"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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.