Melissa Walker, artist

2012-01-14T11:55:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from my recent show in North Charleston, SC. Nice space and wonderful people. It was good to see my friends in the city as well.

Black White and Shades of Grey

2012-01-02T18:07:00.000-05:00

Dropped off two paintings today for a show in Greensboro, Black White and Shades of Grey. Hope you get a chance to drop by.

Opening Reception

FOR

Black and White

and shades of Grey

A collection of artwork and home decor influenced by

Black and White and shades of Grey.

Opening Reception

109 N. Cedar St. Suite #3

Greensboro NC 27401

coincides with

Downtown Greensboro's First Friday

January 6th, 2012, 6pm until 10pm

Closing Reception is the last Saturday, January 28th 2012, Noon to 4pm

Lark Artists Handmade Holiday Show

2011-12-02T20:10:00.001-05:00

Don't forget to come out to the Lark Artists Handmade Holiday Show tomorrow in Asheboro from 11am - 5pm. I will be there along with 40 other artists. It is a great opportunity to buy handmade, buy local! I have lots of note cards, posters, earrings and many small paintings on sale just for this event!

Lark Artists Handmade Holiday Art Show

2011-11-29T13:02:00.001-05:00

Skip the hectic shopping at the mall and start your holiday shopping on Saturday, December 3 at the Lark Artists Handmade Holiday art show. This extravaganza of 40+ North Carolina artists will be in uptown Asheboro, NC at The Exchange, 204 S. Fayetteville Street (parking located in the city municipal lot behind The Exchange---come in the rear entrance). This is a free event----open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. I will be selling notecards and posters featuring my artwork as well as earrings and lots of small paintings on sale just for this event!

Lark Artists, producers of the Handmade Holiday art show are Laurie Abela, Amy Keith Barney, Cori Cagle, Et Hacskaylo, Mary Murkin, Rich Powell, Brooke Sides, Debra Spinks and Melissa Walker will also be joined by guest artists Hank Allred, Carey Linville Benson, Cathy Branscom, Betsy Browne, Kim Brownie, Janice Carroll, Wanda Cox, Robert Crutchfield, Henrietta Cummings, Joseph Ezzell, Eve Fenberg, Clanci Foxx, Sandy Johnson, Brenda Jones, Rick Kondracki, Melissa Lowery, Sandy McGhee, Lisa Moore, Mandy Nelson, Jill Painter, Kenye Pierce, Debbie Pike, Jodi Ohl, Flossie Reed, Suzanne Rehbock, Sonya Coulson Rook, Jean Rogers, Jean Skipper, Amy Smith, Dawn Tagawa, Emily Thompson and Tiffany Wheless.

This juried art show is the largest mixed-arts/crafts holiday show in Randolph County area. Original works from over 40+ North Carolina artists will include: Pottery, glasswork, paintings, drawings, hand-woven baskets, woodwork, hand-poured candles, bath and body products, toys, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, hand-sewn items, hand-stitched fiber wearables, metal sculptures, garden and home décor pieces, baked goods, jams/jellies, homemade honey, and much more!

In addition to providing an amazing local shopping opportunity, this event will also feature live music by "Our Two Cents"-featuring the very talented local musicians extraordinaire Ray Betts and Steve Cain. Their music is described as "acoustic blues and stuff". Also available will be local business, BrewBakes Coffee and Cake, located at 323 Sutie H Hwy 49 South, Asheboro, NC 27205 will be on-site offering a selection of gourmet box lunches, sweet treats and drinks for purchase during the show.

A silent auction of donated items from participating Handmade Holiday artists will be available for bid. Proceeds from the silent auction will be given to the Christians United Outreach Center (CUOC) in an effort to give back to an organization that gives so much to the community all year long. Canned goods will be accepted at the door and donated to CUOC to help restock the food pantry shelves for the holidays as well as monetary donations.

Don't miss this one-of-a-kind one-day art show filled with all handmade original artwork, talented musicians and scrumptious food. Your holiday season will be complete after spending the day at the Handmade Holiday! For more information about the Lark Artists Handmade Holiday art show email larkartists@gmail.com or visit www.larkartists.org.

Captions!

2011-10-25T15:32:00.002-04:00

Sort of got the captions in. Still some issues.

Playing Around in Blogger

2011-10-25T14:10:00.000-04:00

Having fun today figuring out how to add a thumbnail gallery to my portfolio page. I have added slide shows of my ATC"S and Journal pages, but wanted something more traditional for my portfolio page. After finding a tutorial on the web, Blogger Thumbnail Gallery, I got it to work. The HTML code looks overwhelming at first, but you really just need to copy and paste most things. I still need to add label info to all my images. That will take some additional work. Take a look! Portfolio

Big Weekend of Art in Alamance County!

2011-10-11T10:15:00.002-04:00

Next weekend (October 15 & 16) is going to be a BIG weekend for art in Alamance County when the Alamance Studio Tour 2011 will be held. (www.alamancestudiotour.com )

As one of the 52 featured artists on the tour, my new studio at 2203 Lakeview Terrace in Burlington, NC will be open to the public on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10-5 & Sunday, Oct. 16 from 12-5. There will be refreshments, door prizes and a free art lesson on Zentangles to all who stop by for a visit. My studio is in the basement, so be sure to enter from the back.

I am also teaming up with three other tour artists, potter Peggy McCormick, jeweler and spirit portrait artist, Carolyn Hill, and mixed media artist, India Cain. We have created a ‘tour within the tour.’ Plan to spend the morning or afternoon visiting all three studio destinations on our ‘tour within the tour’ where you will have the opportunity to register to win some of our beautiful original artwork.

