Arts Journal Canceled due to Current Economy

The cold finger of the current economy has finally tapped me on the shoulder.
I was excited all winter that my work was accepted into a wonderful Journal of art and writing to be printed this summer.....I kept wondering why they hadn't asked for Jpegs yet.....so I emailed and no response......Hmmmmmm ... Unfortunately through more investigation I found out that the publisher has discontinued the journal due to the current economy. I am a little dissapointed but oh well.....that's the way it goes sometimes.

Photo by Alicia Hunsicker

Day 2 : Painting in Progress

Still working on this 12x12 iris painting. I am really liking the size much better than the smaller ones I did previously. I am just getting so much more depth!...Can't wait to get the the oil paint!
The acrylic seems to stick to the canvas texture more than the oil which smooths it. I like to paint smooth......although I really like texture in other artist's work.

While I painted I listened to a bunch of Nora Roberts novels.....kinda romantic and witchy....it was good for a while but then it became boring and trite....so now I am listening to Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire.....its good if you like munchkin politics in the seedy city of OZ!

On Que is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It's about creativity. Music this week is Karsh Kale: Realize

The Valley Arts Newsletter and Vallery Art Share Community

http://www.valleyartshare.com/

I first started my on-line presence through a web site designed and maintained by a friend and fellow artist who loves my work . In order to get a little traffic I started a profile on Tribe an alternative culture networking site(burning man, belly dance, spiritual, visionary art) . I have enjoyed it over the years but the site has had technical problems and most of the connections I have made there are now spending their time on other sites like face book. I have watched my traffic decline and have now decided to move on/forward with other profile networking sites that are more in line with art.

For quite a few years I have been receiving The Valley Arts Newsletter that announces art shows and events in the Valley.

It was originally called the Art Newsletter Experiment and was maintained by Holyoke Artist, Mo Ringey who now blogs as benign girl and is a radio host for Mo radio at Valley Free Radio .

She recently interviewed Mira Bartok who has a great artist blog about grants and residencies (I follow this blog) Mira's list, Just thought that all that was interesting to note! ....bla, bla.....

Back to what I was saying.......So I joined Valley Art Share which I found out about through the Valley Arts Newsletter.........whooo! I got to the point!.....

Valley Arts Share is an on line community of Pioneer Valley Artists where you can list your events.
I was surprised that I didn't know too many people on it but I am excited to think that I will become familiar with more Valley artists and maybe even get to know them. I encourage other Pioneer Valley artists to join and network!

I am also thinking about breaking down and tring face book but am concerned my computer connection is not fast enough to really enjoy it.....(or not). So next time I am inclined to take my laptop for a spin, I will check it out more.

Does anyone else have art profiles up on art sites? How would you rate them?

A Day's Work

A messy studio shot to show a 12x12 work in progress...... and my new coffee cup (yes, little things like that excite me ;-) " I had my doubts that these iris (eye) paintings would translate well in a bigger size, but I am pleasantly surprised! One thing I am seeing though is that while acrylic is ok in a small scale or as an under painting (at least for me) , I think this bigger eye painting will need to transition back to oil at some point.
I will get the basic composition and color down and then work over it with the oil paint.

I spent the day going from planting a new annual border around the new veggie garden to painting and drinking coffee and of course being with my son Ben who is now on summer vacation. I let him watch School of Rock with Jack Black. (being the 80's rock diva that I am..... Whitesnake anyone? ha,ha!) and he has now taken to playing the guitar and writing his own music........although he has no real idea how to do that!!! It is amazing what kids do when they are inspired. He made his own note chart giving the strings their own Numbers and wrote what he calls directions to play his song "Woodpecker".........gotta love it! Maybe I need to get him guitar lessons now too.

Studio Visits & New Iris Painting

This is the latest eye "iris" painting. It is a bit more stylized than the others, but its good to have a variety. This one especially reminds me of a flower. It's interesting how similar organic shapes can be found replicated throughout nature.

There are two things that interest me right now as an artist. One is painting and my studio practice and the other is of a networking nature. I am welcoming studio visits through out the summer and have set a goal of 1 per week. I started this several weeks ago and have had much success. I am also enjoying visiting other artists at their studios to see and discuss their art.

This weekend I went to a lovely artist dinner at Doubleday Sculpture Studio and I realized I want to talk and dine with other artists more. It was wonderful to eat great food, drink spirits, and talk art. I guess I am a socialite at heart;-)
I was inspired to buy a new table cloth and to now paint my dining room so I may entertain more often. I think I may even have an artist party at some point. If any of you are interested in a visit to my studio or trading studio visits please email me. I would love to see your work and show you mine. ~ Alicia

Eye Painting # 2 : Iridology series

Hot off the easel! A 6"x 6" acrylic on gallery wrap canvas.

