(Back) Covergirl!

Uppercase Issue #58

Excited to share that I wrote about creative breakthroughs for the latest gorgeous issue of Uppercase Magazine - AND my artwork is featured on the back cover! Double delighted to have my work alongside cover girl Helen Dardik whose work I have admired for years. Total thrill! 

In 2013, I needed a way to return to an art practice after a 12 year hiatus. I started small and committed to creating 5 small pieces of art, every week for one year – I called it The 5/52 Project. I was terrified of a white piece of paper, so I decided to use found vintage photographs as my canvas. This gave me a starting point for each piece… the image would enable me to have something to interact with, like a topic for a conversation. Sometimes I would work on the 5 pieces throughout the week, and sometimes I would need to buckle down and work for a few hours on a Sunday to keep my project going.

Committing to taking small steps each week can create a beautiful and impactful body of work over time. It is amazing to look back and see how many of the elements in this project inform and ground the work that I make now. I am still fascinated by photography and all the ways it shows us a point in time from a unique perspective. I am still in love with color and its ability to conjure emotion and heart. I still love projects and parameters to help shape my creative energy, and also enjoy a sense of playful experimentation in my practice. Not only was I able to stick to the project, but 10 years later these exercises are still an integral part of my practice!

You can check out my reel on instagram. I also decided to add this piece Mind Garden, as a new 12x12 print on my shop, or snag one of the last 8.5x11 prints that are on sale here! 💌✨

A huge new mural on the horizon!

Tonawanda Aquatic and Fitness Center (before)

There are more larger than life things to celebrate – like being awarded this amazing mural opportunity! The Town of Tonawanda put out a call this past winter looking for artists to liven up their Aquatic and Fitness Center. The huge building is set way back from a busy road and many people aren't aware that this amazing facility exists. Tonawanda wanted a way to illuminate this town gem, and out of the 30 proposals – they selected my design to breathe some life into this great asset. The office of NYS Assemblyman William Conrad's office sent out a press release on Friday unveiling the project which is very exciting. These images are the mockups I presented in my submission and we are slated to get this project rolling in the next few months! 

Artwork from my design proposal. Slated to start installation in June 2023!

BIG News!

So, I said I was working on some big projects, and I'm excited to finally be able to share some details… 

First up is this beautiful floral installation I created for a group show called Spring Break that is up in the lobby at Fountain Plaza (50 Fountain Plaza | Buffalo, NY). This piece titled Here With You feels like a nice stretch and next step in my studio practice – a paper collage taking up space like a mural!

My latest art installation "Here With You" in the lobbyway at Fountain Plaza – Buffalo, NY

One of the things that many people gravitated towards and commented on when I had my studio space at the Hunt Gallery Residency were the bright flower cutouts that I had taped up on the walls. I loved them also (so fun! so happy!) but wasn't sure how to utilize them beyond collaging them to paper and paintings. When I was told I would have this wall to showcase some new artwork, my wheels started turning and I thought it could be awesome to see those flower cutouts filling the space – and this piece came to be! There are about 20 flowers ranging in size from six inches to three feet large, all layered and floating dimensionally away from the wall. It's delightful.

I will get some more images of this piece and the other artist's work at the opening reception May 18. If you want to pop over to see it in person, please do! The address is 580 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14202 the building is open to the public during regular business hours and I highly recommend going when Flint is open so you can get some great coffee and tasty pastries or lunch. Yay for taking chances and thinking big!

AVA Collective Spring Popup!

I had such a blast doing in person events last year and I’m very excited to get out there in 2023. I will be at the AVA Collective Spring Pop-up at Resurgence Brewing Co. on April 30 from 11am-5pm. AVA Collective pulls together a great show and I’m excited to vend there for the first time. I will be bringing some new Buffalo, NY themed prints along with other goodies perfect for Spring and gifts for Mother’s Day. Hope to see you there!

I'm in the 2023 UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide!!

I’m thrilled to finally be able to share that my pattern design work is included in this year’s UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide! UPPERCASE is a quarterly magazine for the creative and curious inspired by craft, design, typography and illustration. Published since 2009, the magazine has an enthusiastic and loyal readership of designers, illustrators, craftspeople, creative entrepreneurs and paper lovers around the world. Ads-free, with high-quality production values and a unique design aesthetic, the content of each issue is eclectic and inspiring. 

Thousands of patterns were submitted to the Guide (I was one of 994 entrants!) and not only will my work be featured in the print magazine, I was also selected by Canadian “House of Paper,” Halfpenny Postage, for a collection of greeting cards – how awesome is that?!?

You can see the spread with my work in the image below. If you are interested in getting your own copy of UPPERCASE (or a subscription!) for loads of creative inspiration, you can use the code
SPDG5save10 for 10% off a subscription (offer expires on April 30).