Painting – Page 43 – Art and Art Deadlines.com

CALL for ENTRIES: Unhinged

Posted on July 16, 2013July 16, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

SQUASHED
squash

I think the teenagers that work at my local market think I am the crazy produce lady. It might have something to do with the muttering under my breath when they drop the pineapple on my tomatoes or the fact that I will stand in a longer line to get the cashier that won’t drop a cantaloupe on my cilantro. The muttering prevents me from coming unhinged. The only thing missing from the scenerio is my muttering “whippersnappers,” but I assure you it will show up eventually. Hehe. This next Call wants unhinged in a less curmudgeonly way, I suspect. You decide…

Check out this Call for Entries from the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition called Unhinged. The sky is the limit on this show–they are open to just about everything. Don’t miss this opportunity…

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

CALL for ENTRIES:
Unhinged

BWAC has a truly unique gallery – a massive Civil War-era warehouse on the Red Hook waterfront in Brooklyn, NY. Its enormous space affords them the opportunity to exhibit really huge work, and they welcome it.

They will be using 8,000 square feet for this show to exhibit work from artists from all around the country, work in all size, subject, and medium, except film.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all US residents 18 years+

MEDIA:
All media except film

ENTRY FEE:
$65 for up to 3, $5 for each add’l

DEADLINE:
July 22, 2013

NOTIFICATION:
August 5, 2013

JUROR: Marshall N. Price received his Ph.D. in art history from The Graduate Center, CUNY and has written and lectured widely on American art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From 1998 to 2002 he was Assistant Curator at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

Since 2003 Marshall has been at the National Academy Museum in NY where he is the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Some of his recent exhibitions include The Abstract Impulse: Fifty Years of Abstraction at the National Academy (2007), George Tooker: A Retrospective (2008), a traveling exhibition organized with Robert Cozzolino, Curator, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and most recently Reconfiguring the Body in American Art, 1820–2009 (2009, co-curated with Bruce Weber), and John Cage: The Sight of Silence (2012, co-curated with Ray Kass).

AWARDS: BEST of SHOW: $1000.00 At the Opening Reception, the artist whose work is juried as ‘Best of Show’ by the juror will receive a $1,000 cash prize and a complimentary one-year BWAC membership.

PEOPLES’ CHOICE: $500.00 The artist whose work is voted ‘Best’ by attendees at the Show Opening will receive a $500 cash prize and a complimentary one-year BWAC membership

CURATORS’ CHOICE: $250.00 The artist whose work the Show Curators choose for excellence will receive a $250.00 cash prize and a complimentary one-year BWAC membership.

HONORABLE MENTION: $100 each for ten winners.

SALES: BWAC will retain a 25% commission on all exhibition sales.

For full details, Read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: Figure & Portrait

Posted on July 15, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

PEANUT BUTTERY
goodness

I am wallowing in cheese, peanut butter and even more cheese at my house these days. Did I mention butter? Mmmhmm. Gluten restriction has given way to fatty indulgence. Pro? Deliciousness. Con? It isn’t exactly figure friendly. Hmph. This next Call is definitely figure friendly. Take a look…

Check out this Call for Entries from the Richeson School of Art for the Richeson 75 Figure & Portrait 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!

*Editor’s Note: If you have read the personal portion of this post, CALL for ENTRIES: Richeson 75 Small Works 2013, anywhere other than by email subscription or on ArtAndArtDeadlines.com, it has been published without permission and is considered theft.

CALL for ENTRIES:
Richeson 75
Figure & Portrait

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, 2012. No work done in a class, workshop or under supervision is eligible.

MEDIA: 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 entered online by July 19, 2013.

NOTIFICATION: E-Mailed on or before August 5, 2013.

ENTRY FEE: $35 for one image plus $10 each additional image, maximum of 3 in each category with a max of 6 total.