Here is a sneak preview of my new studio and teaching space. I have computer access and wireless internet for those that need instruction on using the internet to promote their business. There is a comfortable seating area, a full kitchen and bathroom facilities for my longer workshops. The spacious teaching area is fully equiped with a variety of supplies and large tables. My own working space is there as well.

Red Hat Corporate Show

2011-10-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

Dropped off a lot of new work for the Red Hat Corporate Show in Raleigh. The work will be up through December. Unfortunately, only people that work there will see the show. I should be able to get pictures, once everything is hung. Now to get busy painting for my show in Charleston in Dec!

Visit Me at the Studio Tour!

2011-10-01T20:25:00.000-04:00

Join me on Saturday Oct 15 from 10am-5pm and Sunday Oct. 16 from 12pm- 5pm for the 2nd annual Alamance Artisans Studio Tour. My new studio and teaching space will be open for you to see.The address is:

Stanfield Walker Studio

2203 Lakeview Terrace

Burlington, NC

There will be refreshments, door prizes and a special art project, Zentangles, that I will be teaching for those that are interested. There are over 50 artists on the tour. Visit the webpage at http://alamancestudiotour.com/artists.html for more information and the facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AlamanceStudioTour . Hope to see you there!

Book Arts Workshop: Layer It On!

2011-09-13T10:32:00.000-04:00

These are some pictures from the 3 hour workshop I offered at Barton College last Saturday. My focus in on using layers to create visually interesting journal pages. Everyone had a great time. Other workshop instructors offered bookbinding classes. The exhibit in conjunction with the workshops included some beautiful examples of book arts as well.

I will be teaching another Visual Journaling class at Hickory Mountain Weavery on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9-3pm. I will be teaching a number of different techniques to add interest and excitement to your journals or altered books. For more information, email me at melissa@melissawalkerartist.com

2011-09-07T10:54:00.000-04:00

Two of my visual journals will be included in the “Il Libro: The Art of the Book” exhibition in the Case Art Building on the Barton College campus in Wilson. The exhibition will run through September 24 with a public reception on Sunday, Aug. 28, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. Artworks featured in this exhibition represent contemporary bookmaking trends. The editioned books and one-of-a-kind artists’ books showcase include traditional sewn structures, altered books, sculptural books, broadsides and innovative approaches created in various media including letterpress, handmade paper, printmaking, photography, collage, fiber and ceramics.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Barton Art Galleries will host “Book Arts Extravaganza Workshops” on Saturday, Sept. 10. Join other participants for a day of hands-on bookmaking and artistic journaling techniques. Instructors include: Lisa Beth Robinson, Gérard Lange, and Susan Fecho and myself. My workhop is on visual journaling and will run from 1-4pm.

For more information about these upcoming events or to make reservations for the workshop, please contact Bonnie LoSchiavo in the Barton Art Galleries at 252-399-6477, email: blloschiavo@barton.edu, or visit: http://www.barton.edu/galleries/education.

ECU School of Art Alumni Exhibition

2011-09-07T10:25:00.000-04:00

The East Carolina University School of Art and Design Alumni Exhibition 2011 will feature the work of 234 graduates from the state’s largest art school. I am proud to be included in this exhibit. The show is so large that it will be a joint exhibition by three venues: the Wellington B. Gray Art Gallery at ECU, the Greenville Museum of Art, and the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge. The exhibition will be on display from September 2 through October 1. Participating artists live in 28 states plus the District of Columbia.

My work is located in the Greenville Museum of Art located at 802 South Evans Street in Greenville. The Museum is open Tuesday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Call 252-758-1946 or visit www.gmoa.org for more information.

Latest News

2011-08-21T14:28:00.000-04:00

Finally back in town after a very busy summer. I started off the summer by finishing a lot of new work for my show in Clayton. These are just a small sampling. I am still using nautical charts as my collage, experimenting with new colors and adding silhouettes. Then 3 days in Charleston and a 5 day cruise to the Bahamas gave me some needed down time.

My new studio space in Burlington is finished, though it still needs some organizing. I taught my first classes there this July! My studio will be open Oct. 15 and 16 for the Alamance Studio Tour. Be sure to stop in for refreshments, door prizes and to see my new work. I will also be doing demos on ATC's and Zentangles.

School has started and the kids will be back on the 25th of this month.
I am looking forward to a creative year. This will be my 22nd year teaching
art. I love working with the high school age students. I am hoping to teach
private and semi private lessons as well in my Burlington studio this coming year.
Let me know if you or your student is interested. To see some of my students'
artwork, visit my RHS art department page at
Randleman High School Art Department

I have a couple of workshops coming up. This Saturday, Aug. 27, I will be teaching a visual journal workshop at the Hickory Mountain Weavery
on Hwy 64 near Siler City. This is a great opportunity to learn an assortment of techniques for creating journal pages. A handout with 100 journal topics is included in the class along with all your supplies. I will be doing another journaling workshop at Barton College on Saturday, Sept 10. Hope to see you at one of these!

I also have 2 shows scheduled for this fall. The first will be at the Red Hat Corporate offices in Raleigh and will run from Oct. through Jan.
The second show is at the North Charleston Gallery in SC and will run during the month of December. The opening is Thursday,
Dec 1 from 5-7pm.

I am staying busy. Guess that is good!

New Show Opening in Clayton NC

2011-07-03T11:14:00.000-04:00

Finally back from Charleston and the Bahamas. Had a great time. Now time to get back to work. My opening in Clayton is this Thursday evening. Hope you can make it! show info

Helping Set Up a New Blog

2011-06-10T10:08:00.002-04:00

Today, I am helping a friend get her blog set up. Wish us luck!

