ARTini 2024

This year I participated in ARTini which is Allied Arts’ annual fundraiser. It’s a unique event. Not only is an art auction, but also a matini competition between local restaurants and bars. I got to try many great drinks and discover some places I hadn’t considered visting for a cocktail.

I had two pieces in this year’s show, and I was fortunate enough to have both of them sell.

My only regret is not coming much earlier so I could spend more time with the work. I don’t think I even got a chance to see it all! Looking forward to next year.

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Last year when I went to Mexico City, I saw this amazing building. The Palace of Fine Arts.

Due to construction, I couldn't go inside, but on the side I noticed some interesting latticework over a window.

I snapped a photo because it caught my eye. What's this design with a crescent moon in it? It't a harp!! How clever!

When I got back home, I started sketching and figuring a way to replicate this elegant and minimal design. I changed it from four strings to five strings then I made each one have different lengths to rise towards the center.

Here’s the finished product! This is my piece for Paseo Arts Association’s Deck The Walls 4x4 Fundraiser. I consider this a prototype for a larger piece with a center design.






CADD Saturday Gallery Walk

Had an awesome long day of gallery hopping in Dallas, TX. The Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas had an Saturday Gallery walk and we made a little road trip to check it out!
The work was incredible and a great reminder to get out more and see what's going on in other contemporary art markets. I walked away with some inspiration and new motivation to produce more.
Time to hit the studio!

Nakimezaka

Months ago, I read a manga by Junji Ito called, 泣女坂 Nakimezaka, which means Weeping Woman Hill.


In the story, a couple visits a rural area and runs into a mysterious town filled with professional mourners.



You'll have to read it for yourself for the rest of the story but What stood out to me were the signs in the town. A striking depiction of a crying eye.


I started sketching the design a few ways. This is what I ended up with.


I had trouble with getting the same effect of the eye looking upwards while also looking drowsy. It took lots of trial and error. I asked my friend Malcolm what I was missing and he pointed out how important the eyelid was to achieve this look.
That was it!
I moved away from the blank sketchbook to the lined graphing paper as I learned from Jason Wilson. Now I have my portions right for a 6"x24" panel.

All set. After painting the panel an iridescent white color, I started on the design on the eye. The tear came second.


The design is complete and everything is filled in. After I finish the other projects on a deadline, I may come back to this one and add detail to the sides of the panel. I just might leave it as it is.
I’m surprised I found inspiration in such a minor thing, but it came just at a time that I wasn’t feeling too motivated or inspired.
Thanks Mr. Ito.

Another New Design

I bought these Frank Lloyd Wright notecards a couple of years ago and I recently started looking at the patterns. I decided to experiment with repeating the same design across a panel.

I've got a 12"x36" panel and needed to divide it into multiple sections.
The first idea wasn't desirable because it wound up having sections in HALF inch marks and I don't wanna mess with fractions of an inch so I decided to make a line every 6 inches on my design.

I grabbed some grid paper and started on a design with my compass while waiting for an oil change. With this distraction, the oil change felt like it took just minutes!

I went home after and had my husband paint the panel white. (I'm bad at painting evenly.) I started the design using the large compass and a gold gel pen after drawing the straight lines.

Applied the varnish, then I started on the gold elements of the design.

Interesting coincidence, I noticed a similar Art Deco design element at the restaurant in the Skirvin Hotel in downtown OKC.

I’ve finished most of the gold parts and now I’m working on the pearly white areas. It’s all smooth sailing from here. I just need a few more days to get the rest of it filled.

Reflection Symmetry Has Closed

Earlier this week, I went to the Museum to take down my work from the Reflection Symmetry exhibition. On the very last day of the show, some of the people I wanted most to see it, came in and I'm grateful. I was worried they would miss it!

I thank everyone who was able to come. Seeing how many made the effort during the two months to see what I've been working on was the most rewarding part of the show.

Soft Reception

There were many friends who couldn't make the reception due to conflicts caused by the postponement. It seemed like a good idea to have another "mini-reception" without the bells and whistles of the original one. No wine this time.

Last Saturday the museum happened to have free admission, so I invited those I knew couldn't make the opening. I'm happy I did because this was an opportunity for my grandmother to see the work. She doesn't get out much but my mother was thoughtful enough to bring her.

Grandma Naff is a quiltmaker, so Jason Wilson's quilt inspired paintings loudly spoke to her. She saw familiar patterns and had a great time reverse-engineering the patterns' designs.

I'm also glad that a newly discovered cousin and some of my closest art friends were able to make it before the show closes on the 25th.

Reflection Symmetry - Artist Reception (Rescheduled)

With three other art events going on the same night, I worried that most wouldn't make it. I'm grateful to have great attendance and see everyone last night.

I was surprised to see so many sales too. So far this is my most successful show and I am glad I made the decision to include a couple of older works because one of them finally sold!

Getting Started on 2022 12x12

Now that I got the opening for my small works show behind me, I can jump back into a very pressing deadline coming up very fast.

