Bismarck Art Show BAGA

Life is a whirlwind - and I love it! A trip to Budapest, Vienna and Prague, then to Puerto Rico and sandwiched-in visits to our daughters and grandkids. I don't put my suitcase away these days, just wash laundry when I get home and repack for the next trip!

My show at the Bismarck Art Gallery opens on Feb. 28. The reception is March 2 - everyone is invited, the more the merrier! My exhibit is called "Can You See the Forest for the Trees & Prairie Snapshots". I'm posting a few photos here.

Waiting patiently for spring in the north country...

Holiday Glow November Art Sale & Charity Benefit

Fused and stained glass, handcarved wooden Santas, Scandinavian decorative art, gourds, textile and fabric art, handmade soap, metal art, natural jewelry, mixed media...these types of art and many more coming soon to Grand Forks. November 12, 5-9pm and Nov. 13, 10am - 5pm.

All artists will be home to invite you in for holiday treats and to view the art in cozy, informal surroundings. A percentage of sales will be donated to the following charities: Kim Wilson (Mountain Brooke PsychoSocial Center), Marian Gates and Terry Kuntz (Community Violence Intervention Center), Sheila Dalgliesh, Karla Nelson, Sandy Johnson and Dianne Paulsen (ArtWise), Paula Kallinen (Fraternal Order of Police), Tom Johnson and Jean Westman (Salvation Army), Carolyn Meisel (Humane Society Circle of Friends), Tom Perdue and Pieper Bloomquist (American Cancer Society) and Jackie Uthus (Northlands Rescue Mission).

Go to: www.jackiesart.com for more information.

Holiday Glow Art Sale & Show Visual Art Grand Forks

Oh, my gosh, I can't believe the whole summer has happened! We had a wonderful time with family and friends celebrating our daughter's wedding in June, a grand daughter's baptism in July and lots of other fun but more normal summer time events: water fights, time at the lake, garage sales, etc. Monday I start with my weekly art kids!

I've created a whole series of 44 nostalgic paintings called "Whimsical Snapshots of Life on the Prairie". Included: a windmill, oil rig, small town bank, bar, jail, clothesline, horse, cow, chicken and coop, '57 Chevy, Model T, vintage farm truck, sunflower, wheat stalk, grain elevator, grain bin, dilapidated house, barn, night sky, milk truck, one room school house, school bus and many more. I'm listing them on etsy a few at a time...

I have the artists in place for the second annual Holiday Glow Art Sale & Show. The sale will be Nov. 12, 5-9pm and Nov. 13, 1-5pm. Fourteen artists will have 10 open houses to show their art in cozy and informal settings. Refreshments will be served and no admission charged. It will be a wonderful time to shop for special Holiday gifts!

Visual Art, Pottery, Oil Painting, Virtual Visits, Google Street View

I got this info from my art teacher exchange site. This site has ideas and help for teachers in the visual art field. I thought it was really interesting and fun and am passing it along.

"Need some inspiration for your summer art and travels? Or are you having a
"staycation" this year? Here is an interesting site to rev you up:

http://virtualpaintout.blogspot.com/ This is a network of artists who
virtually visit predetermined cities all over the world each month and paint
or draw from city views that appear on Google's Street View. They then post
their work on the blog. Interestingly, Google has given its okay for the
artists to use screen shots of the views and sell their work if Google is
credited in the labels or descriptions."

I went to the site to check it out and it's worth a look. I may use it with my students this year.

I'm working in my pottery studio today making 'garden guests' or 'patio pals'...I can't decide what to call them. They are little creatures like slugs and lady bugs and cats and puppies that hold terra cots pots. Which name do you like best?

Visual Art and Wedding Gifts

Visual art and weddings - do they go together? Yes, of course! What bride and groom would not love handmade, one of a kind art for a wedding gift? So many times wedding gifts are chosen from 'big box' stores where the couple has registered. Sure, these gifts are needed and wanted. But if you really want to give a special twosome a gift they will remember, think about choosing a gift made by one of your local artists, or shop online.

