Greenhouse or Studio?

Lately my studio has been looking a little more like a greenhouse!

I have been enjoying painting to the earthy smell of springtime and the colors, soft blues, new greens, and yellows are seeping into my palette.

Here in the foot hills of the Green Mountains, spring is just starting to pop as the leaves on the trees spread for the first time to see the sun.

I am excited about my new work and my new seedlings and looking forward to the bounty both will yield.

Draw On! @ The Aldrich, with James Esber

I was happy to be one of the 18 artists chosen to make new drawings in the series that will be included in Esber’s 2011 exhibition, at The Aldrich Museum.

On March 27, 2011, I attended the Draw On session where we had the pleasure of meeting artist James Esber (pictured here). He did a short talk about the show, and the importance that our individuality to come through in the drawings. Drawing was fun, there was a rhythm to his mark making which we were to paint over with our own style of mark making.

I have been working with circles (orbs) in my own work and wanted to incorporate that into my drawing. At the same time I had been thinking alot about the situation going on in Japan. I decided that one area in the piece would be a red circle and the rest would stay black.

Here I am working on my piece. We had a paint brush and two colors of ink black and red. We could do what we wanted while sticking to the parameters of the project

While we all started with the same materials, instructions, and base drawing, Every piece turned out different. After I finished my drawing I enjoyed discovering what the other artists did with their pieces.

This is my final piece that will be added to the exhibion.
This is not a portrait, 2009–11
Ongoing series of collaborative drawings
Ink and gesso on parchment
Drawings, 18 1/4 x 15 each
Hand-painted frames, 22 x 18 each

Here are a few views of the show hanging at the Aldrich.

.

Dreaming in Color

I am pleased to announce that my work was chosen for:

Dreaming in Color: A Worcester Windows Community Gallery Exhibition Worcester State University, Worcester, MA Curated by Bethany Strothers April 4-July 31, 2011

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT

I spent the day drawing yesterday at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT. Here I am in front of the James Esber "This is not a Portrait" exhibition. My drawing will be framed and added to the exhibition.

Artscope Magazine

Artscope Magazine published "Palmistry" in the March/ April 2011 issue, alongside a nice written preview of the "Women's Show" at Gallery in the Woods. It was also recently published in the Brattleboro Gallery Walk booklet Guide, Volume 10, number 3 March 2011.

New painting in progress

This is a new painting in progress. I am finding that something is different in my process. How I am thinking about painting has shifted. I am not even sure I can put it in words yet....but for example ....I used to think about (or not think just do)...light, line, shape, variegation, symmetry, and refinement.

Today it was rhythm, cadence, negative space to make the lines, painterly expression, and color placement.

I wonder!!!

Divinity Tree

I realized that there was one more image I hadn't posted yet that is currently being shown at Gallery in the Woods in Brattleboro, VT. A vision of this image came to me while visiting the studio of fellow artist Jim Doubleday in Pelham, MA while we were having one of our thought provoking conversations.

It was an image of a tree branches not up or down like roots and branches but one reaching across space (horizontally) constantly sprouting new branches and spreading out. I am still very interested in exploring this vision more in my work. Divinity Tree is a mixed media piece on paper. I used photography, Xerox transfers, Tea stains, and acrylic painting techniques.

New Blog Header

Changes afoot!...I am working on updating my web presence. My blog has been my main interface for a while now with my website needing a serious update. This is step one....A new blog header. What do you think? Enjoy! and I will let you know when I figure out step two....(just kidding!) I will keep you updated. xo~Alicia

Opening Reception @ Gallery in the Woods

I enjoy opening receptions for other artists as well as when they are for me and my work. The March 4th artist reception at Gallery in the Woods for the small group show I was invited to join was no exception. The "Women's Show" had a steady stream of art viewers, great conversation, positive feedback, and inspiring art! Thank you to all who came out! For those of you who couldn't make the opening the show will be up through March. Stop by if you are in the neighborhood. I am looking forward to showing more of the orb paintings in my newest series of work "Moments of Creation" at Gallery in the Woods later this year.

Image:

Inherent Divinity Series #7 : Hamsa, Eye of God

mixed media on paper. 2011

Iris : Inherent Divinity Series # 5

This will be one of the new pieces offered through Gallery in the Woods this March. Come by and see it in person on Main St. Brattleboro, VT.

