I’m intrigued by visual conversations of value, color, line, pattern, layers, and texture. Merging the wonder and excitement of Life into my art offers viewers opportunities to explore belonging, connection, potentiality and transformation. We all can feel more alive.
I create through an intuitive, spontaneous process balanced with conscious choice making. Transparent and opaque layers overlap pattern and texture. Colors relate synergistically. Each layer informs subsequent layers which may then be partially swiped or scraped away. I consider myself an evolving artist as I continue to learn about materials and the process and craft of painting. Exploration and discovery nourish my creativity.
My narratives are portrayed in water media, collage and encaustic. The more ancient encaustic combined with newer mediums is a metaphor for the Past’s continued resonation through the Present and into the Future.
It was a busy month with family, and my attention to the gallery was intermittent, at best. There were times the gallery was almost empty, waiting for the next creative to share, but an unknown artist donated a bunch of fun watercolors which were taken by passing patrons.
End of October
This is the art I know moved through the gallery during November:
Watercolor tags, unknown artist Ink keyhole drawing, artist illegiblePainting on thick cardboard, artist unknownWatercolor Pumpkin, unknown artistHouse collage, unknown artistWatercolor chickadee, artist unknownWatercolor leaf, unknown artistWatercolor pumpkins, unknown artistWatercolor leaves, unknown artistWatercolor tags, unknown artistCool dog, unknown artistCrocheted basket, @ellenbakesellensewsBling pinBling pin
A rainy morning on November 30th…
The rain gauge had 2.8 inches this morning but now the sky is clearing and the sun is shining. All the better to take some art for yourself and/or to offer some art for the next lucky patron!!
The gallery started out a bit sparse in early October, with space for new contributions from local creatives and generous souls. Sure enough, before long, there was a spat of givers and takers which is a pleasure to behold.
Here are photos of artwork that passed through the gallery this month:
“Ocean” by BAF, age 4PinCrochet pinwheel, @ellenbakesellensewsOrigami fishFish FossilOrigami fishFancy small box, light greenPostcard by Alexis Rotella, picked up at haiku conferenceFancy box, goldCake Pop, @milicent210Friends, ceramic pinCrochet pumpkins, @ellenbakesellensewsCrochet pinwheel, @ellenbakesellensewsFall Watercolor, double-sided, Unknown ArtistJoan m Carter, @joancarter4549Fall Watercolor, double-sided, Unknown ArtistWatercolor, Unknown ArtistFB ScenesByColleenGallery on October 30, 2022
The gallery will be emptied for Halloween. There’ll be lots of room for new items starting in November. Keep creating and sharing, and tell your friends to join in the fun of giving and taking free art!
September has been a busy month with more gallery viewers, takers, and contributors. Free Little Art Gallery_WS1 seems to have alot of young, devoted patrons who insist their walks with parents/grandparents include this block of Virginia Road. What a joy to inspire young ones to enjoy and share creativity!
Known art to have passed through the gallery this month:
Double-sided watercolorPhotos, M Pashayan @curnon2noncur2nd side of watercolorCrochet baskets, @ellenbakesellensewsOrigami sailboatsMore origami fish Gelli plate print, SuzARepurposed boxOrigami fishGelli print, SuzARainbow Unicorn, BAF age 4Blue Peace Dove, gelli print, SuzA
Goldenrod Solidago starting to bloom, Sept 13th
SmoothRay @smoothraypaintsAcrylic, 2@milicent210Watercor, @aqua_hart Michelle H SchenkerWorry Worms, FB Random Acts of Crochet KindnessSticker, @milicent210Alexis Rotella postcard
Remember to tell/ask your friends to contribute to the gallery. Let’s see what exciting pieces show up next month!!
(I may be slower posting photos on IG because one of my sisters is arriving from Australia for six weeks.)
There was a bit more traffic at the gallery this month. It’s so much fun to see kids who have the gallery as a regular stop on their routes or who ask their grandparents to bring them by after dinner! I was away for some time in August but know the following art was enjoyed and taken from the gallery:
American Flag patch, unknown donorCrocheted hairpin, @ellenbakesellensewsPhoto of Bench/Ivy, unknown contributorFound objects… crochet… photographyOrigami sailboatsBaskets, @ellenbakesellensewsDrawing, young artist…a range of shared creativity!Origami fish, some made from a young artist’s drawingOrigami fish
The white and pink/white fish were folded from a contributed drawing!
