Iron - Abstract Sketch Inspired by Billboards

Iron, mixed media on cardboard, 6 x 8 inches, 2007 by Sarah Atlee. Some rights reserved.

I made this collage sketch in preparation for the Signs portion of the Normal, OK exhibit in 2008. See more of these collages in this Flickr set.

Pulling out the albums

Revisiting my older works is a great way for me to take a look at the journey I've taken over the years. I'd like to share some works from the archives here that might not be featured in the Images section of this site. Watch for these in the coming weeks.

Tshirts Featuring Mingo Yale by Sarah Atlee only $20

Help OVAC by buying a tshirt!
Limited Edition OVAC Artist T-Shirts Just in time for holiday gift-giving, limited edition, hand-printed t-shirts featuring original designs by OVAC member artists. Proceeds benefit OVAC's Artist Survival Kit program, offering professional development for artists. Get them while they're hot! (And, while they last.) Price: $20 (Shipping: $2.25) Click here to order.

Tishomingo "Mingo" Yale is one of the characters from Normal, OK.

Drawing for Normal, OK: Tishomingo Yale, ink on paper, 2007. Click image to view source.

Tishimingo "Mingo" Yale teaches pilates. On weekends, weather permitting, she has a roadside fish fry stand. Bass fishermen stop there on their way back from Lake Goodnight. Mingo came to fitness instruction in her mid-forties, after years of wearing high-heeled shoes had all but ruined her spine. At the urging of her chiropractor, Mingo took up yoga. The improvements in her health were so significant she decided she must help bring this lifestyle to others.

The final painting, which you can see here, was created using the acrylic gel transfer process detailed here and here.

You can see Mingo in person at Legacy Bank in Edmond through January 2010.

Normal, OK at Legacy Bank, Edmond, 2009.12.09

Normal, OK: Magnolia Black. Acrylic, collage and prismacolor on canvas. Click image to view source.
Legacy Bank Features Contemporary Oklahoman Artist in Edmond   OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Legacy Bank is currently featuring the art work of contemporary Oklahoman artist Sarah Atlee at the location at 15th and Bryant in Edmond’s Spring Creek Village as part of a program called Art Matters. Art Matters is a program initiated by Legacy Bank to support noteworthy artists in our local community.

Here’s a fun game to play in the car: When you pass a road sign that has two town names on it, pretend they are the first and last names of a person. Invent a personality to go with that name. Who is this person? Where did they come from? What do they do for a living? What are their hobbies? Sarah Atlee has played this game enough to populate an entire imaginary community.

“Normal, OK is a fictional construct, a place in my head, based on real places around me,” says Atlee. “In Normal, everyone has a second job, a quiet dream, a lost love, or a former life. Normal is a town of entrepreneurs, artists, upstanding citizens, troublemakers, friends, and a few enemies. I hope you enjoy your visit.”

Please join me at the Legacy Bank Holiday Open House on Wednesday, December 9th, from 11 am to 2 pm. I will be there sketching from 11:00 until closing time at 5:00. Click here to learn more about Normal, OK.

Last week to see Back to Normal

Normal, OK: Wayne Payne, acrylic and ink on canvas, 2009 by Sarah Atlee. Click image to view source.

This is the last week to see my current solo show, Back to Normal: Normal, OK Revisited at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum in Oklahoma City (map link). The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday. Click here for hours and admission.

My sincere thanks to everyone who attended the reception last week! It was great to see my friends and meet new people.

Reception for Back to Normal 2009.09.10

Normal, OK: Orienta Gay. Mixed media, 2008.

Please join me for a reception at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum (here's a map) in Oklahoma City to celebrate my solo show Back to Normal: Normal, OK Revisted. The reception is this Thursday evening from 5 to 7 pm. Wine and refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.

Back to Normal will be on display at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum through September 21, 2009.

Click here to learn more about Normal, OK.