Brick House Pictures

I was pleased with the opening for my show Brick House.  Officially it started at 5:30 last Friday evening.  At about 5:45 I started to panic a bit because no one was coming by yet.  But from 6 to 8 there was a really nice steady flow of people and comments were positive.  And, if someone thought the work was awful they, thankfully, kept their thoughts to themselves.

The series features my own handmade paper on canvas.  Each brick is a separate piece of paper painted using a variety of painting techniques.  The grout texture is made by using the surface of the canvas along with modeling paste and sand swiped from the neighbor's sandbox.  What really makes these work is that I finally figured out how to use shadowing to enhance the texture of the papers.  Ah, progress!

Here are some pictures from the evening...

This picture gives you an idea of the scale of the work.  It also shows me looking better than usual.

I talked at length with a very interesting and interested lady about this piece.  It was sold in my mind.  However, this gallery at the college doesn't allow for immediate purchase and as of this minute I haven't heard from the lady.  I'm still hopeful; however, if you need to have this piece in your home it's yours for $350.

I like the size of this one and the colors turned out really nice.  I plan to use this one as my "show" piece and will finally have something to enter into the Kalamazoo Area Show this year.

Here's the entire wall, about 30 feet.  The comment I heard most often is "I want to touch this".  I say go ahead.  The texture of the handmade paper along with the various painting techniques encourage it.  I think most wanted to touch the pieces because they couldn't figure out the materials used.

This is the smallest painting, 24" x 18" but the most involved.  The patches are plaster, the bricks are handmade paper.

The show is up at the Center for New Media/KVCC (downtown Kalamazoo, across the mall from the Raddison) until the 28th of November.

Lorrie

Brick House - Opening on Friday

I have some exciting news!  I've been working on a series that I'm calling Brick House.  The work will be shown for the first time this month.  The opening reception is Friday, November 4 at the Center for New Media, KVCC, downtown Kalamazoo from 5:30 - 8:30.  I'll be part of Art Hop.  Come on down and take a look at my new work as well as the work of other artists showing that evening.  It's always a fun night out.

This new work is a huge step forward for me.  I really feel like I've made great artistic strides with this series as I'm incorporating handmade paper into paintings on canvas.  The handmade paper, while already very textural, actually looks dimensional because of the painting efforts with regard to shadowing and color.  The piece shown on the postcard is 24" x 24".  I will have other pieces that are bigger too.

The reception is Friday.  But, the work is up for the entire month.  I hope you'll stop by.

Lorrie

What's New?

Oh my, it has been ages since my last post.   So much has been going on, some art-related but mostly not.  The biggest and best news is that since August 14 we have a new member of the family.  Our Spanish exchange student, Victor, is a super addition and we love him already.  He will be with us for the entire school year. 

Artwise, I finished my second painting class at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and as a result of that class I was invited to have a solo show at the Center for New Media for the month of November.  Truth be told though, when the class finished at the end of July, I totally shifted gears and am only now getting back to creative endeavors.  So, you'd be right if you guessed that it is a bit frantic around here now as I get ready for that show as well as the usual holiday sales. 

You know that the holiday sales are around the corner when I start making stationery...

Board drying sheets at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.

Finished sheets in all colors with many different inclusions.  These will be folded and packaged into sets of four and then sold.

So, what's happening in your world?

Lorrie

KVCC Student Show

Each year Kalamazoo Valley Community College has its annual student art show.  Well, since I'm an official student now I decided to enter.  I was juried in with my piece called Bailey Park.  I completed this painting well before I took the Painting class this semester but rules stated that the piece entered had to have been created within the last two years so it qualified.

I haven't shown it on the blog in a while so here you go...

All the colors in this photo are too "hot".  Adding it to my "Please Get a Good Photo" pile.

This 24" x 48" piece uses many of the techniques that I am hoping to explore on my own and in Art 205.  Basically, I am incorporating highly textured handmade paper into an acrylic painting on canvas.  In this case the houses are handmade paper and the background is plaster and paint.  For a look at how this was done you can begin with this post. 

I just completed my first ever college art class (Art 105).  Good experience, weak instructor.  I debated about continuing with another class.  KVCC has an artist-in-residence from the Netherlands right now and she visited our last class and contributed greatly.  That one experience, that took less than 45 minutes, was enough to sway me.  Yep, I'm registered for Art 205 and it starts this Thursday.

Lorrie

PS.  Our garage sale (mentioned in my last post) was a huge success.  Lots of stuff gone including piles and piles of new toys from Steve's sample room.  Still have a sleeper/sofa left as well as a nice office credenza.  Anyone?

