Art on Display in Marshalltown

Yesterday a good friend helped me install my new art exhibit. There are now 38 of my works on display at the Fisher Community Center's auditorium in Marshalltown, Iowa. They will be up until January 5, 2010.

My exhibit is being hosted by the Central Iowa Art Association. The Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce is located in the same building and can be contacted at (641)753-6645. Call ahead to be sure the auditorium is open for viewing. The Fisher Impressionist Collection is also housed in this facility and is worth a trip to Marshalltown to experience.

It was a satisfying experience to see so many of my paintings on display at one time. I have several interests and like to try different techniques. I wondered if I would have a cohesive exhibit in the months leading up to this show.

I have to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed when we unpacked all my paintings yesterday morning. Where to start? What to put in which location? (There is one full wall and three partial walls to hang art on.) Then I remembered how we organized the art wall in Cherokee at the Sanford Museum earlier this year when we sorted paintings by predominant color. That's what we did again and it worked out just fine.

Last night an opening reception was hosted by the CIAA. I was so blessed to have some family and old friends come. A few community members stopped by. I think the busy holiday season and the frigid temperatures kept many of the usual art lovers away. More family and friends are planning special trips to view the exhibit. I am grateful for the interest shown in my work. It was very encouraging to me.

Lastly, many thanks go to my supportive and helpful husband.

New Hope Journal Entries

I packed up my journal kit before heading out for our Thanksgiving travels. I hadn't worked in my "HOPE" journal for several weeks. Over the past several months, I used up odds and ends of paint from other projects to give several pages a base color.
For the above page, I cut up strips from a greeting card catalog and adhered them with a glue stick as Hubby drove along the interstate. Then I added sharpie pen and white marker accents to the border I created. Last night I painted the word hope with Golden fluid acrylic. When it was dry, I added the same marker accents plus some metallic gel pen.

This page had some Golden absorbent ground mixed with cobalt teal paint that I smeared on with a palette knife. While it was still damp, I pressed a tree stamp into the ground. That was done several months ago.

I found that Prismacolor Pencils work WONDERFULLY on this ground. I had to use very little pressure to lay down color. It was easy to add multiple layers of color. I used a Pitt brush marker for the lettering. I worked on this page while my brother-in-law prepared breakfast. It was relaxing to color while we chatted about family.

I keep a folder with hope quotes in my journaling tote. That makes it easy to find inspiration for my pages.

It had been my intention to work on this journal more frequently this year & thought it would be complete long ago. But it was nice to have this to come back to after spending so much time on other things. I haven't selected a topic for next year. I might not until I get this journal done.

Grade A Sunset

I wish I could say I saw the "A" in the sky when I was shooting this pic! As hubby drove south on I-35 last Saturday, I loved all the texture created by the clouds, so I grabbed my digital camera and hoped for the best. While reviewing my shots, I saw that I had captured jet trails that formed an "A".
It was an "A" day after spending some great time with family for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Marshalltown Art Exhibit Publicity

I found out that our local newspaper ran an article and picture on the front page publicizing my upcoming art exhibit. This is a picture Hubby took of me in late summer. The CIAA (Central Iowa Art Association) requested a photo of me with my art.
Just in case you missed my earlier post, there is an opening reception this coming Friday, Dec. 4th from 5:30 - 7:30 in Marshalltown, Iowa at the Fisher Community Auditorium on Center St.

Zen Garden Mural is Completed!

Zen Garden Mural Progress Report

The ground below the tree and water features are the next to be painted. When Hubby took this shot last night, the work light was pointed to the left which is why the wall color is uneven from left to right.

I have mentioned before that my husband is super-supportive. He even helped with this mural by removing some stray brush marks for me. First we dampen the area with water. Then we use a cotton swab and a dab of waterless hand sanitizer to gently remove the paint. This works well with thin layers of paint that have not cured for more than a day or two.

Oh yeah! I'm sitting on a footstool, and my hair is partially French-braided to keep it out of my face. I've grown so accustomed to having paint on my hands that I showed up at church last Sunday with mossy rock colors on my hand. Argh! A cool trick I recently learned is to use waterless hand sanitizer and a paper towel to remove acrylic paint from my hands (which led to the tip explained above.) Apparently I was so tired when cleaning up on Saturday night that I forgot that step. Usual hand washing doesn't remove the lingering acrylic film, especially on the fingernails. I know matte fingernail polish is in vogue right now, but I don't think this is what stylists have in mind. ;-)

Come to Art Reception 12-04-09

"INTERSECTIONS"

Who? Regina Gansen Rooks
What? Art Exhibit Opening Reception
Where? Fisher Community Center, 709 S Center St., Marshalltown, IA
When? Friday, December 4, 2009; 5:30 - 7:00

I hope you will come if you are in the area. Thirty-four of my paintings will be on exhibit through the month of December. If you are a follower of this blog, you know I paint a variety of subjects from abstract to floral and landscapes. Most works will be acrylic, but there will also be some transparent watercolor paintings.

The exhibit is hosted by the Central Iowa Art Association. I am thrilled to have been invited to showcase my art.