Barbara A. Freeman

New Work - "First Encounter"

2012-01-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

First Encounter © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 8 1/2" x 8"

Here she is, my latest river siren placed in a Pacific Northwest landscape. This time I've given her a frog to keep her company. The frog was inspired from one I spotted while on a hike at Lake 22 in the North Cascades. Like most of my work in this series, Wood Nymphs and Other Curiosities, this drawing was done in graphite on film, with colored pencil on the reverse side. Lastly, back to the front with a thin glaze of interference violet on her tail and a few other places to add a bit of sparkle.

Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae)

Lake Twentytwo - North Cascades 2011/07

The frog is a Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae), this one was camera shy but I did manage to get this photo of him.

Below are a few photos of the work as it progressed and then the final scanned image again at the end. I really enjoyed creating this piece. I love drawing trees and rocks so that part was meditation for me. The tree branches and water were another story! I think the most difficult part of the work was the water. By the time I got that far, I was ready to be finished! Getting a good range of values to read as water wasn't easy. There was so much going on with the patterns and textures in the rocks and wood that I wanted to make that area quiet. I needed to show some rocks under the surface and on the edge as well as the quiet movement of the water near the shore without making it too active.

First Encounter © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 8 1/2" x 8"

My intention was to create a space in which to be calm and perhaps ponder what will happen next, after the First Encounter.

Now it's on to the next project, creating fine art miniatures for all the spring shows. Those deadlines are fast approaching! I'm hoping to have work, fine art miniatures and larger work, in the following shows:

March Gallery North - Edmonds, WA (miniatures and small works show)
April Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC (miniatures only show)
May Parklane Gallery, Kirkland, WA (miniatures only show)
June Edmonds Arts Festival, Edmonds, WA (juried art festival which includes a miniature category)
June LiveARTS Bothell, Bothell, WA (juried art festival which includes a miniature category)
Spring UNCLAD, Stanwood, WA (Date coming, rescheduled for the spring) (Unclad (nude) Figure Show)

I will announce any new shows I'll have work in on this blog as they approach and new work when completed so please do check back. As always I thank you for taking the time to read about my work. It may be winter now, but fear not! spring will be here before you know it!

"River Siren at Rest" - New Work

2011-12-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

This is my latest work, just put the finishing touches on it today. The substrate is drafting film. I do the graphite drawing on one side, then turning the film over, add colored pencil on the back in selected areas. Once finished to my satisfaction, I used a very thin interference violet acrylic paint on the front on the tail and a bit of gold on her ear/fin tip. I think using the color sparsely, gives the work an antique look. I had fun creating the waves in the water and repeating that in her tail and hair. I've included a few photos of the work as it progressed. This is the final scanned image, it appears on my website without the watermark. You can also view the work on my website by clicking on a title, or view all the work from this series together at, Wood Nymphs and Other Curiosities.

River Siren at Rest © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 6"x 9"

Happy Holidays to all my blogger friends! The Winter Solstice is just around the corner and I know I'll be happy to see the days lengthen! Happy New Year and I hope YOURS will be filled with wonderful things!! Thanks for taking the time to read about my work!

Just a note - I still have work showing locally at Miniature Masterpieces and More, Kaewyn Gallery in Bothell, till January 25th, Lowell Art Works in Everett until January 14th, and if you are near Washington, D.C., I have work in the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society and that show runs until December 30th. Opening on January 15th, the MASF show runs until February 5th and I have five miniatures in that show.

2011 Miniature Masterpieces and More! - Kaewyn Gallery - Bothell WA

2011-11-29T17:45:00.000-08:00

Lost and Found © Barbara A. Freeman

Acrylic on Gessobord 5 7/8"x 5 7/8"

Just Between You and Me © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 6"x 6"

Snail Tales © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 6"x 6"

The Miniature Masterpieces and More! show opens this Friday, December 2nd at Kaewyn Gallery in Bothell WA. This year, all of my work in the show is from the series, Wood Nymphs and Other Curiosities that I've been having so much fun with. I'll have three small works, two drawings and one acrylic painting, which are the latest work in this series in the show. They are shown above in their frames. You can also view the work on my website by clicking on a title, or view all the work from this series together at, Wood Nymphs and Other Curiosities. In case you haven't read any of my previous blogs, the series all started when I needed to come up with something to enter in a local show called UNCLAD. I needed a figure and knew for me it had to be placed in the forest so I came up with the wood nymph figure. That one led to the next one having wings, when I used my version of the markings of a wood nymph butterfly. I'm not sure how many more works I'll add to the series, but I know there are still a few (one is on my drawing board at this moment). Also, the three framed miniatures below in this series, are in the show. All my miniature art is under 25 inches square. For further information on fine art miniatures, click on the link for the Association of Miniature Artists, Miniature Painters, Sculptors, and Gravers Society of Washington D.C. and the Miniature Art Society of Florida. I am a member of all three.

(Left to right), You Too Shall Have Wings, Dreamer, and Moonbathing

Each work - Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Kaewyn Gallery is located in beautiful downtown Bothell at 10101 Main Street (google map). They are open Tuesday - Thursday 10 to 6, Friday 10 - 5 and Saturday 10 - 4. Don't miss Santa!! He will be at the Gallery on Wed 10 - 2, Thurs 2 - 6 , Fri 1 - 5 and Sat 10 - 2! It is my 5th year participating in this fine invitational show. Each year I am amazed by all the beautiful work and look forward to seeing the show. I hope you also get a chance to see it. All work is for sale. These small and miniature artworks make wonderful gifts that will be lasting treasures. Support your local businesses and your local artists! Thank you for taking the time to read about my work. Happy Holidays to all of my blogger friends and friends to be!

* Kaewyn Gallery will be updating their website for this show soon.

Third Place Drawing at MASF for "A Flash of Blue"

2011-11-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

A Flash of Blue © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 2 3/4" x 3 3/4"

Great news for me! I received my letter today from MASF, Miniature Art Society of Florida, that all five of my works have been accepted for the 37th Annual International Miniature Art Show! Not only that, but A Flash of Blue has taken 3rd Place in Drawing! I sent my very first submissions to MASF back in 2008 and have gotten my work in every year. This is my first award in this show, so I am thrilled! It's the largest miniature art show in this country and there are hundreds of entries! This particular drawing received 1st Place in Drawing in the 2010 Miniature Painter, Sculptors and Gravers Society in Washington D.C. which was an honor! I guess the judges like this piece. It makes me happy!

The other four works juried in this show are Early Autumn, From the Highlands, I Got My Eye on You and Through the Portal. The show opens on January 15th and runs until February 5th, 2012. I attended the show last year and it was incredible seeing all the tiny masterpieces! If you get a chance to see the show, it is well worth it! For more information on the show and miniature art, visit the MASF website by clicking on their name.

Miniature Art Society of Florida Exhibition will be held at the Dunedin Fine Art Center

1143 Michigan Blvd, Dunedin, FL Hours: Mon.-Sat.: 10AM-5PM; Sun.: 1-4PM

Thanks again for taking the time to read about my work.

"Lost and Found" - New work and Show at Lowell - "Breasts of the Northwest "V" Dangerous Curves"

2011-11-14T12:53:00.001-08:00

Lost and Found ©Barbara A. Freeman

Acrylic on Gessobord 5 7/8"x 5 7/8"

This new work is my first acrylic painting in The Wood Nymph Series. All my other wood nymphs have been drawings on film. I decided to challenge myself with painting skin tones and wings. It was fun painting a fantasy figure, and even though she is quite small, I still do not consider this work a miniature work. I did however, paint it with the same attention to detail as I would paint a miniature. I have one more coat of varnish to do, then need to have it scanned. After that, it's off to the framers to have them do their magic. Lost and Found will be part of my small works submission for the Miniature Masterpieces and More Show at Kaewyn Gallery in December. Information on that Invitational Show will be my next blog post - coming soon!

On another note, I will have two of my drawings from The Wood Nymph Series, Keeper of the Sphere and the first one that started it all, The Wood Nymph at Lowell Art Works' exhibit, Breasts of the Northwest "V", Dangerous Curves. Lowell Art Works is located at 5205 S. 2nd Ave. in Everett, WA. The show runs November 19th through January 14, 2012. Lowell Art Works is part of Everett's Third Saturday Art Walk and will have their Opening bash from 4-9PM, Saturday, November 19th, 2011 during the Art Walk. Lowell is open later than the other Art Walk venues downtown, so cruise the town and end up at Lowell for a "titillating evening of eye-opening art, refreshment, and scintillating live music supplied by Everett's own Paul Roberts"! I will be attending and hope to see you there too. Come on out and join the fun! Support your local artist!!

2011-11-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

These two new drawings in the series, Wood Nymphs and Other Curiosities, are not miniatures (under 25" square), but what I consider small works. They are both graphite drawings on drafting film with limited colored pencil on the underside and a bit of acrylic, including interference color (wings), on the front. They will be matted and framed, the total framed size will be 12" x 12".

Just Between You and Me ©Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 6"x 6"

Snail Tales ©Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 6"x 6"

If Snail Tales looks familiar, it's because I used the same reference drawing I did for the silverpoint work, Earth and Sky. I needed a place for the female figure where she would be gazing at the snail. Often I'll have a subject or landscape that I really like and will use it in different ways. This was a perfect setting. It is NOT a print of the first drawing, but a new drawing with slight changes to fit the composition.

I have one more piece that I am still working on for this series which will be exhibited in the same show. It is an acrylic painting, but will be framed in the same manner as the two drawings. When I have them all framed and ready to go, I'll show them again here. The two above, the new painting and three miniatures, all from the series, Wood Nymphs and Other Curiosities, will be exhibited in Kaewyn Gallery's Annual Invitational, Miniature Masterpieces and More! show. I love this show and am always honored to be invited to participate. I'll be blogging about that with more information later. However, mark your calendars because the show opens on December 2nd in time for your holiday shopping!

It's been really beautiful her in the Pacific Northwest. I hope all of you have been enjoying the beautiful autumn colors, my favorite season! Thanks for taking the time to read about my work.

"Catchin Some Rays" - Second Place Award - MPSGS

2011-10-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Entries Accepted in the
2011 Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society's Exhibit

We just got back from a ten day parent visit in Indiana on Tuesday. While opening all the mail I was happy to find a nice notice saying all three of my entries were accepted in the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society (MPSGS) of Washington D. C. for their upcoming show in November. This was happy news indeed! However, this morning when I started to post the news on this blog, I opened the MPSGS web page for their link and saw that they had the winners up on their website. Imagine my surprise when I scrolled down and saw that my work, Catchin' Some Rays was awarded Second Place in the Birds and Animals Category!! I was really doing the happy dance on this one! This is such an honor for me!

Second Place Award - Birds and Animals

Catchin' Some Rays © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Gessobord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Gold and Glory ©Barbara A. Freeman

Acrylic on Art Board 2" x 2"

Traveling the Slow Road © Barbara A. Freeman

Acrylic on Masonite, 2 7/8" x 3 3/4"

My three works, Catchin' Some Rays, Gold and Glory and, Traveling the Slow Road will be in the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society's 78th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature. The show is held in The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD. They are open, Weekdays 10-4 • Wed. 10-9 • Sat. 10-3(closed Sun. & holidays). The Exhibition Opening is Sunday, November 20th, 2011, 12:30 to 2:30. The show runs November 21st through December 30th 2011. If you are in the area, this is a beautiful venue and a show not to miss. These tiny treasures make a great holiday gift!

I know I have been quiet here, mostly due to traveling and also getting work completed and then shipped or delivered for the autumn and winter shows. I have been working on more in the wood nymph series, (inspired by the wood nymph butterfly) two in graphite/mixed media and one acrylic painting. All three will be small works, 6" x 6", not miniature, so I'll have three new works to show soon! I am so happy to be back working in my studio! As always, thanks for taking the time to read about my work, and Happy Autumn!

Good News and a Reminder of Shows This Weekend

2011-09-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Good news and a couple of reminders. First the good news ... I just got the call that my miniature painting, From the Highlands took 2nd place and my mixed media miniature drawing, Through the Portal was awarded an Honorable Mention in the 33rd Annual Arts of the Terrace Art Show in Mountlake Terrace!! This is so exciting, I'm doing the Happy Dance!! The show opens this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing it. Hope you can make it too! You can read more about all my work in the Arts of the Terrace show on an earlier blog post here. There are so many fun things going on with this festival! (read more below)

From the Highlands © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Illustration Board 2 1/8" x 2 1/8"
Second Place Miniatures

Through the Portal ©Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 2 3/4"x 3 5/8"
Honorable Mention Miniatures

Reminder: 33rd Annual Arts of the Terrace Art Show in Mountlake Terrace. The show opens to the public, this weekend, September 24th and runs to October 2nd. The hours are Monday to Thursday, 12 to 8pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 5, and Sunday, 11 to 5pm. To find out more about all the fun things to see and do, visit Arts of the Terrace on FaceBook. See you there!

Another Reminder: The Icon Show at Fraker/Scott Gallery in Pioneer Square, Seattle will have it's Artists Reception this Saturday, September 24 from 5 to 7. The show will be up until October 1st. You can read more about that show and my work in it on my previous blog post here. You can view a slideshow of the artists and their work on opening night Art Walk at this link. It's a fun show in a great space. Always fun to go hang out in downtown Seattle and visit all the galleries. What are you waiting for! Fraker/Scott Gallery, 121 Prefontaine PL South, in Seattle.