Waiting for the Opportunity at the Signature Artist Cooperative Exhibit

In my last post I left you with a cliff hanger. My mixed media piece for the Signature Artist Cooperative exhibition called Earth: Power and Fragility was being created with lots of wonderful blues and browns and then...

it went black.  On purpose.  I get a great patina by using some stuff called bitumen (tar).

It gets rubbed off with mineral spirits.  More paint went on top.  Some oil pastels too.

The finished piece.  Picture shows it a bit more tourquois than it really is.



Me at the show opening on April 9, 2011.  This show is up at the Kalamazoo Nature Center until May 31.  It's a beautiful show space and the work of all the Signature artists is super.    Call the Nature Center for their hours at 269-381-1574.




I like the water a lot on this piece.  In fact, I like it so much that I built upon this idea for my Art 105/Painting final.  Pictures of that soon.

Lorrie

Robert Genn Post and My comment

Two posts from me in one day?  Unheard of, I know.  But I'm all worked up about something and wanted any new visitors from Robert Genn's site to see the amazing variety of artwork possible with handmade paper (some of which was created in workshop settings).  Anyway, I welcome you and hope you'll look around!

Ok, back it up a bit...

Today in his weekly newsletter artist, and all-around-good-art-guy Robert Genn, responded to Tom Bennick, a paper artist who asked why his work, that was partially made in workshops, could not be included in a show.  It starts:

Recently, Tom Bennick of Mountain Home, Idaho wrote, "I'm a paper artist belonging to a small art group that puts on a couple of shows a year. Some of our members are adamant about not showing work that is done in a classroom. Much of my work is partly done in a workshop or class setting and because of this I'm not allowed to show. I completely understand that work needs to be juried, but what's this classroom thing all about?"

Robert's reply to the "What's this classroom thing all about?" was:

Tom, your exclusion from shows is a function of your group and not a reflection of your processes. You can urge change within your group--or you can get out and take your paper and equipment with you. If you still want to be a joiner, I'll bet there's another group who will welcome you. You may have to drive down US 20 to Boise. It's an unfortunate fact that some art clubs and guilds, including both big city and small town ones (Mountain Home, formerly Rattlesnake Station, has an Air Force base and population of 12,000) can be downright draconian and inhibiting, often loaded with outdated attitudes and shibboleths.

The enemy of growth is dogma. Groups should be classrooms of free energy and joy, where all flags may fly, and even sketches done in the back seat of a jet trainer may be juried "in."
Best regards,
Robert

Most of the comments so far are disagreeing with Robert on this one.  I think it is because they are primarily painters and fear that all students in a workshop will be painting the same still life and then the possibility crops up of having several of those paintings appear in a show.  What's more, the paintings will be in the style of the workshop teacher, not the painter.  I know this happens, especially as the whole copyright boundaries continue to blur.  I'm not denying that it can be a sticky issue. 

However, I felt that I had to speak up for all the papermakers out there and here is what I wrote in the comment section:

Please make note that Tom is a paper artist, not a painter. This means that he probably uses some fairly specific equipment in a workshop setting that, perhaps, is not available to him in his studio or home. Yes, workshops are teaching venues, but they are also opportunities to explore, share, stretch and do some great work. This is especially true in the paper arts where you can have 20 people in the workshop making paper but doing 20 completely different things with the result. We're not talking about a situation where all 20 participants are doing a pastel portrait of the same person.

Tom, I'd suggest you make your group aware of the type of workshops you are attending so that they understand the difference. Then, if your group is not amenable to change then the advice is good: find another group. For example, The Handmade Paper Guild, Kalamazoo, MI is one of only two Guilds in the country specific to handmade paper. We have not limited our two annual shows by excluding work done in a workshop. And, guess what? I've never seen two things at all similar or anything included that is sub par. Join our group! However, the commute for the monthly meetings, might be a bit tough!

Since pictures (although these aren't necessarily great pictures) are more telling than words, I'll get on with it.

by Lorrie Grainger Abdo



by Vicki Berglund



by Liz Faust

Setting up the recent show.

by Alice Breese

by Dale Menz

by Eve Reid

by Judy Finnegan

If you'd like to read the entire post by Robert Genn and learn more about his helpful and interesting newsletters go here.

If you'd like to read the post about the most recent Handmade Paper Guild exhibition, and see additional pictures, go here.

And, I'd be curious about your stance on this issue.  How do your groups handle it?

All the best.

Lorrie

Current Exhibition - Better Homes and Gardens

I was asked to exhibit my work at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church, Portage, MI.  I was pleased with the offer and gladly accepted.

Here is the Artist Statement for the show titled Better Homes and Gardens:

Lorrie Grainger Abdo is a local paper artist. One July weekend in 1995 she took a papermaking workshop in northern Wisconsin and it changed her life. Inspired by the textural possibilities of the medium she began exploring different ways to push paper pulp to its structural limits yet maintaining a 2D format. Adding bright paint highlights the hills and valleys of the paper texture. Recently she has begun to use various painting techniques and canvas to progress further with handmade paper.

