12/2013-1/2014

A Collection of new works by Red Raven Artists

Q. Can you give a brief explanation of your upcoming show and the inspiration for it?

A: A few months ago I drove across the country, I then flew from LA to Miami to witness the birth of my nephew. I had touched both the east and west shores of the U.S. within 24 hours. I am in awe of such opportunities and have attempted to translate that wonder into these pieces. I find myself feeling very connected to species that are compelled to migrate. Though not a crucial part of my survival, I do find the following to be vital to my happiness: a visit to my family in Florida or Texas, a beach-bound day with my daughter and husband, or to see my dear friends in Maine. Equally invaluable are the quiet times in my home in-between. My process allows me to set up my studio anywhere, and most of these pieces contain physical elements of my journeys. Each piece in this show has been informed by this epic year of migration and my exploration of the driving forces which prompt me to leave and return, leave and return.


2. How have you expanded existing themes/ideas for which you are known?

A: I've been focusing on the roles of change and repetition in composition as well as in life. I've placed more value on intuitive mark making and have found myself eradicating some of the more focused moments in a piece, just to draw it the same way again after the paint dries. Every layer is in a state of flux until at last I feel I've found the balance. Whereas my past work was dedicated to memory, this work is dedicated to current experience. "Where am I?" "Where am I going from here?" "Am I there now?" The ebb and flow of questioning and answering myself as I work has allowed paths & patterns I otherwise would not have discovered to emerge organically.


Q. Stylistically and/or technically what do you hope collectors notice in your new work?

A: There is a degree of abandon in the new work. I am pushing my own limitations in every direction, in every piece. Im striving towards the extremes: larger work with smaller marks, smaller pieces with bigger color, a universal subject approached in an intimate way. Mostly I want it to be evident that I am dedicated to growth in my work, and that the artistic documentation of life drives me.

Q. Any additional information that might interest the viewer?

A: These pieces exist in only one place at a time. I do not make prints because I feel it would detract from the integrity of the subject matter. Each one is a moment, a specific record. The care and materials that make up each drawing will never come together the same way again. Some pieces contain bits of my own personal history in the form of original letters, photographs and other documents. "Day in the Life of..." contains handmade paper that is almost 30 years old. I make what I do from what I have. I am compelled to instill my work with whatever is precious to me, because I know the viewer will find elements in the work that becomes precious to them as well.

"Celebrating Women Artists" Highlight Artist Wall

Red Raven Gallery, 138 N. Prince Street, Lancaster PA

Opening Reception: First Friday, March 2 from 5pm-9pm

"Caulfield and Luce"

Mantis Collective Gallery in Harrisburg, PA

Opening Reception: Friday, August 19th from 8pm-10pm

"Drawn Attentions"

Hopkins House Gallery of Contemporary Art
250 South Park Drive, Haddon Township, NJ

Opening reception: Sunday, September 26th 2pm-4pm

Featuring the work of:
Laura Luce, Jay Noble, Heidi Leitzke, Katrina Funk, Scott Cooper, Peg Curtin, Lee Benedict Jones, Doron Langberg, Rebecca Miller and Lindsay Robbins

"Alchemy: Selected Works from the Senior Fine Arts Studio," features over 30 new works in a variety of media by eleven seniors at PCA&D. "Alchemy" is exhibited at the Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences.

PCA&D seniors who are participating in "Alchemy" include: Tina Blizzard, Katrina Funk, Ashleigh Leiter, Laura Luce, Nichole Madonna, Nicole Malchow, Tommy Nazario, Katie Rizzo, JiNa Song, Stacia Sweigert, and Karen Vance.

Media used in the works include acrylic and oil painting, graphite, gouache, prints, and crushed pastel mixed with a shellac. Most artwork is for sale.

"Alchemy" continues through February 15, 2010.

Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences is located at 410 N. Lime Street in Lancaster.

"The exhibit’s theme, Alchemy, was chosen based on art historian James Elkins’ book, “What Painting Is,” his thesis on the experiential process of transforming basic material substances—once pulverized stone (pigment) and water (oil). In this regard, painters in their studios are very much like alchemists in their labs—they wrestle, coax, redo, and every so often miraculously succeed in converting their raw materials into something of transcendent beauty." -Frieda J. Schmidt