The Gallery Journal

Most people I know love the smell of brewing coffee and thrill at the hiss and smell when opening a new can of grounds. Not me. Uh-uh!  Even foods such as mocha ice cream, fancy whipped coffee drinks, and candies with trace amounts of coffee are on my “Thanks but no thanks…..” list.

A great cup of tea, however, is …..well….my cup of tea! Certainly not all brands of tea are created equal. Some herbal teas smell like weeds that give people hayfever. But it is fair to say I drink a lot of tea.

On a trip to Iceland I happened across handmade greeting cards by an Icelandic artist that piqued my imagination. I’ve since marveled that there was no clap of thunder or sound of a large gong at that moment. The artist had drawn small Icelandic scenes and objects on used tea bags and mounted them on card stock. The thousands of tea bags I had discarded in my life flashed before my eyes. What a waste! And since that day I have been a “bag lady.”

Back stateside I saved every tea bag I used. I would arrive home to find friends had donated their used tea bags, tucking them between my storm and entry door or in my mailbox. By now I am certain the tea bag cards I have made since that fateful day in Iceland number in the thousands. Well….off to make some “Bag Lady Cards” today. Just in case you had any thought of sending me your used tea bags, thanks, but save your postage – I’m well supplied. ~ Glenda

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Three Gallery artists, Randi Mackey, Glenda Drennen, and myself were recently commissioned by the Le Mars, IA Chamber of Commerce and Arts Council to each paint a 3D sculpted 6' tall ice cream cone. Le Mars is considered the ice cream capital of the world and 30 some of these cones will adorn the town. Regional artists as far away as Omaha have signed on to the project. Local Le Mars businesses have stepped up to sponsor these cones. I was "scooped up" as the artist for JRE Properties Pros. Lisa Wagner with JRE requested a brightly colored fantasy cone and I gave my enthusiatic, "yes!" Immediately I thought of the popular 60's artist, Peter Max, and his wildly colorful works I admired during my high school years. Being a 2D watercolor artist, thinking in 3D is quite new to me. Here are a couple photos that show the progress to date. I'll add a few familiar town icons on the lower portion to complete the cone. This one will be installed at The Olsen Cultural Event Center in Le Mars. Fun! 

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Mom's Purple Gloxinia is a plant that was given for the passing of my Mother in June 2002. Living in a motor home, and traveling the United States, I took this plant with me. The plant would bloom with big beautiful purple flowers from May to October and then go dormant. I would put it in a dark place until March. Then I would bring the plant out, give it food and water, place it in the sunshine, and watch it grow and bloom again. I was told by Earl Mays in 2007 that this type of plant usually lives only a couple years. Boy was he surprised when I told him how old mine was. To this day Mom's Purple Gloxinia keeps on living! Here are photos of the painting progression. If you would like to see the finished painting, please stop by The Gallery!

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I was commissioned to do a 24 x 30 oil painting of a basketball/hoop with a royal blue background for a 6-year-old boy. Products I used, were a standard 24 x 30 x 1 ¾" oil canvas (primed with 2 coats of gesso prior to starting), Holbein Duo Water-soluble oils, linseed oil for Duos, and a variety of brushes. I started by taking photos of our neighbor’s basketball hoop from many angles and chose my favorite reference. Then I graphed out both the reference and canvas with the same number of squares (for a visual transfer). Next I painted a rough background, hoop and ball in gray acrylic for the base to get the shading/values right. As I painted the ball I was determined to make it look round before I added the lines so I would know how to do the shading when I added color. Then I added the lines in the ball. I began adding color with the background, and also painted the number 23 in several spots (the boy’s team number) somewhat disguised, for fun. Next I began painting the ball, hoop and backboard. From this point on I built colors to the proper intensity and painted the detail. The hoop loops were the hardest part of this work. To get the basket to look like it was drooping, and the viewer was looking through it was a challenge for me. Here is a photo of both the reference (left) and the finished painting (right). ~Randi Mackey

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Our recent "Art From Our Hearts" special event held on February 11th was a big success and alot of fun! Guests arrived in good number and enjoyed refreshments while viewing the many works on display and chatting with member artists. Witnessing these guests become patrons as they selected and purchased special Valentine's Day gifts was very rewarding for the artists that prepared for the event by creating works from their hearts! Thanks to all of you in attendance and we hope to see you again soon!

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