Ho Ho Ho, A Merry Christmas Reception

Lots of Christmas shopping was done at last night's First Friday reception and Holiday Art and Crafts show at the Lakewood Arts Gallery.  There was a festive atmosphere, J in a Santa Hat, music by Song Salad, wreath-making demos by Marcie Emily and Sue Lewis, delicious punch and snacks by our refreshment maven, Linda Harris and lots of gallery-goers enjoying the 40West Art Walk.  If you missed the reception, come on by the gallery during regular hours: 11-4 Wednesday through Sunday.

Artist in the Spotlight: Sue Lewis

 
How did you get started in creating art?  I trace my artistic journey back to a paint by number kit I received for Christmas when I was 8 years old.  I had paint left over, so I created my own picture.

What is your favorite medium and why?  I love working with textiles because of the texture, color and variety.  I enjoy manipulating it to create something tangible that did not exist before.
 

What are your favorite subjects?  You will see a lot of leaves and trees in my work.  I am inspired by nature and appreciate the Japanese concept of "wabi sabi" or the imperfection of nature.  

Do you have a vision for your work?  For a body of work that you would like to create?  I like to create an image or a mood that connects with the viewer.  I want to develop my own style that people will recognize.  I like to evoke an emotion or a memory for the viewer.  I have a series of wall hangings representing moss, water and lichen.  I love pursuing texture, using color and portraying the organic.

  Defying Gravity was exhibited at the "Lines into Shapes" exhibit at the Estes Park art center and Ripples on the Rio Grande has been selected to travel to several venues in 2018.  It is going to be part of an exhibit called "Life Along the Rio Grande" to be shown in New Mexico. 

 

How did you find out about the Lakewood Arts Council and Co-op?  My fellow fiber artist, Marcie Emily, suggested I investigate becoming a Co-op member.

What do you find most enjoyable or beneficial about being a member?  I enjoy meeting the other artists who have been so helpful and welcoming.  They are also very willing to share their own artistic journey.

What’s next on the horizon?  I am progressing into 3 dimensional work by making bowls, candle surrounds and functional items in an effort to branch out from 2-D work.

 

Has your work changed over the years?  In what way? I started out by making traditional bed quilts and quickly moved on to art quilts or wall hangings.  I have taken classes on fabric dyeing, painting, silk screening and have added unusual fibers and embellishments to my work.

Which artists from the past or living do you admire most? I admire Monet and Van Gogh for their use of color and brushstrokes.  I also love Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures.

Cuteness abounds at the LAC Holiday Craft Show

Stop by the Lakewood Arts Gallery for the annual Holiday Arts and Crafts show.  From ornaments to fine art, jewelry and handcrafted cards, there's something for everyone (including yourself!)  Join us for a festive First Friday on December 1st 5-8pm or stop in during regular business hours. 

Colorado's Best -- Juror Comments on Award Winners

Oil and pastel artist Tracy Wilson juried this year's Colorado's Best exhibit.  Here are photos of the award winners along with her comments. 

1st place Jim Rothrock

The strong design and color/value contrast of this painting make for a successful composition that reaches out and grabs the viewer and pulls us in. Placement of the leaves creates a lovely circuitous path for the eye to move through the paintings and up to the well placed focal area. The background provides dull dark colors and soft edges that beautifully support and “pop” the bright, light, hard edge leaf shapes.

 

 2nd Place Lynnette Kupferer
This successful abstract provides the viewer with plenty of interest. It almost functions as two paintings at two different viewing distances. From a far viewing distance the piece reads as one large abstract shape that is both bold and graceful and forms a well placed, well balanced positive shape against the

negative space of the background. From a distance it reads as two shapes: one positive and one negative. Close up, the viewer explores the intricacies of alternating straight and curved edges, within a variety of shapes and colors.

 

 Merit Award Gail Firmin
This is a nice example of a “stylized” painting. Several elements are working together to support a cheerful and light hearted feeling in this painting. The primary color palette corresponds well to the whimsy of the image: the design of the embroidered pattern creates a playful path for the eye to travel around the image and back again.

 

 Merit Award Linda Harris
The artist has made some good choices with this painting. The width of the painting allows the viewer to appreciate the landscape and sets up the placement of the large tree in front to be a well placed focal

area. The main horizontal divisions of the piece are close to, but not exactly, 1/3rds. This creates unity in the piece while still maintaining variety. The use of light bright color under the large tree was a goodchoice in supporting and emphasizing the focal area.

 

Merit Award Sue Lewis
Lovely analogous color palette combined with organic curved fluid shapes makes for a pleasing and calming viewing experience. Another interesting characteristic of this duo is that the juxtaposition of how they hang together on a wall can be changed and they will still balance together.

A Fun First Friday

With over 80 people stopping in the gallery yesterday for the First Friday festivities, the Lakewood Arts Gallery was full of fun, friends, fine art, fantastic food and folk fusion (well, maybe not the correct genre for music provided by Briyanz, but had to stick with the alliteration).   Anyway, visitors enjoyed carousing with the cats --last day for the Tails of the Painted Cats at the LAC, but also were amazed at the exquisite miniature show, a national show from the Mountainside Art Guild.  How so much detail can be contained within those minute borders is beyond me!  Strong reading glasses and a magnifier must be the necessary tools of the trade for those miniaturists!  Here we have the award winners and some photos from last night's reception.  Enjoy!

What a Deal!

After the LAC Coop meeting this morning, I took advantage of visiting the 40West Farmer's Market in the parking lot of Lamar Station Plaza.
 
It's held every Saturday from June 3rd through October 7th from 9-2 pm.  There weren't a lot of stalls set up, but what was there offered a number of interesting and delicious looking items.
 
 Fresh baked goods, succulents, silk flower arrangements, the requisite fresh produce and even a food truck selling shaved ice and ice cream.
 
There was even a group doing yoga!

Tables set up in the middle allowed for a relaxing setting for shoppers to enjoy their snacks in the shade, which I'm sure little Nevi the puppy appreciated!
 
 I walked away with a bounty of fresh veggies from Miller Farms -- everything you can fit in a bag for $10.  I almost felt guilty with the amount of produce I hauled away -- now to start cooking!

Chandeliers in trees and other ideas...

The LAC's 2017 Garden Tour offered up an array of intriguing outdoor decorating ideas, lots of beautiful flowers to photograph, vegetable gardens to drool over and a fun time with friends and family.  The kids, and kids at heart enjoyed two railroad gardens, complete with manicured plants scaled to the miniature train towns.  The weather couldn't have been better, and back at the gallery, lunch was served for the 170 ticket holders who enjoyed the delicious salads, gazpacho and drinks.  Lots of garden art on the walls and shelves made it home with gallery visitors, and representatives from the CSU Extension offered advice on everything from bee-keeping to emerald ash borer prevention. Putting on a fundraiser of this magnitude required a lot of hard work and time from many volunteers, and thanks go to them for all their hard work, as well as the homeowners and gardeners who volunteered their beautiful and well-tended gardens for the tour.  And now, we look forward to next year's tour!