VirginiaCreates: June 2016

Saturday, June 25, 2016

It is summertime and that means .... ART time!!!!

Last year I had the pleasure of being one of the guest artists for Potato Hill Poetry's Creative Writing Kids program,

here in Natick, and I had so much fun.

And I guess the kids had fun too as I have been invited back to do art with the kids this summer!!!

WOOHOO!!!

Andrew Green in a school

The program is run by poet Andrew Green,

the talent and inspiration of Potato Hill Poetry!

"Andrew Green is a poet, writer, and teacher who works with students and teachers in schools throughout New England, offering writing and poetry workshops. He founded Potato Hill Poetry in 1995."

Last year I lead the group in creating collage. I showed them some of my collage work, my 'home, sweet, home' series as well as some of my collages from my #ICAD2015 project.

I explained the similarities of collage and writing, each taking parts (writing/words, collage images) how, to create a new worlds, emotions, in fact stories.

They created some wonderful pictures using my basket of tricks ... catalogs, magazines and other detritus of the day.

collage from last year's program

This summer I plan to mix it up a bit!!!

Definitely do the magazine based collage!

But we will also doing creating a tissue paper based collage ~ a nod to the amazing Eric Carle.

While I was visiting the The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art I learned how to do these collages and i am excited to share.

And I also want to explore the amazing world of Zentangle with the group. New to it myself, I find it a wonderful meditative practice which I find very inspiring!!!

I believe there are still some spots available, depending on the week.

I have included the sign-up form below or you can click here:

http://www.potatohill.com/files/2016-camp-flier.pdf

And check back here to see what these creative kiddos create,

I plan to take more pictures this year.

Come spend five fabulous mornings discovering the creative writer within. You will work with one or two fantastic teachers who will encourage and inspire you to write as never before. Mornings will be devoted to a variety of genres: nature writing, poetry, fiction, and journaling. There will be group exercises as well as individual guidance during the week. A reading for parents will occur on the final morning.

PEACE

Friday, June 3, 2016

Tonight, some of my girls are holding court in Rockland, ME

'artist from the blue moon ...'/
'black widow ..'

'provocative ...' holding court

review of "WHAT YOU SEE ..."

This week I took a mini road trip to deliver some of my work up north, where I had the pleasure to meet Jana Hawick and see her beautiful gallery, Carver Hill Gallery, in the artsy coastal town of Rockland, ME.

Last month three of my 'lilith contemplating ...' photographs were part of Carver Hill's season opening exhibit, "WHAT YOU SEE". An engaging collection of 'digital and photographic compositions from 7 artist including Sharon Arnold, Craig Becker, Nadine Boughton, Virginia Fitzgerald, Seth Lester, Elizabeth Opalenik, Agnes Riverin.'

This show received a wonderful review by Daniel Kany for the Portland Press Herald (click here for more info).

And this month I am so honored to be included in Carver Hill's exhibit FEMMetonymy, which opens tonight!! and runs through June 28th.

the catalog for the exhibit

“FEMMetonymy,” a show featuring:
Maryjean Viano Crowe, Virginia Fitzgerald and Lesia Sochor.

FEMMetonymy is a show of three women artists using clothing as a vehicle to challenge convention, tell a story, express an opinion, open a dialogue, and elicit an emotional response.

(click here to go to the gallery's blog and read more about each artist)

I am honored to be part of this provocative exhibition. I have contributed many pieces from my 'dressproject'; sculptures, large and small, and numerous collages.

'precious ...' and 'bird by bird ...'

In gathering the collage pieces I realized that I have three different collage series: 'home, sweet, home?!? ' (2012), 'la petite robe ...' (2012) and the newest collage series, 'alice ...' All of the series start with images of picture perfect environments from catalogs and magazine, to which I add a surreal touch and usually a dress or two. ' we are all mad here ...' is the first of that series and is debuting tonight.

'we are all mad here ...'

The sculptures in this exhibit are some of the 'dressproject's stars!!!

'provocative ...' is holding court at the front of the gallery, strong and straight.

'black widow ...' is standing tall by the gallery's desk, accompanied by 'artist from the blue moon ...' on her right.

'this is me, a work in progress ...'

I am so happy to be showing 'this is me, a work in progress ...' in such a lovely space, and there is the room for her to be viewed from all sides, showing off all her spots of embroidery.

'this is me, a work in progress ...' detail

'red warrior ...' and 'precious ...' also made the trip making this a good representation of my 'dressproject'.

Lastly Carver Hill is offering for sale my book, 'the dressproject, the beginning ...' allowing anyone to learn how my obsession with the dress began.