2011-06-07T19:28:00.000-04:00

Got a picture edited today of my painting. Title: Drifting Past Cedar Island" , acrylic and collage. Trying some new colors and using a handcarved linoleum block to add texture. What is your favorite part?

Monoprinting Workshop

2011-05-29T14:37:00.000-04:00

Had a great time yesterday with Debra, Lana and Didi during my workshop. They
were able to make over 45 prints using my printing press and supplies. Let me know if you would like to take this workshop in the future!

Newsletter Coming Out Tomorrow!

2011-05-25T17:28:00.000-04:00

My newsletter is going out tomorrow. Ten Steps to a Creative Life is my theme for the year. This issue talks about Discovering Something New. Upcoming workshops and shows are listed as well as the poster winner for this issue. Sign up now for your chance to win one of my 18"x24" posters in the next issue!

New Zentangles

2011-05-25T13:42:00.000-04:00

Finished these 2 zentangles at the open house at Hickory Mountain Weavery a couple of weekends ago. Hope you get a chance to go. If not be sure to visit this beautiful location. Check out their webpage for upcoming class schedules. There is a lot going on there!

Art Biz Coach Workshop

2011-05-23T09:42:00.000-04:00

What an informative workshop this past Friday and Saturday with Alyson Stanfield of Art Biz Coach.

It will take me weeks to put into place all the tips I learned!

Posting your Blog to Your FaceBook Page

2011-05-22T14:30:00.000-04:00

Just learned how to send my blog entries to Facebook through my RSS feed. Should save me a lot of time because I won't have to post to 2 different places. To see if this actually is working, go to my Facebook page, Melissa Walker, artist and look for this post. This is thanks to Alyson Stanfield of Art Biz Coach who gave a very informative workshop this past weekend. Pictures from the workshop will be coming soon.

State of the Art, Art of the State

2011-05-12T13:54:00.000-04:00

I had a whirlwind trip through the east coast of NC this past weekend. It started with a trip to the Cameron Museum to drop off a piece of artwork for the State of the Art, Art of the State exhibit. Over 800 works of art were included by any artist that brought work in during a 24 hour period. The show will be up for 6 months and is a wonderful opportunity for me to exhibit in a new part of the state. My piece is below and is entitled "Afternoon Sail On Broad Creek". It includes nautical charts as well as scraping and stamping techniques in acrylic.

From Wilmington, I traveled to New Bern to drop off several pieces at the New Bern Artworks Gallery on Middle St. I was excited to learn that they will soon be moving to a much larger space on Pollock St. If you happen to be in either New Bern or Wilmington, stop by to see my work!

The Faces of Education

2011-05-05T14:37:00.004-04:00

Over 2000 educators came together on May 3 to urge the legislature to keep the one cent sales tax and avoid massive public educaton layoffs and cuts. Keeping the sales tax, along with some much smaller cuts will almost single-handedly wipe out the state budget deficit. To me, it makes no sense that at a time when we need to be most competitive with the rest of the world, some in our legislature is hellbent on destroying public education, one of the main things businesses need to compete. Look at my photos and see all the faces of teachers and assistants who are in education because they truly care about their students, and not because of the money!

see more photos

Chihuly Glass in San Antonio

2011-04-28T09:55:00.001-04:00

I was in San Antonio recently for my son and son-in-law's graduation from Air Force BMT. Had the chance to visit the San Antonio Museum of Art, located on the riverwalk. It is a large and beautiful museum and included this work by Dale Chihuly. These are just 2 parts of a large piece hanging from the ceiling. I always enjoy the colors, textures and massiveness of Chihuly's work.

Ten Steps To A Creative Life!

2011-03-23T18:52:00.000-04:00

Just finished sending out my 3rd newsletter, Ten steps to a Creative Life

I am starting a series of short articles on the steps I have taken to get my artist life back on track. This first step is on "Carving Out Your Space", probably the most important step for me. With each newsletter, I will write about a different step I have taken and how it has helped me as an artist. Please join me on my creative journey by signing up for my newsletter. Join in with comments about your own journey. For those that post comments or pictures of their studio spaces between now and May 30, you will have the chance to win a poster of one of my artworks. Let's get creative!

Such Beauty!

2011-03-12T07:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to see the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. This photo doesn't do it justice since it was taken with my phone. The rainbow stretched from horizon to horizon, completely unbroken and even had a second, very faint rainbow over top of it. You can see it if you look closely. Hope you enjoy this photo!

More New Journals

2011-03-05T08:42:00.000-05:00

Here are 2 more pages from my current journal. This one, when I finish it, will be on display at Barton College this August. I will also be giving a workshop there on journaling as well. More on that later.

First Workshop at Hickory Mountain Weavery

2011-02-28T14:51:00.000-05:00

The weather was beautiful this past Saturday for my first workshop at the Hickory Mountain Weavery near Siler City. Although I was expecting 5, I had 3 students who made it. A couple were camera shy, but one student was happy to show off his finished paintings. Here is some of the work that was finished.

New Journal Pages

2011-02-28T14:45:00.000-05:00

I started these journal pages as a demo for a workshop I gave this past summer. I was showing students how to add a window to their books. Finished them off recently with a couple of different sayings.

2011-02-21T15:14:00.000-05:00

Workshop This Saturday!

2011-02-21T15:10:00.000-05:00

If you haven't signed up for my collage and paintings workshops this Saturday, Feb 26th, it is not too late. They will be offered at the beautiful Hickory Mountain Weavery between Ramseur and Siler City on Hwy 64. In the morning class we will be creating black, white and grey collages that act as value studies for larger paintings. I will be discussing the importance of value, the rule of thirds and other ideas for an interesting compostion. In the afternoon class we will take several of our studies from the morning, choose color schemes and paint some small color studies. If there is time, you can choose your favorite and paint on a larger scale. Many of these studies will be suitable for framing! Go to the "upcoming workshops" page on my blog to find registration information and a paypal button. All supplies are included. Hope to see you there!

