Newly Commissioned Painting, "The Testimony Tree"

30" x 40" x 1.5"

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas

I am in love with this painting on so many levels. I am extremely happy with how it turned out. Secondly, I got to create it for a family that has had a very special place in my heart for most of my life.

But the most special thing to me about this piece is the story behind it....

Sherry contacted me because she was looking for a meaningful present for her daughter Natalie's 25th b-day. This was a big birthday for Natalie, and she wanted to give her  something that would begin her list of collectibles, of "haves", of things that she could save and one day pass along when she has a family of her own.

Back in 2003 when Natalie was in high school, she had written her mom a very meaningful letter. This letter was so special that Sherry had saved it over the years and turned to it nearly every day for comfort, reassurance and a testimony to the fact she had done a "good job" raising Natalie to grow into a mature and beautiful person.  Still in its original frame from 2003, the letter was looking a little aged, the frame was starting to come unhinged, and Sherry wanted a way to honor the letter and the beautiful words it contained while preserving it in a way that would become a fairly heirloom that could be passed down to Natalie when she is ready to have it.  

Sherry visited my website and saw my abstract cherry blossoms and how I often incorporate text into my work and asked me to create something along these lines showcasing the text of Natalie's letter.  

This painting felt like such a collaborative effort between me and Natalie I even placed the signature of her letter and my signature of the painting together at the bottom right corner.

This painting will hang in Sherry's living room until Natalie is ready to have it in her own home.  Sherry thought of the title and I couldn't have come up with a better one myself.

A Poem for Wednesday, "Tomorrow"

"Conception"

Oil and Mixed Media in Canvas

Fine Art Giclee Prints available online here.

Tomorrow

Cigarette smoke hanging on
in the living room. The ship's lights
out on the water, dimming. The stars
burning holes in the sky. Becoming ash, yes.
But it's all right, they're supposed to do that.
Those lights we call stars.
Burn for a time and then die.
Me hell-bent. Wishing
it were tomorrow already.
I remember my mother, God love her,
saying, Don't wish for tomorrow.
You're wishing your life away.
Nevertheless, I wish
for tomorrow. In all its finery.
I want sleep to come and go, smoothly. 
Like passing out of the door of one car
into another. And then to wake up!
Find tomorrow in my bedroom. 
I'm more tired now than I can say.
My bowl is empty. But it's my bowl, you see,
and I love it.


by Raymond Carver

Thursday's Other Creative Soul: Jill Nononemacher

  As a creative person meself, I love to see what makes other like-minded souls think. Thank you for joining me today as we get to know Dallas-based Artist Jill Nononemacher. Jill and I will be having an exhibit together entitled, "Made for Love", this weekend along with a few other Artists at the Cameron Gallery on Dragon Street in the Dallas Design Disctrict. Here's Jill's story...

Name: Jill Nonnemacher (JillyArt)

JillyArt Studios

973.975.3426

Location: Native from New Jersey, now calls home Mansfield, Texas.

Education/Training

FIT, NY - Textile Design Degree

The School of Visual Arts, NY

 Fordham University, NY - MSW   

About JillyArt

JillyArt is best known for her wildly colorful palette. My style is best described as expressionistic and figurative which captures the essence and spirit of people and playfulness. 

My normal day is jumpstarted with a pot of coffee along with getting my 2 sweet pugs,   Mozart & Fiona walked & fed before I can even think about starting anything else.

 After taking care of business related stuff I turn usually settle into my studio by mid morning or early afternoon, turn on my rock & roll music and begin painting for the day.

  

My passion is to create art that is full of life. Art that is filled with color and is emotionally provoking to my viewer. 

 

My goal is  to paint 5 days a week creating new, exciting, stimulating art to share with the world. 

JillyArt aims to  create a world full of passion, celebration and seduction that evokes a sensory experience and emotional response within her viewers.  My subjects include expressive solitary figures, whimsical collective figures, and socially provocative figures.    

My inspiration comes from people, life experiences, music, fashion, design and my training as a psychotherapist.  I am also very inspired by other artists and spend lots of time looking at art and enjoy collecting different styles of art for my own art galley. 

