New Gallery-New State

September 15th, 2021

It is such an honor to now be represented by York & Friends Fine Art in Nashville, TN! I love Nashville and now have a new reason to visit. Yesterday was the first day my work was on display. 6 red dots and all before lunch! Not a bad first day. October will be a big month- I will be the featured artist for the entire month. Ron York, owner, promises to make a “big splash” with my work. It’s too bad that Mark and I won’t get to Nashville for the opening as we will be on the road to Colorado and our annual vacation to South Carolina most of the month. The trips will provide some much needed R&R and no doubt, inspiration.

If you are in the Nashville area- be sure to check out this fun gallery. IMG_2620.jpg

New Florals/New Style

April 20th, 2021

The quarantine and its subsequent isolation has been a good/very bad thing. For me, the good outweighs the bad. (but you know I’m a “glass half full” person.) I’m not making light of the pandemic- I lost people and know others who are hurting. So many people lost. Close to home, we miss the gallery openings, concerts, dinners at our favorite restaurants and family gatherings. The impact on businesses has caused good people to suffer. Hopefully the vaccine will bring us closer soon.

All that being said, people have shown amazing creativity devising ways to conquer these losses. Carry out, drive by, zoom, to name a few. Although I discovered that teaching art online did not give me joy, I did decide to take an online art class to pass the time. The result is a new body of work still in its infancy. I guess I need to change it up every few years. These pieces have very little paper. They are mixed media- acrylic and graphite.

Soon after I retired from Mariemont, I took a class with a local artist. My biggest take away was a comment he made to me- “I wish you could paint with the same energy that you draw.” I have not forgotten his comment. Maybe this work would please him. Let me know what you think and thanks for visiting my site.

 

Pandemic Paddling and Sewing Machine stitchery

October 28th, 2020

D.W. Winnicott said “Artists are people driven by the tension between the desire to communicate and desire to hide.” That certainly tells the tale of 2020. The pandemic has made us all want to hide and then yearn to communicate.

After a rejuvinating spring break in Florida, I returned to discover quarantine and isolation here in Ohio. It was a shock to my system to return from a fun trip to the sunny beaches of the panhandle to TP shortages and masks. I settled in like everyone else and tried to work on my CCHMC project and teach remotely. It was not fun. I really missed my students and using Zoom did not do it for me. As the weather became warm and the flowers started to bloom, everything became much more palatable. My Christmas present of a red kayak was a Godsend. With the addition of a “beach” to our riverfront property (Mark’s quarantine project,) the river became much more accessible. We had a few glitches, my red kayak was stolen, I was gifted a used kayak from a neighbor, it was too big, so I finally was able to purchase a new small kayak . (I guess the pandemic brought not only a rush on TP but kayaks.) Mark and I quickly became addicted to the quest of discovering the beauty of our river from a new vantage point. Paddling next to a solitary goose who was apparently mourning the loss of his mate is a memory I will not soon forget. The uncommon quiet of long stretches of the Little Miami, due to the temporary closure of Kings Island, was awe-inspiring.  Seeing the fall colors from the middle of the river and experiencing the crisp air on our last paddle may just get me through the winter. I am extremely thankful for my lanyard with the waterproof iPhone case because I was able to document those memories with a ton of photos.

The summer after I graduated from Miami I attended a class at Arrowmont Settlement School in Tennessee. I received a scholarship from my sorority upon graduation. (Pi Phi helps support this school.) For some unknown reason, I selected a class called “Sewing Machine Stitchery.” I guess it was by default because I had had enough of clay and enameling in my undergrad years. Anyway, the professor challenged us to draw with the sewing machine. I loved it and it has always been my desire to do it again. When teaching at Clark I befriended the Home Ec. teacher across the hall, a sweet older lady named Jessie Hupp.  She was kind enough to teach me the basics of sewing. For a couple years I dabbled in making pillows, dresses and even dolls for my cheerleaders. Then life got in the way and I put the sewing machine aside. I did teach a Fibers class at Mariemont and would drag my machine to school to teach the kids what little I knew. These recent hours of solitary confinement have awakened my desire to sew. My 30 year old Singer is not up to the task of sewing through paper. The CCHMC project funded a brand new Brother sewing machine! So, I am now adding another layer to my work. After the paper is all in place, I am now adding a layer of stitchery to the mix. So far, so good. The machine came with some classes at the local sewing store, so, I will continue to learn how to best use this amazing machine. The subjects of my new work also include my paddling adventures as well as my favorite gardening success stories.

