HEARTS of PALM,
anyone?

Heart smart foods have become the norm in my house.  I have scary-low blood pressure, and my doc says it makes me far less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.  However, my husband is one of those string beans that can consume 5000 calories per day.  If Captain Consumption is going to grow old with me, the meats are going to have to be lean, the vegetables plentiful, whole grains a constant and cheese…just an occasional indulgence.  This next show is in the Heartland; do you think they eat any heart-healthier there?  Let me know…

Check out this Call for Entries from the Merriam Parks & Recreation for the 16th Annual Heartland Artist Exhibition at the Irene B. French Art Gallery (Merriam, KS).  A reasonable entry fee, great awards and low commission.  This could be ideal for some of you…

*Editor’s Note:  If you have read the personal portion of this post, CALL for ENTRIES: Heartland, anywhere other than by email subscription or on ArtAndArtDeadlines.com, it has been published without permission and is considered theft.

CALL for ENTRIES:
16th Annual Heartland Artist Exhibition

ELIGIBILITY: Artists age 18 and over are eligible to enter the exhibition.

MEDIA: Only original paintings in oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, charcoal, pencil or a mixture of any of the above media are acceptable. All work must be on canvas, paper, masonite or ragboard.

DEADLINE:  January 8, 2012

NOTIFICATION:  Notice of acceptance posted on website January 30, 2012

ENTRY FEE:  Entry fees are $35.00 for up to 3 works per artist.

JUROR:  Kim Casebeer was born and raised in Kansas, and still lives in Kansas. She draws her inspiration from the simplicity of the Flint Hills, an area of wide open ranch land. These days Kim also feels at home painting in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming and Texas.  Kim received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Kansas State University in 1992.

Kim’s work has been featured in numerous magazine articles.  She has exhibited in many prestigious national competitions, winning many awards, including Best of Show at the 2010 Nomades del Arte National Invitational Exhibit held at Southwest Gallery.  Kim has also particpated in museum shows in Arizona, Wyoming, Montana and Oklahoma.

AWARDS: Best of Show: $1,500.00, 2nd Place: $1,000.00, 3rd Place: $ 500.00, 3 Awards of Merit: $ 100.00 each, 3 Honorable Mentions &  1 Purchase Award.

SALES: A 30% commission will be retained by the City of Merriam on all sales. All work must be for sale—no NFS or POR.

For complete details, Download the Prospectus!

CALL for ENTRIES: Heartland originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on December 8, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

Not GRANNY SMITH,

I want to love apples, but truth be known, I don’t.  Due to my proximity to multiple apple orchards, my not loving apples seems a little tragic.  So, I keep going to the orchards, and I keep buying different varieties in the hopes that one result in an OMG moment.  The Arkansas Black variety was nice, but I’m still looking.  I had the try-and-try again attitude with painting for a long time, and every once in a while, I still get the painting bug.  But, to date, I am not a good painter.  This Call is meant for the good painters out there.  Take a look…

Check out this Call for Entries from the Jeffrey Leder Gallery (NYC) for the International Painting NYC exhibit. If you’re looking for a show in New York City, this one just might be for you.  Investigate further…

*Editor’s Note:  If you have read the personal portion of this post, CALL for ENTRIES: International Painting NYC, anywhere other than by email subscription or on ArtAndArtDeadlines.com, it has been published without permission and is considered theft.

CALL for ENTRIES: International Painting NYC

A few have said that painting is dead, but alas it is flourishing as never before. There is great work being done, on the level of Gerard Richter, Susan Swartz, Tomma Abts and David Hockney, to name just a few. And all have exhibited in NYC – now perhaps you can as well.

The Jeffrey Leder Gallery will start the new year with an expansive exhibit: “International Painting NYC.”  The exhibit will occupy 3 floors of the gallery. The gallery is located in LIC, New York City: 8 minutes from Manhattan, around the corner from MoMA PS1 Museum, 2 blocks from the Sculpture Center and 6 Blocks from the Noguchi Musuem.

ELIGIBILITY:  Open to all artists, American and International.

MEDIA:  This exhibition celebrates the range of creative exploration in painting.

