Summer in New Orleans has been a hot and lovely mess. I have nearly sold out my latest collection "Lay Your Burden Down" which first debuted at Jazz Fest in April of this year. Any remaining works are on view in my studio.
"Honey Tree" was purchased for the "Saratoga Collection" and will become a part of the public display when the building opens on Loyola in New Orleans.
saratoganeworleans.com"Morning" was included in the aptly named group show "Growing Pains" at LeMieux Gallery on Julia St. for their summer exhibition, curated by Christy Wood.
The cool-kid of magazines
GOOD recently did a "New Orleans Issue" and I was lucky enough to be included in the list of contributors, having made an original stitched-word illustration for an article called "A besieged city".
Summer has been busier than usual with a number of tree commissions and some exciting partnerships I can't yet mention. I have played and worked hard (as usual) dividing my time between the studio, teaching art to summer camp kiddos, family-tree interviews, painting and deliveries, dinner with friends, the neighborhood pool, the library, gallery openings, road trips and time with family.
A few years ago I was lamenting to a friend about being stuck in my creative process, knowing I had work to do, but no umph to get it done, and she said to me "Rebecca, you can't always take from the well. You have to fill it."
(Thanks Sonya)
Hearing those words out loud created for me an epiphany that has stuck with me since. I feel like ever since then, I have managed to balance taking from the well, and filling it back up. And so, it seems that one body of work leads right into another, one opportunity right to the next.
Keeping with this fluidity (and some lucky stars), I'm very happy to announce that I am at work on my next collection called "Unearthed", which will debut at my upcoming Solo Show at
Sibley Gallery in New Orleans this October. The opening night is Art for Arts Sake on Oct. 2 from 6-9pm. I will be showing new tree paintings and other worldly delights. Expect a journey from a remembered birth to an imagined death using all five senses. Please join me on the journey. I will be updating my blog during this production phase with bits and pieces from the growing body of work, until the big night where I hope you will join me at the gallery for an experience unlike any other you have ever had at a gallery opening. Magical paintings, stitched vernacular, living art, moving pictures, photographic storytelling, music in the backyard, farm-food, local drink, living favors and more.
In the meantime, I will be heading out of town for a mini-residency in Chicago in September. I'm taking the train with a suitcase full of paint and thread. Check
my blog and
facebook to tag along virtually.
Beaming,
Rebecca