Art a la Carte Art Show

Well, I guess the last time I blogged was about 9 months ago. I havent really had much to say. Either way its nice to keep this blog around because its like of like a journal of sorts. I've had it since 2010. Yikes
Since my last blog I quit my grocery store floral job and have been working as an art instructor ever since. It was slow at first, but it has really picked up. Now I'm working at Art a la Carte full time managing and being an instructor. At the beginning of June the studio had its 2nd annual art show.

The art show was partially for charity supporting multiply sibling foster children. They build homes in basically a subdivision, so entire families can be fostered together. Even if they aren't in the same house, they could be next door to their siblings. I think we raised about $400 for them. Here was my set up filled with all my paintings and artwork. I got to have an art show with two of my greatest friends Bri and April. April is the best coworker I have ever had and she made me the wood burn of Lizard Queen Lisa. I wish there was a bigger demand of pin-up art in the suburbs of Chicago. Oh well, I'll still do what I do. It was a great night and a great memory.
xoxo,
Rebecca

 

 

Dont Quit Your Day Job

So I quit my day job. It was only a part time job making flower arrangements, but it took up a lot of my time. I'm in a transition period between my college student life and my big-girl life. I still have another part-time job as an art instructor, but that is something I love doing. Since quitting Ive really stepped up my commission game, which is what makes me money. Not working also gives me time to paint a lot more and I can work at all kind of of strange vampire hours like 10pm-5am.

I had some paintings hanging up for a show at the local tattoo shop and I sold a few paintings. Hopefully if all goes well I will have a little show with more of my paintings to hang up there. So I am trying to build a larger body of work to fill the gallery space.  These are just what I have been working on lately.

In addition to my female portraits, I have been working on some animal portraits. I painted two puppies for my girlfriends dad who had cancer. Those puppies are basically my niece and nephew. Since everyone loves their pet, I have a few commissions of dogs for the holiday season.

That is what has been going on in my life as of lately. I dedicate this post to the furnace guy that I had to wait for. If it wasn't for him, I probably would have wrote this post.  Too bad we have to buy a new furnace now.

XOXO,

Rebecca

 

 Gabrielle
@thedramaofexile

 Johanna

 @johannaost

 Kenley 

@kenleycollins 

Sarah 

 @sarahdahhlia

 Lauren

 @laurenmf13

 Samantha

@lipstickrollers

 

 Wrigley

 Winston

 Petey

Pin-up Gallery Show

Last Friday I had the opening of a gallery show at Eglin Artspace Gallery. It was called Cheesecake Anyone? A Salute to the American Pin-up. I got three of my paintings in the show. Elgin is about an hour northwest of me, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Mike and I drove there on Friday and I was pretty excited. The show was great. There was old cars outside, pin-up girls inside, themed food and drinks, and a lot of great art. It felt amazing to be in my element. There was a huge timeline of the pin-up that started in the late 1800's. There was a giant keyhole that went into a room showing peepshow videos. They even had a vintage sitting area that was donated by the local thrift-shop, that definitely added to the great vibe. I had my three paintings there Rachele, Kath, and Vivian. I really like the wall that I was on. I think all the paintings fit perfectly together. Placement on gallery walls are very important. However, I do wish the work was spread out a little more. They did feel a little cramped, but I loved being next to the wood panel of Red Hot Riding Hood.

After the show we went to Retro-a-GoGo. It was one of the best thrift shops Ive been too. The owner only collect clean pieces from the 1940s-1970s. Her shop was pretty much organized by decade and everything had its proper place. Of course I didn't have as lot of money on me, so I just picked up two new sheer scarves. I cannot wait to go back there again. 

Mike and I decided we should probably move to Downtown Elgin and live in one of the artist lofts. The areas around it was a little sketchy, but the houses were amazing. Like the pink and mint house I found that I will move in to. Sorry for the crummy quality, all I had was my phone camera.

 

 

Failures

Sometimes we try our hardest and still fail. I'm a perfectionist and a Virgo, so this not something I enjoy. Not that anyone enjoys failure. I've been recency frustrated in the ways of vintage hair which brought me to this. I cannot pin-curl, and it is eating my up inside. I can easily get my Marylin curls with sponge curlers, but I like to be authentic. I like knowing that was the way my grandmother and great grandmother did it. It makes me feel closer to them, although my one grandma is very much alive. While I listen to my boyfriend in my head "It takes practice!'. YES I KNOW, but I want to be good NOW!!!!!  My inner Veruca Salt coming out. Hey, I am the only girl in my family and the youngest. So I've tried books, and youtube tutorials, gadgets, and gizmos. I wish I could insert a Little Mermaid gif here. Am I just bad at it, is my hair too layered and fried? I guess I will still have to practice. I think I get frustrated and just quit most of the time. Maybe that is why I am not getting any better.