DEADLINE:
December 10th, 2011

NOTIFICATION:
December 16 , 2011

ENTRY FEE:  $40 for up to 5 images, $10 for each add’l image

JUROR:  Jeffrey Leder, Gallery Director, Jeffrey Leder Gallery

SALES:  There is a 40% gallery commission for work sold.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: International Painting NYC originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on October 29, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

BEAUTIFUL,
you ARE what you EAT

Beauty is a perfectly golden crepe stuffed with mint-infused marscapone topped with a drizzle of warm, gooey dark chocolate.  But then again, somedays beauty is a turkey sandwich or a bowl of butternut squash soup or the perfect raspberry.  It is all about perspective and timing.  This Call for Entries wants to know how you see beauty.  I promise not to hold it against you if your image of beauty doesn’t involve food.  Say it with art…

Check out this Call for Entries for Beauty Comes in Many Forms from the Linus Galleries’ Irvine Gallery (Irvine, CA).  The acceptable media for this show is a cool mixture, and this could be a great opportunity for holiday art sales.  Take a look…

*Editor’s Note:  If you have read the personal portion of this post, CALL for ENTRIES: Beauty Comes in Many Forms, anywhere other than by email subscription or on ArtAndArtDeadlines.com, it has been published without permission and is considered theft.

CALL
for ENTRIES:
Beauty Comes
in Many Forms

What’s your idea of beauty? It’s all very subjective, isn’t it? This is a juried competition where they choose the best artists and then ask those who attend the reception to vote on the best artists from those showing.

The opening reception Saturday, January 7th, 2012 at 5:30-9:00 p.m. at the Irvine Gallery (212 Technology Drive, Suites H-J, Irvine, CA  in Orange County, CA) 1/2 block from the corner of Barranca in the Spectrum Technology  center, very close to the Irvine Spectrum.

ELIGIBILITY:
Open to all artists.

MEDIA:
Photography, painting, drawing,
digital prints, fabric art, mosaics,
illustrations, pastels and watercolors.

DEADLINE:
November 30, 2011

ENTRY FEE:
$35 for 3 entries,$5 per add’l

AWARDS:  In addition to being included in the group exhibit,  the artists with accepted entries will have a permanent link to their website.

SALES:  Artwork will be offered for sale at the reception & other days the  gallery will be open.  40% commission on all sales.

For complete details, Read the Guidelines!

CALL for ENTRIES: Beauty Comes in Many Forms originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on October 27, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

I appreciate the tiniest of treat.  Some of the smallest culinary treasures pack the biggest wallup.  Think wasabi.  Wasabi peas are my guilty pleasure…they are small enough to be hidden so that you can take them almost anywhere. This next Call is for ARTWORK that is small enough to take almost anywhere.  By the way, the small size makes SHIPPING the work a bargain too!  Look closely…

Check out this Call for Entries from the Richeson School of Art for the Richeson 75 Small Works 2012 exhibition at the Richeson Gallery in Kimberly, Wisconsin. Win a prize in this show and walk away with LOTS of art supplies from Jack Richeson & Co. Win Best of Show and walk away with $5,ooo!

CALL for ENTRIES:
Richeson 75 Small Works 2012

Richeson School of Art & Gallery, a division of Jack Richeson & Co., Inc., is proud to announce the Richeson 75 Small Works 2012.  Seventy five two-dimensional works of art and several alternates will be selected to represent the finest examples of painting and drawing being produced by today’s visual artists.

ELIGIBILITY: Competition is open to all artists over age 18. All work entered must be original in concept/execution and have been created since January 1, 2010. No work done in a class, workshop or under supervision is eligible.

MEDIA Categories: Artwork IMAGE may not exceed 144 square inches (height x width). 1) Oils, Oil Pastel & Acrylic 2) Other (Soft Pastels, Drawing/Dry Media, Watercolor, Gouache, Casein, Printmaking, etc). No photography, electronic or computer generated and/or assisted or 3-D is eligible for this competition.

DEADLINE: All entries must be postmarked or entered online by November 4, 2011.

NOTIFICATION: E-Mailed on or before November 18, 2011.

ENTRY FEE: $30 for one image plus $10 each additional image, maximum of 3 in each category with a maximum of 6 artworks total.

AWARDS: Best In Show – $5,000 cash. 1st Place in each category will receive a $1,000 for art materials from Jack Richeson & Co., Inc.  2nd Place Award in each category will receive a $500 for art materials from Jack Richeson & Co., Inc.

