Thursday, June 26, 2008

Hi There! Checking In

Even though the blog has been quiet, I'm still here! I took a little while off from creating art. I do now have a painting that I am starting; it is in the charcoal drawing stage. I'll start adding in the paint drawing tonight.

I've also been spending some time on the business side of being an artist. I'm doing some grant proposal writing, attended a workshop on fiscal sponsorship, am in the process of landing my own studio space, have been teaching some private lessons, gallery sitting for the LAG show, and I even got out to my friend Rachelle's fabulous studio downtown! Oh, and I'm preparing for a trip to NYC. I'm going to visit some galleries and hopefully make some connections.

So, yeah, busy busy. I should have some images of actual art to share soon.

In the meantime, remember that I have three shows going on right now, and they are closing this week!

Foundry Art Centre - Figurative Works 05-16-08 through 06-27-08

Feminae - Solo Exhibit at Hilliard Gallery 06-06-08 through 06-28-08

Lawrence Art Guild All Members Show 06-14-08 through 06-28-08

  • Hobbs Taylor Lofts
    Eighth and New Hampshire St.
    Lawrence, KS 66044

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Lacey Lewis - Artist of the Day

I just found out that I am artist of the day at ArtistADay.com. I'm delighted!

Yes, I will return soon with more work to share. Stay tuned...

Sunday, June 15, 2008

LAG All Member's Exhibit

Saturday was the opening reception for the Lawrence Art Guild's All Member's Exhibition, in which two of my paintings are included. I attended and ran in to a few familiar faces, and met a couple new ones. The show will run until June 28, 2008. Hours 10am-5pm Monday through Saturday and noon-5pm on Sundays.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Feminae - Pictures from the Opening

Fellow artists and photographers Stephen Locke and Terie Unger were kind enough to take pictures during my opening and share them with me! (Thank you!) Stephen also created a Flash slide show that you can view here. I had a great time, and thanks to everyone who came out. If you haven't seen the show yet, do drop by before it closes on June 28th... there's even more than is pictured here!








Thursday, June 12, 2008

Self Portrait Drawing - Finished

She's done! I'm happy with the mix of contour and shading that I did below the neck. Hopefully it looks right to others as well. I'd like to come up with a better title than just 'Self Portrait Drawing.' Anyway, here it is below, framed and ready to go!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Self Portrait Drawing - Almost Complete

I will do more on the lower half of the drawing, but I won't do as much shading. I want to leave a lot of the rest as contour. Either way, it will be finished and framed tonight!

Monday, June 09, 2008

Self Portrait Drawing - Half Way Done!

Made a bunch of progress this afternoon, but I think I'll call it quits for the day. Time to work on other projects. I did take several pictures of the in-between stages; perhaps this will become yet another demo!

Self Portrait - Line Drawing

Yesterday I started this drawing, and after I post this I will continue working on it. As you can see above, I began with a plumb line that hit the curve of the nose/eye/forehead area. It also lined up with a spot on the clothing, so it made for a good place to start my measurements.

As I continued along, I made measurements relative to the plumb line, and also relative to other points that had already been measured. The carpenter's rule of, 'measure twice, cut once,' is also applicable here as, ' measure twice, draw once.' Once I am sure of the marks along the plumb line, I use triangulation to place marks to either side of the line.

Of course, we all make mistakes. Once I got to the shoulder, I quickly found that I had grossly miscalculated the position of the gathered hair at the back of the head. Since I am double checking things at this stage, it is still relatively easy to correct.

In a day or two, I will have pictures to share from the Feminae opening. I had a great time, and thanks to everyone who made it out!

Thursday, June 05, 2008

KC Star

I almost forgot to mention that there's a blurb about the show in the KC Star Preview section today! Near the end of this article is a little snippet, and they also included "Mala," which looks surprisingly good in the print version.

Insecurity - Signed, Sealed, Delivered

"Insecurity"
Oil on Canvas 40" x 30"

I finished the painting late last night after the event at Union Station, signed and framed it this morning (don't worry, I took measures so the painting doesn't stick to the frame) and then delivered it to the Gallery. Almost everything is up and ready to go there, and seeing it all on the walls was great! It all looks so much better there than it does in my living room. My husband remarked that it all fits at the gallery much better than in our house.

Once I got back from the gallery, I took a nap. I needed it! I can't remember the last time I was that busy. I'd love to say that I am just going to relax for the next 24 hours until it's time for the show, but instead I have to take care of everything that's been neglected while I was focusing on my work, i.e. the dishes and what looks like a framing shop after an explosion.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Auction


I just got back from an event at Union Station to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was 'Sounds of a Cure,' an event put on by Brian Christie of Personal Chef to raise funds for the charity as he competes to be Man of the Year. My friend and fellow artist Terie came with me and we had a great time. There was an auction associated with the event. I donated a graphite portrait, but it will be auctioned at the Grand Finale event on June 12th. There is more info on the news page of my website. For now, I have to go get more work done! The past couple days have been crazy busy.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Insecurity - Crankin' It Out

Wow, I started the last post (about the Feminae exhibition) yesterday and just noticed that I never hit 'publish.' Guess I am busier than I though!

I'm trying to bust this one out ASAP. I've worked on and mostly completed the arms, stomach, and legs. That's most of the area of the figure, but there's still all that detail left in the hands. I'm off now to work on just that. I hope to get it done tomorrow night; let's see if I can!

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Feminae - Opening This Friday

My solo exhibition, Feminae, opens this Friday 6-9 pm at Hilliard Gallery. Hilliard is located at 18th and Oak in KC, MO. Please stop by!

Fēminae
New Work by Lacey Lewis
Hilliard Gallery
Opens June 6th 6-9 pm
Closes June 28th

Hilliard Gallery will feature new nude and narrative figurative work by area artist Lacey Lewis in a June solo exhibition titled, “Fēminae.” An opening reception will be held for the artist on Friday, June 6th from 6-9 pm and the show will run through
Saturday June 28th.

Lacey Lewis brings a sense of humanity and individuality to each of her figurative oil paintings. In a genre that is too often approached by artists in the same manner one would approach still lives or landscapes, Lewis seeks to depict unique personalities while simultaneously evoking universal emotions and narratives. Focusing almost
exclusively on the feminine form, she employs dramatic lighting, theatrical poses, and symbolism to imply both the pensive and the passionate. Her paintings and drawings explore areas of the human psyche that range from morbid to erotic to reflective, and often suggest historic or mythical female characters.

Lewis is an award winning contemporary realist figurative painter. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, she relocated to Kansas City in 2003 with her husband and son. She participates in exhibitions both locally and nationally, and gives public lectures and private lessons.

I will have updates on "Insecurity" soon!