Spaces Between 1

I love doing these collages with tissue paper painted with acrylics. It's like quiliting, but the seat of your pants. I don't usually preplan these. This is built mainly on the design concepts of variety and repetition. At a certain point, I photograph the piece and evaluate what it needs by looking at it on the computer and adding things in Photoshop.

THIN PLACES

This collage, THIN PLACES, was created over the winter. It incorporates music and windows and circles to imply the thin place between the sacred and the earthly.

Aerials

On Wednesday I'll be putting up a show of 14 aerial paintings at Hope Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. I've always loved the view from an airplane.

Sunflowers in Nancy's Vase

Sunflowers in Nancy's Vase

All framed and ready to go. This piece will be at Fernwood 1891, a new gallery in Fennville MI

Happy Dance!

HAPPY DANCE 2

HAPPY DANCE 3

HAPPY DANCE 4

HAPPY DANCE 5

HAPPY DANCE 6

During the dark days of winter, I played with bright colors and collage to ignore what was going on outside!

show at Trinity Methodist Church

On Saturday we put up 15 of my paintings in the lounge are of Trinity Methodist Church on Lake Drive in Grand Rapids. They will stay up until the end of July. The church is open during business hours during the week and of course on Sunday!

Cancer Awareness - BE

This piece was completed after a glancing blow by breast cancer. I incorporated some of the sticky things they put on my body during a scan. I incorporated music, because singing to myself during radiation kept me sane. Also, though I don't read music, I know a command to rest when I see one!

Fernwood 1891- a new opportunity

I have been invited to be a part of a new gallery in Fennville: Fernwood 1891 which will be opening in May!

https://www.facebook.com/Fernwood1891

Studio visits by appointment

I just got word that 89 ART scene in Fennville will be closing in February. It's been a great venue to share and sell my art, but as of February 15, we're done. Not enough artists to share the expenses.

Flat River Gallery and Framing is still rolling along, but I had decided to leave there in December. I was tired of the winter night drives and some of the other details. I'm still standing by that decision.

I guess my art will have to sell online and from my studio. If you're interested in seeing my work, contact me at (616)245-1565.

IN THY DARK STREETS SHINETH

IN THY DARK STREETS SHINETH.. Virginia Wieringa 2013

This is another part of the series ADVENT STARRY NIGHT that I've been exploring for years. This one is inside Bethelhem and based on the first verse of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem'

"O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight"

MORNING STARS TOGETHER

MORNING STARS TOGETHER Virginia Wieringa 2013

I never tire of thinking about the sky on the night Christ was born. As you can see on my website I've already done nine pieces in this series. This one is based on the second verse of  'O Little Town of Bethlehem'

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to all on earth

EVERMORE AND EVERMORE

EVERMORE AND EVERMORE

CELEBRATING THE MYSTERY OF FAITH

ANGELS AND SHEPHERDS

TURTLE POND

TURTLE POND- Meijer Gardens spring 2013

UP THE HILL

UP THE HILL Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic, 2013

LOOKOUT

LOOKOUT Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic, 2013

A quick study based on experience, not reality. 24"x36".

ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY

Angels from the Realms of Glory © 2013 Virginia Wieringa, virginiawieringa.com

This is a continuation of my series on Advent nights. The others had starry nights and wisemen. This is the first with the heavenly hosts.

VIEW FROM THE SCREENED PORCH

VIEW FROM THE SCREENED PORCH, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic, 2013

Another piece fresh off the easel.

MORNING LIGHT

MORNING LIGHT, Acrylic, Virginia Wieringa, 2013

This is fresh from the studio. It's been underway for a while.

Revisiting Red Tulips

 

 RED TULIPS 2005

RED TULIPS 2013

 I went to paint over this tulip painting to reuse the canvas and wound up just tweaking the colors. This can hang around as is for a little while longer.

Hollyhock studies

Little 8"x10 studies of one of my favorite summer flowers. I can't grow them, but I love painting them.

HOLLYHOCKS

I took this 12"x24" canvas and primed over an old painting. These hollyhocks flowed onto it while I was at the gallery in Fennville- 89ARTscene- during my shift yesterday.

They didn't just show up unbidden! I've been looking at hollyhocks and sketching and brought along some photos. I've painted hollyhocks before. They are one of my favorite flowers. It was fun to complete a painting again in one sitting. I have too many incomplete projects going! This one is wired and ready to go.

Back in the game

It's been about 3 months since I worked on art in any meaningful way. After a cross country trip and encountering some lovely paintings at the Des Moines Art Center, the art wheels in my mind are turning. I had a dream about printmaking and spent the rest of the night contemplating new directions. Yesterday I spent time taking apart a painting and putting a new layer on top. It was an autobiographical piece. I have photos, I don't need the original. I have money in the frame and I'll reuse that!

Vee Gates

SABBATICAL

I'm taking a sabbatical from creating art. One definition of sabbatical is ceasing. I ceased producing art a few months ago. My hands are not idle. I'm putting energy into remodeling our home with my husband. It's good to step back and it's also good to make changes in our living space. I'm still putting time in at the galleries (Flat River Gallery and Framing in Lowell MI and 89ARTscene in Fennville). But now when I go, I bring a book.

