Now showing...

Like so many facets of life, the coronavirus has drastically altered gallery openings and exhibits, too. The alternative has become online exhibits.

I was very pleased to be selected by the Placitas (NM) Art Series as one of 4 artists featured in their online exhibit for the month of September, for which the Placitas Art Series produced a video of the exhibit and composed music to accompany each artist’s work. I was very impressed with the quality of the production. 

And I look forward to the return of in-person opening receptions.

 
 

Finished: "Kimono for Modern Girl"

"Kimono for Modern Girl", 2020, oil, collage on stretched canvas, 36" x 36"

While the Jazz Age was flourishing in America during the 1920’s, the “moga” (short for modan gaaru) or “modern girl” emerged in the urban areas of Japan. 

Inspired by the American Flapper, the modern girl cast off her traditional kimono and morés, adopting Western-style fashions, makeup, and hairstyles, while indulging in a social nightlife of dancing, smoking, drinking sake, and riding in cars with “mobos” (modern boys), much to horror of her traditional Japanese parents.

In this painting, I've relaxed the rigidity of the traditional kimono, and "fleshed" it out with a sense of the female form. The Japanese writing in the upper left hand corner is the title of a popular novel of the day,  "Naomi (A Fool's Love)", about a man's obsession to marry a "modern girl"and encourage her Westernized ways. 

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Text and Image ©2020 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

In the meantime....

Original: "Red Kimono" 2020, Acrylic gouache, gold, 16"x12"

I'm still working on my large painting, "Kimono for Modern Girl." In the meantime, I finished up this smaller painting, "Red Kimono." It's similar to "White Lily Kimono" I did a few years ago. 

If you'd like to leave a comment, please do so. I am always pleased to hear what viewers think of my work.

Have a great day!

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Text and Image ©2020 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Happy 4th of July!

"July Flag", 2008, oil on panel, 10x8". Plein Air painting done in Orlando, FL.

Enjoy your holiday!

Finding My Joy

WIP "Kimono for Modern Girl" oil on canvas, 36x36"

Three weeks ago I thought I was nearly finished with this painting. But I HATED where it was going. I had lost my "mojo" and enthusiasm to work on it. I was stuck and unhappy.

About the same time, I came across a free 10-day, online workshop called "Find Your Joy", offered by Louise Fletcher, a contemporary English abstract painter. 

To distract myself from the stuck painting on my easel, I enrolled in her workshop, which included live conversations on Facebook and assignments she sent via email. I did them all, which made me try out different media, tools, colors, and concepts. 

It was a lot of work. And I ended up using art supplies I bought but never had used, painted with acrylics, did collage, tried out colors I would never choose, and fearlessly "played" in the studio instead of working to be "productive." 

Although I didn't experience any breakthroughs about becoming an abstract artist, Louise did drop several pearls of wisdom during her talks that got my attention:

"When you're painting, notice what you like and do more of that. 

And what you don't like, paint over it.

"When you think you've gone too far,

you may not have gone far enough."

Her free workshop wrapped up this past Monday, and I went to the studio on Tuesday, armed with her good advice, and painted over what I didn't like about "Kimono for Modern Girl" and once again reworked the drawing. The painting is not finished yet, but I am once again excited to work on it.

To Louise Fletcher: Thank you for your generosity and wisdom. You have helped me get back on track and to once again find my joy in the studio.

You can check out Louise's website and subscribe to her newsletter at https://www.louisefletcherart.com

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Text and image ©2020 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

New painting underway...(Part 6)

WIP: Kimono for Modern Girl, 2020, oil on canvas, 36x36"

The painting is still on my easel. I keep thinking, "I'm going to finish this painting today." And then I paint on it some more. Hopefully, after just a few more sessions, it will be done. Stay tuned!

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Text and image ©2020 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

New painting underway...(Part 5)

WIP: "Kimono for Modern Girl", oil on canvas, 36x36"

I reworked some of the drawing on this painting over the last few days. Usually, if I am dissatisfied with how a painting is shaping up, the reason is the drawing. Now I'm ready to go forward with the painting. 

Stay tuned!
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Text and image ©2020 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

New painting underway... (part 4)

WIP: "Kimono for Modern Girl", 2020, oil on canvas, 36 x 36"

Here's the latest progress on my newest painting on the easel, after another day of work. Thanks for taking a look.

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Text and Image ©2020 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

New painting underway ... (part 3)

WIP: "Kimono for Modern Girl", 2020, oil on canvas, 36x36"

After another day of painting, here's how my new kimono painting looks now. Thanks for taking a look.

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Text and image ©2020 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

New Painting Underway (part 2)

WIP: "Kimono for Modern Girl", 2020, oil on canvas, 36"x36"

Here's the first round of putting some color on the painting. The drawing is still rough and will need further refinement.  There's much more to come. 

Thanks for taking a look.

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Text and image ©2020 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

New painting underway...

WIP: "Kimono for Modern Girl", 2020, O/C, 36"x36"

The idea for this painting has been simmering for several months and has finally made it to the canvas.

Today's post shows the first stages of the painting: 

     1) Gray underpainting

     2) Drawing in dark blue color pencil
     3) White gesso applied to areas that will be very light in color.