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

For complete information, Read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: BookART

Posted on July 7, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

BOOKS
for breakfast

We are all taught from an early age not to judge a book by its cover. However, nearly every cookbook in my collection got there because of an appetizing photograph on the cover. A friend that photographs food for a living told me that the looks are often achieved through under cooking, over cooking, shellac, resin and paint. What a shame that such beautiful food never gets eaten. But that knowledge does make me feel better about the ugly stuff I serve fairly regularly. This next Call wants to see your books and challenges artists of ALL media to enter. Take a look…

Check out this Call for Entries from the Fort Worth Community Arts Center (FWCAC from Fort Worth, TX) for BookArt. A national call for original artist made books in any form or media. You’ve go to give it to them for accepting any form or media in what is usually a very traditional media. Try on book-making in YOUR media of choice…

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

**In Addition, please note I cannot find reference to this show on their site EXCEPT for the link to the Prospectus found at the bottom of this page; however, I have linked you to their home page so you can do a little exploring on your own.

CALL for ENTRIES:
BookART

ELIGIBILITY: Open to US residents 18+

MEDIA: Artist-made books in any form or media

DEADLINE: August 20, 2013

NOTIFICATION: September 7, 2013

ENTRY FEE: $25 for up to 2

JUROR: Tracee W. Robertson leads the contemporary art exhibition program at the University of North Texas, through the College of Visual Arts and Design (CVAD), including five galleries and a robust program of curated and traveling exhibitions. With CVAD Dean Robert Milnes, Ms. Robertson co-chairs the UNT Art in Public Places Program, coordinating acquisitions and placements of artworks on campus through donations and a Percent for Art Program.

Robertson has curated numerous exhibitions at the UNT Art Gallery, including a site-responsive, temporal installation by Guggenheim Fellow Jill Downen in 2012. With more than a decade of experience in the contemporary art field, Robertson was named director of the UNT Galleries in 2007. Prior to this, Robertson served as an independent curator, organizing exhibitions and programs at the Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Women’s Museum, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, among others.

SALES: A 25% commission will be collected on all works sold during the exhibition. Work does not have to be for sale.

For complete details, Download the Prospectus!

*Editor’s Note: I cannot find reference to this show on their site EXCEPT for the link to the Prospectus, so bookmark this page to find your way back if you don’t enter right away!

CALL for ENTRIES: GeAb vs AbEx

Posted on July 5, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

RED and GREEN
make brown

My cooking could be kindly described as abstract. As long as I get the flavor profile correct, I tend not to care if it actually looks like the textbook dish. That results in a lot of brown food for some reason. Maybe it is my love of of dark vinegars and mushrooms. Who knows. This next Call is looking for your abstractions. Don’t miss it this chance…

Check out this Call for Entries from EWNS Art Project (France) for the GeAb vs AbEx exhibit. Selection for this show gets you into an online gallery, and you may additionally have the opportunity to participate in the Paris gallery exhibition. Take a look…

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

CALL for ENTRIES:
GeAb vs AbEx

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all ABSTRACT artists 18+

THEME: Geometric Abstraction vs. Abstract Expressionism

MEDIA: Painting, Drawing, Digital art, Photography, Mixed Media & Sculpture (stone, wood, metal, glass, mixed media, etc)

DEADLINE: July 31, 2013

NOTIFICATION: August 15, 2013

ENTRY FEE: €30 (Approx. $40 US) for up to 3 images. Add’l images €5 each, up to 10 (including the first 3).

JURORS: Final selections for the exhibition will be made by the Artists’ Committee.

AWARDS: All selected images will appear in their online gallery for a duration of one year minimum. Selected artists may be invited to participate to a future physical collective exhibition in Paris.

SALES: All entries must be labeled for sale with price indicated. Keep in mind that EWNS Art Project receives 30% commission of works sold.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: Mother Earth

Posted on June 24, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

the
HEART-BEET
of health

I am convinced that food is the future of health care. I don’t really fit the stereotype of a patchouli-wearing, dread-locked Mother Earth worshiper. But as I age, I find myself turning away from traditional medicine and turning toward food remedies. All I can say is that it is working for me, and it has added a whole new air of importance to the food I already so dearly love. This next Call wants your take on Mother Earth. May I suggest beets?

