Friday, December 31, 2010

Upcoming Events



HER in HERo workshop for girls
Art For Change
Harlem, NYC
February 5, 2011

Two person show at FDU:
"Women Out of Time: Sylvia Sherr and Elizabeth Bisbing"
University Gallery
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Teaneck, NJ
Feb. 14 - Mar. 18, 2011

"The Veil: Visible and Invisible Spaces: new media"
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
Month of March

One person show:
Soho20 Gallery
New York City
March 1 - 26, 2011

Affordable Art Fair
Soho20 Gallery Booth
(will be in an entire area dedicated to women artists)
May 5-8, 2011

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Countdown...Silent Auction at Soho20 Gallery





We are having a fundraiser at Soho20 Gallery. It is a group show/ silent auction

12-11-10 Countdown
Exhibition and Silent Auction

benefiting the Ellen Hoffman Fellowship Fund at Soho20 Gallery

December 1 - 11, 2010

Silent Auction
Saturday December 11th 5-8pm

Join us for drinks, music and art as you help to support one of the longest running organizations that promote the work of women artists!


I put this piece and another (which I do not have an image of) in the show.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Online Exhibition


I am being featured on the Moore College of Art website. They have a bi-monthly Alumnae Online Exhibition. It will be up for November and December.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Artis Residency opportunity



This has been very beneficial to the first artist resident of the Soho20 Gallery in Chelsea, NYC.

She has worked very effectively in the space, produced great work, and gotten exposure during gallery events.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

My work for NARS open studios exhibition


I bought this old print in a funky old frame at a flea market a while ago. Maybe over a year ago. I have been looking at it on the studio wall for a long time. I started gluing some of my Little Betty Jane collograph prints onto it. This is the piece that I will have in the NARS show. The top and bottom images are details. I had a lot of fun making it.









Exhibition at NARS






UPCOMING EXHIBITION
READY SET CREATE
November 6 - 20, 2010
Wed. - Fri. 1 pm - 5 pm, Sat. - Sun. 12 pm - 6 pm
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 6, 6 pm - 9 pm





The NARS Foundation Studio Artists share their work in Ready Set Create, an exhibition that will over take the Gallery, Parlor Room and hallway of the NARS Foundation’s Studio II located at 88 35th street, 3rd floor in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

The diverse works that range from landscape paintings that reference the long history of western painting to experimental sculptures and video pieces, the multifarious artworks engage the viewer in a variety of manner sharing their journey towards creativity. The exhibition will showcase some of the multitudinous voices, thoughts and studio practices that fill the eighty artist studios at NARS.

Participating Artists:
Jose Arenas/ Patricia Ayres/ Emil Bakalli/ Gennadi Barbush/ Elizabeth J. Bisbing/ Roxanne Bohana/ Michael Paul Britto/ Richard Castellana/ Karin Drew/ Aleksander Garin/ Griselda M. Healy/ France Hilbert/ Mikhail Iliatov/Ellen Coleman Izzo/ Rachel Kahn/ Tai Woong Kang/ Hiromitsu Kuroo/ Roberta Lawson/ Conor McGrady/ Nyeema Morgan/ Patty Neal/ Rose Nestler/ Kevin Noble/ Temitayo Ogunbiyi/ Maia Cruz Palileo/ Thabiso Phokompe/ Mason Saltarrelli/ Steev Scott/ Adriana Vanella/ Elizabeth Velazaquez/ Joseph Zuccarini
The NARS Foundation is a Brooklyn-based not-for-profit art organization providing artists with low-cost residencies and studio spaces with an emphasis on professional development, community involvement and cultural exchange. Located just two express subway stops from Manhattan in Sunset Park, NARS Foundation studios occupy adjoining 19th century warehouses near the East River waterfront at 253 36th Street and 88 35th Street.

Friday, October 22, 2010

SOHO20 One-of-a-Kind Tote Bags!

I am participating in the Soho20 Gallery Tote Bag project. We are embellishing canvas tote bags that have the Soho20 Gallery logo on one side. Some are painted, some are drawn. I used monograms from Crochet and Knitting for Every Woman: "Gifts You Can Make Yourself" edited by Isabelle Stevenson, 1947. I found a page with directions to make a monogrammed slip. I sewed the monograms on fabrics from my old slips and some vintage ladies handkerchiefs. These I sewed on the bag.

