Starting Off with a Bang!

How's this for synchronicity?  Blogosphere friend and self-declared 'Wylde Woman'  Tammy Vitale and I are thinking along the same lines today:  about things which have already come to pass (or soon will) in this New Year.  Her list was 8 Things The New Year Has Already Brought to Me. 

Here's mine:

1.  My one-woman gallery show:  Elemental Spirit Rhythms will have its opening reception at Raleigh Parks and Recreation's  Sertoma Arts Center in Raleigh on Sunday. Stan and I installed the show on Monday, and it looks great (if I say so myself, which I guess I just did!).  The room is a very large rectangle, and we've hung 24 of my 18-inch bamboo bowl wall hangings around it, on simple brass rods.  Seeing all of them together this way made me proud of the work I've done in this medium over the last three years, and I'm happy to exhibit them (and maybe sell one or two?). 

2.  I will be teaching preschool art at the same Sertoma Arts Center, and at the Brier Creek Community Center beginning next week. I'll be presenting art lessons to children, with and without their parents in both one-time and multi-class programs.  I've combined my love of art with my love of books for children and created classes which begin with a book, and end with artistic creations...gotta love that!

3.  My new, improved Etsy shop is now complete.  I did an overhaul at the end of the year, and I've stocked some newly created cut paper collage mini magnets there.  I'm going to try to be more active on Etsy, since I know you have to promote to get sales.  So, in that spirit, go see my shop, and tell your friends, please!

4.  My search for the perfect engagement calendar for 2011 has finally ended in success.  This is a major issue for me at the start of the year.  I'm admittedly old-school when it comes to keeping my life organized--no Blackberry or iPhone for me!  I must have an art-filled, week-at-a-glance calendar facing me in the studio.  I must.  I spent far too long, both online and in physical searching for just the right one this year.  The choices were slim, but I did finally find one online I know I will love, and it was delivered last night:  the 2011 Henri Matisse Cut-Outs calendar by Taschen.  It has 52 images of his fabulous cut-out works; many of which I've never seen.  Since Matisse's work has long been an inspiration for me, I'm so glad I've found it, and will truly enjoy the year looking at this datebook.  The title translates to 'heart smitten with love,' which is an over-the-top, but somewhat accurate description of how I feel about this calendar.

5.  Because of #4 above, I've gotten the idea for another blog post about my conscious and unconscious relationship with the inspiration of Matisse...more on that later, but here's a tease: 



Henri Matisse
The Eschimo
40.5 x 86 cm.
gouache and cut out paper
Danske Kunst industrimuseet, Copenhagen
1947

 

Michelle Davis Petelinz
Floral Dancers
3.5 x 2.5 in.
acrylic and cut out paper
Raleigh, NC 
2010

 

I can't wait to see what the rest of the year will bring.  Stay tuned!

Happy 1. 1. 11!

Thoughts on 1.1.11:

It's a day of beginnings: 
The first day of the New Year.
The first day of the new decade.
The first day of the rest of our lives (okay, every day is that, but it seemed appropriate to add).

Tradition has it that on New Year's Day, we make resolutions about what we want to do, or have, or be in the coming 365 days. 
Some write them down, some discuss them with others, some just make them in their heads. 
Some don't make them at all.

Often, New Year's Day resolutions are broken before the month of January is finished. 

Those who don't make resolutions don't have to worry about breaking them.

So, I resolve to not make any resolutions except for one:  to be more myself in 2011, whatever that means.  I'll still be doing it on 1/31/11, on 12/31/11, and beyond.

I wish you a year filled with creativity, prosperity, fun and good health...and oh yes:  ART!