The Internet has made this sort of gift giving practical. There are virtually no restraints because of distance - gifts can be chosen from nearly any where and shipped to almost any where else because of secure Internet shopping. And more and more artists are finding that it is almost necessary to have a presence online...so the selection of 'handmade' has never been better.

I have lots of handmade items that are perfect gifts for bridal showers and weddings. Some items, like my sculptures, weavings and tapestries, would be perfect for decorating a new space and other items, like wine charms and pottery, are functional, handmade pieces! Check out my online shops at www.jackiesart.etsy.com and www. jackiesart.com. I will be adding more items to both shops in about 10 days - everything I make is handmade from start to finish so you can be assured that your gift will be treasured and appreciated in the years to come! Happy shopping!

Tea Party, Visual Art Fest, Art and Wine Walk

I'm just waiting for the kids who are signed up for my class: Fancy Hats and a Tea Party, too. Five little princesses will be here to decorate hats with ribbons, bows, beads and glitter. We'll feast on cookies, mints, chocolate and lemonade. I am skipping the cucumber sandwiches because I think they'd suffer rejection!

This afternoon a group is coming to learn how to draw faces. We are going to work on white boards first and then do a final drawing on art board with conte' crayon or charcoal...their choice.

This past weekend was the annual art fest here in Grand Forks. There was a wonderful turnout to celebrate the great weather and admire and buy the work of the talented artists who participated. Our daughter, Amy, had a vendor booth and was a demonstrating artist. I was a proud mother! You can check out her work at www.amyuthus.com!

Next weekend I will show and sell my art at River City Jewelers downtown...part of downtown's Art and Wine Walk. I hope we are blessed with crowds of people and good weather, too!

How to Create a Sculpture Project Using Wire and a Sock: Visual Art That is Abstract and Easy to Make

My art kids were really curious about how we would turn pantyhose into sculpture (most of them didn't even know what pantyhose are - I asked them to check with their moms and bring in any old pantyhose with runs!).

We used a 3 foot length of strong yet bendable wire (it has to be able to hold its shape), one leg of pantyhose, white glue, Gorilla Glue, one inch foam brushes, a small block of pine wood (about 5 x 5 x 1), dried split peas, white rice, chow mein noodles and black eyed peas, big wood beads (you could use big bright colors ones, instead, and glue them on after spray painting) and spray paint (I favor gold and silver because they are so 'showy' for the kids). You'll also need a drill for drilling two holes in each wood base.

Before the kids arrived (actually the night before) I used gorilla glue to secure a wire (each end of it) into each wood base. Be sure to moisten the drilled hole in the wood with a drop or two of water before you apply the glue to the wire end and push it into the wood base. I pushed it all the way through the wood and bent it back underneath to secure it well.

Each student put the sock on their wire, pulling it over the top of the wire, down the length of the wire, and stretching it to pull it over the edge of the wood base all the way around. Then they pulled on the wire to bend and curve it - until they were pleased with the shape of the sculpture.

Next step: paint the whole thing with white glue. Let it dry and paint it again. Let it dry and paint it again! Lastly paint areas of it and place or throw (the most fun!) peas, beans, chow mein noodles and rice at the gluey areas. Some of it will stick. If you have too much glue some of the dried 'textures' will slide with the glue as it runs down, creating a nice line! Glue big wood beads for feet on the bottom corners - or all the way around - of the wood base. Let the sculpture dry again.

Take it outside and spray paint - voila! An wonderful abstract sculpture that was easy, messy and fun and inexpensive to make!

How to Add Interest to a Visual Art Blog? Art Surveys, Art News and Art Prints

I've been reading articles on how to gain readership on visual art blogs. Some of the advice seems worthwhile and I thought I'd give it a try. After going to the "Add a Gadget" section for customizing a blog I was overwhelmed with the thousands of gadgets available. I don't want gadgets that are not visual art related or related to kids' art. So I searched for art gadgets - and guess what? There were only 25, not 25,000! So I picked a few (rotating famous art prints, the survey - which I added a few days ago, and a feed for art news), added them and we'll see how it goes. I'd love a comment or two from you, to let me know what you think of my additions. There are at least 17 other art gadgets to choose from so I'll change it up now and then.

