Wednesday, September 9, 2009

PROJECT: A Million Little Pictures

During the summer of 2009, one thousand artists from around the world documented their lives in 24 frames using a disposable camera.

On September 25th, 2009, an exhibition housing over 24,000 photographs will be constructed to take you on an adventure through the lives of these artists at:

Art House Gallery
309 Peters Street
Atlanta, GA 30313

On January 10th, 2010, a second exhibition is scheduled from 5-10pm at:


111 Minna Gallery
111 Minna Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(liquor laws require you must be at least 21 years of age to enter the venue)

I was really excited to participate in this project. Upon taking my camera in for development, I learned the film in it was bad. Ugh, there were some hip photos on that roll!

Okay, so I made lemonade from my lemons by taking from my computer stash. Click on the photos to enlarge them. If you have any questions, give me a shout.

(self portrait for graphic arts course)


("Who Farted?" front)


(Vail Village, CO)


("Catching 'rays")


(Ivana Hump-a-Lot Susan & Swinger Steve--Halloween)


(My art @ Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport)


("Indian Corn")


(Lucy sitting on chair)


(1st Place Watercolor Painting Award)


(Sardi's Restaurant, NY city, "Shortstop", 1st Place Watercolor)


("Mummy Dearest", 1st Place Printmaking)


("Reigning Cats and Dogs")


(Baby Lucy)


("Fur-ever Friends" exhibit, Sandy Springs, GA)


(Lucy)


(Teton's final resting place among the poppy flowers)


("Ginger"--Wanted: Domestic Fairy Godmother)


(My studio)


(Steve & Lucy)


("Jade"--In Search of Chocolate)


(The Cheesecake Factory, Cumberland Mall)


(Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, Vail, CO)


("Come Fly with Me")


(Lucy's birthday 2008)


Above images copyright Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

Thursday, August 27, 2009

The (completed) 10,000 (people interpret one word) Project

Earlier this year, I signed up to participate in The 10,000 Project hosted by the Art House Coop. My project is now complete. Yippee, another one bites the dust!

The word given to all participants to interpret was "chair". I had so many ideas rolling around in my mind. Ultimately, I selected that warm, fuzzy feeling where my passion lies: Lucy-dog. Yes, she rides again!!!

My submission for The 10,000 Project is entitled "Chair Trilogy"--three pictures of Lucy on my patio furniture.

(click on photo to enlarge)

I picked Lucy up and carefully placed her on each chair. She stared at me with those big brown eyes saying: "Mom, are we done yet? Okay, I will pose for food."

Back to that warm, fuzzy feeling... It's all over the house--Lucy and her fur! I love my puppy dog and wouldn't change a thing including her black fluffs of fur adhering to the legs of all my chairs.


PS: You and your family are invited to attend the exhibition of The 10,000 Project on Friday, December 11, 2009, from 7-10pm at the:

Art House Gallery
309 Peters Street
Atlanta, GA 30313

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The (Completed) Canvas Project, Volume 2, Part 2

It's official! The Art House Coop sent notification they received my 5 paintings for participation in The Canvas Project, Volume 2.

For this project, I received 5 @ 3x3" canvases with 5 randomly selected user-generated words to interpret as I deem fit with my art. At least one of my canvases will be published in a book entitled "The Art House Encyclopedia VOL. 1" and one canvas will be on display at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

The goal of the exhibition was to create a visual encyclopedia using mini canvases from artists from all over the world. The project closed on July 1, 2009 with over 1100 participating artists.

The exhibition locations & dates will be as follows:

July 31 - September 4, 2009
Atlanta Airport Atrium Gallery
6000 North Terminal Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30320

September 25, 2009 (Opening)
Art House Gallery
309 Peters St
Atlanta, GA 30313

My 5 words were:

Heavy, Foe, Over, Greeting and Series

As promised to my friends on Facebook, below are my paintings including my favorite:


"Heavy"

This is my favorite painting. It says Lucy all over it as she lays looking like she has "heavy" thoughts happening in that noggin of hers. I wish I knew exactly what she was thinking. I'm sure it is probably something like this:

Pet me, food, (*sniff-sniff*), potty, take me for a walk, (*lick-lick*), sun bathing time..., (*slurp-slurp*), food, nap, pet me, potty, roll in the grass, pet me again (*bouncy-bounce*-the ball) ride?!!, food, potty, tv time, scratch my butt, please, pet me more and I'll pet you in return by washing your entire face (*kiss-kiss*).

So what do you think? Sound familiar? Does that say it all in dog language?


"Foe"

This is my second favorite painting. The vivid colors work well together, don't they?

