When my Harbor piece was finally done and off to the framers it was on to the next. First oder of things to do ...clean the studio as three months of non stop working on my offering "The Other Side of the Harbor" turned my studio into a crazy entanglement of paper collage strips; containers of paint; paintbrushes; magazines; notes; half worked canvases; watercolor studies; black and white studies; coffee to-go cups; water bottles, half eaten food :-( ewww) food wrappers; chocolate wrappers :-)  everywhere.

After that was done my studio looked like brand new and it was onto my next venture... 
THE WALL @ TRAVESSIA URBAN WINERY for April AHA night in downtown New Bedford. 

After a lot of thought and contemplation I decided a happy medium for my Harbor piece would be a collage painting. It would possess the versatility of acrylic paint, layering from thin to thick as well as the tactile quality of paper collage that builds the surface. In my collage series Collage 02740 the work consisted of pure paper collage works however there were a few pieces that had a combination of painting and collage techniques.

When making paper collages I paint with paper using the paper as if it was paint - separating tones and values in separate containers similar to arranging hues of paint on a  palette when painting. I particularly enjoy doing mixed media collage paintings as they possess the best of both worlds. In a historical piece or a piece with social or political commentary I use collage elements not for color but for the powerful use of  text inserts and photo imagery as in the above piece entitled " New Bedford Grit " from my collage show last year.


With that said I finally came to the conclusion that a mixed media collage painting was the way to go with this piece for "New Bedford Harbor in a New Light"




Alison

Hello Everyone,

I am pleased to announce that I have been accepted to exhibit one piece at the " New Bedford Harbor in a New Light" Show. The show will be at two venues- The New Bedford Art Museum and The UMASS Star Store.

This exhibit showcases local artists sharing their own creative interpretations on New Bedford. It will be a unique exhibit because unlike many 'call for art' exhibitions the curators specifically asked artists to submit  proposals for brand new work.


When I first saw the Call for Artist - I immediately thought "Wow my paper collage piece of the NB harbor entitled "New Bedford Rising" would be perfect for this show, but unfortunately the curators were looking for new work, work that was thoughtfully and intently made for that show and ONLY that show. At first it was daunting because all I could imagine was how perfect my collage piece would be and what would I do if I didnt show my collage piece??? YIKES!!!! But after brainstorming and dreaming and procrastinating and sketching and scribbling and splashing watercolors on tons of paper floating all over the studio, I eventually started to have a couple ideas. This led to more ideas which then led to a flood of ideas swirling in my head and keeping me up at night. 

Doing this piece presented a lot of challenges and questions and decisions:

-  What materials should I use?
-  Should I do another collage since I have been working for a full year straight on collages? and I haven't     touched any paint since?
-  Should I do a painting? since after all... I am a Painter!! and I do miss the feel of paint on my brushes as they press against the soft resist of a freshly stretched canvas?
-  Should I propose multiple small works that read as 1?
-  Should I propose one large work? In fact... I have not worked on large scale paintings since my Thesis show at UMASS in 2007.
- Should I do a mixed media collage piece?
Should I? Should I? Should I?

For this show there were two juried periods- one for the proposal outlining full concepts and intentions and another for the final work produced. So after presenting my final concept which was accepted -yah!!- I was ready to lock myself in my studio for the next three months, for the Magical Maddness to begin.

Stay tune for further updates on the process and progress of my piece that took many forms and stages.

Alison

3 Curators.  39 Artists.
2 Venues. 
 1 Amazing Showcase! 

(NEW BEDFORD, MA)–– The New Bedford Art Museum is pleased to announce the exhibition,
 “New Bedford Harbor in a New Light,” 
featuring recent work by more than thirty artists working within a range of different media. 
The artwork will be on display concurrently at two venues:  

The New Bedford Art Museum from May 9 through August 8, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, May 11th from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

The University Art Gallery at UMass Dartmouth Star Store from May 21 through August 22 with an Opening Reception on Thursday, June 13th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

This all encompassing exhibition is curated by Kim Barry, Willoughby Elliott, and Lasse Antonsen. 


In an open call, the three curators invited artists to create work inspired by the New Bedford harbor, history and culture. The works on display range widely in terms of subject matter, referencing ocean eddies, acidification, the fishing industry, pollution, immigration and personal history. Stylistically the exhibition spans from gestural mark making in oil painting, through photography and sculpture, to meditative video work exploring the many sources of water that feed into the harbor. 

The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive catalog featuring work by each artist with a statement abouttheir work. The catalog also includes essays by noted scholars, historians, and researchers from
 the South Coast. 



The University Art Gallery is located at 715 Purchase Street in New Bedford. Contact information: Viera Levitt, 508.999.8555,  HYPERLINK "mailto:gallery@umassd.edu" mailto:gallery@umassd.edu. The University Art Gallery is open daily Monday thru Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., admission is free. For more information visit:  HYPERLINK "http://www.umassd.edu/universityartgallery" http://www.umassd.edu/universityartgallery or  HYPERLINK "http://www.facebook.com/UMassDartmouthGalleries" http://www.facebook.com/UMassDartmouthGalleries.




The New Bedford Art Museum, located at 608 Pleasant Street, is open from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday thru Sunday through Memorial Day. Summer hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission to the museum is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors or students, and free to members. Admission is free the second Thursday of every month from 5pm to 9pm for AHA! Nights. Visit  HYPERLINK "http://www.newbedfordartmuseum.org" www.newbedfordartmuseum.org for details.