"Embracing Mother Earth" - Gallery by the Bay

2011-09-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Good news arrived this morning! I submitted work for a new show at Gallery by the Bay, called Embracing Mother Earth and two of my works, Sculpted by Time and The Vernal Arrival of the Green Darner were selected to be in the show!

Sculpted by Time © Barbara A. Freeman

Metalpoint on Prepared Paper 8 1/2 " x 8 "

The Vernal Arrival of the Green Darner © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 7" x 7"

Along with the work, I need to state what "Embracing Mother Earth" means to me. The quotes from the artists will be part of the show. Embracing Mother Earth opens October 7th and runs to November 21st. Gallery by the Bay is located at 8700 271st St NW, Stanwood, WA. (Click for Map) Gallery by the Bay shows are always well put together, featuring great art and lots of fun. All work will be for sale.

Work Accepted Mountlake Terrace Juried Art Show 2011

2011-09-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

I got an email today stating that all my submissions for the 33rd Annual Juried Art Show, Arts of the Terrace, Mounlake Terrace have been accepted in the show! That's exciting news, as two of the works are making their debut! My two drawings in the show are, Keeper of the Sphere and The Vernal Arrival of the Green Darner.

Keeper of the Sphere © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 7" x 7"

The Vernal Arrival of the Green Darner © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 7" x 7"

The four Fine Art Miniatures are From the Highlands, Peek-a-Boo, Through the Portal and A Flash of Blue.

From the Highlands © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Illustration Board 2 1/8" x 2 1/8"

Peek-a-Boo, © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Claybord, 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Through the Portal ©Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 2 3/4"x 3 5/8"

A Flash of Blue © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Acid-free Film, 2 3/4" x 3 3/4"

Keeper of the Sphere and From the Highlands are both new works, this is their first show. The exhibit takes place at the Mountlake Terrace Library Complex, (map), 23300 58th Avenue W., Mountlake Terrace, WA. I really like this show and it is always a fun reception. The show opens with the Artists and Patrons Preview Party on Friday, September 23rd from 7 to 9 pm, with an Awards Presentation at 7:30. The show opens to the public on September 24th and runs to October 2nd. The hours are Monday to Thursday, 12 to 8pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 5, and Sunday, 11 to 5 pm.

Come enjoy painting, prints, calligraphy, drawings, miniatures, photography and 3-dimensional works by top local and regional artists. I look forward to another exciting venue to exhibit my work. I have several aritist friends in this show, so it's going to be a fun time with great art viewing. All work is for sale, so come on out and support your local artist!!

Three New Miniature Paintings

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, my three latest miniatures, all done in acrylic, each on a different substrate.

From the Highlands © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Illustration Board 2 1/8" x 2 1/8"

This cow is from a hearty breed of Highlands cattle. He kindly posed for me while on the Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms, which takes place around the end of September, first of October. The farm tours are self guided, so you can pick and choose which route and farms you want to visit. They are so much fun and a great way to learn about different farm animals, as well as veggies and fruits. One of our favorite stops is the apple orchard. I never knew there were so many varieties of apples! We do the apple tasting, then purchase the ones we like, along with my favorite pears. They store well and we can enjoy them for weeks to come. Another one of the many reasons I'm really starting to enjoy living here in the Pacific Northwest!

I Got My Eye on You © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Illustration Board 2 5/8" x 2 5/8"

These pelicans, however, are not from the Pacific Northwest. This one along with the one below are from our trip to Dunedin, FL in January when I attended the Miniature Art Society of Florida's (MASF) annual miniature art show. Gina, Wayne and I took a walk along the causeway where folks were fishing. The pelicans were in various modes of relaxing and watching all of us!

Catchin' Some Rays © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Gessobord 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

This pelican was hunched down into his body, looking very relaxed, indeed! He was a bit older I think and trying to have his afternoon nap. We didn't seem to be bothering him at all, but I'm sure he wished we'd go away! One of these pelican miniatures will probably be heading back to Florida for this year's MASF's show.

I have been busy with many different projects this summer. Unfortunately, I have not been able to keep up with blogging as often as I'd like, nor have I been able to visit my blogging friends' sites and leave comments. Facebook has taken away from some of that time. It's really been difficult to stay connected to everyone and all the different events taking place. I'm sure many of you must be experiencing some of the same. Therefore, I thank all of you who do manage to take the time to read about my work and leave a comment. Your support is much appreciated!

*The faint red marks on the images are my watermark and do not appear on the actual work.

"In The Red" - Lynnwood Library Show

2011-08-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Garden Gnome, Contemplating His Latest Work
© Barbara A. Freeman

Small Work, Acrylic on Gessobord, 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

I just got word that my painting, Garden Gnome, Contemplating His Latest Work has been chosen to be in the annual themed show, In The Red - Juried Art Exhibit at the Lynnwood Library Gallery. Forty-three artists will be in this exhibit. I noticed a few familiar names on the exhibit list that are art friends of mine. Congratulations to Eden Hopkins, Naoko Morisawa and Susan Jones! I'm looking forward to this fun show and am happy to be included!

The show runs from September 26 – November 17 at the Lynnwood Library Gallery, 19200 44th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA. Three winners, chosen by the Lynnwood Arts Commission for prize baskets, will be announced at the reception and awards ceremony on Saturday, October 1 at 11am - 12pm at the library. I'll be attending and hope you can make it too!

Just a quick update to let you know I have been creating new work! I have three new miniatures that I will be posting soon. They are in the varnishing stages now and once dry, will be scanned. It's been a very busy summer. I have taken some time away from my studio to do some "research exploring" by hiking some of the beautiful trails around here, gathering reference photos. There are so many exciting places to discover and I need to take advantage before the weather changes. It's also a great way to clear your head and make room for new ideas and allow images to come forth. To me, taking a hike among the forests and rivers is a way to connect with the spirit. As always, I thank you for taking the time to read about my work and hope you will retun.

"The Wood Nymph" accepted in ICON Show at Fraker/Scott Gallery - Seattle

2011-08-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Wood Nymph © Barbara A. Freeman Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 8 1/2" x 8"

I am so excited to announce that my graphite drawing, The Wood Nymph was accepted in the Juried, Themed show, ICON, at Fraker/Scott Gallery in Seattle. The Opening Night is September 1st, and the gallery will be participating in Pioneer Square -1st Thursday Art Walk, from 5 to 9pm. The Reception and Awards are Saturday, September 24th from 6 to 8pm. The show will continue through October 1st. Fraker/Scott Gallery is located at 121 Prefontaine PL South, Seattle, WA. I'm really looking forward to being in this show. Hope you can make it too!

Group Show at Lowell Art Works - Three Miniature Works from the Wood Nymph Series

2011-08-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

I 'm happy to be participating in the Juried Group Show, "V" Years of LAW at Lowell Art Works, celebrating their 5th Anniversary! My three fine art miniatures from the Wood Nymph Series will be in this exhibit.

Dreamer © Barbara A. Freeman

Fine Art Miniature, Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Moonbathing © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

You Too Shall Have Wings © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Lowell Art Works Five-Year Anniversary Celebration! A juried show featuring artist friends old and new. Come celebrate this auspicious occasion with us! The show runs from August 20th – October 8th, 2011. There will be an Opening Reception: Saturday, August 20th, 2011, 4-9 PM (during Everett Art Walk)! Lowell Art Works is located at 5205 S. 2nd Ave, in Everett, WA This will be one of their biggest, most dirverse and eclectic shows yet with over 140 works in a variety of media from over 35 artists! This is a celebration of five years of frolicking on the fringe ... of Everett!!

WIP Fantsay Tree with Nude, "Keeper of the Sphere"

2011-07-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Keeper of the Sphere © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 7" x 7"

I can't believe I've finally gotten this work finished! I really enjoyed all the aspects in creating this work, but for whatever reason it just seemed to take forever to finish! As I said in my last post, I am happy with the way the graphite forest, tree and figure turned out.

The above image is from the back side of the film where I've decided to add the Triquetra symbol to the corners to repeat the theme of the central sphere. The color is done with colored pencil.

After coloring the back of the film, I returned to the front side and added acrylic paint to the sphere and trinity knot symbols. I've also added highlights on the sphere and her eyes. I used interference violet on the knots, the circle's outer ring, and the Triquetra in the sphere. It was not a sunny day yesterday so the first photo above is quite dark. I was so unhappy with the results that I decided not to publish this yet and instead hope for better light the next day.

Keeper of the Sphere © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 7" x 7"

Well, I'm happy to say even though it still wasn't very bright this morning, I had much better results in taking the above photo. There was such a difference between the two I decided to show both to compare.

I am still thinking of a title. Some times the work needs to rest and with any luck, it will manifest it's own name. I want to go with the Neopagan meaning of Triquetra as the three stages of the goddess (Maiden, Mother, and Crone) or the interconnected parts of our existence (Mind, Body, and Soul). I like the spiritual, mystical feel of this work which is intentional. I plan on entering it in a show with the title/theme, ICON. I think the show will have a very open interpretation with many interesting submissions. I'm not sure if this work will fit, however, I still want to take a chance on submitting. Besides, using the show as a challenge gave me an excuse to continue doing work with the female figure in the forest series which I am having so much fun with! The show isn't until September so it will be a while before I find out anything. When I do, I'll be sure to announce it here! In the meantime, it's time to get busy creating miniatures for all the fall deadlines!!

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer and are staying cool! Thanks for taking the time to read about my work.

LiveARTS Bothell Reception Photos and New Work in Progress (WIP)

2011-06-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of the Artists' Reception and Preview Party from last weekend at LiveARTS Bothell. There was quite a crowd in the lobby.

Wayne snapped this shot of me getting my award for First Place in Miniature for my work, Mister Pelican. When I came back on Sunday after the show to pick up my work, I found out that it had sold!

Above, artists Eden Hopkins and Susan Jones in deep conversation.

This fun photo was being taken at the same time by both Wayne Freeman and Ron Stocke, so we are all directing our eyes at two different cameras! Starting left, Ursula Stocke, Josey Wise, Barbara Freeman, Janie Olsen and Eden Hopkins. It was fun meeting up with everyone, all in the same place at the same time. These talented artists all had work in the show.

What I'm Working on Now...

is another graphite and mixed media on film. It has a female figure in the foreground with one of my fantasy trees behind her. I have enclosed the image in a circle and will be adding color on the back side of the film, the border of the circle, her body color and the sphere.

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with the central sphere she is holding. I have a lot of ideas but I'll wait to see what she wants to do with it. This drawing has taken a lot longer than I thought it would. The tree is always the easiest part, the figure, not so easy for me. Right now I am making some corrections to the arm and hand. I may add something to the four corners, I haven't decided yet. I like the vision so far. I do have a competition in mind to enter it into if it's finished in time. It may be a long shot as you never know if your work will fit the theme or if the juror will like it. However, when I head about this show, I was inspired to create this new work with that goal in mind. To me the inspiration and creation of the work are what's important! Until next time, thanks for taking the time to read about my work. Enjoy your summer!

Mister Pelican - First Place Miniatures, LiveARTS Bothell!

2011-06-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo!! I got a call from LiveARTS Bothell that my painting, Mister Pelican took First Place in Miniatures!! Tomorrow evening is the Preview Party with the awards presentation and I'm going to be there for sure! You can read about and see the rest of my work that's in the show HERE.

Mister Pelican © Barbara A. Freeman

Acrylic, 3 1/8" x 2"

The LiveARTS Bothell show will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, June 25th and 26th. The venue is the same place as last year at the new Mobius Hall Gallery on the campus of Cascadia Community College and U.W. Bothell. The college is located one mile east of downtown Bothell (directions and map here). The LiveARTS Bothell Art Fair is always great fun, with musical entertainment, great food and ART! There is free garage parking and the festival event will be in the inner courtyard of the wooded campus overlooking its 58-acre North Creek wetland.

This is a great community event and always lots of fun. I hope you can make it. Be sure to look for my work in the new Mobius Hall Gallery.

2nd Place Miniatures! - Edmonds Arts Festival - Fathers' Day Weekend

2011-06-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Traveling the Slow Road © Barbara A. Freeman

Fine Art Miniature, Acrylic on Masonite, 2 7/8" x 3 3/4"

Second Place Miniatures - Edmonds Arts Festival

Sunday evening Wayne and I went to the Reception for the artists and volunteers of the Edmonds Arts Festival at the Frances Anderson Center . The show was still in the "raw", the work not yet hung in it's final position nor with information labels and awards ribbons. Therefore, it was hard to see who the artist was and what works got awards.

I saw someone looking at the tag on my miniature, Traveling the Slow Road and when I told her it was mine, she congratulated me and told me it had taken Second Place!! When the show opens with the Preview pARTy on Wednesday, the 15th, all will be labeled and polished.

Pastel artist, Cheryl Hufnagel and Acrylic painter, Janie Olsen

While there, I met up with several artists friends. My friend Janie Olsen has two paintings and four miniatures in the show. She was happy to find out that her work titled Jingle Bells, took Third Place in Miniature! Pastel artist and friend, Cheryl Hufnagel has two paintings and three miniatures in the show. It's always great to run into Cheryl and see her latest work.

Yours truly with Cheryl and Janie.

Being an artist who loves to draw, I was also excited to see several very nice graphite pieces in the Drawing Category. I was blown away by a really wonderful piece featuring rocks and shells. It was filled with texture and a beautiful range of values. When I looked to see who it's creator was, I found it was my friend Susan Jones' work! Sorry, I didn't get any photos of Susan.

