Serendipity--Mixed Media Diptych, 2009

As promised, but just under the wire...Serendipity is my first completed art work for 2009. Serendipity is a diptych (2 canvases) on gallery wrapped linen which has been primed with clear acrylic gesso, allowing the color and the texture of the linen to come through. Each panel is 20" x 16" x 1 3/8"; total dimensions are 20" x 32" x 1 3/8" (panels may be hung farther apart to cover more space.) Each piece is ready to hang (hanging wire is on back.) Price is $275.00; shipping is $30.00. If you live in St. Louis, contact me for reduced or even free :o) shipping charges.

http://www.gallery-zoo-art.boundlessgallery.com/

Midnight Beach Abstracts--New Art Card Series

Happy New Year!! I am starting off 2009 by hitting the ground running (and not just after my toddler ;o) My latest art card series is now on Etsy, titled Midnight Beach Abstracts. You know how the beach looks late at night with the moonlight gently caressing the surf? That feeling of complete calm that seduces you as you breathe the tang of the salty air and get lost in the rhythm of the tidal dance? Those are the feelings that emerged as I put brush to canvas for these small abstracts.

There are three paintings in this series: each one is an original 5" x 7" abstract acrylic painting that presents like a card, allowing for a written message to personalize the back. Each painting in this particular series may be purchased separately for $12.00 each, or the entire series of three paintings can be purchased for only $30.00. Stop by my shop on Etsy and check them out!

http://www.galleryzooart.etsy.com/

Work in Progress--Serendipity

Here is my latest work in progress, titled Serendipity. This piece is going to be a mixed media diptych, 20" x 32"; this is panel one (20" x 16".) It is painted on gallery wrapped linen (depth is 1.25" thick) primed with clear acrylic gesso which allows the color and texture of the linen to show through. I love creating pieces with linen as the ground because it establishes a very different sort of setting for the painting than canvas. I become immediately engaged with more than the visual--it invites me to touch, to breathe the scent of clean fabric...well, you get the idea (hopefully without thinking I've imbibed too much holiday spirits.)

This first panel of Serendipity has been created with a fine art paper (ah, yes, another love) that contains tiny, unwoven strands of yarn in yellow, blue, red, and green. On top of that I have applied a wide strand of some sort of open-weave raffia (I've had it for so long that I honestly can't recall what exactly it is, only that it is still wonderful stuff) and then drizzled white and black paint about in a random pattern. This piece is about texture with a fiber-feel, with strands of color and lines unifying the energy and movement that goes into the process of creating a design for weaving or knitting (or anything, really--my inspiration happened to be loom-weaving.)

I hope to have Serendipity's second panel completed by next Sunday (January 4th.) Look for it on http://www.gallery-zoo-art.boundlessgallery.com/.

The Heroine's Overture

Here is my most recent posted piece, The Heroine's Overture. It is my first triptych, where one image continues across three separate canvases. I enjoy the dramatic quality creating across multiple canvases brings to a piece--I will definitely be exploring more pieces such as this. Each canvas measures 20" x 10", for a total size of 20" x 30" (canvases may be spaced farther apart for a larger size.)

So what is this painting about, exactly? For me, it is an exploration of line, color, and movement--an abstract visualization of the type of music used for a heroine. Here I see energy, life, courage, determination, yet something larger than herself that she must face or overcome that will mold the change or shape the destiny of the heroine. This piece depicts the triumph of the heroine. All of my art at this point reflects the positive element in life, nature, and the human character.

The Heroine's Overture By Catherine Jeltes, GALLERY ZOO ART

http://www.gallery-zoo-art.boundlessgallery.com/

Sale At Boundless Gallery

For interested readers...

There is an Early Shoppers Bonus (read "sale") on my site at Boundless Gallery. Go to www.gallery-zoo-art.boundlessgallery.com for 30% off any purchase $100 or more.

Click on "Coupon" or enter code EarlyShopBonus at checkout.

Sale good through December 15, 2008.

Happy Holidays from GALLERY ZOO ART!!