Check out this Call for Entries from ArtAscent (online) for Mother Earth, their 2nd Int’l Art Competition. If you haven’t figured it out, hard copy art publication is being replaced by online art magazines. You can’t beat ’em, so I suggest you join them. Make careful decisions just like you would about a gallery. Don’t forget, you can enter for only $15…

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

CALL for ENTRIES:
Mother Earth

The theme of this call is Mother Earth. The beauty of art is that 100 artists can look at the same thing and interpret it in completely unique ways. That’s what can make it breathtaking. When you enter the competition, there is an ‘artists statement’ portion where you can provide context for your art and briefly explain how it relates to the theme. So, what does Mother Earth represent to you? Existentialism, the human struggle, environmentalism, spirituality, wellness, origins, mythology, balance, cultural unity and interconnectivity, responsibility, something else? –from artascent.com

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists 18+

MEDIA: All media except video, sound or performance.

DEADLINE: June 30, 2013

ENTRY FEE: $15 for one image, $25 for up to 3 & $45 for up to 8

AWARDS: Gold Winner $100: Featured in ArtAscent Magazine Gold Winner section with an art writer review, bio, artwork & website link. Add’l publication & exposure includes ArtAscent website & social media.

Silver Winner: Featured in ArtAscent Magazine Silver Winner section with an art writer review, bio, artwork & website link. Add’l publication & exposure includes ArtAscent website & social media.

Bronze Winner: Featured in ArtAscent Magazine Bronze Winner section with an art writer review, bio, artwork & website link. Add’l publication & exposure includes ArtAscent website & social media.

Honourable Mention Winners (17): Featured in ArtAscent Magazine Honourable Mention Winners section with artwork & website link. Add’l publication & exposure includes ArtAscent website & social media.

SALES: No commission. Any purchase inquiries will be referred directly to the artist.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

FEATURED ARTIST: Sima Schloss

Posted on June 23, 2013June 23, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

on a
CHOCOLATE
high

Life is moving at a crazy pace these days, and the $5 Art Contest has almost been canned a few times. But every time I get a fantastic entry or trip across another great artist, I remember why I do this. This month’s artist is no different. With my frenzied pace, it is no wonder that I picked an artist’s work that mirrors the same frenetic energy making my life a wonderful roller coaster this summer. Hang on…

This month’s artist works in a mix of media–drawing, painting & collage. I find the work has a pulse. You can look at a piece and both identify with the subject and have concern about the sort of mind-bending mania that created it.

The work seems,
above all else,
self-aware.

Self-awareness isn’t necessarily the highest and best that we can want from ourselves or our art; however, nothing of true value follows where self-awareness has not preceded. Don’t just LOOK at this work, I need you to SEE it.

On behalf of ArtAndArtDeadlines.com, I am proud to announce the Featured Artist chosen from the May entries to the $5 Art Contest is Sima Schloss. I find her work to be…so much more than a pretty face.

FEATURED ARTIST:
Sima Schloss

Sima Schloss grew up in a suburb on the south shore of Long Island and studied art at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island and graduated in 1993. Sima moved to New York City soon after. Where she says,” My life really began.” Her work is in a number of private and public collections including those of Tina Tang Studio, Miss Sixty Inc., and various other arenas. She has shown her work in different venues all around New York, Portugal and Spain. From The Yes Gallery in Greenpoint, NY, 3RD Ward in Williamsburg, NY to a group show at The Colorida Gallery in Lisbon, Portugal.

Schloss was also featured in NY Arts Magazine, Top Websites Annual Art guide to the Internet. In 2013, she will be featured in the e-book about Artists As World Changers by Renee Phillips.Her work was also at the Fountain Art Fair in Miami, Florida. Currently she works with The Metropolitan Museum of Art in their education department teaching art to ESL and GED students. Sima is also an adjunct professor at Hostos Community College in the Bronx. She is currently working on a series of independent projects.

