Thursday, June 30, 2011

start on new big board

Not really much to look at right now, but this is the start of another 36"x24" board of a horse and rider. It will be colored.  I need to give him eyes soon so he doesn't look so scary :)

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Another show, another award... YEAH!

I am working on another 24"x36" board right now, but don't have enough going to show it yet. 

Greeley was a success so far and still open for another week or so.  "Bee-Mused" won the artists choice award on the opening night.  This is a bit different than people's choice since it is only the other participating artists that get to vote on the work.  It sold to a repeat client.    "A Distant Gaze" also sold to a repeat client!  Yeah!!  :)  I was told yesterday that Bee-Mused is in the lead for People's Choice as well.

Me with "Bee-Mused"  It was sold and also selected for "Artists Choice" award at the Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show.






Thursday, June 23, 2011

A scratchboard society? Its about time!!

It is long overdue for scratchboard art to have its own society and myself and handful of other motivated and dedicated scratchboard artists from around the world are working hard to make this a reality!  It will be called the International Society of Scratchboard Artists or ISSA for short.  We presently have an official board of directors, by-laws, and have a lawyer working on getting us incorporated and eventually getting our 501(c)(3) non-profit status!  We are working hard behind the scenes to get everything in place (by-laws finalized, a website, etc.) to start taking membership.  We will start taking membership in autumn 2011.

One of the key aspects of the society will be continuing to get scratchboard more known through exhibitions and education.  We want scratchboard to be able to take its rightful place among other fine art mediums!  We also want to unite scratchboard artists since many people work in isolation feeling that they are the only person working in the medium.  This truly will be an international group with our board members already including individuals from the USA, Canada and Australia.

One of the highlights of the society will be an annual juried exhibition (and workshops).  2012 will be the official launch of the society and it will kick off with, what we hope is, an amazing exhibit of some of the best scratchboard art in the world!  The show will be in Austin, Texas mid-year next year.  Yours truly is the exhibition director, so if you are interested in getting information about the show send me your e-mail and I will send you a link to the prospectus once it is available.

I think this is going to be a fabulous thing to help promote our medium in the fine art world and hope if you are a scratchboard artist (whether casual or serious) that you too will be excited to see this take shape!

Whats new?

Well quite a few things actually...

First the Greeley Stampede Inviational Western Art Show opens up tonight in Greeley, CO.  It will run through July 4 in conjunction with the Greeley Stampede Rodeo and other events.  For more info click the link above.  I have been selected for People's Choice Award the past two years (the only years I have been in the event) and the purchase award in 2009.  Hope I can make it three for three ;)

One of my pieces was published on the front page of the Greeley Tribune - the local newspaper in Greeley either yesterday or today (a friend on facebook told me).  You can see the article and images at: http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20110622/NEWS/706229960/1051&ParentProfile=1001

I also just returned from our annual scratchboard group get together.  We have been having annual workshops since 2009 and they never fail to be one of the highlights of my year!  The group throughout most of the year is connected through the online scratchboard forums on wetcanvas.com  If you are interested in scratchboard there is NO better place to learn the medium as well as interact with a bunch of really fun people.  Once a year we find a location to hold workshops taught by members on the forum.  We have people come from all over the US as well as often having a few Canadians.  This group has the BEST sense of humor and keeps me rolling for the whole time, as well as sharing lots of great ideas and techniques.  You can find our workshops from 2009, 2010 and this year on youtube too. 

My demo was on fur and eyes and I did it on a little 3"x5" board and titled "Eye Spy".  Here is the finished project life size-->


Also only about 3 weeks until I leave on a trip for South Africa - I am SOOOOOOO excited!!

Friday, June 3, 2011

"At Attention"

I finished the colt yesterday and opted to go with the title of "At Attention" since he looks so alert

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Mustang Colt

And this is a little 8"x10" board that I am working on of a mustang colt.  He was a late yearling or two year old that I saw for adoption at a sanctuary in South Dakota.  They had about 70 horses there in the corrals and something about this guy caught my eye and he is the one I would have taken home if I could have.  He had a very sweet face.  This was a couple of years ago and I hope he found a good home since then.

I hope to finish this piece tomorrow.



















A pic of him from the corrals - I think he is super cute :D

Mother May I?

This is a new piece I completed last week.  I may color it - undecided at this point :)

Size is 11"x14"