Bella La Vita

 

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard

Generally, I feel pretty satisfied with the way I spend my days, although there is room for some adjustments. I have been in a creative slump, but I learned years ago the only way to come out of that is by doing. By going through the motions and regaining that familiarity, until the flow of creativity returns.


I've been in this slump for months now. Thanks to good advice from artistic friends and a little wisdom from past lessons learned, I 've managed to not constantly beat myself up about it. Being insanely critical of myself is like a default reaction for me; I'm trying to learn more fruitful ways to deal with frustration.

I'm thinking of write now as "pre production" of sorts. I am asking questions, writing down answers, and giving new ideas room and time to be thought out.
Some things I am asking myself are:

*What is important to me right now?

*What do I care about most?

*Why do I make the choices I do?

*Who and What do I live my life for?

*What if people hate what I do?


And then I write down the answers, and in the process of answering those questions, MORE questions arise and I try to answer them too.

.

  “The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.”

-Frank Lloyd Wright

Consuming Catastrophe part 2

In thinking about my last post about the recent show, Consuming Catastrophe, I realized there should be more pictures. So here they are; a quick photo journey.

Consuming Catastrophe

I really enjoyed this past month's event in Downtown Presbyterian at Art Crawl; unfortunately it was up one night only. Read the press release below to get the gist of it:

Press Release:
Downtown Presbyterian Children’s Summer Arts Program

If popular caricature is at all correct and church is the place where young people are
taken to learn to hate and fear their own bodies, Downtown Presbyterian Church is going
against the grain. Led by children’s education director, Sarah Dark and with the help of
area artists J. Todd Greene, Richard Feaster, David Carlson, Mandy Rogers-Horton, and
DPC’s own Beth Gilmore, Jake Larson, and Aaron Doenges, the children of the church
are working to transform the downstairs chapel into an installation of the human body.
The show’s title? Consuming Catastrophe: The Comedy of the Heart; A Play in Ate
Parts.
Guided by the conviction that a child’s relationship with God is healthily
underway long before adults start arming them with readymade answers, Dark
customarily begins their Sunday morning classes together with a story, followed by
questions. Take Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed, for instance. “The smallest of all
seeds becomes a tree so great that many birds can make their home in it,” Dark explains.”
I asked the children, ‘How is the kingdom of heaven like a mustard seed?’” What did they
come up with?
It is growing.
It is a home for us.
It is something small that is becoming great.
“I wondered aloud how the seed knew what to grow into.”

It is very powerful.
It is what it was made for.
“I asked where the children find this kind of power.”
In the trees around us.
In the seasons changing.
In our bodies.
It was the phrase, “In our bodies” that connected Todd Greene’s vision of a
human body machine with this year’s Summer Art’s Program director Dave Carlson’s
hope for a kinetic installation. Dark explains: “After spending a few weeks on what
art might be for and how specific artists create art that is interactive and moving, it
was time to put all of our ideas together.” Reporting back to the children, she had an
announcement: “Kids, we’re going to turn the chapel into a human body that you can
walk through. Oh, and you are the mustard seeds.”
It’s Dark’s hope that the children’s creation will serve as a visual aid, for young
and old alike, in better discerning God’s redeeming work not as something that happens
in spite of our bodies but within and among them and for better imagining the breadth
and outlandish scope of God’s love. She envisions the installation as “an interactive
space that will take us deeper into the poetry of this weirdly elusive but ever-expanding
kingdom...Participants will cross the threshold of the mouth and enter a bioactive
landscape, journeying through the esophagus of darkness, beneath the soul of the
stomach, into the forest of intestines, accompanied by the music of the heart, exiting
into the quiet of a blossoming tree so inclusive that life lives forever in it.” Ideally, this
culminating event of DPC’s summer arts program will somehow, in Dark’s phrase, “put
skin and bones on the mystery of the kingdom of God.”
The show opens on September 4th in DPC’s chapel at 6:00. Food and drink will be
available as a part of the Artluck’s 1st Saturday Art Crawl.

