Opening of Luminous Worlds:Art of the Spirit at O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, December 3, 2013

Mock Fresco, "Free Spirits", created with mixed media will be on view through December during O'Hanlon Center for the Arts juried show, Luminous Worlds:Art of the Spirit, juried by Cindy Pavlinac from Sacred Land Photography.  I look forward to seeing you at the Artist's Roundtable and Opening on December 3, 2013

"Free Spirits", mock fresco, 2012

New Solo Show Coming to the O'Hanlon Center For the Arts in December 2014

In preparation for my next solo show, currently titled "Equus:Self Portrait", in the Loft Gallery at the O'Hanlon Center For the Arts, in Mill Valley, December 2, 2014,  I am working on my new body of work including paintings, drawings and sculptures of horses.  For inspiration, I've been using the photographs of my favorite Camargue ponies, by my favorite equine photographer, Robert Vavra. However, when it comes to equine art-making, I prefer working LIVE.

I am documenting my process with photos, videos and writing.  As a story teller, I love to experience the "ahas" in my life, and recently I got a good one.  It started with my research on the internet on how to improve my writing skills.  I discovered Glen Strathy's post on his blog, http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html, "How to create a plot outline in 8 easy steps".   I listed as one of the "Requirements" to achieve my story goal, "You will meet people who will teach you about horses."  That afternoon, Providence and Fortune were upon me, after I stepped out of the Woodlands Market in Kentfield, and glanced at the bulletin board that I never look at and spied a flyer by Equine Insight, an operation owned by Judy Weston-Thompson.  Her fully certified operation called Equine Insight,  www.equineinsight.com, at Willow Tree Stables, in Wild Horse Valley, is just 20 minutes from my studio, in Novato, CA!  With her permission, I have taken some pictures of her beautiful creatures, a 19 year old French Percheron -gentle giant- gelding, named Star; a 21 year old gelding -beauty- named Cesar and a 23 year old mare -sweetheart- named Calysta, and posted them here.

Now, as journeys go, they start out as one thing and continue to morph into something else.  As an artist and Feldenkrais teacher, I am interested in the mind, consciousness and how we make sense of our world.  I enjoy seeing images emerge from the "random" "leftovers" of paint, oil sticks and markers, on paper, like a Rorschach blot, which I use as "backgrounds" for my art journals.  Last Monday, when I returned to my studio after my first encounter with Judy's horses, electric shocks of recognition raced through me, as I noticed on the corner of my art bench, the "painting", created months before, that was waiting to be dredged up from the depths of my unconscious.

A "painting" created with random leftovers of paint

Star, Cesar and Calysta, 2013

Star, Cesar and Calysta

Cesar and friend

Calysta

GARB-age solo show moves to the City Center Building in Oakland

Having my work in the public view is so exciting.  I was able to eavesdrop as people walked by and saw Scarlett, Rhett and the others take center stage under sky lights at the City Center Building and deVries Institute at 505 14th street.  The show will be up from August 28 to November 23 and then will move back to my studio in Novato.

Marin Arts Festival a HUGE Success

My friend, Laura Lee Fritz and I, took advantage of the opportunity to show and sell our work at the Marin Arts Festival this year.  We had a great time, selling our hand-made, hand-dyed jackets, tee shirts and scarves on a beautiful sunny day, while enjoying the music from a live sound stage.

 

 

 

GARB-age moves from Union Bank to the Gymboree Corporation

I am happy to announce that my recycled trashion collection will be moving to the Gymboree Corporation for a month before it makes its final destination to the City Center Building in Oakland.
Scarlett and Rhett, and the rest of the collection, can be seen there through August 28 and will be on view in Oakland until November 23.

The Legend of Kunibiki at O'Hanlon Center For the Arts through April 2013

The NEW fabrics are a hit!  People look at them and ponder if they are made out of silk.  At the Roundtable artist talk, the Facilitator at O'Hanlon Center For the Arts asked me why I called the kimono pictured here "The Legend of Kunibiki".  I shared the Creation story of how the god Yatsukomeizuomozunu saw that after the gods had created the Land of Izumo, now known as Japan,  that it was too small.  He used a plow and a rope to pull other pieces of land together, the way the mixed media act as a substrate to hold the colorants in the kimonos I create.  I loved how the accidental cracks are a metaphor for the land in the Creation Story and found my process to be consistent with the myth. 

