Category: NEWS

[NEWS] Welcome to 2024 !!! – Focus on Sustainability

This year I want to focus on sustainable art practice and the two major shifts that I’ve had from this past year. I realize that wanting to do it all should not be my goal but instead maintaining a practice that I can is most important right now. At the same time, I want to make progress each year for the art studio. Yearly progress will move the studio to where I need it to be for the next few years and beyond towards my career retirement.

MITs. Most Important Things. What are my “big rocks” for this year? I have been tracking my progress with quilting for 20 years in this document! Read more about my 2 major shifts for the year and about my goal areas for the year. Check out my evolution here –

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f32mdv9JGoNUBh-_vXx0dEVA5WVjPV4AP5rdb09EHNk/edit#heading=h.cefygvp9kmzs

[INSPIRATION] PEOPLE – Georgia O’Keefe (1887–1986)

fierce, independent and unapologetic

A women of my own heart

While there are so many facets to Georgia O’Keefe, I really enjoy this quote from her via the Georgia O’Keefe museum. Georgia’s life was reflective of someone who was fierce, independent and unapologetic about her life.

She was natural, authentic and ultimately lived and worked in her own truth. One can only admire these traits, whether they are born or created. For me, it has taken decades of shredding societal expectations thrust upon me. Now, I am to live as organically and intimately close to my Self as possible. This pathway informs my every move and being.

Thank you to Georgia O’Keefe for your life and your work. Thank you to the Georgia O’Keefe Museum to continuing their lovely work and homage to this most influential human being.

Note: Research is forthcoming.


[EVENT] Rochester Contemporary Art Center – RoCo 6 x 6 (online / in-gallery) | June 3 – July 23, 2023

My Digital Fabric Mini Quilts in the Show
($20 art + $5 show admission + $9 shipping = $34 each !)…Proceeds go to support RoCo events.

Helpful Reminders for Purchasing Online

  1. Click on each of my artworks in the gallery.
  2. Click “Add to Cart” on the artwork.
  3. At check out you may choose to become a member (thank you for your support)
  4. Choose shipping method: “I’ll Pick Up” or “Please Ship to Me.” ($9 US and $17 for International)
  5. Checkout with your credit card. You do not need a PayPal account to do this.
  6. After completing the checkout process and payment (major credit cards or PayPal) you will receive an email confirming your selection(s) and revealing the artist’s name(s)!
  7. If you need further assistance with the online selection and check-out process, email info@rochestercontemporary.org
  8. Pat yourself on the back! Your just supported contemporary art in Downtown Rochester!

[INSPIRATION] PEOPLE – Tina Turner (1939 – 2023)

She went after what she wanted and GOT IT

Tina…No Need to be Unhappy about Death

Born in the humblest of beginnings with little love is not an unusual childhood story. For those born of a certain time, certain part of the country, this story is the norm. What is not norm is being born into a poor black woman’s skin in Nutbush, Tennessee and being able to elevate and transport to a triumphant world star living in Zurich, Switzerland.

This physical transformation had to have been the mere side effect of a great mental, emotional and spiritual transformation. How does this happen? I suspected that Buddhism and the practice meditation had so much to do with it. Whatever it is, I want a part of it.

The most prevailing thoughts that I have around this extraordinary woman are that –

  • extraordinary is an understatement
  • she was a subject matter expert in music, singing, entertainment
  • she had an immense desire to elevate and transform herself
  • elevating her physical surroundings from living in the US to living in Europe was necessary
  • she tapped into a cosmic power to elevate from her human condition
  • she wanted, went after and got it
  • she worked for what she got unlike many in this entitled generation
  • she is happy

So, there is no need to be unhappy about the closing chapter of a human life well lived. It’s like ending a great book. When the last page is turned, if the book was compelling enough, the creative juices keep flowing as the book’s story leaves a lasting memory never to be forgotten. Tina’s book was just that compelling.

Note: Research is forthcoming


[INSPIRATION] PEOPLE – Vera Neumann (1907 – 1993)

The Lady Behind the Ladybug

Vera Neumann (1907-1993) was an American-born artist who started a design company from her kitchen table in 1947. She is best known for her extensive, prolific designs for home décor, fine art and industrial products. Her designs are full of rich, vibrant colors and expressive symbols. Her logo is recognized all over the world for its simply “Vera” title next to the distinctive, colorful ladybug.

Impact of Her Work

Vera’s designs have translated well over the years into wearables such as scarves, jackets and jewelry. You can also find her designs on bedding, tableware, glassware, ceramics and virtually any household item imaginable.  Vera believed that people should surround themselves with art.

Floral design
Scarf with infamous Vera logo on the bottom right corner

Most Famous Works

Vera was by far the most successful entrepreneur of her time. Her company the Vera Company (http://www.theveracompany.com), owns the entire collection of Vera’s designs and sells licensed items in high end stores like Bloomingdales, Nordstrom’s and Lord and Taylor.