I recalled the saying "fighting like cats & dogs". Cats do seems a bit more persnickety than dogs at times. I painted the kitty with a halo so everyone would realize I was just kidding given the title "Foe".

Also, Halloween is my favorite holiday. Cats and Halloween go hand-in-hand and this one reminded me of a Jack-o-lantern. What do you think--Jack-o-lantern or not?


"Over"

The command "over" was more of a challenge for Lucy to learn. I painted a poodle, one of the smartest dogs, giving it a scholarly look with a faux mortarboard and glasses. I remember Lucy looking at me funny when learning the word "oooooooover". Hence, the circular mouth expression.


"Greeting"

Whenever we arrive home, Lucy greets us with her ears up and back, her eyes like swirly spirals practically popping out of her head, a big smile and lots of french kisses. Oh yes, and the words, "Got food?"


"Series"

This is my interpretation of the word, "series", using Retrievers--Yellow, Golden, Chocolate and Black. I'm paying homage to one of my favorite pop artists, Andy Warhol.

There you have my story about The Canvas Project, Volume 2. Thank you to all who participated in my Facebook poll telling me your favorite painting. If you did not have the opportunity to participate, by all means leave me a comment at the end of this post. It will be fun tallying them up at the end to see the most popular. Until then.....Lucy says "woof!"

These paintings are available for purchase on my website:
http://susancalvert.com/paintings/poppets.html

Friday, July 3, 2009

The Sketchbook Project, Volume 4: Library

Yippee, I am participating in The Sketchbook Project, Volume 4: Library through the Art House Coop located in Atlanta, GA.

Thinking Inside the Box
© Susan Calvert
all rights reserved

Sketchbooks offer a personal glimpse into an artist's life. For this project, I will receive a bar coded Moleskine sketchbook to create art in based upon a randomly given theme. I love the fact Art House is selecting the theme. It forces me to think "outside" the box.
(Image, right: "Thinking Inside the Box")

The bar code will link my sketchbook to a searchable database library. Visitors will receive a library card and be able to view my book at exhibitions around the country. My sketchbook will become part of a permanent collection once the U.S. gallery tour is complete.

I am really looking forward to this project. I've never used a Moleskine sketchbook nor have I ever sketched in a book so small, 5-1/4 x 8-1/4". And as mentioned above, I am so excited about being given theme to stretch my creativity. Yippee!

The exhibit will start December 11, 2009 at:

Art House Coop
309 Peters Street
Atlanta, GA 30313
404-584-7967

Below is a short CNN video from the previous Sketchbook Project:

Friday, April 3, 2009

PROJECT: New Art T-Shirt Design

On Tuesday of this week, I read Sunday’s newspaper (running late again) and noticed a cat show this upcoming weekend, April 4-5. Lucky me, there was ONE booth space still available. I’ve been scurrying like a chicken with my head cut off getting ready for this show. I came up with this new saying for my cat and dog t-shirts and decided take the risk in creating a few of them.

© Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

Hubby says it won’t sell. I say YES it will (thinking pawsitive) ‘cause I think it's hilariously funny. Everyone poops and everyone farts, even our pets, and after, they're still our little angels. Here’s my previous blog post entitled "Who Farted?" on the subject.

Another inspiration for this saying came after a conversation with Justin at Nature’s Corner Market located at the corners of Kennesaw Due West and Acworth Due West Roads in Marietta, GA. I’ve shared with him I feed my dog, Lucy, a human diet of meat and produce.

Justin gasped upon hearing this and asked if Lucy farted from it. Fortunately, she doesn’t because it’s an unprocessed diet free of sugar and grains.

(*pause*—Lucy just arrived with two tennis balls in her mouth for me to play with her. She always seems to know when I’m talking about her. But when aren’t I talking about her? We have a love affair going on with her in our household. She’s such a beautiful spirit…)

© Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

Where was I? Oh, unprocessed human diet without sugar and grains for Lucy. Yes, that's right. I know what you're thinking...hear it all the time...

Where do you think pet food comes from? That’s right, from human food. For a real eye-opener on the subject, read the book entitled "Food Pets Die For" by Ann N. Martin. (Also, should you give your pets human food, some are toxic to them. One word: RESEARCH.)

So, for the third time, I feed Lucy a whole food diet. Yesterday, her meals consisted of:

Breakfast
Fuji apple
Flax seed
Coconut milk
(supplements: colostrum, probiotic)

Lunch
Turkey
Sugar snap peas
(supplements: multi-vitamin, fish oil)

Dinner
Fresh turkey (neck, back, giblets)
Green beans
(supplements: glucosamine & chondroitin)

Lucy does not fart on this diet nor does she “scoot” her butt along the ground trying to express her anal glands due to being constipated. It’s pretty much the same as I’m suppose to be doing. No, I didn’t mean scooting my butt across the ground! I was talking about the diet--eating protein and non-grain produce.

