Recent Works 2010: A Juried Competition

My original two works from my new series "My Kind Of Town" were accepted to to be exhibited in the Lake County Residents show "Recent Works 2010". -- As there were a record breaking 296 works submitted for entry, and only 61 of those selected for the exhibit, I am feeling especially excited about the show.

Opening reception Friday October 1 from 7 - 9 pm.

Back In The Saddle Again

A friend of mine noticed OPF Studio was up and running again this morning and wrote that she was glad I was back in the saddle again. Now that song is stuck in my head ~ thanks Jan!

Life Lessons               by Crystal Neubauer

Among the collage works I've just listed is "Life Lessons". I have been in the process of learning so many lessons of late. Good lessons. Hard lessons. Life changing and building lessons.  - If only life came with an instruction book. I could have read it a long time ago, kept it around for those times that questions have come up about the "rules" - and by questions, yes I mean those knock-down-drag-out-power-struggle-me-first kind of questions! A good rule book now and then might come in handy. Well, okay, I do have one sitting next to my bed and it helps when I open it and give it a good read every morning.

Winter Bird       by Crystal Neubauer

Winter Bird is one of a new series of works I've created combining collage, encaustics, and image transfers I created from my monoprint birds. 

 Friends and Honesty            by Crystal Neubauer

Friends and Honesty is one of a series titled "For The Birds" within the series of monoprint bird collages - 9 works done on 4" x 4" cradled canvas - appealing on their own or grouped in vignettes of two or more.

For The Birds Series        by Crystal Neubauer

The series is modestly priced allowing a snippet of art for any budget and making a collection possible.

Coffee Break               by Crystal Neubauer

Coffee Break, aptly named for the calming tones and foundation that began on a used coffee filter, is one of the few collage works that is not completely done in encaustics. Sometimes the textures and tones of the work beg not to be covered.

Along with reopening the Studio at Etsy, I have been busy this month getting settled in to a new studio space and home. Thought I'd share a panoramic view of the space as I get settled in. What will be, I'm sure, a rare view of a tidy space. I've just about got it all sorted and put away, with the exception of the goodies I plan to take to Portland for Vendor Night.

Be sure to take a look at my Etsy Studio frequently, I'll be adding new works all month and if you haven't signed up for my newsletter be sure to do so and I will send you the latest copy with an exclusive offer for newsletter readers good for the entire month of September~ And now I'm Back in the saddle again - Whoopi-ty-aye-yay!

Welcome to Chicago: My Kind Of Town

Left Side: Anatomy of The Artist                       by Crystal Neubauer

Tomorrow night, Friday August 27th, I'll be setting up shop with my art and objects at the Cloth Paper Scissors Create Retreat, Artists' Faire and welcoming you to my neck of the woods. Chicago is just a short jaunt from home for me and I'm commemorating the occasion with a new series titled "My Kind of Town".

Anatomy of The Artist                               by Crystal Neubauer

This series of collage & acrylic works incorporates a small series of digital collages I previously created from photographs taken during a visit to Navy Pier in Chicago, November 2008. 

Side View: Anatomy of The Artist         by Crystal Neubauer

"Anatomy of The Artist" speaks of the complexity of life, our Creator and the beauty to be found in all of creation. It measures 6" x 18" and is sealed with a textured acrylic gel medium that has a subtle wheels and gears pattern made with stencil from MaryBeth Shaw's line.

Reel Life                    by Crystal Neubauer

Also measuring 6" x 18", "Reel Life" is a skyline view of the city from Navy Pier with a dreamy surreal quality designed to evoke thoughts of a life that is larger then the individual, with consideration to the role one was created to play.

Right Side: Reel Life                       by Crystal Neubauer

In addition to these larger canvases, I have created a few small collages for the series "My Kind of Town" for purchase, along with my new series "For The Birds", many of my abstract collage works, some of my jewelry items, and of course a wide variety of my unique objects and paper packs for you to use in your own art projects. If you are planning to attend the CPS Create Retreat, or are in the Chicago area tomorrow night, be sure to stop by the Artists' Faire at the Hilton Rosemont, Chicago O'Hare, just outside Chicago from 6 - 9pm. The event is open to the public.

Left Side: Reel Life                       by Crystal Neubauer

Finding My Way Back Home

 Finding My Way Back Home                          Crystal Neubauer 2010

One thing I have discovered to be true, I am a collage artist. First and foremost, above all other mediums, my first and truest art love is collage. I could rip and tear and glue papers from now and through eternity. I have bins full of saved scraps of papers and old books in the worst of conditions are stored away on book shelves as if they are literary classics bound in the finest leather covers. I am a hoarder of language. I've described in previous posts how this art form is therapeutic, meditative even, and can be a form of worship for me. As I spend quiet hours in my studio these papers take a turn toward an unspoken language between myeself and God. A groaning of the Spirit as I push and pull and tear away with physical papers I am opened to see with greater clarity whatever it is God is working out in me through my love of collage.

But then came encaustics. When I first set out to explore with encaustics I thought this would be an aside from collage, a detour, if you will, but I found that it so perfectly suited the work I was already doing that it did not compete for my time in the studio, but completed it. And though I still have just scratched the surface with what is possible to do with this medium, I have fallen in love with the waxy substance that binds the papers and protects and enhances and adds a luminative quality to the textures I so love to work with.

And then came monoprinting, With fickle infidelity I fell in love again. This time with inks and brayers and new possibilities that stretch out endlessly in front of me. Monoprinting is fun and freeing. Where I had no knowledge of painting, I can paint. And where I did not know how to draw, I draw, and it is deeply satisfying. Again, I believed that this would be just a detour, that there would be times I would want to express myself through monoprint and times that I would work with encaustic and collage. But how could I not find a way to marry all of my loves?

And so I am pleased to announce that I will be presenting my new line of monoprint encaustic collages next week at the Cloth Paper Scissors Artists' Faire in Rosemont. If you are attending the CPS retreat or are in the Chicagoland area on Friday don't miss out! I will be selling my art and objects alongside many talented artists from 6-9pm at the Rosemont Hotel O'Haire in Rosemont, Illinois. I hope to see you there!

Home Is Where the Art Is

Home is Where the Art Is                          Crystal Neubauer 2010

It has been a busy summer with many full days to come before Fall presses in. In the midst of the hustle and bustle I had a much needed break attending the Midwest Collage Society meeting yesterday. We each brought out our supplies and visited while we worked, ate our lunches and listened to two guests teaching on a variety of papers and the best applications for using them. First up, Susan Clark of Graphic Chemical & Ink Company, shared her knowledge and answered questions. The company is a local family owned business with an international clientele and a wide variety of paper and art supplies. Next, Andrea Harris, an Artist Representative for Strathmore Artist Papers, talked about the paper making process. Each woman brought a nice selection of samples to share. 

 Andrea Harris, Artist Representative for Strathmore Paper

I pieced together the collage above titled "Home is Where the Art Is" as indeed, sitting among these women I felt very much at home in spite of it being only my second time sitting in on the monthly meeting. 

I was able to sit next to Jerri Reimann, the current president of MCS. Jerri and I first met years ago in one of the online groups we were both active in and lost touch over time, so it was a nice surprise to find her at MCS. And in one of those serendipitous timing type of things, Jerri was carving printing stamps, which I had just the day before decided I wanted to try my hand at. Jerri generously sent me home with a piece of the Soft-Cut material and I am looking forward to having a go at making my own stamp. 

Oh the idea wheels are turning....

 Jerri Reimann carving her printing block