As with all the plans that I make, God adds some twists and turns. Last Friday, the fortune in my cookie after a good Chinese meal was "More art in your life at this time will help you feel better." I wasn't feeling bad to begin with, but I got a laugh out of it. I suppose, to quote Bob Dylan "I feel pretty good, but I could feel a whole lot better." Then on Saturday someone bought a piece of my art in Fennville and offered me a commission to design an icon of St. John of the Cross. And this week, I got an invitation to submit art for the Christian calendar I've had work in the last few years (http://www.thechristiancalendar.com/).Some sabbatical!

Right now, I'd better get back in the kitchen and remove the wall paper paste that's been soaking. What a process! Just thought that some of you might be interested in this part of my art journey. Thanks.

LARGE commission

This is a 4' x5' commission I have worked on at Flat River Gallery and Framing for a few months now. The canvas was too big to work on comfortably in my studio, and it wouldn't fit in my car! Kind friends with a covered pickup were my canvas transport helpers. It's as yet untitled (something about cycles of the moon perhaps). It now hangs in a house in the woods over a magnificent fireplace in a great room with lots of windows. I am so honored to have it there. It's the largest painting I've ever done (except for some wall murals in my past). I did lots of sketches and it didn't follow the plan of any of them! It developed organically.

THE ROAD FROM THE CENTER

THE ROAD FROM THE CENTER

This is the road leaving the Franciscan Center in Lowell.

Two styles

People often remark about my diversity of styles. I love to paint loose acrylic landscapes and I also love to do more abstract mixed media pieces. Because I've been working in the Flat River Gallery and 89 ART Scene so much I've been doing more landscapes because they are more portable. I need all the tools and mess in my studio to work in mixed media and if I did transport everything, I run the risk of making a giant mess in the gallery space!

MORNING LIGHT

HEAVEN & NATURE SING 3

still blogging after all these years!

I went on a trip through memory lane. I went back in time and looked at things I've blogged over the years. April 2, 2006 was my first blogpost. It's amazing to have this record of my work over the last 7 years.

Morning

MORNING Acrylic 16" x 20" Virginia Wieringa

This is hot off the presses. I like it. I used Winsor Blue in the sky. I haven't used it before. I think it worked well. It's so satisfying to paint patches of sunlight!

sunflowers

As promised, here's a summer sunflower. It's coming!!

snow scenes

People in Michigan and elsewhere have about had it with winter. It's March 26 and we are looking for warmer breezes and no snow! So I post these two 16" x 20" paintings to get them off the list of things that haven't been posted! From here on in, it's warmer posts!

Roadside Attraction: toward the Art Deck

Roadside Attraction: Tosebo Hill

Roadside Attraction: study for Morning Light

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS: Near Hamilton

I just finished this little painting. It's 12"x24". It was inspired by a trip along the back roads of Allegan County necessitated by road work on my usual route to 89 ART scene. It's in a series of paintings I'm calling Roadside Attractions. The shadow on the barn was what made me turn around.

Crazy Paper Quilt finds a home

This collage found a home yesterday. I'm thrilled because it's a piece I love and now it will be appreciated by its new owners!

A piece in FUMC Celebration.

Forward Movement

First United Methodist Church in downtown Grand Rapids has had a juried show for 40 years called Celebration. It highlights spiritual art. This year 'Forward Movement" was selected to be in the show.

Possible

Possible 2013

This piece combines my love of circles, layers and textures.

In process since 2006

Embedded Prayer

Celestial Timing #6

These pieces are on top of paintings I thought were completed in 2006. It took until now to get the right layer! It's great to have the energy to be in the studio again!! Pain free. Praise God!

LAKESCAPES

Michigan Cove

Near Glen Arbor

My first lakescapes of 2013. Tiny. 6" x 11".  I have just the right frames for them!

RED PAPER QUILT (2013)

RED PAPER QUILT (2013)

This is my first piece out of the studio for 2013. Now to frame it and hang it at Flat River Gallery and Framing.

F&W becoming Flat River Gallery & Framing

For six years, I've been affiliated with Fire and Water ART! in Lowell. The space that was Fire and Water ART! is becoming Flat River Gallery and Framing! We're still at 219 West Main, but we're getting a facelift and new artists are joining many of the F&W artists. Deidre Wingelaar is still our framer.

We'll be having a GRAND OPENING when everything gets put into place!!


Flat River Gallery & Framing is on Facebook.

Painting again- the kitchen

Now that my knees are healing, I'm painting again. I have been in my studio and started new work and completed a few pieces, but I'm drawn to updating our living space and so teh painting this week will take place on our kitchen!

Songbook cover

Gathered Together #9  has been selected as the cover for a 3 year cycle of songbooks starting in 2014. This journey of art is really surprising! The art director of OCP found this image online. I haven't been working in this exact mixed media style for a while and it's inspired me to get my stencils back out and work into some pieces in the 'halfway done' pile. If any come up into the 'finished' category, I'll post them.