The Muse Within

Compilation Exhibit Book of 5 Kentucky Artists

2011-02-22T13:39:00.005-05:00

To commemorate the Feb-March 2011 exhibit of works from 5 members of The Bluegrass Drawing Society, The Clark County Public Library has graciously put together a wonderful book of the works on display.

The BDS wishes to thank John Maruskin and Rachel Lwin for their support and contributions in supporting and promoting BDS. You can preview the book at Blurb where you can also order your own copy of this compilation.

BDS Artists featured in this compilation book are: Bill Berryman, Rebecca Chamberlain, Karen Steed, Denise Knoebel, and Cindy Williams.

Interview with Painter Jeremy Lipking

2010-10-26T08:52:00.002-04:00

This is a wonderful glimpse into the life of another great painter. I love what he says about composition. I can relate to this so much.

Novorealism

2010-10-10T20:49:00.010-04:00

A modern day master: Alexey Steele.

Thanks to artists like this incredibly talented man, there is an exciting movement afoot in the world of art. The fact that it seems to be growing is very encouraging for lovers of Classical Realism and representational art. Ateliers have been surfacing across the nation,equipping art students with the much coveted drawing and painting skills of the great masters. These skills are not nor have they ever been unattainable, though they have certainly been stifled. This is largely due to the rejection of classically trained methods in so many universities and art colleges across the globe. Alas, hope is indeed alive thanks to some modern masters like Steele. I celebrate these enigmatic Novorealists. Enjoy and marvel!

Welcome October

2010-10-01T07:53:00.006-04:00

(John Everett Millais, Autumn Leaves)

Ode to Autumn
John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the mossed cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'erbrimmed their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reaped furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, -
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing, and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Inspiration...

2010-09-21T11:01:00.020-04:00

Just the other day a friend asked me something that no one ever has before. The question was: "Out of all the works of art throughout history, which one do you wish you had created?" My first response was: How in the world can I answer such a broad question? I mean, there are at least 2 dozen within nearly every art movement that I wish I had created. It really would be impossible.

With this question weighing on my mind, I thought it would be fun this week to see if I could pull a handful out to share. I somehow managed to think of five works under the umbrella of the Pre-Raphaelite movement ( my favorite period in art) that I seem to keep coming back to for inspiration. These really don't begin to scratch the surface but they are some that I certainly wish I had created.

In no particular order:

( Ophelia John Everett Millais)

(The Lady of Shalott John Waterhouse)

( Veronica Veronese Dante Gabriel Rossetti)

(Tree of Forgiveness Edward Coley Burne-Jones)

(Night and Sleep Evelyn De Morgan)

All Things Equine

2010-09-09T22:42:00.006-04:00

( Mother and Child pen and ink 2010)

All of Central Kentucky is abuzz with the Alltech World Equestrian Games approaching. To commemorate this event, an arts organization that I’m involved with, Stoner Creek Arts, is hosting a wonderful exhibition. It is the Annual Creative Harvest festival which will be held at The Hopewell Museum in Paris, Kentucky. This year the theme is “All Things Equine”. Last year was my first time at Creative Harvest and I was completely blown away with the massive turnout and warm reception for the artists. This year, I have one piece, Mother in Child, in this show. It was such a blessing the day I dropped my drawing off because I got a glimpse at some of the other pieces in the exhibition. I am truly humbled and honored to be in such great company. Central Kentucky really is the place to find the world’s greatest Equine artists. I felt inspired just being in the same room with these talented folks. I hope to have a few photos to post next week of this exciting exhibit. Until then, have a wonderful weekend and please come to Kentucky this fall for all the World Equestrian events!

Inspiration Tuesdays

2010-08-31T09:39:00.012-04:00

( Amaryllis Minerva 2010 by Rebecca Chamberlain)

I absolutely adore Botanical Illustration and have wanted to take a course dedicated exclusively to this art form for ages but could never find one that fit both my budget as well as my schedule. So, I found one online( will post more about that experience as it unfolds) and decided to take the plunge. Though I've toyed with this kind of illustration for awhile now ( see above pen and ink drawing), I have so much to learn. Well, there's no time like the present, right?

With all that said, there is one artist in particular that I discovered last year whose work I find incredibly inspirational. Her skill is exceptional but perhaps even more impressive to me is that she has mastered colored pencil in a way that boggles the mind. I purchased her book Botanical Painting With Colored Pencil about 6 months ago and love everything about it, especially since I'm more comfortable with pencils than brushes. Who is she? Her name is Ann Swan. Her credentials blow me away especially her membership in the Society of Botanical Artists( no small feat) and the Society of Floral Painters. I know that she has taught workshops in some US cities so if you would like to try your hand at botanicals, and hear her name mentioned, run to sign up. They do fill up fast. For those who can't make it to one of her workshops, just look at her site, order her book, and marvel!