Awards and kudos to artists, sponsors and volunteers.

I am looking forward to returning to the show when the festival is in full swing this weekend. Mark your calendars and take Dad to the Edmonds Arts Festival , this Fathers' Day weekend, June 17th through the 19th - Friday, 11am to 9 pm, Saturday, 10am to 8pm, and Sunday, 10am to 6pm. Also, this year’s annual Preview pARTy will be held on Wednesday, June 15 at the Frances Anderson Center beginning at 6:00 pm. Look for my work at the Juried Art Show, inside the Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main Street, Edmonds,WA

Needless to say, I was very happy that my miniature received an award, especially after I received notice last week that the silverpoint and acrylic work in progress that I had just blogged about, Trio, was rejected from the competition I entered it in! Just goes to show, you never know what gets in and what gets turned away. As most jurors will tell you, it's a hard job! In the meantime, I'm working on another mixed media piece on film and will post it here when it's finished. As always, thanks for taking the time to read about my work. Do try to visit some of the great Art Events in your area wherever you live, and support your local artist!

"Earth and Sky" Silverpoint and Acrylic WIP Completed

2011-06-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were going to make a journey via train to visit my in-laws. It was our first overnight train trip and we were looking forward to a new experience. I keep a good daylight lamp with a magnifier at their place so while I'm there, I can still work when there is time. I thought I would also be able to work on the train to help fill the time. As usual when I know I will be working while visiting, I have to get something planned out and started. I had been wanting to do another silverpoint work, and already had some paper prepared with silverpoint ground. I knew I wanted to do something with lots of texture and with color like I do when working in graphite and film. After looking through my photo library, I decided on one of a piece of driftwood that had mushrooms growing out of it. It had the perfect bit of color and all the texture that I needed.

I drew the study for this work on film. I have found that film works really well in the planning stages. It erases so easily and I can do smaller studies and lay them on top or under to arrange the composition. Above is the drawing with the reference photo and the prepared paper with the drawing transferred on.

I did a small study of the mushrooms on a bit of silverpoint ground to see how the acrylic looked with the silverpoint and to work out the colors, etc. I was happy with it at this point so it was time to get started.

I started on the upper left with the silverpoint. But before I got very far along, I knew I was going to add something else for color balance. I decided on a butterfly with wood nymph markings, or my interpretation of one.

Because this was going with me on my journey, I wanted to get the painting parts finished first. Better to have that all completed BEFORE I invested the time on the details of the silverpoint drawing.

Here's a closer view of the mushrooms.

A closer view of the butterfly.

I made a traveling portfolio to use as a drawing board on the trip. It's two pieces of foam core hinged on the inside. I kept the drawing with a sheet of mat board to cover it. The thing on the right side is the wedge to sit it on.

I cut the wedge from the same piece of foam core, same width as the portfolio. I cut it in three pieces, but not all the way through so it would fold. Then I used the velcro that came on heads of lettuce from the supper market. (I save everything!) I glued this on the end and then used it to wrap around the wedge to help hold it in place.

This is at a table in the lounge car on the train, the windows are large and folks come for snacks and drinks, to just read or play games, or look out the window at the beauty going by. It's also a fun place to take photos if you can avoid the reflections on the windows. Now if only they would get an espresso machine!!

This shows the wedge with the work on top.

I've attached a small magnifier to it here. Everything worked out great, except the train didn't cooperate! There was far more movement than I thought there would be and I could not work! I did see another person with a sketch book working on some ink tatoo-like drawings but it wasn't working for me. Also, there were far too many distractions with all the abundance of scenery, water fowl and other wildlife to look at!

Finally, when we got to our destination and I set up my work space, a card table with my daylight lamp, I was ready to get started!

I know the photos are strange with the light being warm sometimes and cool another. I think it depends on the light in the room or if it was day or night. You can see the silverpoint reflecting in the upper right. In the photos below, you can see the reflection of the warm colors from the butterfly in the upper left.

I was able to make much more progress when I got back home.

It seemed to take longer than I thought it would. Perhaps due to not being in my own studio and not having worked with silverpoint in quite awhile. Everytime I do use it again, I learn more. One thing I have to remind myself is not to become rushed, to go slowly! The layers need to build up slowly, I got heavy handed in a couple of places. Fortunately, they were in a place where I ended up cropping anyway! Also I was reminded not to make the point too sharp, it can scratch the surface of the ground! I also remembered the beauty of the lines and the changes in the silver color and how it warms. I could see the difference from when I worked before I left for the trip and when I arrived and started working again. It all evens out and becomes the same warm color.

Earth and Sky © Barbara A. Freeman

Silverpoint and Acrylic on Prepared Paper 6 1/2" x 7 1/2"

This is the final cropped version. Showing more of the background rocks seemed unnecessary and I thought it took away from the focal point. Now your eye goes directly to the mushrooms! This work is all about textures, from the detail of the driftwood to the smoothness of the mushrooms, the underside of their gills, as well as the smooth river rocks and then the delicate wings of the butterfly. This work in silverpoint and acrylic was submitted to a local competition, no theme. I'll show it again after I have it framed. I should find out this week, so I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed and let you know! For now, I need to come up with my next project. I have several things floating around in my head so it's just a matter of working it out. I do have to get some miniatures finished for the fall deadlines, but I think I have one more non-miniature to do first! Until next time...Thank you for taking the time to read about my work.

Oh and by the way, the train trip was great and we will do it again! It's so much better than flying, much less stressful and without the invasive security!

LiveARTS Bothell Juried Show Acceptance

2011-06-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

I've received my letter from the LiveARTS Bothell Juried Art Exhibit and the good news is... ALL my work has been juried in! Below are the four works in the Miniature Art Category, including the new miniature painting, Mister Pelican, making his debut in this show.

Mister Pelican © Barbara A. Freeman

Acrylic, 3 1/8" x 2" Framed

Peek-a-Boo, © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Claybord, 3 5/8" x 3 5/8" Framed

A Touch of Autumn, © Barbara A. Freeman

Acrylic on Polymin, 2 1/8" x 3 1/4" Framed

Moonbathing © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Framed

My two larger works, The Vernal Arrival of the Green Darner and The Wood Nymph are in the Drawing Category, both done in graphite and mixed media on film. You can read about the two of them on this blog as a "work in progress" by clicking on each of their titles above.

The Vernal Arrival of the Green Darner © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 7" x 7"

The Wood Nymph © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 8 1/2" x 8"

The LiveARTS Bothell show will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, June 25th and 26th. The venue is the same place as last year at the new Mobius Hall Gallery on the campus of Cascadia Community College and U.W. Bothell. There will be a Patron Preview Party on Friday June 24th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm with the awards presentation at 7:00. Please call for reservations at 425-398-0559 by June 10th. The college is located one mile east of downtown Bothell (directions and map here). The LiveARTS Bothell Art Fair is always great fun, with musical entertainment, great food and ART! There is free garage parking and the festival event will be in the inner courtyard of the wooded campus overlooking its 58-acre North Creek wetland.

