New work, first look On the worktable ‌
Art Junkie: Juli Adams Studio Insider: Glass grinders Is ANY venue a GOOD venue?
Summer 2014 Volume 1, Issue 2
Musings I have always loved summer. As a child, I thought of summer as a time when everything slowed down – there was time enough for everything. Sleeping until the sun in my eyes woke me, swimming in the lake by our house, riding my bike, cookouts and kickball were the only things on the agenda. Most nights were spent in a pup tent in the backyard listening to the frogs and crickets. That's still what I think of when I think of summer. But then I had a family, and that laid back way of enjoying summer disappeared. Play dates, soccer practice, baseball games and visits to Grandma kept us on the go almost constantly. I remember thinking I would be glad when they went back to school so I could sit down for an uninterrupted hour! Now the kids are grown and moved away, and summer could be laid back again – but now it doesn't feel right. I now feel as if it would be a travesty not to channel the energy and growth of summer into my life, using it to help me sustain my own growth and further my goals. As in Barbara Kingsolver's novel Prodigal Summer, there is the sense that summertime is pregnant with possibility. And in the spirit of growth and reaching toward my goals, I have moved into a new studio. Riverview Station in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC feels like a perfect fit for me. The studio itself has a skylight and track lighting, and the vibe in the building is very comfortable. There is a tranquility about working in a studio in your home, but it's so easy to get in a rut and never leave the house! I have missed the creative energy flow between artists and really look forward to meeting the artists in my building.
Not only will this help to stimulate creativity, but it will present me with a public place to represent my art and teach classes. My class schedule for summer and fall of this year is already up on my website at www.MosaicArtbyLA.com/workshops and I will have printed copies in the studio. This is such an exciting step for me – I hope any of you close enough or in the area in mid-June will come by for the Studio Stroll. See the invitation on p. 17! Have a wonderful summer, and every now and then, slow down and honor those lazy childhood summers. Enjoy!
Lee Ann
Contents New Work ● Bellafiore
p. 4
On the Worktable ●
Idea stage
p. 6
News and Events ● Riverview Station
p. 8
● Once Acre Cafe
p. 8
● Class schedule
p. 8
Art Junkie ●
Juli Adams
p. 10
Studio Insider ● Glass grinders
p. 12
Angst and Issues ● Is ANY venue a “good” venue?
p. 13
Miscellany ● Grand Opening
p. 17
New Work
Bellafiore When I lived in New Hampshire, I owned a garden design business called Bellafiore Gardens. It was a made up name that was supposed to sound vaguely Italian. My logo was a photo I had taken in my own garden of black-eyed susans that I had grown from seed. That photo was one of my favorites that I have ever taken in my gardens, and I used it as the inspiration for this mosaic. This piece was a year and a half in the making, although some of that time was spent hibernating while I worked on other projects. I put it back on the worktable a couple of months ago, and am so thrilled to have it finished! This is my favorite mosaic I have made (so far!) Bellafiore is 30” H x 36” W (not including frame) and constructed of smalti, stained glass, vitreous, colored mirror
and glass rods upended in colored thinset. A recent visitor to the studio asked “You didn’t put each of those glass rods in the flower centers individually, did you?” Oh, yes. Yes indeed.
$4,300
On the worktable ‌
In the idea stage ….
Bellafiore was finished so recently that I have yet to get into the interesting stage of another mosaic. I have several ideas sketched out, and a couple more that I am percolating. One of the ideas is pink dogwood blossoms. I really love dogwoods, and when I was a young mother, one of my favorite getaways was a trip with my grandmother to the annual quilter’s convention in Paduca, KY, which just happened to coincide with the annual dogwood festival. As beautiful as it was, it was also a beautiful experience to share with someone who was so special to me. Dogwood blossoms will ever after remind me of her. However, I can’t quite let go of the idea of doing some stark white blossoms of some sort on a dark, intensely colored
background. I know I could do white dogwoods, but I did that already! I’m not yet to the stage where I have a solid enough idea to sketch, so I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you hanging until the next issue. Or you can connect with my blog and get a peek sooner.
News and Events I have a new studio! Beginning in May, I began moving my studio to the River Arts District in Asheville, NC. I’m really over the moon about this move! I love the River Arts District and have searched out every possible excuse for visiting since we moved to Jonesborough, TN (an hour away). Anytime you get to Western North Carolina I hope you’ll stop in to Studio #221 at Riverview Station, 191 Lyman St.
Workshops and classes for the summer and fall are posted on the website at www.MosaicArtbyLA.com/workshops. You may register online or by calling 423-946-5690. The first workshop is Introduction to Mosaics, July 12 and 13. Class size is limited so register soon! The Women of the Palette held an art sale and benefit at One Acre Cafe during the month of May. Fifty percent of profit from sales went to benefit the cafe, which was established to further address the escalating issues of hunger and food insecurity in our community. We are pleased to have sold 4 pieces to help them continue their work.
