tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11564941107774804962024-02-19T01:20:27.332-08:00I Hate to Alarm You...Casual Eurekas in Art and Lifenicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.comBlogger379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-31961027999335336052014-12-15T13:43:00.003-08:002014-12-15T13:43:38.898-08:00<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks
to everyone who came out to our Studio Bash on Saturday! We had about
300 people in the space throughout the event, and are feeling so
incredibly blessed by your friendship and support!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers and Love, </span></div>
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Nicole, Sharapat and Mona (who somehow missed the picture!)</div>
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nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-1801799428125617222014-10-01T05:20:00.000-07:002014-10-01T05:20:09.313-07:00New Nest!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Friends, as most of you know, my two studio-mates and I moved into our new studio/gallery space in September!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's pretty dreamy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I'm just about finished with the project that I've been working on for the past few months, and ready to try something fun before I start again in earnest on holiday commissions and other booked proposals. In case you haven't already seen it on FB, here's the deal:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Destination Re-creation!</span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="fbPhotoCaptionText">I have two things on my mind theses days:<br /> <br /> #1. I am dying to show you our new studio/gallery space!<br /> <br />
#2. I just spent a year working on a bunch of super detailed portrait
commissions, and now I'm itching to do some loose landscape
painting…maybe even a painting a day!<br /><span> --------------------------</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>--------------------------</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>--------------------------</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>----------------------<br /> <br /> So here's the deal:<br /> <br />
You guys send me a photo of your favorite place (vacation, family spot,
wherever) and I'll spend the next month or so turning one into a
painting every day! I'll post a photo of each painting as it's finished,
and will hang all of the little canvases (8”x10” ish) up at our
Studio-Warming Bash in December for you to take home for a steal if
something strikes your fancy! I get some sweet reference photos out of
the deal, and you get your own little piece of art!<br /> <br /> The only
rule is that you have to have been the one to take the photo (copyright
issues). Oh, and first come, first served! It's all fair game—buy your
own painting, snag someone else’s, or just come toast the new studio
with a glass of bubbly! <br /> <br /> (Of course, if you love your image and
definitely want to be the one to take it home, just shoot me a message
and I'll mark it as sold before the show.) Live out of town, but still
want your own little painting? Same deal--send me your photo, I'll paint
it, hang it in the show and ship it to you afterwards!<br /> <br /> I’ll start painting October 1, and will post show details as we get closer to the date. Ready, set, go!</span></span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-86971862037892694632014-07-24T15:11:00.000-07:002014-07-24T15:11:01.894-07:00Bitter Sweet <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This has been the view out my studio window for over a decade. (Fine, minus the rainbow most days ;) The point is, I have celebrated a million little triumphs, flung hundreds of paint brushes in fits of frustration and just plain punched a ton of hours in this little DC studio. I've become fast friends with some of my clients who have visited the space, the yogis who practice downstairs, the small shop owners, dog walkers and families strolling the sidewalks of this community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And so it is not without sadness that I tell you, friends, that I will soon be moving to a new location as Circle Yoga expands its business to the top floor. Truth be told, while I have always wished my landlord/yogi friend luck, the news that I would need to move on initially struck me as nothing short of a disaster. As my ever wise Momma reminded me though, the word crisis in Chinese is formed with the characters for danger and opportunity. And so, I have chosen to see this as an opportunity for growth myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Say your prayers and cross everything--I actually believe that I have found the most amazing new spot! In the meantime, I will leave you with a couple of pictures from my dream studio space which belonged to my future sister-in-law's grandparents (follow that?) in Cape Cod. Where ever I set up shop, I am definitely building a replica of their mind-blowingly amazing easel-table!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wish me luck, friends!</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-68894569804149945732014-05-14T13:59:00.001-07:002014-05-14T14:04:42.109-07:00Walking Toward Certainty with Terror in Your Throat<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Have you heard of performance artist, Philippe Petit? I caught a radio interview that he gave as I worked in my studio this morning. He is famous for so many amazing feats, including his 1975 tightrope walk between New York's twin towers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I don't think that many of us can really understand the terror that would accompany pulling off a stunt like that. What really struck me though was Philippe's description of the way that the faith in his last step allowed him to take his first step onto a wire 110 stories above the ground. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We all think of the thrill of his stunts. Will he make it across or will he slip and fall to his death? Embracing the terror of the unknown is such a crucial part of his art. Philippe himself emphasizes this importance in creative work. "Surprise yourself," he tells us. "Go against your taste. Do not fall victim to something that works." And I agree: making art requires a certain danger, a particular wandering into the dark of the unknown. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Still, I come back to Philippe's subtler message: <b>The certitude of the first step comes from a faith in the last.</b> Art, he says, is the result of work in a particular direction. It is "an adventure that ends in an exclamation and hopefully not so many questions." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We must dive into our creative endeavors with all the risk associated with unknown, but we should be fortified by our conviction that the full-heartness of such an adventure will bring us to the beautiful. We have to walk toward certainty with terror in our throats.</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-70737573784391041782013-11-22T14:33:00.000-08:002013-11-22T14:42:08.152-08:00Violence and Love<div style="text-align: center;">
The anniversary of JFK's assassination has me thinking about violence and familiarity. Bear with me. </div>