Additionally, she works extensively with paste paint. This is a surface design technique that she uses on commercial papers. These papers have movement and infinite possibilities. The papers are turned into paper mosaic art pieces as well as for home decor accents.


The show Better Homes and Gardens combines her handmade paper artwork and paper mosaic home decor pieces. She often uses the graphic shape of a house in her work as well as simplistic flower forms. These basic forms, while childlike, inspire powerful memories for those living in the adult world.

From left to right:  Heavy House, Hopeful House, Hell House, Healthy House and Harmony House.  Each is 100% cotton fiber and acrylic paints.  Each measures about 2' x 4'.

The house form on these is handmade paper, the background on each is a paste painted sheet of commercial paper.  The one second from the left sold during the show.  Others are awaiting a good home:  maybe yours?

These are paper mosaic pieces, each measuring about 9" x 12".  It's hard to take decent  pictures of artwork when it has a high gloss finish coat.

The mosaic wall.

These are small, about 9" x  12".  I'm showing you these because they incorporate handmade paper (the flowers) on a textured canvas.

I took more pictures but they are too terrible (glare, blurry, etc.) to show you.  Instead, I'd like to share with you something that they have on the alter of the church.  It is a large, multi-panel screen that is decorated with...

tiny paper pieces.  What are the odds of that?  Apparently this was done by church members.  Various commerical papers (mostly magazines and scrap) were used.  I think it's lovely.

The show has already been up for about a month and comes down on Monday, October 25.  If you'd like to see it before then, let me know.

Lorrie

Art Prize 2010

An amazing free event is going on right now in Grand Rapids, MI. It's called Art Prize and it has invaded the city like nothing I've ever seen before. As you stroll around town, I guarantee that there are many, many people there that have NEVER gone to any type of art event ever. It is getting the average Joe interested in art rather than just having the usual artists and art lovers attend.  People of all ages were swarming over the city.

It has been compared to American Idol because the viewers vote on the "winners". This means that the most "artistic" piece might not make it to the top but the most "appealing or impactful" piece might. That's ok with me because we get to enjoy it all. With over 1300 entries, the work is up all over the downtown area. If you can get there before it all comes down on October 10, do so. You won't be disappointed.

Here are pictures that I took of some of my favorites. I'm sorry that I didn't make note of the names of the artists or the titles of their pieces.  Lots to show you so this will be a long post!

This was my favorite of everything that I saw.  It made it into the Top 25 but not the Top 10 so it is out of the money.  Can you tell what it is made out of?  The artist, from Olympia, WA is a fiber artist.  The entire, ginormous piece is felt!



A close up of the piece. 



A full size coffin made out of thousands of cigarette butts.  Notice the cigar handles.

This artist made the Top 10 last year with his entry of a moose.  This year he also made the Top 10 with a savanna scene.  There is a lioness and her cubs outside the picture.  It is all made from welded nails.  I liked the moose better.

I can't believe that I got a picture of this with only one viewer blocking the the work.  Usually there were so many people in front of this you had to wait your turn to get close.  This entire piece, picturing a WW1 Calvary troop, was drawn with a pencil.  The sheer size of it is impressive and the drawing skills required are substantial.  However, by the 20th guy, I'd have thought the artist would be wondering when this thing would be finished!  This is in the Top 10.

A close up.

I find it odd that with my love of color, some of my favorites were done with only black pencil.  This elephant made me laugh.  I stood in front of it quite a long time.  Notice the sneakers, the belt, the hair pick, the bling, the hat, the expression.

Creepy huh? 

These guys were either getting ready to jump the little rabbit and have him for dinner or were very intent on protecting him.

This is a Top 10 piece.  Huge, impressive, all made from glass.

A close up.

Also a Top 10 piece.  This artist is from Florida and obviously used local materials.  This was a commentary on the BP oil disaster and the fragility of the life cycle. 

Here it is in its entirety.  Can you see the wonderful things emerging from the branches?  A turtle, fish, coral and other water life on the bottom and land animals as you work toward the top.

I'd like to be able to paint in this style.  This artist set up a working studio so that people could watch him paint.

This was titled "The Gatherer".  I'm not sure why I liked this one as he certainly isn't pretty but it has lots of emotion.  This was created by Brent Harris of Kalamazoo.

If you'd like more information you can go to ArtPrize.  Also, here are my write ups on last year's inaugural event, ArtPrize 2009 and ArtPrize Quiz and Grand Prize Winner.  The Quiz is a fun lesson on using everyday materials in different ways:  always a good topic for me! 