Finalists will be selected and invited to participate in the exhibit at the Richeson Gallery in Kimberly, WI from Feb 6 – March 30, 2012. Only work actually exhibited in the Richeson 75: Small Works 2012 show will be eligible for an award. Awards will be presented at the Opening Reception. Finalists will be featured in the exhibition book and their on-line Virtual Gallery along with information on the artist including artist’s website URL whether they participate in the exhibit or not.

For complete information, Download the Prospectus!

CALL for ENTRIES: Richeson 75 Small Works 2012 originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on September 15, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

I believe that you are what you eat.  I have personally witnessed a change in my own health based on the food choices I have made.  But sometimes there is a large divide between saying it and doing it.  When sick, I should crave healthy whole foods that will support my immune system, right?  Not so much.  Illness is soothed in my house by cardboard pizza, chips and onion dip and processed chocolate cakes.  Yum.  Hey, don’t knock ’til you’ve tried it.  This Call is your opportunity to express YOUR point of view about healing.  Physician, heal thyself…

Check out this Call for Entries for Healing Art from The Artistic Circle (online).  I know many of you are hesitant to enter online shows, but the entry fee is only $10 and there are more prizes than you would expect.  Take a look…

CALL for ENTRIES: Healing Art

The Artistic Circle is an art contest online that was created to give Artists the opportunity to express themselves spiritually through their interpretation of the given themes provided. The Artistic Circle believes the more one is exposed to these types of themes the more their consciousness perception shifts to a higher state, which is a more desirable one.

THEME:  Healing art is anything depicting a sense of calmness and sereneness. This contest is open to the artist’s interpretation of what healing art means to them.

ELIGIBILITY:  Open to all artists

MEDIA:  Acrylic, Digital Media, Illustration, Mixed media, Oil, Pastel, Photography,  and Watercolor.

DEADLINE:  All entries must be submitted by September 30, 2011.

NOTIFICATION:  Winners will be announced on October 15, 2011.

ENTRY FEE:  $10 – up to three images per entry (non-refundable). Secure payment with Credit Card Google Checkout.

AWARDS:  1st Place – $300.00 cash prize and displayed on front page of Artistic Circle website, and Winner’s Gallery.  2nd Place – $100.00 cash prize, and displayed in Winner’s Gallery.  3rd Place – $25.00 cash prize and displayed in Winner’s Gallery.  14 Honorable Mentions – In Winner’s Gallery.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: Healing Art originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on August 6, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

FORGIVE ME, please

I think in food cliches. People like me are the reason pumpkin pie candles are sold scores of people longing for fall.  And, when I think of Colorado, I think of hot chocolate after skiing.  Hot chocolate after skiing is lovely, but Colorado is home to some of the finest restaurants in the US.  They deserve more consideration that my cliched hot chocolate.  I apologize.  This next Call is from Colorado; maybe there will be hot chocolate at the reception.

Check out this Call for Entries from the Art Center of Estes Park (Estes Park, Colorado) for Lines into Shapes.  Enter your work for as little as $15.  You’ve got a little time, but don’t procrastinate…

CALL for ENTRIES:
Lines into Shapes

“Lines into Shapes” is the name of the show and not the theme.  (Most artwork starts with a few lines and develops into shapes.)

ELIGIBILITY:  Open to all artists.

MEDIA:  Oil, Watermedia, Pastels, Graphite, Scratchboard, Original Printmaking, Sculpture, Ceramics, Wood, Glass, Photography, Fiber & Jewelry.

DEADLINE:  Sept. 9, 2011

NOTIFICATION:  Week of Sept. 26, 2011

ENTRY FEE:   $15.00 per entry with the limit of 4 entries

JURORS: 

Denny Haskew, sculptor, creates artwork that conveys his innermost being. It is intensely personal and honest. His themes are recurring: Spirit, Love, Forgiveness, Healing, Relationship, Endurance, the Sacredness of the Human Spirit, and the Strength in each of us, the Power of all that is Natural. 

Dr. Connie Stewart, Assistant Art Professor, University of Northern Colorado.

AWARDS:  Up to $5,000 will be awarded in 2011.  Awards are determined by the number of entries and sponsorships.

SALES:   The Art Center will retain a 40% commission on all artwork sold.

For complete details, Download the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: Lines into Shapes originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on July 14, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

OH MY DARLIN’
CLEMENTINE?

When the $2 Art Contest began, I did not intend to exclude any group of  artists or media. But as it turns out, I find myself drawn to emerging and mid-career artists whose work has a visual brand.

