Currently In Show - "Into the Woods" Group Show - One Week Left!

Firstly, my gratitude to the friends who are local and were able to find the time to stop in at the HIVE artspace Gallery in York so far this month to see my recent painting "Aderyn" up close and personal.

Whether you were able to visit on the night of the reception or later on in the month, I appreciate it. It felt - disconcerting, nerveracking, disquieting - certainly exhilarating, to have a piece out in the public domain, far and away from the supervision of the Studio, once more, but of course, my maternal, creator-imposed concerns were entirely superfluous, and all is well.

If you would like the chance to scrutinize the original painting of "Aderyn" for yourself, she and the entire show will be up for another week, through the 30th of May! Small ART PRINTS are also available at the gallery until the end of the month.

For gallery hours, visit the HIVE artspace official website for their information, and more.

Photograph provided by HIVE artspace "Into the Woods" Exhibit Promotion
York, PA, May 2015

What a delightful evening amongst my fellow exhibitors! And what a spread of creative diversity and dexterity. I felt in good company at the HIVE.

"Into the Woods" is the May exhibit theme, focusing on all things sylvan, woodland, enchanting, folk, or creature-like. Jewelry, pottery and sculpture, paintings, drawings, prints, and other unique products, varied at a healthy price range, created by an extensive list of area-local artists, are rife within the row-house style art gallery and studio space. But only until the 30th.

First room, by the door, reception night - My piece is "Aderyn"-
Dark frame, on your left - Available to purchase

Reception night, new friends, art, craft beer, and local music - Royal Square
York, PA

See you at the HIVE artspace, friends!

-Mairin-Taj

"Scrap Sneaks" - We All Need Our Playtime

Back in January, for the initiatory post of 2015, I talked about reinforcing the Art Dispatch with content sub-categories that reflect further areas in which us artists, and art-supporters, find value.

It isn't enough to stop at the final image, we all want to look behind the stage curtains, go back into the wings, and explore what the dance looks like before the spotlight hits the show. (I was a ballet dancer, can you tell?)

These further, deeper, areas of value I'm talking about are "stories" sharing experiences and entertainment within the life of being a creative, "inspiring" material worth exploring and sharing the benefits of, "learned" insights into failures and the process of improvement, "reading" material that lends education and further creativity, and of course, the "process"  tidbits giving a visual face to all the intellectual and emotionally creative 'muscle flexing' going on.

And no matter what our lifestyle complications or professional preoccupations, no matter how devoted we are to a serious and stressful project, we all need our playtime. How else are we going to work out the knots and the tension, shake out the burden we've both personally and socially been inflicted with, or discover fresh verve for the creations to come?

We do it by allotting permission and time for creativity without an agenda.

For me, having worked in the glorious safety of graphite grayscale until 2010, I still feel color is my "new world", the undiscovered country, as it were, and so, color is what I want to play with.

No pressure, no high expectations, no masterpieces, just play.

{Preview} "Melissae - 'The Bees'"

Here's some of my 'show & tell' scrap sneaks for my current version of playtime:

"April Bluebird"

From Series II of A Madcap Credo, I've hit a good note on a fresh mixed media approach, cropping composition, and stylizing with a vaguely Leyendecker-esque negative space framework.
My personal satisfaction in this monthly side project has increased my productivity, easily.

*Click on the image captions for links to the full images, background, and more.

"May Day"

And sometimes, even while playing, things can go wrong. Or right. And then you change it entirely.

Here's a {preview} of a finish before I went back into it and changed it entirely:

"Melissae" Final BEFORE I changed it again.

A final version of the new finish will be posted soon, in it's own "behind-the-scenes" blogpost to follow.

--

Like what you see? There's more waiting for you:

To receive a quarterly - yes, just four times a year - stress-free ‪newsletter featuring the latest project updates, process talks, Art Print additions, sales, as well as news and events within the creative community, contribute your brief contact information through the subscription form and I'll be in touch next quarter.

Quarter updates follow the February - May - August - November schedule, with the intermediately timed winter holiday & New Year well wishes.

And *Thank You* all for the support and continued dialogue shared back and forth, across social media - We're closing in on 400 'Likes' on FB alone! - This. Is. Awesome. Let's keep it going!

Join HERE

Until shortly,

Happy creating!

-Mairin-Taj