Yesterday was the kick-off of my 2010 Art Show season. I had the good fortune of being invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Celtic Art Event and Sale put together by Urban Artisans. The show was at ZGM Fine Arts  (1045 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222), a fabulous gallery located on the Elmwood Strip. I have to say that I can’t remember the last time I’ve enjoyed an art show so much! The gallery owners, exhibiting artists, musicians, the guests and visiting psychic blended so well that it was as if they were part of a gourmet recipe — maybe for boulibase or some other tasty dish.

As usual, I struggled to get ready for my first show since the holiday season. Paintings were unfinished and left at home along with several new polymer clay pieces that just didn’t make it into frames in time. The list of things I need to accomplish before my next show grew exponentially, but that’s all part of being an artist and I’m glad to be back at it.

Here’s a sneak preview of some of the work that I’ll be showing at the Allentown Art Festival in June: Long Live the Queen — and her Cuckold husband the King!

The phase  ”Never let them see you sweat” comes to mind when I think about all of the hard work that went into this photo. Not on my part, of course; I’m speaking of the model!  It’s not easy being adorable, but Mylo pulls it off and makes it look as if he’s not even trying in this photo entitled “Brat Boy!”

For more info regarding my most current cat models visit my Facebook page at:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mixed-Media-Artist-Alison-E-Kurek/103158839507?ref=ts

Anyone familiar with my work knows that my imagery is bright, colorful, fun and, often times, covered in cat hair!  Much of my work features our feline friends and I’ve decide to take a closer look at the relationships I’ve developed with my models over the years. They claim they’re over worked and underpaid, but they do tend to exaggerate. Here’s a picture of the creature who started it all: Chester.

For more info regarding my most current cat models visit my Facebook page at:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mixed-Media-Artist-Alison-E-Kurek/103158839507?ref=ts

While I understand that we are living in the digital age and there is no going back, some technological “advances” seem more like hindrances than leaps forward. I just completed an online application for a local summer art festival. I’ve participated in this festival a number of times in the past and the show is lovely. The organizers are — well — very organized ; they have managed to put together a wonderful show that encompasses the wide range of arts (visual and performing) that the area has to offer. But they have not accounted for the fact that many artists are computer/technology dunces. While I can usually muddle through online applications, social networking sites, this blog, etc. I really struggled with prepping my images for submission, and I know that I’m not alone. Two friends of mine, one relatively computer savvy, the other not, had the same issues.

So what’s the answer here? Do we all go back to school to get up to speed on current technology,even though that knowledge with be bypassed and obsolete in a nano second. or do we get left behind in the dust?

Any suggestions?

Is Feng Shui considered a science, an art form, or both? Admittedly I know little about Feng Shui, other than it’s about less clutter, putting everything in it’s own space and the affect this has on energy flow.

Sometime in January I realized that my energy wasn’t just low or blocked, it was gone! There were no new ideas popping into my head, the only work I produced was repeats of earlier designs and the effort required to do just that seemed unreasonable. I let this go on a bit. Told myself it was only January and that I deserved a rest;  but when February hit and nothing changed I got a bit scared! No new work, no Etsy or eBay listings, no tweets, no Face Book posts, no blogging, no nada!

Luckily I HAD to get my act together to start preparing my taxes. That meant taking inventory, organizing receipts and shredding, shredding, shredding. Once the taxes were done I didn’t stop! I sorted, I organized, I threw out again, and again and again!

And to my surprise, new ideas and the oomph to see them through has returned.I started painting again and have a new series planned for this Spring and Summer.

If a professional organizer walked into my work space right she’d probably roll up her sleeves and say “OK, let’s get started!” “Started?”. I’d reply, “I thought I was done!”.

As a follow up to yesterday’s post, today’s art tour photo is a photo collage from the same time period. But in this case, rather than depicting an identity crisis, the artwork questions the possibility of multi-dimensional existence — or maybe just multiple personality disorders. Does that sound like the latest LOST episode? They’re on the island, but they’re in LA. John Locke is dead — but he’s on the plane too.

This artwork predates LOST by many years; it found it’s roots in an overly pedantic magazine article which addressed post-modernism in art and it’s connection to individuals in primitive societies coexisting as human beings and ravens (or was it crows?). Ah — college — the things we spent our time on.

At any rate, today’s question is: Are we pulled in so many directions that we feel as if we’re living multi-dimensional lives? Or instead, do we all have multiple personality disorders?  And if so,  how do we effectively balance our varying personalities and planes of existence to project a capable whole to the outside world?

While my bachelor’s degree is in business, I also studied design and fine art at Buffalo State College and UB. This is a self portrait made with a reverse painting method. The board was covered in ink and the image was made by bleaching away the light areas. It’s a comment on public persona and what’s really behind the mask. While we all tend to be more dramatic in college, there is some truth to this still, for most if not all of us.

I’ve been fighting the winter blues for weeks now and have allowed myself an almost unprecedented period of laziness and inactivity. Enough!!! Yes, its cold and dreary — but I live in Buffalo and it’s February — what do I expect?!

Rather than searching for something profound to write I’m opting for a visual tour of my artwork. This little painting, made while I was in high school, has been tucked away in a box for more years than I care to admit. It may not be a masterpiece but I found the bright colors a source of inspiration when I ran across it the other day. I’ve scraped my oil paint palettes and am ready to start working again.

EBay user name: aekurek