Dear Artist,

CALL FOR ART / $1,000 PURCHASE PRIZE / ART DUE WED. FEB. 17TH
2010 D.I.G. THROUGH ART SHOW – THEME: ANTI-DEPRESSANT
THE DOWNTOWN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – 154 5th AVE. SOUTH


“D.I.G.” means Dialogue: an Interaction for Growth.
Dear Artist,
The Downtown Presbyterian Church (DPC) of Nashville, Tennessee is
pleased to announce this
year’s winter/early spring art show, The D.I.G. Through Art Show. This
year’s theme:
Anti-depressant. DPC’s annual D.I.G. show, now in its 11th year, is
meant to provide the
community with a chance to come together and “D.I.G. through art.”
Artists are welcome to submit work in any medium. Entry requires a
$15.00 per piece fee (two
pieces maximum). Paintings and other 2-D work cannot exceed 6 x 10
feet. 2-D works must be
dry, framed, and ready to hang with wire. Sculpture must be easily
moveable. Installations must
be approved for space reasons. Work must be delivered to the church on
Wednesday, February
17th at 3.00 p.m. Artists will be accepted into the show on a first-to-
respond basis. Works will be
judged and a winner selected by a local jury comprised of art
instructors, gallery curators, and/or
clergy. DPC will be pleased to present the winning artist with a
purchase prize check of $1,000.


There are no restrictions on the artwork except that the content be
suitable to all ages, since it will
be on display to the entire church body and the downtown community –
young and old. DPC
reserves the right to not show any work.
The grand opening reception and presentation of the purchase award
will be on Saturday, March
6th beginning at 6:00 p.m. This event coincides with the regular first
Saturday downtown
community Art Crawl and the church’s monthly Art-Luck potluck dinner
and art reception.



The D.I.G. show began at DPC in 1998 as an extension of the church’s
artists-in-residency program.
These shows have explored different themes each year. Previous themes
have included last year’s
“Embodiment,” and also “Icons and Idols,”“Incarnation and Risk,” and
“Human Sacrifice.”
Lent is the church season of 40 days (not including feast days) before
Easter. This year, Lent begins
on Ash Wednesday, February 17th and continues through Holy Week,
ending before Easter
Sunday, April 4th. The season is symbolic of both the 40 years of
Israel’s wandering in the desert
and the 40 days of Christ’s fasting and temptation in the wild. DPC
feels this is an appropriate
season to invite artists to join the church in wrestling with
challenges and complexities of faith.
Alongside the themed art show, the church will again host a film
series in DPC’s downstairs chapel
on Thursday nights during the weeks of Lent. A light meal (held at
6.00 p.m.) will be provided
weekly in DPC’s Fellowship Hall before each film (starting at 7.00
p.m.). After each film, guests are
encouraged to stay for a short discussion, sharing impressions and
ideas from the picture.


Important Facts:
• Limit: 2 pieces maximum per artist
• Entry Fee: $15.00 per piece per artist (Checks payable to: Downtown
Presbyterian Church)
• This is a first come first serve show. Your entry fee reserves your
space in the show.
Please send the check in right away to reserve your space using the
form below. Space in
the show cannot be guaranteed without an artist supplying their entry
fee (see following
page).
Important Dates:
• Art Drop Off Date: Wednesday, February 17th (3 PM to 5 PM)
• Grand Opening Reception: Saturday, March 6th from 6 PM to 9 PM with
winner
announced at 7.00 p.m.
• End of Show Date: Easter Sunday, April 4th (after worship
activities)
• Retrieval of works: Monday, April 5th (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.)
Yes! I would like to participate in the 2010 D.I.G.
Through Art Show, “Anti-depressant.”

Name
Phone #
Email
Address
Please print this page, complete information, and enclose a check for
$15.00 made out to “The
Downtown Presbyterian Church.” Please then send to:

The Downtown Presbyterian Church
(memo line, please: “2010 D.I.G. SHOW”)
154 5th Ave. North
Nashville, TN 37219

Should you need further information or assistance, contact Beth
Gilmore via email at
beth.gilm...@gmail.com or via phone at 351-2260.


