Remember When I Used To Make Paintings?

Yes, I did used to make paintings. And drawings. And prints. And many more other art objects. While I do enjoy making jewelry, I definitely miss painting.
I started thinking about this tonight, when I saw a posting on Craigslist about an art show being planned, with participants who haven't shown their work or made art in a while.
This was so exciting for me to read, because I certainly fall into this category.
The work above is the most recent painting I created; I think I started it in November 2006; it's not finished yet, and I'm not sure if it will ever be.
This pattern reflects the wallpaper my grandmother had in her downstairs powder room. She passed away in February 2006, and after we sold her house, I realized that the funky '60s and '70s decor would be replaced and updated and I would never get to see her over-the-top decorating style again.
So, I decided to celebrate the patterns of my grandmother's old house through painting. I didn't get very far, though!


My artwork in college (BFA at Ohio State) was heavily centered on ideas of relationships, memory, home, place, and travel.

Here is a free-flowing intuitive painting. I started painting in this style after my senior BFA show in 2003, when I got tired of creating representational art.











These are 2 abstract paintings inspired by city streets. They differ from the above painting in the sense that these have a reference, and were created specifically with that reference in mind.








During my senior year of college, I created a series of works where I painted old friends with whom I had lost touch or only saw once in a while.

This one is called "Day Off" (from being counselors at camp). Right now, it's hanging about my couch in my living room.




"Prom Sucks" was inspired by a photo that I have of a friend from New Jersey. She was so excited to go to prom as a sophomore, but later divulged that it "sucked" and that she and another friend spent most of the time outside smoking cigarettes.





This painting was also inspired by a photo I snapped as a 16-year-old at a party when I lived in NJ. I think it was at the good-bye party my friends threw me when I was moving to Ohio.
As you can see, I had some pretty interesting friends. But don't let the shirt fool you. This kid was a total sweetheart.


Hope you enjoyed the retrospective. Hopefully, I will be involved with this new art show and finally make some paintings. Although I'm thinking mixed-media. (Donuts + sculpey??) I know my ideas from creating jewelry will work themselves in to my new artwork.