Resolve to be More Creative!

2011-01-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

The holidays are over, the New Year has come and gone and now we are left with those dreaded resolutions. How many of you resolved to lose weight or exercise more? Instead of the same old goals, how about making one that will be fun and different. This year, plan on becoming a more creative person! There are many ways to accomplish this and best of all you will enjoy your efforts. Maybe you love to cook and want to try some new recipes. Perhaps you like to sing or play an instrument. Maybe you want to get that scrapbook you started finished or learn to paint. Whatever your joy in life is, vow that this year, you will make more time to do the things you love. The wonderful thing about this resolution is that unlike losing weight or exercising, there is no way to fail! The key is to start small. Pick something creative that you can easily do in 1-3 hours. You don’t have to do it every day, maybe just once a week or even once a month. If it is more that you did last year, you are on the right track to becoming more creative. This is a no-fail resolution.

For those of you who are more artistically inclined or are interested in becoming more artistic, I have the perfect opportunity for you. The START program through Jerry’s Artarama offers short, 2 hour classes in a variety of art processes for just $30. All materials are included so there is no need to spend lots of money on art supplies. I will be teaching classes in 2 different locations on 2 different Saturdays each month. Each month a different class is offered, so you are bound to find something that interests you. These classes will allow you to relax and focus on your creativity through the exploration of new artistic methods and mediums. Drawing skills are not required, just a willingness to try something new. Check out my classes to find your chance to become more creative!

My classes offer a small, supportive environment and although designed for beginners, I can easily adjust my teaching to challenge those students who are more advanced. These classes are also good for high school students working on their portfolio for scholarships, art schools and Advanced Placement Studio Art classes. I am in my 22^nd year of teaching art to all age groups. My experience and knowledge will help you create that masterpiece you have always been dreaming of. To make it even easier for you to experience this creative exploration, I am offering a $10 coupon good towards the first 2 classes you sign up for. That’s 4 hours of instruction by an experienced and highly qualified instructor for the low price of just $50, ALL MATERIALS INCLUDED!
You can find out more about this program and see all the classes I will be offering as well as classes from other instructors at the S.T.A.R.T. website. Don’t see a class that you are interested in? Email me your suggestions and I will try to set something up.

If you or anyone else you know would like to receive information about these workshops, along with tips and techniques for successful art making, please sign up for my newsletter. It will be sent out bi- monthly so as not to clutter your inbox. You can opt out at any time. Just remember, with each newsletter, one lucky subscriber will receive a free, 18"x24" poster of one of my artworks! Congratulations go out to Jodi Ohl who was last month's winner. Visit my webpage to see my artwork. Let's go CREATE!

Webpage Update

2010-12-12T12:48:00.000-05:00

Just finished updating my web page with new workshops, a paypal button and a newsletter signup form. Be sure to look at the changes. When you sign up for my newsletter, you will be entered in a chance to win a poster of one of my artworks. With each bi-monthly newsletter, a lucky subscriber will win. You will also receive $10 off the first 2 workshops you sign up for. Let's go CREATE!

Poster Giveaway!

2010-08-28T09:32:00.000-04:00

It's time for another poster giveaway on my Face Book Fan Page, Melissa Walker, artist. If I can reach 150 friends, I will be giving away two posters, one each to 2 lucky winners. There are 5 images you can choose from. To see what you might win, go to my fan page and be my friend!

2010-08-21T13:25:00.000-04:00

I offered an altered book workshop last Saturday at Tyler D Studios in Burlington. It was a wonderful group of ladies and I enjoyed helping them get started with or in some cases continue with altered books. I showed them several techniques for backgrounds, how to use stamping and bubble wrap to add texture and interest as well as using a window to pull two pages together. Here are some pictures from the day.

S.T.A.R.T., Stop Thinking That Art is Tough!

2010-08-17T20:01:00.000-04:00

I am a certified S.T.A.R.T. instructor for Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh, NC. S.T.A.R.T. stands for Stop Thinking Art is Really Tough. S.T.A.R.T. instructors want to show you that everyone can do art! We are here to make it as easy and convenient as possible for you to get into the art world. Get rid of your old preconceived notions and give art a chance. You will LOVE it! All my workshops are offered at Tyler D Studios in Burlington, NC unless otherwise noted. Visit the S.T.A.R.T. webpage for a full list of classes or find us on Facebook. Visit my web page to see my own artwork. Here are my first two classes:

Using a Grid to Enlarge a Drawing
The old masters often used the grid system to create drawings with accurate proportions. You too can draw like the old masters with this tried and true technique - Saturday, September 18, 2010, 9:30am - 11:30am. All supplies will be provided. Cost: $30
Using Dynamic Shading Techniques to Bring Your Drawing To Life
With your basic drawing in hand, learn to use different pencils and erasers to add rich value and create a sense of depth. Saturday, September 18, 2010, 1pm - 3pm. All supplies will be provided. Cost: $30

New Header and Web Page Design

2010-08-17T14:46:00.001-04:00

I am trying out a new header for this blog that is from one of my newest paintings. It should go with my web page update as well. I have spent the last 3 days uploading new images and information to my web page, Melissa Walker, artist. Please check everything out and let me know what you think. I still can't get the contact form to work, but other than that, I think everything is OK. School starts tomorrow for teachers. I am soooo not ready to go back!

