The Art Fly

Songs of Nature

Posted on by Norine

The months since I last posted here have passed quickly by. Time is gathering speed, or so it seems! At some point in life you get to the heart of things. This year was a turning point for me as I said a last goodbye to my beloved mother. I learned to live in the moment with her, as that was truly all that mattered.

We took many walks together over the years, through the parks in Bucks County, PA, picnicking by the water, and gathering seedpods, twisted vines, and other natural objects that I would later include in paintings or silverpoint drawings.

Life seamlessly blends into art in my world. During this time, I created a trio of bamboo relief sculptures that were inspired by the bird feeder activity outside my front window. At the swaying, cockeyed feeder, there is always a lot of movement with finches coming and going, jostling for position at the feeding ports, or waiting in the nearby bushes.

Tree of Life – bamboo relief (39.5 x 11.5 inches)

 

Songs of Nature – bamboo relief (23.5 x 11.5 inches)

 

The Meeting Place – bamboo relief (23.5 x 11.5 inches)

Many thanks for your interest in my work. As always, I’m open to your comments and suggestions. I’ll meet you here again in a few weeks.    ~ Norine

 

 

 

 

2016 American Bamboo Society Arts & Crafts Award!

Posted on by Norine

I’m so happy to report that I’ve received the 2016 Craft award from the American Bamboo Society!

The American Bamboo Society Arts & Crafts Competition (ABS) is held online every two years to celebrate bamboo in craft, design, fine art, literature, and the performing arts. This year I submitted 14 sculptural bamboo mosaics to the competition, work that I’ve created over the past few years.  In late September, I was thrilled to discover an email informing me that I won the Craft award!

An article about my work, with accompanying photos, was published in the current issue (October) of BAMBOO magazine.  Many thanks to the people at ABS for the opportunity to see and share the excitement of bamboo in all its forms!

Here are a few of the pieces that I submitted to the jury: Vigil, Of Sea and Sky, Pipe Dreams, Offerings. 

VIGIL

Of Sea and Sky,blog

PipeDreams,a1

Kevolic_Offerings

“Twisted” silverpoint drawings

Posted on by Norine

twisted AA twisted BB twisted CC twisted DD twisted EE twisted FF twisted GG twisted HHH Twisted JJ

Here’s a compilation of my Twisted series of silverpoint drawings on a variety of toned grounds. The drawings are heightened with white pastel or white ink. I love how these vines and branches have grown together into beautiful natural sculptures. Next time you’re walking in the woods, look for them. Guaranteed, you’ll start noticing them everywhere!

Silverpoint is a drawing made with a silver stylus on a specially coated ground that is slightly abrasive. Tones are created by much cross-hatching and overlaying of lines. A metal stylus gives a uniform line thickness – unlike graphite pencil, that will give a varying thickness of line when pressure is applied. The lines of a silverpoint drawing will transform over time, to the characteristic sepia luster of tarnished silver.

Silverpoint is a centuries-old drawing medium, which was at its height during the Renaissance era. Please visit SilverpointWeb.com for a thorough history and gallery of images, from the past and present.

“Sacred Spaces / Holy Places”

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E-publicity
The title of this juried show caught my attention when I saw the “Call-for-Entry” in Professional Artist magazine. I decided to enter these three wood mosaics, circa 2000-2006. They seemed just right for this theme, and are now included in the show. I’m really interested in seeing interpretations of this theme in various mediums, and meeting the artists, during the Opening Reception on Saturday, January 23, from 2-5 p.m. at Nails in the Wall Gallery, in Metuchen, NJ.

Sunday Morning,NKevolic Sunday Morning

Genesis,NKevolic Genesis

Moonlight Swim,NKevolic Moonlight Swim

“Rain”

Posted on by Norine

RAIN_Kevolic
This bamboo and wood mosaic will be shown for the first time in the national juried Works in Wood 2015 at New Hope Arts. The idea for this started with all the talk about the California drought… The rainstick happened first. Then came rain drops, leaves – movement. I began to see a pattern taking shape from the rain lines criss-crossing over each other. I enter each mosaic project wanting to explore new territory, wherever that leads, and being open to experimentation.

Creating this kind of work requires that you jump in, trust your intuition. It’s a very spontaneous approach with no preplanned pattern to follow, and always a multitude of creative problems to solve. I hear the sound of rain, and focus myself on conjuring up ways to make that visible, and visually exciting. It helps to keep that first impression fresh – throughout all the wood-crafting and bamboo-cutting – until the thing comes to life. All the elements are vying for attention. You need to put them in their place somehow. That takes time and patience, but – you’re the conductor!