Why start with a gray underpainting, you may be wondering? A lot of this painting will be done in reds and blues, colors that are similar in value (tone) to the gray underpainting. It is easier to get good color coverage if the underpainting is similar in tone, rather than trying to cover a white canvas with darker colors. Likewise, I've kept the white areas where very light colors will be applied, so those colors will not be altered by the darker underpainting. (Things I learned in art school.)

There's more to come and I'll keep you posted. Thanks for taking a look.

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Text and image ©2020 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Irises in the Buddha garden

PHOTO: Carol L Adamec

Just outside my door: such a delightful gift from Nature!

"Art in the Time of Coronavirus" ... food for thought

Original: Tribal Kimono, 2020. 24"x36", mixed media on panel.

How is it that being under New Mexico's "stay-at-home" mandate provides so much "free time" at home, yet the days seem to fly by during the current Covid19 crisis? I know I could be/should be in the studio painting away for hours on end, since there are no places to go or things to do to distract me. But that is not happening, and I am flummoxed by it all. 

I do try to resist the newsfeed and emails on my cellphone, computer, and iPad. I have avoided watching daylong media reports on the TV as well. I even put my cellphone in another room while I am working in the studio. 

Yet, the notification ding on my electronic devices is seductive and being "informed" is addictive: Is it good news or bad? Is the curve flattening? Are the number of infections rising? The death rate increasing? Is there a test yet that is truly reliable? Any progress on a vaccine so this can be over? When will my stimulus check arrive? Will our country go broke for working people? Or will working people die if they go back to work? Whom to believe: Wall Street? or Scientists, Doctors, Healthcare Professionals? 

How will I know if I don't at least look at the headlines to know what is going on in the world at large? And then I am hooked for hours on end, reading every incoming scrap of news and related story. And day after day, another day has slipped by.

Back in my small, personal world of home and studio is Tribal Kimono, a painting I finished last month just as Coronavirus was replacing our "Normal Lives" and cancelling my April exhibit at LRoss Gallery in Memphis. It's quite different from many of my other kimono paintings which are based on organic, harmonious, nature-based forms. 

Tribal Kimono is geometric, map-like, with strong opposing arrow shapes, rendered in  black white, grey, red and gold. There is chaos and order, light and dark, pattern and randomness.  

As I look at this painting today, I ask myself: Did Covid19 seep into my subconscious as I worked on this kimono painting during January, February, and March? Are the horizontals and verticals the charts and graphs of coronavirus spreads, deaths, recoveries? Are the dotted areas hotspots of outbreaks? Are the curves rising or flattening? Which beliefs, opinions, and facts are right--in the blacks, whites, or  greys?  Which "authorities"--government, scientific, healthcare, corporate, political, religious--should we follow? Which arrow is the direction our country should take? Are the red areas warnings and dangers? The gold ones, truths and solutions? 

Since "We're all in this together", does this painting somehow represent the current "tribal" kimono that America is collectively wearing?

What do you think? And how are these days in the Time of Coronavirus going for you?

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©2020 Carol L. Adamec, text and image. All rights reserved.

"Art in the Time of CoronaVirus"....

Kimono Swing 2, 2020, oil, gold on canvas, 36" x 48"

It's been several weeks since I last posted. Since Christmas, I have been working 6-8 hours a day, almost every day, painting new work for a solo exhibit “In a Japanese Garden” that was scheduled for the month of April at LRoss Gallery in Memphis, TN. Last week the show was (mutually) cancelled, hopefully postponed until later this year, or rescheduled for next spring.

I am feeling part disappointment; and part relief to not have a 1,000 mile drive from Albuquerque to Memphis ahead of me and being away from home during this turbulent, unpredictable time.

However, I thought I’d use this blog to share a sneak preview of some of the new work that I completed for the show. Enjoy!

The painting posted today is “Kimono Swing 2”, oil on stretched canvas, 36” x 48” (yeah, it’s a big one for me!)

The work "kimono" means "something to wear" so there are many styles of kimono for different occasions. This painting is based on the furisode, a woman's kimono, and the fanciest Japanese kimono worn for various special events. Traditionally the furisode kimono was worn by young, unmarried women and was made with the finest fabrics, the most lavish designs, and embellished with metallic threads. The word "furisode" means "swinging sleeves" which can vary in length from 15 inches to three feet. If a young woman wanted to attract a certain young man's attention, she would gently swing the long sleeves of her furisode kimono to signal her interest.

Inspired by these factors, I composed this painting to portray the layering of materials and colorful patterning with gold accents of a furisode, along with the excitement of youthful romantic attraction on a lighthearted, breezy spring day.

Thank you for taking a look at my work. Please stay safe and be careful during this time.
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©2020 Carol L. Adamec,Text and image,  All rights reserved.

Happy Valentine's Day...

Carol L Adamec: "Hearts & Flowers" mixed media on rice paper.

...with Hearts & Flowers for you!

Painting for my next show...

"White Bouquet" 2020, oil on gessoed panel, 18"x18"

Wow! It's already February. 

I've been in the studio almost every day since the holidays, often painting for several hours, preparing new work for my next "In a Japanese Garden" exhibit to be shown in Memphis, TN. 
A few weeks ago, this painting came together. I'm happy with it.

Happy New Year!
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©Text and image, 2020 Carol L. Adamec, All rights reserved.