Back to the original subject...Let me know what you think about my funky t-shirt saying:

Whiff this!


PS: Got a new t-shirt color for spring: Sky Blue.


(Should have bet the old man on this one--cha-ching!)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

EVENT: The International Cat Association Show

View hundreds of cats from around the world at this show sponsored by the Hotlanta Cool Cats Club & The Fayette County Humane Society. A cat agility course has been added this year and my art will be available for purchase.


Location:
The Atlanta State Farmers Market
16 Forest Parkway
Forest Park, GA

Date & Time:
Sat, April 4, 2009, 10am-5pm
Sun, April 5, 2009, 10am-4pm

Admission:
Adults--$5 ea
Children, Students, Military --$4 ea

For more info:
Hotlanta Cool Cats Club

Show office:
404-675-1782

Come out and enjoy some fun this weekend at this show. See ya there!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The 10,000 (people interpret one word) Project

I just received my info to participate in the:

10,000 People Project

In the spirit of social experiments, the Art House Coop decided to create "The 10,000 Project".

You sign up, they send you a sheet of paper with a word on it and then you create a visual representation of the word. The catch is that 10,000 other people are doing the same as you. How many different ways will tens of thousands of people interpret the same word?

When they reach 10,000, the Art House Coop will host an exhibition at their gallery in Atlanta showing off what everyone came up with. Oh, and the thousand best will be published in an Art House series book too.

Click here for details to participate.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

SKETCH BOOK: The Vigorous Mind

While reading another blog, I noted the name of a book entitled “The Vigorous Mind”. As I wondered what it could be about, I started sketching and thinking about my life.

© Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

(beginning of sketch)

In a previous blog post, I mentioned getting bored easily. I start one project, another and another. Then eventually get back to the first project to complete it and so forth.

To get a better picture, think of a circle divided into 5 pie shapes. We’ll call the shapes, A, B, C, D & E, representing Susan’s “projects”. I start working on project A, then it’s time for dinner. I close up shop on project A to prepare dinner. Afterwards, there is not enough time to complete project A or I am bored, so I start project B. Round and round in a cyclical fashion until the projects are completed adding new ones along the way. Get the picture?

I’ve often joked with friends this might be ADD. It drives my husband mad. I feel like the kid in the candy store trying to quench my thirst for knowledge. Perhaps this is multi-tasking with so many ideas in my mind? What do you think?

"The Vigorous Mind", © Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

I’ve learned through telling this story, there are many people out there who are similarly "wired". Sometimes it frustrates the hell out of me. However, I’ve come to accept this is who I am (I am what I am, said Popeye the sailor man--*toot*, *toot*) and selected the title “The Vigorous Mind” for my sketch.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Canvas Project

I received this email today and signed up to participate:

Art House Coop

Your art at the world's busiest airport!

Sign up to receive five 3" x3" canvases and a list of 5 use generated
words that you are to interpret onto each canvas. The goal of the
exhibition is to create a visual encyclopedia using mini canvases and
artists from all over the world. At least one of your canvases will be
published in an Art House book and one will be on display at the
worlds busiest airport, The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport.

Take part in this project to not only help gain exposure for yourself,
but also to push your creative ideas out. Everyone who signs up and
sends back their work will be included in the book and the
exhibition. We do not jury any of the work. Art House is all about
community and you don't have to be a professional artist to
participate in the exhibition. This project is about being creative
and inspiring yourself and others. We want to bring artists together
and give everyone a chance to show in galleries and other venues
across the country!

Sign up Deadline: April 15th 2009

Postmark Deadline: July 1st 2009

To sign up to participate, visit:

http://www.arthousecoop.com/canvasproject

Monday, February 23, 2009

SKETCH BOOK: We Are All Made of Stars

Our CD player has a “random” feature allowing for song selection in no particular order. The first song I heard as I pulled out my sketch book during breakfast was “We are all made of Stars” by Moby. Here is an acoustical version of him singing his song:


I love physics, biology and ecology. I also believe in evolution. I started my illustration drawing the two stars as I created my way through the universe (page) with different shapes representing various life energies. My, there are so many things out there, aren't there?

"We are All Made of Stars", © Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

I am fascinated with the creative mind and how each human being is an individual based upon genetics and environment. Some of the most mind-stimulating people I enjoy reading about are Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud and Pablo Picasso.

I enjoyed listening to the musical creativity of Moby while creating this piece.Yes, Virginia, I believe we are all made of stars and the need to embrace each others star.