My working style is to paint nonstop for 6 - 8 hours at a time. I do take a few breaks to play with the dogs and try to squeeze in  a mid day walk around the block.

If I am working on a deadline I will  take a couple hours off, share dinner with my husband and go back into the studio to continue painting.

If I get into my painting zone again I will paint  for several more hours before retiring for the night.

 I like to paint in collections. Each painting has a story to be shared and is part of a larger series.  It is fundamental that my paintings radiate with liveliness, movement and a playful spirit.

A few of my favorite artists that have greatly influenced my style and appreciation for art are the 20th century expressionistic painters: Picasso, Matisse,  Klee and love the colorful art of Peter Max.

 

Social Links:

www.jillyartdesigns.com

    facebook.com/jillyartstudios

    jillyartdesigns.blogspot.com

    linkedin.com/in/jillnonnemacher/jillyart

    twitter.com/jillyart

Features:

JillyArt is cited in Art Calendar (Professional Artist), March, 2011

http://www.artcalendar.com

Jillyart is featured on: Manhattan Arts International - The Artrepeneur blog (Sept.22,2010) http://reneephillips.blogspot.com/2010/09jill-nonnemacher-featured-artist.html

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JillyArt is included in the CityArt Cal Engagement Book 2009.    http://www.cityartcal.com

JillyArt is featured in The Art Buzz Book, The 2009 Collection of Contemporary art for Emerging Artists.    www.atbuzz.com

JillyArt is featured in the John Hopkins Art and Addiction Book, 2010.  www.press.jhu.edu

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jillyArt has been featured on many magazine covers including: Sasee Magazine, South Carolina, Rising Women Magazine, Canada

JillyArt is represented by The Cameron Gallery, Dallas, TX

"Best of the First Year"

 "Sometimes I Feel Like I'm Falling in the Ocean"

24" x 24" x 1.5"

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas

My painting was chosen "Best of the First Year" by Austin-based art magazine, W5RAn.  W5RAn is an indie online magazine displaying  content that covers all areas of art and design and I was excited to have "Sometimes I Feel Like I'm Falling in the Ocean" chosen among the thousands of pieces of art that they feature as a standout. The original is still available for sale on my Etsy site and is currently at my home studio. Private appointments are available if you want to see it in person.

New Painting, "Big as the Sky"

24" x 24" 

Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas

Would you hold my head up high?
Would you make my life as big as the sky?
Would you spend the rest of your life with me?"
-a.m. sixty

The painting is a part of my abstract series and was created using oil paint, mixed media and collage. I have yet to visit Montana, but am confident we will get to Jackson Hole in the next few summers and am curious if the image on my canvas, the one that my mind's eye holds, matches up to the reality of Big Sky Country. 


My aim in this work was to capture how this big sky, the universe, puts it all into perspective.  How can I feel so small sometimes and as others as big as the sky?

I have listed this one on etsy if you are interested in purchase.
Copyright of work, including all rights of reproduction in any form, are held by the artist.
©2010 Gina Marie Dunn

A Poem for Wednesday: Dutiful

"Transition"

30" x 40"

Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas

Fine Art Giclee Prints available on my Etsy site.

DUTIFUL


How did I get so dutiful? Was I always that way?
Going around as a child with a small broom and dustpan,
sweeping up dirt I didn't make,
or out into the yard with a stunted rake,
weeding the gardens of others
– the dirt blew back, the weeds flourished, despite my efforts –
and all the while with a frown of disapproval
for other people's fecklessness, and my own slavery.
I didn't perform these duties willingly.
I wanted to be on the river, or dancing,
but something had me by the back of the neck.
That's me too, years later, a purple-eyed wreck,
because whatever had to be finished wasn't, and I stayed late,
grumpy as a snake, on too much coffee,
and further on still, those groups composed of mutterings
and scoldings, and the set-piece exhortation:
Somebody ought to do something!
That was my hand shooting up.

