Beyond "The Expedition and Beyond"

Oh Internet, I am so giddy with happiness after a weekend spent with my fabulous fellow artists of “The Expedition and Beyond” exhibition down in Alexandria, Virginia… first, at the opening, then afterwards on a mini painting retreat out in semi-rural Pennsylvania. Ahhhh!!! Here are some photos from the opening:

 Steve Kantor and Alexandra Tyng

 Principle Gallery client and Rachel Constantine

 Sadie Valeri, Ali Ringenburg, Rachel Constantine

 Terry Strickland with the collectors who now own her painting of "The Three Fates" for which Sadie Valeri, Alia El-Bermani and myself were models

 Sadie Valeri, Alia El-Bermani, Rachel Constantine, Stefani Tewes

 Sadie Valeri, Diane Feissel, Alia El-Bermani, Rachel Constantine, Stefani Tewes

 My painting of Rachel Constantine at left, at right the painting of me (and a kitten) by Alia El-Bermani

 Angela Cunningham, Alia El-Bermani, Shannon Runquist

 Mario Robinson with a self-portrait by Rachel Constantine

 Diana Cobb Anstey and Alexandra Tyng

 Alia El-Bermani, Rachel Constantine, Stefani Tewes and Angela Cunningham

 Katherine Lofft and Rachel Constantine

 Cindy Procious and Mario Robinson

 Mia and Veronique Bergeron

 Cindy Procious and Linda Tracey Brandon

 Terry and Carly Strickland

Mia Bergeron and Cindy Procious

L'exposition "Expedition"

Because I'm certain I haven't posted enough about it yet, I'm going to remind you-all out there on the Internets that "The Expedition and Beyond" is opening this Friday, April 13, at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA! Check out Principle's blog post on the show at this link, and the image below, an ad featured in this month's edition of American Art Collector:

Aaaaaaand... there is more! We also have an article in this month's American Art Collector - here's a sneak peek:

Some of my fellow artists in the exhibition have written about the upcoming exhibition - we're all looking forward to it, and to seeing you there!!
Alexandra Tyng's blog
Alia El-Bermani's blog
Carly Strickland's blog
Katherine Stone's blog
Linda Tracey Brandon's blog
Sadie Valeri's blog
Terry Strickland's blog

MORE! Here are some kindly other writers and artists who have posted regarding the show:
Matthew Innis
Paula O'Brien
Tricia Ratliff

Underpaintings.

I wanted to take a moment to extend thanks to fellow artist Matthew Innis for his coverage of the upcoming "The Expedition and Beyond" show on his blog Underpaintings, which celebrates excellence in representational art. Click here for a link to the post: http://www.underpaintings.blogspot.com/2012/03/expedition-and-beyond.html

The art community is lucky to have as talented an artist and writer as Matthew regularly sharing commentary, research and exhibitions pertaining to representational painting. Definitely check out his blog on a regular basis!

Cataloguing the "Expedition" exhibition.

I am so pleased to announce that the catalogue for the "The Expedition & Beyond" exhibition is now available for purchase! I'm also happy to report that my painting of fellow artist, fellow expedition participant and fellow Philadelphia resident Rachel Constantine is featured on the cover of the catalogue, yay! You can order your very own copy at the following link:

http://www.matterdeeppublishing.com/books/the-expedition-beyond

The Expedition and Beyond: a video sneak preview.

Greetings! As I mentioned in my previous post, things are gearing up for the April exhibition at Principle Gallery - "The Expedition and Beyond." Participating artist Terry Strickland has created the following video preview of the show, a collection of work by 13 artists who painted and lived together for a week in November 2010 on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina (just outside of Charleston). Enjoy the video:

On Expedition!

I'm happy to announce that the kind folks at Principle Gallery will be hosting an exhibition opening just two months from now, including works inspired by the Charleston, SC painting expedition I participated in with 11 other wonderful artists in November 2010! More information on the painting expedition can be found at this link - and some preliminary information on the upcoming exhibition "On Expedition" can be found at this link.

The artists on the 2010 expedition have developed and maintained strong connections during and since the trip; the friendships and comraderie fostered by the trip have inspired an ongoing dialogue about life, painting, and women's role in contemporary representational art.

The painting below is one I will have in the show, stay tuned for more!

guest (portrait of artist Susan Lyon), 9"x12", oil on panel, 2012

Fate.

Internet, I must tell you how excited I am about the most recent painting by friend and fellow artist Terry Strickland!! Terry has created a fabulous painting centered on the mythological Three Fates, using none other than we three Women Painting Women contributors (myself, Alia El-Bermani and Sadie Valeri) as models! It's a touching and beautiful tribute to the spirit of "Women Painting Women," and completely fitting as we were all fortunate to get to know Terry through the Women Painting Women exhibition and painting expedition in Charleston, South Carolina in 2010. Here's the link for more info on the painting: http://www.terrystricklandart.blogspot.com/2012/01/three-fates-complete.html

 The Three Fates, 30"x40", oil on panel, by Terry Strickland

Congratulations to Terry on another amazing painting!! Check out more of her work here, and stay tuned for more information on the exhibit at Principle Gallery this April, "The Expedition and Beyond," which will feature this painting as well as work from the 13 other artists on the Charleston, SC painting expedition of November 2010.