Are you self taught or formally instructed? “If ‘Taming the Beast’ is self taught, then, that came with age. I went to art school and was a whirling dervish at 18 w/ my attention unfocused. It’s only now that I really appreciate everything that I learned there.”

Your work is
NOISY.

NO really, I had a hard time concentrating on any one piece because my eye was always skipping ahead to another. I love it. Is the process for you as frenzied as the work comes across? “Yes,my process is as frenzied as it comes across. Many times when I am creating with the subway being my favorite studio, I get so many ideas. The sensory overload comes out in my artwork. One person said that looking at my artwork is a workout in itself. If we could only create muscles at the same time!”

The connecting aesthetic in your work seems to be portraiture and color. How do they work together for you? “I love to study facial expressions and observe the colors the person is wearing. Both are so telling about who that person is.”

Tell me about the collage process for you. Are you attracted to the materials first or do you start work and then search for the right material to fit a piece? “‘Process not product…if only we could remember that in our love lives, too! I love to make a huge mess when I am creating; I love the layering process. A friend once said that you could shoot a bullet through some of my works and it wouldn’t penetrate.

“Like consciousness itself, the medium of collage is cumulative, aggregate, constructed through the mind’s desire to see itself reflected in chronological process. It stacks, rips, defaces, and replaces. Its memories are writ scatter-shot with the voices of others and with communiques whispered from within. It is polyphonic. Collage wears every other medium across its face, like the great grandparent of art, rendering the act of thinking material, with paint, print, ink, swaths of photographs, fields of color, Letraset and adhesives.”

What style or school of art do you think your work fits into and why? “My work is a combination of surrealism and abstract art.. I don’t make pretty pieces of artwork, I want to make people think. I want to evoke a feeling.”

“If you want to see
a calm piece of work,
look at landscapes
and fluffy flowers.”

You know we have to talk about food. What is your favorite? “God I am a seriously a chocoholic–preferably milk or white. My mom keeps telling me to switch to dark chocolate because its healthier. Hell no!” I am fairly certain that I have ranted on this blog (more than once) in the past about white chocolate not really being chocolate, but I am going to set that aside. I simply want to suggest that you switch to dark chocolate…because it tastes better. 🙂

What about snack foods? “I am addicted to white chocolate. I keep stashes at my apartment, studio and at work. My students even tell me that I eat too much chocolate. This is coming from certain individuals who choose to eat Doritos® and a Coke® for breakfast. Again, is there anything beyond white chocolate? If we must get particular…Green & Black’s White Chocolate.” Really? Chocolate and chocolate? Those are your food answers? hehehehe. It is refreshing to meet someone that throws restraint to the wind, but I suppose your work should have been the first hint.

So, what’s coming up next for you? “Currently, I am working on a series of drawings only using shades of grey and black in pencil and pen WHILE using the same photograph of a mouth. I have been using the same sketch, enlarging, shrinking it into the collages.this new series is a journey back to basics with mostly drawing, my first love.” Thanks for waiting to the end of the interview to let me know you are temporarily abandoning color, ha. It is a good thing interviews are my primary job, eh?

Sima, thank you for reminding me that my frenzy is not singular…

Learn more about Sima Schloss online!

CALL for ENTRIES: Food, Fresco & Farm

Posted on June 15, 2013June 15, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

CORN
and then some

I’ve always been a label reader, but I’m starting to wonder if I should just severely limit the number of foods I eat that even HAVE a label. While searching for a gluten-free corn tortilla, I read this ingredient list on one of my favorites: Ground corn treated with lime, water, cellulose gum, propionic acid (to preserve freshness), benzoic acid (to preserve freshness), phosphoric acid (preservative), dextrose, guar gum, amylase. No thanks. I settled on one with this label: corn, lime, salt. That’s a little more like it. Know what you eat. This next Call will provide lots of great ideas, I suspect. Take a look…

Check out this Call for Entries from Six Summit Gallery (Ivoryton, CT) for Food, Fresco, Farm & Fotograph. This show offers a unique opportunity for gallery representation, and despite it’s name, it is not limited to photography. Don’t forget to check this one out…

