Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Fall 2011 New Work

The fruits of my labors...
Some of these pieces are being exhibited at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia, through early January. My Slightly Skewed Showroom is stocked with faces, platters, jugs and other crockery. Please feel free to contact me or come by for a tour of the studio, showroom and sculpture garden.





The studio before an exhibit












The Singer








The Gardener



T-Bone Honker Face









Left Leaning Liberal Nude




Face Jugs




Heavy Metal Fish





Angel Hare










Friday, June 10, 2011

Agnes' Women III




AGNES' WOMEN III
A Continued Celebration of One Family's Art

June 2 - July 14, 2011
Glynn Visual Arts Center
St. Simons Island, Georgia

Marilla Martin, Lucile Stephens, Marcia Scroggs,
Rosemary Griggs,
Claudia Davis, Carolyn Simmons


This show is very dear to me as it is named in honor of my grandmother, Agnes Stephens, who was a wonderful artist and inspiration to so many of us. This was our third family exhibit over the years that included my mother, her three sisters and a cousin. Several younger family members (the Agnes’ Women Junior League) contributed their artistic musings to the opening night festivities.

While sitting around drinking beer and coffee after the last Agnes' Women opening reception, we came up with the idea of building art pieces with different themes that each of us could make our own interpretations of. In this year's exhibit we ended up with some very different pieces with the same or similar titles. My theme was “Roots”. Others included “More Than Enough”; “Under Pressure”; “To Hell in a Hand Basket”; Mythology and Fairy Tales.


Amazing Yellow Winged Tutu Girl in Disguise

Anna Anderson, Lucile Stephens, Olivia & Emily Coiner, Rosemary Griggs

The opening night reception was a big celebration. Each of the six artists came dressed in a primary or secondary color from the color wheel. Many friends, art patrons and family came decked out in their own versions of inappropriate island attire. Our family has a long history of playing dress up. Any holiday or family gathering we're apt to bring out the costumes. We've had Thanksgivings where the attire was inspired by turkeys from outer space. Another Thanksgiving the family came dressed as cavemen. Some of my earliest memories are of an entire male cast of Cinderella as a silent musical with my grandfather being the fairy godmother in boxer shorts and a sheer hoop slip. No wonder my art is slightly skewed.



More Than Enough




Jack's in the Box - Featuring Jack's Rabbit




To Hell in a Handbasket




Til the Fat Lady Sings





A Fairy Tale Debunked




Under Pressure


Roots


Catch & Release




Beware! Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

I've done a few commission pieces lately where the collectors gave me free reign to create pieces within a fairly loose parameter. We worked together to build on a general idea and created pieces that had personal significance to the collector.

Kate's Jack


Bonding





The Studio and Showroom are open for tours by appointment.

Studio with eager studio assistants

Slightly Skewed Showroom

Friday, April 1, 2011

Spring 2011 Exhibits & Goings On

Spring is here and the sap is rising in all living things including myself. This time of year I am torn between the studio and our two vegetable gardens as I dust off from one and dig into the other. One of my favorite quotes, written in an 1880 edition of Harpers Weekly, seems fitting this time of year –

“Handling dear old Mother Earth, whether it be digging potatoes or making pots and plaques, does not leave much room for hysteria.”

I will be exhibiting in three art shows in the next few months beginning with Glynn Art Association’s 18th annual Spring Arts and Crafts Festival here on St. Simons Island, April 9-10 from 10 am – 5 pm. My usual booth space is #3 along the side walk across from Glynn Art’s beautiful new gallery space.

On Mother’s Day weekend, May 7-8, I will be showing at the Dunwoody Art Festival in Dunwoody, Georgia which was voted “Best New Event in the Southeast”. This is a new show for me but I’ve heard good things about it and am eager to see how my work is received there.

The next show in my spring schedule is the one I’m really excited about. It’s my family’s third exhibit at the Glynn Art Association Gallery titled “Agnes’ Women III”, named after my grandmother, Agnes Stephens who was an accomplished artist and an inspiration to us all. Over the years, several of my family members, including my mother, three of her sisters and a cousin put a large exhibit together and pull out all the stops with costumes, props and spontaneous frivolity. Though our art covers a wide range of subjects and mediums, it’s easy to see the common thread of humor and wit that runs through it. Opening reception is Thursday, June 2, with the exhibit running through mid July.

Last fall over a dozen pieces of my work were used on the set of an upcoming Universal Studios movie called Wanderlust, starring Jennifer Anniston, Paul Rudd, Alan Alda and Justin Theroux . The directors, David Wain and Judd Apatow, directed the hit movie The Forty Year Old Virgin, among many others. My pieces were displayed in prominent places around the set and I imagine they will be in the background of a number of scenes. We’ll see how it goes but I’m pretty excited about the possibilities this may open up. It’s scheduled for release this fall. I’ll post more about it as the opening date gets closer.

Another opportunity that has opened for my work came from my experience with breast cancer a few years back. While I was going through chemo and umpteen surgeries, I was unable to work in clay for almost two years but did muster the strength to draw and ended up with a journal of about 100 drawings and poems titled “A Stroll Down Mammary Lane. My plastic surgeon expressed interest in using some of the drawings in an article he authored for a national plastic surgery publication to be out later this year. Though it won’t be titillating reading for most of us, its subject matter is very relevant to what I went through as it concerns the psychological effects of breast cancer and reconstruction and how creativity plays a part in the healing process.

I’ll be posting pictures of new work as they get completed so check back in periodically over the next few weeks. Please come visit me at one or more of the exhibits this spring. If you have any questions you may contact me via email or by phone at 912-223-2239. Happy Spring!


Catch & Release




Face Jug with Spigot


Heavy Metal Angler


Crookneck Crock


Party Favor Teapot


Chew Puppy


Goddess Platter


Fresh Squeezed Fruit Platter


Face w/ Metal Attachments


Vase Inspired by Peas