New Design

2010-08-15T09:08:00.002-04:00

Trying out this new design for my blog. It fits with my current web page much better. Still need to redesign the header to fit the wider space. Also working on updating my web page this weekend. Hope to get the updates loaded later this week. So much has been going on this summer, I feel like I will have time to relax once school starts.
I gave an altered book workshop yesterday at Tyler D Studios. It went very well. I will be offering many more workshops there during the coming year on a variety of topics through the S.T.A.R.T. program at Jerry's Artarama. The acronym stands for Stop Thinking Art is Really Tough. The classes will be 2 hours long, include all materials and cost $30. The classes are geared towards people just starting out in art, although there will also be information offered for those further along with their skills. I am so used to working with different levels of experience in a single class that this should not be a problem.
The opening of mine and Ed's show at Tyler D Studios was very well attended. We had friends come from as far away as Greenville and Wilmington, NC. One came from New Orleans, LA! It was wonderful seeing all our old friends and family. It is also nice to have that big event behind me so I can concentrate on other things. Well, back to my webpage.

Captain Jack Unveiled!

2010-05-21T15:19:00.005-04:00

After months of work, Captain Jack, a Revolutionary War figure in Mecklenburg Co. was finally unveiled in Charlotte Wednesday evening. Cokie Roberts spoke briefly as did the artist Chas Fagan. A small version of the statue was auctioned off to raise money. Ed and the crew at Carolina Bronze were all delighted to see the statue out in the open. They have been working for months to get it finished. Ed and I attended the Gala ceremony on Wednesday and the public unveiling was on Thursday. After the ceremony we went for coffee and dessert at a local resturant. It was a beautiful night to be in downtown Charlotte. It reminded me of how much I miss living in a big city. If you get the chance, stop by and see the sculpture. It is, as are all of Chas's sculptures, beautiful. Go here to read more about the unveiling and about Capt. Jack's ride.

TOO BUSY!!!

2010-05-05T18:00:00.003-04:00

Wow, so much going on I have had NO time to post. Most important thing first. I have a show opening this Friday in Raleigh at the MJH Gallery in the lobby of the Arts Council on Blount St. This image is from work I did last summer when I was at TICA in Chicago. The title is "Chicago Blues". It is one of 8 paintings on display. The opening is from 6-9pm and is part of the First Friday event in downtown Raleigh. Follow the link to get more info. If you are in the Raleigh area, I hope you can make it. If you can't make this show, no worries, I have a BIG one coming up in August at the Tyler D Gallery in Burlington. Ed and I will both have work there. He is planning to show a lot of new sculpture as well as a large installation. I will have new paintings as well. Then 3 more shows in Nov, Dec, and Jan. Whew! Lots of painting to do this spring and summer.

School has kept me very busy. We had our spring statewide NAHS retreat 2 weeks ago. (More about that on another post.) I have had an awesome student teacher for the last 10 weeks. Don't know how I would have gotten everything done without her. AP portfolios and grades are due this week and we have an Art Fair this Friday at school. Lots of artwork and prints for sale along with a raffle. The RHS Senior art show came down this week. My students always have outstanding artwork on display at the Randolph Arts Guild in Asheboro. The Youth Art Month Show was at the end of March and the NC NAHS Traveling Art Exhibit will come down this week as well. All of that art is on our NAHS webpage.

I'm off to my opening on Friday and then down to Blackbeard Sailing Club in New Bern on Sat. to try and sell my Dad's sailboat. If you are interested in a 23' boat, older,, but in excellent condition, let me know! The price is very reasonable. Then back to Burlington on Sunday for Mother's Day.

This is all just a part of what's been going on in my life the past 2 months. Hope to get more details up soon. Next week things finally start to wind down (sort of). Should be able to get back into the blogging thing. Lately, I can't even find time for Facebook!

Spring is in the Air

2010-03-20T15:40:00.002-04:00

Been busy working in the yard today. Cleaning out flower beds, raking leaves, getting ready to put down fresh pine needles. It's so beautiful outside I don't want to quit but my muscles are telling me its time.

Ed and I went to an art opening at Tyler D Studios in Burlington last weekend. John Wendelbo, one of Ed's employees, had a showing of his computer generated paintings and welded sculptures. We got there a little early, but the crowd picked up later. Very nice work. I am including a few pictures.

Ed and I will also be having a show of my paintings and his sculpture at Tyler D Studios this August. Don't know the exact dates yet, but I'm getting excited. The space is large and open. Hope to have a good crowd.

New Journal Pages

2010-02-20T16:57:00.004-05:00

I have been working hard to finish a visual journal that I started last summer in Chicago. I still have a few pages to get started but have made significant progress. Hope to get it finished soon. Working in the journal has been a good way for me to try out new techniques and color schemes. Much of what I learn ends up in my paintings. Mostly though, I just enjoy working with interesting images and trying to find words and colors to make everything work together. I also enjoy teaching workshops on visual journals and altered books. I am looking forward to doing more of that this summer. Here are a couple of images. If you would like to see more, they are posted here: New Journal Pages
Enjoy!

Artful Afternoon in Alamance County

2010-02-14T13:45:00.004-05:00

Ed and I had a wonderful lunch at the annual "Artful Afternoon", sponsored by the Alamance Arts Council. Ed was the speaker for the luncheon and talked about Carolina Bronze, his fine art bronze casting foundry. I was his humble technical assistant. Along with his talk, he showed a power point presentation with many visual images to illustrate his points. The luncheon was held at the Alamance Country Club and was beautifully decorated with red and white tables, featuring red tulips as a centerpiece. The sold out crowd was much bigger than we had anticipated, but very receptive to his speech. The bronze casting process is very intricate and the foundry has some new high tech equipment that offers artists many advantages over older techniques. Many in the audience had questions afterwards. To learn more about the foundry and the casting process go to his website, Carolina Bronze Sculpture .