This is a great community event and always lots of fun. I hope you can make it. Be sure to look for my work in the new Mobius Hall Gallery. The sun is going to shine that weekend!

~~~

I know I said I was working on a new drawing in silverpoint and would blog about it as a work in progress as soon as I had it finished. I can with relief say that I did finally get it finished today (Friday) in time to submit it to a local competition! I will blog about it and show the steps I took, hopefully by Monday! I need to download the photos, organize and put my watermark and copyright on them. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a sneak peek image of it.

Trio, Silverpoint Work in Progress © Barbara A. Freeman

Thank you for taking the time to read about my work and the shows I'm going to be in. The sun has been out all day and it looks like a beautiful weekend here. I hope you are all enjoying your spring or whatever your weather is, in what ever part of the universe you reside!

Work Selected for 54th Annual Edmonds Arts Festival Juried Show!

2011-05-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sculpted by Time © Barbara A. Freeman

Metalpoint on Prepared Paper 8 1/2 " x 8 "

I just returned today from a train trip to northern Indiana to visit my in-laws. What a great welcome home when I picked up the mail and received the news that all the work I submitted to the Edmonds Arts Festival Juried Show was selected! I am doing the Happy Dance!! This year I am in three categories: One in Drawing - Sculpted by Time, Two in Painting - Garden Gnome, Contemplating His Latest Work and $2.00/bunch, and Four in Miniatures - Dreamer, Early Autumn, The Silent Ones, and Traveling the Slow Road. Two of these works, the drawing and a miniature, are done in silverpoint/metalpoint which is exciting! You can read more about silverpoint, at this link, silverpoint.com.

Garden Gnome, Contemplating His Latest Work
© Barbara A. Freeman

Small Work, Acrylic on Gessobord, 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

$2.00/bunch © Barbara A. Freeman

Small Work, Acrylic on Gessobord, 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

The Edmonds Arts Festival is one of the longest running in the Northwest, and a great time for the whole family. The Juried Art Show will be inside the Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main Street, Edmonds,WA. In addition to the indoor juried show, there is also the outdoor Arts Festival with food, music and artists' booths on the lawn. This fun festival takes place on Fathers' Day weekend, June 17th through the 19th - Friday, 11am to 9 pm, Saturday, 10am to 8pm, and Sunday, 10am to 6pm. This year’s annual Preview pARTy will be held on Wednesday, June 15 at the Frances Anderson Center beginning at 6:00 pm.

Dreamer © Barbara A. Freeman

Fine Art Miniature, Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Early Autumn © Barbara A. Freeman

Fine Art Miniature, Acrylic on Polymin, 2 1/4" x 3 1/4"

The Silent Ones © Barbara A. Freeman

Fine Art Miniature, Silverpoint, 2 9/16" x 3 9/16"

Traveling the Slow Road © Barbara A. Freeman

Fine Art Miniature, Acrylic on Masonite, 2 7/8" x 3 3/4"

Second Place Miniatures - Edmonds Arts Festival

I'll be posting more about the show as news develops. In the meantime, however, I hope to be posting a work in progress of a new silverpoint drawing. When I do post the work in progress, it will not be in real time. Unfortunately, it has had many interruptions due to my traveling! The show I'm hoping to enter it in has a deadline of June 3rd, so I really need to get working on it! Until then, thanks for taking the time to read about my work and the shows I'm in. I hope that wherever you are, you can get out and enjoy all the local art festivals and shows during the summer. Remember to Support Your Local Artists!

Two Years Blogging!

2011-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

I reached my second year blogging on May 16th! I wasn't sure what I was getting myself in to when I started, but I'm really glad I did. I've connected with so many other great blogger friends, artists, collectors and folks just looking. Thanks to all of you for visiting my blog and reading about my work. Most of all, thanks for your support!

Part of the reason I've not had time to post here is my new work is in silverpoint. I have been wanting to do another silverpoint and even though it's a medium that requires a bit more planning, the beautiful values and softness of the metal is worth the extra time it takes. I have been photographing the work as it progresses and will post some photos late next week. (Hopefully they will not have too much reflextion!) The work will have a bit of color in it as well. It is not a miniature, but a small work, around 7 or 8 inches square. I think I will wait until I have the photos ready to show before I say more. The other reason is for family matters and that can get very complicated! Life often gets in the way of one's work, but hopefully it also makes us better, more compassionate artists. Until next time, enjoy the beautiful spring and thanks for reading about my work. Support your local artist!

Photos of Parklane Gallery's 19th Annual Miniature Show

2011-05-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Parklane Gallery, Kirkland WA

What a fun Artists' Reception at Parklane Gallery Saturday evening. I got to meet Jim Smith, the juror for the show, who is also the Fearless Leader of the Yahoo Miniature Art Group. Jim is even more delightful in person than he is online! It was a great show with lots of red dots appearing while we were there. Several of my artist friends came by to see the show and say hello. Some also had work in the show. My friend Janie Olsen and her husband Bill attended. Janie had several red dots appear on her work, including one of my favorites Banty Hen!! I also met Naoko Morisawa who works with mosaic bits of dyed wood that she cuts and makes into beautiful images. Sue Jackson-André, aka, Clovie Boy stopped in to say hello. Sue had two beautiful colored pencil drawings of rabbits in the show. The show gathered a large number of people throughout the evening. It was a beautiful evening!

Juror and Artist, Jim Smith with Artist, Barbara Freeman (yours truly)

Juror, Jim Smith telling how he made his difficult choices for the awards!

Lovely Music is always provided.

If you haven't seen this show, do try to see it. It's amazing, the amount of detail and wonder that is contained in these tiny masterpieces! This show will also be part of the Kirkland ArtWalk on Friday, May 13 from 6 until 9. The 19th Annual Miniature Art Show at Parklane Gallery, 130 Park Lane in Kirkland WA continues through June 5th. Parklane Gallery is a beautiful place to visit.

I know that some who will read this blog to see the photos, looking for their work, will be disappointed. I regret if the photos are not large enough to see all the art. When taking photos of the show and reception, we try to respect those who do NOT wish to have their work photographed. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog. Support your local artist!

Parklane Gallery's 19th Annual Miniature Art Show

2011-05-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

(clockwise), You Too Shall Have Wings, Pastoral Afternoon,

A Flash of Blue and Through the Portal
© Barbara A. Freeman

Parklane Gallery's 19th Annual Juried International Miniature Art Show now has a preview of the show online at their website, HERE. I am happy to say that all four of my submissions have been juried in the show. Parklane Gallery is located at 130 Park Lane in beautiful downtown Kirkland, WA. The show runs from May 3rd through June 5th. The Artists' Reception and Awards Presentation is this Saturday, May 7 at 5:00 PM. The show will also be part of the Kirkland ArtWalk on Friday, May 13 from 6 until 9. There are over 300 works from some of the top Fine Art Miniaturists from all across the country and abroad. Jim Smith the juror will have a hard time giving the awards! Magnifying glasses are provided and closer looks are encouraged!

This is a local show for me and I will be attending the reception. My husband Wayne will take photos of the show and reception for me which I will be including in my next blog and posting on several miniature art forums. Check back, I'll try to get them up as soon as I can. In the meantime, enjoy all the beautiful miniatures online. Once again, I am honored to be a part of this show. If you have never seen a miniature show in person, this is a perfect opportunity! I hope to see you there.

2011 Seaside Gallery Miniature Show

2011-04-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

(L to R) Gold and Glory, Always Illuminated and Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed
© Barbara A. Freeman

Once again, I am participating in Seaside Gallery's 20th Annual International Miniature Art Show in Nags Head, North Carolina. This great show is a favorite of mine. I love the way they handle the artists' work and their presentation of the entire show online. They are a very organized gallery. I am notified by email when my work arrives along with a list of the work, each given a number. I was always impressed with the way they presented the work in their online gallery, but now they have a new web site and it's even better! Not only can you click on the work and it will enlarge, but if you click on the details, it tells you the artist's name and where they're from, and also shows a thumbnail of the work in it's frame. When you click on the thumbnail, that view will also enlarge. The clarity of the image is perfect AND you can put it in your cart and buy it online! I shipped my work with Clip-N-Ship, USPS on Monday, got conformation that it was received today, Wednesday and a few hours later, it's up on their website! Click on Always Illuminated, Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed or Gold and Glory to see the work on Seaside's online gallery. You can see all the work in this fabulous miniature show HERE. Thanks Seaside!

Seaside Art Gallery is located in the beautiful Outer Banks of Nags Head, North Carolina. This is their 50th Anniversary of being in this location. The show runs from April 30th through June 4th, 2011, however, the exhibition starts when the work is received. There are approximately 600 works by artists from all over the world and it is one of the top 5th national miniature shows! There will be an awards reception on Saturday May 28th from 7 to 9PM. Wish I could be there! Hope if you are in the area, you will go see this great show!

Two New Miniature Art Works

2011-04-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

Mister Pelican © Barbara A. Freeman

Acrylic, 3 1/8" x 2"

Mister Pelican was the result of my trip to Dunedin, FL this last January when I went to see the Miniature Art Society of Florida Show. One afternoon Wayne, daughter Gina and I took a walk along the water and around the bridges to where folks were fishing. While there, several pelicans landed and posed for us. I had several photo references to work from, but was attracted to this composition because of the curve of the pelican's neck and the proud look in his eye. I also liked this format and thank Wayne for use of his photo. I have several other interesting poses of pelicans so who knows, there may be more pelican paintings down the road.

Being there brought back memories from when I lived in Central Florida and our family would take day trips to the 520 bridge at Merrit Island near Coco Beach to go fishing. It was a fun day just hanging out, feeding the fish more than catching them! I also remember when we used to go camping at the "Jetties" south of Cocoa Beach and fish all night. We'd climb out on the rocks and catch sheepshead and whatever else was running, then cook them up for breakfast. The pelicans were always part of the landscape. All that has changed and the Jetty is a park now with fees for everything. I'm glad we were able to enjoy it when the only folks there were fishermen and surfers.

Pastoral Afternoon © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Acid-free Film, 2 5/8" x 3 1/2"

Pastoral Afternoon is a graphite on film work with colored pencil on the back side of the film. Having the colored pencil on the back side gives the work the look of a faded photograph. The scene reminded me of my childhood in a small town in PA where I lived. There was a field behind my house where I loved to roam and daydream during the summer. There were cows in that field too but always far off closer to the farm end of the meadow. I used to slip under the barbed-wire fence brushing past the spearmint plants to get to the other side. There was a creek down at the bottom of the hill where I would go with my little dog Ginger. I loved spending my time in that field letting my imagination run but always keeping my eye on the cows, that they didn't get too near and block my way back home. Even now when I smell fresh mint, I can remember how it felt having the whole day to run in that meadow, to expore and dream!

April - Mystical Realm Art Show - Renton WA

2011-03-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Our Neck of the Woods © Barbara A. Freeman

Colored Pencil on Acid-free Film, 11" x 8"

The Mystical Realm Art Show at Happy Delusions in Renton, WA opens this week and will feature over 20 local artists. My fantasy tree, Our Neck of the Woods will be included! The theme of the show is

"based on the magical land where Unicorns roam free on the grassy plains with the Jackalope's. Fairies and Gnomes tend to the wild flowers and mushrooms of the forest where witches live in bone and candy houses. Trolls hide under bridges to torment travelers, troublesome spirits haunt rivers and lakes to lure passersby to a watery grave. Narwhals fight epic battles with ancient creatures in the deeps of the oceans and the castles in the sky float by without taking notice."

I think this work is a perfect fit! The show will be hung at Happy Delusions, 924 South 3rd Street in Renton, (map), from April 1st through April 29th. The Artists' Reception is Friday, April 1st, from 5-9 PM. It's sounds like a great time and a very interesting, fun show! I'm looking forward to it and hope to see you there! Remember to support your local artist!

Another New Wood Nymph Miniature - UNCLAD 2011 and Gallery North Miniature Show Updates

2011-03-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

I've just finished another Fine Art Miniature in the "Wood Nymph" Series. This one has a rather dreamy look to it, hence the title, Dreamer. I'm really enjoying creating figures in my work. I would not have attempted this had it not been the challenge of the UNCLAD show. I am so glad I submitted work to it! As all my "Wood Nymph" Series, this was done on Dura-lar Matte film with graphite, then colored pencil on the back side of the film and finished with Golden Interference color glazes on the wings, front side.

Dreamer © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Speaking of UNCLAD, you can see Janie Olsen and your's truly, in front of our work. I was so happy to see that Sharing Secrets had a big red dot on it when I arrived at the Artists' Reception!!! I also sold my miniature, Gathering the Morning Dew. Gayle Picken, owner of Gallery by the Bay, said my audio really helped with the sale of the work. The buyer was curious about the process and in my audio I explained how it all came together. The Wood Nymph and the other two, You Too Shall Have Wings and Moonbathing, fine art miniatures in the gift shop are still available. Janie was also very happy because her beautiful work, Lost Heart, sold on Sunday!

UNCLAD 2011 Barbara Freeman

with her two works, Sharing Secrets and The Wood Nymph

UNCLAD 2011 Janie Olsen and I together with our work.

A couple of photos of the artists' reception at UNCLAD 2011. The show continues until March 27th, with more events so if you haven't seen it, there is still time, - click UNCLAD 2011 for more information. It's a great show you won't want to miss. I'm already thinking about what I want to create for next year!

Tonight is the Edmonds' Art Walk and Gallery North in downtown Edmonds will be participating. I have three works in their 2011 Annual Miniature and Small Painting Show. I was at the gallery during the opening reception and met up with artist friends, Eden Hopkins and Janie Olsen who also had work in the show. It was a fun time and there were lots of visitors to the gallery, all the work is for sale. This evening would be a great reason to go see it during the Edmonds' Art Walk! The show continues through the end of the month.

Gallery North - Eden Hopkins, Janie Olsen and Barbara Freeman

My next show will be the Mystical Realm Show at Happy Delusions in Renton, WA. I'll be blogging about that one soon. Until then...thanks for taking the time to read about my work.

"You Too Shall Have Wings" Fine Art Miniature - from the Wood Nymph Series

2011-03-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

This is the third of my miniatures in the series of "Wood Nymph" drawings that will be in the gift shop at Gallery by the Bay during the UNCLAD show. This one, You Too Shall Have Wings, is of a male wood nymph. I wanted to have the male figure represented and chose this posture with him looking forward. Once I had the figure worked out, I still wasn't sure what I wanted him to be looking at. Then one night when I couldn't sleep, I remembered how beautiful the wood nymph caterpillar was. I loved its beautiful orange and black markings. I knew then that I had the focus for my figure.

You Too Shall Have Wings © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

You Too Shall Have Wings © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Framed

Moonbathing © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Framed

Gathering the Morning Dew © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Framed

All three of the framed miniature works together.

Sharing Secrets © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 6 1/2" x 9" Framed

The Wood Nymph © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 8 1/2" x 8" Framed

