A Look Back....and Full Speed Ahead!

I decided that I should look back at 2010 before writing down what I would like to accomplish in 2011. It was a year full of excitement, learning and even some disappointments. This is what happened in my art world in 2010:

• Joined GroveHouse Artists Gallery. This experience allowed me to meet many talented people and make many new friends.
• Exhibited at the Coconut Grove Bank through the Miami Watercolor Society.
• Participated in the Gifford Lane Art Stroll. What a fun afternoon with fellow artists.
• Exhibited at the Miami Watercolor Society 37th Annual Spring Exhibition at the University of Miami CAS Wesley Gallery.
• Had a solo show at Great Florida Bank, Miami Beach, Florida.
• Took acrylic classes, a silk scarves painting workshop, and a mosaic workshop. They were fun and have enhanced my art creations. The painting above is a result of that, "Into the Light", acrylic, available for purchase.
  
• Participated in the National Arts Program and exhibited at Miami Beach City Hall.
• Color & Light show at the Riviera Presbyterian Church.
  
• Received a peacock to paint as part of the Coconut Grove Peacock Tour 2010.
  

On a personal level, I was able to watch my granddaughter become "big girl" in just one year. If that was not enough, she will become a "big sister" in 2011; a life changing experience for us all.

Of course, life would not be real if I had not experienced the loss of friends, watched family and friends cope with illnesses and many other disappointments throughout the year. I still believe it is important to count our blessings amongst all else. I don't know about you, but my fingers and toes are ready to count the blessings coming my way in 2011.

Happy New Year!

www.artistamundo.com/rosiesart
http://www.redbubble.com/people/rosiebrown
http://www.coconutgrovepeacocktour.com/artists/rosie-brown

It's Here!

A few months ago, I was approached about a new project dealing with art in public places, the Coconut Grove Peacock Tour. This project involved painting beautiful peacocks to be displayed in the Coconut Grove area of Miami where they reside. The project would beautify the village and raise funds for charity by auctioning the peacocks at the end of the tour.

I filled out my application and waited, along with many other artists, for a sponsor. I watched as artists were assigned a peacock to paint and I got more and more excited about painting one. I also watched as the painted peacocks started appearing in various places in the Grove. One day, when I had finally given up hope of ever receiving one, a sponsor requested one. It turns out that my peacock is the very last one.

My sponsors are Pinnacle Housing and the Coconut Grove Collaborative located in the West Grove neighborhood. "The Village West neighborhood (also known as “West Grove”, “Black Grove”, and even at one time, “Colored Town”) is where Bahamian and African-American descendants of those who pioneered the development of Coconut Grove and the incorporation of the city of Miami live. The Coconut Grove Collaborative is an organization working to unify and advance efforts to revitalize the place they call “home”.

My peacock, "Nassau Daddy", will be representing the early settlers of this village. Mr. Rashid, from the Coconut Grove Collaborative, worked with me in designing this peacock. It will have a Bahamian look and all of the tropical things found in the Bahamas and Coconut Grove. It will have color, color and more color. It is an honor, and my pleasure, to paint a peacock that represents the history of this area.

www.artistamundo.com/rosiesart
http://www.coconutgrovepeacocktour.com/about

Out of the Box

I am convinced that I am a landscape/seascape artist. I say this because I can get lost in painting the many shapes of clouds and the beautiful colors of the sky at different times of the day, add the sea and I am happy. However, it is also fun to play with shapes and colors just because one can. A photographer friend, Brian Trainor, has been encouraging me lately to "get out of the box". It isn't just Brian. I personally want to bring excitement to my work and leave the realism to the imagination. In my exposure to watercolor, I have found that I enjoy that medium most when using a different type of paper than just your average watercolor paper. The rice paper I use for the watercolor batiks adds lots of texture and interest. The yupo (synthetic) paper allows for real play with colors because it does not absorb the paint. The paint stays on the surface with lots of time for movement and placement before drying. The paintings above are some samples of what can be done with this type of paper. It's like finger painting for grown ups. Let me know what you think of these.

www. artistamundo.com/rosiesart
http://www.redbubble.com/people/rosiebrown