In the Studio this weekend I finished listening to: Practical Magic by Christina Moore and Xenocide by Orson Scott Card.

Today as I painted I enjoyed Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen & a little bit of Boom Boom from the Black Eye Peas........

A New Eye Painting : Iridology

This is a new painting in a series that I am doing just for the fun of it and also because it relates to my current theme if Inherent Divinity that uses the eye as a symbol for the divine.

I have always had an interest in alternative healing/heath modalities. Iridology is a mapping of the eye that correlates to the different parts of the body. As I paint these eye portraits, I am seeing the different types of patterns found in the eyes. So much can be "read " in the eyes from these patterns, shapes and color that is found within them.

My plan with this series is to bring some to the gallery I work with and then to offer some through this blog or another that I will create just for sales of small works. This one is 4"x 4" and I am thinking I will offer that size at $125. I am planning on doing some 6"x6" as well and maybe and few 12"x12" for a variety of sizes, colors, and patterns.

Overflowing with tears, my body was filled to the brim : 100th Post

Quite a few years ago at one of my art shows I had a curious experience with a woman. She attempted several times to approach me and to start a conversation. Each time she burst into tears a walked away. At the time I was concerned for her. Why was this woman crying every time she tried to speak to me? At the last moment of the event she was finally able to speak. She said to me “ Your art speaks to a place in me. It fills and overwhelms me to tears. Thank You “ she said.

I have experienced this in my life primarily with music. The song that says everything you wish you could….. A feeling deep inside that bursts upward ….A moment in time, stilled ....but rarely with art.
With art my usual response is of the mind not the body…. I connect and value, appreciate the technical achievement, and even awe at image.

It is a rare event to find art that touches you in such a way that it fills you to the brim …. and with no other place to fill the tears overflow outward….. it moves so you deeply….opening that sense of connection . An awaking of sorts, a blissful moment of recognition. ……

This is what its all about for me and unexpectedly, This was the position I found myself in on Friday night as I walked through the Lesley Dill exhibit “I heard a Voice” at Smith College.
I had enjoyed her talk. I had connected with her message, appreciated the work.
It was nice…………..THEN I went into the exhibit….Where I was filled to the brim….and reminded about the woman who once came up to me at one of my shows with tears in her eyes.

Art can be powerful!

Lesley Dill Artist Talk Tonight at Smith College Museum of Art

I am going to the Leslie Dill artist talk tonight at Smith College Museum of Art.
Her Exhibition " I Heard a Voice: The Art of Leslie Dill" is on view May 12 -September 13, 2009 http://www.smith.edu/artmuseum/exhibitions/dill/bio.html

Lecture/Reading Time: 5:30 pm
Admissions: Free.
Campus: SC
Location: Weinstein Auditorium, Wight Hall.
Title Artist Lecture: Leslie Dill.
Renowned contemporary artist Lesley Dill will speak about her installations, sculpture, community projects, photography, and the exhibition on display at the Smith College Museum of Art, as well as how her work is incorporated into a new opera based on Emily Dickinson's poetry.

Welcome new blog followers to Alicia Hunsicker ~ Visial Artist

I am really touched that I have blog followers ;-) Thank you guys for signing up. Its great to know that I have some regular readers out there in the blog-o-sphere. I do love to share my creativity, inspirations, and what I am up to in the studio. So Welcome ! and Enjoy! and as always .....feel free to leave comments or questions as you are so inspired. ~ Alicia

Studio Update: Commision Painting in Progress

I drew the basic structure of this 24" x 36" painting yesterday. Today, as I waited to a photography client to arrive I started the under painting. Well, the client had car problems so never arrived so I kept on painting and finished this layer. I usually do the first round in a transparent brown to orange....Gamlin Earth Orange to be exact, but this models skin tones are very different than the usual olive to orange skin tones I have painted in the past, hers are pink, blue, and white with a hint of neutral skin tone, the background is cool black to grey and the drapery is a turquoise- royal blue color with a gold border.

I am painting with a whole new palette this time so it made sense that I start with a different color, although I am taking a chance with this

theory :-) Anyway I am happy with it so far.

When this is dry I will be doing a wash of a new grey I am tring called Torrit Grey another Gamlin color. This one is interesting though because they only make it once ever few years in a limited edition which is not sold but given away with orders over a certain $ amount.
Why? you say.......Interestingly enough it's base pigment is collected from the paint factory's air ducts when they clean them! It is the best grey I have ever tried. so smoooooth!

