New Directions

I'm always looking to expand my art and grow in new directions, and my work recently has done just that. A couple of months ago, I was pondering new ways to bring in some income with my art. I have had the experience again and again, whether at conferences, at retreats, or at my gallery, of people saying how much they love my art but not buying it. Wall art can be a hard sell. Jewelry, on the other hand, seems to be a perpetual bestseller, so I wondered if I could adapt my art with out losing the integrity. I wanted the pieces to be authentic to me in every way without them becoming kitschy little things that get knocked out quickly just to make a buck. So, I devised a way to basically make miniature, wearable pieces. Each of the above pieces is approximately an inch and a half - the rectangular pieces are slightly narrower and longer. Each is an original work of art on paper using colored pencil or ink, adhered to a small piece of masonite, and covered in epoxy resin. My idea is to sell them in my studio and at the conferences and retreats I attend. Because they are original works, I plan on having a price point around $50. I also plan on making jewelry from reproductions - quality prints of some of my work. Each of those will be original as well (I'm not looking to duplicate designs), but at a lower price point around $30.

I've also taken a new direction with my wall art. I've been revisiting the work of Lee Bontecou. I first became aware of Bontecou 6 or 7 years ago after a major retrospective of hers toured the country in 2004. I came across her long after the retrospective was over, but I got to see quite a few of her pieces at the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh in 2005. I immediately felt a kinship to her work - both her drawings and her sculptures. I was able to track down a copy of the book from the retrospective, and I marvel every time I look at it. Most recently, I took a shine to her drawings on black paper using colored pencil. I have always been fascinated by drawing on colored paper, especially black, but I have never really explored it. But I have been experimenting over the last week or so, and have developed a few images that I am happy with. The piece below is still in progress, but represents one of my efforts. Unfortunately, it is on construction paper, so if I continue with this line of inquiry, I'll need to invest in quality, black paper.

Here's to new directions