Recent and New Paintings at Old City Java
I'm currently showing paintings at Old City Java, located at 109 South Central Avenue throughout the month of June. If you're in Knoxville, please stop in and see them.
A little about how the show came about:
At the beginning of May, I self-willingly went part time as the admin assistant at Knox Heritage in order to paint more. As difficult as a decision like that is, it was also necessary and important for me to make. It felt like jumping off a cliff, and most of May was like a free fall where I wasn't sure if my parachute would deploy or not, or if I even had a parachute at all.
May ended up being great. I worked ridiculously hard, and it ended up being successful. With the beginning of each month, however, I'm afraid it will keep feeling like a free fall.
My grand plan regarding art was to take a break from showing in order to focus on producing, but after receiving an email in mid-May from Java's owner about potentially showing art there, I booked myself a show for June.
As stressful as I knew it would be to prepare for a show in three weeks is, it was necessary. Without a deadline, I am pretty worthless in the realm of art-making. With this deadline, I ended up making three large new paintings and several small ones in a short amount of time, most likely breaking a personal record. It made me slightly crazy, but it was worth it. After hanging the show last week, I took a break for a few days. Now, a week later, I feel lost without a deadline, so I'm figuring out how to handle that.
A little about the show itself:
If you go to Java, the first room you'll walk into holds paintings from this year, and the second room holds Mason Jar Paintings from this year as well as large paintings from 2010. If you like what you see, check back here for more detailed explanations of some of the paintings. And keep in mind; they're all for sale.
In the meantime, here's my artist statement:
THE ARTIST
Originally from Memphis, Beth has rooted herself as an artist in Knoxville since Attending the University of Tennessee. She received a Bachelor of Fine Art in Studio Art with a concentration in drawing. She is a co-founder and co-manager of 17th Street Studios, a work space for eleven artists in Fort Sanders. Her primary medium is acrylic on canvas.
THE WORK
The Preserves Series:
Painting mason Jars on salvaged wood is inspired by my position as the Architectural Salvage Coordinator for Knox Heritage. Each is a tribute to the valuable work of historic preservation.
Paintings on canvas:
My favorite time of day is dusk. It reminds me of being outside as a kid
the way telephone wires and trees become silhouettes against a glowing blue sky
how a train horn blowing in the distance is wonderfully haunting
the emergence of tiny flickering lightning bugs
streetlamps and porch lights switching on
and how grateful I was to be called inside before darkness fell.
When I paint, I think about the connection between childhood and adulthood. Though circumstances change, we experience joy and pain with each day, no matter what age. We grow and mature but sometimes discover we are not very different from when we were young.
CONTACT
Email: beth@bethmeadows.com
Website: www.bethmeadows.com
Blog: www.withbearhands.com
Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/WithBearHands
A little about how the show came about:
At the beginning of May, I self-willingly went part time as the admin assistant at Knox Heritage in order to paint more. As difficult as a decision like that is, it was also necessary and important for me to make. It felt like jumping off a cliff, and most of May was like a free fall where I wasn't sure if my parachute would deploy or not, or if I even had a parachute at all.
May ended up being great. I worked ridiculously hard, and it ended up being successful. With the beginning of each month, however, I'm afraid it will keep feeling like a free fall.
My grand plan regarding art was to take a break from showing in order to focus on producing, but after receiving an email in mid-May from Java's owner about potentially showing art there, I booked myself a show for June.
As stressful as I knew it would be to prepare for a show in three weeks is, it was necessary. Without a deadline, I am pretty worthless in the realm of art-making. With this deadline, I ended up making three large new paintings and several small ones in a short amount of time, most likely breaking a personal record. It made me slightly crazy, but it was worth it. After hanging the show last week, I took a break for a few days. Now, a week later, I feel lost without a deadline, so I'm figuring out how to handle that.
A little about the show itself:
If you go to Java, the first room you'll walk into holds paintings from this year, and the second room holds Mason Jar Paintings from this year as well as large paintings from 2010. If you like what you see, check back here for more detailed explanations of some of the paintings. And keep in mind; they're all for sale.
In the meantime, here's my artist statement:
THE ARTIST
Originally from Memphis, Beth has rooted herself as an artist in Knoxville since Attending the University of Tennessee. She received a Bachelor of Fine Art in Studio Art with a concentration in drawing. She is a co-founder and co-manager of 17th Street Studios, a work space for eleven artists in Fort Sanders. Her primary medium is acrylic on canvas.
THE WORK
The Preserves Series:
Painting mason Jars on salvaged wood is inspired by my position as the Architectural Salvage Coordinator for Knox Heritage. Each is a tribute to the valuable work of historic preservation.
Paintings on canvas:
My favorite time of day is dusk. It reminds me of being outside as a kid
the way telephone wires and trees become silhouettes against a glowing blue sky
how a train horn blowing in the distance is wonderfully haunting
the emergence of tiny flickering lightning bugs
streetlamps and porch lights switching on
and how grateful I was to be called inside before darkness fell.
When I paint, I think about the connection between childhood and adulthood. Though circumstances change, we experience joy and pain with each day, no matter what age. We grow and mature but sometimes discover we are not very different from when we were young.
CONTACT
Email: beth@bethmeadows.com
Website: www.bethmeadows.com
Blog: www.withbearhands.com
Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/WithBearHands