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

CALL for ENTRIES:
Food, Fresco, Farm & Fotograph

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists

MEDIA: Original work in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, mixed media, charcoal, graphite, and metal point

DEADLINE: June 27, 2013

NOTIFICATION: June 30, 2013

ENTRY FEE: 1st entry $15, 2 entries $20 & 3 entries $25

JUROR: Jason Mecier’s artwork is featured in the new Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Book, Prepare to be Shocked!, and Taschen’s Illustration Now Portraits! Other clients and media outlets that have featured his unique work include: Jack Links, Glad Bags, Asics, Red Vines, Wrigley’s, Ford, Quaker, Albertsons, The Food Network, Neiman Marcus, Aveeno, Corona, MTV, W Hotels, Rolling Stone, Showtime, Entertainment Weekly, TMZ, Good Morning America, People, Harper’s, Seventeen, Nickelodeon, Cosmo Girl, Details, Soap Opera Weekly, The Advocate, The Village Voice and The New York Times.

AWARDS: 1st , 2nd, 3rd Place and Runners up. Winners will receive up to a year representation on their new internet commerce sight, shop sixsummitgallery.com alongside major internationally-known artists, and on their website Gallery.

SALES: Gallery receives 35% commission on accepted sold work.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

OPEN CALL: International Exhibit

Posted on June 13, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

LASAGNA
anyone?

So, I’ve been looking for a wheat-less lasagna recipe without having to resort to gluten-free pasta. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve toyed with the idea of eggplant or zucchini ribbons, but that seems too expected. Then I ran across Varza a la Cluj, (Romanian version of lasagna) prepared from several layers of finely shredded cabbage (fresh or sour) and a minced meat mixed with rice and bacon and baked in the oven. I’ll let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, this next Call offers three shows–one of which might allow you to try Varza a la Cluj IN Romania. Check it out…

Check out this Open Call from Dacia Gallery (New York, NY) for the Dacia Universal Art Project! For the $45 entry fee, you have a shot at one of three European exhibits. Maybe it is time take a chance…

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

OPEN CALL:
International Exhibit

Dacia Gallery and The European House of Arts are pleased to present Dacia Universal Art Project, a new and exciting adventure in the arts. Dacia Universal Art Project will launch July, 2013 with a debut exhibition in beautiful Mazières-de-Touraine, France. The exhibition will travel to the gothic city of Erfurt, Germany and take place at the celebrated Bildergalerie at Palmenhaus.

The exhibition tour will conclude in the medieval city of Sibiu, the heart of Transilvania in Romania. This is a wonderful opportunity to have an exhibition in France, Germany and Romania and share your artwork with the global community. –from DaciaGallery.com

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists.

MEDIA: Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Photography and Mixed Media

DEADLINE: June 27, 2013

ENTRY FEE: You may submit up to 10 images for a curation fee of $45.

AWARDS: The Dacia Universal Art Project and the European House of Arts will advertise and promote the selected artists for the exhibition tour and host a formal Opening Reception & Celebration for each of the three international exhibits. This is a wonderful opportunity to have an exhibition in France, Germany and Romania and share your artwork with the global community.

SALES: Dacia Gallery charges 50% commission on all artwork sold during exhibitions.

For complete details, visit the Dacia Gallery online!

CALL for ENTRIES: Summer Showcase

Posted on June 12, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

CHOCOLATE CHIP
on my shoulder

Summer has brought a new challenge to my cooking regime–going wheat-free. No, it isn’t a whim, it is doctor’s orders. I have a couple of health issues that my doctor believes is being aggravated by the inflammation that naturally accompanies the consumption of wheat. But, classic Summer fare like chocolate chip cookies can’t be stricken from the menu, or I might get stricken from my house, ha. So, I’ll just keep trying the get it right. This next Call is for a classic media, and you have several chances to get it right this year. Investigate…

Check out this Call for Entries from Oil Painters of America for their Summer Online Showcase. The entry fee is only $14 per image, but the prizes are huge. You DO have to be a member ($60 annual fee), but with three online showcases per year, it works out to be about the same as other shows. Take a look…

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

CALL for ENTRIES:
OPA Showcase

ELIGIBILITY: You must be an Associate Member. Artists must reside in the United States, Canada or Mexico.

