Kitty Kitty at National Watermedia Oklahoma

Kitty Kitty Cowboyed Up, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 14 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

What: 36th Annual National Watermedia Oklahoma juried exhibition

Where: Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, Oklahoma City

When: 14 June - 6 July 2013

Join us for an opening reception Friday, June 14, 6-9 pm.

About National Watermedia Oklahoma

The 36th Exhibition of National Watermedia Oklahoma will showcase some of the finest artwork currently being produced in the U.S. This exhibit is known to reflect the wide diversity of watermedia two-dimensional art, from non-objective, abstract, and edgy to realistic, dramatic, and detailed. All entries should be created in some form of watermedia, such as acrylic, watercolor, casein, gouache, or egg tempera, and applied to paper, canvas, panel, or Yupo. Entries may include paper or fiber collage elements.

About the Juror

Frank Francese:  NWS, TWSA Master, WHS, WW, SDWS, WFWS, TWS, CWS

Frank Francese was born in Arizona in 1951 but has resided in Colorado for most of his life.  He has been a professional artist since 1976 and achieved the groundwork for his profession while attending Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado.

Watercolors came to the forefront of Francese's artistic work in 1983.  His liquid style is unique and distinctive.  Frank enjoys working on a very wet surface, letting the pure color mix itself on the paper.  His shapes are large and loose, often disregarding fine detail.  Frank uses abrupt color changes of he same value with the while of the watercolor paper to bring his paintings to life.  The subject matter for Francese watercolors is always varied, reflecting his national and international travels as well as local western Colorado scenes.

Read more about the process behind Kitty Kitty Cowboyed Up.

Breakfast: Peaches, Coffee, Shogun

Breakfast: Peaches, Coffee, Shogun. Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12 inches, 2013 by Sarah Atlee.

Breakfast: Peaches is part of my upcoming solo exhibition Delish!

Shogun, you ask? No, that's not a typo. The object peeking down from the top of the composition is a worn paperback copy of Shogun by James Clavell that I was reading at breakfast that day.

More food and drink paintings will be on display at Delish! this October at Broadway Wine Merchants in Oklahoma City. Dates and details on the way.

Ike, Mike and Mustard

Presenting Ike, Mike & Mustard: three new paintings created for the May 2nd Grand Reopening of DNA Galleries in OKC's own Plaza District. Ike, Mike & Mustard - Ike. Acrylic on wood panel, about 6 x 5 inches, 2013 by Sarah Atlee.

Ike, Mike & Mustard: Ike. Acrylic on wood panel, about 6 x 5 inches, 2013 by Sarah Atlee.

If you're a Robert Downey Jr. fan, you might recognise these names from a bit of dialogue in the 2005 film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Ike Mike & Mustard - Mike

Ike, Mike & Mustard: Mike. Acrylic on wood panel, about 9 x 7.5 inches, 2013 by Sarah Atlee.

A bit of Internet research reveals several possible origins for this phrase. "Ike and Mike" are diner lingo for salt and pepper. Next to which you will often see a bottle of mustard. There's also Mike & Ike the candy, perhaps named after a comic strip written by Rube Goldberg (but not officially connected).

"Ike, Mike and Mustard" is also a category of off-color jokes, often featuring characters by those names.

Ike Mike & Mustard - Mustard

Ike, Mike & Mustard: Mustard. Acrylic on wood panel, about 10 x 12 inches, 2013 by Sarah Atlee.

Ike, Mike & Mustard will each be available at DNA Galleries starting this Thursday, May 2.

DNA Galleries grand reopening flyer

See in-progress photos of Ike, Mike & Mustard here.

Ike, Mike and Mustard In Progress

Progress shots of three new paintings for the Grand Reopening of DNA Galleries in Oklahoma City's Plaza District. DNA Galleries grand reopening Ike & Mike in progress

Ike & Mike, in progress. Acrylic on wood panel, 2013 by Sarah Atlee.

 

DNA Galleries grand reopening blank panels

Dylan and Amanda Bradway cut these teardrop shapes out of wood, and invited artists to embellish them for the upcoming show. Here they are sanded and prepped for painting.

The teardrop shape is from DNA Galleries' new improved logo.

 

DNA Galleries grand reopening Ike & Mustard in progress Mustard & Ike, in progress. Acrylic on wood panel, 2013 by Sarah Atlee. I decided to reorient two of my three teardrop panels to point in different directions.

 

DNA Galleries grand reopening Mike in progress Mike, detail, in progress. Acrylic on wood panel, 2013 by Sarah Atlee.

 

I'll post more pictures when the paintings are finalized.

Mark your calendars; the celebration will be on Thursday, May 2! Details below. DNA Galleries grand reopening flyer