83rd Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature - Honorable Mention for The Return

This weekend is the opening of the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, DC's   83rd Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature.  I'm so happy that my two graphite entries, Sanctuary and The Return were both accepted in the show!  I'm even happier that my entry, The Return was awarded an Honorable Mention!  There will be more than 600 tiny treasures from around the world for this ever-popular juried exhibition.

 Sanctuary © Barbara A. Freeman, M.A.A.

3 5/8" x 3 5/8" Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord

The Return © Barbara A. Freeman, M.A.A.

3 5/8" x 3 5/8" Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord

Awarded Honorable Mention

 Sanctuary and The Return  © Barbara A. Freeman, M.A.A.

 3 5/8" x 3 5/8" Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord - Framed

The Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society (MPSGS) of Washington, DC is the second oldest Miniature Arts Society in the world, the oldest in the United States. The 83rd Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature show is held at The Mansion at the Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD. They are open, Weekdays 10-4 • Wed. 10-9 • Sat. 10-4 and Sun. 12-4 (closed Mon. and Holidays). The Exhibition Opening is Sunday, November 20th, 2016, 2 to 4.  The show runs November 20th through December 31st, 2016.  This years Judge is Judy Lalingo, Professional Artist.  If you are in the area, this is a beautiful venue and a show not to miss.  These tiny treasures make great holiday gifts!

THE SPIRIT OF A MINIATURE (Taken from the prospectus)

This unique art form, based on a minute scale, traces its roots back to the book paintings and illuminated manuscripts set in the 7th century.  A work of fine art in miniature is a particularly personal object that draws the viewer into an intimate, concentrated little world that is breathtaking in its execution.  Every single detail is miniaturized – the scale of the subject matter, the brush or pencil strokes – so that only with high magnification can one behold the immaculate details of the artist's technique which may include stippling, hatching or pointillism.  These techniques are a specialized means of producing a perfect balance of color and detail in a series of thinly applied layers of exquisite color intended to reflect light. The miniatures show a high standard of design and the artist’s mastery of the chosen media and palette.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read about my work.  I will also have work in the Miniature Art Society of Florida's show coming up in January - more info soon.  May you find many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! 

38th Annual Arts of the Terrace Festival

Autumn is almost here and it's time for the 38th Annual Arts of the Terrace Festival at the Mountlake Terrace Library Complex! This year I've had two in the Miniature category selected,  Capturing the Glow and Sure Signs of Autumn.  Also, a new graphite drawing,  Time Passages, was selected in the Drawing, Painting and Prints category! I always look forward to this show.  The new hanging panels accentuate the artwork and all the new lighting really makes the color pop and allows all the fine line detail I use to show up! 

Sure Signs of Autumn  © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Claybord  3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Capturing the Glow  Framed © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord  3 5/8" x 3 5/8"
Awarded - Third Place Miniatures

Time Passages  © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media  10" x 8"

The show runs from September 24th through October 9th, at the Mountlake Terrace Library Complex, 23300 58th Ave. W. in Mountlake Terrace. (map) There will be an Artists and Patrons Preview, on September 23, 7:00pm - 9:00pm, with an Awards Ceremony at 7:30pm. The show will be open to the public starting September 24th - October 9, 2016.  The show will be up for two weeks, hope you get a chance to see it.

Mountlake Terrace Library Hours:

Monday - Thursday: 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Friday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Sunday: 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Sunday, October 9th, 1:00pm - 3:00pm

 In addition to the Mountlake Terrace Show, I have submitted work to the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society show coming up in November and will be submitting work to the Miniature Art Society of Florida, for their show in January 2017.  I'll be back blogging and posting my new work and the shows I'm in as soon as they happen.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my work and the shows I'm participating in. Happy Autumn!  Get out there and enjoy the wonderful bounty this season has to offer!  Support your local artist!

26th Annual Shoreline Arts Festival Coming this Weelend

I will have two drawings in the  26th Annual Shoreline Arts Festival held on June 25th - 26th at the Shoreline Center.  The Shoreline Arts Festival provides two extraordinary days of visual arts, music, hands-on crafts and even a little theater.  Plus there will be delicious food trucks. This creative community event, sponsored by the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council, is FREE and will be held at the Shoreline Center, 18560 1st Ave NE.

