Purple

No hockey this season yet and I feel unfulfilled.  I have extra time and I am working on creative projects, maybe too many, clearly too many all at one time.  A few days ago I was sewing, baking cookies, painting and trying to cut glass bottles to make hanging lights (which by the way is ridiculous when I am a glass blower; the one repetitive thought that whole day).  My studio had projects going on in every room.  I realized the next day; this hole in my life I’ve have been feeling is because, I miss my Blackhawks.  This feeling of being empty and anxious all at once feels like pressure in my chest and it hurts.

"C’ON NHL LET”S GET IT ON ALREADY!"

but…although the glass project is not going so well, (which by the way is ridiculous when I am a glass blower) the paintings did.  I played with a fuchsia and purple.  Here are the paintings.

I also started ARTinerary through my Twitter profile.  It's for those of you looking for a fun Friday night and do not know what to do.  "Well I am Julie McCoy, your cruise director" with a Friday night plan with an art/creative theme of events.  I hope you will enjoy the agendas.

Follow me on Twitter to get the next Friday ARTinerary.

The cookies did not turn out at all. I am still sewing and we’ll just see how this project turns out.

This painting is going to be donated to the Purple Affair for the Bear for Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation.   A great event I hope you can attend.

"At Sunset" 12x30



Mercaba

When I first began to paint I wanted my paintings to be on cd covers.  Finally after X many years this has come true.  I met Trevor Shandling one year at the Milwaukee Ave Arts Fest.  He wondered into my open studio that weekend.  He just finished playing on one of the stages of the fest with one of his many bands.  He offered to play my piano.  What I learned in that short 30:minute meeting was that his family was in the piano tuning business.  Eventually he tuned my piano and we became friends.  Now his jazz quartet, Mercaba is releasing their second album, Smoke Signals. I was excited that they asked to use my art for the cd cover and inside jacket.  The big event is TODAY Wednesday December 5, 2012 at Jerry's - 1938 West Division Chicago, Illinois 60622 at 8pm.

If you like jazz you are in for a treat.  This band is fantastic.  This will be my first live jazz show and as you know music is a very large part of my fuel to paint.  I am looking forward to a new experience. For more details please visit the event page. 

If you are holiday shopping; all I can say is buy local.  Please see my holiday painting sale board on Pinterest.  This sale expires 12/20/12. To purchase any of these paintings on this board please email oktoberstudio@hotmail.com Please include subject line: pinterest holiday sale.

Happy Holidays

Art@Cole's #19

Coles in Logan Square has some great art exhibits and I am participating in fun one.

"99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall"
October 13 – November 30 2012. 

This exhibit is part of the Squared! Art + Community -the first, hopefully annual artist walkabout. If you have not ever been to Coles you should make it a point to stop in.  The bar is a large open space with a back room for bands and dancing.  The space is very raw and the Logan Square residents fill it every night.  They even play movies. Come check it out!

 

 

NEW ART NEW EXHIBITS

The fall is shaping up to be very busy.  I have three art exhibits from now until the end of the year and possibly one for January 2013 that is pending confirmation.

The first art reception is Thursday September 20, 2012 at 6-8pm.  For this show had to wire all my paintings that will be participating and I hate to wire the paintings.  The wire hurts my fingers but mostly, I do not like to poke holes in the wood frame of the canvas.  I feel like it damages the piece. This space for the September show is a large reception area of a residence building in River North. I just finished making price tags and a price list. I bought monofilament string for the hanging.  I have recruited two awesome people to help with hanging the show.  This gallery space has hooks from the top of the walls, which then all I have to do is balance each piece. Sounds easy, well we'll see; I am not mechanical or techy or handy.

 

My first exhibit in October is an open studio art walk.  It's Saturday, October 13, 2012 12-9pm. I am cleaning, hanging paintings, painting new paintings; boxing up all the items I have to hide, patching up holes in the walls, making invitations and planning a menu.  I am looking for musicians too. I am very excited that Fringe Boutique will be having a trunk show during the opening. The boutique offers edgy clothes, jewelry and accessories.  

The second show in October is at the Flower Flat, October 15-December 31, 2012. I had a wonderful dinner there one balmy night with friends.  The space is like a garden apartment with mix matched tables and chairs and cheeky decorations.  The food was fantastic.  It's only open on the weekends and I went for a preset dinner that so happen to serve one of my favorite dishes, chicken and arugula.

