Thank goodness for Spring…

Carol L. Adamec: "Nature's Spring Kimono", 2021. Acrylic gouache, gold metallics, 12"x12" / 13"x13" framed.

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted on this blog…

We lost our little Mother last November, just before the holidays. She was 97 and weighed less than 90 pounds. It wasn’t from COVID, thank goodness; and she passed peacefully, without pain. 

Since then I have been dealing with her estate—quite a learning curve for me over the past six months, dealing with lawyers, accountants, IRS, banks, stock companies. Everything has taken longer to process due to coronavirus limitations, quarantine regulations, and a couple of trips to and from Florida. 

In April I finally got my vaccinations. (I hope you have, too.) Things are becoming more relaxed, less contentious. I have been walking my little dog in the evening, leaving my mask at home, although I still wear it in public places where I expect to encounter people. Lately I have been feeling more energized and have been working in the studio more often, too. 

We are having a lovely spring in New Mexico, brought on by divine rain showers in April, turning everything green. Tulips, irises, and lilacs have bloomed and gone. Now it’s May. Roses of every color are abundant all over the neighborhood, with Spanish Broom providing splashes of bright yellow, and hollyhocks in pink and crimson springing up around my yard. I especially missed calling Mom on Mother’s Day this year. We always talked about what was blooming in Florida.

The painting featured on today’s post—"Nature’s Spring Kimono"— is one I recently finished and just framed. I love the spiral on the kimono capturing the energy of Springtime, filled in with the colors of blue skies and fluffy white clouds, green leaves and white flowers, amidst a swirl of golden sunshine. The kimono is then set on a background of deep pink and a plethora of greenery. For me, the painting is about Beauty and Hope, the same beauty and hope Spring brings. 

Mom’s favorite season was Spring. I think she would have liked this painting, too.

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Text & Image ©2021 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

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.

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.

"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.

Sneak Preview #2...and Happy Spring!

"Spring Kimono", 2019, mm on rice paper mounted on panel, 12x12"

Such a lovely day in New Mexico it has been: sunny, warm, with lilacs blooming, irises ready to burst forth, and little rose buds forming. 

In honor of the day and the season I'm posting "Spring Kimono", another painting to be including in my May exhibit, "In a Japanese Garden, Revisited" opening Friday, May 3, at the Weyrich Gallery in Albuquerque.

Happy Spring to all!

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Text and Image ©2019 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

"Coming Spring" Kimono

"Coming Spring Kimono", 2018, mixed media on rice paper, 14"x11" framed.

My first new artwork of 2018 is dedicated to all those folks in places with icy cold, snow, and wintry weather. Keep warm! Take heart! Spring will come.
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Text and image ©2018 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

"Dress-Up Kimono" Re-do

"Dress Up Kimono"(Re-Do) 2018, mixed media on rice paper, 14"x 11" framed.

Took this artwork back to the studio and re-did the coloring and patterning. I like this version better.

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©2018 Carol L Adamec, image and text. All rights reserved.

Now Showing...

Carol L. Adamec: "Kimono for Internment" 2017. Mixed media on panel, 20"x20"

..."In a Japanese Garden" at Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Missouri, thru December 16.

In 1942, after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II, anti-Japanese hysteria arose in the American public. In response, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order #9066, creating internment camps which imprisoned over 120,000 persons of Japanese descent. 

At least 2/3 of those rounded up and removed from their homes and businesses were American citizens. They were often given only 48 hours notice to pack their suitcases and gather up their children and families to board trains and buses for transport.

During the entire war, only ten people were convicted of spying for Japan. They were all Caucasian.
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Text and image ©2017 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Now Showing....

Carol L. Adamec: "Kintsugi Kimono" 2016. Oil, mixed media on panel, 16"x16". 

..."In a Japanese Garden" at Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Missouri, through December 16.

The pattern on this kimono was inspired by the crackled glazed surface found on Chinese and Japanese ceramic items.

The small areas of gold are "kintsugi", a 500 year-old method of mending broken or flawed pottery using gold. Rather than hiding such repairs, the gold-filled cracks and spaces celebrate the beauty of restoration over replacement.

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Text and image ©2017 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Sneak Peek #5...

Carol L. Adamec: "Double Gold Kimono" 2017, mixed media on rice paper, 14"x11"
SOLD

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Just two more weeks to work in the studio. Doing the framing at home. Then off to Joplin, Missouri,  for my exhibit, "In a Japanese Garden" opening Friday evening, October 13, at Spiva Center for the Arts.