Mission: acquisition!

Much as I had done in this previous post, I wanted to take a moment to gush about yet more recent art acquisitions in the (very lucky) Feissel household! Yay! The week before last John and I acquired two pieces from two of the artists from the Charleston, South Carolina “Women Painting Women” expedition last November – one is a sketch done of me during that trip by Linda Tracey Brandon, an Arizona-based painter:

Me, all happy with Linda's sketch

…the other is a painting also done on that trip by Alabama painter Terry Strickland, of the beach behind our rented house on Sullivan’s Island:

Painting of beach at Sullivan's Island by Terry Strickland

 It’s so great to have these pieces by these amazing artists, and to have the memories of that great week in SC!!! Booyeah!!!!

Women Painting Women/On Expedition in Charleston, SC!

The South Carolina WPW trip - part deux!

The WPW crew being HARDCORE! Painting at 9am the morning of the opening reception for the show

So even in the midst of the excitement surrounding the "Women Painting Women" show at Robert Lange Studios, 12 of us painters decided we were going to take a week and paint like crazy. Paint paint paint! It was a blast - we went in on a rental house on Sullivan's Island, just across the way from Charleston, SC, and planned a week of plein air painting and painting from the model at a variety of locations, including Magnolia Cemetery, Magnolia Plantation, the marshes at Shem Creek, various marshes around Sullivan's Island and the Isle of Palms, downtown Charleston, and the home of the lovely and amazing Charleston painter and WPW show participant Shannon Runquist. Phew - that's a lot of painting!

The whole group painting from the model

Rachel Constantine and Katherine Stone painting at Magnolia Plantation

Sadie Valeri's painting and setup in downtown Charleston, in Philadelphia Alley

Sadie Valeri and her painting at Magnolia Cemetery

Alia El-Bermani and her painting at Magnolia Cemetery

A whole group of us painting at the home of Charleston artist Shannon Runquist

Catherine Prescott painting in Magnolia Cemetery

Painting at the house on Sullivan's Island

Cindy Procious' sweet painting setup on the beach at Sullivan's Island

Beach painting - Sullivan's Island

Stefani Tewes and her painting

Linda even found volunteer models amongst the others in the house...

Linda Brandon drawing Alia El-Bermani

Linda's sketch of me - done in about 45 minutes!!

As the week progressed, the number of paintings stacked up, and we overflowed the original designated drying area for paintings... art everywhere!! So fun and interesting to see everyone's work as we tackled the landscape and figure in different locations and different times of day...

paintings...

more paintings...

 yet more paintings...

whoa yes, more paintings... 

So! Many! Paintings!



In addition to all the painting we had planned for ourselves, a group of us also signed on for the Charleston Fine Art Dealers' Association's (CFADA) Painting in the Park event at Washington Park in downtown Charleston at 9am that first very chilly Saturday morning!! We bundled ourselves up and painted our fingers off (nearly literally - it was cold!) and made paintings to be auctioned off that evening to benefit Charleston public school system high school art programs.

 Me and my painting of St. Michael's Episcopal church's steeple at the "four corners of law" in downtown Charleston

My painting, all framed up and ready for the auction...

Mia Bergeron painting artist Stanka Kordic in Washington Park

Linda Tracey Brandon painting artist Stanka Kordic in Washington Park

But lest you think, dear reader, that this whole week was all work and no play, please know that there was MUCH fun to be had at the WPW house... and much great food to be eaten!! Between group dinners at the house, side trips to art shows and generous hosting (including a magnificent oyster roast) at the hands of Shannon Runquist, the WPW crew were well-fed both nutritionally and spiritually by great food, conversation and art (though possibly not well-rested - it was a very busy and exciting week!)

 Oyster roast!!! Thanks to Shannon Runquist for her incredible hospitality!!!

Linda Tracey Brandon, Alexandra Tyng and Terry Strickland at the home of Shannon Runquist

Alia El-Bermani shucking oysters at Shannon Runquist's

Rachel Constantine making an amazing brownie cake for Cindy Procious' birthday



We were also fortunate to be in a great town with tons of great art - so we eagerly took advantage of opportunities to check out other shows in town, including the amazing Mary Whyte watercolors at Coleman Fine Art:

Artist Mario Robinson with his work at Ann Long Fine Art

Mia Bergeron admiring work by Robert Liberace at M Gallery



A ton of talent here: l-r, artists Stanka Kordic, Mario Robinson, Mark Kelvin Horton and Shannon Runquist at Horton Hayes Fine Art

What an amazing week - one of the best I've experienced in a long time! Great company, great talent, completely inspiring and amazing group of people. I want to go back!

 Alexandra Tyng and Catherine Prescott

Alex Tyng, Terry Strickland, Mia Bergeron, Alia El-Bermani, Cindy Procious, Linda Brandon

Kate Stone and Alia El-Bermani

Linda Brandon and Mia Bergeron

I love these guys!

  

What an amazing trip!! Sigh.

P.S. You can read my fellow WPW on expedition participants' blog entries as well - they've been gathered at the following link:

http://womenpaintingwomen.blogspot.com/p/on-expedition.html