Art Junkie Artwork that resonates with me, from current artists or from artists of the past, presented without commentary to allow you to develop your own response without prejudice.
Juli Adams www.juliadams.com
A Poulquestrian Pilot We like you, that’s why we stare
Small things
Showdown
Internal compass
Studio Insider Glass grinders are a handy tool for mosaic artists. Some artists use them extensively, some of us only occasionally. I will admit that I picked up a bit of a prejudice against them somewhere along the line that breaks down completely when I think about it. I tend to think that I should be able to get precise enough cuts to not need it, but I don’t know why it should matter what tools you use as long as you are happy with your results. I bought an economy model Gryphette on sale a number of years ago, and it has served me well. In the video below I demonstrate how and when I use it. Click the picture below to view it on Youtube.
Angst & Issues Is ANY venue a ‘good’ venue? When I first began looking for opportunities to exhibit my work, I was thrilled to have any excuse to put it in front of people. If someone was willing to let me hang a piece on their wall, I jumped at the chance. That was beneficial on several levels. It was great to begin to get my name out there (fortunately I have one that is unusual enough to be recognizable), but on an even more important level, it gave me practice at talking about my art. That is SO much harder than non-artists realize! I’m guessing accountants don’t believe that the financial statements and tax returns they prepare bare their soul to the people who review them. I doubt that department store managers think their work shows anything about who they really are to complete strangers. But to be an artist means to put yourself forward in a very revealing way. Every time you talk about your art you will feel like you are setting yourself (not just your art) up for judgment. Because the art isn’t a separate thing - it’s something you made as a result of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individual, very personal, choices. If someone is critical - even because they simply don’t like ‘yellow’ - it can feel like your choices, and therefore you yourself, were flawed. And I can actually hear the accountants out there saying “that’s silly”. Well, stop it, because it’s a real thing. I digress - that’s not really the point of this. The point is that if you are just starting out, it’s a good idea to grasp every opportunity. Those that aren’t likely to give you any sales are still likely to give you a chance to explain your art, your process, your sources of inspiration to people. Every time you talk about your art, it gets a little easier. Every time you have to find a way to politely counter a
criticism, your skin gets a little thicker. Every time someone signs up for your email list, your commitment to your art gets a little stronger. And then comes the day when you realize you’ve had a little success and should start looking more critically at opportunities. Is that co-op gallery that claims to jury in their artists - but really takes anyone with money in hand - going to present your work in an environment that makes visitors appreciate its value? Is that PTA craft fair going to present you with enough opportunities to connect with future collectors to make up for the fact that some 4th grader just tripped and spilled his soda on your art? Is that art fair that charges you a huge booth fee and requires significant travel worth the sales you might make, especially if it rains all weekend? It can be a tough thing to really determine the value of a venue to your art career. And sometimes you won’t really know until you give it a chance. A lot depends, too, on how much work you are willing to do to make the venue pay off - how much promotion will you do on your own to let people know that your art
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is there? Will you be present at any openings or events to talk about your art to visitors? Most venues are really trying to promote you, but you aren’t the only artist there. Any help you can give them will make the experience better for both of you. Sometimes you will be in a position of deciding between two or more opportunities. Recently, I declined to enter an exhibition because it would mean not having a large piece for my upcoming Grand Opening at my new studio - I would rather have it at the studio to help with first impressions among visitors than have it at XYZ gallery on display among many other artists. In this case, it’s not really about the likelihood of selling it in either venue, but about planning for future opportunities. So we still haven’t answered the question - is ANY venue a ‘good’ venue? Yes. And no. It depends. What I’m trying to say is that no one but YOU can determine whether any given opportunity is a good move for you. And if you think it’s not a good move, don’t participate and don’t let anyone steamroll you into doing it because you are “stubborn/not a team player/too big for your britches/childish/unrealistic” or any other weird and manipulative words they might throw at you. (I’ve heard them all) If you think you should do it, go for it and don’t feel the need to explain why to anyone.
Remember, artists take things very personally, and they can sometimes get bullied into doing things they don’t want to, or talked out of something they think they should. For better or for worse, that’s how it is. Don’t let anyone make you feel like there’s something wrong with you for choosing what you think is best for your business. Accountants don’t have to deal with that shit.
Prints, mugs and miscellany available with my images at
Society6 Click the photo below to see current offerings
Links and Contact Website www.MosaicArtbyLA.com
Blog http://mosaicartbyla.blogspot.com
Email mosaicartbyla@gmail.com
Phone 423.946.5690
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Grand Opening Lee Ann Petropoulos Fine Art Mosaics Studio Some photos from the grand opening/Studio Stroll June 14 & 15:
Dot the magical dog. She came to the studio expecting treats (the previous tenant was a sucker, apparently) so we gave her a piece of cheese. She returned about every half hour for more!