Above are all five of my framed works that will be on exhibit at Gallery by the Bay during the UNCLAD show. There will be an audio of my work so be sure to bring your cell phones to hear about how I created them, they are number 50 and 51. There will also be a magnifying glass available to view all the fine detail in each work. All five have been created in the same way, graphite drawings on Dura-lar Matte film, with colored pencil on the back and Golden Interference color glazes on the wings. You can read about them on earlier blog posts by clicking on "Wood Nymph". There will also be catalogs available at the gallery of all the works in the show. The UNCLAD Exhibit will run from March 12th through March 26th. Gallery by the Bay is now open 7 days a week, 11 am to 5 pm every day. They are located in Stanwood, 8700 271st NW. For more information, phone: 360.629.4297 or Email: gayle@gallerybythebay.com.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my work. Mark your calendars, you are invited to experience the 10th Annual UNCLAD Art Show at Gallery by the Bay, featuring over 150 works of art by artists from across North America, a wonderful Gift Shop, a free Audio Tour, artist Demos, special Events, and all the energy, excitement and inspiration that comes when artists, friends and art enthusiasts gather to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of this unique community event. I hope you can make it! Support your local artist!

"Moonbathing" Fine Art Miniature - from the Wood Nymph Series

2011-03-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the second miniature in the series of "Wood Nymph" drawings. This is the final finished image below. I will have it along with two other miniature works available in the gift shop at Gallery by the Bay during the UNCLAD show, opening next week.

Moonbathing © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

This is the the initial drawing where I worked out the position of the body, especially the hands and feet, always the hardest for me! At this point I wasn't sure where she was going to be, I just liked the posture.

I then transferred her to the Dura-lar Matte film and as shown above, where I placed her on a shelf-like ridge next to an opening in a tree. I started the drawing on the top left.

Here is my set up with my mangnifier and tray of graphite pencils and tools.

In this photo you can see I've gotten fairly far along. I've done the figure, face and hands. The best part for me is the tree textures and values. I love doing that part, so meditative!

You can see the shelf I've placed her on. I was using the idea of fungus that you often see growing on trees. Then I added the steps leading inside, which seemed to be the right thing to do. I wanted to keep the flow moving to create the rhythm and lead your eyes around the work.

This is what the back looks like when I add colored pencil to it. I used it for the wings, body and sky and a few touches where the night light shows on the steps.

When I had the opening in the tree, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. I had the choice of making it a view to a forest real or imaginary and then it just hit me that it would be great to have the moon and stars show through. The circles in her wings repeat the shape of the moon and the colors set a mood. I added glazes of Golden Interference Blue (fine) to the wings, the stars and the moon. You can see I was excited about this one. I am having so much fun with these imaginary creatures! I have one more finished miniature that I will be posting soon. I will be delivering all my work for UNCLAD tomorrow and meeting up with my friend Janie Olsen. Janie also has work, Lost Heart, in the show. Her beautiful work has an interesting story behind it and you can hear Janie tell all about it with the audio tour by listening on your cell phone. I also have audio for my works, Shared Secrets and The Wood Nymph, telling how I work on film. I hope you can make it to the show! It's going to be a great time. Lots of fun things going on at the gallery and in the community. Thank you for reading about my work and I hope you will return to see my next miniature in the wood nymph series.

Gallery North 2011 Annual Miniature & Small Painting Show

2011-03-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

I have work in Gallery North's 2011 Annual Miniature & Small Painting Show. The show opened on March 1st and continues through March 31st. The Artists' Reception is this Sunday, March 6th from 1 to 4 PM. Gallery North is located at 508 Main Street in beautiful downtown Edmonds. They will also be open for the Edmonds Art Walk on Thursday, March 17th from 5 to 8pm.

My three works in this show are the small works painting, A Meditation on the Pacific Northwest, and two fine art miniatures, In Fair Condition and The Old Barn. The show was juried for awards which will be given at the reception on Sunday. I will be attending and I hope to see you there!

My next blog post will be my new miniature Moonbathing, which will include a few in progress photos. I am working on getting my photos downloaded and writting the post, so do keep checking back!

"Gathering the Morning Dew" Fine Art Miniature - from the Wood Nymph Series

2011-02-20T23:48:00.000-08:00

Since I created the last two works using the figure as a "Wood Nymph", I wanted to continue with that theme in miniature format. This first one, also done in graphite on Dura-lar Matte film, has colored pencil on the underside of the film for wing and body color. There are some acrylic touches on the front on the wings and the on dew drop. The wings have a layer of Golden Interference Violet (fine) on them as well as some gold to add sparkle. Being a miniature, you can hold the work in your hands and when you look at it in different angles, the wings will change color. The dew that she is reaching for is actually lighter in the work than what I see here on my screen. There is a very bright highlight on the left side of the dew drop. I'm not sure why that section didn't scan as well as the rest, but it views much better in reality.

Gathering the Morning Dew © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

I've had a lot of fun with these figures and have another one I am working on. I will post it as soon as it's finished. It will be the same size and done in the same way. I hope to submit both of these to the gift shop as part of the UNCLAD show. If not, they will be submitted to one of the upcoming miniature shows. Both will be 3 1/2" by 3 1/2" matted and framed in a simple 5" x 5" black frame. I hope you enjoy seeing the work and reading about the process of it's creation. If you live near, do try to see the UNCLAD show at Gallery by the Bay in Stanwood, WA. There will be a catalog of the work in the show and my two will be included. You can check out the work in the show, now online at UNCLAD's website and you can also "like" them on Facebook! Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Fine Art in Miniature Exhibit at Fredlund Gallery, Winter Park, FL

2011-02-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

For the first time, Fredlund Gallery in Winter Park, FL will be hosting the Miniature Artists of America Traveling Exhibition, from February 19th through March 19th, 2011. This MAA Traveling Exhibit recognizes leading contemporary miniature artists and its purpose is to broaden public understanding and appreciation of this ancient art form. The exhibit consists of 35 pieces of Miniature Art owned by the "Miniature Artists of America". Exhibit Coordinator, Wes Siegrist said, "Although the exhibit is usually displayed in museums, the quality of the Fredlund Gallery makes it an appropriate venue".

In conjunction with the traveling exhibit, the gallery will also have an additional 100 miniature artworks by 20 national artists. These fine art miniatures will be available for purchase. I am honored to have been invited to participate in this show! Of my four works, two are from my Italian landscape series, In the Country and the award winning, Sunday Afternoon, as well as my colored pencil on film work, Innocence and my silverpoint drawing, Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed. This show was short notice and I wasn't going to participate at first because I didn't have any newer work that was appropriate for this venue. However, I emailed the gallery with the above images and told them this is what I had. They said to send it, and so I did. I know that the work in the MAA Traveling Exhibit is the TOP of the line as I saw it while I was at the MASF show! The Winter Park area is a VERY nice area and this show will be up when the Winter Park Art Festival is going on, March 18,19 and 20th. That draws a lot of art enthusiasts from all over! I hope they wander in the Fredlund Gallery and see all these treasures and have to have them for their collection!!

From top clockwise, all works © Barbara A. Freeman
Innocence Colored Pencil on Acid-free Film 2 5/8" x 3 1/2"

Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed Silverpoint 2 7/8" x 3 7/8"

Sunday Afternoon Colored Pencil on Acid-free Paper 2 3/8" x 3 3/8"
In the Country Colored Pencil on Acid-free Paper 2 1/4" x 3 3/8

Fredlund Gallery has been in business for 23 years and is the largest fine arts gallery in Central Florida. They are located at 221 S. Knowles Avenue, in Winter Park. They are open Monday through Friday 11 to 6, Saturday 10 to 5 and Sunday 12 to 4. For more information, please call 407.622.0102. This is an exciting opportunity to see this exquisite traveling show in a fine art gallery setting along with miniature work available for purchase.

Both Works Accepted in this year's UNCLAD 2011!

2011-02-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo!! I'm doing the happy dance today. I just received my acceptance email that my two works I submitted for the UNCLAD 2011 exhibit, The Wood Nymph and Sharing Secrets have been juried in the show!!

UNCLAD 2011 is the annual art show dedicated to celebrating the nude figure in art. This year is the 10th anniversary! This popular juried show in Fine Art Nudes will feature a broad range of styles and approaches in all mediums. Last year's show featured 108 artists from all across North America.

I'll have more information on Gallery by the Bay in Stanwood, WA and UNCLAD 2011 as it gets closer to the show. It will be featured as an online show as well as in the gallery. There will also be an audio tour of the work. I will want to take advantage of making an audio to talk about my work and how it can be viewed under magnification to see all the detail and about the process of working on film. As I stated before, this is a new show for me and a stretch since I don't usually include the figure in my work. I'm glad that I did because I have continued with the wood nymph as a subject and am currently working on her in miniature! I'll be posting that one as soon as she's finished. So far, she's looking good!

Thanks for taking time to read about my work. Hope all of you are staying safe, warm and dry where ever you live.

"Sharing Secrets" - wood nymph (nude) - Graphite on Film

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

This new work is of another wood nymph. After finishing up my last work, The Wood Nymph, I wanted to do another one but with wings this time. Staying with the wood nymph butterfly theme, I gave her wings with similar markings. The drawing was done on Dura-lar Matte film, in graphite. I did the wings in colored pencil on the back of the film. On the front, her eyes and the smaller butterfly were painted in acrylic. I also added a gold glaze on the wings for a bit of sparkle. I used the same tree and forest references as in the last work but bringing it all closer.

As with the last work, this one was done for submission to the *Unclad 2011 show. Wish me luck as I have no idea if they will be accepted or not. This is my first time ever to submit to this show. I won't know until sometime in February, I'll keep you posted. Now it's time to get busy making some fine art miniature works for all the upcoming miniature art shows and miniature categories in the summer art festivals.

Sharing Secrets © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 6 1/2" x 9"

I was traveling with this drawing with the intention of working on it when time allowed (see below). I did make some progress, but not nearly as much as I needed to. I do know that I will take more care in packing a larger work if I travel with one in the future. In past traveling trips, I had no problem with miniatures. I sandwiched the film between foam core and it stayed protected. This one, however, was not packed as well and because it was larger, it had more area that could be smudged! I was a bit anxious about it. However, all was well and I was able to finish it and get it submitted.

I just returned last week from a trip to Florida visiting my Mom and Dad. My daughter, Gina flew in from Austin to be with us. It was wonderful to be all together again, a long overdue visit! While there Wayne, Gina and I made an overnight trip to see the Miniature Art Society of Florida's Exhibit in Dunedin, FL. We had a great time seeing the show and eating great food. The quality of the work far surpassed any I have seen in any miniature art show. I do hope I get to go again!

Thank you for taking the time to read about my work. Your comments are always appreciated. I hope you will check back soon.

*Link to the Unclad show at Gallery by the Bay in Stanwood, WA.

Work in Progress #4 "The Wood Nymph" (nude) - Graphite and Mixed Media on Film

2011-01-19T00:22:00.000-08:00

The Wood Nymph © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 8 1/2" x 8"

See finished work above. This is the last of my Wood Nymph, work in progress. The rest of the work is in developing the area under the tree, and the foreground.

I added two more butterflies, then added colored pencil on the underside to all three of them. They didn't seem to have the impact I was looking for so I added some acrylic paint on the front. I also added a bit of color to the figure on the underside with colored pencil and then back to the front with acrylic on the eyes. One of the things that is so much fun in using film is the ability to work both on the back and front of it and in different media.

Above is a close-up view of the wood nymph and foreground. If you look at the first image as compared to the above image, you can see where I was leaving a mysterious light source under the tree on the left side. When I get toward the end of a drawing or painting, I like to step away from it and look at it with "fresh eyes". Putting the work in a different setting, like propping it up in a different room with different lighting, or looking at photographs of it on the computer screen, all help to assess a work. Once again I found myself getting side tracked, having that light area under the tree took away the focus from the figure. I darkened all the underside and brought the attention back to the wood nymph. Her subtle color and her butterfly friends direct your eye to the figure.

This is the completed work of The Wood Nymph. I hope it will be well received. I am currently working on another "unclad" figure with the same theme of the wood nymph. I haven't done the new one as a work in progress, but as soon as it is finished, I'll be posting it here. I'm on a tight deadline and hope I am able to finish it by the deadline of January 15th.

Again, if anyone is interested, here is the link to the Unclad show at Gallery by the Bay in Stanwood, WA. Thank you for taking the time to read about my work. Your comments are always appreciated. I hope you will check back soon.

**When using film, the product is Dura-lar Matte film by Grafix.

Work in Progress #3 "The Wood Nymph" (nude) - Graphite and Mixed Media on Film

2011-01-15T00:23:00.000-08:00

As in my previous post WIP #2, I'll let the images show my progression on this work. One thing I forgot to mention in the last post was that I used a small brush to blend the pencil marks when making the soft shift in values on the figure. Another change is to the right of the figure where I moved the "bark" straight down rather than curving to the left.

One of the things I am really pleased with is the way the main tree developed. I needed the base of the tree to support the figure. I liked the idea of the figure half reclining as though relaxing on her throne. The model for the tree was a mass of open roots. I kept the idea of the open roots but only those under the tree.

If anyone is interested, here is the link to the Unclad show at Gallery by the Bay in Stanwood, WA. I hope you will check back soon. Thank you for taking the time to read about my work. Your comments are always appreciated.

**When using film, the product is Dura-lar Matte film by Grafix.

Work in Progress #2 The Wood Nymph (nude) - Graphite and Mixed Media on Film

2011-01-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

I have been in a bit of a rush lately with finishing this blog post and working on another drawing for the Unclad competition. Since many of the photos are self explanatory and you can get the idea of how I work, I'll let the progress images speak for themselves.

At this point I wanted to have the Wood Nymph interacting with another subject. I decided to use one of my favorites, a crow. However, I was a bit unsure of the crow, its body seemed the wrong shape. I made several attempts to correct it. I think it wanted to be a chicken! I added a wood nymph butterfly on the figure's knee.

I continued to work on the background hoping it would help the crow.

Problem solved, the crow is removed! I came to the conclusion that the crow was taking the focus away from the figure. After all, the unclad figure is the focal point and I needed to keep it that way. The crow will have to wait for another time.

If anyone is interested, here is the link to the Unclad show at Gallery by the Bay in Stanwood, WA. Thank you for taking the time to read about my work. Your comments are always appreciated. I hope you will check back soon.

Note: *One of the things that I like about film is that when using graphite on it, it is very forgiving and erases well. More care is needed when using colored pencil.