I'm thinking I'll have an early summer contest - the prize will be a set of 6 pottery 'word' wine charms. Watch for the start of the contest coming soon. If you leave me a comment or become one of my 'followers' I will put your name in the drawing.

Now, about the new LONG list of labels on my blog...I didn't really understand until today what the labeling process was all about. Now that I do, I'll categorize my posts into several more common ones, so that someone who is looking for a particular subject won't have to scroll through so many labels. My understanding is there isn't a way to get rid of them once they've been used. I'm going to do some more checking on that! I guess they don't hurt anything just by existing!

I'm getting started on some new pottery this week and I'm 'itchin' to start a new weaving, too! I only have two times left with my weekly art students - the year has gone by too quickly! We have a nice day for the kids to work outside - hooray, because we are making a mess!

Dragon Table Donation - Rescue Mission Silent Auction

I made the decision to donate my Dragon in Suspension Table to the Grand Forks Northlands Rescue Mission for their Silent Auction benefit coming up on Oct. 23. I put a minimum bid on of $200 to cover my expenses. Hopefully, it will bring in more than that as I really believe the Mission's mission is an important one in our community.

The Mission provides support in the way of food and shelter to people who really have no where else to go. The weather is starting to get cold and nasty here in the north country - the mission is warm and safe, with strict rules and help for people to get back on their feet. I give half of my art sales to the Mission - I figure they can put it to good use and it is a way that my God given gifts can benefit others.

Waiting for my art kids to come this afternoon...we are doing take-offs with oil pastels on "The Scream" by Edvard Munch.

What makes me scream? Spiders and centipedes, worms and snakes, deep water and heights, staying alone. Is that everything? It is enough!!!

Landscapes, madonnas & clocks

After an almost - all nighter, I delivered a bunch of new art to the Dakota Harvest Bakery for a mini - show they are having of my work for the next month or so. I also switched out my pottery in the curio there. I'll be displaying tea cups, mugs (large and small), matching pitcher and salt and pepper set and a small herd of buffalo.

On the wall at the bakery, will be five artsy clocks (including three that glo-in-the-dark), several felted landscapes (including a wonderful summer sunset), a felted mother and child wall hanging that I call "Mother's Love", my Creation weaving, a weaving designed to hang in a window that is complete with crystal beads called "Steely Night" and a landscape called "Moonlight on the River". I used metal warp for that one so it is shimmery like the metal trees that I incorporated to embellish the tapestry.

My art kids have been working on a "horse" unit. Hopefully, most of them will finish their paintings this week. They've been practicing drawing horses, and last week concentrated on drawing the head. Most have chosen acrylic paints to use for their finished work, and they are turning out beautifully. We looked at a lot of horses in art as a precursor to the unit. Lots of famous artists have chosen horses as subjects - they are certainly majestic, elegant animals!

Time to pick apples - lots have fallen off the trees already. We plan to make some pies, crumbles and cobblers to put in the freezer to enjoy later this fall and winter. It is great to be able to go to the freezer and get something nummy, but it will be a long day today!

Kelly in Virginia bought my "Is it Wine Time?" ceramic clock this week so it is winging its way to her this weekend. I'm sort of getting into making clocks - both ceramic and with polymer clay - they are fun!

New Pottery - bison, cups, teacups, frames, jewelry

The kiln is firing - it is mostly full of my porcelain stuff, although there are a few pieces of my students' in there, too, and a few pieces of my stoneware. It will be fun to decide what colors to use on the cups and teacups, bowls and platter, frames for new weaving/felting projects and jewelry.

I haven't done jewelry for a long time, but was reminded how much I enjoy making it when I was in Bismarck for the street fair in August. I borrowed a necklace that I'd made as a student and given to my mom...and I received a lot of compliments on it that day. Since I have the setup to fire glazed beads I thought I should make some for fall/holiday shows. I'm excited to be working on small things!

Today I finished three felted landscapes that I created inside pottery frames that I made and had in my last firing. I really like how they turned out, as they reflect the rural landscape in which I live - fields of gold and green!

The tea cups have a place, opposite the handle, to drop the tea bag when you are finished brewing your tea. You don't have to carry a separate tea bag plate to your desk or easy chair - whatever is your favorite place for a tuppa tea!