The second bag I made by making a carbon copy of a drawing I did at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have been making a series of drawings of female figures. I am intrigued by how little is needed to indicate "woman." This figure is more elaborate than most. I used carbon paper. Then I sealed it with fixative.

Click on the link to see the bags - mine and others. They are incredibly affordable.


Check out these Soho20 Gallery tote bags.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Today's work

I spent maybe 4 hours just working on the tile flooring of this little collage. It's about 6 x 5 inches. I was looking at the de Hooch below it. He used that floor in several of his paintings. I always say - it's a good thing I am not an architect. But, I kind of like the funky wonkiness. Don't get me started on vanishing points. I like the colors - subtle differences in shades of blue/gray. Needless to say, it is not finished.






Saturday, September 4, 2010

Blog posting about the Veil Exhibition

The Veil: Visible & Invisible Spaces exhibition will be opening soon at DePauw University in Indiana on the 7th and running until December 10, 2010 - even though their website says 2009. Jennifer Heath writes about it on the Culture ID blog.








Tuesday, August 24, 2010

New Work

These are works in progress. I am working towards a show in March.


Sunday, August 22, 2010

Video Clip

Here is a clip of Little Betty Jane in "Hula Dancing." I shot the images for this animation while up in the Vermont this June. Since then, I have been working on editing. This is just a short clip.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Surprise discovery

I found this piece in the little box where I keep my gold leaf. It was wrapped up in tracing paper. I packed it in this box for safe keeping. I made it in Vermont. She needed to be in a the box because she had 3 dimensional features - her nose and her breasts. So, she was not with the other flat collages. I totally forgot all about her. You can see that LBJ is a fertility goddess and she can fit into a slot in the classically inspired tea cup design.





Thursday, July 22, 2010

Something new

I am trying something new. I folded this piece of paper so that it was a good size to draw on at the Met. There are 9 sections. I drew images from the ceramic vessels and figurines in the vitrines toward the entrance of the mezzanine level of work in vitrines. I love them.


I used my favorite water soluble graphite pencils. Back at the studio, I opened the page up and added what I though was needed to pull it together. I may still add more. Not sure.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

In the studio

I am putting various different work together in a kind of installation. I have been making mixed media collages along with my painted paper collages for a while now. This way of looking at the work seems interesting to me. I started doing this in Vermont. The image on top is one wall in my studio. The two under that are detail shots. I am not sure how things relate to each other yet.



Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Working at the Vermont Studio Center



This is some unedited animation. I will work on finishing it at home.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Working at the Vermont Studio Center



Here are a couple of pieces done at the Vermont Studio Center. I completed the top piece " Little Betty Jane and the Dragon. And below it is a gouache of some beautiful clematis. I also drew and painted lupines, daisies, buttercups, and bird's foot trefoil. All of these are native and or wildflowers. I plan to make painted paper collages of them as part of the Homage to Mrs. Delany series when I get to NYC.

Monday, May 10, 2010

OPEN STUDIOS WEEKEND



Richard and I have been working hard in the studio. We have lots of new work to show. Come and visit us this weekend. Saturday and Sunday from 11-6. And, there is a party on Saturday night from 6-9 pm.

You can find directions on the NARS Foundation website. But, basically you take the D,M, R, N train to 36th St. in Brooklyn. Then walk from 4th Ave to 3rd Ave (cross 3rd - go under the BQE). Our studio is on the 35th Street side. Go in the door with the number 88 over it. Climb up to the third floor. If you need an elevator or get lost and need help, call my cell: 646-522-5790.

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Monday, April 26, 2010

Today's work

Oxalis Triangularis: Love Plant, Purple Shamrock


I love this plant. It has been on our window sill for a long time. It just bloomed, so I made the third collage in the Ode to Mrs. Delany series. This is just a part of it. It's not cropped this closely. I need room to put the name on the piece.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Third Illumination

I h ave begun a third illumination. The second one is about birds. Here it is.


I am not sure what the narrative will be for the third. The text for the first and second come from Genesis - King James version. I have begun with the borders for the third. Below you can see one days work. I essentially put in the structure of the patterns. It is a good thing I am not an architect, because despite planning and measuring things still did not come out even. If I were an architect, there would be a lot of wonky buildings around.