The Canvas Project Series of 5: Golden Acrylic Paint

The Canvas Project, Vol. 2
consisted of 5 canvas' with 5 words.
The words I received were: Optical, Parthenogenesis, Liberation, Target, & Malignant.


I will send them to the Gallery this week and they will be in two shows and a catalog. It was a fun project to participate in.
I may or may not do another project with them at this point..............
unless there is one that really rings my chime.
I have enjoyed the Art House web site community and have seen a great deal of great art on it. I've got other things in the works at this point and I need to buckle down and focus on my more serious projects.

Golden Acrylics
I have taken a liking to Golden Brand acrylic paint. During this last project with Art House Gallery, I decided to use acrylics instead of my usual oil. In the past I have tried other brands like liquitex and found them rather plastic looking and gloppy. The Golden paint was different maybe it is a better quality or a professional brand but either way it was smooth with less body (to me that is a good thing:-). Golden also carries transparent colors
which I use when I paint in oils so it seemed an easier transition
from oil painting. It almost made me forget the feel of oil but after going back today....There is
nothing better than oil paint!! (my personal opinion!)

Last Canvas for Art House Gallery's Canvas Project : Malignant

Malignant
Pronunciation: \mə-ˈlig-nənt\
Function: adjective
Etymology:
Late Latin malignant-, malignans, present participle of malignari
Date: circa 1545

1 aobsolete : malcontent, disaffected
b: evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious
c: passionately and relentlessly malevolent : aggressively malicious
2: tending to produce death or deterioration ; especially : tending to infiltrate, metastasize, and terminate fatally — ma·lig·nant·ly adverb

This is my last canvas for the Canvas Project through Art House Gallery in Atlanta. I think I will post the group of them tomorrow to see what they look like together.

Malignant....Phew.....that was a tough one for me....have you ever used Google image search?...
Well the pictures that came up for malignant were enough to ruin any one's day!
Nasty!

Target Redux

I ended up developing a "Hate" for the prevous Target painting, So I re-painted it, I am much happier with this Target Redux

Target
Pronunciation:\ˈtär-gət\
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive

Etymology:
Middle English, from Middle French targette, targuete, diminutive of targe light shield, from Old French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse targa shield

Date: 14th century
1: a small round shield2 a: a mark to shoot at

b: a target marked by shots fired at it

c: something or someone fired at or marked for attack

d: a goal to be achieved

3 a: an object of ridicule or criticism

b: something or someone to be affected by an action or development

4 a: the metallic surface (as of platinum or tungsten) upon which the stream of electrons within an X-ray tube is focused and from which the X-rays are emitted

b: a body, surface, or material bombarded with nuclear particles or electrons ; especially : fluorescent material on which desired visual effects are produced in electronic devices (as in radar)
— off target
: not valid : inaccurate
— on target
: precisely correct or valid especially in interpreting or addressing a problem or vital issue

Liberation, Acrylic on canvas, painted for the Art House, Canvas Project Vol 2

Liberation
Pronunciation: \ˌli-bə-ˈrā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 15th century

1 : the act of liberating : the state of being liberated 2 : a movement seeking equal rights and status for a group ~ women's liberation

lib·er·ate
Pronunciation:\ˈli-bə-ˌrāt\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s):lib·er·at·ed; lib·er·at·ing
Etymology: Latin liberatus, past participle of liberare, from liber
Date: circa 1623

1: to set at liberty : free ; specifically : to free (as a country) from domination by a foreign power

2: to free from combination

3: to take or take over illegally or unjustly

synonyms see free
— lib·er·a·tor \-ˌā-tər\ noun
— lib·er·a·to·ry \ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective

The Artist Statement

I tend to write artist statements based on a body of work.

I made the deadline for a show proposal today and I must say there were a lot of hoops to jump through and some fuzzy places in the prospectus that I think I probably mis-interpreted.
So that said.....yes, I may have made some mistakes in the application process.... but I did my best. I really find myself in a different place with all that. I understand there is inherent value in assigning a Instruction filled -outlined prospectus in the since that If I were the art director I would want to know if the artist can work my way....or at least professionally.....and can conform to the specifications etc, etc... but as an artist I do hope ideally there is flexibility in that process.

In the past I took all that very seriously......I guess I believed that this is the way its done and I wanted to do the best I could to follow "the rules"

Maybe I am growing as an artist, Maybe I have more confidence, maybe I don't care as much,
I don't know but something has changed. I feel a new freedom in all aspects of my work and it feels right and good. So if my application gets thrown out because I had too many words or
a typo or what ever......I'm fine with that. Besides isn't there value in the process itself?

