Tonight!!! #DigOutArts at the South Shore Art Center

Here in Boston, we have been experience unprecedented snow and cold.  The mounds of snow and ice are incredible, towering over one's car or one's person at times.  I have found myself suddenly laughing at the surrounding landscape.  I am not sure if it is because I am slowly losing my mind?!?!? or (more likely) this massive world of snow returns me to a child-like wonder!!! It is magical!! 

However, magical or not, this weather is inconvenient and is causing serious bouts of cabin fever!

So a local arts organization, ArtsBoston, started a hashtag movement, #DIGOUTARTS, to encourage all to throw down their shovels and go see some art this weekend!!! here is their post:

We are all weary from our ‪#‎BOSnow‬ existence, but it is important that we get out and celebrate what makes ‪#‎Boston‬ such a vibrant place to live, and that's our arts and culture community. If you are going a play, concert, film, museum, or gallery this weekend post about your experience on instagram or twitter using ‪#‎DigOutArts‬ to help encourage others to go out and support the arts across the city. 

I LOVE this campaign!! Let's all go out and see the ARTS!!! AND it just so happens that I am participating in an artsy event tonight!!! Yes, tonight is the opening for the breath-taking exhibit, "Forever & After" at the South Shore Arts Center, Cohasset, MA.  The reception is 6-8pm.

If you can get out and join us I promise you that you will not be disappointed.  When I was installing 'torqued & tethered . . .'  I was able to see the exhibit in its nearly complete state;
I found it captivating!!

Here are the comments by Bill Houser, the curator of the show:

Thou know’st ‘tis common; all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity. —William Shakespeare (Hamlet. 1.2.72–73)

Sculpture has been used to commemorate and honor the dead since before the Egyptians built the pyramids, to ensure immortality for the spirits of those buried within.
The essence of Forever & After is the exploration of the ubiquitous and prophetic themes of loss, commemoration, and belief in spirit with its uncertain evolution or transcendence, through the medium of contemporary sculpture.

Forever & After examines this essence through many contexts: life, death, evolution, transformation, transcendence and all that is after and in between. As society attempts to control and co-exist with these uncontrollable aspects of our humanity and nature, we must accept that through these experiences our lives are enriched and are given dimension and purpose. These universal themes and experiences cross the boundaries of cultural, religious, historic and societal norms and beliefs. Forever & After explores these themes through the artistic interpretations and expressions of six uniquely gifted and accomplished sculptors.

The themes expressed by these artists, as well as the manner in which they are processed, offer a visual playground for us to explore. Some define them from an individual and personal perspective, while others may be derived from a collective ideology.
With the use of such diverse materials and mediums, each of these sculptors has masterfully created work that celebrates the essence of loss, memorializes feelings of permanence, and explores the concept of afterlife and spiritual renewal. The colors, textures, and forms used in creating these pieces are a testament to each sculptor’s unique individual artistic expression, yet collectively within the context of this exhibit, this collection embodies the interconnectivity of all of us.

William Houser, Curator                                              

 Click here to view the catalog

So matter how you do it or where you go . . .  

this weekend #digoutarts!!!

(hope to see you tonight!! :)

peace, va

#tbt: the story of 'torqued & tethered . . . .'

'torqued & tethered . . . ' at "forever & after"
at the SSAC

the story of  'torqued & tethered . . . ' 

in honor of her participation in the exquisite exhibit, "Forever & After"

 at the South Shore Art Center, curated by the amazing Bill Houser. 

Opening reception is tomorrow, Feb 20th, 6-8pm. 

If you are able, you need to go experience this exhibition, it is haunting in its beauty.

 'torqued & tethered . . . ' (2013) ribbons, chicken wire and rocks.

'torqued & tethered . . .' is the first of my dress sculpture where I played with the scale and shape of the dress.  For this piece the bodice is stunted, emaciated, twisted and tortured.  The sculpture hangs by only one of the shoulder straps, the other strap sags, defeated, exhausted. The way the bodice hangs the viewer can see in, under and through her; all is exposed.  

Being white, there is the suggestion of seeing bone.

'breaking open . . .' Fountain Street Fine Art (2013)

The skirt of the dress is created by ribbons that hang from the bottom of the bodice. These ribbons strain against the rocks which have hold the ribbons to the floor; 

grounding her, repressing her,  when all she really wants to do is to fly, to be free.

