November

"Tank Engine," one of my most recent images,

      I missed a post in October. Mainly because there was so much going on. Which, if one is going to skip a post on their art blog, it's not such a bad thing that the reason is because there are so many art happenings. Earlier this month I participated in an open studio tour across South Louisiana as a member of Nunu's Art collective. October was busy in anticipation of preparing for this event.

Logo for the Ope Studio Tour

The Open Studio Tour had two aspects. The first and most obvious is the event itself where people come in to your studio, examine your work, talk to you, and watch as you make new pieces. But, in an effort to get people excited and thinking about the upcoming tour, a separate exhibition of all the participating artists was curated for display at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. There was an opening and reception for this event on November 6th. I wanted to create a new, unique image for this show, so I was involved in trying to get that image completed in time for the exhibition. The title of the piece is "Ooh! I like that hat," because everyone who had seen the work being made had that exact comment.

"Ooh! I like that hat!" completed October 2018.

      This image, and the one at the top of the page were completed using pages from old discarded books. I have access to a lot of discarded books, so this works well in that regard. But, I think the texture of the different pages, as well as the text of the book showing through the painted image add an interesting visual element. In these particular examples an old law reporter was used. I enjoy reading the pages through the painting, and can't help but think about the people who were involved in these court cases and how the court proceedings actually contributed to the creation of my art.

Me, Carole Lancon, and Shane Seneca during the tour. Click on the image to enlarge.

       I really enjoyed participating in this event. Art making is such a solitary act, that opening the studio and inviting people in to see you work, as well as working in close proximity to other artists was stimulating in way that I have not really experienced since studio art courses in college. Establishing yourself in a community of creatives helps you make art just as much as practicing your craft and techniques.