Two Years Blogging!

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

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

(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

(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

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

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

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 . 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

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

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

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!