Starting Saturday, December 3rd, 10am-4pm at Polo Fields-Washtenaw Country Club 2955 Packard Rd., Ypsilanti. It’s the AAWA (Ann Arbor Women Artists’) Holiday Arts & Crafts Show.  Over 30 artists will be selling their work.

Then Sunday , December 4th, 10am-4pm at the Pittsfield Grange Hall 3337 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Ann Arbor.  It’s the 13th annual Gift-Fest. Featuring the work of 28 Ann Arbor Artists in glass, clay, painting, fiber, jewelry, clothing, drawing, metal, books and more.  Including refreshments and an ornament raffle.

Admission and parking are Free.

“Affairs with Serpents and Heroines” exhibited at Rivers Edge Gallery in Wyandotte, provided me an opportunity to use these narrative skills to explore biblical, historical, mythological and folkloric tales.  Beginning with the literal interpretations I then moved to more conceptual themes connected to the broader issues of identity, faith, loss and hope.

As always, my work is a dialogue between myself and the viewer. It is my hope that we will work together to create a shared story.

Below is a preview of some of the work featured in this exhibit opening Saturday, Nov 12 and ending January 31, 2012.  I am fortunate to being exhibiting with two internationally known artists; encaustic painter Birgit Huttemann-Holz and photographer Patricia Izzo.

5 pairs of Red Shoes

Lets do the numbers; 1 pair of boots, 1 pair of high heels, 2 pairs of athletic shoes, 3 pairs of shoes with laces, 5 pairs of red shoes, 10 single shoes.

“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”
— Marilyn Monroe

“Though I’m grateful for the blessings of wealth, it hasn’t changed who I am. My feet are still on the ground. I’m just wearing better shoes.”
- Oprah Winfrey

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“Water, thou hast no taste, no color, no odor; canst not be defined, art relished while ever mysterious.

Not necessary to life, but rather life itself, thou fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

It’s difficult to think about water without considering my natural affinity for it, and where I grew up. Michigan is the “Water Wonderland,” as once proclaimed on license plate when I was a child. It is the Third Coast. Almost half of the State is comprised water. Stand anywhere in the State and you are never more than 6 miles from a stream, or lake. You are always within 90 miles of a Great Lake Coast.

Yet growing up, Summers in Detroit, without access to easy transportation, would frequently simmer by without trips to the beach.  We could walk to the Detroit River Boulevard docks, but this was no place for the weak or young to swim.  We would find a way to cool ourselves running through the sprinklers, squirt guns and water balloons.  During those “dog days” in August, when it seemed impossible to find relief.  The fire department would come to our rescue and open a hydrant on the corner near the public school.  Water, I’m the only one of my five siblings who has ever learned to swim, snorkel and sailed on both the great lakes and the ocean.

WATER…

Tiny Head Sculpture

I’m hoping to eventually get back to writing. For now I thought I’d post this “sort of” tiny head in response to the “weekly photo challenge.”  I’m not sure what I will do with this budding character. Sometimes it’s just about the simple pleasure of pushing my thumbs across that smooth porcelain clay and unearthing a “being,” just beneath the surface. If I drew, you could consider this the equivalent of a doodle.

Haven’t had much of a chance to blog these last couple weeks our home internet connection has been flaky. Thought I’d try to see if I could post from my phone.

"O"

It’s been another busy week.  I have an art opening this weekend at Riverside Arts Center. So, I wasn’t sure I was going to have time to participate in this challenge.

Thinking of “round,” the letter “O” kept popping into my head.  Regardless of your political views you must agree the names Obama, Osama and Oprah are dominating our media this week.  Obama’s running for re-election. Oprah’s farewell count down is wrapping up, only 17 more shows. The airwaves are full of the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed.

How do we put this all in perspective? The world has changed so much in the last 10 years. Sometimes I imagine having a conversation with a deceased relative and try to catch them up on the happenings of the 21st century. The “OM” refers to my recent attempts to reintroduce yoga to my life. Hopefully meditation and prayer will help lead me to better understanding of how I fit into all this.

I can’t help but think of that line from the movie Casablanca:  ”…but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that. Here’s looking at you, kid.”

Matryoska Doll from Lviv, Ukraine

Sometimes “one” can end up being many.  This photo is of a Matryoshka Doll I bought at an outdoor art bazaar near the Opera house in Lviv, Ukraine, when I was there in 1999.  It is one doll turned in wood, but contains 4 smaller dolls, each nesting inside the next larger one.  A version of these women character toys have been around since 1890. They originated in Russia, however, during Soviet times were made in many of the satellite countries like Ukraine. I’ve read that the word Matryoshka is linked to the Latin root “mater,” meaning mother and is associated with fertility.  During the 19th Century the realistic faces were painted utilizing many of the Byzantine iconographic styles.

I’m drawn to them because they are narrative sculptures. Each one tells a story.  The one I’ve pictured here, each figure has a landmark building in Lviv, Ukraine painted on it.  They and the traditional Byzantine icons continue to provide inspiration for my artwork.