Anyway Here is my new artist statement ......at least for today!


I recently read and artist bio/statement that started with “She’s a salty little pisser” I found that to be shockingly pleasing. I now aspire to come up with a great line as well that expresses my own duality to start my bio/artist statement with, because although I may be perceived from the words that I write on this page a certain way I can honestly say that the fullness of who I am is also shockingly pleasing.

In my work I attempt to create a multi layered symbolic language pulled from the richness of my life experience. I want to confront the viewer and provoke thought. There are multiple meanings a symbol has depending on the viewer. I think of them as cultural-context-based as well as experiential with a personal history attached that precedes the viewer’s interpretation.

In the current work, based on the concept of Inherent Divinity, I transform the eye and hand into symbols that represent the Divine and the power of creation to be manifested into form.

The common nature of these symbols guarantees that the audience will have multiple perspectives on what is being communicated. This is the human experience of perception which is in reality the essence of what I am exploring here. To punctuate my current topic of Inherent Divinity I also incorporate undercurrents of spirituality, sacred geometry, and mystery.

As I process my current life experiences, widen my personal perspective, and grow as an artist, I also evolve in my studio processes by adding new and innovative techniques to my palette of traditional painting methods. I am current, excited to continue the momentum in my artistic career, and I am dedicated to my studio practice. ~ Alicia Hunsicker, June 09

Cecelia Tusinski, Abstract paintings at Burnett Gallery

A fellow Leyden Painter, Cecelia Tusinski will be having an opening reception tomorrow night
during Amherst's gallery walk June, 4, 2009 from 5 to 8 pm. She will be showing her recent abstract paintings.

Cecelia Tusinski and
Margaret Rossiter
Will be showing Oil paintings.
Tue, June 2, 2009 - Mon, June 29, 2009
Burnett Gallery
43 Amity St.
Amherst, MA,
(413) 256-4090

Gallery in the Woods, Brattleboro, VT: Studio Update

I always have work rotating through Gallery in the Woods. Right now, if the gallery stays the way its hung I have these 2 pieces on display for June.

Studio Update: My Dick Blick order came in last night. It felt like Christmas opening up all the small pkgs in the big box that arrived......Juicy new paint, mediums, and some small 6X6 canvas. I hope to clean up my older tubes today and get the caps back on them.......which I can't be bothered with when I am in the throws of creation:-)
The Gamlin Neo Megilp a new product for me came in kinda gel like.......anyone know if this is normal?? I know when the Galkid I use gets that way it is not a good thing but I don't know about this product yet.

I decided that I hate my Target piece for the Art House Canvas Project So I plan on painting over it. Still have Liberation and Malignant to paint due at the end of the month

I have been making some progress with the Rose Window as well.

My son has about 12 days left of school so I will have to adjust into a new schedule...as I am in the studio full time right now the timing isn't so great.....but that is the way it is... sometimes you can't plan when you will peak in the creation process. It should be OK though I have some new activities planned for him; swim lessons, karate, 1 week of nature day camp, boating days with Grandma and Grandpa, and a few day trips as well....I am looking forward to a trip to the Boston Aquarium ( I want to shoot some pics of Jellyfish that I might use as inspiration some day for a painting series) and we will do a Whale watch too. A busy summer for sure!

On Cue for music in the studio this week:

The Verve, Fourth
Beck, Odelay (hoping it will grow on me)
Audio Slave, Self titled
Radiohead, Amnesiac

Audio Book:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Neighborhood Entrepreneurs: Leyden Glen Lamb & Herron's Farm

Over the years we have enjoyed the benefits of living in a farming neighborhood. Two years ago the Herron Farm, famous for its wild blueberries, started a small garden stand that kept us in fresh veggies all summer. I hope they will do it again this year, although we will have a small veggie garden of our own this summer.


Our Neighborhood is full of entrepreneurial spirit. Besides the farm we have an artist (me), a dog breeder, a doll maker, an antiques dealer, a baker, an author and knit ware designer, and a few small business owners!!







My Sweet Purple House :-)




The newest addition is Leyden Glen Lamb. My closest neighbors Kristin Nicholas and Mark Duprey raise sheep and chickens and have a large variety of other animals as well as gardens.

Now I can go to the end of my driveway and get fresh eggs and free range, organic lamb. I had a wonderful sweet lamb sausage last night for dinner and will try the ground lamb tonight. It was truly delicious!

To find out more about Leyden Glen Lamb go to:http://leydenglenlamb.blogspot.com/