A Gift to Love...

I just received this gift from my sister in the mail yesterday...a book of haiku with lovely Japanese prints. My favorite kind of book: mostly pictures and not too much text. Thank you, Dear Sister!
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Text and image ©2018 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.

Happy New Year...and back to work

Returned home from picking up my unsold artwork from Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, which ended December 16 (I was pleased to have sold 10 pieces during the exhibit.); and hung it up in my studio. I cleaned and set up my studio for the New Year, and it felt great to be ready to get back to work.

Happy New Year! And thank you for your readership.

Now Showing...

Carol L Adamec: "Negoro" 2017, mixed media on rice paper, 6"x6"
SOLD

..."In a Japanese Garden" at Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Missouri, thru December 15.

"Negoro-nuri" is a style of lacquerware developed in Japan during the 12th century. After several coats of black were applied to an object, dish, utensil, or furniture item, a single final coat of vermillion completed the process.

Lacquerware was ideally resistant to water, acid and heat. However, the charm of negoro-nuri was where areas worn from usage exposed the black lacquer beneath the vermillion patina._________________________________________________
Text and Image ©2017 Carol L. Adamec. 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....

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

The design on this kimono is an adaptation of Anasazi pottery patterns discovered at Chaco Canyon.

Chaco Canyon, located in the northwest region of New Mexico, is a large US National Historical Park, representing the most significant ancient Native American ruins in North America. The inhabitants of Chaco Canyon were the "Anasazi", the "Ancient Ones", the original ancestral Pueblo people of the Southwest.

Between AD 850 and 1250, Chaco Canyon was a major center of culture, religion, and trade for thousands of pueblo people. Because of its archaeological and anthropological significance, Chaco Canyon has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Unfortunately, the importance and preservation needs of the Chaco Canyon site have been ignored by the Trump Administration. Spearheaded by Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke, fracking, oil and gas drilling, and pipeline activities are being expanded in the area with no regard to the wishes of the Native peoples, environmental impact, or consideration to the American citizens' ownership of public lands.

These are OUR National Monuments being auctioned off, at an alarming rate, to companies such as Encana, WPX, Exxon, and others who will make BILLIONS of dollars from our public resources with no obligation to benefit the general public.

For more information about these issues, go to this site: http://www.sanjuancitizens.org

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Text and image ©2017, Carol L. Adamec

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.

Now Showing....

Carol L. Adamec: "Red Iris Landscape", 2017, original oil on panel, 12'x12"

..."In a Japanese Garden" at Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, MO, thru December 16.
 
As I painted this closeup of a red iris, the image became a landscape for me, with all the grandeur, sweep, and color of the Southwest. I'm still chasing beauty--through realism--after 50 years of painting practice, and still surprised by what can occur using oil, pigment, and a stick with hair on the end.
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Text and image ©2017 Carol L. Adamec

A Good Time in Joplin...

Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, MO.

I arrived in Joplin on October 10 to deliver my work for my show "In a Japanese Garden"...and they already had my name on the wall—a very nice welcome after a long drive from Albuquerque.

The Spiva opening was Friday evening, October 13. It's been 8 years since my last exhibit and visit to Joplin, so the opening was a big event and reunion for me. There was a great crowd for the Spiva Membership show in the Main Gallery and my exhibit in the Regional Gallery. I am so grateful to the many Joplin friends who came to my exhibit to say "Hello." My son, and my sister and mom sent me beautiful bouquets for the opening (Thank you, Erik, Karen and Mom), and "Congrats" arrived by text and email from friends and supporters.

There were 39 pieces in my exhibit, beautifully placed and installed by Spiva's Shaun Conroy and longtime Spiva member and supporter Cleo Copeland. Five works sold (Thank you, Jeff and Dace, Terry, Diana, and new collectors), and I received many complimentary comments on the exhibit.

On Saturday I gave a talk about my inspiration and process for creating the artwork for the exhibit. The attentive audience included several cousins, dear friends, and new friends.