Click this link
then click the line of text saying "Register for the 2010 DIG Show"
Well done.

Done and DONE!

I wrapped up work on the door mural today. I am pleased with the result, as well as the opportunity itself. Contributing my work to be a part of a historic institution such as the Downtown Presbyterian Church is really such an honor.

Does There Have To Be A First Time For Everything?

What a gorgeous autumn week in Nashville. After almost two weeks of daily rain and general gloominess, the sun is FINALLY back out. The timing is perfect for me, as I've been preparing to start this outdoor mural. It's been a little while since I've done mural work, but I definitely do enjoy it. This project is to beautify/ bring life to a formerly dark and dull-ish space. I'm taking lots of "before" and "after", as well as "in between" pics; I'm pretty excited about this transformation!
My goal for this job is to complete it by Saturday afternoon- just in time for the First Saturday Art Crawl. By the way, I'm dying to see Julia Martin and David Hellam's work at the Rymer this Saturday. Now for the details: the mural is on the Downtown Presbyterian Church's elevator door. The elevator is located near Church Street right around from the sanctuary's entrance. It's adjacent to the Viridian building, if that helps. I don't think you'll be able to miss it!
I do have a couple fun facts for you regarding today's process of painting in public; these facts, hopefully, will illustrate what a glamorous life I lead. First, setting up to begin work, a stranger approached me and asked "Are you hungry?". He glanced at the cardboard I'd spread next to the door; I was using it as a drop cloth, but apparently that combined with my ratty work clothes/ no make-up look made me easily mistaken for a homeless woman. Second, while most passersby went quickly and quietly on their way, a handful stopped to chat. So, when one particular passerby lingered, commenting "Pretty door", I didn't think much of it. I thought he might be drunk so I (unfortunately) kept an eye on him. He took a couple steps passed me then stopped and faced the same wall as me. I had a horrible feeling I knew what was about to happen. When I heard the trickling sound 5 seconds later, it was no longer a feeling- but a reality. Yes, a stranger urinated next to me as I worked. Really. Third, although this is not directly a part of the process, I feel it bears mentioning- there is a gentleman I see regularly walking in my neighborhood (Wedgewood between 8th and 21st)who perplexes me. I'd say he's in his late 50's and has a passion for pimp fashion. On any given day this is the type of ensemble you'll catch him sporting: tight rolled (on one leg) acid wash jeans, a silk button down, a black cowboy hat, pointy boots, and assorted costume jewelry. My man, where do you even find this stuff? Where are you going? WHO ARE YOU? Please don't ever pee next to me.

Be There & Be Scantily Clad

YESSSSS! I never thought I'd get to use that as a blog post title! I feel it's very applicable, reasonable even, considering the occasion. The artists in residence at the Downtown Presbyterian Church (myself included) are happy hosts of an open studio tour on Saturday, July 11. from 6- 8:00 pm. This will also be the evening of July's Art Crawl, so you multitaskers should be happy about that. Oh, if you don't already know: the studios are NOT air conditioned! Hence, the comment about scant clothing!

*Whew*

This past week marked the launch of a sweet new blog for the artists in residence at the Downtown Presbyterian Church. Ms. Streight did a killer job designing it- so check it!
Also of note, the First Saturday Gallery Crawl has been postponed a week due to the first Saturday falling on July 4th this year. It's still on, just one week later: July 11th. *sigh* I'm so relieved. Don't make me chose between fire works and art shows!