OVAC 12x12 Flyer

The OVAC 12x12 Fundraiser. I have until next Thursday to finish my blank 12”x12”panel. I had so many ideas going in my head but it was so hard to decide but in the end, I sketched it. Check it out.

Panel is blue and the little gold medallions will be in the center of each horizontal line.

Used a few tools to measure my lines and draw them with a golden gel pen.

Here I drew out the layout and made a note of the sizes of each rhinestone surrounding the medallion because they need to be matching 5 more times for the others of the same size.

Getting closer to completion here. It’s looking exactly how I envisioned it.

Well, now I have a problem…… I like it too much and don’t want to part with it. I guess I have a decision to make by next week.

MINI - at Studio Six

The opening for my small works show at Studio Six was successful. Aside from being extremely hot, the weather cooperated. I sold some work and counted 131 attendees throughout the night and next time I’ll be sure to invest in that little clicker ahead of time. It’ll be a lot easier than keeping a tally on a post-it in my pocket.

Thank you to those who were able to make it out and to those who tried but couldn’t make it but a huge thank you to Studio Six for hosting me as their guest artist for August 2022.

Art Focus Magazine

I’m in Art Focus Magazine this issue! . Big thanks to John Selvidge for coming by twice to do the interview.

You can read the entire issue embedded below. It starts at page 6.

Cartier and Islamic Art at the DMA

Last month while in Tulsa Art Studio Tour I was flipping through Art in America magazine and was immediately greeted by this ad for a current exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art:

This was calling my name very loudly and I knew I had to get to Dallas immediately. I've been studying Islamic geometric patterns lately so this was amazing timing! Fernando, Roger, and I got up early Saturday morning for a road trip to check it out.

I was not at all prepared for how enormous this show was.

After being told the rules and guidelines by a docent, we walk into the dark room, immediately greeted by the tiaras from the magazine advertisement which I had assumed was going to be the highlight of centerpiece of the show. I was wrong. It was only the beginning.

While I expected the show to focus on Islamic art inspired Cartier pieces, it also gave a great history in Islamic art and design, independent of the Cartier works.

One of the most fascinating element was the first of four HD videos renderings that showed how a tiara’s design was directly inspired by architecture as well as the meticulous assembly steps of the jewelry.

Notice the photo on the left and how the arches of the courtyard are imitated in the tiara’s design.

Right when I started to ask myself if all of the jewelry was going to be diamond encrusted with silver or gold, I turned a corner and saw all of the color including these pieces that were gold, blue, and green. There was a whole case of this color combination which was timely because I’d just finished my first piece using the same color combo a week ago. (See the last image below.)

The example below was towards the end showing a North African necklace and the Cartier set that was inspired by it to the right.

I saw later on that Fernando had photos of things I didn’t noticed and vice versa, so perhaps it takes 2-3 trips to actually take it all in. There were hundreds of items there.

Of course, a well enjoyed museum visit isn’t complete without me buying the book.

I wish I could’ve spent more time at the DMA but it was the first museum of three we visited within our short, 6 hour window that day. I want to go back. Perhaps a day with less of a crowd and when I’ll have more time to read the histories of each piece. I was inspired and look forward to seeing how my work changes after this experience.


If you’re in Dallas in the next few months, check it out. You have a few months left. You can find more details about the show by clicking here.

All done!

I'm way behind on this one. Hoped to be finished by March but here we are in mid-May. Glad to have it done. Now I have at least two more large projects by July to get back on track.

Lapis Lazuli Update

I'm a little shocked at how much I got done here in one night. The left was taken at 8:30 in the morning. Left at 9:00 PM.

SmallART Show Drop-off

Art drop off day! Got the work delivered and now I'm all set for SmallART Show at the Paseo Arts and Creativity Center at 3024 N. Paseo next Friday during the First Friday Art Crawl! See you there!

5 Days Left (Artini Deadline)

I really took advantage of the extra time Labor Day allowed me to have this weekend and got a lot done. Now I'm a lot less worried about getting finished by the Sunday night deadline. So many things during the week keep me busy after work so I'm relieved to see that sleep won't be one of the things that suffer to meet this deadline.

OVAC 12”x12” Patron Preview

Before the big show on September 24th, OVAC hosts a preview show featuring the work of the artists who submitted early. Donors and members at a certain level are invited to this show for an opportunity to get first dibs on the work before the auction. The catch is, instead of bidding, all of the work this night is fully priced.

Time Lapse Tuesday - The Cure

Happy Time Lapse Tuesday! Green isn’t a typical color for me but I thought I’d try something new. To many, green symbolizes healing and medicine. Especially to a lifelong video gamer like me, the idea of green representing health has been heavily ingrained in my mind since childhood. Pandemic aside, I feel like we’re all suffering some a sickness in one way or another. Stress, financial uncertainty, depression, and emotional turmoil are rampant right now.

(If you pay attention, you can see a design change in the first few seconds. It looks like the right decision.)