But I've resigned. I've ditched the grip of my echo.
I've decided to wear sunglasses, and a necklace
adorned with the gold word no,
and eat flowers I didn't grow.
Still, why do I feel so responsible
for the wailing from shattered houses,
for birth defects and unjust wars,
and the soft, unbearable sadness
filtering down from distant stars?

by Margaret Atwood

A Poem for Wednesday

Trial

20 " x 24"

Oil and Mixed Media inCanvas

Fine Art Prints of this original painting are available on my Etsy site.

How Is Your Heart? 

by Charles Bukowski

during my worst times

on the park benches

in the jails

I always had this certain

contentment-

I wouldn't call it

happiness-

it was more of an inner

balance 

that settled for

whatever was occuring

and it helped in the

factories

and when relationships 

went wrong

with the 

girls. 

it helped 

through the

wars and the

hangovers

the backalley fights

the 

hospitals. 

to awaken in a cheap room

in a strange city and

pull up the shade-

this was the craziest kind of

contentment

and to walk across the floor

to an old dresser with a 

cracked mirror- 

see myself, ugly,

grinning at it all. 

what matters most is

how well you 

walk through the

fire.

A Poem for Wednesday

Conception

30" x 40"

Oil and Mixed on Canvas

Fine Art Prints of this original painting are available on my Etsy site.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch where the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know The place where the sidewalk ends. Shel Silverstein

A Joyful Heart

12" x 12"
Acrylic and Mixed on Canvas
SOLD

This commissioned piece was ordered by a dear friend who wanted one more of my heart paintings to hang on her soon-to-arrive daughter's nursery wall. She is actually delivering tomorrow, so to say we were cutting it close is an understatement. She is going to add this one to a cluster of them in the nursery, and I can't wait to see how they all look together.

My original heart paintings have been quite popular since their feature on Daily Candy Dallas back in February, and I am always happy to create more.

I drew the inspiration for this one from Bob Dylan's "Forever Young". The lyrics to this song are collaged in the background under a layer of thick texture. I really can't think of a more perfect wish for a child from their parent, and I wanted this heart painting to be especially for Mrs. R's sweet baby girl.

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

Stumbling Through Memories

16" x 20" x 1.5"
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas

The recent move and coming across lots of boxes filled with things that trigger memories has really stirred up some feelings I had forgotten about, sort of like dust being raised when you lift things you haven't touched in years. That's how the title for this new painting emerged.

We got Apple TV in our new house, it's a really fun new toy. We have music playing through every room in the early evenings, and it just makes that hectic time of day a little more tolerable when you can listen to something mellow. I complied an all-DMB playlist, and although I've heard the song, "Grey Street" a million times, it struck a chord with me last week when I listened to the lyrics. It's a deceiving song because it has such a light and happy melody, but the lyrics are much darker than the tune implies. I really worked from that place in my latest painting.

Oh look at how she listens
She says nothing of what she thinks
She just goes stumbling through her memories
Staring out onto Grey St.
And she thinks...hey
How did I come to this
I dreamed myself thousand times around the world
But I can't get out of this place
There's an emptiness inside her
And she'd do anything to fill it in
But all the colors mix together
To grey, and it breaks her heart

Oh how she wishes it was different
She prays to God most every night
And though she swears He doesn't listen
There's still a hope in her He might
She says I pray
But they falls on deaf ears
Am I supposed to take it on myself
To get out of this place
There's a loneliness inside her
And she'd do anything to fill it in
And though it's red blood bleeding from her now,
It feels like cold blue ice in her heart
When all the colors mix together
It's grey, and it breaks her heart

There's a stranger speaks outside her door
Says take what you can from your dreams
Make them real as anything
It will take the work out of the courage
She says please
There's a crazy man creeping that's outside my door
I live on the corner of Grey Street
And the end of the world

Oh there's an emptiness insider her
And she'd do anything to fill it in
And though it's red blood bleeding from her now
It's more like cold blue ice in her heart
She feels like kicking out all the windows
And setting fire to this life
She could change everything about her
Using colors bold and bright
But all the colors mix together
To grey
And it breaks her heart...Oh and it breaks her heart

Thursday's Other Creative Soul: Randy Gregg

Name
Randy Gregg

Education:
some college

Current City/Hometown
Ft. Worth/Concord California -San Francisco Bay area

Describe your work in one sentence.
Contemporary/abstract acrylic and mixed media art that I envision and then create.