Hot off the Easel! : Moments of Creation

Just in time for the Gallery in the Woods show....... Hot off the easel!

Moments of Creation.....Oil on Paper, Mounted on Board, 19.5" x 51"

20th Annual Women's Film Festival & Gallery in the Woods Women's Exhibit

In Conjunction with the Gallery in the Woods Women’s Exhibit, Brattleboro hosts
its 20th Womens Film Festival

View amazing films and be moved
by original visual art.

Opening Reception
Friday,March 4th
from 5:30 - 8:30

At Gallery in the Woods,
Main St. Brattleboro, VT

Show runs all of March, 2011

Alicia Hunsicker invites you to view her work along side work from powerful women artists from around the world. She presents her mixed media, “Inherent Divinity” series. Using universal symbols as a visual language ; a Mapping of Self, with the intention to interact with viewers through multiple levels of meaning. Ultimately, Hunsicker’s work evokes spirituality and mystery.

Nayana Glazier contributes often unsettling and perceptive black and white paintings of pivotal psychological moments in the lives of women and girls. The almost cinematic play on motion creates an urgent, visceral experience of women’s collective life.

Denise Beaudet offers three of twelve large panels from her Roots to Resistance project, These are vigorous and inspiring symbolic portraits of women activists working across the globe. Posters and postcards which create a visual “voice” from the project have been internationally distributed, and the project has partnered with educational and prison groups across the country.

Sculptor Sara Pogue creates visionary beings that symbolize the intersection of earth,human, and beast—archetypal witnesses, guardians and mystics inspired by her study of psychology,Buddhism, and naturalist exploration.

Samantha Crawford shows visionary images with pen and ink on paper. These detailed pieces evoke illustration,and story line is the transpersonal experience in nature.

Gwen Murphy is known for her humorous and creepy sculptures of Surrealist Twin pairs of vintage shoes.She explores painted shadow pictures for this show. All of the figures have bare feet!

James Esber, This is Not a Portrait @ The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

Great news today! I am excited to announce that I have been selected to produce a drawing for the

James Esber,
This is Not a Portrait Exhibition.

In conjunction with Artspace: New Haven the drawings will be shown at The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, in Ridgefield, CT.

For the last several years, Esber has been collaborating with broad, diverse audiences to generate depictions of public figures, most notably Osama Bin Laden. The resulting ink and brush drawings are similar in that all the heads are exactly the same size and all contain the same number of lines.

Here is a link to a NY Times review of the on-going project.

Inherent Divinity series being shown this March at Gallery in the Woods

I have been working diligently in the Studio on the next few mixed media works in my Inherent Divinity Series. They will be showing soon at The Gallery in the Wood's Woman's Show. The opening is during the Brattleboro Gallery Walk on Friday, March 4th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm.

Here is a snippet from my artist statement about the work........

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 mixed media work, based on the concept of Inherent Divinity, I transform the eye and hand into symbols that represent the Divine and the power of that force to be manifested into form through us. This series is more than just an exploration of the divine spark in us all, and the creative process, it is also about the mapping of self.

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.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Life has been throwing lots of craziness my way and I am aware that its been like that for a lot of people lately. Lets just say its been a series of unfortunate events! Actually, looking back on the last month I am really surprised how well I navigated through it all. BUT...there were also pleasant surprises as well....and that is what I am going to write about today.

So this farmer calls me and says I have a truck load of canvas for you. I say Wow great! but honestly I am thinking that I have just inherited a truck load of kindling. A little while later he is unloading 7 good sized canvases of which half have been painted on already...One was actually a painting of a urinal..LOL! I looked around and thought these are dirty, dirty canvases. (hummm.. now that is a good name for a show! "Dirty, Dirty, Canvas") LOL!

Upon further inspection I realised that these canvases are on 1 and 2 inch heavy duty museum quality gallery wrap stretcher bars...Jackpot!!!...Today I spent the day stripping the canvas off the stretcher bars and pulling out all the staples and I am totally psyched with what I am left with. Thank You Mr. Farmer! What a Gift!

The photo above was taken from my studio door of the recent ice storm.