**When using film, the product is Dura-lar Matte film by Grafix.

"The Wood Nymph" (nude), Work in Progress - Graphite and Mixed Media on Film

2010-12-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

This latest work is a new stretch for me. It's been quite awhile since I have done any life drawing. Normally, I don't have the human figure in any of my work, exceptions are the Buddha paintings and the Gnome with beets painting. This new work is for a local, annual, juried show I want to submit to called, Unclad. I went to see the show last year and the ideas started to brew! I knew if I did something for this competition it would have to be in a landscape and trees would have to be involved, of course. I had the perfect tree that I wanted to use. All I needed to do was find a way to get a nude figure in it as the central focus. The "unclad" figure is after all, the whole point of the exhibit.

The figures are from an artist's book of model poses that I used as a guide. I played around with different positions in my sketchbook and had several studies worked out to see which would be best suited.

I drew the outline for my tree with some guides for the forest trees and border area on larger paper. The outline of the figure I transferred to a piece of film so I could place it on the tree and move it around for the best placement. The little blobs are sticky putty to hold things in place.

When I had the composition worked out, I put a sheet of film over my drawings, then drew them in with light pencil marks. I only use a basic outline of my composition because I create the drawing as I go.

You can see where I started to create some of the trees and foliage.

The forest is further developed.

I'm still not sure at this point if this is going to work and am anxious about the figure so I started to work on the area around her head. Normally I like to work from the top left and work my way across and down. It's very easy to smudge the graphite with your arm. I always try to protect what I have done with having a barrier between my hand or arm and the work, I use a fold of soft cloth. You also want to protect the film from indentations or scratches. I had to be very careful since I was working in an area that would be in the path of my arm when I did the area above!

Here you can see further work on the forest and foliage. I've also started drawing the upper branches on the central tree. I do use my reference photo, I have it up on my computer screen. It is mostly a guide for light and shape. Much of it will be changed to form my visual idea. This is many, many hours of work and at this point, I'm happy to say, I decided that the figure appeared to be progressing in the right direction. I will continue on!

Thank you for taking the time to read about my work. I hope you will return to see the progress continued in the next post, coming soon.

**When using film, the product is Dura-lar Matte film by Grafix.

Miniature Masterpieces and More! Kaewyn Gallery Holiday Show - Two New Works

2010-11-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

Garden Gnome, Contemplating His Latest Work
© Barbara A. Freeman

Small Work, Acrylic on Gessobord, 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Early Autumn © Barbara A. Freeman

Fine Art Miniature, Acrylic on Polymin, 2 1/4" x 3 1/4"

Kaewyn Gallery's annual Holiday Show, Miniature Masterpieces and More! is opening this weekend. The artists showing in this exhibit are by invitation only and I am happy once again to be among them. This year I have a total of six works in the exhibit, four fine art miniatures (under 25 inches square) and two small works.

My four miniature works in this exhibit are from top left, cock-wise, Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed, Always Illuminated, Early Autumn, and Through the Portal. I have matted and re-framed the silverpoint drawing, Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed to give it a new look that I am much happier with. Always Illuminated has been featured as a work in process on this blog post here. Early Autumn is a new acrylic painting done on polymin, the ivorine/ivory substitute, and Through the Portal, is a new graphite, mixed media on film, fantasy drawing which was also featured in a blog post here.

My two Small Works are, $2.00/bunch and Garden Gnome, Contemplating His Latest Work.

Kaewyn Gallery will be celebrating the opening night of the Miniature Masterpieces and More! Exhibit by participating in Vintage Bothell, a winter wine walk. Both take place Friday, December 3rd from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. Tickets for the wine walk can be purchased by following the link, explorebothell.com. ($15 with your own glass, glasses available at event for $5) Now there are TWO reasons to go, great affordable art and if you choose, a wine tasting!

Kaewyn gallery is located at 10101 Main Street in downtown Bothell, WA. The Exhibit runs from December 3th through January 25th, 2011. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Thursday, 10-6, Friday, 10-5, and Saturday from 10-4. I'm planning to be there on Friday for the opening, hope to see you there! My friend Janie Olsen will be participating this year with her magical works as well! Remember, original art is a lasting treasure and makes the perfect holiday gift! Thanks for taking the time to read this. Best of Wishes for the Holidays and Support your local artist!

Work Juried in Miniature Art Society of Florida's 2011 Exhibit

2010-11-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

Once again I am happy to report that I have had all five of my miniatures juried into the Miniature Art Society of Florida's, 36th Annual International Miniature Art Show. They are, starting at the top and going clockwise, Late Bloomer, Gold and Glory, The Silent Ones , "Peek A Boo", and in the center, Traveling the Slow Road.

2011 Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF) Entries
© Barbara A. Freeman

The 36th Annual International Miniature Art Show runs from January 9th, through January 30th, 2011 at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin, FL. For more information on exhibition dates, and times, please visit the Miniature Art Society of Florida's website, click on "Annual Exhibition", then scroll down for the 2011 schedule which includes a listing of places to stay. This exhibit is the largest showing of fine art miniatures in the USA and is always well attended. I'll have more to say on this fine exhibit as the dates get closer. Meanwhile, I'll be announcing soon, the work that I'll have in this year's Miniature Masterpieces and More Show in Bothell, WA. Check back soon and thanks for taking the time to read this. Happy Thanksgiving!

Small Works, Big Presents - Auburn WA

2010-11-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

The City of Auburn and the White River Valley Museum have partnered to present the 3rd Annual Small Works Big Presents: The Gift of Art. This exhibition was juried by three arts professionals and I'm happy to say that two of my works, A Meditation on the Pacific Northwest, (a small work) and Chuckanut at Lunch, (a fine art miniature), will be included in the show. This exhibition and art sale celebrates the diversity of the Pacific Northwest visual art community. The purpose of the show is to offer an opportunity to purchase fine artworks at affordable prices during the holiday shopping season. The artwork will be on display from November 17th through December 19th, 2010, at the White River Valley Museum, located in the Auburn Community Campus at Les Grove Park, 918 H Street South East, Auburn WA. The preview opening and awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 16th from 5 - 7 pm and is open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. I am planning on attending and hope to see you there too! My friends Janie Olsen, Storybook Studio and Sue Jackson-André, aka Clovie Boy, will both have work in the show. Do stop by to Support Your Local Artist!

First Place in Drawing - Miniature Painters, Sculptors, & Gravers Society in Washington DC

2010-10-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Graphite and Mixed Media on Acid-free Film, 2 3/4" x 3 3/4"

I received a great surprise in the mail yesterday from the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society in Washington D.C. (MPSGS). I am thrilled to have been given the First Place Award in Drawing for my work, A Flash of Blue!

I had already gotten the acceptance notice that all three of my works above, A Flash of Blue, Innocence and A Touch of Autumn were accepted into the Exhibition. This is the 4th year of having all my work accepted into this prestigious miniature art society. There are over 800 works in the exhibition this year. This is such a great honor and means so much to me.

The 77th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature opens with the Artists' Luncheon, Awards Ceremony and Opening Reception on November 21st. The Exhibition is held at The Mansion at the Strathmore, beautifully set on a hilltop at 10701 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20852. The Exhibit opens to the public on November 22nd through December 30th, 2010. The Mansion hours are Weekdays, 10 - 4 PM and Wednesday till 9 PM. Saturday it is open from 10 - 3 PM.

I sure wish I could be there, it's so far away! Sigh...

Also, a big Congratulations to all my online miniature artist friends who's work has also been awarded! As always, thank you for taking the time to read this.

Through the Portal...New Fine Art Miniature in Graphite

2010-10-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 2 3/4"x 3 5/8"

This is a new miniature work on film using graphite and mixed media. It's another of my fantasy trees, this one with an opening to tempt the viewer to follow the path inside. I used the photo as a basic reference, for shape and light source. Next to that, is a copy of a colored pencil drawing I did many years ago thinking I would use a similar opening in the new work. However, once working I decided on a different pathway. I started this drawing in my studio with the intention of taking it along with me to work on while visiting family in Indiana. I figured graphite would be easy to carry and work on in short spurts of time. Rather than buy a hand held magnifier and have to pack it, I decided to buy one after I got there. I did some research and found most of the large office supply and art supply store chains have magnifiers and lighting. I googled the location of several in the areas we were passing through and stopped on the way. (I found a decent enough one with a good balanced light AND it was on sale! It worked out great and I left it there for our next visit.)

Once I had the outline worked out and the drawing started, I then focused on doing the inside of the portal. The castle idea came from the work that I did in the miniature, Always Illuminated. I was able to complete enough of the acrylic painting before leaving so would only have to concentrate on the graphite work while away.

The inside work was so tiny, measuring 1/2" x 3/8" !!!

I love doing the texture of trees and bark, so the rest of the work flowed and was a calming mediation for me. I managed to finish all the graphite work while away. However, I'm sorry I don't have more photos of the work in progress. I only have the beginning as above. In fact, I even forgot to photograph it before I put it in a mat and frame under glass! Luckily, I do have the official scans for my website which I hope to have up soon.

Once back home in my studio, I was able to look at the work as a whole and decided that some changes needed to be made. I did a bit more work on the inside acrylic, smoothing out some of the color and added some colored pencil on the underside of the film between the two sets of stairways. I also added a touch of blue on the right side to balance out the color. Below are the photos with the work framed under glass, so there is a bit of glare. I'll be submitting this to a local holiday show. I'll say more about that show as the time draws near. Meanwhile, thanks for taking the time to read about my work.

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 2 3/4"x 3 5/8"

**When using film, the product is Dura-lar Matte film by Grafix.

Two Shows Opening This Week!

2010-09-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Opening today, September 27th: My graphite and mixed media work, The Vernal Arrival of the Green Darner, makes it's debut in the color-themed, juried art exhibit, "It’s Not Easy Being Green". The exhibit is sponsored by the Lynnwood Arts Commission and takes place at the Lynnwood Library Gallery. Only thirty eight artists were chosen to have their work in this exhibit. Two of my artist friends, Janie Olsen and Susan Jones also have work in this exibit! The show runs from September 27th thru November 18th at the Lynnwood Library Gallery, 19200 44th Ave W, Lynnwood. The Artists' Reception is on Saturday, October 2nd from 11am - 12pm. Three works will be chosen for awards by the juror. It is sure to be an interesting group of work, with many different interpretations on the theme of being green. The reception is lots of fun, so do come if you can!

Another show happening this weekend is the 32nd Annual Juried Arts Show at 2010 Arts of the Terrace, in Mountlake Terrace. I have four miniatures and my larger metalpoint drawing juried in this exhibit. The work can be seen in this blog post. The exhibit takes place at the Mountlake Terrace Library Complex, 23300 58th Avenue W., Mountlake Terrace. The Awards Reception for Sponsors, Artists and Guests, is this Friday evening, October 1st, from 6:30 to 9 pm. There will be entertainment by Edmonds Woodway High School Chamber Group. The exhibit will continue throughout the weekend with Artist Demos and Workshops all Free! Saturday, October 2nd, from 11am to 9 pm and Sunday, October 3rd, from 11am to 5 pm. Come enjoy paintings, prints, calligraphy, drawings, miniatures, photography and 3-dimensional work. Both shows are free and open to the public. Artwork work is for sale in both shows. Support your local artist!!

Married 70 YEARS!!

2010-09-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Mary Louise and Herbert E. Freeman Celebrate 70 Years of Love!
September 13th, 1940 - September 13th, 2010

Last week my husband and I made a visit to see his folks in northern Indiana and to help them celebrate their 70th Wedding Anniversary! We, along with Wayne's three cousins and their partners, (from Montana, Michigan and Indiana) threw an open house at a local restaurant (closed for regular business on Sunday). His Mom and Dad have lived in and near this small town, almost all their lives. Needless to say, a lot of people know them. Wayne put an announcement in the local paper and worked with the restaurant via phone and emails to set things up. The folks at the restaurant did a fantastic job of taking care of everything.

Because it was an open house, it was difficult getting a count of everyone who came. We did have a guest book, but not everyone signed it. Some folks stayed awhile, some stopped in just to say hello, some came with their whole family. There were a couple of old friends who came from as far as Ft. Wayne, IN. All in all, it was thought around 80 to 100 may have attended.

The Freeman family.
.

The four of us.

Whether from a great distance or from right across the street, it was wonderful meeting all these friends, former business associates and customers, neighbors and family all together celebrating the love of my mother and father in-law. It was great spending time together. Their love and commitment to each other is beautiful.

I don't usually post personal things on my blog, but I wanted to share this. I think anyone who is able to not only stay together for 70 years but actually still enjoy one another's company and still express their love, that needs to be shared!

Gold and Glory, New Acrylic Painting in Miniature

2010-09-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

This work is another recent miniature I've done in acrylic. It's a painting that I'll submit to one of the upcoming miniature art society shows*. It was inspired by the small country church, The Little White Church on the Hill.

I saw a peek of this church as we were driving by and had to stop to photograph it. I love our drives in the country, this one was on the Pioneer Hwy, close to the town of Silvana, WA. It's near the bridge overlooking the scenic Stillaguamish River Valley. The Little White Church on the Hill is an historic site completed in 1898 and is listed on the Washington State Register of Historic Places.

Acrylic on Art Board 2" x 2"

It was in late autumn and the trees had already lost most of their color. I didn't have as much information in the photograph to work with as I would have liked. I decided to give the tree colors a touch of autumn gold. It worked well with the whites, bathing them in a golden glow. I tried two different frame styles on it and I think the one above is the best choice, more delicate. It works well with the theme of Gold and Glory.

In the above photo you can see where I started the painting by covering the entire surface with a blue wash to tint the illustration board. Then I built up the layers with thin applications of color. On the upper right side next to the first tree you can see the color of the first blue layer. This helped me to lay in the whites of the church and the blue was a great contrast to the orange. I painted the roof and shadows with tints of blues and lavender. Actually, this piece is filled with complementary colors. I also used a bit of metallic gold paint on some of the trees. The bell in the tower was a real challenge, it was so tiny! I decided to mat it in a smaller format to create a more pleasing composition.

I selected this frame and the first one above as possibilities for the finished piece. I think the first one is the better choice, more delicate and the yellow gold is a better match. Sorry, as you can see the first gold framed work is not very straight. I'll post a better photo of the final matted and framed work at a later date. As always, thank you for taking the time to read about my work. Your comments are always welcomed and appreciated.