What are your passions?
I love my daughter, Mandalyn and my granddaughter, Eva. I play Hockey. I am 46, so a lot of people are surprised. I also love sushi, Starbucks Chai, and chips and salsa. My girlfriend-Kathleen is my biggest fan/manager and she is my best friend.

What are your goals?
I want to establish a name for myself as an artist and earn a living doing what I love. I want to spend some time traveling and painting in different cultures. I am planning to go south to Latin America at some point in the future.



Who are your creative influences?
I am influenced by many people. I study artists on the Internet and i usually can learn some new technique every time. I enjoy watching other artists work. i have spent many nights studying famed artists like Jackson Pollock and Kieth Harring, l like to visit galleries. We recently took in the Andy Warhol exhibit in Ft Worth. I was inspired and immediately came home and started to incorporate some of his elements into my work. There are many pivotal moments that have helped shape who I am today, but I have decided to never look back.

Is there anyone that you really look up to as an inspiration?
My older brother Norm is an accomplished artist in California. I have always lived in his shadow artistically,. He is a fantastic and talented airbrush artist so i try to stick with a traditional paintbrush or sponge-brush and keep my own style. I can always call him when I am stuck or have some art question. I was initially inspired by an awsome talented artist-" Ottograph" from Amsterdam (Ipainteveryday.com) on youtube. I love to listen to his narrative. He is so very matter-of-fact. He seems to be very genuine and just plain cool. We've become friends on Facebook. ( hey Otto keep it up!) Jackson Pollock is another very interesting artist. Twisted but brilliant. Other inspirations? I recently saw a video("http://www.youtube.com/v/m3gMgK7h-BA) of a musician who sings and played guitar with his feet! (he has no arms). He is very talented and i found it inspirational. It makes my problems seem small.

What motivates you on a daily basis?
i really feel good when people compliment my work. When someone says they like it, it makes me want to do more. Everyday i think the same thing-"i gotta paint". Selling a painting, to me, means that I can buy more paint, canvasses and supplies! I really enjoy meeting art enthusiasts and collectors. The art scene is really intriguing. Do you have a "guilty pleasure" that you can't miss out on to get you going? Starbuck's Venti Chai, 1 pump vanilla, no water, no foam, whole milk, 155 degrees, with a straw. It's outrageously indulgent and expensive and I loathe the thought that those corporate SOB's are getting even richer, but I gotta have it at least once daily.

What's your working style?
I often spend several days thinking about what I want to create or how I want it to come out, but once i get started, i like to keep at it. Sometimes I paint until early in the morning. I have a favorite pair of jeans and a sacred shirt that I wear when I paint. Usually i am barefoot. If my painting clothes are being washed, I may paint in my underwear. I don't have a studio yet, so I am painting inside our apartment (my girlfriend is very tolerant). I run a blow-dryer on the work while i am painting to make it dry faster. I don't mix paints. I take them right from the tube. I dont like when my paints mix on the canvas either. I like sharp, intense colors and I want the white to be bright. I don't use an easel, i just hang the canvas on the wall and begin. Do you work for 12 hours straight nonstop, or do you take lots of breaks it depends, i have to be in the "zone". i feel it and i gotta keep going. I become impatient because allowing the paint to dry always slows me down. many times i may initially hate my paintings, but as i continue to work on them they begin to grow on me. i like to stay connected to them until they are completed. I love being able to really live my life the way i do. art for me is my life.