EXHIBITS
Thursday

September 20, 2012

6:00pm
River Bank Lofts

550 N Kingsbury

Chicago Illinois

60654

MUST RSVP

Saturday

October 13, 2012

12:00pm

Squared! An Open Studio Walkabout

Oktober Studio

2203 N California

Chicago Illinois

60647

 

Sunday

October 15- December 31,2012

The Flower Flat

620 W Addison

Chicago Illinois

60613

 

Hope to see you at the art openings!


P.S. It took two days to hang for the September opening and I've never used a retractable ladder before (super high- a bit scary). Thank you, Kim, Linda, Jim & Laura! 

Could not have done it without you!

Artist Reception

You are cordially invited…



"As Far As I Can See" 
30x30



River Bank Lofts Presents…

Licha DeLaPeña

 

Artist Reception

Thursday September 20, 2012
6-8pm

550 North Kingsbury Chicago, IL 60654

This show will have photography and paintings.  The other artists participating are: Carolyn Funk, Dan Henrick, Debra Paulson, Brad Pogatetz, and Lori Swerdlow

Exhibit
September 20 - November 30, 2012

To get on the guest list please RSVP here

 

Structure & Sculpture

I have had the great luck of traveling to Italy twice now in my life.  It is such an historical country.  As a painter you would think that I would be motivated by all the art, the masterpiece paintings, but I am not.  It is the sculpture and architecture that captures my attention.  I like the thick mass of stone & marble.   I like how often a sculpture is giant and atop of a high point and you get the idea of just how tiny people are. 

What I like about architecture is all the teeny decorations on buildings. They remind me of beautiful wedding cakes tall with trimmings of flowers or swirls and stars. Churches often have so much ornamental designs on them they are dripping gothic. I like steeples and how every steeple is different. I also like buildings that have turrets. The circular walls of turrets are interesting construction.

Both sculpture and architecture have powerful dynamics. These photos are of my recent visit to Italy where I found myself mostly taking photos of both.

These photos were taken in Rome, Naples and Ischia Italy.



FEAR

Everyone has fears; spiders, heights, snakes, etc.  I believe in facing your fears.  I have a small fear of heights, but I didn’t let it stop me from climbing up Angels Landing at Zion in Utah.  At the top of this beautiful cliff is the place fear set in.  It was hard to look over the edge and the climb down was a wee bit scary.  Although through the climb up and down my fear was not over whelming, it did not take over and freeze my actions.  I carried on and the experience was amazing.

Fear of abandonment. I guess I always felt this because, I always feel, left out, forgotten, ignored, abandoned.  I do not know yet how to face this fear.  So all I can say is that it will always be a work in progress.  It goes along with the fear of being alone. Not alone as in no spouse; alone as in I never go to movies, alone, concerts, out to eat.  So with the face your fears objective I went to Europe alone.  I met friends for part of the trip and then for the rest I was alone.  It was awful.  I found myself at times unable to leave the hotel. I came home more of recluse than usual.  So now 6 years later I am traveling again alone for 12 days the entire time; alone.  I am hoping that this trip will be a step in facing my alone fear.  I am not sure even if it’s alone that I fear, because I can shop alone, workout alone, travel alone, and I love the beach alone.  I know it is a desire for company, someone, people to share the experience with that I am longing for.  People say you will meet people.  I never meet people here in my home city and I do not like talking to random strangers.  I realize that maybe this is a stubborn attitude, but it is fear that takes over and makes me mute, makes me unable to be friendly and I do not know how to change that. I hope this vacation will reduce my fears.  Follow my trip here and hopefully at the end of it I will overcome this obstacle and as a bonus, maybe I will come back inspired to paint new pieces for an October exhibit coming up and work on some photography.  Stand by…

Ciao

Ciao

Presents…

Licha DeLaPeña

Artist Reception

Saturday June 30, 2012

1-3pm

Exhibit:

June 12, 2012-

August 31, 2012

2607 North Milwaukee 

Chicago, IL 60647

773.278.7300

T-F 5-12am 

S-S 10-12am

PLEASE STOP BY!

Painting with a knife...

It has been awhile since my last post.  Here is what I have been working on over the last few weeks.

I have been playing with unstretched cannvas, small sizes and painting with a knife. I like the smooth texture the paint becomes with a knife.  It's like spreading butter.  The strokes are clean, thick and color blends in an interesting way. It reminds me of scattered clouds across the sky on a stark morning.

During this long break from the blog  I rearranged the studio too. Follow me on Pinterest to see the developments. 

Now I am getting ready for my next two exhibits coming up this month and then in October.

Please standby...