MEDIA:
Representational Oil painting

DEADLINE:
August 15, 2013

ENTRY FEE: $14 per painting

JUROR: Kim Casebeer was born & raised in Kansas. As part of a fourth generation farm family, she has been connected to the land for a long time. Kim still lives in Kansas and draws her inspiration from the simplicity of the Flint Hills, an area of wide open ranch land. “It’s a simple landscape,” she says. “It’s not grandiose. You have to spend some time and let it speak to you.” These days Kim also feels at home painting in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming and Texas. “I think the simplicity of the Kansas landscape has helped me find the essence of other places. I’m able to focus on what’s important in a composition. It’s as much about what’s not in the painting as what is.”

Kim received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Kansas State University in 1992. She worked as a graphic designer and art director in order to pay the bills, while spending evenings and weekends painting until 2002, when she was able to make the leap to full-time artist. Kim has continued to study with artists such as Albert Handell, W. Scott Jennings, Michael Albrechtsen, Scott Christensen and Matt Smith.

Kim has work in many private, corporate and museum collections throughout the United States. She is represented by American Legacy Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri; Grapevine Gallery in Oklahoma City; Hueys Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico; K. Newby Gallery in Tubac, Arizona; Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona and Jackson, Wyoming; and Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, Kansas.

AWARDS: $3,000 for first place, $1,500 for second place and $500 for third place along with 10 honorable mentions

For complete details, Visit OPA online!

FEATURED ARTIST: Melody Sage

Posted on June 5, 2013 by R.L. Gibson

COCKTAILS
and fudge

I seem to be always apologizing for running behind on judging the $5 Art Contest. This time I am just going to say, “Yes, these are the April results. Let’s move on.” Think of it like waiting for bread to rise. Ahhh, did I mention I’m trying to live a wheat-free life now? Let’s call “carbohydrate-jonesing” a contributing factor to this month’s tardiness while I formulate an excuse for May.

This month’s artist works in intricate detail and with a twist of humor and pun. Watercolor, ink and drawing all come together to give this mechanically organic feel. The color screams pop art, but the texture often echoes natural forms.

On behalf of ArtAndArtDeadlines.com, I am proud to announce the Featured Artist chosen from the April entries to the $5 Art Contest is Melody Sage, bringing us a little smile, a pop of color and a twist of phrase.

Sage’s work made me want to get to know her over cocktails, if for no other reason than to mine for puns. Inspirational wit…

FEATURED
ARTIST:
Melody Sage

Melody Sage grew up in a heavily forested area of northern Wisconsin.

“Ecology is magic to me. Following streams to see where they led, keeping grass snakes in jars, drinking tea cups of rain: a barefoot and disheveled child, bowled over by splendor. Those hours studying intricate textures and forms shaped my sensibility.”

Since I am also a writer,
subtext, wit, and narrative
infuse my art.

“In my work, I explore the connection between nature and metaphor, color and poetry, pattern and clarity.”

Are you a self-taught artist or have you been formally instructed? “I am self taught.”

“I come from a big eccentric family where if someone had an idea to attach a bed with ropes to the ceiling to turn it into a swing, everybody else would say, ‘Why not? Who cares about dents in the wall?’ From there, becoming an artist was a natural progression.

Talk to me about the process you use. “Mostly I like to work with ink and paint, things that stain and make mistakes that I then have to improvise and work around. I like the spontaneity and intractability of tangible materials, the surprises. The possibility of unredeemable failure at any moment is exciting.”

I notice that you seem to be attracted to portraiture and organic forms. Tell me why. How do they work together for inspiration? “Humans are an indivisible piece of the continuum of nature. I think it is very primal. A disproportionate portion of the brain is dedicated to facial recognition. We are hardwired to see faces everywhere from gnarled trees to Martian geology. It’s compelling.”

