Happy New Year!

Happy New Year friends! Wishing 2011 will bring success and happiness to all! This is my new studio helper Smokey. We are gearing up to clean and organize the studio today. I am excited to get things going in the studio after the holiday break. I have a long list to accomplish this year and want to start it off right.
Thanks for your support!

Red Show @ Cheryl Hazan Gallery NYC

E Sheppell "Silk" 2010

I have been fortunate this year to be included in some exciting shows.
The color RED has been a huge part of my work for a long time. It's amazing to be in a showcase of this powerful color with such great artists.

The 10th Annual Red Show @ Cheryl Hazan Gallery
Opening Reception
Thursday, December 16, 2010 6 - 8pm
Exhibition Runs:
December 16 - January 17, 2011

Featuring:

Andre Allen
Armand Rusillon
BabetteHerschberger
Beatricia Sagar
Bruce Tolman
David Moore
Elizabeth Sheppell
Hyunmee Lee
Illia Barger
Irene Mamiye
Jeff Muhs
John Ensor Parker
Joe Wheaton
Karim Ghidinelli
Kit Reuther
Luis Garcia Nerey
Madeline Denaro
Malcolm Bray
Michael Kessler
Pal B Stock
Perry Burns
Russell Sharon
Tom Brydelsky
UR New York

"Make It Red"

I will be included in a group show at Conrad Wilde Gallery in Tuscon, AZ. The opening is this Saturday Dec 4th. The shows runs until Dec 30th. One of my larger pieces  "Guston"  was chosen to be included. For more info on all the artists click here.
I have a lot to be thankful for. ~Happy Holidays~

Elizabeth Sheppell "Guston" oil on panel 48x48

Aqua Art Miami

I am really excited to be included in this art fair. I was invited by Conrad Wilde Gallery to participate. I will have six paintings on view. I couldn't be happier to be in such amazing company!

Little Things Mean A Lot

Hope you can join me for the opening Thursday Nov. 18th 6-8 at  The Swan Coach House.
Lots of amazing TINY & powerful work! I will have 3 pieces included in this great show.

Don Cooper at Sandler Hudson

This is a beautiful show of Don Cooper's work at Sandler Hudson Galley.

They are really mesmerizing.The watercolors are on 37" x 54" hand made Indian paper painted with pigment made from stones such as jade, turquoise and lapis lazuli.  The paintings reflect concepts such as "the theory of everything" and visually bare a resemblance to the recent mathematical structure E8. If you haven't seen the show...go! For more info on Don click here:

www.southernartistry.org/Don_Cooper

Pull- Artist Talk at Marcia Wood Gallery ATL, GA

Timothy McDowell,  Kate Javens,  Joanne Mattera

I had the pleasure to meet and listen to three great artists this past Sunday afternoon at Marcia Wood Gallery. Artists Timothy McDowell, Kate Javens, and Joanne Mattera spoke and did a Q &A about their experiences. They participated in a 5 day intaglio printmaking journey at Connecticut College where Timothy McDowell teaches this medium. It was a loose, fun talk about the work they created in just 5 days. Each artist produced an edition of 30 of their imagery. Six artists participated but three could not make it to the discussion (Kim Anno Katherine Taylor, and Don Pollack).

The idea of bringing these artists together to form a show using a new method of art making-( none where quite familiar with excluding Timothy) was the brain child of Marcia Wood. Marcia and Tim organized to bring the artists together to embark on this enormous project. Tim joked that he squeezed a semester of printmaking into 5 days. What was produced  in such a small amount of time is truly impressive.

For the artists this was a new vocabulary, new mark making system, and communication. It was a heavily collaborative effort between the artists. Marcia also gave a helping hand during the printmaking process. Each artist had a role in helping the other with their editions. It sounded like a special time of camaraderie between all  involved and a chance to collaborate with each other. It is a unique experience in that most of these artist's are established and to this have a time to bounce off ideas was enlightening. Learning new methods was part of the fun and the fear-to be able to produce a body of work that all were happy with in such a short time.  All the artists had to approach this differently than painting, which is the normal medium of all. It was a leap they all they all had to encounter. Tim explained  how the entire medium is different and you have to think like a print maker-not a painter. He urged them to accept what the ink, plates, and paper would offer. It was a whole new language.

