Artists for Emanuel - Bidding open now and Big FREE Event Wednesday!

Artists for Emanuel - Straight From the Heart

90 SC Artists came together to create works of art as a healing endeavor for the families of the Emanuel 9, the community and the artists themselves. All of the artwork is available to be viewed and also to be bid on at the Bidr site.  All proceeds will be donated to Coastal Community Foundation Unity Fund which was set up to support long-term solutions to racism and economic inequality in response to the shooting at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston on June 17, 2015.

There will be a reception for the public on Wednesday, November 11 at the Cigar Factory on East Bay Street from 6-9 p.m.  The reception is free (a $10 donation will gladly be accepted at the door).  We would love to see you there!  Bidding ends at 8:30 p.m. 11/11/15.

Below is my artwork for the event, with my full write-up.  Those of us with English majors tend to be more wordy than others, and my second paragraph below could not be included on the Bidr site because of space requirements.  I include it here because it explains the meaning of the illumination  which I created to complete the painting.

"Rest"

Mixed Media

18x18"

I painted “Rest” (without the illuminated page) at an evening worship service on June 17, 2015; it was our last Wednesday night service until the end of summer, and this painting was an abstract interpretation of entering into a season of rest.  I was unaware of the horror and tragedy unfolding that same evening downtown in another church, Mother Emanuel AME.  Nine godly men and women entered into eternal rest that evening, and I have created and infused an illuminated page to complete the painting in honor of The Nine.

23 karat gold was randomly used in the original piece and also used to gild the illuminated page which was created on vellum much the way it would have been done in the Middle Ages and using dip pen and ink for the scripture, Isaiah 30:15. The torn and distressed edges of the page represent the tragedy of that night. The deep blue represents Heaven, and the nine gold circles represent The Nine, each now whole, complete and encircled by the Presence of God.

Hope to see you all there!

Charleston: Where do we go from here?

Illumination (portion) of "Restore"

Isaiah 58:12

I painted this piece several years ago. It's a large piece, 36x48" so I'm showing only the illumination portion here with Isaiah 58:12 where I used the language from The Message, a contemporary translation of The Bible by Eugene Petersen, which reads:

"Restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,

Make the community livable again."

This painting came to mind this morning when Bishop Steve Wood spoke at St. Andrews, Mt. Pleasant and then led us in prayer for the victims of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston.  His sermon can be accessed here and helps in focusing our grief, confusion and questions. 

There is something that each of us individually can do as we go forward as a community.  While I don't know specifically what that is for you, or even for me, God does. My prayer is that God will make clear to each of us our roles as we move forward, to:

"Restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,

Make the community livable again."

Playing Outside the Box - Illuminations on Paper II

"Embrace"

Mixed Media Illumination on Paper

Framed 19x23"
$450.00

No collaged elements in this piece - simply painted on 140 lb watercolor paper primed with gloss medium.  The bole (a terra-cotta adhesive I mix for the gilding) was painted directly onto the paper with a twig and when tacky, I put the 23K gold leaf down. I used another twig to write the calligraphic word "Embrace"in ultramarine blue acrylic paint.  Writing in paint with twigs obviously takes more practice than I've had…however, I like it that the word itself is not obvious - I think the viewer gets more involved.

A totally different feel from "My Song" with its collage and dominant reds.

Playing Outside the Box - Illuminations on Paper

"My Song"

Mixed Media Illumination on Paper

Framed 19x23"

SOLD

Most of the illuminations I've painted the last few years (23K Gold, dip pen & ink, with acrylic or natural pigments bound with egg on vellum) are collaged onto canvas or wood panel, but I have been experimenting with either collaging the illumination onto watercolor paper or painting the illumination directly on the watercolor paper instead of vellum.  In "My Song" I cut out different elements from an illumination and collaged them.  It's a more difficult than collaging vellum onto a wood panel or prepared canvas because the illumination on vellum is going to buckle (normally drying smooth).  While canvas and wood panel don't buckle, the watercolor paper does and the trick is to let the collage breathe enough for both the paper and the illumination to dry smooth.  Sometimes, as in "My Song", I get it right!

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...).