*I am in the process of putting the final touches on my work and will be shipping them out soon to the two Miniature Art Society Exhibits coming up, the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington DC, (MPSGS) and the Miniature Art Society of Florida, (MASF).

Work Accepted in Festival of the Arts at Mountlake Terrace

2010-09-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

I've received notice that four of my miniatures and my larger submission in metalpoint was accepted in this year's 32nd Annual Juried Arts Show at Arts of the Terrace, Mountlake Terrace, Wa.

Sculpted by Time ©Barbara A. Freeman

Metalpoint on Prepared Paper, 8 1/2 " x 8 "

My miniature works that were juried in this show are, In Fair Condition, "Rhodie"With Bee, Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed, and Always Illuminated. My larger work in this exhibit is, Sculpted by Time. This exhibit takes place at the Mountlake Terrace Library Complex, 23300 58th Avenue W., Mountlake Terrace, WA. There will be an Awards Reception for Sponsors, Artists and Guests, on Friday October 1, from 7 to 9 pm. The exhibit continues through Saturday, October 2nd, from 11am to 9 pm and Sunday, October 3rd, from 11am to 5 pm. Come enjoy painting, prints, calligraphy, drawings, miniatures, photography and 3-dimensional works by top local and regional artists. I look forward to another exciting venue to exhibit my work. I have several aritist friends in this show, so it's going to be a fun time with great art viewing. All work is for sale, so come on out and support your local artist!!

Miniatures

Penny is shown for scale only and does not appear in the work.

Colored Pencil on Acid-free Film, 2 3/4" x 3 3/4"

Silverpoint on Prepared Art Board, 2 7/8" x3 7/8"

Colored Pencil and Iridescent Acrylics on Acid-free Film,

2 3/4" x 3 3/4"

Acrylic on Art Board, 3 5/8" x 4 3/4"

Work Juried in Green - themed Exhibit Lynnwood Library Gallery

2010-08-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

I received good news that my graphite and mixed media work, The Vernal Arrival of the Green Darner, has been accepted for the themed, juried art exhibit, It’s Not Easy Being Green, sponsored by the Lynnwood Arts Commission at the Lynnwood Library Gallery. Thirty eight artists were chosen to have their work on exhibit and mine was one of them! The show runs from September 27 – November 18 at the Lynnwood Library Gallery, 19200 44th Ave W Lynnwood WA 98036. There will be an Artists' Reception on Saturday, October 2 at 11am - 12pm. I'll post this again when the show gets closer. I did this show two years ago when the color theme was Mellow Yellow. That was the first one I entered. Last year, however, was different with a theme of Celebration/50 as it was their anniversary. This year it was back to the color theme with green in it's many different interpretations. I'm sure it will be a very interesting group of work and I am looking forward to seeing all the different viewpoints of being green.

Traveling the Slow Road - New Miniature Art Work

2010-08-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

My latest work is another in my Italian Landscape Series of Miniature Art. This drive was not far from our apartment in the countryside of Montepulciano. We would often choose to travel this route, the slow road, to connect to the larger roads. There are many cypress lined roads in Tuscany, the most well known near La Foce. As you can see from the photo below, my painting is NOT that one. However, even though I took some liberties and changed a few things with my version, I'm sure it will be familiar to those of you who have traveled in this area. As usual, the time of the season is autumn, one of my favorite times of the year, when the fields are in transition, recently plowed or sprouting the green winter grasses, the hay stacked in storage. We always traveled in the autumn, less tourists, fresh olive oil and la raccolta delle uve da vino, the grape harvest for wine making. Seems everytime I do one of these works, my mind takes a bit of a vacation, memories come flooding back. Oh, to return someday!

Acrylic on Illustration Board, 3 3/4" x 2 3/4" Framed

EAFA Exhibit at Columbia Winery

2010-08-19T12:10:00.001-07:00

I went to the EAFA Member Exhibit last evening at the Columbia Crest Winery. My friend Janie Olsen , above, is standing in front of her two paintings, Too Beautiful For Her Mask and Crow to Crow. Cecelia Venolia, another artist friend also had two of her works in this exhibit, sorry I didn't get photos of Cecelia and her work. It was a very nice show and reception in such a lovely place. Eden Hopkins was at the reception, but like myself, not in the show. We both agreed that we needed to become members so we could participate in their member juried shows! I think Eden has already joined, so hopefully, we will all be in the next one together!

The other reason I have a photo of Janie is because she brought along with her the work that she commissioned from mosaic artist, Gina Ballew, (my daughter) to show me. Janie has a friend who is a retired teacher and every year she gives him a gift with an apple theme. She saw some of Gina's work and asked if she would do a mosaic for her for this years' gift. The work, Jazz Apple is the small 6" x 6" she is holding. Gina said that Jazz is the variety of apple that she used for the model. I think it's a perfect title for a perfect apple!

As to my new work, I am waiting to get some photo software on my computer so I can post my new miniature. Hopefully it will be soon. Thank you for taking the time to read about my work and hear about what I've been up to.

Late Bloomer - Miniature Acrylic Painting

2010-08-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, time sure flies! I really didn't fall off the edge, I've just been painting away trying to get my miniatures finished in time for the fast approaching deadlines. Then there were computer issues and life things getting in the way. So far I have two miniatures finished, and am working on my third. This first one is varnished and ready for matting and framing. I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I really had a time doing the strands of straw though! Also, orange was a challenging color to mix at first, finding the right combo of red and yellow that didn't look neon. I chose to stay with my favorite earth colors of transparent red iron oxide and yellow oxide. I started the piece by covering the surface of the illustration board with a layer of blue. I like it better than starting out with an all white surface. I'm still thinking about the title.

I'll try not to be so long before I post the next miniature painting, an Italian landscape. Thanks for taking the time to read about my work.

Group Show at Meyers Cafe at the Marina

2010-07-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

I will be participating in a group show curated by Everett artist Shannon Leah Danks at Meyers Cafe, 1700 West Marine View Drive, at the Marina in Everett, WA, (425) 259-3875‎. It will be an eclectic mix of works from many local artists. The work I contributed is my Buddha painting, A Meditation on the Pacific Northwest. I'm not sure who all the other artists are that will be in this exhibit, but I do know that Janie Olsen and Eden Hopkins have both contributed work. When I asked Shannon what she needed, she said,

"the group show is very eclectic...whatever you want to display is what i want."

I thank Shannon for putting this together! All work is for sale so go have lunch or brunch at the beautiful marina and support your local artist! Oh, and if you go on Sunday, you can enjoy fresh veggies, flowers and more from the Farmers' Market, all taking place at the Marina!

As to other things... I know I've been absent for too long here. I have been busy trying to get new work done for the deadlines for the miniature shows I do every year, MPSGS in Washington, DC, MASF in Florida and a local invitational Holiday Show at Kaewyn Gallery. There will be other small shows and festivals that I will be submitting work to that are coming up as well. I will be posting all the shows that I will be in as they come up. I will be gone for a bit more than a week in September to make a much needed trip to visit family in IN. Then hopefully sometime in the beginning of the new year my husband and I, along with our daughter Gina, will be visiting family in FL. Both our parents have been dealing with illness so we want to make the trips to spend some time together. Also it will be great to see Gina again! We are in touch everyday via IM and Facebook, but it sure doesn't make up for real hugs! Until next time, thanks for taking the time to read about my work and sometimes other things.

Update - Finished - Forest with Dragonfly, Graphite on Dura-lar Matte WIP

2010-07-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I had finished this work of the forest with dragonfly, (still untitled), but had mixed feelings about it after I photographed it and saw it on the monitor. The area that radiates from the dragonfly was to be of a greenish glow. Instead it was a bit too much on the yellow side, (see above).

Mixed Media on Film 7" x 7"

I decided to go back into it and lift some of that color off and add more green. It still doesn't look as green here, above, as it does in person. However, I am much happier with it now that I've changed it. A work always looks better after I get away from it and then look again with new eyes. It will be cropped a tiny bit after I mat the work which I think will make the composition stronger.

Close-up of dragonfly detail.

This work was done with graphite on Dura-lar Matte film. I used colored pencil on the back of the finished graphite work. The dragonfly's tiny wings were glazed with Golden interference oxide green (yellow shade). When I have it titled and framed, I'll post it again in it's completed form. Thank you for taking the time to read about my work in progress.

"$2.00/bunch" Art of the Garden Exhibit - Arts Council of Snohomish County

2010-07-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

My latest acrylic work, $2.00/bunch will be in the Arts Council of Snohomish County's Exhibit, Art of the Garden. There will be works of over fifty artists in this exhibit showing quite a mix of work from paintings, to glass, cement castings, sculpture, and so much more. I'm excited to be a part of this! My two friends, Janie Olsen and Eden Hopkins will also have some of their fine work in this exhibit. The show opens on Thursday, July 8, with a “Meet the Artists” reception from 5-8pm. This event is free and open to the public. The evening will be perfect for viewing local art, for and of the garden, inside and out. Hope to see you there! The gallery is located at 1507 Wall Street in downtown Everett. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10-5pm and on Saturday from 11-4pm. The show runs through August 19.

As to my work in progress of the forest and dragonfly, I haven't been able to post due to some life issues getting in the way. Because of dealing with these things, I missed some studio time and then when I came back to it, I ran in to some problems with the dragonfly. I decided something just didn't look the way I wanted it. My in house second opinion person, (Wayne), helped point out what he saw as a potential problem. I'm happy to say I think I've solved that problem. I'll be posting images soon. If you have been following this work in progress, thank you for your patience. As always, thanks for taking the time to read about my work.

Update - Forest with Dragonfly Graphite on Dura-lar Matte WIP

2010-06-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Above is the progress I've made in the "forest with dragonfly", graphite work. As you can see it doesn't look like I've made MUCH progress. I'm actually getting frustrated since I should have been finished with this by now! However, I am happy with the way it is turning out. The dark area at the bottom is difficult to keep smooth when I rush though it so I'm having to slow down and be mindful of the strokes and not get too dark too soon. I certainly don't want to create problems at this stage of the work!! After I finish the dark shadow under the trees, I need to add more old leaves, stones and twigs and also complete the log on the right. Then I still need to clean up spots and smooth out areas, before moving on to the final fun part, adding some color! Almost there! In the meantime...

It's been quite a busy two weekends, with the Edmonds Arts Festival and LiveARTS Bothell, dropping off work, picking up work and then going to the receptions and meeting up with artist friends! Yesterday I dropped off another piece for the upcoming show, Art of the Garden, happening at the Arts Council of Snohomish County due to open July 8th. I'll have more information on that later. As I've stated before, I'm still working on my graphite on film work, "forest with dragonfly". It's difficult sometimes getting the flow going when you have so many interruptions, even the good kind! I have several deadlines fast approaching and little time to create the new work I'll need to send out to the two big miniature shows, MPSGS in DC and MASF in Fl. Also, I'll be at Studio 206 in the Mukilteo Art Building for Waterfront Wednesdays again this Wednesday where I am showing a selection of my works on canvas from the Italian Landscape Series. I think that the show will be changing to new artists for the month of July. If you are interested in seeing this work, stop by tomorrow, I'd love to see you! Thanks again for taking the time to read about my work.

1st Place Miniatures! LiveARTS Bothell!

2010-06-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Over and Beyond © Barbara A. Freeman
Acrylic on Claybord, 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"
Fine Art Miniature, from the Italian Landscape Series

Great news for me, I just got a phone call from LiveARTS Bothell and I got First Place in Miniature, for my work, Over and Beyond, the acrylic painting from my miniature Italian Landscape Series. Wow, it sure has been a great week! Tomorrow evening is the Patrons Preview Party and I'll be attending along with my husband Wayne. The festival is at a new venue this year and the the sun will be shining! You can click here, LiveARTS Bothell to see my earlier blog post with links to the location and times and the other works I'll have in the juried art show. Remember, the festival is free and has free parking, with juried art inside the new Mobius Hall Gallery, outdoor artisan booths, music, food and fun activities for the whole family all weekend! I hope to see you there!

Continued Dura-lar Matte WIP - Forest with Dragonfly

2010-06-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

This is the continuation of my work in progress, (WIP) of the forest and dragonfly. I should have been a lot further along by now, but with shows, framing, delivering and picking up work, I'm a bit behind my deadline.

If it would make it easier to see all the pieces together without the other posts in between, go to the "labels for this post" section at the bottom of the post and click on the phrase, "forest with dragonfly wip,". That should bring all the posts of this work together. In case you weren't aware, you can do that with any key word. I'm trying to be consistent in my labels to make that possible.

From the last post of this work, I've done the front tree, center tree and the stump. Adding textures and forms.

In the above, I've done a lot of the forest in the background across the top of the image. Also, I started doing a bit more of the main tree on the right front bringing it down.

This is the same as the previous photo but showing the reference photo and the miniature drawing in graphite with an enlarged section for a guide. This one will be different from my miniature, A Flash of Blue, but using a similar light source and tree shapes.

Here I have brought the pathway down on the left and done further work on the tree on the right. You can see where I've darkened the center tree to make it contrast with the one on the left. You can see it better in the photo below.

This one is current from work I did just last night. I darkened the path on the right foreground where the trees would be creating a shadow. I also darkened the left tree to help define the stump. I still have a long way to go. Once I finish laying down all the graphite bits, I'll be darkening areas to create a good range of values, softening some areas to create mystery and sharpening some to make shapes stand out, to lead the eye and create rhythm. Then comes the fun part of adding touches of color. That will be in the final stages. As for now, it's time to get back to work.

Later today, I'll be heading over to Bothell to deliver my two work works for the Live ARTS Bothell Festival this weekend. Then tomorrow over to Studio 206 in the Mukilteo Art Building for Waterfront Wednesdays. I hope to see you at both these events! Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Art Beat Includes Mention of Work, "The Key"

2010-06-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

I've just received my unsold work back today from Seaside Art Gallery's 19th International Miniature Art Show, in Nags Head, North Carolina. They always include the art review, "Art Beat" by Mary Ellen Riddle from their local paper, The Virginian-Pilot, inside the box. I was delighted to read that my work, The Key, was mentioned in this review. Here is what Ms Riddle said about that work:

"Of note is the magical graphite and mixed media work by Barbara A. Freeman. Her image, "The Key", features a raven in the woodland standing in a ring of golden toadstools. In its beak, the raven grasps a red ribbon upon which is tied a key. Behind the clearing where the raven takes center stage stands a regal tree with intricate patterns. The majority of the work is black and white with only minute bits of metallic color adding contrast to the monochromatic palette. These gem-like dots work well with the pearly sheen of the film on which the work is drawn. But don't overlook the faint purple shadow under the raven - subtle but powerful."