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You have undoubted seen the news clips recently like <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/22/knockout-game-arrests/3676649/">this one</a> about the brutal "game" that bored teenagers have been "playing" on innocent strangers. (Side note: I realize that there is controversy regarding the potentially racist lean of these clips in filming only African American teenagers. Black, White or Purple aside, I believe that we can all agree though that this is brutality.) </div>
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I think that what so many of us can't wrap our heads around is the WHY of this violence. WHY would someone use deadly force on a complete stranger minding his/her own business? WHY are these teens laughing about their friends smashing the skulls of fathers waiting at bus stops, and teachers walking home from work? WHY can't these kids see how easily the victims could be someone that they love?</div>
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I think that the answer has less to do with hate than with numbness. I'm talking about the kind of detachment and apathy that comes from being removed from the other living human beings around you. We all know how much easier it can be to yell some obscene thing at another a driver than it is to say the same thing to the person who cuts in front of us in the grocery store line. Zipping past, behind the anonymity of our car windows, we don't need to have the same accountability for ourselves. Lets face it: when we live/work/learn in unofficially segregated neighborhoods, and then spend so many of our waking hours communicating with even the most familiar people through the screens of our personal devices, we can become a little detached. Maybe a lot detached. Maybe even detached enough to laugh about real live people being murdered in the name of fun.</div>
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I think that we all wish that we had some easy solution to violence. I wish that I did. I do know though that familiarity breeds respect. It is harder to scream and punch when you've shaken someone's hand or looked in to her eyes. That is why I love <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/a-photographer-persuades-strangers-to-do-something-really-odd-and-they-totally-love-it">this photography project</a>.</div>
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Talk about faking it until you make it. What do you say, Friends? Can we try to look at each other with the compassion of the familiar? There are bigger things at play here, but I believe that really seeing the people around us can go a long way.</div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-29127858071887701372013-09-24T05:48:00.004-07:002013-09-24T11:44:32.832-07:00Warming Up<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OK, so its an odd post title for one of the first chilly days of the Fall. I wanted to talk a little bit though about that thing that we all do before we get into the meat of a day's work. We warm up with some little, less demanding tasks. Maybe we check email or read the news. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before I dive in on one of my commissioned projects or on a new body of work, I spend my first twenty minutes or so in the studio on something loose and simple. I force myself not to think about the end result. I try to just play--to just make marks on the canvas, or to experiment with some new way of thinking, without caring about how completely atrocious or ridiculous the finished project might look. Sometimes I make big, looping gesture drawings. Sometimes I collage a bunch of left over materials onto an old canvas. Today, I tried to see the world through my grandfather's eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He was an architect and artist too, and I am lucky enough to own a few of his paintings. He painted the large canvas in this picture, and it just rocks my socks off! I brought it into my studio to color match and fill a few of its scratches.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The little canvas on the far left is the beginning of a commissioned painting. The tiniest canvas in the middle was my quick attempt to translate that into a Ernest Daly-ish view of the scene. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think I might need to be clear here that I am fully aware of how sub-par my efforts are, but that is really beside the point. It was a fun, quick challenge, that primed my mind to take on a day's work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What's your warm-up routine? </span></div>
<br />nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-73015824585436055342013-09-09T14:59:00.000-07:002013-09-09T14:59:06.011-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNJUTy5ngC67tmBdin7Srk5V_6aNeYDsmNaHSozF68sk5Q0OoT2VNVivcBFa6uSdaQ6mYqt4E3N4_JHhOVibcl3Jw_W4-fU7hd1H-3u29ap6WYiBl0AF_Dw5COEwYVJ5H6uaUeCxol6g/s1600/1240322_10153239287160271_1286279178_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNJUTy5ngC67tmBdin7Srk5V_6aNeYDsmNaHSozF68sk5Q0OoT2VNVivcBFa6uSdaQ6mYqt4E3N4_JHhOVibcl3Jw_W4-fU7hd1H-3u29ap6WYiBl0AF_Dw5COEwYVJ5H6uaUeCxol6g/s400/1240322_10153239287160271_1286279178_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone who came out to the Yoga Arts Market on Saturday! Gorgeous weather and fantastic company.<br />For those of you who asked about commissioning a painting to give as a holiday gift, stay tuned. I am booking my Fall project schedule this week and will be in touch soon!</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-84397695875773435422013-09-05T16:10:00.001-07:002013-09-05T16:28:52.910-07:00Snag a Slice of Summer (before it slips away!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Friends, if you are in the DC area this Saturday, you should swing on by the Circle Yoga Arts Market! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqySgdBV0BBp89_9tRWQfoBAwi2IIlVHDxVcDPsoyUnhGQHEDYHlDkjPaYOz3ycSxY_ZRyjrOrTDim3XNKFVGPbEckqMOgpFPZlmrtq6xnMntHzNFqlXUVP5yDDt5mL07AME7NUUQ5J7M/s1600/IMG_8085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqySgdBV0BBp89_9tRWQfoBAwi2IIlVHDxVcDPsoyUnhGQHEDYHlDkjPaYOz3ycSxY_ZRyjrOrTDim3XNKFVGPbEckqMOgpFPZlmrtq6xnMntHzNFqlXUVP5yDDt5mL07AME7NUUQ5J7M/s640/IMG_8085.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> My painting studio is on the treetop floor of the building, but every Fall my awesome landlord calls off all of her yoga classes for the day and invites a bunch of artists and craftsmen to come show off their latest work! <br />I always snatch up some good deals on creative gifts for the holidays.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5Y-Gj9GMR7DcT6acDBoVI9K5JXd3h9UP4-lnljaofdYT801NutvfreIoLLxffoqLtaJqRSEULaSejWDZQ2wMxBgs4FzJmP-PcXnqjlg7tLa1CI0rtyVwbuklsiNBh-A9uCouyvmVh5E/s1600/IMG_8086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5Y-Gj9GMR7DcT6acDBoVI9K5JXd3h9UP4-lnljaofdYT801NutvfreIoLLxffoqLtaJqRSEULaSejWDZQ2wMxBgs4FzJmP-PcXnqjlg7tLa1CI0rtyVwbuklsiNBh-A9uCouyvmVh5E/s400/IMG_8086.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I usually show limited-edition prints and greeting card packs of my DC cityscape paintings, but this month I've been saying goodbye to summer with a few quick little paintings of the salty sea air! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The weather is supposed to be glorious, so I plan on pitching my easels right out front in the courtyard. If you're free, stop by and say hello. I'd love to see you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3838 Northampton Street, NW</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Washington, DC 20015 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_739068222" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">Saturday, Sept. 7, 1:00-4:00 pm</span></span></span><br />
