A Little Southwest Flavor

Bordello Abandoned

by Sondra Diepen
Photo-based Giclée
Various sizes available.
To purchase contact the Artist:
canyons@swcp.com

For me, one of the best perks of being an artist is knowing other artists. Then, too, I think the greatest compliment one artist can give another is to say "Gee, I wish I had done that!"

Today's image is by my artist-friend Sondra Diepen. If you have been following this blog for awhile, you may recall the post about Sondra back on October 4, 2008 (Link: http://caroladamec.blogspot.com/2008/10/exhibit-glimpse-4.html). Sondra was the curator and one of the artists in the Be Leaf It or Not exhibit at the Harwood Art Center last fall.

Sondra has photographed many wonderful images. This one, "Bordello Abandoned", is a favorite for many folks and one which made my Gee-I-Wish-I'd-Done-That list. There is something quintessentially "New Mexico" about this image which has captured the eye of many jurors as well as eager buyers.

Sondra has a keen eye for the color, texture and translucence of flowers, photographed up close to reveal the thrilling details of Nature. She also sees great beauty in unlikely subject matter such as rusted surfaces of old abandoned cars and faded artificial flowers on worn graves in small town cemeteries. You can see a sampling of her work at http://www.NMArtists.com. Enjoy!

Have a good day. See you Thursday.
____________________________________
Artwork and image © Sondra Diepen. Used with permission.
Text 2009 ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Featured on ETSY....

Carol Adamec
Moonlight & Datura
Available as a signed & numbered
Open Edition Art Print at
www.CarolAdamec.ETSY.com
——————————————————————————————————

I featured this painting awhile back on May 23 ("Art & Ideas" blog) and mentioned that a signed Art Print of it could be viewed/purchased through my ETSY shop.

I am pleased to report that "Moonlight & Datura" was selected by another ETSY member for a showcase, currently on display until 3:26am, Saturday, October 18. Just click this link: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=15333 and you'll see a thumbnail of "Moonlight & Datura" on the top row, second from the left. If you then click the thumbnail, you'll be taken to my shop: CarolAdamec.ETSY.com.

You can also view Lisa Rivas's "e-Stamps" in her ETSY shop, FlyingColors. (Lisa was featured on this blog July 30.)

For those of you who have not yet visited ETSY, you might like to check out the site. It offers thousands items—all handmade—by artists, craftsmen, and do-it-yourselfers. It's one of my favorite sites to visit when looking for a truly unique, one-of-a-kind gift item or artwork. And the price range is incredibly diverse...and very reasonable. You might find that ETSY is a great source for your holiday shoppping...or something special for yourself.

Have a really great weekend. See you Monday!

___________________________________
Artwork & text ©Carol L Adamec 2008. All rights reserved.

Exhibit Glimpse 4

Sondra Diepen

"Shadow Weavers"
Original archival digital print
25" x 19" framed • $350 + S&H

Today's post features the work of Sondra Diepen, who is originally from California but relocated to New Mexico in 1974. Sondra majored in art at University of California-Davis, where she befriended Louise Pryor, Ellen Van Fleet, and Joanne Kamiya—artists whom you've met in this blog over the past few weeks as exhibitors in the "Be Leaf It or Not" exhibit at the Harwood.

Sondra is a fine painter, a world traveler, and an wonderful photographer. I've spent many an evening enjoying slides of her adventures in New Mexico, Utah, Alaska, Florida, and her off-the-beaten-track trips to Mexico, Peru, Egypt, Turkey, and Nepal, to name a few.

Over the past few years, Sondra has focused mostly on producing photo-based digital prints. As exemplified by "Shadow Weavers" featured in today's post, Sondra has an intuitive sensitivity for color, pattern, and light that is deeply felt. In fact, I have worked up paintings of my own from several of Sondra's photographs that she has given me (along with permission) to use.