'torqued & tethered . . .' behind 'metamorphosis . . . '

I usually do not like to share my thoughts about a pieces so that the viewer can have their own personal experience with the sculpture, so I will attempt to leave something for the imagination. However I feel very strongly about  'torqued & tethered . . .'

This sculpture speaks to the omnipresent and destructive messages directed at young girls/women,

Lady Forrest 1876, Victorian style dress

from the media (TV, movie, advertisements, ...), society,  many religions and possibly family.  The dress is white to implying the many cultural traditions where a girl or woman wears a white dress that represents purity, goodness, respectability and virtue. Usually a white dress is worn for baptisms, first communions, confirmations, debutante cotillions, some graduations and, and of course,  a white dress is worn in a traditional wedding.

(I am suddenly feeling as though I have so much to say that I am going to EXPLODE!! I have many opinions about these traditional roles and expectations that are forced on girls/women even now in this supposedly gender enlightened time!! I have two girls/young ladies and I am aghast at the subtle messages that they have gotten about the importance of getting married! But this rant is for another post.*)

'torqued and tethered . . . ', for me, represents an innocent young spirit/girl who has been pinned down by rules, expectations, dogma and traditions and who has twisted and tortured herself trying to free herself and just be who is authentically is; she just wants to soar!!!

thank you for your interest and peace,

va

dresses on the move and #fromthelandofdragons' blog . . . .

I am not one for letting a few feet of snow stop me! 

I grew up in the windy city and boy do we do weather there!!! 

So between forecasted snow storms got some my my art out into the world!!

 First, I delivered 'torqued and tethered . . . ' and 'dear jeff . . . '

to the South Shore Art Center.  They are part of a group show, curated by 

Bill Houser, called "Forever & After". (more info and link below)

Then after having some motivation issues I framed and delivered some 

#fromthelandofdragons photos to the Wellesley Starbucks, on rt 135.

Reminding us all what a few months will bring . . . 

And this installation prompted me to finally

create and publish a dedicated blog page for my

#fromthelandofdragons series!! (yay)

(link to blog below AND in dashboard) 

now these photos will be 

all in one place, more easily found,

 especially for those of you

who are not on FB or Instagram. 

show card for "Forever & After"

show catalogue 

Description and information about "Forever & After"
"Forever & After" at the South Shore Art Center

click here to view show catalogue

A dedicated home for my #fromthelandofdragons photos:
#fromthelandofdragons has its own blog!!!!! 

Since Starbucks doesn't want artists to post prices I have created this page with all $$ info:
link to pricing information for the work at starbucks

#amazingmayamonday - how true her words are, always . . .

today's dailydress inspiration is from the amazing maya angelou.  i have been posting one of her many inspirational quotes every monday since her passing. 

'strength . . . ' mixed media, strata series

may this dress remind us of our own worth!!! 

“Never make someone a priority 

when all you are to them is an option.” 

Maya Angelou ‪#‎amazingmayamonday‬

 today's quote rings particularly true with me today and i feel it is very important to share it.  and I ALWAYS love my 'strata' series as it shows the many layers of a woman, what she has inside her, what she is made of.

and this quote is especially poignant in light of this chilly graphic, 

depicting domestic violence in the USA. 

thank you Deep Green Resistance. 

so remember YOU are wonderful, worthy and amazing!!!
just as you are!! 
peace

a sunday snow day . . .

#kitchentableseries

in case you haven't heard . . . its been snowing A LOT here in the Boston area!!

and today is no different - we are experiencing yet another blizzard!!!! 

Now there is an odd tradition here in the Boston area when a snow storm is predicted, everyone and their uncle, races to their local grocery store. When I moved here it blew my mind!! I mean there is a mass hysteria!! 

Here is Scruffy showing us the scale of the snow piles as of a few days ago.

Recently I decided that it is more dangerous to go to the grocery store before a storm than to run out of milk during the storm. (I mean people are mean!!!)

chocolate and coffee #kitchentableseries

So when today's storm was forecasted and the grocery stores parking lots were full to capacity, I drove past and headed over to Michael's for my storm supplies!!!

