Doing the Charleston.

Most of my energy over the past week or so has been turned toward getting ready for the Women Painting Women exhibition and painting retreat this week and next in Charleston, South Carolina. The show - which features 50 women painters working figuratively - promises to be an amazing event! And I'm really looking forward to a week of painting the South Carolina landscape with 11 other of my fellow artists.The weekend before last, fellow painter and "Women Painting Women" contributor Alia El-Bermani and I had a sneak peek at some of the works in the show as we travelled down to Charleston to drop off our work (and that of fellow exhibition artist and Philadelphia painter Abby Heller-Burnham). Only a small fraction of the works in the show were there in the gallery and uncrated - but already we could tell it's going to be one hell of a great show!! Here's a sneak peek (and more at this link):



I'd like to give a shout-out to Charleston artist Shannon Runquist for her kindness and hospitality in showing Alia and I around the area, so that we might have an idea of what spots we'd like to paint in the coming week. Also, Charleston artist Hilarie Lambert is kindly hosting several of the artists coming into town for the opening reception on Friday, November 5. They're the living example of Southern hospitality!



More updates will come over the next week and a half - expect lots of photos to be posted here and on "Women Painting Women." Of course there has also been much press about the exhibition, which can be found at this link. And for a great interview about the work of one of the artists taking part in the exhibition, Alia El-Bermani, please listen to the interview she gave on the radio show "Triad Arts Up Close" in conjunction with a show at the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art. It's a great interview, and Alia is excellent at articulating her intent in her work; she also speaks specifically about one of the paintings which is on exhibit in the "Women Painting Women" exhibition, entitled Simbi (see below) - it's definitely worth a listen.

Simbi, oil on canvas, 2007, 28"x22", by Alia El-Bermani.



Stay tuned!