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Text and image ©2017 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Sneak Peek #4...A Summer Garden Yukata

Original by Carol L Adamec: "Summer Garden Kimono" 2017. Mixed media on rice paper, 11"x14"
SOLD

Hot off the easel, another finished piece for my "In a Japanese Garden" exhibit coming up in October. This image combines the profuse color and varieties of a summer flower garden that becomes the pattern of a Japanese kimono called a "yukata."

A yukata is a casual style of kimono, worn by both men and women. Usually made with cotton fabric, it is worn during the hot summer months of Japan, and often features bright colors and bold designs.

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Text and Image ©2017 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Sneak Peek #2...

Original by Carol L Adamec: "Furisode Kimono", 2017. Mixed media on rice paper. 14"x11" (framed)

Here's a sneak peek of another artwork for my exhibit, "In a Japanese Garden", opening Friday, October 13, at George A. Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, Missouri.

I just love the long sleeves on this kimono style! The furisode kimono is a woman's kimono, and the fanciest of the Japanese kimonos—worn for very special events, such as weddings, ceremonies, and formal occasions.

The word "furisode" means "swinging sleeves" which can vary in length from 15 inches to 3 feet. Traditionally, the furisode kimono was worn by young, unmarried women and was made with the finest fabrics, most lavish designs, and embellished with metallic threads.

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Text and Image ©2017 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Busy Time for Exhibits (Part 2)

Rising Moon Kimono, mixed media on rice paper, 12x16”

Original painting by Carol L. Adamec

on exhibit in "Merge IV", at Expo NM, Albuquerque

thru April 30, 2017

Last Friday was the opening reception of "Merge IV", the annual members exhibit organized by The Society of Layerists in Multi-Media. (I know, that’s a mouthful, so we members call refer to it as SLMM (“Slim”).

SLMM is an international art organization started by Mary Carroll Nelson, an artist, teacher, and author of several books about art, artists, and spirituality. I “met” Mary Carroll Nelson through her 1994 publication, Artists of the Spirit; and after moving to New Mexico I was honored to be in a 3-person exhibit, “Affirming Wholeness”, with her at the Weyrich Gallery in Albuquerque in 2000. Mary invited me to become a member of SLMM and I did so in 2001. (You can learn more about this organization at www.slmm.org)

The current "Merge IV" exhibit celebrates the 35th year of SLMM and features 122 artworks by 60 artists from all over the US. So I was pleased to have two paintings accepted into this show, including the new kimono painting I just finished a few months ago, featured on today's post.

The exhibit—free and open to the public—is on display at the African American Performing Arts Center (AAPAC) at Expo NM (The Fairgrounds) thru April 30. AAPAC is open Tuesday thru Friday 10-5pm, and Saturday 10-4pm. I hope you drop by to see the show!

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Text and image ©2017 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Now Showing in Memphis, TN (Part 2)

Floating Rose Kimono, 2016, Gouache, gold on gessoed panel 22 x 18' (framed size)

Here's the second painting I have in the "Summer Group Exhibition 2016" at L Ross Gallery in Memphis now through July 30.

The L Ross Gallery is located at 5040 Sanderlin Avenue (Suite 104), Memphis, 38117. The gallery is open Tuesday - Friday, 10-5pm, Sat 11-3pm.  You can also see the exhibit online.

Thanks for taking a moment to read my blog. Stay cool!

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Image and text ©2016 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Last Week of My Exhibit

Kimono III (Gold), 2016, mixed media on panel, "12x12"

Since this is the last week of my exhibit "In a Japanese Garden" at the Weyrich Gallery in Albuquerque, I am posting the remaining paintings in the show.

One of the interesting facts I discovered while doing research for this exhibit was that the color purple was very difficult color to obtain in Japan during the Nara period, and therefore, very pricey. Only royalty, high ranking officials and priests were allowed to even wear the color purple.

Even though I had finished this painting, after learning that fact, I added purple dotting to this piece--adding a touch of "royalty" to it.

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Image and text: Carol L Adamec, 2016. All rights reserved.

Sneak Preview #5....

Floating Rose Kimono, 2016. Mixed media on panel, 20 x 16"

ABOVE: Floating Rose Kimono

Another one of the kimono paintings in my show, In a Japanese Garden—An Interpretation.

Only two more days until Opening Night!

Opening Reception: Friday, June 3, 5-8:30pm

at The Weyrich Gallery, 2935-D Louisiana NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110

Thanks for taking a sneak peek!
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Image and text ©2016 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.