I spent much of last year studying and evaluating the business side of my art during my course with the Montana Artrepreneur Program.  This year I have chosen the word “discovery” as my go to focus for 2017.  I will definitely be utilizing that word over and over as I go forward into 2017 with my art and my personal journey.

Thrilling is an understatement of how excited I feel about this year already.  Almost one and half years ago my dear friend and fellow artist, Lynn Silbernagel and I wrote proposals to  the Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery.   We both love this small art guild and gallery, located a little over an hour from our home base.  It’s nestled in the beautiful mountains of Montana and is a hot spot year round for outdoor enthusiasts. The gallery itself is located in an old train depot, making it quaint and rustic.  It is rich in the heritage of how we live our lives in Montana.  A perfect setting for Montana art.

Our proposals were granted and we were placed on the calendar in June of 2017 to exhibit our work together in the Main Gallery.  At the time it seemed like that was forever!  But here it is and we are so honored and privileged to have this opportunity to display our works.   This means we have a bit of work ahead of us as we create art to fill the Main Gallery.  The task at first seemed daunting to me but as I put my mind in the mode to create, ideas starting forming.  I experienced a flood of ideas at once and well, that’s not possible to entertain so I began to narrow down and “discover” what my heart was pointing me towards for this exhibit.

Above is a painting,  possibly an assemblage if you will, of a symbol or amulet of the hamsa hand.  I get a little emotional when I think about how symbols reflect different periods in my life.  In childhood there was my first “orange” rabbit foot on a chain that I carefully carried everywhere for protection.   I felt safe and comforted at all times with my little rabbit’s foot by my side.  This  symbol goes back as far as the seventh century BCE, originating in Celtic Europe.  And as a talismanic symbol in Africa.  A portion of my exhibit in June this year will be a series of paintings/assemblages representing symbolism.  I am discovering so much as I research the symbols that followed me throughout my life.  As I start this creative process I am struck by how many symbols there are present in our every day life.  We relate with emotion to many of these and they give us a voice to express ourselves, such as the peace symbol or the pink ribbon representing hope for breast cancer.  I am so ready to discover more about this enormous influence in our lives.

I hope to complete six 8×10 paintings for my Symbol Series to display in June.  I will not be posting the series until after the exhibit so stay tuned!  And those locals, I hope you find time to stop into the Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery to view the exhibit this June.  There will be an opening reception, date to be announced.  What an amazing start to 2017…just full of discovery!