My two works in the juried gallery are Time Passages, and Special Delivery.  The Juried Art Exhibit is one of the highlights of the Arts Festival. It features over 300 artworks from regional artists in 2D, 3D, and photography.

Time Passages  © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media   12" x 9"

Time Passages  © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media   12" x 9" 

Time Passages is a new work that I was so happy to have finished, framed and placed in a show!  I actually completed this one twice, or so I thought!  On the first finished image I had problems with the fixative, it could not be saved.  Then on the second finished one, the medium streaked due to not being thin enough and my rushing! Grrrr!  Each were on different surfaces, first one done on film, second on claybord.  Thankfully, the third time was the charm and I am really happy with the final piece!  It was drawn on Arches Hot Pressed Art Board which is a smooth, acid-free, archival, durable board.  I had to spend so much time on this image that after awhile, each one took on a life of their own!  I seem to be stuck on the image of a crow as a messenger and of course, trees are almost always in my work!  I did learn some things along the way and hopefully my persistence paid off!

Special Delivery  © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film   9 3/4" x 7 5/8"

Special Delivery  © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film   9 3/4" x 7 5/8"

This is the third time I have submitted work to the juried show which is located inside the center.   Last year we arrived earlier in the day and wandered around both inside and out to see all the fun things going on.  It's supposed to be a nice weekend weather wise so hope you can come on out to the Shoreline Arts Festival and see all it has to offer! Be sure to have a look at the work in the juried art gallery as well as the artist marketplace, music, theatre and food. There is so much to see and do for the whole family and it's FREE! Hope to see you there!

26th Annual Shoreline Arts Festival

June 25- 26

Sat 10am-6pm  Sun 10am-5pm

Shoreline Center

18560 1^st Ave NE

Shoreline, WA 098155 (map)

Beer Garden - New this year: After their famous Arts Festival Breakfast (8:30am-11:30am), the Shoreline Senior Center will be reopening its doors for festival goers to come in and enjoy cold beer, bar food, and lively entertainment at the first ever Festival Beer Garden. Performances of clog dancing, folk songs, hula, and more can be enjoyed from both the Beer Garden and the adjacent Family Room. Open 1pm to 6pm on Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday, it will be the perfect place to beat the summer heat!

Thank you for reading about my work and the shows I'm participating in.  Enjoy your summer and be sure to include a visit to some of the many creative art festivals happening this year.  Support to your local artist!

The 25th Annual International Miniature Art Show at Seaside Art Gallery

The 25th Annual International Miniature Art Show at Seaside Art Gallery is happening online now. Each year the show exhibits around 550-600 works of miniature art by talented artists from all around the globe. Some of the world’s most renowned miniature artists participate each year! This show has a wonderful variety of fine art miniatures!

Tree Sprite, Nocturnal Flight, and Forest Lodge
© Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

This great show is a favorite of mine. I love the presentation of the entire show online. You can view my three works in the show on Seaside Art Gallery's webpage here, (scroll down), and shown above in their frames. Seaside is a very organized and professionally run gallery. Seaside Art Gallery is one of the largest galleries in the Southeast with 55 years of excellence and reputed customer service. It is owned and operated by the Smith family.

Tree Sprite  © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Tree Sprite  © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Nocturnal Flight © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Forest Lodge © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Seaside Art Gallery's show is one of the top five national miniature shows that you can see in person and online. The jurors for this years show are the masters of miniatures, Wes and Rachelle Siegrist.

The exhibition runs: April 30^th - May 30^th,
The Artists Reception: May 28^{th 7 - 9 PM.}
The gallery location: 2716 South Virginia Dare Trail in Nags Head NC. (map)
Toll-free number: 800-828-2444.

The online exhibition starts upon arrival of each artist’s work. When the artwork arrives in the gallery, it is examined, measured, photographed and posted. Not only will you be able to click on the work to see an enlarged view, but if you click on the details, it tells you the artist's name and where they're from. There is also a thumbnail of the work in it's frame which you can click on for an enlarged framed view. The clarity of the image is perfect AND you can put it in your cart and buy the artwork online! Collectors are buying pieces as they come into the gallery. You can purchase them before the show opens. When the show is over, the gallery will send your purchase to you, with free shipping in the USA. How easy is that! Please note that their website is still adding images so it may be a bit slow in the beginning. Miniature art is often referred to as "the little jewels of the art world" and enjoys continued growth in popularity worldwide. All beautiful jewels, they'd make the perfect gift for MOM! I hope if you are in the area, you will go see this great show!

