November 2019 Newsletter

NEW! - Landscape Collages

Hey all,
Remember this past summer when I went to Lacawac Sanctuary in Pennsylvania to make art in the woods for a week? (Scroll down for a short video about it.)

One of the projects that came out of that trip was a series landscape collages made out of hand painted paper. My husband confessed that he doesn't really like collages. But once I explained that, in my mind, they are simply paintings I had made using already dried pieces of paint, he gave them a second look. And I hope you will approach them in the same manner.

SPECS: The price is $100 each. The images are 8 x 8 inches, and they are matted to fit a standard 14 x 11 inch frame. These are original pieces of artwork, not reproductions. I made them using painted paper and permanent glue on heavy Canson mixed media paper. The artwork will come to you mounted on white matboard, with acid free tape, and a backer board, inside of a clear, protective acetate envelope. This artwork should be framed behind glass or plexi. I have matted and packaged them especially with ease of gift-giving in mind, as we all have enough errands to run in the next 6 weeks.

SHIPPING: Free shipping within the United States. USPS Priority Mail, fully insured. For Christmas delivery, please order by Dec 10th. I typically ship on Fridays.

Once again, I'm giving you, my mailing list peeps, first dibs on the new work. I will not advertise these pieces on social media until Thanksgiving (Nov 28th). 

Sound good? Check them out.

SHOP THE COLLAGES

And have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Barb


Lacawac Artists' Residency Video

I had the privilege of working in the pristine natural beauty of  Lacawac Sanctuary in Lake Ariel, PA, as an artist in residence this summer. Here's a look at my time there. Enjoy!

2020 Wall Calendars

Fill the new year with flowers! My new calendar features 13 of your favorite flower paintings. The wall calendar is spiral bound and printed on heavy white paper. They are $27 each, which includes shipping within the US. Please order (HERE) by Dec 10th for Christmas delivery.

When Darkness Falls

The Darkness show at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center continues through Jan 26th. And the annual Garden in Lights opens on Fri, Nov 29th. It's magical to see the show at night.

13740 Dowell Road

Solomons, Maryland 20688

410-326-4640

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February 2019 Newsletter

Artists in Action Residency
I have moved my art studio into the main gallery at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, in Dowell, MD, as part of the Artists in Action Program. I will be in residency there all day every day through Monday, February 11th. All week I will be using daytime source photos to create nighttime paintings. In cinema it’s a technique called “day for night.” Filmmakers often shoot at dawn or dusk and change the exposure or add a filter to simulate night because it’s much easier than filming in the dark. Come watch me paint, and I’ll tell you about American painter Frederic Remington and put you to work on a fun coloring challenge. (The above photo is by Joann Foltz.)

Winter Abstracts
I am honored to have 3 of my collage pieces in the Winter Abstracts show at Bishop’s Stock Fine Art, Craft & Wine in Snow Hill, MD. The show is already underway and continues through the end of February. The gallery also has several of my small flower paintings—all you have to do is ask.

30 Days of Dogs
In January made daily images using hand-painted papers, found papers, and magazines, and I focused on something near and dear to my heart: pet dogs. You can watch a short video of all of the collages here. My 30 Days of Dogs project was a way to observe and cherish my own elderly lab mix. Pets simply do not live long enough, especially considering how much space they occupy in our hearts. Working in collage for this series and using bits of ephemera for the images seemed appropriate. The work is neither precious nor archival. It can be loved and enjoyed for a time, and then it, too, will pass on. Thus, my lighthearted, playful artwork about dogs is also about love and mortality. Thank you for following along!  Several of the images are still available in my Etsy shop.

Coffee Mugs
I am the tiniest bit addicted (that’s such a harsh word) to coffee. If you, too, enjoy warm beverages, I designed a few mugs and put them in the shop. Available in 11 oz. and 15 oz. Personally, I always order a large.

P.S. -- Really, you should consider subscribing to my mailing list to guarantee that this news and info is delivered directly to you in a timely manner.