“Rain” and “Vigil” will be on view during the Works in Woodat New Hope Arts. This eagerly awaited show runs from November 13 – December 13. New Hope Arts is located at the corner of Bridge and Stockton, 2nd floor, in gorgeous New Hope, PA.

New Hope Arts Members’ Exhibit

Posted on by Norine

Intelligencer Tuesday, September 1, 2015

This is Gwen Shrift’s review of the currently running Members’ Exhibit at New Hope Arts. Each artist is exhibiting a single work. You have until September 27 to see such a wide range of work from your regional artists! New Hope Arts is situated at Bridge St. and Stockton Ave., 2nd floor. Hours are from 12 – 5 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

I have “Of Sea and Sky” on display there, which was previously posted on this blog. It’s a small mosaic consisting of natural elements: bamboo, vines, and small beach stones. I incorporated fishing line and a glass sphere in there too. Gwen Shrift described it well in the article!

Of Sea and Sky,blog

“Of Sea and Sky”

Posted on by Norine

Of Sea and Sky,blog
“Of Sea and Sky”

Bamboo Mosaic – Natural and paint-glazed bamboo, painted poplar wood disk, twigs, beach stones, glass marble, fishing line.
10″ x 10″

“Of Sea and Sky” is the smallest mosaic I’ve done so far. It was a thought that sprang from some of my recent mosaics on the moon, water, and natural elements. I visit these themes again and again – in paintings from my Meditations series, in silverpoint drawings, and in these natural mosaics. It’s a way to make something tangible of the abstract.

I’m beginning to see a fusion of mediums emerge in my work. There’s always some peripheral experimentation happening…ideas that meander along a new path while the mind is focused on the project at hand. I take time and notes to acknowledge the presence of those fleeting thoughts before they vanish. I have no idea where they’ll lead, but I’ll go along for a ride – which means lots of exploration with materials – to maybe get to something exciting and surprising! We shall see.

Please contact me if you have any comments or questions about my work. Find me on Facebook!

Bamboo mosaic-in-progress, detail photos

Posted on by Norine

Space mosaic a

Each mosaic that I create is linked in some way to previous ones. It’s a natural progression for me to want to expand on an idea – like these arcing strands of bamboo. I’m still exploring this element in the all-bamboo work that is now under construction on a circular panel, 24″ diameter. The bamboo rings are tooled, stained, and suspended in space by the arcing strands. While working on this, further ideas surfaced, that I will continue in the next mosaic. That’s the natural flow of creativity, in my world.

Here’s another angle…Space mosaic

The Exciting Brushwork of Maria Oakey Dewing (1845-1927)

Posted on by Norine

FlowerpaintingA recent visit to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia brought me face to face with the exciting brushwork of Maria Oakey Dewing.  Her work is included in the current show there: “The Artist’s Garden – American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887-1920”. Don’t let the gilded frame overwhelm the painting, as there is so much to see. Take a close look at the individual flowers…layers of transparent glazes and modulated colors, fine outlines and bold splashes of color, etc.

flowerdetail5 Flower detail, Maria Oakey Dewing

FlowerDetail3 Flower Detail, Maria Oakey Dewing

flowerdetail7,MariaOakeyDewing

Click on the link Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for more info about this exhibition in Philadelphia. “The Artist’s Garden – American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887-1920” is on view until May 24, 2015.

Meanwhile: “Sunset at Core Creek”

Posted on by Norine

“Sunset at Core Creek”Sunset at Core Creek
Oil on canvas panel
6″ x 8″

In between the hubbub of woodwork exhibitions, I took some quiet studio time to paint this small Impressionistic landscape that was inspired by a dramatic sunset over Core Creek, in Bucks County, PA.

A note about using reference photos: There are times when I paint outdoors, directly from Nature, quickly recording the essence of that changing scene. If I’m unable to complete the work on site, photos may help when finishing the painting in my studio. Or, they may not help at all. That is, they may be a such a hindrance to creativity that you find yourself trying to duplicate that photo image instead of working from your memory’s first impression of the scene and sensations that attracted you.

This painting, and a handful of my other landscape paintings, are available for purchase from Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery in Washington Crossing, PA.

Update: “Sunset at Core Creek” has been SOLD.  Please contact me to know more about other available works.