I'm typically camera shy at art events, but Orlando LIVE cornered caught up with me at the I Believe opening reception and we had a little impromptu chat about my paintings in the show.
There are several brief interviews with some amazing ( and much more eloquent and substantially less awkward) artists that I admire immensely, such as Linda Brandt, Dawn Rosendahl, and Janae Corrado.
(my segment begins @ 6:45) Orlando LIVE @ City Arts Factory (Jan. '14)
Though we all have different ideas about truth and what is important, belief can be said to be the outline in which we create our lives. Study after study suggests our brains are wired for belief, and it holds great power in governing our perception of self and the world around us.
I am honored and excited to have been chosen to exhibit work in this show curated by Art for All Spaces.
(Click HERE to read the curator's statement and R.S.V.P. on social media.)
This show features work from several artists and addresses questions of
fundamental importance, those that shape not only our work, but our
psychological orientation toward life.
In a special collaboration with local poets, written pieces
corresponding to the "I Believe" statements will accompany
the works on display.
During the opening event, viewers will be able to vote on their favorite pieces, with awards being given to the winners.
These deeply personal statements offer an opportunity to see inside the
hearts and minds of the artists and provoke the viewer to evaluate what
beliefs they hold dear.
If you are in the Orlando area, I hope you will join us this Thursday
evening for a unique visual experience and introspective journey.
pictured above, "I Believe in The Underdog"
one of my watercolor paintings featured in "I Believe" inspired by Tatsiana "Tanya" Khvitsko.
Click HERE to read Tanya's inspiring interview on my blog.
"I Believe" opening reception:
Thursday, January 16, 2014
29 S. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL
6-9pm Click HERE for directions.
Whatever you believe, I hope it brings strength, joy, and fulfillment to your life.
~D. Renée * * *
A few months ago, I was asked to exhibit my art in a January show titled I Believe. I
believe in tons of things. In particular, I believe in the power of belief itself, but I wanted to focus on things that inspire stronger belief. My first piece in the show is about Falling. I believe in the brilliant quiet of autumn and in graceful relinquishment. I believe in falling in love, I believe in letting go.I believe in falling down when the season calls.
Tatsiana "Tanya" Khvitsko running a 1/2 marathon.
I also believe in getting back up and pressing on. I have long been drawn to the courage and perseverance of the
underdog. Those special few that fight with a fierce tenacity when the odds are seemingly set against them. All of us have excuses that hold us back from pursuing things that could bring us immense joy. Sometimes, we just need a reality check and a little kick in the rear to push us out of our comfort zone and into the space of the unknown. A space that challenges and then empowers us.
I am not lithe, I am not fast, but I am a runner. As a member of a facebook group for women that run, I am often encouraged by the posts sharing ladies' struggles and triumphs. It was in that group that I was first inspired by a runner that has overcome one of the most fundamental setbacks possible; Tatsiana Khvitsko was born without legs.
"Tanya" rocking a 10 k in Kansas City. A "Child of Chernobyl", she was born in Belarus with severe physical disabilities due to the Ukrainian nuclear disaster .
I was inspired by Tatsiana (she goes by Tanya) so I contacted her to learn more and get permission to paint a portrait of her and share her story. Here are the questions I asked and her responses:
Tell us your story.
I was born in 1990 in the little town of Nesvizh, Belarus, four years
after the Chernobyl Nuclear disaster. Like so many other children born
with severe disabilities, I will forever be known as a “Child of
Chernobyl”. My disability of not having my lower legs and some of my
fingers was very obvious and extremely rare. But it didn’t make me a
weak person; instead it has caused me to be a strong person who can
overcome almost anything.
When I was born, my parents were told that they should not take me home
with them because of the severity of my birth defects. Luckily I came
home to my parents when I was 4 years old. At age 5, along with many
other disabled children, I was placed in boarding schools for kids with
disabilities; that is where I spent most of the years at the school
with only a few visits from my family. For me it was my second home, for
many it was their only home.
At the age of six, I made my first trip to the US, Kansas City with a
group of other Chernobyl Children with Project Restoration.
Tanya, age 6, first time in the U.S.!
At that
time, when I arrived I was unable to communicate in English. My fear and
uncertainty caused me to misbehave in many ways. I often pulled the
tails of my host families’ cats and I even hit the other children at
times. Despite these actions, the host families still loved me and did
their best to guide and help me. From their perspective, it probably
was not easy having a little Belarusian girl living with them for six
weeks – especially one with such severe physical disabilities.