As the curator of "Be Leaf It or Not" Sondra's own personal love of Nature was the guiding force for this exhibit. As she states in her Artist Statement, "I love the vast landscape and the delicate detail Nature provides. A leaf edged in sunlight, a reflection captured in a sandstone pool, or light filtering through the rain forest prompts me to get out my camera and see if I can preserve that moment....When I see something extraordinarily beautiful, I have this strong desire to press it into my body. I want it to become a part of me. Photograph and painting are the closest I can get to doing that."

Thanks for taking a moment to read this entry (which I apologize for posting a day late). If you would like to leave a comment about Sondra's work, please do so by clicking the COMMENTS link below. Or you can email me and I'll forward it to her.

I hope you are enjoying a great weekend. See you Monday. ——————————————————————————————————————————— Image ©Sondra Diepen. Text ©Carol Adamec 2008. All rights reserved.

Painting from Travel Photos

"Shanghai Goldfish" 2005
Oil, alkyd on canvas
Original: 30" x 36"

––––––––––––––––––––––––––

While I do enjoy working "live" in the studio, I am quite aware of the limitations of painting only from direct observation. Things change, even indoors: flowers die, fruit rots, the light varies from day to day. Painting outdoors is even more challenging, with shifts in light and shadow, wind, cloud drifting, and weather moving in. So having a camera to capture the way something looks "right now" is very useful for completing paintings.

One of those times when having a camera handy is when one is traveling.

Shanghai Goldfish was developed from a photograph I took in 2000 at at tea house in China. We were on our way out the door when the goldfish in the Chinese porcelain bowl caught my eye. A quick snapshot made this painting a possibility. Without the photo, the idea for the painting would have vaporized into a forgotten memory from the trip. It still took 5 years for the idea to crystalize in my mind as an image to paint. I was glad that I had the photo to keep the idea alive.

The original painting is for sale, along with a giclée on stretch canvas (various sizes) in limited edition, and an open edition art print. Email me for additional purchase information.

Thanks for coming along and looking at my painting.

Have a great day. See you Friday.
__________________________________________________
Text, image, and painting ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Looking Westward

Gate to the Garden, 2006
Oil, alkyd on panel, 8" x 10"
Original SOLD

Available as limited edition giclée on canvas or Art Print. Contact Artist for purchase info.

—————————————————————

In September, I will be exhibiting with my artist friend Sondra and three of her artist friends from California. Our exhibit will be at the Harwood Art Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sondra owns a fabulous adobe home in Albuquerque, with a wonderful patio and lush gardens—both flower and vegetable! I've visited her "desert oasis" often and been inspired to paint the flowers and niches around her place. "Gate to the Garden" is one of the views around her house.

Although my trip out West is still a few months away, I am already looking forward to enjoying the view of the Sandia Mountains from Sondra's patio!

Many thanks for taking the time to read this post and look at my painting. You are welcome to forward this blog to others, too.

Have a great weekend. See you Monday!
___________________________________
Text, image, and painting ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

A Little Night Music

A Little Night Music, 2003
Oil, alkyd on gessoed panel
Original available: 24"x24"

Also available as LE Giclée on canvas or open edition Art Print. Contact Artist for purchase info.

———————————————————.

I first fell under the spell of Georgia O'Keeffe's imagery when I was a student at The Art Institute of Chicago. The Museum owned "Black Cross of New Mexico," one of my favorite paintings in the collection.

As mentioned in my post on May 23, I discovered the datura—a beautiful white flute which unfurls into a magnificent blossom at night—while living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is the same flower that O'Keeffe depicted in some of her paintings.

"A Little Night Music" was the second datura painting I did, just awhile after completing "Moonlight and Datura." Being a former student of piano and a fan of Mozart, I added the musical notation of "A Little Night Music" arranged as stars in the night sky.

The original painting is available for purchase, as is the signed and numbered Art Print sold through ETSY: http://www.caroladamec.etsy.com). "A Little Night Music" is also available in limited edition as a giclée on stretched canvas or on paper. Contact me for additional information about any of these items.

Have a great weekend. See you Monday!

______________________________________
Text, images and artwork ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.