Wow, that really made me happy that she got that! I'm also happy to report that that particular work has sold.

As for now, I'm, back to working on the graphite on film of the forest and dragonfly, not a miniature, but a small work. I'll be sharing my progress on that work tomorrow. I also have some framing to complete for the festival this weekend at Live ARTS Bothell. As you can tell, it's been a very busy month! As always, thank you for taking the time to read this.

More on the Edmonds Arts Festival

2010-06-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I sure started my day off right! Just after a breakfast of oatmeal, blueberry pancakes, I got a phone call from the Edmonds Arts Festival that my drawing, Finding Time has sold!!! I'm really doing the happy dance now!! I still have three miniatures left in the show as far as I know. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Hay Bales will sell. It's a favorite of mine in the miniature Italian Landscape Series and has gotten an Honorable Mention at the Miniature Painters Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. (MPSGS), and a Judges mention at the Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head, N.C. The festival is still going on through the rest of the day. We'll be going over there later this afternoon to see more of the show.

Here are a few more photos of the awards being given at the opening of the Edmonds Arts Festival on Friday. I almost missed being given the award as we were inside looking at the show! That day the gallery was getting crowded and sales were taking place while we were there. The miniature art was given a lot of attention which was nice to see. However, this particular festival does not adhere to the same standards as the Association of Miniature Artists do, so some of the work was much larger and/or loosely painted, which was very different than what I am used to seeing in a miniature art show. My friend, Janie Olsen has some very nice work in this show too. The one I really love is her miniature, Gelert, Before the Tragedy. She has so much detail in such a small space and the dog's eyes and face say so much! Great piece Janie! Hope all of you get to attend this fun show and festival! Remember the Juried Art Show is inside the Frances Anderson Center. Support Your Local Artists!

I'm second from the right. As you can see, the sun was shinning!

They didn't have the checks cut yet, so we were given an empty envelope and he was telling us where to go to get it filled.

Yours truly with my work, Finding Time.

Second Place in Drawing - Edmonds Arts Festival!!

2010-06-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo! Just got a phone call from the Edmonds Arts Festival that my work, Finding Time, took 2nd Place in Drawing! I am so happy, doing the happy dance for sure! The Awards will be presented to Artists tomorrow, Friday, June 18th at 11:00 am on the Edmonds Arts Festival Main Stage. I plan on being there! The Juried Art Show will be inside the Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main Street, Edmonds,WA. In addition to the indoor juried show, there is also the outdoor Arts Festival with food, music and artists' booths on the lawn. This fun festival takes place on Fathers' Day weekend, June 19 through the 20th.

Finding Time © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite on Acid-free Film, 8 1/4" x 10 1/2"
Second Place Drawing, Edmonds Arts Festival

Work Juried In - Live ARTS Bothell - June 26th and 27th

2010-06-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

The Live ARTS Bothell Juried Art Exhibit is coming up the end of this month and I'm happy to announce that I have four miniatures and two larger works accepted in this show. This year's venue has changed due to renovations being done to Bothell Landing where the show usually takes place. Instead it will be held at the new Mobius Hall Gallery on the campus of Cascadia Community College and U.W. Bothell. This wonderful art fair takes place June 26 and 27th, 10am to 6pm. There will be a Patron Preview Party on Friday June 25th, from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. Please call for reservations at 425-488-2787 by June 11th. The college is located one mile east of downtown Bothell (directions and map here). The Live ARTS Bothell Art Fair is always great fun, with musical entertainment, great food and ART! There is free garage parking and the festival event will be in the inner courtyard of the wooded campus overlooking its 58-acre North Creek wetland.

Of my four in the Miniature Art Category, two are new acrylic paintings, Always Illuminated, and from my Italian Landscape Series, Over and Beyond. The other miniatures, The Silent Ones, a silverpoint, and In Fair Condition, colored pencil, are two favorites. My two larger works in the Drawing Category, one in graphite, It's Not All Black and White, and the other a work in metalpoint, Sculpted by Time are also both new works that have not been exhibited before! This is a great community event and always lots of fun. I hope you can make it. Be sure to look for my work in the new Mobius Hall Gallery. The sun is going to shine that weekend!

More on Dura-lar Matte WIP at STUDIO 206, Waterfront Wednesdays, Mukilteo

2010-06-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

We all had a lot of fun last week, at Waterfront Wednesdays in Oldtown Mukilteo. Thanks to all of you who stopped in to say hello to us at Studio 206 in the Mukilteo Art Building. It was great meeting and talking with everyone. I especially enjoyed showing the children who were interested, how I worked.

Roxanne Jaross, owner of Studio 206, artist Janie Olsen, and I will once again be in Studio 206 this Wednesday in the Mukilteo Art Building, showing a selection of our work. My work seen above is from the Italian Hills Series. Janie has a selection of her beautiful and mysterious dog paintings, they always make me smile, Janie! Roxanne has her delicious chocolate paintings as well as her cat and crow work. Click on the artists' name for a link to their websites.

I'll once again be set up with a demo of my work in progress, done in graphite on Dura-lar Matte film. Unfortunately, the one I had been working on met with a bit of an accident this past weekend! I've had to start over, but I'm making a lot of progress. Above is what I have done so far and I hope to be even further along by Wednesday evening. I hope we have more folks this Wednesday as word gets out and the weather improves. I think there are glass blowing demos downstairs at 5, so come on upstairs afterwards and see our work. We'll all three be there, rain or shine so hope you can make it! Click on Waterfront Wednesdays for the link on times and events.

Dura-lar Matte WIP at STUDIO 206, Waterfront Wednesdays, Mukilteo

2010-06-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today is Waterfront Wednesday in Oldtown Mukilteo! I'll be at Studio 206 in the Mukilteo Art Building working on a new, just started, graphite drawing on Dura-lar Matte film. If you've ever wondered about using Dura-lar for a surface or wanted to see what it was like, now's your chance! I hope to be there from 4 - 8pm tonight. Stop in and say hi!

Roxanne Jaross, the owner of Studio 206 is sharing the gallery space next to her studio with Janie Olsen and I. I have three landscapes on exhibit from my Italian Hills Series and Janie has a selection of her beautiful and mysterious dog paintings. In addition to the Art Building tour and glass blowing demo, there's also the Farmers' Market, Open Mic Night at the Red Cup Cafe, and a lot of other great happenings. Click on Waterfront Wednesdays for the link on times, events list, and directions. Don't miss out on the fun and don't let a little rain stop you, it's supposed to clear up just for us!!

Waterfront Wednesday, STUDIO 206, Mukilteo WA

2010-05-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars for Waterfront Wednesdays in Oldtown Mukilteo starting this Wednesday, June 2nd. Be sure to stop by Studio 206 in the Art Building. ... Artist Roxanne Jaross in Studio 206 will be sharing the gallery space next to her fabulous studio with artist friend, Janie Olsen and myself. We will be showing a selection of our work for the month of June. In addition to the Art Building tour and glass blowing demo, there's the Farmers' Market, Open Mic Night at the Red Cup Cafe, and a lot of other great happenings. Click on Waterfront Wednesdays for the link on times, events list, and directions.

Be sure to come by Studio 206 and say hello! We'll all be there and would love to see you too! A big thanks to Roxanne for putting the gallery space together so quickly and also to Lyussy Hyder for all her help and the moblile photos, even though I have my eyes closed!! I'll be having three canvas works there from my Italian Hills Series. One of all of us will be there from 4 - 8pm every Wed during the Waterfront Wednesdays. Come join the fun, rain or shine!!

2010 Edmonds Arts Festival Work Juried In

2010-05-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

I received my acceptance letter from the Edmonds Arts Festival yesterday. This year I will have three miniatures as well as a drawing in the juried show. Those miniatures are, (click on title to view on website), A Flash of Blue, Innocence, and Hay Bales.

Hay Bales (left) © Barbara A. Freeman, Acrylic on Polymin, 2 3/4" x 3 1/2" and

Innocence (right) © Barbara A. Freeman, Colored Pencil on Film, 2 5/8" x 3 1/2"

My other entry, Finding Time, (in the drawing category, was accepted as well. Unfortunately, there isn't an artists' reception this year. Instead, the Juried Gallery Awards will be presented to Artists on Friday, June 18th at 11:00 am on the Edmonds Arts Festival Main Stage. This must be the official opening of the festival. I would think that it would be rather difficult for many artists to be present at 11:am on a weekday. The Juried Art Show will be inside the Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main Street, Edmonds,WA. In addition to the indoor juried show, there is also the outdoor Arts Festival with food, music and artists' booths on the lawn. This fun festival takes place on Fathers' Day weekend, June 19 through the 20th.

For a first choice opportunity to purchase an original work of art and view the award winners there will be a Preview Party on Wednesday, June 16th. This event is the annual fundraiser for the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation and proceeds will go toward scholarship and grant projects. Bring Dad and the whole family for some fun, fine art, music and food! Be sure to look for my work in the Miniature Art Exhibit and also the Drawing Category inside the Juried Art Gallery. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'll be posting more about this show as news develops.

This Blog is One Year Old!

2010-05-16T13:09:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that a year has passed already since I did my first post. That first post was just a "Coming Soon" announcement and the very next day I did my post on the 2009 Parklane Gallery Miniature Show, including photos of the reception. My prior post was on this year's 2010 Parklane Gallery Miniature Show. I have come full circle after 91posts. When I started I wasn't sure I would have enough to say or enough time to say it. However, I have actually enjoyed writing about my work and doing the works in progress. It does take a bit of time but I do think it's worth it. I have learned a lot along the way and I find it is a great way to document my own work as well as other things of interest about the shows I participate in. It's been very rewarding to have made friends through blogger connect and to read and comment on other artists' work. I do participate in other social networking, like Facebook but I much prefer blogger.

As to what I have planned for the near future? Right now I am working on a small acrylic painting, 6" x 6", for a show called, "Art of the Garden". "It's art work to enhance the garden or to bring the garden into the home." I don't know if it will get in the show, but it's a good opportunity to do something different than I would normally do, or haven't done in awhile. Also, I like to participate in local shows. I only wish I had more time to do two paintings. Isn't that always the problem, so many things to do, so little time to do them?

Next week I'll be hearing from two festivals I've entered. The acceptance letters go out for the Edmonds Art Festival starting on the 17th and LiveARTS Bothell on the 19th. I'll have much more to say about the two show when I find out and when the festivals get closer.

The next several projects I have in mind are... I want to do a Fathers' Day painting for my Dad and Dad-in-Law. I only need to come up with the design and do two in time for shipping!! After that there are two other shows that I want to do new work for, the Lynnwood Library Gallery Show and competition called, "Green" and the "Arts of the Terrace" Arts Festival in Mountlake Terrace. Both shows are in late September, however the Lynnwood show's deadline is July 31. For the Lynnwood show I want to do either a silverpoint landscape, or a graphite on film work. They will both be normal sized drawings. The Mountlake Terrace show has in addition to regular categories, also a miniature art category. I would like to submit work to both, drawing and miniature categories.

So as well as keeping up with this blog in documenting my work, I'll be creating the new works and attending the shows and receptions. I think I'll have enough to keep me busy! So, as always thanks for taking the time to read this.

More Photos of Parklane Gallery's Miniature Show

2010-05-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Above are the photos of Saturday's Artists Reception at Parklane Gallery's 18th Annual International Miniature Art Show. It was a beautiful evening, with open doors and lots of people milling about downtown. It's also Mothers' Day Weekend Open Studios in Kirkland, so I'm sure there were many more visitors the rest of the weekend. It was great seeing sales being made as the reception was going on. There was someone filming artists' interviews and as always live music. I heard a lot of folks exclaiming how much they were in awe of the tiny treasures and lots of people getting closer magnified looks to see all the details.

I enjoyed saying hello to my virtual friends and miniature artists Rachelle and Wes Siegrist via Skype. It was great hearing their voices. We could see them, but unfortunately, they couldn't see us. Isn't technology grand! Congratulations to all the award winners and thanks to the Siegrists for giving their reasons for choosing them. They said it was a very difficult job!

My friend Janie Olsen and her husband Bill were there in person. Janie was happy to have made some sales, and I was able to get another look at her imaginative, inspiring work. I think this year is also the first that I have seen any 3D work. My virtual friend, Mona Diane Conner had her beautiful work, Tulip Garden at Giverny, in the show. Unfortunately I didn't get a very good photo of her work. You can see it much better on her blog, The Ruby Slippers. I wish I could have picked it up for a closer look.

Parklane Gallery is located in beautiful downtown Kirkland,WA, 130 Park Lane. Free parking is located under the Kirkland Library. However, due to construction, that lot is currently closed! The show opened May 4th and will continue through June 8th. Magnifying glasses are provided and closer looks are encouraged!

The award winning husband and wife team, Rachelle and Wes Siegrist were the awards judges. The Siegrists appeared at the reception via Skype.

Be sure to check out Parklane Gallery's website at Parklanegallery.com to view the work online. My work can be seen starting on Panel # 49. My friend Janie Olsen is on Panel 42 and 43.

Mom Illuminated, Happy Mothers' Day!

2010-05-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mothers' Day I thought I'd share the new miniature art piece I did for my Mom and Mom-in-law. I tried to figure out a way to do one and then transfer a copy for the second one. I tried several things, but for whatever reason, the ink from my copier didn't want to transfer to the gesso. After printing on several different surfaces, I printed my image on to a piece of Stonehenge paper which looked the best. I then painted over the top of the image, repainting the whole thing, but it was much easier because I had the basic colors already in place. The paper was very absorbent and created a soft almost pastel look. There are even some things I liked better about the second work as compared to the first. I was satisfied with the way they both worked out. The second one looks brighter, and it was a bit more than the first, but it was also a sunny day when I did the photo shoot. Anyway, I think both Mom's will be happy.

Preview of Parklane Gallery's A Major Show of Miniature Proportions

2010-05-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some preview photos of the Parklane Gallery's 18th Annual International Miniature Art Show, in Kirkland, WA. The show opened May 4th and it's great to see all the red dots already!

Parklane Gallery is located in beautiful downtown Kirkland,WA, 130 Park Lane. Free parking is located under the Kirkland Library. The show opens May 4th and will continue through June 8th. The Artists' Reception will be on Saturday, May 8th, 6 - 8 pm. Magnifying glass are provided and closer looks are encouraged!

The award winning husband and wife team, Rachelle and Wes Siegrist were the awards judges, which will be given at the Artists' Reception on Saturday evening. The Siegrists will be at the reception via Skype.

Be sure to check out Parklane Gallery's website at Parklanegallery.com to view the work online. My work can be seen starting on Panel # 49. My friend Janie Olsen is on Panel 42 and 43. I'll see you there Janie!

For more information on this show and my work in it, please see my last post below. More photos and news after the reception. Hope you too, can make it to the reception! I'd love to meet you!