When I returned to Belarus at the end of each summer, my school years
were spent at the boarding school for disabled children. The school
became my second home. I did everything most children get to do and
there were opportunities not available in the regular public school,
like singing, dancing on a wheelchair and participating in Special
Olympics for Ping-Pong. I loved this school because we were equal.
However, I went for long periods of time without seeing my family and
having their support close by. But at the same time I remember going
home for holidays and it was hard for me because I was not used to being
home and my family just didn’t see me as a normal kid. So back and
forth I went - from Belarus to America…from my boarding school to home
and back again.
My life was filled with change and transition.
I completed my high school classes at the same boarding school and would
not have had the opportunity to attend any college in Belarus.
Luckily,
with help of my American host families and many other contacts, it was
determined that it might be possible for me to attend college here in
the U.S. if I pass the TOEFL and score well enough to get accepted to the
college and luckily I did it. I attended Cottey during the 2008-09 &
2009-10 school years and received my Associates Degree in 2010. The
following two years I attended MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) in
Olathe, Kansas where I graduated with honors in Communication and
received my Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Communication in the
spring of 2012.
Being part of the community has also given me opportunities to volunteer
and give back to those who have helped me so much and to help those in
need, especially those with similar backgrounds, disabilities and dreams
like mine. I volunteered at Camp Barnabas where I assisted special
needs
children and adults. And when kids from Belarus visit the US, I
would always help with translating and mentoring. Tell us about your running.
I adore running!
Three years ago I received my first set of running
legs through POA, FL.
When I put these legs on for the very first time
and ran, I felt like I was flying. I was running so fast - someone had
to hold me to stop me. Since then, I ran at least 20- 5K’s, 6- 10K’s, and
just recently I completed my first half-marathon (13.1m) - it was
probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but it was totally
worth it.
When I run – I am a completely different person. I feel like I
am so powerful and strong.
When I run, I love the feeling of the wind
toward me! I love just listening to my music and be in my own world –
it’s quite incredible! Running made me a strong and a positive person.
I’ve always been a fighter, a hard worker and I always loved to achieve
something and I will do my best to be on top of everything I do.
What
inspires you?
Successful people with incredible backgrounds, positive thoughts and
puppies!People that worked hard to overcome something yet today they are great
role models!
It can be anyone; from a little girl who overcame cancer to
a grandpa who lived thru the war.
I don’t like choosing favorites
because everyone has a story and everyone’s story is inspiring!
What
has been your biggest challenge?
There are many challenges in life that I have. Just being a runner and
wearing two prosthetic legs is not that easy. I am a very competitive
person and I always have to remind myself that I am an amputee and that
I do have prosthetic legs so I can’t just force myself to run if I am
in a lot of pain. I have to be always cautious of not getting any
blisters or irritations on my limbs.
Finally, I have to always make sure
to have the bolts tightened on my prosthesis or I can get hurt if the
bolts loosen.
My other challenge… well, it’s not really a challenge just more of a
“girl” concern. We take some many things for granted. Even though I am
an athlete, I am still somewhat girly. I love wearing dresses and skirts
but I don’t look as pretty in dresses as non-amputees and can’t wear
heels. I have always been told by non-amputees that it is hard to wear
heals or they are painful – but it is different for me because I don’t
get to experience that. Maybe heels are painful or not fun to wear –
you still wear them… I can’t. Yes, silly comment, but every girl with
prosthesis will have the same thought.
What's your biggest dream?
My biggest dream? Become a millionaire and pay it forward! I want to be
able to help others in any way I can - either financial support
or mental. I want to be successful in life through hard work. I want to
show others that it’s okay to miss some limbs and still live in the world
like a fully limbed person! I want for others to see that world is a
beautiful thing – and if we don’t take things for granted and just
appreciate what we have and maybe even share something that we have –
the world can be a peaceful place!
Yes, not everyone would do this – but if
we try, one person at the time – changes can be made!
What's the best advice you were ever given?
To remember that there is always someone else who can't do as much I do! To remember that there is always someone else who has less than you. To
remember that you live once. Don't just live the life - enjoy it!
I love doing local gallery shows that put out a call. However, most local shows have fairly short period of time between the call to artists and submission deadline. For traditional painters, it's no biggie to whip up a little somethin' somethin'. For me, it's a bit of an undertaking to create one of my signature texture plaster paintings.