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nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-60936470144745384452013-08-23T10:10:00.002-07:002013-08-23T10:23:31.539-07:00St. Andrew Apostle Church recap<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I really need to get better at actually photographing commissions before they leave my studio. Luckily, this one is at least in a public location, so I stopped by to snap a few (very poor quality) pictures for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As
part of the church's visual revitalization, I was commissioned to paint
two angels on the seven foot panels of a newly-constructed alter wall.</span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZ9jg-g5c08NtgO_BLG99FaHxJ8BDAbAF_GDZvdZXUlt0bvX9YJO_ksehibx6iWFutL6yIXveNjULLIc_rr9wB51EfOkV9MNiLsKJNNWCyz0WvPVuJKCPnlZhzwTw0j9PL4cX7rmUADY/s1600/IMG_7020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZ9jg-g5c08NtgO_BLG99FaHxJ8BDAbAF_GDZvdZXUlt0bvX9YJO_ksehibx6iWFutL6yIXveNjULLIc_rr9wB51EfOkV9MNiLsKJNNWCyz0WvPVuJKCPnlZhzwTw0j9PL4cX7rmUADY/s400/IMG_7020.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It
was truthfully a very challenging project. I did a lot of research into
the Catholic Church's teaching on angels and tried to create a composite
of information written by those who have claimed first-hand
encounters. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQC9eR3RicinP25X8didsSas7d7QKOfJjdG4Qan2bnq0F2N2ekHUpzARp90pjAs1IDWTggg0xGgqfY0X_-vJbMeDoQ8aI-UMK8z7ni_pDfUI-N39Fnxsr1P6c-sZyeskigwIaO7eHy1xY/s1600/IMG_7722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQC9eR3RicinP25X8didsSas7d7QKOfJjdG4Qan2bnq0F2N2ekHUpzARp90pjAs1IDWTggg0xGgqfY0X_-vJbMeDoQ8aI-UMK8z7ni_pDfUI-N39Fnxsr1P6c-sZyeskigwIaO7eHy1xY/s640/IMG_7722.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcrWo8-wv7SEyBtapl3yp0RLAuVxPlDiXX10uNjZxpnf16C-fBm5YxrNj-IHtHh7ISUAEVR28E8kpOX1VAbHybj_CgYxFdY6vl5_crmcyNi4FQnoJ3dJJQfZV4AxjbLpmubLat6NXLvs/s1600/IMG_7742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcrWo8-wv7SEyBtapl3yp0RLAuVxPlDiXX10uNjZxpnf16C-fBm5YxrNj-IHtHh7ISUAEVR28E8kpOX1VAbHybj_CgYxFdY6vl5_crmcyNi4FQnoJ3dJJQfZV4AxjbLpmubLat6NXLvs/s640/IMG_7742.jpg" width="249" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A bunch of super-generous folks helped me out by posing for different sketches during the planning stage of the project.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT811wYjfX0OBy53xM5ayNSB8YOLS2uYsJGiCPoDAcmvjMGoPyHQwftWTX3QPPTurETickox79ESrns0oxGnFL5NKNr5ksV6CI3UIAvKUhhoXd632EZo0hdcQiXNJpk0NjQxnNP9vxIo/s1600/IMG_7481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT811wYjfX0OBy53xM5ayNSB8YOLS2uYsJGiCPoDAcmvjMGoPyHQwftWTX3QPPTurETickox79ESrns0oxGnFL5NKNr5ksV6CI3UIAvKUhhoXd632EZo0hdcQiXNJpk0NjQxnNP9vxIo/s400/IMG_7481.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE9gE1QnSw3QJ1UFmA3ZQA75MnRF7TtcSj8V_NCD1F7qsstJes7hC3uM0_SfpjTtgwq6wQBIJNkpAkss2Jnda8U3ZWOpydQKfUxaPNeYMRkOpcXIxa6c2v84yjmie8hQqQLE15ILXor0/s1600/IMG_7282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE9gE1QnSw3QJ1UFmA3ZQA75MnRF7TtcSj8V_NCD1F7qsstJes7hC3uM0_SfpjTtgwq6wQBIJNkpAkss2Jnda8U3ZWOpydQKfUxaPNeYMRkOpcXIxa6c2v84yjmie8hQqQLE15ILXor0/s400/IMG_7282.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The hardest part was working around a few pretty jarring visual elements in the church, some of which will eventually be changed, some of which must stay. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Jnw8V8vmBwHEJ6S0CENN07isJL7JFBaXC6kXmLLGM75jzU88oRxMGtxAgUa_AHqClKhBavPefnS6wvZ18fV3omMkZssS5Pk9GKRHkYSIKY31q_2rSFh7hDmECbel1etijI7jp5mwjOE/s1600/IMG_7733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Jnw8V8vmBwHEJ6S0CENN07isJL7JFBaXC6kXmLLGM75jzU88oRxMGtxAgUa_AHqClKhBavPefnS6wvZ18fV3omMkZssS5Pk9GKRHkYSIKY31q_2rSFh7hDmECbel1etijI7jp5mwjOE/s400/IMG_7733.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Working in the movement and color palette of the stained glass windows was a particular challenge.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwywJ3BUFVWe2BsSmarWddRO8HuOZSyQbqN8rDQWNPQloPGnFVmPCuG9LGWGX56x9TjjKvtJBE0mzIB7MWravpQZLKs06pj2avX3cS3BQIMQcbNyiQRv9jCh_X3uYOFMC0YHbpAK0splg/s1600/IMG_7732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwywJ3BUFVWe2BsSmarWddRO8HuOZSyQbqN8rDQWNPQloPGnFVmPCuG9LGWGX56x9TjjKvtJBE0mzIB7MWravpQZLKs06pj2avX3cS3BQIMQcbNyiQRv9jCh_X3uYOFMC0YHbpAK0splg/s400/IMG_7732.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are still a few changes that would really go far in terms of making this a beautiful church (a.k.a.-ripping up that terrible carpet.) All in all though, </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think things are moving in the right direction.</span> </span></div>
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nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-46921375464781667162013-08-21T02:45:00.002-07:002013-08-21T02:49:25.660-07:00Taking Risks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/551083_10201255337799336_594037765_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/551083_10201255337799336_594037765_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, I'll admit it: I am a retiring perfectionist. I'm prone to wanting to make the absolute BEST decision every time. A simple question about what materials I should use for a certain project has me acting out the tired role of "artist who doesn't actually produce art" from time to time. Not to mention how badly the bigger decisions can paralyze me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are allergic to decision making too, you might want to check out <a href="http://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-start-thinking-of-decisions-as-experimen-1172562362">this article</a> from <a href="http://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-start-thinking-of-decisions-as-experimen-1172562362">lifehacker</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The simple tip of <b>treating a choice as an experiment vs. a final, life-altering act </b>has me breathing a sigh of relief. There are some choices that we can't take back, but most are reversible. And that little fact might just allow me to make some great art today...or some terrible art. Either way, I'll be making work, and that feels a whole lot more productive than making nothing at all.</span></div>
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nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-57447248148612766292013-08-13T09:27:00.002-07:002013-08-13T09:31:12.479-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It isn't enough to just make beautiful objects. Real art inspires other people to make art too." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This gem from my husband over coffee this morning. And he's right. The best art that I have experienced leaves me a little breathless and itching to dash to my studio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the work of</span></div>
<div class="QuicksandQuicksandLight" style="bottom: 0px; display: inline !important; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 24px; position: relative;">
<a class="nlLinks artistNameLinkBlock" href="http://laurendicioccio.com/" style="bottom: 0px; display: inline !important; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; position: relative;">Lauren DiCioccio</a></div>
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<a href="http://laurendicioccio.com/artistInfo/laurendi/biggest/Lauren-DiCioccio_99.jpg?0" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://laurendicioccio.com/artistInfo/laurendi/biggest/Lauren-DiCioccio_99.jpg?0" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every few months, when I am feeling kind of artistically stale, I peak at her website. It's like gulping down fresh cool air after being buried in sand. I feel suddenly so alive that I can't contain it all. I have to go make something rightthisminute or I am just going to explode with the fullness of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you know what I mean?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some art to make. </span></div>
