wednesday night real time painting

february 8, 2012

"Ancient Olive"

12x12"

mixed media on wood panel 1" lip - ready to hang

$250.00

"Real Time Painting" is simply "on location" painting during a worship service.  I'm part of the Worship Arts Team at St. Andrews Mt. Pleasant and have painted during services there since 2002.  We started out with just me painting at the First Wednesday night services and now we have about 12 artists on our team, and at least one of us is painting at every Wednesday night service starting in 2012.  Our team is varied - our youngest artist is 10 years old. Our oldest artist -well, that's me, and let's just say I'm older than 29...

LAST DAY IN MARION SQUARE FOR 2011 Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 16 - June 11, 2011

Today is the last day of the 2011 Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit in Marion Square - it's a gorgeous day to be outside - get your fresh vegetables from the Farmers' Market and visit me at Booth  #82:

Beginnings: Work

Illuminations Series 

There are 2 more days to visit the Infusion Show with a Finale Reception tomorrow from 4pm - 6pm:

The Sun Rises and Sets

Original Illumination with Mixed Media on Wood Panel

12" x 12"

$225.00

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 15 - June 10, 2011

A Day for Friends

Theresa and Cas Caserta

Theresa and Cas live in North Carolina and spent their honeymoon in Charleston 6 years ago.  5 years ago they wandered into my tent at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit and we've been friends ever since - they normally come to Charleston at this time of year to celebrate their anniversary, occasionally missing a year  here or there, and I really miss them on those years they can't make it.

They came by this morning, brought me a gift and took me to lunch at Virginia's (get the Fried Green Tomato BLT - it's fabulous!). We had a great visit and they'll come by tomorrow for the Farmer's Market - what a treat to spend part of the day with them!

Lauren Mikell (soon to be Choate) and her mother Debbie

Lauren and Debbie came by for a wedding gift for one of Lauren's friends and to show off "the ring"! The date's not set yet but part of the trip downtown was to scope out reception places and get information.  Congratulations, Lauren!

Cathy Boette 

My friend and patron, Cathy Boette, had a meeting in Charleston and there was a parking place calling out to her as she got close to Marion Square on her way back to Columbia, so we had a nice visit and caught up with each other - this is one of my favorite parts of the Piccolo Spoleto - to see and connect with old friends while making new ones!

Attorney Philip Clarke

Philip Clarke, Charleston Attorney, took time from his law practice, to come by and visit - which I consider quite an honor because I know how busy and focused attorneys are (I know of what I speak since I've been working for attorneys since 1985).

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 14 - June 9, 2011

More from the Infusion Show

"Embrace the Invitation"

Original Illumination with Mixed Media on Wood Panel

18"x18"

$450.00

My artist statement for the illuminations in the Infusion Show:

Altered Settings: Unexpected Beauty in Timeworn Fragments

by Amelia (Mimi) Whaley

“ Altered Settings” was inspired by pages from Books of Hours, small medieval manuscripts hand-written and illuminated on vellum, which I saw in museums in Paris.  Signs of age were obvious with stains, worm holes, torn vellum. As with our bodies, everything is in a state of decay, following the laws of nature. 

Amazingly, the beauty of these illuminated manuscripts transcended their visible decay. I found the worn pages more beautiful because of the smudges, teardrops and other stains left by the hands and hearts of their owners.

When something is broken, damaged or shows some imperfection, we normally choose one of three options to deal with “damaged goods”. First we can salvage or preserve it, depending on the perception of worth or importance. Second, we can discard, de-value or even destroy it. The third way is to introduce, integrate or infuse it into another form, creating something new that could not exist without the attributes of the damaged item. 

I created illuminated pages in a manner authentic to the time, using vellum, natural pigments with egg as binder, 23 karat gold leaf and dip pen and ink. After aging and distressing a page, I incorporated it into a larger work of mixed media on wood panel, changing the nature of both the illumined page and the wood panel. The integration highlights the beauty of the illumined page, even in its damaged condition, much as a setting for a precious stone.

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 13 - June 8, 2011

Ashley, Melissa and Amber

Art Sitters 6/7/11

I left my booth at Piccolo Spoleto in the hands of 3 capable Edisto girls yesterday, Ashley & Melissa Whaley and their friend, Amber Spence.  They worked so hard they exhausted themselves...

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 12 - June 7, 1010

From the Infusion Show:

"Open Doors"

Original Illumination with Mixed Media on Wood Panel

18"x18"

$450.00

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 11 - June 6, 1010

From Infusion Art Show

Soaring Cathedral

10" x 22"

Original Illumination embedded in mixed media on wood  panel

$400.00

I will continue posting images from the Infusion Show here in addition to personal Piccolo Spoleto blogging.  If you want the real skinny on the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition, go here as I was asked this year to create and write a blog dedicated to that show - lots of guest posts, etc.