 It works with paintings too. In December I was just starting to hit my stride with painting portraits. I found Caroline, who is such a beauty and I decided to paint her. The painting turned out okay, and it was well liked by others, but I hated it. How could I ruin this beauty with my terrible painting. And its unfortunately stuck on my business cards now too. Since then I've graduated and have a few months away and I wanted to paint again. I started a portrait and it was going well and then... it wasn't. So instead of fight through it, I stopped. It was bad and I stop. That's not a terrible thing. I am disappointed that it didnt turn out, but there is no harm in not finishing something you're not liking. I was worried I was losing my touch, I thought I could never paint something again.

 So then I was going on vacation and I wanted a little project to work on, so I started another Caroline painting. Thankfully, I dont know how, but it turned out well. In the words of Mike "This one had a little magic" Which was a wonderful thing to hear. So yes we can screw up and fuck up, but you got to keep on going.  My brain is always flip flopping between me being a failure and a success (ten times a day) but, I think this painting was a success. Also I got a new scanner and that just makes everything better!

BFA in Painting with a Specialization in Watercolor

I have officially graduated art school. I have a BFA in painting.  Four years, 40 something thousand dollars of debt in student loans, a lot of stress, and I am done. I am the only one in my immediate family that has a Bachelors, so I feel somewhat proud of that. Not that my degree will probably get me any further. This is the collection of my final work. I will also share my artist statement. I do love my school and painting. I wish go to American Academy of Art, paint every day, and get paid. That would be perfect. It went by too fast and I wish I could learn so much more. Here is my official artist website, but I will continue to blog here. Thanks for all the support I have gotten on this blog and through other social media. I couldn't go on without such positive feedback.

xoxo,

Rebecca

I am inspired by the aesthetics and colors of women's style from the early twentieth- century. I try to examine past and present ideas of femininity through shifting design and style. My work offers a juxtaposition between the authentic style of the past and the current evolving nostalgic reinterpretations that create a new prevailing culture. I connect my own female relatives to myself through fashion and as well as through genetic similarities. These women raised me and made me who I am today and I am inspired by their poise, character, and conduct. My paintings form a link between contemporary women who create a vintage appearance and to those who lived in the time of the past.

I use watercolor to paint a soft multicolored rainbow of skin tones, exaggerating the colors that disappear into the skin. The bright blues, greens, purples, and oranges, are painted to bring out the details that distinguish the fashion of an era, as well as the individual beauty of each woman. My paintings examine taste, fashion, and style though the subtleties of the jewelry, fabric, and make-up.

 Alana

8x8

watercolor

 Anna 

8x8

watercolor

 Kara

8x8

watercolor

 

 Sarah 

8x8

watercolor

 Missi

8x8

watercolor

 

 Rachele

8x8

watercolor

 

Kath

8x8

watercolor

Photo Booth

10x10

found photography

Portfolio Update

I just want to share some of the work I've been working on for all of last semester. I am currently working on what will be my concentration for my final portfolio for my BFA degree. These are three portraits of my maternal grandmother, myself, and my paternal grandmother. All three of  these were from black and white photographs, using watercolor I then painted them in color. I like the way they turned out and I am excited to continue my final portfolio. It is also time for me to start writing my artist statement, so it is good for me to verbalize all the information I have stuck in my head.
xoxo,
Rebecca

Her are the close-up details of all three paintings. I do work pretty small, 8x10, so I try to put a lot of detail in my paintings.

My favorite mushroom in yellow

While on vacation I found my most favorite mushroom, the fly agaric. Also know as Amanita muscaria. I know its the standard favorite mushroom because of the iconic look. It was so exciting to see it in real life. Even though it wasn't red it was amazing. I cant wait to paint them! I think I came across four different ones.Whenever I look up mushrooms on the internet I always find people calling them shrooms, and that bugs me. Besides the fact that these are poisonous, I dont eat or smoke mushrooms. I actually think mushrooms are not very tasty. I just find them very beautiful. I hope you can find the beauty in them.

Enjoy,

Rebecca

This little tiny guy! 

 Yeah, that tiny!

 They are a little similar to a painting I've done before, huh. :)