 I love snow days,  its mother nature's way of  making everyone stop! the girls and I are safe and warm (thankfully) and I get to make stuff!!

today's experimenting 

As I mentioned earlier, this year, I have made some intentions to expand my art practice.   Another one of these intentions is to experiment a lot!!! 

I want to try more things, different materials, different opportunities, push myself out of my comfort zone. 

One way I have done that this year is by revisiting ink drawings, 

I call these my  #kitchentableseries. 

I love drawing!! but I have not been drawing in a long time. So I started to draw these small still life's on my kitchen table in ink.  

And as a way to keep me out of my comfort zone,  I have been posting them on instagram, sharing work that I don't feel completely 100% competent about, trying to break that ever present striving for perfection and only sharing images that i feel are complete!! (I got this from one of the many online classes that I am taking) 

So when i was strolling the aisles of Michael's in my pre-storm prep mode, I spied a real pen and ink set, with a nib and bottle of ink. For my drawings I was using a ink pen, one that already had the ink in it, I haven't used a pen with a nib since college. So besides purchasing some yellow yarn for my current crocheted project, I treated myself to a true pen and ink set, nib and all!!! 

And today, during this snow storm and between shoveling, I sat at my kitchen table, playing with my new pen, experimenting. I'll do some crocheting later while watching a movie with the girls!!!

I think Scruffy is getting a bit tired of all the snow, it is so deep!!

Hope all are comfortable, where ever you are today!! 

peace from the arctic tundra!!! 

flower friday . . .

'dear georgia . . . ' #fromthelandofdragons

'dizzying . . . ' #fromthelandofdragons

'out there . . . ' #fromthelandofdragons

living in the boston area, these past few weeks, i am reminded of the movie Brigadoon where two men stumble into a totally different world.   here, our world has turned into a land of ice and snow!! more snow than i have ever seen and i am from chicago!!!

so as a reminder of what lies in dormancy  under these mountains of snow, and which will be here in just a few months, some images from my series, #fromthelandofdragons.

today is also flower friday because after SO many days of prepping i am finally going to start painting the flowers on my #wip (work in progress), my 'tree of life' mural for the Common Street Spiritual Center.

this mural has been quite the creative journey . .  talk about something having a mind of its own, that expression completely fits this experience.  the mural appears to know what and how it wants to be painted and i am just its faithful servant.

don't get me wrong i am SO enjoying the process but it has been a much longer process than i thought planned for/expected.  but you can't rush the creative process?!?!?
and on that note,  if i want to be successful in my quest to paint the flowers i must get myself to the studio.

so i leave you with these images of the magic of mother nature AND David Byrne and friends singing about flowers!!

peace 

#tbt: stories from my dressproject

one of my new year's intentions is to reclaim my art blog, this blog, which i started back in january 2008 (the first post, if you are interested, click here) 

my dearest cohort in crime, the day
i made 'floating . . . ' #scruffywalk

i began this blog as a response to this amazing 'experience' that i was a part of . . . my 'dressproject'.  as anyone knows, who has heard me talk about my 'dressproject', i feel as though i am a conduit for this body of work.  since the dresses were appearing fast and furiously i needed a way to document the journey, hence this blog.  

so to get this blog back up to speed, with more regular postings and covering more than just my 'dressproject',  i have many ideas for different features (more on that in another post) and wish to make posting more of a daily practice.  

and since in the world of social media, #tbt or 'throw back thurday' is an already established tradition, i am going to honor #tbt here.  on thursday i am going to look back to one of the many, many dresses from the 'dressproject'. i will post a picture or two and share story of that specific dress; because it is amazing how most all dresses have some kind of story.

today's #tbt is part of my #dailydressseries, which i officially labeled last december and continue to share on my instagram feed.  so without further adieu, 'floating . . . .'