This last image is the sheet that I cut out the pattern for the ovals. These leftover pieces are surely going to be used in another piece. I love them.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Otto Dix at the Neue Gallerie

On Monday, I went to the Neue Gallerie to see the Otto Dix exhibition. It is well worth seeing. There is a set of prints on the horrors of war that rival Goya. And, the painting in watercolor and guaoche were new to me. I will surely go back. It is up until August 30th.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Ode to Mrs. Delany #2

I picked some weeds on the way to the studio from a gallery closing reception. They had clusters of small white flowers. I have identified them as Shepherds Purse: Capsella Bursa-pastoris - from a website. These are details. I cut off the black space around the flowers. They are really small flowers. I tried to make them life size.




Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Ode to Mrs. Delany

I finished this first ode to Mrs. Delany flower. It is a violet. The common blue violet. It is considered a weed. But, it is a beautiful little flower. I got this specimen from my friend Joy's backyard. It was a lot of fun to make - felt like magic.

Monday, April 12, 2010

lucky find and daily work

Look at the book I found in the laundry room yesterday! Can you believe it? I couldn't.


I have been thinking of doing some work in homage to Mrs. Delany. My friend Joy, gave me some violets today. Here they are in a little milk pitcher and a leaf collage that I began ala Mrs. Delany.



Also, I worked on a new illumination. Little Betty Jane is facing a big eagle. This is the beginning of the inset.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Illumination



I think this is pretty much complete. You can see Little Betty Jane is battling a serpent which is under her bed. She has a lance. This is not a very good image. I just scanned it. (I have since uploaded a better image. )

I added a passage from the King James Bible's version from Genesis. This passage is talking about the snake that approaches and eventually tricks Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.

There are currently two separate exhibitions with Books of Hours taken apart - for restoration. Each page is on view. At the Morgan Library they have Catherine of Cleve's Book of Hours and at the Met, they have Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry.

These are both wonderful shows and well worth an afternoon or two of looking. I would recommend bringing a magnifying glass if you can. They have them for use at the Met, but they are often all taken.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

First Session of the Her in Hero project

This is me showing the powerpoint presentation.

I have been working for months along with Leslie Madigan on a project called "The HER in HERo." It's a celebration of women role models. It's based around my change of costume cards. I made a Hero set - mostly contemporary women who I personally look up to. These are women in the public sphere. I have a webpage that shows the cards.

We had our first class yesterday - Friday, March 5th. It went very well. I will need to refine a few things to make it better, but the girls seemed to enjoy it. They made great "Me" cards and really enjoyed playing with the set of cards I made (I gave them reproductions to play with - the originals are too delicate and they are my 'work.')

I have some photos. Here you see their "Me" cards.



Here is Leslie working with the girls at circle time. This is when the girls played with the cards. Leslie has them in her hands.

Monday, February 22, 2010

All things Medieval

I am in love with all things Medieval. I love to go the Met and draw. I just wander around the Medieval art section. The things I find. They seem so contemporary to me. Look at this Lion - the first drawing. I found it on a metal piece - I think it was an aquamanile (something used to wash hands at the dinner table).

I love dragons.


And the birds were on a clasp of some kind. They are really strutting their stuff.

Friday, February 19, 2010


I didn't sleep well last night. This is a chronic problem. When this happens I am very down the next day and my brain is foggy. But, I did manage to get to the studio in the afternoon and I worked on my illuminated image of Little Betty Jane battling the snake creature.

A while ago, I bought myself a lamp with a magnifying glass. I thought about this for a long time. I tried to avoid the temptation because I feared that my work would only get smaller. People are always saying I should work bigger - not smaller! Well, you'll see.....

The image above is of the image on an illuminated page. The image is 3 x 4 inches. And, the detail image is just of LBJ. It's real size is 7/8 of an inch. She will have flowered pj's.

You can see all of this is still incomplete. I was having a lot of fun putting stripes on the snake creature. I could do that forever!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Slow Progress


The work is very slow going. And, the details are quite small. You may not be able to see most of them.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

New Obsession

I went to the Morgan Library on Thursday with a friend. They have the pages of The Book of Hours of Catherine of Cleves on display because they needed to take it apart for conservation. It's really wonderful to see these works. You can see the entire set on their website. It is great.

I have long thought about working in this format and if you think about the veil cards and the artist trading cards. That have a bit of the same feel. You can see I began one. It is 7 x 5 inches. I wanted a tiled floor. And, the flowers in the border. There is a bird - dragon creature in the border too. I am going to add words in a calligraphic style. The "L" of Little Betty Jane will be illuminated. All this done is painted paper collage - of course. I just put the letters on this in photoshop to see how they look. These are at the very beginning. Lots to do and lots of things to work out.