Works in progress, where I share what I'm working on and what I'm thinking about, and also show my Instagram feed.
Working on a series of paintings based on my winter trip to Costa Rica, I'm enjoying layering the vibrant colors. My intention is to make pieces that are loose and lively with a bit of whimsy.
Based on hillside neighborhoods in San Jose, Costa Rica, this is a section of a painting in progress.
Because one of the most powerful elements of Costa Rica is color, I want my paintings to pulse with vibrant hues as a way to share some of that country's essence. Thirty panels have a first layer of cadmium red.
First layer of color on 30 panels for an upcoming show.
Thirty 8x8" birch panels, sanded, taped, with a first coat of gesso. Through the spring and summer, I'll be working on a series of paintings based on my travels in Costa Rica. So many possibilities!
publicity announcement about Omaha artists showing work in Costa Rica
With the Spanish vocabulary of a toddler who knows a little about food and backed by my 9-percent fluency ranking with the app DuoLingo, I'm heading south for an artist exchange and reprieve from winter. Thanks to Judith Anthony Johnston and Katrina Methot Swanson, fellow members of the Artists' Cooperative Gallery, and their multiple conversations with Costa Rican artist Elisa Morera, I get to participate in a program to show work in the Sophia Wanamaker Gallery, which is part of cultural center that links North America with Costa Rica. In June, our gallery will host several artists from Costa Rica.
I'm counting on the good will garnered with good manners -- I can easily say 'hello,' 'please' and 'thank-you' -- and the reports of numerous bilingual natives and U.S. expatriates. I expect to have at least occasional Internet access and plan to share a few photos on social media, but I'm really looking forward to sketching and writing as a way to journal about my adventures. My bags are packed, I've got colons in my wallet, and I'm hoping for a "bueno viaje" (good journey). Cheers!
Framed printouts of my paintings give viewers an introduction to my work in the lobby of the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel.
I'm excited about being one of six finalists for a yearlong residency at the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel and the only artist from Omaha in the mix. The artist-in-residence will spend about four days a week working in a hotel studio, engaging with visitors and displaying work. Several public events will occur through the year and the artist will create a legacy piece that will remain at the hotel. Visitors to the hotel lobby can cast a ballot for their favorite artist through Jan. 25; finalists will interview with a committee in January and the name of the resident artist will be announced Feb. 1.
Hotel owner Marcus Corporation has run an artist-in-residence, as well as a writer-in-residence, at its flagship hotel in Milwaukee, the Pfizer Hotel, for several years. Expanding the program to Lincoln has the potential to add a vibrant dimension to Nebraska's art community and I'm eager to see how it develops.