2010-02-02T08:07:00.002-05:00

Here are some more pages. A few still need some journaling to finish them up. I have been trying out some new color combinations as well as some new techniques. I love snow days!

New Journal Pages

2010-02-01T15:55:00.003-05:00

I started an altered book this past summer, just before my trip to Chicago. I am working differently in this book from the way I usually work. I started by doing random page backgrounds and then adding collage elements to each page. As I find images, words, and other collage pieces that go with the page, I start to add them in. I then finish the page with stamping, drawn lines, and adding detail to the image. I have been working on it on and off since this summer, but am finally making some headway on getting things finished. It has helped to have the day off from school because of snow. I have gotten a lot done today. It's nice to get back in the studio!

Winter Images

2010-01-31T15:39:00.001-05:00

Took a walk today in the snow. These are just a few of the images I got. Need to edit some more.

Sage and Stuart's Wedding

2010-01-02T18:47:00.002-05:00

Hope you enjoy!

Views from the top of Sugar

2009-12-19T09:03:00.002-05:00

Came up to Sugar Mountain yesterday with my son Nathan to do some skiing. Slipped and slid the last few turns at the condo. Looks like we might be here for a few days. It's been snowing like crazy and the wind is gusting. We may have to ski down to the main building. We can catch a shuttle there to take us to the slopes. No way we can drive. The Sugar Mountain site said 20" fell last night and 4" more will fall today. It is so beautiful! Haven't seen snow like this in years. Hope you enjoy the photos.

Carolina Multi Media Arts Guild

2009-11-15T15:26:00.003-05:00

The CMMAG sponsored a "make and take" table for visitors to Jerry's trade show. Lots of folks stopped by to make some ATC's. They were also responsible for getting me the demonstration with Strathmore. Thanks ladies!

ATC Demo At The Strathmore Booth

2009-11-15T15:16:00.002-05:00

Got the opportunity to do a demo on ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) this past Saturday at Jerry's Artarama Trade Show in Raleigh. I was partnered with the Strathmore booth who donated ATC blanks for me to demo with. I had a great time and got to make several cards. I am holding one up in the photo. Hope to get to do this again!

2009-11-13T19:24:00.002-05:00

My National Art Honor Society Chapter at Randleman High School has published a calendar to help raise money for our art program and also to fund a $300 scholarship for a student pursuing art as a career. It starts in Nov. 09 and runs through Dec. 2010. The size is 11x17". These are the images that are included. If you would like to purchase one or more of these calendars to support our program, please send a check made out to RHS to: Melissa Walker/ 4396 Tigers Den Rd. / Randleman, NC 27317. These make great Christmas gifts! Thanks!!!

Has It Been This Long?

2009-11-12T19:34:00.004-05:00

Wow, did't realize it has been this long since my last post. Weddings will do that to you. Everything went well and all was beautiful. I am still recovering, but making headway on other things. This Saturday I will be doing a demo on ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh. Can't wait! Jerry's trade show is great. I can never get out without buying more art stuff, as if I don't have enough now. Look for me at the Strathmore booth between 11 and 12 noon. Here are some images of recent ATC's. They are great fun and a good way to get your creative juices flowing. My students love them!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2009-10-20T20:32:00.002-04:00

This has been a crazy month. Wedding plans proceed. 2 sets of portraits have been done, one in the studio and one at the Grandover. Some of those outside on a VERY cold and windy Sunday morning! Sage was a real trooper, posing without complaints.

This weekend is my Art Education conference. I have 2 presentations to give and a meeting to preside over. I am looking forward to it, but sad that I don't have time to stay the whole weekend.

My National Art Honor Society has just published their 2nd annual calendar. This year it is in full color and costs just $10. All proceeds go to our chapter and the art department to buy supplies for the kids and to fund a $300 scholarship for a senior art student. With the state budget cuts this year, I don't plan on getting ANY money to support our program so we really need to sell lots of calendars. I'll try to get pictures up soon!

Guess that's all for now.

Click 3 Times

2009-10-01T19:19:00.002-04:00

Longtime executive director of the Randolph Arts Guild, Philip Shore, has decided to retire to pursue other things of interest in his life. Though we will miss Phil immensely, we all wish him the best. Phil has been a great asset to downtown Asheboro as well as the Arts Guild. As an artist and art educator, I can't thank him enough for all he has done for me personally. Phil, if you ever forget how to get home, just remember to put on those ruby red slippers and click 3 times. We'll be waiting for you.

Mama With Babys

2009-09-30T17:17:00.002-04:00

Finally got a chance to upload these images from this past weekend. I'm always amazed at the creatures that wander through our yard. I've seen cows, horses, deer, guinea hens, fox and even a quick glimpse of a coyote. Unfortunately, I don't usually have my camera handy. Not so this past Saturday. Hope you enjoy these shots as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Tyler D Studio

2009-09-27T11:47:00.001-04:00

Found their web address: Tyler D Studios

Sage's Wedding Shower

2009-09-27T11:30:00.002-04:00

We had lots of fun last week at my daughter's wedding shower. Many of our family were able to attend. Sage was especially glad that both Grandmas could make it. The food was good and there were lots of gifts! Thanks to my sister-in-law, Angela, for hosting it. We are all getting excited about the upcoming ceremony.

2009-09-19T15:34:00.005-04:00

Went to the opening of Bob Rankin's show, "Metamorphosis 2"at the Captain White House in Graham, NC this past Thursday evening. I know Bob through a weeklong workshop I took with him 2 summers ago. He is an excellent instructor and was a positive influence on my own artwork. He was an art teacher in the Wake Co. system for many years, and that has given us a great deal to talk about, not only art, but art education. Hope you get a chance to see the show. As always, excellent work.

