August 2013 - |
It takes all kinds (of collectors) The connection between a collector and an artist is made not in the pocketbook, but in the moment of emotion when an artwork is viewed for the first time. Working the art festivals, I've been able to witness this moment happen firsthand. Different people will respond differently to one work, and different works will draw different people to them. Everyone has their own blend of aesthetics, personality, and interests that combine with their history of experiences. This next weekend and in the coming months will have me seeing a full spectrum of shows - from museum exhibits to high end art festivals (had a great time at Loveland Sculpture in the Park - thank you!) to art festivals that feature work all under $100. On Saturday and Sunday I will be bringing my work to Heritage Grove Park in Evergreen. It's a beautiful mountain setting and I keep hearing lots of good news associated with this festival. If you can't make it to the mountains, on Sunday there will be a chance to visit the Affordable Arts Festival in Littleton. My husband, Steve, will be bringing a selection of framed and unframed giclees, small limited edition original sculptures, and sketches to this event. I got my start finding inspiration in artwork and collecting it as I could when I was in high school and college. All artists are faced with the challenge of setting prices that meet with the needs of collectors, while at the same time make the investment in creation of the work and the logistics of putting the piece on the market worthwhile for the artist. Reproductions are affordable for many, yet an original sculpture provides its own unique and changing experience. It makes me happy to know I am able to make my work accessible to collectors of all walks of life. |
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New Works |
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Confuciusornis as the Phoenix 12" x 13 3/4" |
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Chinese Fossils China has been known for having a great wealth of fossils. Recently, the attention has turned to a collection of fossils from the Jehol region. These specimens were formed in fine-grained lake sediments and ash, and the exceptional detail preserves as near a picture to an extinct ecosystem as anyone could imagine studying. Plants are preserved here, as well as insects, fish, amphibians with gills, mammals with fur, and dinosaurs with feathers. |
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Confuciusornis as the Phoenix (Feng Huang) Confuciusornis is a common fossil from China, and is the first known bird with a full, toothless beak. It had a pygostyle, the fused tailbone of modern birds, and dinosaurian hands on it's wings. Several hundred specimens are known. Confusciusornis's most distinctive feature exists on only half of those fossils - a pair of long, thin tail feathers, barbless until the end, which fanned out into ovals- presumably the male's display. Those tail feathers can't help but bring to mind the beautiful tail feathers of China's other famous bird, the phoenix. Feng huang is the name for the Chinese phoenix, which parallels nicely with the sexual dimorphism of Confuciousornis. Traditionally, phoenixes were separated by sexes - feng, the female, and huang, the male. Nowadays, the word is combined into fenghuang, and the phoenix tends to represent the feminine, and often is paired in harmony with the masculine dragon symbol. |
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Fossils of Confuciusornis have been examined by x-ray, and trace metals have been discovered that indicate two types of melanin pigments. The bird's colors are revealed in areas of whites, blacks, grays, and rusts. The feng huang bears the five sacred colors of China - white, black, red, yellow, and blue. It was a fun and a different kind of challenge to find a plausible color arrangement that fit the mythology, the science, and the visual aesthetics of the piece. Mapping of coloration in extinct animals is still a very young science. Pigments only tell us half the story - those beautiful blues and iridescents seen on so many of our modern birds are not created from a pigment, they are a structural color created by the way the light refracts over the physical surfaces of the feather itself. |
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Upcoming Events
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Evergreen Fine Arts Festival August 24th - 25th |
"Artists from all over the U.S. enter the Evergreen Arts Festival and find that it is one of their favorite shows to do. The artists find the community of Evergreen and its residents to be great art appreciators and are delighted by the interest shown in their work at the Festival. Live entertainment provided by performing arts professionals and a select group of food vendors round out the show to make for an enjoyable day out." |
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"On the 25th of August the art buyers of Colorado will once again experience an arts festival unlike any other. Over 115 artists from around the region and from around the country will come together for one day with a selection of great deals along with pieces that are normally priced under $100. The Festival supports the Arapahoe Community College Foundation's Scholarship fund."
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Affordable Arts Festival August 25th Admission: |
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The Wildlife Experience The Rocky Mountain Animal Artists
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September 28th - January 5th Wildlife Art and Wine "The juried exhibition will feature over 60 recent works of art by nearly forty wildlife artists depicting only wild animals and their natural settings. Participating artists will be members of the reputed Society of Animal Artists who live in a seven-state Rocky Mountain region. Over 100 acclaimed painters and sculptors have been invited to participate. During the event, several artists will be tapped to demonstrate and discuss their artistic techniques, including watercolor, printmaking, clay modeling and scratchboard. All works of art will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit The Wildlife Experience." |
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Society of Animal Artists Last stop on 52nd Annual National Tour
July 12th - August 31st |
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Tiffany Miller Russell www.wildlifeinpaper.com |
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