New Show Opening

My new show opened today -- a huge crowd attended the Opening Reception tonight.  It was wonderful!  It's really inspiring when people love your art!

“The Journey Continues” is a different kind of art exhibit. It has been a year in the making from the original concept until the show opening tonight.  Pat Dolan, a very talented artist in Tucson and an instructor at The Drawing Studio, coerced three local artists (Pat Frederick, Roberta Miller and me) to do the Exhibit.  After she twisted our arms to shreds, we agreed to reveal the secrets of how successful paintings are composed with line, balance and color to become beautiful, interesting or dynamic -- and also to share how we three artists have transitioned from other careers into art. 

Our group show runs from March 2 through March 30 at The Drawing Studio, 33 S. 6^th Ave. in downtown Tucson. See the TDS website for directions and hours - www.thedrawingstudio.org

Our “Journey” is a story about how we used to have vocations in very different fields, but now enjoy the challenge of learning and practicing artistic skills.  Pat Frederick was a veterinarian and now has an art studio in Tucson where she creates metal sculptures and pastel paintings. Roberta Miller worked as a nutritionist and healthcare food service director and now paints Southwest landscapes in pastels for the pure enjoyment of art studio practice.  And I was a newspaper publisher, journalist and editor who now paints wildlife and animal portraits in pastels and am focusing on a career transition into art. Our recent learning journey has included the study of drawing, composition and color fundamentals at The Drawing Studio.

The March exhibit of paintings in pastel pigments has a focus on the use of drawing practice, color and composition skills that have been the signposts on their Journey.  Diagrams in the form of thumbnail sketches accompany many of the works to illustrate some of the visual thinking processes and compositional attributes of our paintings. 

I must say, now that all the paintings are hung, our different styles compliment one another.  Pat's large and colorful paintings of horses and African elephants juxtaposed with Roberta's serene canyons and reflecting water, interspersed with my wildlife portraits all seem to weave a harmonious tapestry of colors and compositions. It's a harmonious display.

If you're in town, try to catch the show before it ends on March 30th.  There are 54 awesome pastel paintings in the exhibit!  Gallery hours at The Drawing Studio are Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 pm. The gallery also will be open March 9, 6-8 pm, for Second Saturday Downtown -- and all three of us artists will be there that night, if you want to stop by and chat.

Founded in 1992, The Drawing Studio is a nonprofit visual arts center in Tucson using studio art practice as a way to foster satisfying and creative lives. The organization is dedicated to providing affordable art education to all ages, and received the 2010 Governor’s Art Award for outstanding contributions to the community.