Preparation for Holiday Shop

These past couple of weeks have been a swirl of holiday activity and preparations for my first "in person" sale venue. Fortunately, my creative juices have been fully cooperating, as has my two year old who has been incredibly self-sufficient with occupying himself more often than not to allow me to maximize my productiveness. As any mother of a toddler knows, this is no small feat and nothing short of a miracle--so this would be one item to check off in the "what am I thankful for right this minute" column. (Well, that and my morning cup of coffee--apparently fuel for both my creative soul and current state of mental health.)

What am I creating for my "in person" holiday shop? Well, not only are there items available in my online stores, but there are also wildlife themed art cards not currently posted online. I am also making some jewelry pieces as well, both beaded necklaces and bracelets on both leather, silk cord, and a combination of the two. Even my husband has added some things to the mix: small leather pouches hand-sewn from deer leather with beaded edges and a zuni bear--hand crafted from pipestone--featured on one of the necklaces. Most prices range from $12 to $49.95, with the exception of a print or two from my Sold wildlife paintings.

All of this activity is in addition to painting larger pieces for my online galleries, and I am amazed at my energy level. My multi-tasking skills, honed from years of do-it-all-and-you-get-more-to-do, are finally paying off. I must be absorbing toddler exhuberence via osmosis. But hey, I'm not complaining.

Blue Kid, Green Mommy

My two and a half year old son is currently in the habit of identifying people on the playground as if they were crayons. "Where did the Blue Kid go?" or "Where is Green Mommy?" is what I often hear as he refers to his new playmates of the day. Asking him to call them by their name usually results in him screaming as loudly as only an uninhibited toddler can "BLUE KID COME BACK!"

Sometimes I find myself thinking of my art in the same way (ie. "where's the blue painting with the dancer?" instead of "where is Flux?") I think that is my way of beginning the break-up phase. When I paint, I begin a very intimate relationship with my creation, as most artists do. The art becomes a part of me, and the process of creating it envelops darn near everything I do until it is finished. Then comes the Honeymoon Phase, when I display the painting for a period of time, satisfied with my efforts and admiring each brush stroke, the gradation of color, and the rhythm of line and movement. (If I am not "in love" with my art, I do not put it up for sale--it is that simple.) It is only by associating each piece in a more abstract way--by color, by number, etc.--rather than by title that I am able to emotionally disentangle myself from it enough to market it.

Does my son call me Running Mommy or my husband Biking Daddy? No. We are simply Mommy and Daddy, the labels through which all else falls neatly into place.

And it is perfect.

http://www.gallery-zoo-art.boundlessgallery.com/

Art Cards

Not long ago I was out shopping and needed to pick up some greeting cards. I am always in awe of the prices for mass produced paper cards. Seriously? Five dollars for a card? Don't get me wrong--I love the sentiment and thoughtfulness that cards express. And because of that, I save almost every one since I can't bring myself to toss them. Needless to say, I have a lot of storage space that will make nice fuel when I can no longer afford to heat my home.

Honestly, I would rather put the money I would normally spend on a card towards the gift. That way, the recipient gets a nice gift, the landfills have one less card to digest, and most importantly, I don't feel as if I am out five more dollars. (Even if I am, I don't notice it as much, and somehow I have more money for Starbucks.)

Then I got inspired. What if I created an art card? It would be an original painting--not a reproduction--the size of a standard greeting card with room for personalized messages on the back that (and this is the best part) would be both a card AND a gift? What could be more fun to create as an artist that would not only be a GALLERY ZOO ART original but also affordable?

So GALLERY ZOO ART Art Cards were born. I decided to create them in series of threes, so they can be gifted individually or as a set. They are painted on canvas board, so they are flat and easily frameable, and they are a standard 5" x 7" size. Every material used is completely archival (acid free) to stand the test of time, from the canvas to the paper to the glue.

Now I know some smartee out there (yes, you know who you are) will say that these Art Cards cost more than five dollars. And they do. But you have to remember the key phrase...the Card is the Gift. And then twelve dollars for an original painting seems like a steal (and believe me, it is.) So take the money you save by not buying a paper card and buy something for yourself. You undoubtably deserve it.

Find GALLERY ZOO ART Art Cards only at www.galleryzooart.etsy.com