Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A Visit to the Studio of Phoenix Artist, Carole Hanks


Carole with Week #52

Artists for the most part aren't the frivolous lot the media makes them out to be. Part of the purpose of this blog is to give my readers a chance for an inside view of art in the making. And art in the making is so much more than just making art. It's making the time to do it, having the training, putting in the years of practice, making connections with other artists, galleries, maintaining relationships with collectors, marketing online and off, keeping up a mailing list, entering shows. Not to mention needing to make a living.

My friend, Carole Hanks has been working on a project for the past year. She completed 52 weeks of "comics", gorgeous line drawings which were published every Monday for the entire year, 2010. In order to do this, she gave up travel (including visits to yours truly), and most social engagements to stay on her grueling self-imposed schedule. True to her word, she managed to publish one large piece of this series each and every Monday, come rain or shine, in good health and bad. The results are magnificent.

A not so clear shot of three of her pieces hanging in her Phoenix studio. Click on "comics" above to get a clear look at the work and find out what it's all about.

Her next step is to figure out her next step. She already has a show lined up for this June/July, at the Willo North Gallery in Phoenix. And she's getting ready to start her next big year-long commitment. She gave me a few hints, and it sounds just as exciting and demanding as the previous year-long project. You can check out more of her work at her website. And be sure to check back on her blog in late February, for the new series.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Gone Missing, Back Now

Snapshot Reflection II Acrylic on panel 12" x 12"

Calligraphy on Peña Blanca Lake Acrylic on panel 12" x 12"

Palisades Panoramic Acrylic on panel 6" x 24"

Early Morning on the Dock Acrylic on panel 16" x 16"

Morning Dawning Acrylic on panel 12" x 12"

Hard to believe (for me) that it's been well over a month since my last blog post. Been doing a lot of painting. Plus the holidays and other stuff. Above are a selection of completed paintings from the series of reflection paintings I've been working on. There are more. Plus three I'm currently working on and three panels awaiting my brush.

My classes at Tohono O'odham Community College start in a few days. Plus I'm committed to applying for a show opportunity, due on January 14. This application is for a joint show with my husband, James Cowlin. The proposal is for a two person exhibit relating to our US Route 89 project. All of the reflection paintings are located at sites along US Route 89. I also need to get with the program and apply for a residency or two (another part of being a professional artist that I've neglected to pursue).

I need to get back into my routine. It's always a balancing act to do the blogging, grant and show applications, marketing my work, work on the 89 project, teach my classes and make time for painting. Artists talk a lot about the dilemma of trying to do it all. Other (non-artists) tend to be envious of the so-called laid back life style of artists. Interesting how the public perception differs from reality.