciating the visual reference of a compass and helps me remember the internal one that can guide me. Circles or rings refer to the moon, the earth, seasons, travel and returns home. Cairns of imaginary rocks represent people and places I love. And each page or panel includes the vibrations of my wishes for peace, harmony, protection and justice — wishes whispered, sung or shouted as I paint.
It’s all storytelling of a kind, an effort to connect with others and to share something of myself that might last.
“In Senegal, the polite expression for saying someone died is to say his or her library has burned,” writes Susan Orlean in The Library Book. “When I first heard the phrase, I didn’t understand it, but over time I came to realize it was perfect. Our minds and souls contain volumes inscribed by our experiences and emotions; each individual’s consciousness is a collection of memories we’ve cataloged and stored inside us, a private library of a life lived. It is something that no one else can entirely share, one that burns down and disappears when we die. But if you can take something from that internal collection and share it — with one person or with the larger world, on the page or in a story recited — it takes on a life of its own.”
Enjoy exploring part of my library.
Lori Elliott-Bartle, Omaha, Nebraska, October 2025
“Lunar Phases and Growth Stages, pages 10 and 11” oils and mixed media on two 20x30” birch panels joined with hinges
“Weirder, Wilder, Witchier” fits the definition of a solo show, but it hardly feels like that when so much collaboration occurs to make it all happen. I’ve spent the past year working on a dozen large mixed-media paintings. Ten of them have made the cut to share with visitors at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple St., Omaha, in November.
Gallerist Teresa Gleason is a joy to work with. We share a communications background and have many interests in common. She is a dedicated arts advocate who strives to make art accessible and available to everyone. Her gallery space in the Benson neighborhood is cozy and welcoming with exposed brick walls inside and south-facing windows looking out over Maple Street.
Among Brad Marr’s interests are painting and carpentry. He designed, built and installed the elegant shelves that hold my collection of small artist books from the “Incantations without words” series. I’ve followed the work of Holly Lukasiewicz and District 2 Floral for a few years and was delighted when she accepted the assignment to create the arrangements of prairie plants to fill the pots I bought from ceramicist Dan Toberer. When I first saw these tall vases outside the pottery studio at Hot Shops, I thought they looked like he made them to go with my paintings. After the show, they’ll frame our fireplace at home.
It may be a solo show, but I’m very grateful for all the support and collaboration it takes to share it. Please join us for the opening celebration 6-9pm Nov. 7, 2025 or see the show during its run through Nov. 29. Ming Toy Gallery is at 6066 Maple St. right between Au Courant and Legends Comics and Coffee in the heart of the Benson neighborhood. Hope to see you there!
“Incantations without words #2,” a mixed media accordion book, displayed on a mirrored floating shelf designed and built by Brad Marr
Dried plants arranged by Holly Lukaseiwicz of District 2 Floral Studio in a ceramic vessel by Dan Toberer
Courtney Kenny Porto pulls together a good group show, and this time she's coordinating more than 70 local artists for a weekend pop-up that promises bright colors, bold strokes and a wide range of price points. "Vivid" runs the evenings of Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10 and 11 and the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 12. Clover24 is a new art space at 24th and Martha streets in the remodeled Kitty Clover potato chip factory. I have two small abstracts in the show, including the image in the top left corner of the promotional graphic.
Hot Shops is having a fundraising art party at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10. You can buy tickets here for an evening of interactive art-making, food and drink, music and an after-party dance.
Also part of the event is an online silent auction of artworks, class offerings and other experiences by resident artists. Fellow artist Jean Mason and I put together two boxes: each is filled with sketching supplies, a sketchbook I made, and a slot in an upcoming workshop with Jean. Start a new adventure or brush up on sketching and journaling skills with your winning bid! I also have a painting included in the auction.
Even if you can't come to the party, you can register and bid on auction items. That action starts Oct. 1 at noon! You can register now and get a preview of all the items. You could get a jumpstart on holiday shopping and support our outreach and education missions with your bids. Thanks!