What was is amazing is how well the prints tie into all of their own current work. Joanne Mattera's piece "Soie" relates to her Silk Series of encaustic paintings. Joanne explained how she changed direction of the plates to build the textures and lines of her piece. She experimented with different compounds to give it the look of beeswax. This piece really radiates in the space. (Side note: If you don't read JoanneMatteraArtBlog -you should. It is filled with loads of important information for the artist, collector, and gallerist) Joanne has also written about Pull and has some great photos on her blog to check out.

I took some shots in the gallery but they are a bit hard to see so I have included the image shots from the gallery website as well.

Joanne Mattera "Soie"

Joanne Mattera "Soie"photo from Marcia Wood website

Joanne Mattera Side View of "Soie"

All of their work is very different from one another yet there is a common thread and beauty of how they relate to one another.

Timothy McDowell "Arcadian Troubles"

Timothy McDowell "Arcadian Troubles" photo from Marcia Wood website

Timothy's use of color and layering is just beautiful. He has a amazing show entitled "Kingdom Come" in the front gallery that this work ties directly with. They are all lush and have such a rich feel.

Kate's piece has so much detail and light. It's a powerful, beautiful piece.

Kate Javen "Father Ram"photo from Marcia Wood website

Kim's work has a cold conflicting feeling that is executed delicately in this work.

Kim Anno "Heavens" photo from Marcia Wood Website

Don's work has a sense of floating to me. The sublet tones do make this feel like a mysterious island.

Don Pollack "Mysterious Islands" photo from Marcia Wood website

Katherine's print has a soft watercolor feel in the background-looks effortless.

Katherine Taylor "Parallox" image from Marcia Wood website

   Check out the show if you are in Atlanta. It's up through Nov 6th. or visit www.marciawoodgallery.com for more information about all of these artists.

Upcoming Shows Not To Miss

Don Cooper "Indigo Binder Wheel of Life" 2008 watercolor on IVHMP 22x30

Don Cooper at Sandler Hudson Gallery Sept.10-Oct 16
www.sandlerhudson.com


PULL-A Portfolio of Prints by Marcia Wood Gallery Artists Sept.11-Nov.6
www.marciawoodgallery.com
6 prints each, edition of 30
Marcia Wood Gallery, Publisher
Produced at Connecticut College, New London
Including:
Kim Anno
Joanne Mattera
Kate Javens
Timothy McDowell
Don Pollack
Katherine Taylor

Emily Amy Gallery www.emilyamygallery.com
"Down the Rabbit Hole" Sept. 10-Oct 23rd
Exhibition by GA artists Jennifer Cawley, Zuzka Vaclavik, and NY artist Cara Enteles
The title of the exhibition, Down the Rabbit Hole, alludes to the concept of the unexplained, the strange, and the fantastical all present in the work of the included artists.

Time flies.....

It has been a month since my last post....so bad! Time flies when you have too much to do and see. I have neglected my blog and not given myself the time to do some things I want to do. I am not sure where this summer has gone. I have been working on some new work and will post some pics soon. I have a lot of new thoughts on my work and expanding  on some ideas of mixed media. This picture above reflects the madness of my life these days!

Indy Photo

I have been taking photos for a long time and have been experimenting with abstraction in photography. I have started a journal (www.indyphoto.wordpress.com ) of these photos and I am finding inspiration for paintings and new approaches to painting. I eventually would like to do a series bringing these two mediums together. I am working on this and am so inspired by the textures and patterns I am finding. I have a urban series based on my life in Atlanta. The other main series is the Pleasant Plain series. This series is from the place I grew up in and come back to often. It's my roots and has a lot of meaning to me. More and more I am drawn back. I named this project after my trusty studio mate of almost 15 yrs and long time canine companion.

