Parasites, Paint, and Friendship...oh my!

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Its all finished!

A few weeks ago Stacey and I, with the help of our amazing paper hanger Shelly Wilkins of Walls Etc., installed the final panel of the BRI mural. If you missed the progress, read about it here.

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We started the project back in October and little did I know how good it would be for my healing. Stacey is a very unique person. She is wise beyond her years, extremely talented, patient, and persistent. In her words it was "bashert" destined, predetermined, meant to be. This project landed at the perfect time. She was supposed to get a different project, slated to start earlier but that one fell through. This one came along and Stacey needed help and a place to work on this large piece.

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A month after my mom's passing we began the mural. The days were filled with painting and discussions about so many things like death, religion, spirituality, relationships, food, travel and love. It was great to just show up and paint and not worry about clients and business things. We also learned new techniques from each other. I taught her how to glaze and she taught me how to see beyond the reference material. Stacey also met my studio neighbors and commented on what a great place the West End is, how we check in on each other and help one another with things. I think she would move in if she could!

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The mural itself is spectacular. It shows the people affected by the debilitating parasitic disease Shistosomiasis. The mural depicts a family doing their daily chores of washing and filling bottles of water at a local pond. Stacey meticulously illustrates how the disease infiltrates the body and its devastating consequences if left untreated. The second half of the mural (executed first) shows the work being done by BRI in facilitating a mechanism for a vaccine through the doors of the "hut" and lastly the people walking away, immune now from Shistosomiasis.

Here are some more images of areas I painted.

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I was so happy to see this work installed and ready to move on to the next project but also a bit sad that our daily talks would come to an end. Stacey's next project is working on her son Jonah's Bar-Mitzvah and my next project involves glass, paint, and metal leaf. We will have to have regular lunch dates in order alleviate our withdrawal symptoms.

Stay tuned!

Getting Back My Mojo

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As promised, I am posting some shots of the progress on my first "for-me" painting. I'm really excited an have gotten some good feedback on Facebook and in person.

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Here it is today. Still have a bit to go, haven't touched the foreground yet. The lower portion of the window and the chairs are still incomplete.  Moving along though and it feels great. I'm tossing around a few ideas on a name but am open to suggestions. Thoughts?

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Also, in the studio, my good friend and fellow artist Stacey Olson Sachs has me working on one of her commissions. We are learning a lot from one another. I helped achieve the effect for the background using a parchment type glazing treatment as well as the map and gradation of the blue sky that fades out. In exchange, I am learning to "see" more than what actually in a reference photo. I am earning my Artistic License!

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I will be helping install this first half coming up on Friday. There will be a second part to this leading in from the left that will tell the story of people in West Africa contracting the parasitic disease known as Shistosomiasis.  Biomedical Research Institute does research for this disease and harvests affected snails (part of its life cycle) which they supply to other researchers for drug development. Vaccine development is what they're aiming for in their future. It will be installed in their lobby. Stacey has a background in Medical Illustration and so this is right up her alley.

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Its been the perfect way to get back into working again, we have lots to talk about including work, philosophy, and family! And the best part is all I have to do is show up and paint! Stay tuned for photos of the installation. Follow on facebook too!

West End Studios Art Opening Recap

In case you missed it, we had four of our artists who have studios at the West End of Ellicott City participate in an art show at my studio. The way it all began was Bill Knapp, Ewan Tulis, and I were kicking around ways to get our work out there and make some contacts and possibly sales of our work. I offered up my space because its the biggest one and set the date. (In retrospect we will keep this event in the cooler months, particularly Spring and Fall, because the lack of air conditioning made it rather warm.) Having a date on the calendar, and announcing it on Facebook, made it official so we were on! The week before we began with figuring out how to set up the space. My dear friend and designer Paula Henry helped with the plan. She's good at laying out rooms and with flow of traffic. Plus the four of us artists were too close to our own work to really see how best to set it up. An outside perspective was what we needed. After that, I draped all of the tables and covered the less sightly things like paint shelves, slop sink, and ladders with canvas drops.  Finally we were able to start hanging art and installing lighting. Bill and Ewan did an incredible job with what we had on hand and surprisingly it actually looked like a gallery!