As always, I thank you for taking the time to read about my work and the shows I am participating in. If you are one of my collectors, I thank you for your support!

20th Juried Art Show - Schack Art Center

My work, Outside In, has been accepted in the 20th Juried Art Show at the Schack Art Center, in Everett WA. This is a great venue and I'm so happy to have my work included.

Outside In © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Metal Leaf on Claybord 10" x 8"

Detailed View

 Outside In © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Metal Leaf on Claybord 10" x 8"

This biennial show is a collection of Northwest artists featuring a well-rounded variety of mediums to produce an eclectic and visually stimulating exhibit.  You can view the work on the Schack website. Scroll down the page to view all the work and the artists links.  If you've never visited the Schack Art Center, this is the perfect time.  It's gonna be a great show!  All the work in the exhibit is for sale.  Oh and check out their fabulous gift shop filled with local art!

The show runs March 10 – April 23, in the Main Gallery. Opening Reception is March 10, 5-8pm, with the Awards Ceremony at 6:30pm.  The Schack Art Center is conveniently located downtown at 2921 Hoyt Avenue, Everett WA ( map).

The Schack Art Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and celebrating the arts for the enhancement of community life.  Inside the Schack Art Center, there are exhibit galleries with diverse artwork from locally and internationally known professional artists, as well as emerging young talents.  The main gallery also provides a first-class view into the world of glassblowing. Anytime we are open, you are welcome to watch this fascinating process while admiring the latest exhibit.

Outside In © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Metal Leaf on Claybord 10" x 8" Framed

As always, thank you for taking the time to read about my work.  Spring is in the air, enjoy it!  

"Capturing the Glow" - Third in Landscape, at the 41st Annual International Miniature Art Society of Florida Show!

This weekend is the opening of the 41st Annual International Miniature Art Society of Florida Show. This year I was only able to send four entries but I'm happy to say, all four of them were juried in the show! The four works are, As Twilight Begins, Capturing the Glow, Nocturnal Flight, and Sanctuary.

Top Row: Sanctuary ©Barbara A. Freeman, M.A.A.

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Nocturnal Flight ©Barbara A. Freeman, M.A.A. 

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Bottom: As Twilight Begins © Barbara A. Freeman, M.A.A. 

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Capturing the Glow © Barbara A. Freeman, M.A.A. 

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

I'm even happier to announce that my work, Capturing the Glow was awarded Third Place in Landscape!  This work received an Honorable Mention at the 81st Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature at the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society show in Washington DC!

Capturing the Glow © Barbara A. Freeman, M.A.A. 

Graphite and Mixed Media on Claybord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

This is such an honor because the artwork in this show is outstanding, created by some of the top artists of Fine Art Miniatures from around the world! Also, another thing that makes this great is that my work was done in graphite and had to compete with all the beautiful colored paintings!  Which means it wasn't competing with other work in the drawing category, but with other works in the landscape category!!! It's not easy having a mostly black and white work get any notice when it's competing with paintings!  So, that's why I am beside myself and doing the happy dance!  This show is the largest Miniature Art Show in the USA and there are hundreds of entries from across the globe!

The show takes place at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin, FL.  There is a Collectors Preview on Saturday, January 16th 10AM to 5PM with the Artists Reception following at 5:30.  The show runs from January 17th through February 7th, 2016!  This is a wonderful show and not to be missed! I was fortunate enough to have attended the show once and hope to be able to do it again, someday. Hope you can make it there!

2016 Miniature Art Society of Florida Exhibition (MASF)

Dunedin Fine Art Center (DFAC)
1143 Michigan Blvd, Dunedin, FL 34698; (727) 298-3322 

January 17th - February 7th 2016

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday 10AM - 5PM

Thursday 10AM - 8PM

Friday 10AM - 4PM

Saturday 10AM - 5PM

Sunday 1 - 5PM

Closed Mondays and National Holidays

As always, thank you for taking the time to read about my work.  Happy 2016!