Florals on Cherry Vanilla

Ah...here they are, three more of my Flower Blossoms On Cherry Vanilla. They are available as single 5" x 7" paintings for $12.00, or in doubles (diptychs) for $20.00 per set, or as a triptych for $30.00. If you would like to purchase more than one in a different combination than I have listed on Etsy, just click on "contact" beneath my avatar to use the Etsy convo option and I will create a listing especially for you!

Secret Garden

Here is my latest piece, Secret Garden. As you can see, this is a continuation of my affair with fine art paper :o) This work is truly an exploration of mixed media and collage, as I have utilized my own hydrangea photographs, fabric, paper, acrylic paints, and molding paste.

Secret Garden is 18" x 15" on hand-stretched (by me) gallery wrapped fabric, which was archivally treated prior to beginning the collage. The fine art paper has real flower petal and bamboo leaf inclusions, making for a wonderful collage "springboard" of ideas. Some of the paper is tissue-thin, which I took advantage of to add interest and allow the pattern of the fabric background to show through.

As I worked with the collage, the hydrangea photos became graceful trees, with their stems twining like tree trunks, alluding to the roots below. It seemed to be similar to the way a child might see these gargantuan flowering shrubs in a garden. The rest of the piece evolved from the hydrangeas, with various textures and shapes positioned to lead the eye through the imagery.

This piece was incredibly experimental for me, and I had quite a bit of fun finding my way through it. Secret Garden will post for sale tomorrow (Sunday Jan. 11.) Be sure to stop by Boundless Gallery and check it out!

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!!