Dialogue: Interaction for Growth

I am busting a** today, trying to finish new work for the D.I.G show. I have two new pieces in progress, and the show opens this Sunday! Here's some info about the show:

We at The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville are planning a spring art show during
the church season of Lent called The D.I.G.Through Art Show (Dialogue:an Interaction for Growth).
The D.I.G.show began in 1998 as an extension of our artists-in-residency program and has explored a
different theme each year during lent. Previous themes have included “Icons and Idols”,“Incarnation
and Risk”,“Human Sacrifice” and others.
Lent is the church season of 40 days (not including feast days) before Easter.Lent begins on
Ash Wednesday,Feb.25th and ends on Easter Sunday,April 12th. It is symbolic of both the 40 years of
Israel’s wandering in the desert and the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and being tempted in the wild. We
feel this is an appropriate season to invite artists from our community to join us in wrestling with the
challenges of our faith. We are asking you to participate by submitting a piece of your art.
This year’s theme is “Embodiment”. Alongside the art show,the church will be hosting a film
series on the same theme with a light meal provided before and opportunities for discussion after
each film.
There will be a preview opening at NOON after our 11:00 AM worship on Sunday,March 1st
2009. The grand opening reception and presentation of the purchase award will be on Saturday,
March 7th 2009 from 6:00-9:00 PM and will coincide with the 1st Saturday Gallery Crawl and the church’s monthly Art-Luck Potluck dinner and art reception.

Intro to First Saturday Gallery Crawl in Downtown .Nashvegas

This Saturday, the 7th, is the first Saturday of the month- hence the First Saturday Gallery Crawl. I realized there will be some peeps I know going that have never been before, and decided there should be an illustrated intro to this whole dealio. This is a basic map pointing out my favorite stops in the area. There are several more places along the way, so if you've got time by all means check them out. If you're not good with time, and need to prioritize destinations, these are my top picks for February.

1) Downtown Presbyterian Church (Yes, it's a church. Enter the big dining hall on the 5th Ave side.): Elizabeth Streight and Sarah Hearld exhibit photography. They got the Scene's "Critic's Pick"!
2) the Rymer: Looking forward to paintings by W.B. Tomkins.
3) Tinney Contemporary: "Stop Look Listen" Three unique artists focusing on the human body and communication.
4) the Arcade Building: the mini gallery mecca. There are quite a few of my favorite galleries on the upper level of the Arcade, such as Twist; just make a loop around the upper level and see! Oh, and, Eastern Block will be preforming live in the Arcade for this evening. YES.
5) Estel: It's worth the stroll over several blocks to 8th. It's a beautiful space that always hangs quality work.


I believe that sums it up! The only other detail is time; it goes from 6-9:00. Six may seem early, but I recommend not waiting till too late, because it's not fun to feel rushed (and the wine will run out by the end of the evening).

Save~the~Date: February 7th

Photo by Sarah Hearld
Photo by Elizabeth Streight
The Holiday
An escape into the everyday
An art show

A 10-year-old's birthday party, a couple's embrace, a woman's toil in domesticity, life on the street in Delhi—all are expressions of the everyday, the commonplace, and the holidays that can be found in the images that capture them.

In an exhibition to be held February 7-28, Photographers Elizabeth Streight and Sarah Hearld invite you to explore two very different worlds and the correlations between them in photographs that range from affectionate portraits to psychologically challenging images. Hearld will show photographs of street children and the humanity of the streets themselves in Delhi, India. Streight's works explore her own immediate American environment, in which she focuses her camera on her own friends, families, and personal histories.

In October 2008, Hearld traveled to India to work with Street Children through an organization called Project Concern International. As a photographer, she found a lot of inspiration to pick up the camera on the trip. "As time passes and the distance between my days in Delhi and the present grows, the louder these images speak to me as captured moments and important reminders," said Hearld.

Streight's works explore our needs for human connection as well as the universal sweetness, sanctuary, and joys of daily life. "I compose and capture images in ways that reveal the intensity of the moments that bring everyday holidays to life," said Streight.

Nashville-based photographers Elizabeth Streight and Sarah Hearld are pleased to present their exhibition at the Downtown Presbyterian Church, from February 7-28. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 6 – 9 p.m., in conjunction with the First Saturday Art Crawl.

