Mirror Mirror and Postcards

The Sierra Vista Herald posted our show on their news Web site and in the paper. Check out this link.

Three Artists

We're doing a "Meet the Artists" this Sunday. Promote, promote, promote:-)

Our show on Saturday, Oct. 9th opening

Mirror Mirror (encasutic/mixed media by me and mixed media and jewelry by Andrea Robinson) and Postcards From Old Bisbee (digitally painted/manipulated images and photography made from scanned turn-of-the-century postcards of Bisbee by my hubby Mike Derivan) opened at Subway on Saturday night. It was a great night! Mike was the photog and didn't include himself and Postcards From Old Bisbee, but you do see a bit of his work in the righthand corner of slide #8 in this slideshow! Check it out:
Show Opening at Subway

About Frida that was added on Friday

Well, just wanted to comment about Frida from my Friday post of "Mirror Mirror 18". This came from "Frida Kahlo and her Itzcuintli Dogs," photo by Lola Alvarez Bravo, 1944.

 I was hesitant to do Frida as she has been done by so many female artists, at least in the southwest. I decided to do this piece posted on Friday, Sept. 17 anyway as it did fit into the "Mirror Mirror" series AND I have great admiration for Frida as an independent, courageous woman, and great artist. Moving onward. There are now 4 works-in-progress for "Mirror Mirror" show which opens at Subway Gallery on Oct. 9, 2010.

Frida

My latest completed piece "Mirror Mirror #18". Had to include Frida. Will add more thoughts on this in another post. In meantime, off to the vintage store to work today.

Mirror Mirror

The countdown is on! Mirror Mirror and Postcards of Bisbee opens at Subway Gallery in Old Bisbee on Saturday, October 9th. Mirror Mirror consists my new encaustic works, and mixed media and jewelry by Andrea Robinson. These works all incorporate mirrors or images based on art history where a mirror is part of the composition. Postcards of Bisbee are turn-of-the-century postcards painted/digitally altered by my husband, Mike Derivan.
Here's our poster for the show. Please join us for the Opening Reception if you're in Bisbee!

More Mirror Mirror

Thought I'd post a few more photos today from Mirror Mirror series. This is from a painting by Frans Van Mieris, Woman Before a Mirror, c. 1670. I'm pleased with the sepia/aged colors, suggesting something old, of the past, preserved in history. This is 8x10 on cradled birch panel. I spent about half a day on this one compared with about 2 weeks (or more!) on the 12 x16 Velasquez images in my last post! Sometimes amount of time is not the key to success. Maybe more just the connection with what you are doing, and for me, some sort of "letting go" and not standing in the way of what comes of it. Yes, the Velasquez encaustics are larger panels, however, the final results did not come as easily for me as with this one.

This series is numbered by the order of their completion in an effort to track my progess. I don't believe at this point my numbering system will really be of significance until maybe I reach #100.

Mirror Mirror #10

Here is Van Mieris original:.

Mirror Mirror

I've been working on a series called "Mirror Mirror" that will be exhibited at Subway Gallery, Bisbee, in October.This series has been fun, frustrating and challenging. I'm appropriating art historical images, making "line drawings" from them in Photoshop, printing them on rice paper and then working on them in encaustic on birch panel. One particular image has really been a challenge! Well, actually, it's a diptych, or maybe just 2 interpretations of the same image. It's from Velazquez's Rokeby Venus. Here are the two finals, or as they are now anyway...

Mirror Mirror #12

 Mirror #13

 Mirror Mirror #12 work in progress.

As you can see the frame and ribbons were a major challenge. A friend suggested I incorporate real ribbon, AND fabric on the curtain. That proved to be unsuccessful. I MAY still add some more pastel color/lines in the curtain....

Here's the line drawing I started with....

 I've found TREMENDOUS VARIATION on my 2 computers as to how the colors in these images look! So, I wonder how colors come through for viewers on each individual's computer???

Okay, so here's the original masterpiece by Velazquez

I've decided I took on a big project starting in a new medium I've been working in less than a year and then taking appropriated images such as this one! The less well known appropriated images have definitely been easier to work with in some ways. Guess I wonder about the whole idea of well-known appropriated images and what makes them work, such as the Mona Lisa that has been appropriated, who knows how many times, such as this one:

 by Duchamp

Maybe as a body of work with the theme Mirror Mirror, the Velazquez images will make more sense. I guess every artist has doubts about their work, but ultimately we must free ourselves up to keep working and grow in the process.

More Mirror Mirror tomorrow.