Acrylic Abstracts!

Oils were my first love, but a woman has a right to change her mind. I met watercolors and fell totally in love all over again. This year, I had an urge to paint on canvas again, but did not want to go back to oils. The obvious choice was to look into acrylics. I signed up for a class in January thinking that I would get used to using and mixing acrylics. This is not all that I have learned. I am now looking at photographs and getting inspired by their shapes and colors. As a realist painter, it is not easy to let go of details and create abstracts. Here are two new acrylics, I will reveal the inspiring photographs later. I am letting the viewer look at my art and see what they want. Can you tell me what you see?

www.artistamundo.com/rosiesart

Thank You Card

At the beginning of the month, I was a guest speaker for Career Day at North Hialeah Elementary School. To my surprise, I received this thank you card from Ms. Jessica Hernandez and her first grade class. I may have added color to their world, but they added a smile to my face and love in my heart.

Thank you North Hialeah Elementary School!!

Lazy Days of Summer

Summers are slow in the art world, especially here in the south. There are no outdoor shows and not many indoor shows. One of the indoor shows is the Fairchild Artist in Bloom exhibition. This show is open to anyone that has taken a class or workshop at the garden. It also includes the works of the Fairchild teachers. I took a watercolor batik workshop at the garden back in September and decided I would exhibit a couple of pieces I made after the workshop. This workshop, taught by the talented Lynda Wellens, has given me another avenue to express myself. This weekend I had to say goodbye to the piece above, since someone liked it enough to take it home with them.

At the same time that this exhibit was happening, I was getting seven pieces ready to be delivered to a fabulous little boutique in South Miami. Isabel's Gifts is a place where one item is just more beautiful than the next. It is a privilege that my pieces adorn the walls of this space.

Art is not always found in fine places like Fairchild and Isabel's. I am presently working on a piece for the "Divine Debris & Glorious Trash Exhibit" coming up next month at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. There are two requirements for the pieces: they must be made from recycled materials, debris, or trash and the work must be about Miami Beach. I gathered my working pieces and I am now assembling them into a piece of art. I will post these pictures at a later date. I just need to say that I had to put my gathered materials away to prevent the yard people from hauling them away. Yes, I am turning trash into art!

As you can see, I have yet to find a lazy day this summer.

www.artistamundo.com/rosiesart

Back to School......elementary school!

I went back to school this morning; all the way back to elementary school. It all started on the night of my opening reception at Grove House Artists Gallery. A nice young teacher by the name of Jessie Hernandez, approached me that night and asked if I would be a guest at her school on Career Day. For those of you that know me well, know that the first question I asked was,"Do I have to get on the expressway to get there?" Thankfully, her answer was no.

We were requested to get to the school by 8:30 am because we would be treated to breakfast. As soon as I got there, I felt that I was back in 4th grade. Two nice patrol girls welcomed us at the door and escorted us to the library. Sure enough, we were welcomed to breakfast and a nicely decorated library. There were guests from various professions: policemen, bankers, doctors and even a clown. I felt so old, but yet so young at the same time.

Ms. Hernandez took me to her first grade class. It was a delight to see these young children so eager to hear what I had to say. They were smart, polite and adorable. They loved looking at the art and hearing how I became an "artist". They were all willing to share personal stories of how they also create. I also thought how important Career Day is in the lives of these children. What direction would my life have taken had I been exposed to so many options at such a young age?

We were escorted by a couple of the children to the next class and another sharing time. They were so inspiring to me. As I put a new piece on the easel, they would "ooh" and "aah" at the painting. I can't even explain how wonderful that felt. My message to them, and to anyone reading this, was to find a way to create that makes you happy, and it may not necessarily be painting. I gave them different ways that they can create and express themselves each day without the need to draw or paint. I wanted them to know that they are unique and special and their creations would reflect that. Maybe they thought I gave them a lot by sharing my time and my talent, but their appreciation of my work has only inspired me to continue creating. A special thanks to my husband for driving me there. Thank you teachers, staff and students at North Hialeah Elementary for an incredible experience.

www.artistamundo.com/rosiesart