The Downtown Presbyterian Church is located at the corner of 5th Ave. North and Church Street in downtown Nashville.
154 5th Ave. North Nashville, TN 37209 615-254-7584 www.dpchurch.com




***This is the press release for the show opening this Saturday, February 7th. It's gonna be good! ***

Newest Neighbor, Liz

After working in the isolation/ distraction of my house since graduating from college, I feel fortunate to now be part of a community of artists in the Downtown Presbyterian Church studio spaces. I 'm happy to announce: I have a new studio neighbor, Elizabeth Streight. Liz's art is photography, which you can see on her photoblog. It's a documentary of her life, and the many people that are part of it. I enjoy the candid shots, and the celebratory feel they capture. I can't wait to watch as her work develops right next door. Haha. "Develop"- get it- that's a photography joke. Ok, I'll stop. P.S. The photos are ones she took at Monteagle mountain; Seamus, Liz, and I spent a lovely fall weekend hiking in the mountains and realxing at our friend, Tom's, cabin. Click here to see more!

OPEN STUDIOS !

Please stop by; if you have any questions about how to get there, etc.. let me know!
* Tasha does not have a "C" in her name. Whoops!

Please Bring Yourself

Friends,

The Downtown Presbyterian Church invites you to

ART-LUCK: The Art Show / Pot-Luck Dinner

that kicks off the Downtown Gallery Crawl right!

Saturday June 7th, 2008 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Featuring:

The Art Works of The Contributor

Nashville's Street Newspaper

Diverse perspectives on homelessness. Genuine opportunities for advancement.

www.nashvillecontributor.org

The Pot-Luck Dinner and Art Show begins at 6:00 PM

The Downtown Presbyterian Church is proud to welcome the Art Works of The Contributor as the first event on its newly renovated fellowship hall floor. The Art-Luck series is a combination pot-luck dinner and art show during the 1st Saturday Downtown Gallery Crawl. Thus it is fondly thought of as a sort of tail-gating event for art. The Downtown Presbyterian Church is ideally located in the heart of the Gallery Crawl at the corner of 5th Ave. North and Church St. All are welcomed to bring a dish to share at 6:00, enjoy the art and then to visit the galleries across downtown.

This month's show features The Art-Work of The Contributor, Nashville's Street Newspaper. "Street Newspapers" are newspapers from across the world that focus on homelessness and poverty issues and which are sold on the streets by homeless individuals. The Contributor began publication in November of 1997. It is written by both homeless and non-homeless individuals, and it is sold on the street by homeless and formerly homeless individuals as an alternative to panhandling.

Works on display will include works by a cross section of homeless, formerly homeless and non-homeless artists including, Jonathan Field, Ray Ponce De Leon, Tasha French, Paul Fahle, Richard Davis, and others. Vendors will make issues of the June Issue of The Contributor available.

The Downtown Presbyterian Church is located at the corner of 5th Ave. North and Church Street

154 5th Ave. North Nashville, TN 37209 615-254-7584 www.dpchurch.com

For more information contact:

Tahsa French: (615) 598-0061 frenchpress@gmail.com

Johnny Cash by Jonathan Field (homeless artist)

My Room With a View

So, here it is! The new studio space. Isn't it wonderfully open and full of light? When I get everything situated, you'll have to come visit!

Details, Details

I'm working out the final stuff (need to have liability insurance started) so that I can move into my new studio space !!! Hopefully everything will be worked out by next week. I can't wait to get in there!
The new studio is located on the 3rd floor of Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville (at the corner of Church & 5th Ave ). I am happy to be a part of a group of other artists (Beth Gilmore, Tom Wills, Richard Feaster, Tascha French) with studios there. The room is semi - unfinished (no heat/ A.C.), but it is spacious and well lit. I CANNOT WAIT!

Flight Lesson and the Morphing Trend

Sooo, last night was the "First Saturday" Downtown Gallery Event. It was packed! For an early March night, the weather was great and apparently everyone was ready to get out in it. A couple galleries still had up the same work as last month- which was kind of a let down. What I most appreciated were Samuel Dunson's paintings at TAG and the musical performance by "Carrie Nation" at Downtown Presbyterian. The painting above is one of Mr. Dunson's; it's a 32" x 44" titled "Flight Lesson". It's a beautifully quiet change from the recent trend of grotesque morphing creatures. What's up with all the girls morphing into goats, dogs into men, human nipples on barnyard animals, and so on? Honestly- why is that imagery SO popular right now?