I will continue to hide in my workroom, dreaming of the warm sunny paddles and communicate to you in my own mixed media way. Maybe when this crazy time is over, there will be a show. If not, continue to check me out here and thanks for your continued support.  Stay safe and healthy. xo

A Children’s Hospital project meets my Xavier University students

October 28th, 2020

Shhhh…. it’s still a secret. I just can’t wait any longer…For the past year I have been working on 64 pieces for the CCHMC new CCB building. The project mission was for 6 local artists to work in collaboration with a school to create a body of work for the new building. When I was selected, I proposed that I work with Xavier students.  Suzanne Chouteau, the printmaking professor, let me invade her class.  Sunflowers were to be the central focus and be combined with all things natural that surround and coexist with sunflowers. I set out to Yellow Springs to see the sunflower field in all its glory. The photos I took were the beginning of the design process. An abundance of bees I encountered that day quickly became a secondary focus.  The Printmaking students and Art Experience students eagerly began making 64 mixed media works all based on my 12 original designs.

The students and I worked tirelessly for the past year to complete the work. It was such fun to teach them a new process and see their interpretations of my designs. The project delivery has been delayed until November 2020 but you can see a few photos here of the work and the students. I am happy to have the work complete but will miss these wonderful students and their energy. Enjoy!

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Solo Show

July 3rd, 2020

It’s very exciting to be the inaugural artist to showcase my work in the beautiful new Arts Center in Springfield Township! You can see my work in the main gallery/lobby area beginning July 6. The building will be open from 9-5 weekdays and 9-3 on Saturday. This girl is waiting to greet you! Let me know what you think!  https://www.theartsconnect.us

The Art Experience- contagious energy abounds

February 9th, 2019

“The Art Experience” is a class that I am currently teaching at Xavier University. It is a class that is offered each semester by the Art Department to fulfill an art requirement for non Art Majors. The class is open to interpretation by the professors. The goal for my class is to encourage students to embrace the visual world around them and respect the contribution and influence of artists of every genre. Study of the masters and materials of the artist is, of course, included. Beyond that, we will visit the domain of gallery artists, graphic designers, architects, advertising execs, brand managers, theatre set designers, way finding teams, etc. You get the idea. Our visits include such places as: The American Sign Museum, the Ensemble Theatre, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Caza Sikes Gallery, and Plaza Art Supplies, to name a few. More traditional locations include The Cincinnati Art Museum and the Taft.

Second semester is well underway. Four classes are in the books. The Cincinnati Art Museum was our destination yesterday. What a joy to see the museum for the first time through their eyes. Kids in a candy store! People ask me why I am teaching again and scheduling my Fridays to be on campus for this class. It’s time away from art production and dragging myself to class in the cold and dark. If you look at the expressions on my students’ faces, you will see my answer. It is the best. job. ever. I am grateful!

Mahan Studio is OPEN

November 5th, 2018

Mahan Studio showroom and teaching space is up and running! We held our first workshop in the teaching space on Saturday. It was a fun day! Students were very happy with the outcome. One student actually finished a painted paper painting in just 6 hours. What a great way to kick off our new venture. We will be open in the showroom on Saturdays very soon. There will be a new workshop the first Saturday of every month. Next up- hand painted- one of a kind-vases on December 1st. Stay tuned for details

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FINAL Final Friday-September 28th

September 27th, 2018

Please join us tomorrow night at the Pendleton Art Center for our last hurrah in our studio at the Pendleton! #315 will belong to someone else next month, so, it’s your last chance to visit us at PAC before we move to our new home in Lockland. Mahan Studio will be up and running soon at 324 W. Wyoming Ave. with lots of unique designs, Lost & Found furniture and new art. Stay tuned for updates. We will have an opening party soon.

You can also still find my work at the following galleries:

Art Access in Columbus, Ann Arbor Art Center in Ann Arbor, MI, Artistic Galleries, Caza Sikes and Banz Studio in Cincinnati.

One time only low prices on older work in the studio tomorrow night and a RAFFLE for a hand painted vase! Homemade cupcakes and cookies, lots of wine and good friends to usher us into our next chapter! Plan to come early and stay late! (well, 6-10PM)

Viewpoint 50

August 3rd, 2018

My mixed media piece, “Let it Go” that is pictured below, is INVITED FOR the upcoming Viewpoint 50 exhibition! It is a nationally juried exhibition to be held this year at the Greenwich House Gallery in O’Bryanville.

The Artist’s Reception and Awards will be on Saturday, September 15, 2018, from 6:00 PM until 10:00 PM at the Greenwich House Gallery, 2124 Madison Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208

ViewPoint 50 will be Open to the Public
September 14, through October 13, 2018
Monday through Saturday 11:00 – 5:00 PM

Workshop at Painted River Art Studio Aug. 10, 11 & 12

July 12th, 2018