Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 5 - May 31, 1010

Art Assistants

While I went to work in an air conditioned office today, my two nieces, Ashley & Melissa with their friend, Rachel, drove in early from Edisto to take care of my art booth.  They had a great time and did a great job - Thanks, Girls!

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Memorial Day, 2011

Andrew W. Nelson, III, World War II Veteran

Thank you, Andy, for your service to our country!

The last few years, Andy and Phyllis Nelson have come down to attend the Memorial Day Concert in Marion Square and visit with me.  I wrote a blogpost last Memorial Day about Andy, and his story bears repeating.  Andy served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1952 and saw active duty in both World War II and the Korean Conflict.  During World War II, Andy served throughout the Pacific as a Navy Frogman and participated in several major invasions - Palau Islands Invasion, Philippine Islands Invasions and the Invasion of Okinawa.  Andy earned every one of the many medals you see on his chest - the Bronze Star with Valor (V), the Purple Heart, the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre of War with 3 Bronze Stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the Philippines Liberation Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, just to name a few.

My father, Marion Hampton Whaley, also served his country during World War II.  He was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, flew 125 missions and survived being shot down.  As his oldest child, I was given his medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart, among others, at his funeral 16 years ago. Knowing Andy and Phyllis Nelson has helped me appreciate and understand better the import of my father's service to our country.  This is a day to honor and remember all those who serve in our armed forces to ensure the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - May 29, 2011 - Day 3

Fran Pund Tuttle and me

Kudos to Facebook for helping Fran find me last year - we spent summers at Edisto Beach all throughout our childhood but had not seen each other since age 15 until last year when she facebooked me and then came to see me at the last year's Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition - now it's a tradition!  

Today at 6pm when the art show closed I drove to Edisto for a birthday barbeque for my oldest niece, Ashley Whaley.  She turned 16 in April and instead of a sweet sixteen dance or party, she just wanted to wait until after school was out to have her friends come to Edisto for barbeque, swimming in the creek and just a fun time.

Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - May 28, 2011 - Day 2

3 of my very good friends!

Justin, Gabrielle and Justin Dauway

Stephen (10), Gabrielle (3) and Justin (6) came by today from Orangeburg and made a special effort to find my new space  - For Stephen's 10 years,  my space was next door to his grandfather, Floyd Gordon, and each year we've chronicled their growth on this blog.  It's hard to believe Stephen is already 10, and  I even remember when Justin was born and 3 years after that, Gabrielle - what a great family!  

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Show and Infusion Art Show

First Day - Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition

We were fortunate - cloudy, nice breeze and no rain- getting settled in - we're all in different spaces this year, which I think is a good thing.  Today was jurying and getting to know our new neighbors, plugging in our cell numbers in each others' phones so we can be back in a flash to make a sale. Getting used to the new hours 10-6pm instead of 10-5pm.  A little confusion there, but hey, we're all in right brain territory.

Alex finishes hanging my exhibition

for the Infusion Art Show

We had the opening reception last night and and an encore reception tonight (we like receptions...).  I'm so honored to be part of this show - a true multi-media event  with 14 artists, 8 musicians and air conditioning.  The receptions were lots of fun and we've had good press, and I love that my tent in Marion Square is right across the street from the show!

I had a wonderful surprise last evening when my friend Andrea showed up at the reception with purple hair and her new husband (both are fabulous) - Andrea, you made my day! And congratulations!

Writer Andrea St. Amand and husband, Colive

The Illumination Process for Infusion Art Show

Step 1

The Supports - Vellum 4" x6" & Wooden Panel

Step 2

Image Drawn and Inked on Vellum &

Wooden Board gessoed with sand and broken shells from Edisto Beach

Step 3

The Gilding

Now gilding can be finalized, i.e.,

unwanted gilding must be scraped off with a knife and parts must be re-inked.

Painting the vellum with natural pigment and egg yolk completes the Illumination process

and the vellum is then distressed or aged.

Only then is the vellum adhered to the roughly textured board.

After the adhesive is completely dry, the illumination is integrated into the larger piece by painting.

C'est Finis

Step 4

"Roar of the Waterfall"

12" x 16"

$325.00

Getting Ready for 2 Piccolo Spoleto Art Shows

"Vessel"

Illumination Embedded in Mixed Media on Wood Panel

14" x 11"

$300.00

available at

Infusion: The Laws of Force and Motion

Sponsored by Piccolo Spoleto Festival and Artist on Fire

at Citadel Square Baptist Church

I'm winding up the art for both my Piccolo Shows, and the above painting is part of a series of illumination mixed media pieces for the Infusion Show that opens Thursday evening, May 25th.  My show there is entitled, "Altered Settings: Unexpected Beauty in Timeworn Fragments".

I absolutely love working this way using the vellum, pen & ink, natural pigments and 23k gold - then distressing the illumination and "infusing" it into a highly textured wood panel (broken shells and sand from Edisto Beach mixed with gesso).  Then I might just throw some textured paper in there (just because I want to!), finally integrating the illumination into the panel which I paint.

Over the next few days, I'll take you the different steps of preparation - it's all a grand adventure, sometimes right out of the Middle Ages! 

We have 2 opening receptions, on Thursday (5pm - 8pm) and Friday night (5pm - 9pm), May 25th and 26th - mark your calendars - hope to see you there.

Edisto Day 2011

"Lowcountry Red"

Original - Acrylic

Image 5"x 7"

Framed Plein Air Gold 10" x 12"

Yesterday I was at Edisto for "Edisto Day" - there is always an Arts & Crafts Show the first Saturday in May, sponsored by the King's Daughters.  I've only missed this show once since I started painting and that's because it poured rain a few years ago.  I always have such a good time at this show because I grew up at Edisto and I get to see lots of friends and family.   

An added feature for me this year was my first IPhone and I used it for credit card sales, which was a definite stretch for me since I had only had the phone for 1 day...but I had previously signed up with Square Up and had my card reader handy.  It worked great! 

A Spring of Art Shows

"In the Beginning"

4"x 6" Image

Mounted on Black Matboard

12" x 14" Framed

This spring has been a busy one - last weekend I participated in the First Annual Sea Islands Chamber of Commerce Outdoor Art Show at Bohicket Marina  with a wonderful group of artists.  This was the first showing of my "Beginnings" pieces created for a special Artist on Fire "Beginnings" Show in December, and I was pleased at the interest in these pieces and how they are made - in the same way and with the same materials used during the Middle Ages.

I have another outdoor show at Edisto next weekend - I have been part of this show for many years. In fact, this was my first show ever - 4 months after I started painting in January 1986.  It's always fun to do this show - to see old friends, especially  those who knew me before I was an artist (or before I knew I was an artist...).