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<br />nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-2594937722707937762013-07-25T08:15:00.002-07:002013-07-25T08:15:39.829-07:00Thank you, ARTSMART!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbtIg6Y__HDuO7-auv3EfKDZVyObG9kLLjZ2ZwN0zCSExhnij4khyNZJ9rNwUhhNzzqHAbdpEaSJmV0iElRmAl8SR5Fg9aBD9wAGUzcsH-L2F0gJ3a6LBM7p0IjDi308cdfQwIGSxcwQ/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbtIg6Y__HDuO7-auv3EfKDZVyObG9kLLjZ2ZwN0zCSExhnij4khyNZJ9rNwUhhNzzqHAbdpEaSJmV0iElRmAl8SR5Fg9aBD9wAGUzcsH-L2F0gJ3a6LBM7p0IjDi308cdfQwIGSxcwQ/s400/-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Monday, I had the privilege of leading a workshop for a group of children in NE DC. One of the funniest moments came after instructor Erika Bowman presented the group with a slide show of my urban portrait project, AS IS, and opened the floor up for questions. One child asked me how I found inspiration, another wondered if I had a favorite color that I used in my work. Then one little girl eagerly shot her hand into the air. "Do you like chocolate?!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can I just tell you how deeply I admire the teachers of the world? Especially art teachers. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With the slashing of art education programs across the country, and the often inadequate compensation that teachers receive, it is a wonder that there are still so many quality people going into the profession.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Though, while I have absolute respect for these noble individuals, I myself sadly seem to be missing the gift for teaching. When Erika contacted me about leading this workshop, I was torn between the knowledge that I am no teacher, and remembering how thirstily I had soaked up the visit of a working artist to my own elementary school. Ultimately, I agreed to lead the program. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Flash forward to Monday-- There I am absolutely melting/panicking as one child tears-up in frustration over her own portrait. "But YOUR paintings are so much prettier" she trembles. I try to no avail to explain how much easier oil paints make painting the details of a face. Then, in a last ditch effort, I tell her how proud I am of her work and gave her one of the dried paint palettes that I have brought along as a teaching aid. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I leave for the day, the little girl asks me how to spell my name. Beaming, sharpie clutched
in her fist, she flips the palette over and scrawls </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "july 22 2013 given to me by real artist nicole bourgea"</span></div>
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:)</div>
<br />nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-21747878750309950752013-07-06T08:38:00.001-07:002013-07-06T08:50:44.431-07:00Looking for the Perfect Gift?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjrlAugsHw3YyhhlvqCHmEeB2RNa_-9md22a6Evu84wd3aaLtT3mNgbyS-ZdtDFBoZCTQ9Ic5wE-rBwnu7GFnCAY7CS06FV03rDw0hkLQ3-VPciujMtPCXJKwvQQvjMy9pQnojsxNO_4/s1600/IMG_7783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjrlAugsHw3YyhhlvqCHmEeB2RNa_-9md22a6Evu84wd3aaLtT3mNgbyS-ZdtDFBoZCTQ9Ic5wE-rBwnu7GFnCAY7CS06FV03rDw0hkLQ3-VPciujMtPCXJKwvQQvjMy9pQnojsxNO_4/s400/IMG_7783.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's that time of year when yards are bursting with growth from all of that good spring rain and the sun is shining down on cute little houses everywhere! It's the ideal time to start thinking about booking a house portrait commission to capture your own home at its peak, or to give the perfect goodbye gift for a friend or family member who may be moving on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> As you pack that pool bag or sip a cool summer cocktail, it may seem a bit early to be thinking about the winter holidays, but this is the perfect time to begin taking reference pictures for those Christmas and Hanukkah painting gifts. I am now booking Fall commissions for house portraits and more. Let me know if you are interested in working together to make something beautiful!</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-19467130979117737242013-06-19T06:00:00.001-07:002013-06-19T06:06:31.987-07:00Step Away from the Coffe Pot!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I confess that I slide out of bed every morning like the next girl and hightail it over to my coffee pot. I <i>need</i> that jolt to get me to the studio and give me the necessary creative focus for whatever projects I have in the works. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Every once in a while though, I find myself a little <i>too</i> focused on finishing one of those projects, a little <i>too</i> intent on filling in that row of storefronts in a cityscape. The concentration is there. I am a frackin machine! And maybe that's the problem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/376281_494234230614125_2068891015_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/376281_494234230614125_2068891015_n.jpg" width="298" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/06/how-caffeine-short-circuits-creativity.html">This New Yorker article</a> claims that all that caffeine could be killing my (and your) creativity. In the words of the author, "we do know that much of what we associate with creativity—whether writing a sonnet or a mathematical proof—has to do with the ability to link ideas, entities, and concepts in novel ways. This ability depends in part on the very thing that caffeine seeks to prevent: a wandering, unfocussed mind."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I am interested, Friends: Do you do your best creative work with a cuppa joe in your system? Or do you find that caffeine gives you a type of intensity that keeps you too busy to create?</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-50100221978625511052013-06-10T07:44:00.003-07:002013-06-10T09:13:25.288-07:00Can I get an Amen?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">BEFORE:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwbfC2UazxL81D4vjieCDRzHffm7-xJYq2FwhbZl-I_uXSBGc_NNlsAgv0yqc54K5QSAE1Cmn-OksTp0zPkicJigkVr0csCRdSZp-HHBxt-oeXb5qaT6aBZHPEMTd7fQhMOnQ5muzp2o/s1600/IMG_6596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwbfC2UazxL81D4vjieCDRzHffm7-xJYq2FwhbZl-I_uXSBGc_NNlsAgv0yqc54K5QSAE1Cmn-OksTp0zPkicJigkVr0csCRdSZp-HHBxt-oeXb5qaT6aBZHPEMTd7fQhMOnQ5muzp2o/s400/IMG_6596.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am not often hired to created a
religious-themed work, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">but these past few months, I have been
commissioned to paint several. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can we just be honest here? The religious art sold in many of the
christian/catholic shops around DC can be pretty terrible. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These are not the worst ones out there by a long shot, and it <i>is</i>
possible to look past a superficial image to the content behind it.</span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That said, I weep a little bit each time I see a stale religious image hung in a place of honor.