February's First Weekend

It may be gross outside, but it's gonna be fun inside! Actually, the forecast is calling for a high of 53 on Saturday and Sunday- that's not so bad, right? Downtown Nashville's galleries and alternative art spaces will be debuting newly hung exhibitions for your viewing pleasure. First Saturday Gallery Crawl activities this week are Feb 2 (of course) from 6- 9:00 pm. If you are not sure where to go, please ask me! Most galleries will be serving light refreshments for your tasting pleasure; better yet, Downtown Presbyterian Church will be serving dinner! They are excited to be involved in downtown's growth, and there is an open invitation to the pot luck dinner, "Art Luck", that is held during every First Saturday Gallery Crawl. If you plan on partaking, remember it is pot luck- bring a dish to share. At this Saturday's Art Luck, Downtown Presbyterian will be previewing their current art event, D.I.G. (Dialogue: an Interaction for Growth). There are details about this event in my previous post, so I won't go on about it, but if you are curious about details, location, etc. their website is very helpful. Ohhh, and hold this information dear to your heart: parking on the street at metered spaces is free after 5:00.
If you can't catch the Saturday events, don't miss the ensuing action on Sunday, Feb 3: the Super Bowl!!!!! hahaha. no. better because this involves shopping. It's Midtown Gallery's annual Super Bowl Sunday sale from 1- 4:00 pm. Pretty much all of Midtown's artists will be offering substantial deals; all of my work will be 35% off!
I hope I see you this weekend!

I Can D.I.G. It

This Saturday, February 2, is the First Saturday Art Crawl in downtown Nashville, and I am part of one show that is opening. I have a piece in the group show - D.I.G. Through Art- hosted by Downtown Presbyterian Church. On First Saturday, at 6:00, Downtown Presbyterian also holds an "Art - Luck" dinner that is open to any art- loving, gallery- hopping, hungry Nashvillian. So, at 6:00 bring your covered dish to take part in the pot- luck dinner AND preview the D.I.G. Through Art Event !
I'm copying an article (see below) that I found on Beth Gilmore' s blog to give you a better idea what the event is all about. Thanks Beth!
Downtown Presbyterian Church~ 154 5th Ave North Nashville, TN 37219

An Emancipation Conversation

A Lenten Art Show, Sacred Blues Concert, and Film Series A D.I.G. Through Art Event (D.I.G. – Dialogue: an Interaction for Growth) The 11th Annual Lenten D.I.G. Art Series at The Downtown Presbyterian Church focuses its attention on its theme: An Emancipation Conversation. The witness of God's love for the world has always been a witness of emancipation. The power of emancipation can be a small spark or a raging fire, and we hope to provide a context for artists and audiences alike to explore this theme during the season of lent.
In doing so, we will be hosting an art show with of local artists on the theme of Emancipation opening 2/10/08 : ***preview Feb 2 !!!*** Julie Lee, DJ Justice, Sarah Shearer, Jodi Reeves, Carla Contreras, Nathan Steele, AyJey, Elizabeth Streight, Michelle Cribbs, Jack Coggins, Mark Sloniker, Leilani Rector, Tasha French, Richard Feaster, Tom Wills, Beth Gilmore, and others .

Open House Studios

Last night I went to a studio open house at Downtown Presbyterian Church. Four artists- Richard Feaster, Tasha French, Beth Gilmore and Tom Wills- currently work out of rooms on the historic building's 3rd floor. It's such an impressive building & and even more impressive that the church is so welcoming to these Nashville artists. Beth Gilmore, founder & owner of Twist Gallery in the Arcade seems to be quite at home in her spacious studio. She's got alot going on- stencils, clay, paint, canvas, frames, books, sketches, prints- I love it! Check out photos above: her studio with works in progress, as well as the room adjacent to hers.