Your work is so diverse that I really had a hard time finding a direction. Talk to me about writing and the effect it has on your art. “I am interested in metaphorical leaps, that moment of recognition when an unlikely connection is made. My writing is imagery rich in style, and my art is often inspired by word play, mythic archetypes, or poetry.”

“Another major part of my process is listening to audio-books downloaded from the library. I find it distracts the talkative critical left side of my brain like dangling keys in front of a baby.”

Editor’s note: In my studio it is the white noise of junk TV in an adjacent room. Just something to break the pressure of silence.

Talk to me about the effect the possibility of sales has on your technique or subject matter. “I never expected to sell my work, and it still feels unreal when it happens. I feel wistful, when I see artists who have a consistent vision, and market themselves with savvy and grace, but that’s not my strong suit.” ...Segue into the merits of the $5 Art Contest, snicker.

You know we have to talk about food. What is your favorite? “Nectarines. I know they are basically bald peaches, but I love them to the utmost. Fresh baked bread used to be my favorite food, until I had to give up wheat as well (sad trombone).” Sad trombone for us both. Remind me to give you a recipe for gluten free nectarine scones. Yum.

What about snack foods? “Lately, I have been making this recipe for fudge babies about once a week. They are like the love child of a cookie dough ball and a truffle that grew up and went to a liberal arts college.” For the record, I chose Melody BEFORE she sent links to chocolate recipes. No bribery involved.

So, what’s coming up next for you? “More of my life now, fingers crossed.” “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Thank you, Melody (and Shakespeare).

Category: Painting

SQUASHED squash

CALL for ENTRIES: Unhinged

For full details, Read the Full Call!

PEANUT BUTTERY goodness

CALL for ENTRIES: Richeson 75 Figure & Portrait

For complete information, Read the Full Call!

BOOKS for breakfast

CALL for ENTRIES: BookART

For complete details, Download the Prospectus!

RED and GREEN make brown

CALL for ENTRIES: GeAb vs AbEx

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

the HEART-BEET of health

CALL for ENTRIES: Mother Earth

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

on a CHOCOLATE high

The work seems, above all else, self-aware.

FEATURED ARTIST: Sima Schloss

Your work is NOISY.

“If you want to see a calm piece of work, look at landscapes and fluffy flowers.”

Learn more about Sima Schloss online!

CORN and then some

CALL for ENTRIES: Food, Fresco, Farm & Fotograph

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

LASAGNA anyone?

OPEN CALL: International Exhibit

For complete details, visit the Dacia Gallery online!

CHOCOLATE CHIP on my shoulder

CALL for ENTRIES: OPA Showcase

For complete details, Visit OPA online!

COCKTAILS and fudge

FEATURED ARTIST: Melody Sage

Since I am also a writer, subtext, wit, and narrative infuse my art.

See more of the work of Melody Sage online!

SQUASHED
squash

CALL for ENTRIES:
Unhinged

PEANUT BUTTERY
goodness

CALL for ENTRIES:
Richeson 75
Figure & Portrait

BOOKS
for breakfast

CALL for ENTRIES:
BookART

RED and GREEN
make brown

CALL for ENTRIES:
GeAb vs AbEx

the
HEART-BEET
of health

CALL for ENTRIES:
Mother Earth

on a
CHOCOLATE
high

The work seems,
above all else,
self-aware.

FEATURED ARTIST:
Sima Schloss

Your work is
NOISY.

“If you want to see
a calm piece of work,
look at landscapes
and fluffy flowers.”

CORN
and then some

CALL for ENTRIES:
Food, Fresco, Farm & Fotograph

LASAGNA
anyone?

OPEN CALL:
International Exhibit

CHOCOLATE CHIP
on my shoulder

CALL for ENTRIES:
OPA Showcase

COCKTAILS
and fudge

FEATURED
ARTIST:
Melody Sage

Since I am also a writer,
subtext, wit, and narrative
infuse my art.