Inspiration Tuesdays

2010-08-24T18:42:00.012-04:00

One of my favorite things to do online is to search not only for unique artist’s blogs but also for web sites that really offer something inspiring. Just today, I googled one of my favorite illustrators, Walter Crane. When I did this, I ran across one such site where I explored all the wonderful links provided there and am in awe of the collections to be found at this amazing locale. The site is the Digital Library of Illuminated and Illustrated Books. Can I hear the collective sighs from artists and lovers of book illustration across the blogosphere or is that just me? ;) Perhaps you’ve already stumbled upon this fantastic site and I have been living under a proverbial rock by not knowing that it was around. If that’s the case, where have I been? Nevertheless, this link has secured a permanent place under the ‘Links to Inspire’ tab on my side bar. Hum, perhaps this will be a weekly feature then...How about Inspiration Tuesdays? It might be nice to spotlight special sites that might help to get the creative juices flowing. We can all use that every now and then, right?

Back to information about the site- This fantastic library has been lovingly created by Alfredo Malchiodi, Anita Malchiodi, and Carlos Alonso Cabezas. Let me extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to these three for creating such a wonderful place to view some of the most beautifully detailed examples of 19th century Victorian and Arts and Crafts illustrations to be found in one location. I absolutely love this site and will certainly be making weekly visits for some much needed inspiration. Do yourself a favor and take a look at some of the offerings to be found there. You won’t be sorry!

Sold

2010-08-15T16:15:00.013-04:00

( Angel of Mercy )

( Proclamation )

Saying goodbye to a drawing can be incredibly difficult for me. Two of the hardest works to let go of have been two of three conte` angels that I’ve made. One, my first attempt at conte`, belongs to Guidepost magazine to possibly be used in a “future” feature in their angel art gallery but the other two were sold this summer at the same show. I had never exhibited the originals before even though I made the drawings in 2007. I sold note-cards at Parish Christmas bazaars. I also sold them at art fairs and in a gift shop but never had the originals appear in public. Why? Was I displeased with them? No, I loved( still do) them and I loved working with conte` which gave them the old world feel that I adore so much. No, it was because, well, they were my angels and I kept the originals close by to inspire me. They represented celestial guidance, protection and direction, which I desperately need in all areas of my life but especially when creating. The visuals reminded me to be grateful for the rich blessings all around me even when I might sink into bouts of self-centeredness. So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I dropped them off at the first show where they made their debut. They got a lot of attention and several people commented on how much they would love prints or note-cards but they did not sale that evening or over the month they were on exhibit. Okay, I’ll admit it. I was a bit relieved. I felt that meant they were destined to come back home with me to keep inspiring. Still, they had generated a lot of interest so I made a mental note to re-photograph them to make better quality prints and cards.

A few months later, my one woman show rolled around and I was hesitant to send them along. The curator of the gallery asked me to include them so I agreed and dropped them off with 18 other pieces I had ready to go. I felt certain they would once again come home with me. They had to, right? We were destined to be together forever. However, this time both originals sold on opening night of the exhibit. Not only that but I had two people vying for Angel of Mercy and another gentleman had his checkbook in hand, heading towards the curator, on a mission to purchase Proclamation. It had literally just sold. I stood watching all of this take place, far removed from the chatter of wine glasses, laughter, background music and reverie taking place all around me in the gallery. This may sound odd but the emotions I experienced ranged from absolute bliss to profound loss. Then it continued when I received commissions for more angels. I had a lady call me “the angel artist”. As flattering as that was, I’ve always resisted being categorized in such a way. I suppose that’s why I explore so many different subjects. Yet, time and time again, the Angelic/Ethereal pieces seem to speak to me and I feel very connected to them. They are just so intimate and personal.

Some other artist friends and I have discussed this strange loss that we experience. I think it’s safe to say that most of us view our artwork as our “children” but find it much easier to let some pieces go than others. I wonder about other blogging artists out there. I wonder which ones mean the most to them and what did they go through when their special “child” or “children” left them for a new home. Feel free to share if this applies to you.

The Muse Within

2010-08-05T12:45:00.031-04:00

Artist's Statement:

“ Above all, art is a never ending process in which you learn something valuable with every creation that you bring forth. My first love has always been drawing. A pencil or pen is so pure and honest. I’m amazed by what can be achieved with line, stippling and value progression. There is an immediacy and purity there which captivates me unlike any other art form."

Welcome to The Muse Within. In the coming months I will be posting drawings, illustrations and paper cuttings from my portfolio. This site will also feature art history articles, essays, exhibits and other musings from my studio. This is where I hope to connect with those who love and want to learn more about the creative process. Above all, it is to be a place where all are welcome to visit.

My website, www.rebecccachamberlainart.com, is in the process of being published. It will hopefully be completed by mid week, around August 11Th.

The first image featured here, Nouveau Butterly, is from a series of Art Nouveau-inspired pieces that I made in late April. The idea came from some designs that I saw in turn of the century wrought iron fences. Every single pen and ink piece that I make with the combination of line, scrolling design, and dot is heavily influenced by Aubrey Beardsley's work. I am completely captivated and drawn to his illustrations and find that most of my latest pieces, even paper cuts, have these characteristics incorporated in them in some way.

This illustration was made with Faber Castell pens on Arches cold pressed acid free watercolor paper. The size is 5" x 7". For purchase information please use the contact email on the sidebar.