Friday evening we had our "Reception/Preview Party" and had plenty of snacks and beverages on hand. Several friends came by and our first piece was sold! I had been so worried that it would be a total flop and no one would show. So when so many people came and we made a sale I was over the moon. Whew!

Saturday saw more people come through and by the evening we were ready to wrap. The reason it was only two days was that it is my working studio and I had to get back to work. It was bittersweet to have to strike the show but so glad it was a success.  We are planning to do another one in Spring, with other members of the West End Studios. In case you didn't know we have 9 artists up at the West End!

The next event that will have our studios open will be the second annual Artwalk coming up on October 11th. Check out our Ellicott City Arts Coaliton website for more information.

Stay tuned for more art!

First Decorator Tag Sale a Success

If you are friends or follow me on Facebook, or subscribe to my newsletter, then you may have heard that we had a Decorator Tag Sale at my studio this past weekend.

Five Interior Designer friends that I work for and I decided to host a Tag Sale at my studio because we all had so many items left over from Show Houses, staging, or clients. Things like excess fabric, accessories, furniture, pillows, art, and even rugs were available. If you are unfamiliar with what a Tag Sale is, its when several vendors have items for sale. If you like something, you take the tag of that item (if its large) or the item itself and take it to the person who owns that item to buy it. Kinda like an upscale yard sale.

It was such a success that I plan to have another one with several other designers this coming November, just in time for holiday shopping and decorating.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, sign up for my newsletter, or subscribe to my blog (lower right corner) to find out when the next one will be.

Thanks to Paula Henry, Trish Albano, Jane O'Donoghue, Carol Weil, Wendy Appleby, and Barbara Brown!!

And our next event at Deelite Design will be our West End Studios Art Opening/Pop Up Gallery July 11-12. For the Facebook Event page, click here.

West End Studios Art Opening/Pop-Up Gallery

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Mark your calendars!!Deelite Design will host the first art opening for artists at the West End. Sculptors Bill Knapp, Barry Sheehan; Woodworker Ewan Tulis; and myself, will have works on display for purchase. Preview Party Friday Evening.

This will be a two day gallery show, Pop-Up style. The show commences Saturday evening so be sure to stop by and bring your art lover friends! Lots of great art for sale! More Information

Preview Party: Friday July 11,  7-10

Show: Saturday July 12, 10-6

About West End Studios:

Technically still Main Street, the West End of Historic Ellicott City is home to several working artists. Currently there are nine artists within the area: blacksmiths Barry Sheehan and Sam Salvati, Sculptor Bill Knapp, Woodworker Ewan Tulis, Painters Dee Cunningham, Laurie Hansen, and Chuck Gamber, and wood turner Dave Calloway.

About the Participating Artists:

Bill Knapp:

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"My intent is to make the viewer wonder. 'Does it work, will it run or maybe what does it do?' Although some pieces may be strong with just their elements, I prefer that the elements relate to each other and and come together to appear to perform a function. That function may appear mechanical, animal, or figurative. My studio includes a small warehouse of parts that talk to me. They come from the internet stores, antique shops, and dumpster dives. Friends often leave things at my studio door that they know I'll recycle."

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Barry Sheehan: "I am a master craftsman with a primary focus in metals and traditional blacksmithing. My artistic philosophy is life is in motion and motion gives art life. I use a minimalistic approach to sculpture in order to create a restless energy that can arrest the attention of any viewer and allow them to interact with the piece. I use familiar imagery such as the human figure caught in motion in order to create an imaginary reality that involves the sculpture and the space around it. My process is difficult but simple: fire, water, impact, and pressure."

Ewan Tulis:

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Ewan is a woodworker by heart. His day job of doing construction and home improvement allows him the pleasure of building sculptural furniture that often includes exotic and reclaimed woods and vintage hardware and metal. His work includes gracefully shaped pieces with curved lines as well as lightly refined rustic pieces that speak of their previous life.

Dee Cunningham:

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Working as a decorative artist my job is to paint for others. Solely commission based up to this point, my work is custom made for the client. I will paint anything from abstract to photo realistic styles in order to achieve my clients' vision.  After much discussion and personal reflection, I hope to complete my first body of work for my own artistic expression in the next year.