(Tad dramatic, but true ;) So, despite the intensity required to work on such a
weighty subject, I was super excited to be commissioned to make these little paintings: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">AFTER:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cz3C_f-Zg7LxwUgKiT8Tv2Eqe11Y0l7mLLgXqwxj8Y38JzpT5n3GRNi5Rwy0rOIKLTFg2nRtVwgQTP-e3oAU-ntPgOcz2OSly4anaDgjzH6VFDFmvfXAW7gwTEXjaoZxh3-LuBaHG9w/s1600/IMG_7681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cz3C_f-Zg7LxwUgKiT8Tv2Eqe11Y0l7mLLgXqwxj8Y38JzpT5n3GRNi5Rwy0rOIKLTFg2nRtVwgQTP-e3oAU-ntPgOcz2OSly4anaDgjzH6VFDFmvfXAW7gwTEXjaoZxh3-LuBaHG9w/s400/IMG_7681.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FxdTyGiSlkSO_6Xn5UjOsJMZF3JDxGolZxIT-60eh3JGCcUQaTXYCnTN9_rF6Z9fHzoHInus2nbMWBsw2Vg2Sg5boY4G9L-UbrebBOlV6tK_VtEVpnwzDHAG81Us7RcHt8bXgdbjsLw/s1600/IMG_7682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FxdTyGiSlkSO_6Xn5UjOsJMZF3JDxGolZxIT-60eh3JGCcUQaTXYCnTN9_rF6Z9fHzoHInus2nbMWBsw2Vg2Sg5boY4G9L-UbrebBOlV6tK_VtEVpnwzDHAG81Us7RcHt8bXgdbjsLw/s400/IMG_7682.JPG" width="285" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*P.S.-- I showed my sister the Sacred Heart painting after it was finished, because I was wondering if I had made Jesus a little too good-looking. Her response? "Well, He <i>is</i> supposed to be the ideal man!" :)</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-86577123740299776082013-06-03T02:29:00.001-07:002013-06-03T02:31:18.548-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/485611_665741733441564_678707513_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/485611_665741733441564_678707513_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="userContent"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keith Cook posing with his portrait at the
Corcoran Community Gallery at the THEARC in Washington DC. The portrait
was painted as a part of my AS IS series during my time collaborating with
Habitat for Artists. The painting is featured on the Hudson Valley Seed
Library's Genovese Basil art pack.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/581080_665744043441333_1446052370_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/581080_665744043441333_1446052370_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was very sorry not to be able to make the show! Working on this series was one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had, and the man featured in this portrait just glows with wisdom and goodness!</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-79047669861463679762013-05-23T10:52:00.002-07:002013-05-23T10:54:45.837-07:00Art + Heirloom Seeds<div style="text-align: center;">
DC Friends, have you been to THEARC? It is this amazing oasis east of the river. I had the privilege of spending a month or so there this summer while working on the seventh portrait for my AS IS project<b> </b>during a residency with Habitat for Artists.<br />
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That painting is now featured on a seed pack as part of Michael Asbill's beautiful project with the Hudson Valley Seed Library. Now Michael is bringing the original artwork back to DC to display as part of a traveling exhibit. Below is some information on the show.<b><br /></b></div>
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<b></b><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/969687_660861380596266_850299903_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/969687_660861380596266_850299903_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Art of the Heirloom: Cultural Seed Savers</b><br />
Presented by the Hudson Valley Seed Library</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Artists
are cultural seed savers, selecting which kernels of beauty, color, and
form to keep alive and pass on to future generations. Every year, the
Hudson Valley Seed Library commissions new contemporary artists to
interpret a distinctive selection of the heirloom varieties in their
seed catalog. Artists range from the undiscovered to the up-and-coming
to the world renowned. Mediums include oil painting, paper, collage,
encaustic, botanical illustration, printmaking, and more. <br />
Each work
of art becomes a unique seed pack. The artwork celebrates the beauty,
diversity, and stories of the heirloom seeds held within each pack. The
original works, twenty one of which are displayed here, form a traveling
art exhibit called Art of the Heirloom. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Exhibiting Art of the
Heirloom in the Corcoran Community Gallery at the Town Hall Education
Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) holds special significance. The design
for our Genovese Basil art pack was inspired by a community
collaboration between HVSL, Habitat for Artists, The Corcoran ArtReach
Program, The Washington DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities 5 x 5
Temporary Public Art Project, and THEARC. The pack features a painting
of THEARC’s own Keith Cook, Sr. by artist Nicole Bourgea. Nicole
painted the portrait as a part of AS IS (an urban portrait project)
during her residency with Habitat for Artists. The show also contains
works by HFA/HVSL artists Michael Asbill, Simon Draper, Jessica Poser,
and Molly Rausch.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Art of the Heirloom on view June 1- 30, 2013<br />
Corcoran Community Gallery<br />
1901 Mississippi Ave SE DC 20020<br />
Monday-Friday: 11 AM - 7 PM, Saturday: 10 AM - 2 PM</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="_553k" href="http://www.seedlibrary.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.seedlibrary.org</a><br />
<a class="_553k" href="http://www.habitatforartists.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.habitatforartists.com</a><br />
<a class="_553k" href="http://www.nicolebourgea.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.nicolebourgea.com</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Thank you to our Art of the Heirloom Sponsors Horticulture Magazine and Great Performances.</div>