Most of the artists that submit to the $2 Art Contest produce phenomenal work, and some of it has really spoken to me.  But the final ingredient seems to be… is it this work a beautiful flat of clemintines or is this the artist’s fruit of the month?  I enjoy looking at a piece and seeing an artist’s stamp on it, not just proof that the artist can tackle every media well.

As an emerging artist, I received a great piece of advice… find your voice.  But it is rare that an artist opens themselves up to the judgement and scrutiny that comes with revealing both the struggles and successes of finding that voice. This month’s work reminds me to appreciate the work EVERY artist struggles with to produce with a clear voice and signature.

This month’s artist has
given us a window
into an artist’s pace:
learning charted.

The Featured Artist chosen from the April entries is Meridith Martens.  Martens’ work is at times simple and straightfoward, but as the process continues I find work that makes me say, “How did she do that?” instead of “I can do THAT” — the latter being all time crushing statement of dismissal frequently heard in galleries around the globe.

FEATURED ARTIST:
Meridith Martens

As the daughter of a nomadic military family, Meridith Martens eventually settled in Annapolis where she combined her love of horses with her artistic talent and a gifted painter of horses emerged.  Her career started as a portrait painter of horses on a local level as a teenager and then expanded to race horses from Saratoga to Hialeah.  She attended Corcoran School of Art, The San Francisco Art Institute, The Maryland Institute of Art and worked as an illustrator for a commercial art studio.

After a year in Paris, she moved to New York City and married an actor.  Her daughter was born 3 years later. Two years after, a divorce found Martens and her daughter moving to North Carolina.  The move offered the opportunity to make a living painting portraits of horses, dogs and their owners.

A workshop given by Wolf Kahn and his sponsored fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center gave her the opportunity to experiment with abstract forms.  As she painted, her work evolved.  She is equally comfortable with realism and abstract and the infinite range of expression between them.  Now residing in NC for 25 years, with her husband of 10 years, Meridith continues to create, experiment, explore and strives to excel in whatever medium she chooses.

But I wanted Martens to weigh in on the “Spin Art” she submitted to ArtAndArtDeadlines.com:  “Using the term ‘spin art’ initially seems to put people off until they get an opportunity to see what I’ve done.  Then I can explain the process and the work and layering that’s involved.  The basic process is spin art, but it’s more refined and deliberate.  There is a great deal of thought process involved regarding style and color, but the final product has to have a feeling of spontaneity without looking contrived…”

“It’s approved by the American Dental Association for not being too sugery sweet…”

“4 out of 5 academic artists were intrigued by the process and actually like it and can appreciate the process.”

What do you say to the academics out there that believe spin art is just random aesthetics? “Shut up . . . what’s in your wallet?  Many contemporary artists have been criticized for being too commercial, but honestly what better endorsement does an artist have than creating art that appeals to the masses.”

Talk to me about how you work… your process: “It’s not a secret, maybe the details of the equipment will be vague and the process details will stay with me, but I started with the spin art toy and then modified a box fan. As I developed the work and the process, I looked for larger options to accommodate larger canvases and more paint. My latest “machine” is a very large fan that was modified by my engineer husband and fabricated in a machine shop.  My equipment still needs some tweaking and of course I need to find a larger space to work in.”

Do you have special terminology that you have developed for how you work?  “No, I need a name . . . got any ideas?  Something snappy and commercial?”  Indeed I do:

Centrifugal painting: Controlled experiments in Viscosity.

You know “we have to talk about food” is usually how this interview continues, but to my horror, I received the following response: “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not really a foodie, but when I’m hungry, I love lobster, artichokes, chocolate souffle.”  I am going to choose to believe she IS a foodie and is just not fully versed in its definition.  After all, she didn’t say “cheese burger and fries.”  She SAID, “lobster, artichokes and chocolate souflee.”  She is forgiven, for now.

FEATURED ARTIST: Meridith Martens originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on May 15, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

Do you care if your canned peas are Le Sueur?  Are you brand loyal?  I have become label loyal.  I read labels very carefully, and I make my choices based on the best value for the best ingredients.  The results will surprise you sometimes.  This call may make you loyal to an entirely different brand.  Interested?