After concocting and baking an idea that fits the bill, I have to first lay down the textured plaster on a cradled wood panel. I wait a couple of days for it to cure enough to carve the line work. Another day for priming, and then about one day for each layer of paint and glazes. I typically use between 7 to 12 layers of paint in a subtractive process and finally varnish. These pieces can take me from 2-4 weeks to finish, so you can see why I'm a tad reluctant to pour so many hours and precious art supplies into a piece that may or may not get in. Shows that call for very specific themes are usually in my "I hope it's a great show but no thanks" file.
This year's Red Chair Project Visual art exhibition was almost a "no thanks" due to the very specific subject matter of, you guessed it, a red chair. What in the world was I going to do with a red chair? How could I fit this in to my body of figurative and nature themed work? I played with a few ideas for a traditional oil painting, but was not thrilled with the idea of having a red chair painting in my portfolio in case it wasn't accepted. I agonized over this, because I truly love the Red Chair Project and its mission. Since moving to Florida, I have supported and contributed to the Red Chair Affair, and I actually wanted to be a part of this exhibit and support my two great loves; the visual and performing arts. I finally had an aha moment after some exasperation.
Red Chair. Chair. Chair pose!Duh, Utkatasana!
What hadn't I thought of it before? I love yoga and painting yoga postures. I have created several yoga paintings and had planned to make more similar work. Perfect.
It was like a fire after that. I had my inspiration, now I had to race against time to create a piece that I would love even if it wasn't selected by the exhibit jury. I set up a model session with Brian Friedman of Winter Garden Yoga ( interview with Brian coming soon) and set to work. After spending several days and nights on the piece- my sleep schedule dictated by humidity, drying times and how long my hairdryer held up- it was ready to be photographed and submitted with a few hours to spare.
Here's a time lapse snippet of the work in progress (plaster carving process) .
After a week or so, I got the notification. "Have A Seat" made the cut, and was selected to be exhibited in the "O" Gallery at City Arts Factory for the Red Chair show.
Fist pump and sigh of relief. The sleepless nights weren't for naught and the piece is in a great show.
Red Chair Visual Arts Exhibit will hang from mid-July to mid-August and has some truly great work in it; I'm humbled to be in the line up. ( Check out the Art of Kate Hall, her Frog Princess is also in this show, and I love it. )
The opening reception will coincide with 3rd Thursday Downtown Arts District gallery events July 18th, 6-9pm, City Arts Factory, 29 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL.
For more information on City Arts Factory, click here.
Happy Thursday everyone! It's the 3rd in May, so you know what that means-
Gallery Hop in Downtown Orlando.
This month's City Arts Factory show is a double feature that I'm pretty stoked about.
I have four pieces up in the "Current Style" show from my Sparsana textured paintings series. I've been working over a year in this mixed up and messy process of printing onto and carving into plaster before painting it with layers and layers of acrylic glazes. It totally indulges my obsession with texture and color while forcing me outside of the representational freelance and commission work I do. A couple of pieces in this style were recently accepted to the Francophile 1st Thursday show at the Orlando Museum of Art, but that's for another post. Bottom line, this process has evolved over the last few months, and it has dragged me along with it. That's why I'm more than excited to see the same from other artists exhibiting their "Current Style" at City Arts. Seeing new processes and techniques employed by other creatives really inspires me and helps me to fall in love with my materials in a new way.
I also caught a quick glimpse during the drop off this week of the second show, a classic figurative theme in traditional media. This show is adjunct to a 4 week figure drawing workshop series being held at CAF. It's just as lovely and elegant as you're thinking, but there is a surprisingly huge amount of color. This pleases me greatly, and I can't wait to see it all tonight.
The gallery hop is officially from 6-9, but there are plenty of spaces open before and after those times. Just remember to bring your parking voucher to City Arts if you park in the Plaza Parking Garage and they will validate it at the welcome desk for a flat rate of $4. Hope to see you on the hop!
Luckily,
with help of my American host families and many other contacts, it was
determined that it might be possible for me to attend college here in
the U.S. if I pass the TOEFL and score well enough to get accepted to the
college and luckily I did it. I attended Cottey during the 2008-09 &
2009-10 school years and received my Associates Degree in 2010. The
following two years I attended MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) in
Olathe, Kansas where I graduated with honors in Communication and
received my Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Communication in the
spring of 2012.