<div class="_1yr" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="_2oy"></span></div>
<div class="clearfix shareRedesignContainer" style="text-align: center;">
<a class="shareMediaLink shareRedesignMedia _8o lfloat" data-ft="{"type":10,"tn":"H"}" href="http://www.seedlibrary.org/" rel="nofollow" tabindex="-1" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="shareMediaPhoto img" src="https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/y4/r/-PAXP-deijE.gif" style="background-image: url(https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQBe9LaQj69nOeWu&w=154&h=154&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seedlibrary.org%2Fskin%2Ffrontend%2Fhvsl%2Fdefault%2Fimages%2Ffront_page_ad.png&cfs=1);" /></a><br />
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<div class="uiAttachmentTitle" data-ft="{"type":11,"tn":"C"}">
<a class="pam shareText" href="http://www.seedlibrary.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Hudson Valley Seed Library : Heirloom Seeds and Contemporary Art</b> </a></div>
<a class="pam shareText" href="http://www.seedlibrary.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="caption" data-ft="{"tn":"L"}">www.seedlibrary.org</span></a><br />
<div class="mts uiAttachmentDesc translationEligibleUserAttachmentMessage" data-ft="{"tn":"M"}">
<a class="pam shareText" href="http://www.seedlibrary.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The
Hudson Valley Seed Library is a small, farm-based seed company
celebrating heirloom and open-pollinated garden seeds and the
relationship between art and agriculture.</a></div>
</div>
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</a></div>
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nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-30245557328952347982013-05-01T06:17:00.004-07:002013-05-01T06:19:35.310-07:00Grow Time<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's no secret: Juggling a career and all the other demands of life can be tough. How many of us scramble around trying to pack it all in, only to fall into bed at night feeling like we could have used just a few more hours in the day?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Combine that with the demands of owning your own business, and you may find yourself running around like a chicken with its head cut off, dashing between business and personal tasks. Everyone functions differently, but my sanity solution has been to block-schedule everything. I do not combine work and home. At all. I literally have a separate location for work, a wardrobe for the studio, and a separate name that I use in connection with my art. I pull on my painting jeans every morning and drive into my studio as Nicole Bourgea. Then I come home, change into my Nicole Gleason clothes and pick up my kiddlets from school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I realize that this is not for everyone. I have friends who love working from home. For me though, being able to separate career and family ensures that I can dive full-heartedly into each. I can be more present, more engaged and more productive when I block schedule. That may be why I appreciated <a href="http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2013/04/25/splice-time-in-new-ways-to-have-more-of-it/">this blog post from Penelope Trunk</a>. She is a very successful entrepreneur with Asperger's, so her advice is very literal and intense. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I'm curious, any advice for packing more quality into the day? How do you handle the work life balance?</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-57232790922455539852013-04-17T06:10:00.000-07:002013-04-17T06:16:34.212-07:00When Advertising Gets It Right<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the time, I daydream about moving to a place like <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1156494110777480496#editor/target=post;postID=5583955375267595851;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=2;src=postname">Bhutan</a> where I won't have to spend mental energy dodging the push and pull of companies trying to sell me happiness. Then today, I came across this ad:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XpaOjMXyJGk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is why I love painting portraits. This is why I spent a year on my <a href="http://ihatetoalarmyou.blogspot.com/2012/07/as-is.html">AS IS</a> project.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There truly is a flame of life at the core of every person. It is so much more intensely beautiful than we let ourselves see. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So try to look at yourself kindly today. You are alive and you are beautiful.</span></div>
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<br />nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-90502263444043494342013-03-13T05:57:00.000-07:002013-03-13T05:57:16.669-07:00Ignoring the Price Tag<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first painting that I ever made was done with car touch-up paint on my bedroom wall...yup, most laid-back parents ever. There was something so freeing about using cheap, left over supplies to create. Mess up big time? No big deal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClwh8iMRtWvZgk2vh_rwOX42fa0QS5XkygQPWYP2rWyhoUmNEHg6mqB7TGy1sH9MuN_g5GyXJbw-CVgD0zrBCspa44fuVUgyskCSKw52vTXs6pvyPDZ3EB1JlDIMcNpi5n6QijG93OUU/s1600/IMG_7269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClwh8iMRtWvZgk2vh_rwOX42fa0QS5XkygQPWYP2rWyhoUmNEHg6mqB7TGy1sH9MuN_g5GyXJbw-CVgD0zrBCspa44fuVUgyskCSKw52vTXs6pvyPDZ3EB1JlDIMcNpi5n6QijG93OUU/s400/IMG_7269.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Flash forward a couple of decades, and I am sort of tip-toeing around these gorgeous, seven-foot maple panels with my expensive paints and gold leaf, scared to make any move that I can't take back. Maybe if this weren't a commissioned project for a public space, or maybe if the supplies didn't cost as much as my car, I'd be slinging paint like a machine. As it stands though, knowing that those enormous wooden pieces were cut and hauled all the way up to my studio just for this project has me shaking in my boots. So send your brave thoughts my way Friends, because this alter wall is not going to paint itself!</span></div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-1094063439147601622013-03-04T11:09:00.001-08:002013-03-04T11:09:35.897-08:00Monday Match: Exhausted Edition<div style="text-align: center;">