Elise with "The Legend of Kunibiki", Mixed Media, 2013

"GARB-age" at Union Bank and Corporate Headquarters in San Francisco

Alexandra Lee Cefalo of ALC Designs curated my first solo show in San Francisco.  Union Bank Corporate Headquarters at 400 California Street, is the perfect location for a variety of artworks, including "Walking on Eggshells", a wearable shell dress made out of eggshells, vinyl and Velcro; "Sonic Spill" made out of many free-form crocheted and knitted audiocassette tape; and "Trashionista", an Elvis jumpsuit made out of white glad trash bags created with custom appliques made with thousands of yards of machine embroidery thread.  


Project GREEN Runway Collection, plastic bags and bubblewrap, 2012
 

"Sonic Spill", audiocassette tape, 2013

"Walking on Eggshells", eggshells, vinyl and Velcro, 2008



Trashionista, heat-fused Glad trash bags, 2011 (photo by Eduardo)



Trashionista, heat-fused Glad trash bags, 2011 (photo by Eduardo)

Upon seeing the beautiful large plate glass windows, with abundant South light, I created my new body of work for the show.  The new fabric was inspired by my investigation of mixed media in Petri dishes.  "Water", a non-wearable kimono, has folks all a-buzz in the heart of the Financial District, just a few blocks from the iconic Trans America Building. 



"Water", mixed media, 2013



















The Project GREEN Runway collection grew for this show, with new historical pieces, of an ensemble called, "Gone With the Wind", featuring an 1865 styled dress and suit inspired by Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, respectively.  Both are made out of green plastic SF Chronicle newspaper bags and bright blue plastic New York Times bags.   





Scarlett O'Hara, plastic bags, 2013

 



Gone With the Wind, plastic bags, 2013
 

Rhett Butler, plastic bags, 2013



Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend and Bubblelicious, bubblewrap, 2011
 

Equine Paintings in "Everything Equine" Show at Healdsburg Center For the Arts

Yeah!  My dream come true.  My first opportunity to exhibit my horse paintings came and I went to my favorite framer, AC Graphics,  in San Rafael.  He did a fabulous job with my faux frescoe work, "Freedom" and my oil painting, "Camargue Dream".  At the show, I met a lot of avid horse lovers, and enjoyed seeing multiple expressions of equine art, as seen in the attached photos I took at the Opening on March 6.

Candy Paulson, Curator



Jenna, Mill Valley

Freedom and Camargue Dream, Elise Cheval

Aim High in "Seeing Red" at Healdsburg Center For the Arts

I decided to spread my wings and send Aim High, the popular house dress made out of Target bags, up north to my newest favorite gallery in Healdsburg Center For the Arts.  Louise Maloof, a fabulous painter, enjoyed having her painting, "Appearance of Objects", in the show, along with several other members from MOCA and NCWCA.

Louise Maloof with her painting, "Appearance of Objects"
 

Aim High, 2011

Honorable Mention for "Microcosmic Wonder", 2013





The Whole Gang at MOCA, 2013

My new body of work, with hand-painted Petri dishes presented on a light frame, was a hit with Juror, Joan McLoughlin, on Opening Night at MOCA in Novato, CA.  My friends, Holly Sorrelle, who was also awarded an Honorable Mention for her artwork, and the fabulous painter, Louise Maloof and out-of-this-world quilt artist, Laura Lee Fritz, and new member Karin Mortensen were

pleased as punch with the Show. 



Louise Maloof and Elise Cheval

Karen Mortensen with "Contemplation"
 



Laura Lee Fritz with "Pondering Change"



New Art by Elise Cheval

"Microcosmic Wonder", (Painted Petri dishes on light frame, 41" x 27")