Video Roundup of 30 Days of Dogs

Hello, friends,
I finished my month of dog collages and set them to music.
Enjoy!
Barb

30 Days of Dogs

In January 2019 I am making daily images using mixed media. All of the work is made using hand-painted papers, found papers, interesting bits from my recycle bin, magazines, and glue, I am using this month to play and explore different textures, while focusing on something near and dear to my heart: pet dogs. Really the 30 Days of Dogs project is a way to observe and cherish my elderly lab mix. Sukey is 13 years old and has slowed down considerably. She is still a vibrant member of our family, and we will count ourselves lucky to have another year together. Pets simply do not live long enough, especially considering how much space they occupy in our hearts. Working in collage for this series and using bits of ephemera for the images seemed appropriate. The work is neither precious nor archival. It can be loved and enjoyed for a time, and then it, too, will pass on. Thus, my lighthearted, playful artwork about dogs is also about love and mortality.

The dog collages are available for purchase in my Etsy shop. 

January 2019 Newsletter

Welcome to the Shutdown Sale

I’m not going to sugar-coat it: Robb has been furloughed, and there is no end to the government shutdown in sight. So I’m having a Shutdown Sale, which means that I stuck a price tag on everything except my great aunt Dodie.

Studio Sweep

Eastern Shore friends, the Studio Sweep Sale at Bishop’s Stock in Snow Hill, Maryland, is up through Saturday, January 26th. The Gallery has very generously waived their commission on these paintings, so the full purchase price will help my little family stay afloat. (Thank you, Ann!) The small floral paintings are from my 30 Days project last year and are $45 each.

Etsy Shop

For everyone not near to Snow Hill, I have an online shop stocked with more than 120 artworks right now, including framed paintings, unframed paintings, works on paper, collages, and lots of paintings on clearance (75% off!). I am continuously adding more art to the shop as I find it in the back of my closet. UPSP Priority shipping is included within the US.

Tote Bags

I now have several cute tote bag designs to choose from. But you do have to pay to ship those.

30 Days of Dogs

For my 30 Days project this January, I’ve been making paper collages of dogs. The artwork is securely glued onto Canson mixed media paper. The page measures 9 x 12 inches, and the artwork is about 8 x 8 inches, with a nice margin for matting and framing. Each ships in a clear acetate sleeve, but I *strongly* recommend professional framing, as they have bits and bumps and flaggy things that need protecting. I’m making them available on Etsy as I get them photographed and uploaded.

Upcoming Residency

From February 7th-11th, I will move my art studio to the main gallery at Annmarie Garden, in Dowell, MD, as part of the Artists in Action Program. I'll be there each day from 10am-5pm. Come watch me paint, and I’ll put you to work on a fun nocturne challenge!

Thank You!

My head is spinning from the huge outpouring of support for my little family in the past week. We are sooooo grateful. I am shipping artwork and replying to messages just as fast as I can. But please know that you have kept us afloat through the next 2 weeks. Here’s hoping the shutdown is over soon! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, to each and every one of you!!!
Love,
Barb

P.S. -- If you would like my newsletter conveniently delivered right to your inbox each month AND if you enjoy coloring, then subscribe here. I will send you a free, printable coloring page as a little thank you.

Dear Picasso Mail Art Show

I have long been fascinated by the fact that Picasso wrestled with the portrait of his friend Pedro Manach and finally depicted him in a bullfighter's stance. So when Zip 37 Gallery, in Denver, Colorado, had a call for entries for a Picasso-themed mail art show, I sent along one of my paper doll Picassos for the show. I submitted "Surf Pedro" (top left). The show ran from December 22, 2006 through January 14, 2007. But still laying around in my flat file are "Manach Made of Words," "Manach in the Moon," and "Manach of the Earth."

Collage

My college painting instructor urged us students to make preliminary collages before we started painting. Sometimes the results are so nice that the little collages can stand alone as artwork in their own right. Here are two collages I made in 2002. Above is the lighthearted "Inside-Outside," and below is more serious "Kronos after Goya." The tiny print at the bottom is from an art history text book: Cannibalism stories have ancient roots; here, Goya depicts Greek myth of the god Kronos eating his child. Except my image is a modern girl devouring the feminists of yesteryear--child eating parent.