It has been a while...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaXtpHc4q2wA2CeKTRtBij3cyT32shsH4-t0GPep1w6kleSXXPLwNmMxugoAriEuYQi-ij9xrhd0quB6cT_GeTZZ9obrwKPQmrHJbNEnZGseXnogJRTwJZcvgWZm74elU6CroiDRhJ2I/s1600/2826fe2442f07b6a14c8e542e1f1d655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaXtpHc4q2wA2CeKTRtBij3cyT32shsH4-t0GPep1w6kleSXXPLwNmMxugoAriEuYQi-ij9xrhd0quB6cT_GeTZZ9obrwKPQmrHJbNEnZGseXnogJRTwJZcvgWZm74elU6CroiDRhJ2I/s400/2826fe2442f07b6a14c8e542e1f1d655.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gW6ewFg6E95fR6tBm0DtIlrueMzcjw_sf6m0-MGWOj6sOgyXtF0En6biV3-k008hlRo6tereoXMbNy5sT1Ko8utfg2P8XPtm4LrkeiiqQiW2sujtke0kgpTefrGI68do8rPOsz9ESqI/s1600/Livin+ETC+Dec+2011+p65+%2528Matthew+Williams%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gW6ewFg6E95fR6tBm0DtIlrueMzcjw_sf6m0-MGWOj6sOgyXtF0En6biV3-k008hlRo6tereoXMbNy5sT1Ko8utfg2P8XPtm4LrkeiiqQiW2sujtke0kgpTefrGI68do8rPOsz9ESqI/s400/Livin+ETC+Dec+2011+p65+%2528Matthew+Williams%2529.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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This painting by Ramon Casas reminds me of this room via Living Etc and both images are straight up taunting me right now. So much work and yet so exhausted! </div>
<br />nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-4214901698111792662013-02-26T06:49:00.003-08:002013-02-26T11:49:59.494-08:00Default<div style="text-align: center;">
Do you know what happens when you are an artist who happens to think that her spouse is one good looking dude?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFtHuvuS29c9uxfphmjPNeEx9098XNpxZyjkQcOCsjuikbosgUO08L85yApFs-sEDJGZ06Sv2uACzRIQH0xCG5HguXzMfAZelmg46e7nvp52qXN_06O7ju4nB-6QZIe9FvRf05Wzu5eA/s1600/IMG_7210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFtHuvuS29c9uxfphmjPNeEx9098XNpxZyjkQcOCsjuikbosgUO08L85yApFs-sEDJGZ06Sv2uACzRIQH0xCG5HguXzMfAZelmg46e7nvp52qXN_06O7ju4nB-6QZIe9FvRf05Wzu5eA/s400/IMG_7210.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Every single male figure that you paint or draw starts to look vaguely like him! </div>
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I'm serious. This 'generic' angel that I sketched out in preparation for a large sanctuary wall that I am painting, could be my husband...or at least a relative of his...eesh.</div>
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Time to call in some models.</div>
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Seriously though, thank you to the friends who have let me cajole them into being angels. You guys are the best!</div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-65729744889121815592013-02-25T07:34:00.001-08:002013-02-25T07:34:54.022-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/National_Museum_of_Women_in_the_Arts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/National_Museum_of_Women_in_the_Arts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thank you to everyone who came out to the National Museum of Women in the Arts on Sunday to hear me speak about my Urban Portrait Project and Anna Ancher's work! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNlZ4oK9gzPo_g2CPIYu7UeqqislzYNtrUNQapUunxLf36dvNgJJAFAi5bVIqpV1LTRijQJ8sKN7uFxT7hpr5Ik4v9HPbFaZB1ZTaoDB7nW_-xNbHw-lRD8a4ppyKHeIUaa9ExGfy7gk/s1600/482373_10200228764656771_1857856798_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNlZ4oK9gzPo_g2CPIYu7UeqqislzYNtrUNQapUunxLf36dvNgJJAFAi5bVIqpV1LTRijQJ8sKN7uFxT7hpr5Ik4v9HPbFaZB1ZTaoDB7nW_-xNbHw-lRD8a4ppyKHeIUaa9ExGfy7gk/s400/482373_10200228764656771_1857856798_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was an absolute honor.</div>
nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-88384103566644759032013-02-13T10:59:00.000-08:002013-02-13T11:00:15.416-08:00Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever found yourself charging into a project...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkWtrW3FaPpFt-eD0Apkpq79_qc7Zilstc2Dlh-r81p71q4SRhytK2OgXHoFwvrzh_TtFSUbujxKjMGXqIs88sLcHieje0DUzk0YMGyGpFnqIXEedMzGwFxTL_SoRZt-7tZO-mDe0KE4/s1600/IMG_7093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkWtrW3FaPpFt-eD0Apkpq79_qc7Zilstc2Dlh-r81p71q4SRhytK2OgXHoFwvrzh_TtFSUbujxKjMGXqIs88sLcHieje0DUzk0YMGyGpFnqIXEedMzGwFxTL_SoRZt-7tZO-mDe0KE4/s640/IMG_7093.JPG" width="448" /></a></div>
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with what you believe is an incredible attack plan...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugeSlXC1Dq4Y4x43zdR3Vvu03LBU_aZJsEHMoxIEl7JEi3rKHkRFEdtdi0XgFULXxoj9QryA9GYEUFVK7LjDLSFSWHSXSxuWy4uwV4IKnOAcIjS5ScuJzI34yltCmsYVlt5zST0eC8qw/s1600/IMG_7097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugeSlXC1Dq4Y4x43zdR3Vvu03LBU_aZJsEHMoxIEl7JEi3rKHkRFEdtdi0XgFULXxoj9QryA9GYEUFVK7LjDLSFSWHSXSxuWy4uwV4IKnOAcIjS5ScuJzI34yltCmsYVlt5zST0eC8qw/s640/IMG_7097.JPG" width="465" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLmshTT2M9_BseV7QEbQt_mddD7doW3tqflD6MxkTPttEJg9FXjdC_J8qvZUYXwjj7uy2boutAE_j7h1v25jkdLe0nKub4wpaCND53dCtoXDLJ9vY6i0JyC0EAF2lckYqaHdzRk2M-FI/s1600/IMG_7107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLmshTT2M9_BseV7QEbQt_mddD7doW3tqflD6MxkTPttEJg9FXjdC_J8qvZUYXwjj7uy2boutAE_j7h1v25jkdLe0nKub4wpaCND53dCtoXDLJ9vY6i0JyC0EAF2lckYqaHdzRk2M-FI/s400/IMG_7107.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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only to find yourself suddenly in the dark and not so sure anymore?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lGvbHQxHccp7B6ba3VjgHWU-sxtoFEuSm1QzT-kUTcqqiyJVD_zHFKqo9FDkl9rh0zYClVPYkXqrSq_gagCIBC0AnfT2W6qLqg5fuupiKovg6EStnz9AA5Q03ky1WRDIcsAJQ8nSvKg/s1600/IMG_7096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lGvbHQxHccp7B6ba3VjgHWU-sxtoFEuSm1QzT-kUTcqqiyJVD_zHFKqo9FDkl9rh0zYClVPYkXqrSq_gagCIBC0AnfT2W6qLqg5fuupiKovg6EStnz9AA5Q03ky1WRDIcsAJQ8nSvKg/s640/IMG_7096.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