What are your websites/social networking links?
Facebook: Randy Gregg or Rocket Studios Inc. rocketstudiosinc@gmail.com

The Edge of the Deep Green Sea

16" x 20"
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas

"and so we watch the sun come up
from the edge of the deep green sea
and she listens like her head's on fire
like she wants to believe in me" -The Cure

The tentacles of an octopus first inspired this painting, sort of a reflection of how tied down I feel at times. With the children so young, there are often days when I don't leave the house or even make it out to the studio to paint. (If I don't make it outside for a morning run before the household wakes up then I'm REALLY cranky.) As much as I love all three of my precious babies, it's simply a hard time feeling so occupied with constantly meeting their basic needs.

As I worked on this piece, I noticed this painting slowly started to take on a more abstract look while preserving the feeling of something aquatic. I almost quit working on it because it was frustrating me so much and I hate feeling like I am fighting with my paintings, but then I had a breakthrough on Friday. Friday happened to be a special day as my husband and I were celebrating our fifth anniversary. I like to think that April 2 is a lucky day for me all around, and I'm glad a little luck made its way onto the canvas.

Am feeling very "oceanic" lately...ever since I did the two paintings below I feel like I am stumbling upon a new series inspired by the mysteries of the sea.

Thursday's Other Creative Soul: Roy E. Vance

This week's featured Artist is Roy E. Vance, a talented and very kind soul I have had the pleasure of getting to know through Artisan Style Gallery. In addition to his beautiful large scale abstract works, Roy has been creating some amazing small works on paper, now available on his Etsy site, and is offering free shipping. Check them out at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/roysart

Name/Location:
Roy E. Vance. I live in Richardson, TX

Education:
Associate Degree in Art & Design

Current City/Hometown:
Born in Berea, OH. Have lived in OH, FL and currently TX.

Tell me about your work in one sentence.
I like to create mixed media abstracts.

Describe your day.
Normal day: Work.Eat.Paint.Sleep.
Ideal Day: Breakfast and brisk walk. Estate Sales from 9-1, grab a lunch, shop for art supplies (or work on an existing piece), Dinner @6 and then off for a night of fun with friends (the theatre, movies, cards)

What are your passions?
Painting, theatre, antiques, nature...enjoying life

What are your goals?
To live comfortably, working in a job that I enjoy and have the time/resources to pursue my art and spend time with my loved ones.

Who are your creative influences?
Robert Rauschenberg for his use of mixed media, textures, Georgia O'Keefe for her wonderful floral abstractions and depth of color

Are there any other relevant experiences that shaped who you are today and what you do?
I have learned that happiness comes from within. It should not be based on external criteria such as people, places or things. All of those external factors can come & go...but you will always have "you". Sure, you can surround yourself with friends, nice things and a cushy job...but what happens when that all disappears? My first and second experiences with corporate downsizing taught me that lesson.



My second experience/life lesson is to always make time for loved ones. I think of missed birthdays, dinners, fun get togethers...no longer available when the loved one has passed on. It's even more tragic when your job has passed on as well.

Is there anyone (celebrity, dead, alive, in your life) that you really look up to as an inspiration? Anyone who has overcome obstacles (physical, financial, educational) and then become successful. Every year my grandma (who also inspires me) sends me a calendar from the Foot/Mouth Painters Assoc....I find it inspiring to see the talent from theses individuals who have overcome their challenges to pursue their artistc dreams.

What motivates you on a daily basis? I am a big fan of finding joy in the little things in life...like getting a bunch of green lights on the way to work. I also get a lot of inspiration from nature and daily events. For example, my inspiration for my painting "Metaphor for Mosaic Mountian": Mountains can be viewed as immovable obstacles or as a challenge to overcome. There are those who refuse to even start a journey because a mountain might be in their path. There are others who will bravely take on the mountain and then go look for the next one to conquer. How do you perceive mountains?

Do you have a "guilty pleasure" that you can't miss out on to get you going?
Coffee, chocolate and gooey pastries.

What's your working style?
Sporadic. Sometimes I will work 4 or 5 hours at a time if I have multiple canvases going at once. If I'm working on only 1 piece, I have to take breaks between "drying time" between layers of color, texture etc.

What are your websites/social networking links? http://www.yessy.com/roysart
Facebook; http://www.723.com/roysart/gallery, MySpace, Twitter, OvationTV