'floating . . . ' 1jan 2014, natick, ma

'floating' was made on the natick rail trail in a stream under the Cochituate st bridge. It was New Year's Day morning 2014; cold, bright & so quiet! My dog doesn't distinguish between regular mornings verses holiday morning, so we were out the door around 6:30am. But the morning air was bracing, a perfect way to greet the new year. While exploring the rail trail, I noticed a small beguiling leaf poised in the stream that ran along the trail, being in the water highlighted its beauty. So I accepted the challenge of creating a dress in the icy cold stream. Of course the reality that it was below freezing and I was working with my bare hands didn't occur to me until the dress was done.

peace, and see you tomorrow . . .

today's 'dOsE oF TaLenT: Michelle Lougee

click dOsE oF TaLenT link or here for more

enjoy . . . 

so much to discover in this cyber-world in which we play . . .

today i am bring back my series:

dOse oF TaLenT

"dOse oF TaLenT"
which started a few years ago on my artist's page on Facebook.
i shared the works and links of artists that inspired me,
that i thought was doing something new,
artists that caught my attention.

i stopped this 'practice' because other life events needed my time and attention, but i have been itching to start up again.  now even more, thanks to instagram and pinterest, i have discovered amazing artists that more people need to know about!!!

so i have started a "dOse oF TaLenT" blog which can be found in the above dashboard of this blog. this way if you are interested in my "dOse oF TaLenT" then you can click through or just follow that blog, and this blog can stay more information about what is happening in my art world (although, i DO have some fun ideas for this blog) 

instagram

as i have written numerous times, i miss this blog. i love doing the dailydress inspiration blog, but i miss the deeper exploration that i was doing here . . . i honestly get a lot of insight when i read past posts and remember what i was doing and thinking at that time.

so introducing the addition of my  "dOse oF TaLenT" blog into my cyber-world.

here is the link to today's post (clickhere) but as I mentioned you can get there by clicking "dOse oF TaLenT" in this blog's dashboard (look up ^).  

happy clicking and please leave a comment if you are having trouble, or if you have a comment about the new format, or if you just have a comment or idea to share.

FB artist page

400 followers ?!?!?!

as anyone who has read my blogs know I have a love/hate relationship with all things social media!!!  

I understand it's perks but I am very suspicious of the black hole of time is can be and how social media fans the flames of comparison and create even more internal strive.

'studio light . . . ' vlf©2015

However, that said, I love my Instagram!! (the place where #fromthelandofdragons began) ! 

and I am totally addicted to Pinterest (I swear it is my crack cocaine)!!! 

just a fraction of my boards . . .  click here to see them all

I have always LOVED blogging, this blog was my first foray into the 'social' cyber-world!!  

And now I see that my Art & Inspiration page on FaceBook has almost 400 followers!!! 

'guppy . . . ' #fromthelandofdragons ©2014

That is cool!!! 

So thank you all for the 'likes'!! That is one of the perks of social media, these venues bring like minded people together.  The people who like my FB page are interested in the going-ons of my studio and my work. That is a wonderful, wonderful gift to an artist!!! 

thank you and peace . . . .

xxx 

the two sides of procrastination . . . .

“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably

the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.” Jessica Hische

'always beginning . . .'  © v.fitzgerald 2015

if the above quote is true then i am supposed to be creating for the rest of my life!!! 

'no nitrates added . . . ' made while cooking breakfast for the girls.
and they wondering why there meals take so long!!!!

I am the queen of 'productive procrastination'!!!! 

but if we factor in what ms. Hische says, then maybe my procrastination has 

been some much needed research for where to put my time and energy, especially now$$

And as not to procrastinate even more with a lengthy post

 (i have other places that i need to be) . . .

here is a quick visual tour of what i have been doing instead of my paying gig!!! :D

first, a quick doodle turned into an entire day affair - working on 

hand-lettering and experimenting in photoshop (and loving it!!!!)!!

and voila at midnight last night i finished 'always beginning . . .'

'winter wonderland ball gown . . . ' #faeriecouture #scruffywalk

then there is my ongoing and omnipresent obsession with the dress . . .

#vadressobsessed.  

I wonder if other mothers get distracted by the idea that 

bacon strips would make an awesome skirt??

'janus . . . ' #fromthelandofdragons
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus  is the god of beginnings and transitions, and thereby of gates, doors, doorways, passages and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past. It is conventionally thought that the month of January is named for Janus, but according to ancient Roman farmers' almanacs Juno was the tutelary deity of the month.

Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace. The doors of his temple were open in time of war, and closed to mark the peace. As a god of transitions, he had functions pertaining to birth and to journeys and exchange, and in his association with Portunus, a similar harbor and gateway god, he was concerned with travelling, trading and shipping. (thank you wikipedia)

'yearning . . . ' #fromthelandofdragons #scruffywalk

and then there is a love for photographing nature, 

story-telling and my beloved #landofthedragons!

so i gather from these different activities, produced in just the last few days,

 shows my deep desire and need to create!!! 

when i procrastinate I create . . . 

but then there is the other view of procrastination: 

time thief, black hole of inspiration, a scapegoat . . . .

“If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, 

just keep putting off doing it.”

– Olin Miller

so ciao for now, 

I'm off to the studio!!! 

peace

wishing you a . . .

very happy 2015!!!

may it be a year full of creativity, love, kindness, 

good health & good friends!

may it be overflowing with passion, clarity, 

strength, joy, compassion and magic!!

and for you  . . .  a printable calendar for january. 

i found this quote to be amazingly transformative . . .

to print this calendar either double click on the above image and print

or 

click on this link to go to my flickr account 

where you can download the calendar

namaste & peace on earth!! ~ Virginia

note to self: trust the process

© virginiafitzgerald 2014
as I was doing my version of 'morning pages' I caught myself suddenly getting anxious, my head and heart began to whirl not knowing where to put my focus and energy . . .

but then I remembered my intention to be more mindful, present in this moment, this breathe and I doodled myself this reminder:

trust the process.

The act of doodling brought me back to my kitchen table
and soothed my anxiety!!!
( I think this could be the reason zentangle could be so popular.)
I reminded myself that stress and worry is not going to help,
and that i just need to trust myself and my journey.

As I sat with that idea I realized that this was a good thought to share, especially as the end of the year looms and the need to tie up loose ends can be suffocating.

So I expanded my doodle to a pencil drawing, scanned it and worked on it in photoshop (a technique i wish to learn more about in the coming year) and voila!!!

And as I trusted the process my day,
so far, has unfolded in
a pleasant and productive way
without me stressing and worrying . . .

(note to self :)

peace

Holiday LOVE #fromthelandofdragons and virginia fitzgerald (me)

(In the virginia fitzgerald tradition of best laid plans but that is a longer story which I have posted below.) 

can't look (2014) #fromthelandofdragons

But in brief . . . as a way to THANK everyone who has been so responsive and encouraging about my most recent obsession, my #fromthelandofdragons series, I wish to offer 4 of the top favorite images, matted and frame ready for a holiday special price of $48 (including shipping). Click HERE to go to web site: Link

http://gallery55.homestead.com/Virginia-Holiday-Sales.html?_=1418848398222

I will be running this offer through the end of the year, however for those who may want to gift one of these print I will be send your orders out on Saturday/priority mail. 

More details and information is on the web page.

Any questions either leave a comment below or email me:

va.fitzgerald (at) comcast.net

click here to see an album of most of the photographs from this series on flickr

& now for those who are interested the longer story . . . 

In regards to the above mentioned, best laid plan . . . my 'plan' was to print some of some photos from my #fromthelandofdragons series in response to the many inquiries I have received about purchasing an image.  

In fact, I thought the holiday season would be the perfect time to roll out a collection from the series; cards, calendars, etc. . . 

However this idea was hijacked by life & a very stubborn case of bronchitis!, and here we are, in the midst of holiday celebration & cheer.  

But I did want to offer something who all those wonderful folks who have shown an interest on this latest obsession of mine and who have been so wonderfully supportive of this latest endeavor!!!

 SO I present to you, the first four prints #fromthelandofdragons!! These are four that have received the most inquires and 'likes' :) 

To see more of the series click here to visit my #fromthelandofdragons flickr album.  And if you want to read a bit about the series, please visit THIS post.  

And again thank you for all your encouragement to this series, it is a very special 'place' for me, my landofdragons.  Thank you and . . .

Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Winter Solstice or Shabe Yalda, Happy Celebration of Lights & Sinterklaas/ St. Nicholas' Day, Happy Newtonmas, Merry Christmas & Happy Boxing Day, Happy Kwanzaa,  Bodhi Day, Pancha Ganapati & Happy Festivus, Joyous Chalica and peace and love to all during this month of celebrations and good cheer!!! 

Blessed be ~ X