Sketch of a sunflower design
Sketch of a floral design


What Inspires Me About Vera Neumann

I fell in love with Vera Neumann in the early ’80’s before I even knew what design was. Before I even knew my own design sensibility. As a young girl I collected images of flowers.

The vibrant colors and warm fuzzies from the subject matter dictated my love of the florals and nature in general. To me, Vera’s surface designs exhibited the life and energy that I always enjoyed when viewing florals.

On the business side, I’m inspired by the fact Vera copyrighted her designs in the Library of Congress. To date of this writing, the company has over 8,000 designs copyrighted in the Library of Congress.

-Angela

The Art and life of an Icon” by Susan Seid 
From Susan Seid book

[NEWSLETTER] FEBRUARY 2022 – Tales from the Innervision QUILT SERIES

Angela Heath ART
February 2022 News

textiles | painting | surface design

TEXTILES_Tales-of-Innervision_800w

 
During the past summer-fall months of 2021 and 2022, I’ve worked on my new mosaic textiles  (quilt) series inspired by Stevie Wonder’s album Innervisions. This album represents the 16th studio album in his illustrious career. He played all the instruments on 6 out of the 9 tracks.  Innvervisions covered a range of societal issues such as drugs, racism and inequality.   Similarly this series is called Tales from the Innervision and covers a variety of topics dealing with the realization of Self.
 
View the quilts and read the entire series statement HERE.

 

Angela

November 2020_EVENT NEWS | Safe Alliance – Art with Heart – Virtual Art Show | November 27 – December 4

Angela Heath ART NEWSLETTER
November 2020

abstract art | quilting | painting | surface design

Safe Alliance Art with Heart
Virtual Art Show
Nov. 27 – Dec. 4, 2020

This year, Safe Alliance is hosting a virtual art sale online.  I am happy to contribute my abstract acrylic painting, Subway View (20″x 16″) to this event. It is a great cause to help domestic abuse and sexual assault survivors in the Charlotte, NC area.

Visit the event website

image_safe-alliance-virtual-sales-2020

ART FOR SALE:

Subway View – $175
Acrylic Painting on Wood
20″ x 16″ x 1.5″
Click to purchase this piece

[INSPIRATION] PEOPLE – Abstract Expressionism – Norman Lewis (1909 – 1979)

making aesthetically beautiful work made a valuable contribution 
to society and culture

Artist BioIMAGE_norman-lewis

Norman Lewis (1909 – 1979) was technically the first African-American abstract expressionist painter and teacher.

He lived in Harlem all of his life and was born to Bermudian parents.  Lewis maintained studio space at the Harlem Art Center and participated (along with Jackson Pollock) in  art projects for the Works Progress Administration or WPA. The WPA was a massive effort in the 1930’s under FDR’s New Deal agency to put unemployed people back to work.

Artist Statement

Norman started painting mostly figurative art about the plight of Blacks in America with subjects like the bread lines of the poor and police brutality. Then, in the ’50’s, he switched to a more abstract style that celebrated the aesthetics of art. He often felt pressured to make works that reflected the plight of the Blacks in America. He felt that his goal of making aesthetically beautiful work made a valuable contribution to society and culture.

Most Famous Works

His most famous work is Migrating Birds which received the Carnegie International Award from the Carnegie Museum. Norman Lewis was the first African-American to receive such an award. A New York Herald-Tribune writer stated that the artwork was the most significant event in the field art for that year.

Below left is The Yellow Hat (1936); Below right is Migrating Birds (1953)

The Yellow Hat (1936)
Migrating Birds (1953)


Famous Quote

“…the goal of the artist must be aesthetic development, and in a universal sense, to make in his own way some contribution to culture.” (Norman Lewis)

Norman Lewis Retrospective

I’m so pleased to be able to attend the first comprehensive museum exhibit on Norman Lewis’ work by the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Art at the end of March. The exhibit goes on until April 3rd so I plan to just make it. Afterwards, it will travel to Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas and then onto Chicago, Illinois.

UPDATE
IMAGE_procession

Last week I received the exhibition catalog from the PAFA (Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts) show of Norman Lewis. It is a wonderfully detailed, well-written book that is a whopping 288 pages. The art pieces are in full color and many cover a full page!

In reading and researching the wonderful tidbits, I’ve learned that Norman Lewis actually had an estimated 2,500 works. In addition to paintings, sculpture and drawings, he also completed some quilts! Impressive. He was a true artistic spirit…willing to experiment with many different mediums.

What Inspires Me About Norman Lewis

I completely connect with his sentiment in making beautiful art in that I,
too, make "beautiful" work. Even though I strive to make soulful abstracts; 
over the years, I've often felt that I needed to make work that spoke to 
the problems in our society. I see many other quilters and painters doing 
that and have often felt guilty for not saying something "more 
substantial". Deep down, I feel that every artist makes a contribution. 
That is the beauty of art. Everyone has something to contribute. So, the 
beautiful scenes of Water Lillies by Monet are just as important as the 
Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. - Angela
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