Check out this Call for Entries from the Brand Library & Art Center and the Glendale Public Library for the Brand 40 National Works on Paper Exhibition in Glendale, California.  The commission is only 25% on sales, and in some cases, the gallery will even take unframed two-dimensional work.  Take a look…

CALL for ENTRIES:
Brand 40 – Works on Paper

The Associates of Brand Library & Art Center and the Glendale Public Library announce a call to artists for an exhibition September 17 – October 28, 2011 at the Brand Library Art Galleries in Glendale, CA. The Brand Library Art Galleries offer visitors a professional gallery experience and showcases works by established and emerging artists that educate, enlighten, challenge and enrich people’s lives.

ELIGIBILITY:  Participation is open to artists residing in the United States.  Entries must be original work recently executed and not previously shown at the Brand Library Art Galleries.  Do not submit work, unless available August 12 to October 29, 2011.

MEDIA:  Any work on paper: collages, drawings, paintings, photography, prints, watercolors, 3-dimensional work, etc.  The “topic” for this show is “Entrances & Exits.”

DEADLINE:  June 1, 2011 for receipt of signed entry form, CD, fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

NOTIFICATION:  Jury results will be mailied June 9, 2011.

ENTRY FEE:  Non-refundable fees must accompany the submittal form: $20 for the first work, $10 for each additional work.  A maximum of 3 works may be submitted. Mail CD, signed entry slip, a check made payable to Brand Associates and a self-addressed stamped envelope to BRAND 40, 1601 West Mountain St., Glendale, CA 91201.

JUROR:  Peter Frank is art critic for the Huffington Post and Adjunct Senior Curator at the Riverside Art Museum.  He is past critic for Angeleno magazine and the L. A. Weekly and was Editor for THE magazine Los Angeles and Visions Art Quarterly. Frank was born in New York, where he served as art critic for The Village Voice and The SoHo Weekly News, and moved to Los Angeles in 1988. 

Frank contributes articles to numerous publications and has organized numerous theme and survey shows, most notably “19 Artists – Emergent Americans,” the 1981 Exxon National Exhibition mounted at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. McPherson & Co. Documentext published his Something Else Press:  An Annotated Bibliography in 1983. A cycle of poems, The Travelogues, was issued by Sun & Moon Press in 1982. Abbeville Press released New, Used & Improved, an overview of the New York art scene co-written with Michael McKenzie, in 1987.

AWARDS:  $4000 in prizes will be awarded.

SALES:  Unless specified “NFS,” all works will be offered for sale.  If the price is not indicated, the piece will be considered NFS. The commission to the Brand Associates is 25%.  Payment to artists will be mailed after the close of the show.  Prices quoted on the entry form may not be changed after acceptance into the show.

For complete details, Download the Prospectus!

CALL for ENTRIES: Brand 40 originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on May 14, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

BUTTER not JAM

I cannot bake biscuits of any sort.  I have tried and tried, but the result is a pan of white hockey pucks.  It is okay not to be good at everything… even if you really want to be.  By the way, I cannot paint either.  I have tried and tried, but the result is a canvas of muddy mess.  Lately, I’ve published a lot of photo calls, and I am starting to feel the guilt of personal bias.  So, this Call is mostly meant for all of my talented painting readers.  Go forth and conquer!

Check out this Call for Entries from the Richeson School of Art for the Richeson 75 2011 Figure / Portrait exhibition.  Win a prize in this show and walk away with LOTS of art supplies from Jack Richeson & Co.  Win Best of Show and walk away with $3,ooo! 

CALL for ENTRIES: Richeson 75 Figure/Portrait 2011

Richeson School of Art & Gallery, a division of Jack Richeson & Co., Inc., is proud to announce the Richeson 75 Figure / Portrait 2011. Seventy five two-dimensional works of art and several alternates will be selected to represent the finest examples of painting and drawing being produced by today’s visual artists.

ELIGIBILITY:  Competition is open to all artists over age 18.  All work entered must be original in concept/execution and have been created since January 1, 2009.  No work done in a class, workshop or under supervision is eligible.

MEDIA Categories:  1) Oils, Oil Pastel & Paintstiks; Pastels & Drawing;  2)  Dry Media, and Water Media; and 3)  Other (Printmaking, Mixed Media etc.).  No photography, electronic or computer generated and/or assisted or 3-D is eligible for this competition.

DEADLINE:  All entries must be postmarked or entered online by June 10, 2011.

NOTIFICATION:  E-Mailed on or before June 29, 2011.

ENTRY FEE:  $30 for one image plus $10 each additional image, maximum of 3 in each category with a maximum of 6 artworks total.

