From Gettysburg to Williamsport - It's ALL About Art!

An ART-ful Destination in Central PA!

Does your heart beat a little faster when you hear the words: Mixed media, painting, pottery, sculpture, photography, jewelry? What if we added tasty local wines, deliciously inventive meals, and cozy, relaxing lodgings to the mix?

And what if I told you these features and more are here for you to explore and experience when you journey through the heart of Pennsylvania by following the Route 15 Artisan Trail? 

The newly launched website, Rt 15 By Way of the Arts, is your ultimate guide to all art and tourism events held along the Trail. The website makes planning your journey quick and easy by arranging artisans and events by county. Updated by four daily newspapers, The Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Sunbury DailyItem, The Carlisle Sentinel, and The Gettysburg Times content is focused to bring you the best in uniquely flavored regional arts and entertainment.

Looking for a special gift? Why not interact with the artist as they create? Searching for a charming location to rest, relax, and rejuvenate? It’s here for you on Route 15.

I admit I am biased. I live along the Route and have explored many of the destinations. For this reason I am so excited to share this with you. Even if you can’t journey with us physically, I hope you will take the time to experience what our area has to offer.  The website is a showcase of galleries, theaters, festivals, artists and more.

Creativity thrives along Route 15. Hope you’ll come along for the journey!

Is A Letter A Work of Art?

THE ARTISTS - Digital Collage

It is no secret that I am passionate about letters...good old fashioned stick a stamp on the envelope letters. Don't get me wrong. Texts and emails have their place, especially in business. We can be in touch quickly, and hopefully efficiently, with our newest form of common communication. But there is a special romance of anticipation when dropping a letter into a mailbox. And who can dispute the great joy felt when receiving a little part of someones day, set aside especially for you.

It was when I read the 1876 quote from the book How To Write Letters, by J. Willis Westlake, that my heart skipped a beat:

“A letter should be regarded not merely as a medium for the communication of intelligence, but also as a work of art.”

Finding this quote dovetailed flawlessly into reading a letter sent by artist Frida Kahlo to Georgia O'Keeffe. Frida reached out with compassion to Georgia when she suffered with a nervous breakdown. The letter was not only the thoughtful gesture of a friend, but the meeting of two supportive inspired artists.

The May Lunagirl Moonbeam challenge is Mother's and Sisters in the most encompassing sense. The images to choose from were lovely. I decided to use two women from the "Just Us Girls" sheet. Behind the women you can read Frida's letter to Georgia. I finished to collage with a selection of flowers, which always speak to me of happiness and generosity.

On this Mother's Day I hope you will reach out to those women who support your creative spirit with tender affection. Strong women support each other. Flood your letters with the art of your heart.

May You Find Your Way To Your Treasures!

An Airplane Took Us - Postcard

As 2014 quickly draws to close, memories of the year...some good, some not so good...come rushing back to me. But over all, I am hopeful and looking forward to a New Year with new possibilities.

I designed this postcard for the LottoHEART exhibition hosted by Camp Rehoboth in Delaware. The exhibit displayed over two hundred cards. The theme of the card was set when in a magazine I found the Thornton Wilder quote:

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

How true this is at all times of the year, but especially when we are saying good-bye to the old year and anticipating the start of the new.

Have you thought about what you treasure most? For me it's not only the cherished people in my life, but the feeling being creative, and listening to my Muse, gives me.

I warmly look forward to 2015's opportunities, the newest of which is my joining the Lunagirl Moonbeams' Design Team. I am excited and honoured to be part of the Team.

The substrate for the postcard is illustration board. Gleaned from magazine pages are the Wilder quote and the title edit at the top of the card. Postage stamps, a photo of the women, a decorative leaf, art and vintage papers complete the card.

As we move through the Holiday Season may your days be filled with all that your treasure!

Art In A Magnificent Setting...

The Mystery of Violet Oakley - Collage

I have always loved visiting the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg. It has it all: sweeping exterior staircases, incredible marble sculptures, murals beyond compare, and Commonwealth, resting atop the dome, a gilded fourteen foot six-inch statue I had the pleasure of seeing at ground level after restoration.

This is why I am so excited, and honoured, to be included in the Fifth Annual Daily Painters of Pennsylvania Group Exhibition taking place in the East Wing Rotunda for the month of July 2014.

The Daily Painters is Blog devoted to artists living in Pennsylvania. The diversity and standard of work is magnificent. I love visiting the Blog because it takes me back to my Art School days where we were able to view work in progress, and careers in transition, in an encouraging environment.

For the exhibition we each submitted three works. I chose The Mystery of Violet Oakley as one of my pieces. The Pre-Raphaelite influenced work of Violet Oakley is no stranger to us living in the Harrisburg area.  Forty-three murals grace the walls of the Capitol. Violet was the first woman artist to receive a commission of such magnitude in the United States. Her extraordinary talent and life inspired my collage.

As one of the Red Rose Girls, Violet shared her life with Jessie Willcox Smith and Elizabeth Shippen Green. Living together encouraged a climate of extreme creativity and speculation on the true nature of the arrangement, a mystery that would never be fully solved.

The substrate for my collage is canvas. In addition to the photo of Violet, I used handmade and art paper, ribbon, joss paper, a letter written by Violet, and a pressed rose petal.

Although we Daily Painters don't physically live together, we do share a home base on the Blog. And like the Red Rose Girls, it is an enlightening and nurturing place to be.