Category Archives: Art

#WeTweetArt V2.0 Reception/TweetUp at artdc Gallery this Saturday, March 22, at 7pm

By Posted in #WeTweetArt, Art, artdc, Events, Exhibit Opening, Social Media, Twitter Tagged , , , , , Leave a comment

How would you describe your experience of social media’s influence in the ever-evolving art world of the 21st century? Has social media helped you meet or discover new artists? Has it helped you establish relationships and foster communities of artists in new ways? How can artists work to engage the art community and nurture one another via social media?

In the past week and a half I have made 50 new connections with artists in my local area via twitter thanks to an incredible art exhibition at the artdc Gallery. I am grateful for each and every connection I’ve made with these dedicated DC area artists. I am so impressed by each and every artist and art lover participating in this show. Artists were invited via twitter to participate in a massive group show that includes over 40 local artists and over 70 works of art in a wide variety of mediums. #WeTweetArt V2.0 marks the second social media art show for artdc Gallery. I’m excited to share that two of my new mixed media pieces will be in the #WeTweetArt V2.0 group show. I will tweet images and details about my pieces at the March 22 reception, so keep a look out for them.

Check out the facebook event page for the reception/TweetUp Saturday, March 22 at 7pm! Go ahead, click on the Going tab. You know you want to be part of this fabulous show. I hope to see you there. Another element that I love about the #WeTweetArt exhibition is that even if you are in Tampa, or London, or St. Louis, or New York, or Chicago, or Paris, or anywhere, you can still participate in this exhibition and connect with the art and the artists via twitter by following and using the hashtag #WeTweetArt. This event builds community on a local level in the DMV and expands the potential for relationships between artists and art lovers worldwide. Anyone with a twitter account can become a dynamic participant in this art event. So join in, TweetUp, see exceptional art, meet brilliant artists on twitter or IRL. I’m hoping to make a connection with you Saturday night!

#WeTweetArt V 2.0 runs from March 9-April 6. Live music for the March 22 reception/TweetUp will be provided by the Improvisational DJ group Sassoon. The artdc Gallery is located at 5710 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville, MD.

 

Live Painting at Javier Padilla’s SANTA VIDA with The Bunnyman Bridge Collective

By Posted in Art, Epicure Cafe, Events, Exhibit Opening, Fairfax Art, Jason Davis, Javier Padilla, Jessica Kallista, Live Painting, The Bunnyman Bridge Collective Tagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

There are so many phenomenal art events happening locally right now and in the coming weeks. I am still ecstatic after this past weekend’s incredible opening of Javier Padilla’s Santa Vida! Check out Javier Padilla Fine Art to learn more about this amazing artist! Plus, here’s an awesome write up about the opening night excitement, including an inside look at the live painting collaboration with artists Jason Davis, Javier Padilla, and me…AKA The Bunnyman Bridge Collective! The energy in the room Saturday night was absolutely infectious. I know there will be more experimentation and surprises at the opening of The Bunnyman Bridge Collective’s April 5 show, Tell Me Something! Come out and see us and join in the art filled play at Epicure Café, 11104 Lee Highway in Fairfax, VA, Saturday, April 5 from 7pm to midnight!

Get Ready for #WeTweetArt V2.0 Opening March 22

By Posted in #WeTweetArt, Art, artdc, Community, Events, MD, Social Media, Twitter Tagged , , , , , , , 2 Comments

How has social media influenced or enriched your experience of the arts? I’ve met so many incredible artists through social media since starting this blog two years ago. Hanging out on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook has made it easier than ever to learn about art, artists, and art events, both locally and globally. This afternoon I was happy to finally meet a few of the artists I’ve met via social media IRL at the installation of an upcoming art show at the artdc Gallery in Hyattsville, Maryland. #WeTweetArt V2.0 is a group show that celebrates the connections we make via twitter with artists and art lovers alike. Building and engaging community through the arts is my constant everyday mantra and mission, so I am super excited to be part of this show. The artwork being featured in the show is being kept as a bit of a secret for now. I hope to post photos as soon as I can. For now here are a few photos from this gorgeous sun drenched day in Arts District Hyattsville. Plus, follow me on Twitter @dearsuburbia  and follow the hashtag #WeTweetArt to keep up with all of the news and progress about the show, the art, and all of the artists involved. Then join us on March 22, 7pm-10pm, for the opening reception of #WeTweetArt V2.0 at the artdc Gallery located at 5710 Baltimore Ave. in Hyattsville, Maryland. Meet the artists face to face and tweet about all the awesome art. Can’t wait to see you there IRL! xoxo

A Little Something New for You

By Posted in Art, Collage, Embodiment, Free, Free Art Friday, Mixed Media, Mixed Media Art, The Bunnyman Bridge Collective Tagged , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I’ve been in a frenzied mode of creativity for months now. You can usually find me running around with paint in my hair and mountains of paper scraps at my feet. Between the crazy nonstop world of the regular everyday madness, starting a new poetry workshop in January, and being involved in something like a billion incredible art projects, this poor little blog thingy tends to become neglected. Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for the busy pace. I crave it, you know.

Creating new pieces for Free Art Friday NoVA and giving pieces away every week has become an obsession. I’ve even sent a piece of my free art off to Sydney, Australia. Every once in a while I give away a Free Art Friday piece on my Facebook page as well. And, just in case you’re interested in finding some of my free art in Northern Virginia, I’m planning to drop pieces at the new Epicure Café for the next several weeks. I would love for you to find a piece! If you do find one, please take a photo of yourself with your Free Art Friday piece and post it to the Free Art Friday NoVA page and/or to my Dear Suburbia page on Facebook. I would love to see you enjoying your free found art!

I’ve also become part of a new art collective, The Bunnyman Bridge Collective, with fellow artists Jason Davis and Javier Padilla. Be on the lookout. We’re already up to quite a bit of creative mischief in the unsuspecting wilds of suburbia. There are so many exciting collaborations and art filled events in the works for 2014. I’m keeping them as sort of a secret for now. I’ll let you in on all of it very soon. For now, here are a few of my most recent collages that I hope you will love!  xoxo

Making Sense in an Art Mess

By Posted in Art, Art Studio, Collage, Free Art Friday, Gratitude, Mixed Media Art, Work in Progress Tagged , , , , , , 5 Comments

Even with my new studio space I’ve still been experimenting, creating, working, and pretty much making a huge art mess in my home “studio” space…AKA the dining room. Thanks to a tip from a fellow collage artist, I’m working with a new process lately that involves heat sealing my collage elements together on mostly wood substrates. I’m also experimenting with large format pieces. A friend was kind enough to find a couple doors for this new phase of my collage work. One of the doors became an incredible table for my studio. I have so much gratitude for all of the amazing and generous artist friends in my life.  I’m also very grateful to share with you a few work in progress images of how the other door is coming along. This door is 24″ x 80″ which is truly a departure from my usual work. Moving back and forth from the tiny 4″ x 4″ creations that I’ve been putting out into the world each week for Free Art Friday NoVA and this large door collage has been an inspiring challenge. I’m happy to be able to have such a range of projects on which to work every day. And as you can see, the studio is quite a mess. It makes sense to me and allows me a certain level of nonstop freedom as I create. What about you? Do you need a mess around you to get your creative juices flowing? Or is a tidy studio space more inspiring to you?