Some New Work

It's been a while since my last post. I hope to be posting soon some new shows around Atlanta soon. There is a lot of good shows happening in this hot hot summer! This summer is flying by and I am trying to catch up!
I have been working on some new series and this is one of the pieces. This is 16x16 acrylic on panel...I am taking this idea to a larger format-48x48. I am working in lots of layers and scraping, covering, and re-scraping to expose colors underneath. This is "Dot" 2010 acrylic on wood panel.

A Tribute To Aqua-The Color of Paradise (2 of 2)-Stephanie Clayton

Check out part 2 of the online exhibition Stephanie Clayton has curated. She has included me with some really fantastic artists. It makes you want to find a body of cool water asap. Below is one painting that is featured in the exhibit by Steven Alexander. I have admired his work for some time. The beautiful layering and pops of color are quite stunning. I am drawn in by the bold colors in the middle but also equally engaged by the luminosity of the expansive textured blue space.

  Steven Alexander "True Love Never Die" 2009, 72 x 54 inches, acrylic on canvas

Studio View

Tiny & Powerful Art Project

I have created a new site that features my tiny art for sale.These works are separate from my works available at my galleries. Some are tiny daily paintings and others are experimental  materials and projects. I will posting on an ongoing basis and hope you will check it out! The new site is: www.contemporaryabstractpaintings.wordpress.com.
Below is a piece that is available through this site.

"Boundary Waters" E Sheppell 2010

A Tribute To Aqua-The Color of Paradise (1 of 2)-Stephanie Clayton

Check out Stephanie Clayton's online exhibition of A Tribute To Aqua. Stephanie has created a beautiful show featuring the color of paradise which she has been living near for some time. Stephanie's beautiful work has reflected the former island home she recently left. She has curated an amazing rich online show. Below is her piece titled "Abyss 1".

                            Stephanie Clayton "Abyss 1" 2008, 6 x 6 x 2 inches, acrylic on panel

John Belingheri at Sandler Hudson May 21 - July 3

Check out these beautifully layered paintings at Sandler Hudson Gallery . I love the depth and lushness of the work.

Bay Area artist John Belingheri explores repetition of form in his mixed media and oil paintings in his show entitled, New Work at Sandler Hudson Gallery. Each painting features an intently mapped array of ellipses that guide the viewer's eye around the canvas. These shapes bump up against each other creating visual vibration. By simplifying shape to one ovoid form, Belingheri has allowed color and texture to take the main stage. He sands and paints rigorously to create the texture which he finishes with a wax rub, emphasizing the velvety hues of the oils and exhibiting his mastery of surface. The surfaces of Belingheri's paintings look as if they were found in nature and are impermanent and open to change. He shows signs of past histories and archaeologies that are continuously revealed and covered with tenacious layers and patterns.(text source: Sandler Hudson 
Gallery)

Messy Studio

I have always been a messy painter and I have a method to the madness. It's so strange but I can always find my way through the imperfect set up I have. I am considering a new system to improve my ways...but old habits are hard to break. Off to the studio to create more of a mess...

Kenn Kotara & Brett Smith at Sandler Hudson

New work by Kenn Kotara: "in the between is mine"
Exhibition Dates: April 9th – May 15th, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday, April 9th, 7-9 pm
Artist's Talk: April 17th, 1pm, during Westside Art Walk
www.sandlerhudson.com






BRETT SMITH- 15 seconds – Front Gallery
Atlanta-based artist and South-Africa native, Brett Smith will conduct an interactive conceptual performance piece during the opening reception of his exhibition entitled, "15 Seconds."

Small Work

A new small painting that is part of a new minimal layered ongoing series. I am working on some small paintings that I will be showing in September in Brookline Village, MA.  I am excited to play around with different small dimensions and create an installation incorporating the interesting sizes.

Art Milk

Check it out...I got a feature on Art Milk
I will be posting soon some new entries and some great shows happening here in the ATL soon.
Can't wait till the spring weather is here and looking forward to getting into a new project. I will be posting details soon...happy painting