A small herd of bison is in the kiln, too - fun to think about how to glaze those...none will be pink, that much I know! I especially love the metallic glazes that I have, and the satin white for the albino bison.

Two large bowls and a platter are also in the kiln - if they survive firing without cracking, I'll glaze those in creams and browns.

November 15, I've been invited to participate in a local holiday show. It will be fun, is a one day event so it doesn't consume the entire weekend - which is good, because I'm teaching about Egyptian art that weekend in my home studio!

Lample II is finished - recycled art

Lample II is finished!

I love how it turned out...the barn wood, diamond willow and the recycled globe came together nicely. I finally had a use for 10 pieces of turquoise that I bought in New Mexico about 15 years ago. I bought them for a future project and really didn't think the future project would be 15 years down the road. But the turquoise matched the paint I used on the globe and fit nicely into the center of the diamonds in the willow trunks. I used glass amber nuggets in some of the diamonds, and left some of the diamonds unadorned.

I 'printed' leaves on the globe in turquoise and amber by painting on real leaves and them pressing them to the glass globe. The colors look nice individually and where they overlap , too. I bought a cut glass light bulb and that adds interest, too, when the light is turned on.

I debated on how best to finish the reclaimed wood and finally decided on Watco's Danish Oil. It seeps into the pores, so the wood is preserved, but doesn't add color or sheen, like varnish does, so the 'history' of the wood is retained. I love that!

My husband did an awesome job wiring the lample and putting the pieces together. It was fun to show the lamples at the Art and Wine Walk today - and fun to hear people's positive comments on them.

Weathered wood and diamond willow trees are plentiful in the Missouri River bottoms where my sister and her husband live, near Williston, North Dakota. We went there over the weekend (350 miles one way) and came home with a trunk full of wood and willow. We had a great time scavenging around their rural area - David, my brother-in-law, has lived there his entire life and so he knew great places for snooping around and finding what I wanted...and even some things that I didn't know I wanted! Did you know there is weathered wood with cool, small, round metals things nailed to it with a previous purpose of holding down tar paper and shingles? I didn't either but now I am the proud owner of several such pieces of wood! I plan to use the wood for table tops and shelves...maybe to go with my painted glass globes - or maybe not. I love thinking about the possibilities. David also knew where there is a stand of diamond willows. The trunks of the diamond willow trees have an awesome pattern of large and small diamonds up and down the length of the trunk. I'm going to remove all or most of the bark to help emphasize the patterns. Then those trunks will become table legs or posts for shelves...photos will come when I get something finished. We also brought home some trunks from a thick chokecherry bush - it bled red when it was cut! Sort of sad, but beautiful, too. I can understand how amber is formed from such gorgeous colored sap. Too bad I'm going to Minneapolis this weekend because I'm charged up and ready to go with weathered wood and willow! I'm sure the Vikings/Colt game will be fun, but I'd rather do art now that I have so much new material to work with! David and my husband and sister were great helpers, without them I'd have nothing - thanks for your enthusiastic help with my recycled art projects!

Light globe and glass paint yields visual art!

The donated glass globe painted up beautifully and came out of the oven with narry a crack! Hooray! Now I'm busy getting the wood table top and middle shelf primed - they will be painted a bright red. The legs and additional fittings will be white PVC pipe and caps - I think they will look sort of industrial, bright and cheery against the red wood shelves. My husband, Eric, is helping me with some of this project, so I am grateful for that. I can't wait for it to be done, and all lit up, hopefully in time for the Art & Wine Walk on Sept. 20. I'd really like to get another one done, too - one with copper legs and barnwood shelves (I'm going to my sister's farm this weekend and hopefully will be able to scavenge some from her!) and celadon and copper frosted on the glass globe...visual art made from recycled stuff. I'd like to do another one with driftwood - too bad there are no oceans nearby! I've been trying to list items on sell-arts.com and have had so much trouble. I'm really lousy with computer stuff and lose my patience with it quickly. There are so many other things I'd like to do with my time than sit at the computer! I started on a new herd of pottery buffalo this morning, got two mom and two babies finished so they can dry over the weekend.