Art Educators Visit Starworks

2009-09-18T15:55:00.002-04:00

On Thursday of this past week, several Randolph Co. art teachers took the time to visit the Starworks glass and ceramics facility in Star, NC. We were treated to a tour of the facilities and a 30 minute glass blowing demo. The Starworks folks have a wonderful old building that they are renovating and offer tours and demos year round. If you haven't been, you should definitly make a trip. Here is a link to their website: http://www.starworksnc.org

Tyler D Opening in Burlington

2009-09-13T16:56:00.002-04:00

Ed and I went to the grand opening of the Tyler D Studios in Burlington last night. Doug and Betty, the owners, put on quite an event with many art enthusists from the area showing up. The Alamance Jazz Band (hope I got that right) provided some great sounds. Several faculty members from Elon University had work on exhibit along with others. They have a wonderful space, with room for artist studios, classrooms and lots of exhibit space.Although they don't have a web page yet, here is some info about their studio: http://www.visitalamance.mobi/details.aspx?aid=1551 .
Looking forward to more exhibits in the future!

2009-09-10T13:17:00.004-04:00

Spent a relaxing Labor Day weekend in Wilmington, NC with friends. It is always nice to get away on the water. I loved the palm tree and umbrella on the sandbar. What fun!

PAF Gallery Reception

2009-08-28T15:28:00.002-04:00

It was a beautiful evening this past Friday at the 3rd Friday event in Siler City. There was a great crowd, good music and great coffee at the local coffee shop. I enjoyed meeting all the people that came to my show. The space has been recently renovated and is a wonderful location for an artist to exhibit. If you haven't been to downtown Siler City, you should definitely make a trip. There are several galleries and artists' studios open as well as the Central Carolina Community College sculpture and ceramics studios. Hope you get a chance to see my show!

New Work for Show

2009-08-15T09:27:00.004-04:00

Here is one of the new pieces for the Arts Incubator Show

2 New Shows Coming Up!

2009-08-15T09:22:00.002-04:00

I am busy today framing some new work for 2 new shows that I am having in the area. The first is at the Cancer Center of the Randolph Hospital in Asheboro. It will be up from Aug. 18-Nov. 5. The second show will be at the PAF Gallery of the Arts Incubator in Siler City. It runs from Aug 21 - Sept. 10 with an opening reception on Friday, Aug. 21 from 6-9 PM. Hope everyone can make it!

School will be starting on Monday as well. Our NAHS chapter will be selling calendars again this year. They feature B&W student artwork and cost $5. I will have more about this when I get them ready for sale.

Wearable Art at Randolph Arts Guild

2009-07-31T10:22:00.002-04:00

Created this apron for the Wearable Art Show at the Randolph Arts Guild in Asheboro, NC. It comes with a matching pair of earrings that I also made. It should be an interesting show. The opening will be this Tuesday evening. If you get a chance, go by and look at all the art!

2009-07-28T09:26:00.000-04:00

Here is the link:

Randleman High School Talent

2009-07-28T08:57:00.004-04:00

I am proud to say that 4 of my students had their artwork published in a new book about collaborative art journals. They took part in a workshop led by friends and fellow artists David Modler and Eric Scott 3 years ago. David left an art journal with me after the workshop and asked that my students and myself work in it, then return it to him. A number of us added our artwork to his journal and then sent it back to him for other artists to add to. About 1 1/2 years ago, I sent in our images to a call for artists from L. K. Ludwig. Four images were chosen for publication. You will find their images on pages 72 & 73. It is a beautiful book, filled with images from all types of collaborative art journals. I am thrilled that some of Randleman High School student work was included. It just proves to me how talented my students are! I am including their images so you can see for yourself as well as a link to amazon if you would like to purchase this book.

2009-07-19T14:26:00.000-04:00

Just a few shots from our hike this morning off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Although short, it is pretty steep. Great view from the top. Hubby is on the left and friends from Wilmington on the right. So little time, so much to see!

Mountain Trip

2009-07-19T08:31:00.000-04:00

Up in the mountains near Blowing Rock for the weekend. Got some great shots of fungi on a stump. Hoping to get some more hiking again today.

New Series

2009-07-08T10:28:00.005-04:00

These are 2 paintings I did near the end of the week at TICA. I really liked them. I used ocean charts as the collage and a red underpainting which shows through in several places. These remind me of my trips on our sailboat.

More New Art

2009-07-06T09:59:00.003-04:00

I love the swirls in this one so I named it "Classical Swirls". I always have trouble coming up with names. If you can think of a better one, let me know.

2009-07-06T09:43:00.001-04:00

More new work from TICA. "Bubba Gump's Nightmare". Need I say more.

New Art!

2009-07-05T15:25:00.004-04:00

Here is the piece I finished next. Same basic process, but I added some stamping in this one. I try to incorporate the bits of collage into the paint so it is difficult to tell where the paper starts and the paint begins.

2009-07-05T15:18:00.003-04:00

Here is one of the first images I did at TICA. I start by finding interesting collage materials, then glue them down to start my composition. I add underpainting in a complementary color. Since I work in acrylics and like to scrapethe surface to let the underpainting peek through, I complete small areas at a time. Otherwise the paint dries too quickly and I can't scrape out areas. I finish the painting by adding small spots of color to bring out areas and add detail.

Home At Last

2009-07-05T12:43:00.002-04:00

Flew in last night from Chicago. What an amazing week! For those of you that are HS art teachers, you should definitely try to get in. Although I am exhausted, I had a great time and learned a lot about contemporary art. I have a ton of pictures to download and organize today. I will try to get some up later for all to see. I also got some new artwork finished. I am extremely happy with the last few pieces I did. I see a new direction on its way. Hope everyone had a great 4th!