Lorrie

Update on Carnegie Center for the Arts Area Show

The show opened last Sunday.  The place was packed!  The snacks were outstanding:  not just crackers and cheese, thank you very much!  There was energy in the air!

Thank you all for such great comments on Facebook and on the blog about getting into the Carnegie Show. Despite feeling overwhelmed lately (mainly due to family scheduling, you should see our calendar!), this bit of success gave me a big ego boost and is a great way to start off 2010.

Here's my daughter, Claire, in front of my piece with her second or third cup of chocolate mousse. 

No wonder she's smiling!

The show will be up until February 20 and the Center's hours are Tuesday - Friday 10:00 - 5:00, Saturday 10:00 - 3:00, closed Sunday and Monday.  The Carnegie Center is in downtown Three Rivers, only about 25 minutes south of Kalamazoo.  The talent in our little part of the world is quite something and I'm happy to be a small part of it.

Lorrie

Area Show - I'm In!

On January 5th, I took a deep breath and walked my 2' x 4' Bailey Park piece into the beautiful old Carnegie Center for the Arts in Three Rivers, MI.  I then plunked down my admission form, money and placed my piece against the wall along with hundreds of other pieces.  On Saturday I got the little postcard in the mail that said YES. I juried into the Carnegie Center for the Arts area show!

I've tried to get into juried shows a few times over the years and have been rejected. There are so many incredibly talented artists out there. I got discouraged, took the easy way out and just stopped trying.  Other artists continued to tell me that juried shows are very hit or miss.  It is all up to the discretion of the juror (in this case 3 jurors) and their background, likes and dislikes.  Basically, they are like most anyone looking at your artwork:  they either like it or they don't.  Well, the mind understands that.  But, when you get the NO postcard, it still stings.

Anyway, Michigan and Indiana artists from a 17 county area were eligible to submit up to three pieces of any style or media.  From what I saw along the many walls of the Center, I'm in good company.  The opening is Sunday.  I'll report back...
 
Lorrie

Lorrie Grainger Abdo - Yep, that's me!

Here's my new booth sign for several of the shows I'm doing during the holiday season.  Cutting out all those letters was an exercise in patience.  I also have one in the works that says "Paper Artist and Instructor" (even more letters).  It seems obvious to me that what I do is all paper related but people almost always seem surprised when I tell them that the mosaics or the collages or the paintings incorporate handmade paper or are made from paper that I've painted.  I'm hoping a sign will help.

Lorrie

ArtPrize Quiz and Grand Prize Winner

The introduction to ArtPrize in Grand Rapids was in my last post. This one is about the wonder of materials that artists use. Visual art certainly isn't just about paint. And, anyone that knows me, and my art, knows that the texture of things is one of my inspirations. So, with that in mind, I offer you this ArtPrize Quiz.

ArtPrize Quiz Question #1: Digital art? Maybe. What material gives these faces their pixelated look? This was part of a series of three very large pieces, each about 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall. Called Portraits by Eric Daigh of Traverse City, it took 3rd prize.

Surprise, it's push pins.

ArtPrize Quiz Question #2: The surface was so, so smooth. The workmanship of the cuts perfect. The cut outs in the paper and the entire structure of this piece is made from...

a set of World Book encyclopedias.

ArtPrize Quiz Question #3: Sorry, no close up for this one from which you could make your guess. Hundreds of bowls made from one basic, critical ingredient called...

Rice.

ArtPrize Quiz Question #4: Here's Julie at the dump. No, not really, this installation uses nothing but...

Plastic bottles.

ArtPrize Quiz Question #5: Mr. Moose by Bill Secunda is huge, a 5th place winner and made entirely from...

nails.

ArtPrize Quiz Question #6: This huge kinetic sculpture swayed gently and squeaked loudly. It is made of...


wood and brass. Field of Reeds by John Douglas Powers came in 7th place.

ArtPrize Quiz Question #7: Who won? Well, frankly, all the artists and viewers did. But, they actually did award $250,000 (biggest monetary art prize in the world) to...

Ran Ortner for Water no. 24. This is an oil painting, folks, not a photograph. Beautiful.



Apparently some art critics are saying that ArtPrize was nothing but a popularity contest. They should just shut up, look around, absorb the excitement and come to the realization that there's nothing wrong with that. This event made the community at large come alive. It wasn't just the artists that got excited. It brought very good art to masses of people in a way that a museum could never achieve. Sure, it also brought weird, ugly stuff (not sure even I can call it art) to the public. But, just like life, this event showed it all. With all the hardships that art education and art venues are experiencing right now, ArtPrize was a shot in the arm that should help keep the interest in the arts alive for a long time to come.



For more information go to ArtPrize.

Lorrie