The art gallery Woman Made Gallery, located in Chicago, has accepted one of my pieces for display in the upcoming Small Works Members’ Show.
As a longtime member of Woman Made, I’m excited to display my piece, which is one of my latest mixed media artworks and will be on view for the first time in this show.
Opening Reception: Saturday, Dec. 8, Noon – 4 p.m.
The Small Works Members’ Show runs from Friday, Dec. 7, through Sunday, Dec. 16. It is free and open to the public.
Woman Made will host an opening reception and open house on Saturday, Dec. 8, from noon to 4 p.m. The reception also is free and open to the public. I will attend the opening, so stop by, say hello, and enjoy seeing my work in person!
Works In This Show Perfect For Gifts
Juried by Woman Made’s co-founders, Kelly Hensen and Beate Minkovski, the Small Works Members’ Show will present a treasure trove for collectors, art lovers, and gift givers. The exhibition will present almost two hundred works by 91 current WMG artist members.
Come see the two- and three-dimensional artworks on display, representing a broad range of media including painting, mixed media, collage, printmaking, sculpture, ceramic, and photography.
It’s called the "Small Works" show because every piece had to measure no larger than 13 inches in any direction. The show is perfect for getting holiday gifts, as prices range from just $25 to $250.
About Red Coat Remembered
My piece, Red Coat Remembered, once again takes me beyond painting and into the realm of mixed media.
I was thinking about a favorite red coat from years ago and how much I still missed it after giving it away so many, many years ago. I wanted to capture that memory and feeling in an artwork.
I began by painting in acrylic on a small, six inch square stretched canvas. The painting portion has red areas at left and right, with a bluish and pinkish vertical center to hint at clothing worn underneath the coat, as if the coat is unbuttoned and partly open in the front.
Because I wanted to give the sense of remembering, and how difficult it can be to recall things clearly after a long time, I decided to add a second canvas over the first one. I chose needlepoint canvas, which has small holes so you can see through it somewhat.
Selectively Remembered Details
As I played with the needlepoint canvas, I decided to make it similar to the image on the stretched canvas to indicate selectively remembered details about the coat.
So I put light touches of red paint on it to mimic the curved red parts of the stretched canvas behind it. I also trimmed the needlepoint canvas in a curved shape at left and right to indicate a woman’s (my) shape because this had been a woman’s coat, sewed and glued on a mix of red buttons and a length of bright red crochet thread, and added a gray button at lower center to hint at a blouse beneath the coat.
Something Worn And Damaged
Yet I also wanted to give the sense of something worn and damaged by age and wear, so I cut holes in the needlepoint canvas, much as moths ate holes in the coat’s hem before I even bought it.
I included some little white and brown “moths” cut from needlepoint canvas, hovering around the jagged “eaten” holes. I liked how the cutout portions actually provided clarity by making it easier to see the acrylic painting underneath.
Mounting The Second Canvas
I was going to glue or sew the needlepoint canvas onto the stretched canvas, but after two people who saw this piece in progress commented they wanted to see what was underneath, I realized I needed to mount the needlepoint canvas a few inches in front of the stretched one to give a better effect.
So I made an armature and covered that in needlepoint canvas and then affixed it to the base painting’s stretchers. Finally, I used found nails and hanging wire and screw eyes on the back of the piece because their rusted, decaying look fit perfectly with the sense of memory, loss, time, and remembrance this piece evokes.
The final piece measures 7.25 inches wide by 7.25 inches high by 5.25 inches deep.
Red Coat Artist Statement
Here’s what I wrote for the artist statement for my piece, as it will appear in this show at Woman Made Gallery:
Thrift store chic, college days. Soft wool, matching lining, sleeves flared wide at wrists. Graceful lines, like an artist’s smock, reaching down to my ankles. I knew She was for me, making me feel like the artist I knew I truly was. Later I saw, through others’ eyes: moth holes in the hem, not enough buttons, not warm enough for Chicago winters. Wind whistled up those gorgeous sleeves, yet I loved Her still. First job after college, so cold, buying a new coat. I gave Her away, more than 30 years ago. I still think of Her…and miss Her.
Sneak Peek Online
You can get a sneak peek at the exhibition on the Woman Made website page for the Small Works Members’ Show show at https://womanmade.org/small-works-members-show-2018/
Opening Reception: Saturday, Dec. 8, Noon – 4 p.m.
The opening reception for the Small Works Members’ Show is on Saturday, Dec 8, 2018, from noon to 4 p.m.
Works are on display from Friday, Dec. 7, through Sunday, Dec. 16.
All events are free and open to the public.
Woman Made Gallery is located at 2150 S Canalport, #4A-3, Chicago, IL 60608.
Enter through the parking lot at the north entrance on 21st St. Then dial 271 on the callbox, and then press “Call.”
Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 312-738-0400 or visit http://womanmade.org
Please Join Me Dec 8!
I will be attending the opening reception for the Small Works Members’ Show on Saturday, Dec. 8. I hope to see you there!
Best wishes,
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