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It is a sad place to be. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwghnOhuplQhjuE_F98BlqCrvL36GuZYeI8g5nI4MSCoQGBlM3cmppEt16Ui8pgmpXYLd-Jmb_5G0W90QgSsmGLLClAG1HWrkM9mJ5E-o1AIiWhC1ovFv2SxiAx2Ypr86N8VqXeLjLRPU/s1600/IMG_7103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwghnOhuplQhjuE_F98BlqCrvL36GuZYeI8g5nI4MSCoQGBlM3cmppEt16Ui8pgmpXYLd-Jmb_5G0W90QgSsmGLLClAG1HWrkM9mJ5E-o1AIiWhC1ovFv2SxiAx2Ypr86N8VqXeLjLRPU/s320/IMG_7103.JPG" width="293" /></a></div>
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Sometimes though, when you're lucky, a new light brightens a little of the darkness.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwvmKOBSfl2VFyuR3lmMN362vvW-dfuUznjKSYb43cSjs6YE2mBIw7cHKYYRCR2-FyF3vhxyCMVLQl7aZuoUvwOzT9sRGN9lAw4gkPO8Pqvf3GkLfccjfiLNZdoilC2hgs7DlSwfwZfM/s1600/IMG_7092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwvmKOBSfl2VFyuR3lmMN362vvW-dfuUznjKSYb43cSjs6YE2mBIw7cHKYYRCR2-FyF3vhxyCMVLQl7aZuoUvwOzT9sRGN9lAw4gkPO8Pqvf3GkLfccjfiLNZdoilC2hgs7DlSwfwZfM/s640/IMG_7092.JPG" width="456" /></a></div>
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Then everything that you see glows with it...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn11bw-wqG5oCzOCUFOABSuV91sPQGK_Ak6KVGNtiTnQLuikTcNtj5XFasoMyi6mFAl6-vVE0XEbswld3MOZN6eMa96laTDY89nX2TNeNi9KUX1HnvySr6KBcEhXEH8eLPdxF_quMOCYc/s1600/IMG_7109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn11bw-wqG5oCzOCUFOABSuV91sPQGK_Ak6KVGNtiTnQLuikTcNtj5XFasoMyi6mFAl6-vVE0XEbswld3MOZN6eMa96laTDY89nX2TNeNi9KUX1HnvySr6KBcEhXEH8eLPdxF_quMOCYc/s400/IMG_7109.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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and you feel like singing along.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWKYuJQQJUgyirH80yeDq7tFZvVlfFHSjvP5WCW5ecPwV-zq6aRjBJMGs5ucZKHHcLMZ1G55QMIJd99SK4i0kixVfi1Htz89TI7OAsNwzuto4ZuhoahVK8YIw616HIR0x4_bH3Yn6J1I/s1600/IMG_7100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWKYuJQQJUgyirH80yeDq7tFZvVlfFHSjvP5WCW5ecPwV-zq6aRjBJMGs5ucZKHHcLMZ1G55QMIJd99SK4i0kixVfi1Htz89TI7OAsNwzuto4ZuhoahVK8YIw616HIR0x4_bH3Yn6J1I/s400/IMG_7100.JPG" width="251" /></a></div>
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Thank you Kay Nielsen and Ivan Bilibin for the unexpected inspiration!</div>
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<br />nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156494110777480496.post-5017580870856136962013-02-08T11:33:00.001-08:002013-02-08T11:34:55.137-08:00Boring Headshot or Painted Profile Pic?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC4V9e8OKPcYBlF1ExNA_NFGq8sKCGrfWdkFz2DH8mbjKvaUz4UrfsFSwZLEWdk493wb9bLooPm3DKbPNxGIQ5Orl9iUyBOayG78ss7gWJsV0KY5h8-sDcOpycnrna9vM3PaVWk-xpTg/s1600/IMG_6988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC4V9e8OKPcYBlF1ExNA_NFGq8sKCGrfWdkFz2DH8mbjKvaUz4UrfsFSwZLEWdk493wb9bLooPm3DKbPNxGIQ5Orl9iUyBOayG78ss7gWJsV0KY5h8-sDcOpycnrna9vM3PaVWk-xpTg/s400/IMG_6988.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Colette Marvin has the most fascinating job. She is an art forgery expert, meaning that she researches art crime and cultural heritage protection for the government and for private clients (including consulting on <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/09/jackson-pollock-ruth-kligman-love-triangle">this case</a>)! She also teaches a course at DC's Duke Ellington School of the Arts on Art and Social Media.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I met Colette when she invited me to come speak to her class about my Urban Portrait Project, AS IS. As part of a revamp for her art forgery website, she commissioned me to paint a loose portrait sketch (like <a href="http://ihatetoalarmyou.blogspot.com/2012/07/meet-manuella-lea.html">one of these</a>.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3Ix6nPUMlTmws3wei6-1XXMRwNT6l1d8JHtMktamE9TQSJhyphenhyphen6b5arw0W3BYPnlpzTV8J2Epx5APPgJzKzafVD3OPUaVIPNJzE3ziu80N4JNflj3UGpH0XhjdcBws7lIKHvLXjca2RY0/s1600/IMG_7021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3Ix6nPUMlTmws3wei6-1XXMRwNT6l1d8JHtMktamE9TQSJhyphenhyphen6b5arw0W3BYPnlpzTV8J2Epx5APPgJzKzafVD3OPUaVIPNJzE3ziu80N4JNflj3UGpH0XhjdcBws7lIKHvLXjca2RY0/s400/IMG_7021.jpg" width="322" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In an online world awash in corporate head shots, I love the idea of opening an "About" page and finding a bright, loose painting sketch instead! There are so many creative companies out there who have the most stale staff photos on their websites. Having a piece of art in place of all that blandness is a fresh way to shake things up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl7p3IZiUMipyMZIWSxOfkdYuwVPZ5oIZvEA9Gf_TGEdxKS7w93oCx6YtKfCnZc9g4JTDCUcaKXRPYPb-hLEGIO734M0D8Yx8rSCNu8YkORaWuulgwWAcY4IPOWIOdBILN1TNTFI8xD4/s1600/IMG_7039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl7p3IZiUMipyMZIWSxOfkdYuwVPZ5oIZvEA9Gf_TGEdxKS7w93oCx6YtKfCnZc9g4JTDCUcaKXRPYPb-hLEGIO734M0D8Yx8rSCNu8YkORaWuulgwWAcY4IPOWIOdBILN1TNTFI8xD4/s400/IMG_7039.JPG" width="332" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Colette's work requires her to do quite a bit of analyzing and discussing particular artworks, so she will also be including this colorful little painting somewhere on her site. We took this one in more abstract direction--focusing</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> on a dynamic </span>composition of color blocks and lines versus </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a descriptive representation of facial features. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>This was such a fun project! Thank you, Colette! </b></span></span></div>
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<br />nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13137232787099056824noreply@blogger.com2