I have a very talented friend who visited from Arizona and taught me a couple origami folds while she was here. We passed a young artist on our evening walk and told him we would fold the drawing he had just left in the gallery. How much fun is that??
The first part of July brought all the rain we didn’t have in June. And now the later part of July is hot days with fewer mid-day walkers. It was a slow month for art-taking but I did see a motorscooter arrive at the gallery one evening and a car pull up the other day (if I’m working at my desk, I can see the gallery through the window).
These are the pieces I know have moved from the gallery into the world, spreading joy and creativity:
Seems the pace of taking pieces of free art slowed down the past month. There were some new, mostly unknown contributors sharing their creative efforts though! This is the art I was able to photograph before it went to new, forever homes:
Joan Carter, @joancarter4549May 31, 2022collage, SuzAHANK, youthful artist@Jamy.Gearhart.art
Ever grateful to repeat artists Jamy Gearhart and Joan Carter!!!…@jamy.gearhart.art@milicent210unknown artist… and Milicent Fambrough!…collage@curnon2noncur, Mark Pashayan youthful artist… and Mark Pashayan!!unknown artistunknown artistReece Nelsonunknown artistReece Nelsonunknown artistunknown artistunknown artist
It’s always a pleasure to curate the offerings in the freelittleartgallery_ws1, and I hope fellow creatives continue to share during the summer months.
WHAT MIGHT YOU HAVE TO OFFER?
AND
please tell other creatives about the opportunity…
What??!? Did I NOT publish an update for the month of April?? I know I spent time on it…. Could be worse! 😉
Here’s the art I know passed through the gallery in recent weeks:
Cool painted rocksBusy BeeFB: NC Painted Rocksdoor hangerMiranda Skibbedoor hanger, side 2Ellen Murphy, @ellenbakesellensewsAssemblage w/crystalSunny Day, unknown artisttiny painting on easelTHANK YOU, JamyGearhart!tiny painting on easelmagnet, @jamy.gearhart.arttiny painting, @jamy.gearhart.artmagnet, @jamy.gearhart.artJan Cregan Steinerphoto, unknown artistprint, @SmoothRayPaintsprint, @SmoothRay.comunknown creativephoto, unknown artist@nkgodbeychakra necklace@dragonblueprint@Bowiethe Dork@ignoblecam (?)Some cool black and white drawings were added to the gallery.I made affirmation bracelets with the beads that were offered in the gallery in March.
I hope to keep current as May rolls into June, and intend another free little art gallery update towards the end of June.
March 5th was the one year anniversary of the freelittleartgallery_ws1. AMAZING!
March 2022 had some warmer weather, some rain, snow flurries, and cold days. It was a slower month for people TAKING art, but here’s the art that passed through the gallery that I was able to catch and photograph:
Megan Schoeps, #dragonflyblueprintMichelle Schenket, #aqua_hartrepurposed gift card tagpainted rock, KH??Smooth Ray, smoothray.comearrings
Things were moving slowly, so STREAMERS were added to the free little art gallery. They really catch your eye when the wind is blowing!
Ellen Murphy, #ellenbakesellensewsMarch 19, 2022Elese Elysée, #FreeArtWinstonSalem
MORE encouragement to TAKE art!!
BEADS!! for the taking!Elese Elysée, #FreeArtWinstonSalemMarch 20, 2022Photograph Card, unknown artistPhotograph Card, unknown artist
Looking forward to April with new and previous artists contributing to the fun, and new and previous patrons taking art to enjoy or pass on to someone else…
Whoopee, the free little art gallery is back thanks to talented, local artist/craftsperson, Mark Pashayan!!! Gallery viewers, art recipients, walkers and joggers have expressed gratitude that the whimsical, create-and-share has returned to the 1700 block of Virginia Road!!
Grand re-opening art included some pieces that quickly moved out to new forever homes:
Wood turning, Mark PashayanGlass bauble, Mark PashayanWatercolor, @aqua_hart, Michelle Schenker
Then we had a weekend of windy, RAINY weather…
But FLAG2 was quickly back for creativity sharing:
Susan André 