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Continuing with the shadow theme, here is a new piece I've been working on called "In Shadow."

Immediately recognizable as plants and yet...upon closer examination...they're very unrealistic plants, stems don't seem to connect, leaves emerge from nowhere, and even what's light and dark seems to be randomly assigned. This is the crux of the identity/perception issue my artwork explores. Identity is how I view myself.  Perception is how you view me.  I'm interested in using my artwork to spark a conversation about that conflict.  In a world where we quickly judge others based on appearances, your first narrative about someone else is rarely the whole truth. 

Here's a closer look at all the details:

I feel like this piece fits right in with the "Dark Academia" trend in decorating.

But it also fits right into a bright and cheery space!

If you'd like to see this beautiful one-of-a-kind piece hanging in your home, visit my online shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Do you recall when I blogged about my visit to the light show at Descanso Gardens in California back in January 2023?  I've never stopped thinking about the rainbow shadows that the misty night created.

I've been working on some pieces that attempt to capture some of the feelings of those rainbow shadows. (I have photos if I want to share the reality of it!)  This piece is called "Night-Time Shadows":

It's a 16x20 Monotype Collage.  You can see another piece from this series being worked on in this short video from instagram:

I am going to be hosting an in-person monotype collage class in my home studio outside of Boston in 2025. Be sure to sign up for the weekly email newsletter so that you're the first to know when registration opens.

Here are a few detail photos of "Night-Time Shadows":

I used a gold paint as an underlayer and as a result, the piece has a glow about it when viewed in person -- without being shiny in any way.

If you'd like to have this piece for your home or office...

...you can find it in my shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

You may recall that I've been working on a series of pieces (over several years now) that use gardening and plant metaphors as a way to try and capture my experience of motherhood.  This is my latest piece in that series. It's called "To Pinch or To Prune."

Pinching is a type of pruning that involves removing the top of a plant's main stem to encourage branching and fuller growth. Pruning is a more general term that involves cutting off plant parts with tools like scissors or pruners.  In parenthood, there are so many different ideas about how best to get your child to bloom.  It's overwhelming.  As I worked on this piece, I kept thinking about how every decision seems so fraught.  Will I do something that will ruin my child's life forever?! 

This is a 24" x 24" mixed media painting on canvas.  It has a teeny bit of collage as well as some drawing. Here are the details:

I imagine that this piece would look great in a bedroom...

...maybe even a kid's bedroom?

And, of course, anywhere there are plants!

Thanks for stopping by!

The current Book Club selection at My Art Practice is Expressive Printmaking by Mary Dalton.

It's a dense book full of really interesting fresh and modern ideas about printmaking.  I made a few things from the book and I have plans to try many more -- like I said, it's dense.

My favorite thing that I made was this block:

It was carved using a variety of tools I don't normally use for stamp carving and I enjoyed that challenge.  As Peter F. Drucker said:

“If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.”

Monthly members can view the Book Club recording in the online classroom.

Thanks for stopping by!