AWARDS:  Best In Show – $3,000 cash.  First Place in each category will receive a $ 1,000 certificate for art materials from Jack Richeson & Co., Inc.  Second Place Award in each category will receive a $500 certificate for art materials from Jack Richeson & Co., Inc.  

75 Finalists and a number of alternates will be selected and invited to participate in the exhibit at the Richeson Gallery in Kimberly, Wisconsin from Sept. 9-Nov. 4, 2011.  Only work actually exhibited in the Richeson 75: Figure / Portrait 2011 show will be eligible for an award.  Awards will be presented at the Opening Reception.  Finalists & Alternates will be featured in their on-line Virtual Gallery along with information on the artist and will include a link to each artist’s website if one exists.

For complete information, Download the Prospectus!

CALL for ENTRIES: Richeson 75 Figure/Portrait 2011 originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on April 28, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.

MY LITTLE
LAMBS!

When the $2 Art Contest began, I did it to make sure I featured at least one artist per month. But as it turns out, I’ve become fiercely protective of what I have come to consider my little lambs.  Many of them have been producing and showing work longer than I have, but I feel this need to nurture them and watch them and be proud of their proudest moments.  It has become the unexpected joy of this experience.

As I often have to remind myself, choosing a Featured Artist is not about separating the good artwork from the bad. It has become about the challenge of picking from amongst ALL of the good work.  Thanks for that.

Like many of you, my life is frenzied and full of things that I love… and things that I don’t.  So, I have a soft spot for visual places to rest, for work that makes me smile.  I am tickled pink when I later find beautiful theory behind the work afterall.

This month’s artist
has brought a ray of sunshine into my gray February.

The Featured Artist chosen from January’s entries is painter Deanna Bowdish. Bowdish’s work is a happy place.  The work is like a challenging tromp uphill through the daises… in 4″ heels.

FEATURED ARTIST:
Deanna Bowdish

Deanna Bowdish was born in Solon, Ohio in 1976.  As a toddler, flopping her red paint-soaked body across moms green shag carpeting, Deanna’s father was assured of his daughter’s innate sense for color and balance.  A trip to France and Italy at age 16 to study the great masters compelled Deanna to give up her parents’ hopes of her going into the medical field.  After considerable negotiations with her parents and the promise of an “employable minor,” she was able to follow her dreams and concentrate on a fine art career.  Bowdish painted in the Minneapolis metropolitan area for seven years featuring works in several shows and galleries. 

In 2002 Deanna stumbled into the Lowcountry of South Carolina to house sit for her sister and began exhibiting at The Gallery in Beaufort, South Carolina.  Bowdish subsequently purchased The Gallery in 2004 fulfilling a long-held dream and creating one of the most dynamic and eclectic assemblies of art in the region. 

Bowdish lives, eats and breaths art. 

She is always experimenting with a new material or a new way of achieving a different outcome with the same materials.  She loves to challenge traditional methods and break the rules.  But when Isuggested her work might be mixed media, I found that she really considers herself a painter.  Take a look at her beautiful commissioned pieces of functional artwork pictured below at the Breakwater restaurant in Beaufort, SC. 

“I consider my work painting and myself a painter, my process just happens to incorporate mixed media right now.  Once I am happy with the painted surface, I then begin the destruction of my creation, usually the most stressful part as I am always hesitant about cutting up such a magnificent creation, but then I quickly recover and go to town with my exacto knife.”

Her work is an explosion of color and texture, creating a frenzy of energy and movement, very much like her own life.  Deanna seeks to find harmony and balance amongst the frenzy.   

“The large surfaces are cut down into smaller components in preparation for the next stage in my process. These pieces are either woven or sewn back together depending on the final piece that I am creating. 

The ripple series is woven then mounted to a permanent surface and covered with resin.  The quilts are sewn back together using the sewing machine.  The final construction phase for both processes is quite exciting as I see a whole new painting coming to life before my eyes.”

“I feel overwhelmed by all the infromation that is thrown or forced at me; emails, mail, texts, television, tweets, facebook alerts, radio ads, billboards, its everywhere coming at me from all angles.”

My life is a game of dodgeball –
me against the information age. 

“The frenzy and frequency of this information could be crippling, but I choose to challenge the waves of information and reintroduce it in my own painted language.”

Art therapy for an optimist.
I may be in love.

FEATURED ARTIST: Deanna Bowdish originally appeared on Art and Art Deadlines.com on February 15, 2011. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen from Art and Art Deadlines.com.