Celebrating Mid-Summer, Studio Update

Now that the mad garden rush is settling down to merely processing tomatoes (the good news and the bad news)  much new activity is going on in the studio.

Thank you St. Joseph East Hospital for promoting this philosophy; “Art has the power to heal the world through the eyes of the heart.” Through a recent call for art, they purchased my Song for Superb Parrot to display for patients and their families. It will be displayed in a public area to promote a calming and healing environment. It fulfills my mission as an artist for my work to be experienced in a place that brings a bit of cheer to people who are suffering.

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not BIG(3)

August 11- September 11, artist reception & awards August 14, 5 – 8

M S Rezny Studio/Gallery is hosting the third bi-annual small arts juried competition not BIG(3). I am thrilled that Talisman for Children is among the 45 out of more than 380 artworks that were submitted from across the nation, Europe and Asia. See all 45 artworks by clicking here.

The juror is Nathan Zamarron, LexArts, Community Arts Manager, Lexington, KY. Zamarron is a respected curator of dozens of exhibits and is active facilitating public art projects and workshops.  His own artistic work includes sculpture and printmaking.

I look forward to this great show and seeing you there.

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Register by August 1 for the next Sunwise Celebrations, Making Flower Essences!

The nature spirit presence in plants and flowers offers us support for our evolutionary growth, healing of our subtle bodies and our earth. By establishing a friendship with plants and flowers we deepen our learning about their gift to us and how we can promote their well being.

In the first gathering, Friday, August 7, 10 am – 1 pm, you will learn: about the physical and spiritual aspects of our relationship with nature spirits, simple methods to access and connect with nature spirits, how to consecrate a nature sanctuary where you live, about the materials you will acquire to make and use your flower essence, about the potential of using essences, the differences between an herbal and essential oil and flower essence remedy.

In the second gathering, Friday, August 14, 8 am – 1 pm, you will: spend the morning making your flower essence that you will take home, share fun stories about nature spirit communications, discuss and integrate your experiences and look at Flower Essence literature.

You may read more details in this post.

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Fertile Ground

October 2-November 7, 2015

The Berea Arts Council has recently received a special grant for “Fertile Ground” from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and I was invited to present a work of art. When I recently made Elderberry syrup, a cold remedy, I used the leftover mash to paint the piece shown above, and made beads by adding flour and clove oil. I wondered where in the world I would display something so different.

The grant project; “Fertile Ground” will celebrate women’s roles at the forefront of our community’s local food culture. The Arts Council is organizing a gallery exhibit and spoken word reading in October They plan for these events to impress on our community that beyond the many benefits of eating locally there are even more exciting possibilities; community resiliency, economic freedom, and social justice. They aspire to validate women’s work, celebrate women farmers and community organizers, and recognize that access to real, local foods is a not a luxury, but a right, no matter your income.

In Berea, women farmers, gardeners, business people and cooks are leading the local food movement, and reclaiming the traditional women’s roles of gardening, preserving, and preparing food for families and communities as do-it-yourself feminist acts. The exhibit and readings will honor the history and ongoing evolution of women’s leadership in our community’s food ways and cultivating connections between the artist and food producer communities.

The Berea Arts Council is at 139 N. Broadway in the Old Town Artisan Village, Berea. An opening reception will be held on First Friday, October 2, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

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Grace Cafe, how it works sign, beverage area, photo Kathleen O’Brien

Grace Cafe, a pay-what-you-can Community Restaurant

We’re so excited that Grace Café, is now open. It is a nonprofit, pay-what-you-can community restaurant committed to serving delicious, fresh, locally-sourced, organic-when-possible, highly-nutritious food for everyone in our community.  Executive director, Rochelle Bayless is a woman of vision and dedication. Speaking of vision, her husband Nick Lacy is an exceptional photographer, who has curated the first art exhibit there. I am proud to be showing my art in such a sweet location and sharing surplus herbs with their chef, Cory Stapler. Click here to see more photos of their beautiful restaurant, located at 219 S. 4th Street in Danville, KY.

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OK, I let myself play around however I liked with what started looking to me like a road map. We were preparing for our trip to see the kids, this time driving so we could bring them some art. Many times when I’m working I wonder what it’s about, then a title wafts into my brain. This time I had to laugh around a Henry Miller quote, and it was exactly my state of being; Let Us Do Our Best, Even If It Gets Us Nowhere. The solution is in the creating, the doing. To get from somewhere to somewhere else, we just have to put a mark down to begin.

Me & my Son with three “Birds & Trees” collages, photo Greg Orth

I brought my son, just guessing he would like, three 12×12″ varnished collages on the theme “Birds and Trees”. We all laughed at how perfectly they matched to his dining room walls. I have heard of matching art to furniture, but not walls, honestly not planned.