Tag Archives: mixed media art

Gratitude for an Art Filled Life

By Posted in Art, art exhibit, Collage, Community, Events, Exhibit Opening, Fairfax Virginia, Gratitude, Jessica Kallista, Mixed Media Art, Olly Olly, The Bunnyman Bridge Collective Tagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I’m blessed to be surrounded by incredible artists and gorgeous art. This past year has been filled with nonstop art and constant love, and I’m truly grateful. Creating art continues to teach me that, with a solid set of supplies, imagination, community, collaboration, love, persistence, patience, and dedication, magic can be made. We have the power to co-create our lives and our world.

Every day I’m meeting talented local artists. Opportunities to experience and create art are overflowing everywhere–including right here in suburbia. I’m grateful to be making and showing more art than ever before. Coming up just this week my work will be included in two exhibitions.

Thursday, December 11, from 6-8 pm join me for the opening reception of 5 x 5 x (5), an all media exhibition featuring small works, at Target Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia. I love little pieces of art that leave an impression far beyond their size. The exhibition features the work of over 30 artists from the U.S. and abroad.

Bunnyman by Jessica Kallista

On Saturday, December 13, from 8 pm-midnight, join me for a night of art and music at Epicure Café in Fairfax, VA for the opening reception of Divine. Curated by The Bunnyman Bridge Collective, Divine brings together 11 local artists, from across the DMV, working in a variety of media from stencil art, calligraphy, poetry, painting, drawing, mixed media, textiles, and more. Spend an evening with artists Jason Davis, Abner De Jesus, Michael Fischerkeller, John Grunwell, Matin Haji, Toni Hitchcock, Hks181, Joseph Nicolia, Javier Padilla, Mojgan Yaghmaei and me. Music for the opening reception will include the ever so transcendent and intoxicating jazz sounds of Dreamsville. You’ll want to be a part of this art and music filled event!

Heartmind by Jessica Kallista

Before you know it the new year will be here, and with it even more art. In January 2015 I will be opening a new alternative art space in Fairfax, VA called Olly Olly. Stay tuned for more news about exhibitions, open studios, and art events–all right here in suburbia.

Olly Olly

Total love and gratitude to all of the artists and art lovers who fill my life with art, love, and magic. So many awesome people. Thank you!

Back Yard Studio Time

By Posted in Art, Art Studio, Jessica Kallista, Mixed Media Art, Mosaic District, Work in Progress Tagged , , , , , Leave a comment

I started this hot summer day early in the morning in my Old Town Fairfax studio, but also wanted to get some outdoor creative time in before the rain hits. I’m currently working on a set of 36″ x 36″ panels for the Mosaic District in Fairfax. Can’t wait to show you the finished pieces. Here’s a look at the work in progress so far.

Plus, summer back yard studio time requires the perfect summer music. Here’s my latest favorite for summer song of 2014. Rain or shine, I hope you enjoy this day!

 

#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.

 

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?