(click on picture for detailed view)
© Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

Out beyond ideas of right and wrong, there is a field. I will meet you there. --Rumi

Thursday, February 19, 2009

25 Random Things about Me

Recently, I listed these "25 Random Things About Me" on Facebook. Thought I'd add some additional info and pictures.

1. The 1st time people visit my home, they come to see me. The 2nd time people visit my home, they come to see my dog, Lucy. She is a wonderful entertainer!

Lucy modeling mom's handmade jewelry

2. In 4th grade, I was awarded 1st place in the entire school district for coloring a picture promoting fire safety.

3. I prefer to sweep my house with a broom rather than vacuum. (The best vacuum cleaner I've used is a Shark Roadster Euro-Pro. Inexpensive too.)

4. I have MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) and suffer with severe migraines for days after being in the presence of perfume/cologne, scented lotions, detergent, air fresheners, hairspray, synthetic chemicals, foods with preservatives and the like.

5. I love kites and always fly my Crayola kite at nearby parks and on vacations.

6. The moving company said they'd never packed as many cookbooks as I had. I'm into raw food now. A good, easy cookbook is "Raw Food Made Easy".

7. In 2001, my monoprint entitiled "Mummy Dearest" was awarded 1st place in printmaking at ECC.

"Mummy Dearest", © Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

8. For the last 8 yrs., I've done laundry in this fashion:

* Add 1 cup (plain) Arm & Hammer baking soda to washer bin
* Place clothes in washer by COLOR
* Fill softener cup with white vinegar
* Wash on hot

Viola! Clean clothes, no static, less expensive, NO CHEMICALS.

9. I use organic unrefined coconut oil as my body moisturizer and in my hair for a new look. I cook with it too. NO CHEMICALS AGAIN!

10. I like modern, colorful, eclectic furniture from Axi Furniture, Shoestring Creations  and Sticks.

11. I use my (prescribed) far infrared sauna from High Tech Health weekly to sweat out toxins.

12. My art has graced the pages of Animal Fair magazine TWICE.

13. I studied horticulture at 3 colleges and am a certified Master Gardener from the University of IL Cooperative Extension Service in Kane County, IL. I've physically installed our landscapes at our last 2 homes. I use a Neuton battery-operated mower to cut our lawn. Works great even on our hilly landscape and NO CHEMICAL FUMES!

14. I feed my dog only human food. Lucy loves veggies!

15. I am a self-entertaining individual with lots of projects. My favorite project in 2008 was my bathroom renovation.

16. People are surprised at all the produce in my refrigerator, especially when they see the trays of live wheat grass growing. I juice it!

Can you locate the wheat grass in my refrigerator?
17. I get bored easily. I start one project, another and another. Then I go back to the first project and complete it and so forth with the remaining projects I’ve started. Is this ADD? It drives my husband mad!

18. We open the windows whenever possible to refresh the air. I use essential oils and only organic ones as air fresheners when necessary. Tea Tree oil has anti-bacterial properties that purify the air and kills germs and mold.

19. In 2003, my painting entitled “Shortstop” was awarded 1st place-watercolors at the Contemporary Dog Art Competition held in NYC at Sardi’s Restaurant. The judges were Chris Jussel, past Senior Vice President at Sotheby’s and original host of the PBS television series, “Antique Roadshow”; Dr. Anne Imelda Radice, who serves on the art committee of the American Kennel Club and is past Curator of both the National Gallery of Arts and the U.S. Capitol; and Jane H. Willis, Instructor at New York University and President of the Appraisers Association of America. I'm proud of this.

"Shortstop", © Susan Calvert, all rights reserved

(L to R)Judge Jane H. Willis
Susan Calvert with painting, "Shortstop"
Judge Chris Jussel

Susan Calvert's Award-Winning Plaque

20. I silly dance daily for a change of scenery. Silly dance = dancing to upbeat music with my dog, Lucy.

21. You will hardly find any processed food in my home (see item #4). I make most everything from scratch. If you drop in unexpectedly, I’ll only be able to offer you H2O or tea. Once in a while, I indulge with a Green & Black’s chocolate bar. They’re the best!

22. I enjoy going to music concerts, especially at Chastain Amphitheater in Atlanta.

23. My home projects receive many compliments and inspire others to be creative.

24. I like hardware, office supply and art stores. Anything to get/keep me organized!  IKEA is my favorite store to shop.

25. I have spent the last 8 yrs. learning about the effects chemicals have on our health (see item #4): how the food we eat, products we place on our bodies and breathe affects our health. I have a library in my home on the subject. We are merely living test tubes!