Blog

Just Getting Warmed Up .....

BRRR .... I hope this finds you snug and warm in the weather that's affecting so much of the country. Here in northern Michigan it's very cold outside. There's lots of snow on the ground and it's still falling. The wind's whipping about even as a pale sun is trying to poke through the dark gray cloud cover. After such a warm December, it's a bit of a shock to be reminded what winter is really all about!

At least where I am, it's cozy inside. I'm fortunate to have very little reason to step outside on days like this--one of the perks of my employment is a very short commute to work! In the depths of winter, I take advantage of my distraction-free home studio to explore and expand my art. Like a child, I feel free to play around with color and application, knowing no one is looking (unless they are ....). It's fascinating to see what emerges as I face a blank canvas and invite my intuition to guide me.

BIRDS FLEW IN. In the winter of 2017, I first started adding black pigment to my increasingly abstract paintings. Black marks splashed and splattered on canvas appeared as birdlike shapes seemed then and continue still to inspire me and others as being "intuitive messengers of hope and healing for a troubled world."

Infused with the avian theme and a vision of a sanctuary where people could take a time-out, my bird paintings attracted music and poetry and design that led to the full-blown manifestation of the project called BIRDS FLY IN: A Human Refuge. Now I'm preparing for its eagerly awaited (by me!) third installation in the amazing ballroom of the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! As previously announced, I'm very pleased for this opportunity to collaborate with the Ramsdell staff to mount an ambitious exhibit with several exciting adjunct programs. When it opens on September 13 for a run until October 31, 2024 it will have been in the works for over a year! While I'll share about these in due course, for now I just want you to know that, even if you went to BIRDS FLY IN at the Oliver Art Center in 2020, or the Dennos Museum in 2021, the Ramsdell will offer an expanded experience you won't want to miss.

One has only to read news headlines to recognize the ongoing relevance of BIRDS FLY IN: A Human Refuge. BIRDS FLY IN is completely nonpartisan; in fact, it was intentionally designed to address problems facing humanity that have eluded solution by any administration's policies.

Rather, BIRDS FLY IN invites individuals to enter a "refuge for humans," a physical and spiritual space in which by looking slowly and listening deeply, they might connect intuitively with creative ideas that have the power to change situations from the inside-out--one heart, one mind at a time. The words most often people have used to describe this experience? "Moving." "Powerful!"

Click here to learn more about BIRDS FLY IN: A Human Refuge and see a short video.

As always, I appreciate you! The support of my fans and collectors makes it possible to bring my art to a wider world, and by so doing my purpose is fulfilled. Thank you, thank you, thank you! On this frigid day, the thought of you warms my heart!

Love, Ellie