So Far In Chicago

2009-06-30T16:14:00.002-04:00

Things are going well here at TICA. We get lectures on contemporary art 3 times a day. Most of the time they are quite interesting. Today at lunch we had a presentation from an artist named Sarah Sze. She does the most amazing installations! I would love to see her work in person. I am also getting a lot of time in the studio. So far I have finished 5 small paintings and gotten a lot done on the first 15 pages of a new altered book. I will try to get some pictures up later this week. I just found the computer lab in this building today so I could take some time to post. We are going to the contemporary art museum this afternoon and have another lecture tonight. Looking forward to it.

Hello from Chicago

2009-06-29T08:20:00.002-04:00

I'm at the Art Institute of Chicago this week for their Teacher Institute for Contemporary Art. So far they have kept us all very busy. We are getting lectures on contemporary art during lunch and dinner as well as studio time during the day. The city itself is beautiful! Several of us walked out to the lakefront last night. The whole area is one giant marina. The boats are so beautiful. The dorm room that I am staying in looks out over the street. The view at night with all the lights is awesome. The first night everyone was awakened by an incredibly shrill alarm. Turns out someone had burned some food in one of the rooms. Nothing like walking down 8 flights of stairs and standing on the streets of Chicago at 11 PM in your jamies! Got to go and head over to the studio building. It is behind the museum. Hope to get some new work done this week.

Relaxing

2009-06-24T17:05:00.001-04:00

Enjoying some time at the beach. Weather has been beautiful. Only rains at night.

New website is UP!!!

2009-06-18T11:43:00.002-04:00

Finally got my new website up and running. One glitch with the contact form. Will try to get that taken care of ASAP. I found the template online and fell in love with it. Not sure about the music. Let me know if you like it as much as I do. Here is the link: http://www.melissawalkerartist.com

2009-06-14T10:11:00.002-04:00

When I went to the opening of the Randolph Arts guild's juried show last week, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that one of my former students had taken 1st place. Susan Harrell has been pursuing her art ever since she left Randleman HS. Through her diligence and hard work she has achieved an amazing degree of skill with oil painting. It's rewarding to know that I had some small part in her decision to pursue art. Take a look at her winning painting. Congratulations, Susan!

Back at it

2009-06-10T17:49:00.005-04:00

Checked out my new face book fan page. Just put it up last Sunday and already I have 15 fans. If you sign up within the next 27 days you are eligible to win a free 18x24"poster of one of my paintings. Here is the link: Melissa Walker artist
I am also on twitter. Check for me there. When I get all this internet stuff working together, hopefully it will generate some interest in my work. Wish me luck!

Randolph Arts Guild Juried Show

2009-06-07T15:09:00.009-04:00

This week has been pretty busy so far. This past Tuesday I attended the Randolph Arts Guild's 27th Annual Juried Art Show. I had entered 3 pieces and received an Honorable Mention for my painting "Dreaming of Plates". It's always nice to get some recognition. As usual, there was a good crowd, although I got there a little late. The artwork was wonderful. There are some very good artists in Randolph Co.

Another school year

2009-06-02T12:06:00.003-04:00

Time flies when you are having fun, or so they say. Not sure if that applies to this past year. Insanely hectic is more like it. At least the school year is almost over. Only 3 exams to proctor. If you have never proctored an EOC or VOCATS exam in NC you don't know what you are missing. Standing, (literally) for up to 3 1/2 hours watching students take a test. You can't read, grade papers or talk. Neither can the students. If a cell phone even rings, the whole test is thrown out and everyone has to come back another day to try again. Sooo much fun! I do enjoy teaching high school students though. They always keep me on my toes.

Summer is at an end

2008-08-13T12:09:00.000-04:00

Two more days until school starts back up. I am sorry to see my summer end, but am ready to start the new year. I've been very busy this year learning about web pages and marketing. Getting back into my blog is part of that process. I have also been doing a lot of new artwork. I will try and post some soon. That's all for now. Still have lots of other things to do today.

I'm Back!

2007-11-26T12:08:00.000-05:00

Finally figured out how to get back into my blog. I decided to also change the look of it. I like this simpler version. Many things have been going on in my life, artistically. I have been making a lot of art recently. I am also giving adult level workshops along with taking some workshops for myself. In addition I have started my own web page. Now I need to figure out how to link my blog to it. Lots to work on. For now, I just want to get some picture on my new slide show feature!

ATC's finally posted

2005-11-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

The following ATC's were completed at the workshop I gave in Asheville. Everyone seemed to have a good time and encouraged me to do another workshop next year. The general consensus was that the topic be on techniques for ATC's, Artist Journals and Altered Books. These were all topics that were of interest to the art teachers present. I hope to get ATC's from 2 additional workshop participants that had to leave early. I will post those if I recieve them.

S. Blair - ATC

2005-11-14T09:24:00.000-05:00

L. Weatherington - ATC

2005-11-14T09:22:00.000-05:00

R. Vienneau - ATC

2005-11-14T09:20:00.000-05:00

S. Blair - ATC

2005-11-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

M. Peterson - ATC

2005-11-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

M. Peterson - ATC

2005-11-14T08:58:00.000-05:00

A. Craighead - ATC

2005-11-14T08:56:00.000-05:00

A. Craighead - ATC

2005-11-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

L. Weatherington - ATC

2005-11-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

L. Weatherington - ATC

2005-11-14T08:38:00.000-05:00

H. Taylor - ATC

2005-11-14T08:32:00.000-05:00

H. Taylor - ATC

2005-11-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

D. Chambers - ATC

2005-11-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

D. Chambers - ATC

2005-11-14T08:21:00.000-05:00