I have so many to thank for their support for me and this exhibit, in particular: My cousin Judy and husband Alan, for their excellent care of my every want and need during my visit. The Spiva folks: Josie Mai, Shaun Conroy, Sarah Clements, Cleo Copeland. Jo "Da Boss" and Don, for lunch, conversation, and photos. Cousins Tracey, Steve and Marsha, for making the trip to Joplin to see me and sharing a fun lunch. My sister April and husband John for supportive texts, the lovely handmade kimono card, and generous gift. My cousin Marilyn in ABQ, for watching over my casita; and my dear friend Sondra at Marlowe Farms for taking care of Scrap.

Thank you ALL!

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

Sneak Peek #7....

Carol L Adamec: "Garden Varieties 2", 2017, mixed media on rice paper, 11"x14"

Here's another 11"x14" mixed media piece completed for may upcoming exhibit, "In a Japanese Garden", opening next Friday, October 13, at Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, MO. 

I'll have at least 35 artworks in this exhibit. I'm getting excited to actually see it all hung together to create the ambience of a Japanese Garden!

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

Sneak Peek #6...

Carol L Adamec: "The Road to Mt. Fuji", 2017, mixed media, 14"x11" (framed)

Mt. Fuji, located west of Tokyo on the island of Honshu, is an iconic element featured in many traditional Japanese prints and paintings, as well as contemporary advertising and promotion. Considered one of three sacred mountains in Japan, Mt. Fuji stands over 12,000 feet in height and is snow-capped 5 months out of the year.

Today's post is my version of Mt. Fuji, inspired by the woodcut prints of Hiroshige, Hokusai, and a vintage Japanese matchbook cover. And it was fun to do, too!

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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 #3...

Original by Carol L Adamec: "Cinnabar Garden", 2017. Mixed media on rice paper, 14"x11"
SOLD 

The artwork I'm creating for my exhibit "In a Japanese Garden" consists of elements that would be found in a Japanese garden. Rather than painting various scenes or specific views, I am creating images of flowers and flora to interpret the "nature" of a garden, with kimonos to represent the human presence in the garden.

Like the image in today's post—"Cinnabar Garden"—the artworks are intended to delight viewers with the color, line, and texture of Nature's organic forms. So rather than being presented depictions of garden elements, viewers will hopefully experience the ambience of a Japanese Garden, feeling as though they are in that environment, as they wander through the exhibit.

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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.

My next BIG show...Sneak Peek #1

Original by Carol L Adamec: "Golden Garden Light", 2017. Mixed media, 11"x14" (framed size).

It's been a busy summer! I had a great time in Memphis, at the LRoss Gallery for the "Elvis Has Left the Building" show. There was a DJ spinning old Elvis songs, and a big crowd humming along with the music while viewing all the Elvis-themed artwork.

Also, I have been working on my next one-person show: "In a Japanese Garden", to be exhibited this fall at George A. Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, Missouri, October 14 - December 8. 

As I am finishing up pieces for the show, I'll be posting them here on my blog. So here's the first sneak peek. Enjoy!

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

Celebrating "Elvis" in Memphis, TN

Carol L Adamec: "Starry Night for Elvis", 2017

If you live in Memphis, August belongs to Elvis Presley, marked by an official "Elvis Week", to be celebrated this year August 11-19.

LRoss Gallery is kicking off the celebration early this month with tonight's opening reception from 6-9pm with the exhibit "Elvis Has Left the Building" complete with great Elvis themed artwork, music, and a DJ!

I am pleased to be included in the exhibit (Memphis was my home from 1986-1994) and I'm in town for the opening.

If you're in the area, come by! It's gonna be quite a party!
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Image and text ©Carol L. Adamec, 2017. All rights reserved.

Back to Painting Flowers...

Carol L. Adamec: "A.M. Morning Glories", digital painting, printed on metal. 7" x 5"

I just dropped off this piece of artwork yesterday to the Weyrich Gallery here in Albuquerque, located at Candelaria and Louisiana NE. If you're out doing ArtsCrawl Friday night, drop by to see it. Thanks!

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

Happy Fourth of July!

"July Flag", original oil on panel painting by Carol L Adamec. 

"Oh, say can you see..."

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July.

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