painting | Beth Emmott

This is the archive for the ‘painting’ Category

Exposition Catalog and Other Bits

February 15th, 2022

Things have been pretty busy and I realized I didn’t post about the catalogs from my exposition at iMPeRFeCT Gallery this fall. I designed them and am very excited how they turned out. The exposition included both paintings and fiber work and was titled, “Beth Emmott: Places.Spaces, Paintings and Stitches”

Front Covers
Catalog Covers

and two inside spreads:

Catalog Spread Showing Paintings Sample of Fiber's Spread
Samples of Painting and Fiber Pages

If any one wants one they are 8″x 8″ and 48 pages and are available at $15.00 each plus shipping.
For more information contact me at: beth@emmott.com
Again I want to thank iMPeRFeCT Gallery for my exposition!

In the mean time, I finished the Alice Fox workshop. We used our rusty dyed fabrics in finished pieces.
Here are two of mine.

Finished Fabric Finished Fiber
“Yellow” and “Plain and Fancy”

They are small and both used old fabrics from my grandmother’s stash. The yellow bit was weighted silk that was splitting and mainly became a tie-dye from the binding it was wrapped with – there was little rusty marking. It was finished with french knots and a simple running thread. The other work consisted a piece of a cotton napkin and old patterned silk with a couched cord. It was a very fun workshop and a good distraction from the cold weather.

I’ve also gotten back to working on my one-a-day sketch book I stopped in June when I as sick and doing a lot of drawing. Now to get working on my painting!

Exhibition

November 15th, 2021

“Places-Spaces, Exhibition of Painting, Stitches, Etc”, finally took place at iMPeRFeCT Gallery after being postponed last year! It was a crazy time getting things ready on short notice and with additional room to exhibit my work but it came together and I couldn’t be more pleased! Finishing work, framing, designing the space and hanging…Then I was interviewed on Germantown radio. It was very fun. And an artist talk—I was anxious but once I got going all was fine.

Image of Stitching
Stitching

Image of Exhibition-Front Room
Front Room

Image of Exhibition-Back Room
Back Room and Hallway

I showed stitching and a series of paintings in the front room, paintings in the back room, and smaller work in the hallway. Oh, and a group of found objects such as sea shells used as small tapestry looms and some of my Tea Bag Tales, they were the “Etc.” part of the title.

Image of Exhibition-Gifts from the Sea Image of Exhibition-Illustration
Small Tapestries and Tea Bag Tales

iMPeRFeCT Gallery is a wonderful gallery run by Rocio Cabello and Renny Molenaar in Germantown, PA. Over their nine years in Philadelphia they have featured an amazing group of artists, musicians, and poets. I feel so honored to be a part of all this and to have been invited to have my exhibition here.

and now it’s October

October 19th, 2021

My last post was dated June 1st and the very next day I landed in the hospital for a week – not Covid. Then months of specialists and tests and meds which made me feel lethargic and depressed. That took me through August. Things are straightened out – as well as can be with meds which seem to work without the side effects. As a result though, I lost a summer when folks were out and about a bit and now that I’m feeling better, people are staying put more. And I wasn’t able to work- I’d go into my studio and try but ending up just sitting there. Then I found out that my exhibition which was scheduled for April 2020 has been rescheduled for this Oct 30 to Nov 27 – and the scheduled space is larger. This is a very good thing but I was very much behind. Work which was started was still on the easel etc. So September and October have been very busy! Paintings have been framed (thanks Bob) and most other things are ready except for something here and there and there, and there… Hanging begins next week and opening that Sat!

Image of Exhibition announcement
Exhibition Announcement

Catching up…

June 1st, 2021

Here it is June, and I haven’t posted here for a while. I started a new Visual Journal with which I’m having much fun. It began as an old diary which belonged to my Gram – she didn’t really use it for much more than a folder of news clippings etc. so I decided to use its pages as a surface for mixed media/visual entries – I call it a daily journal and it is but I never said the days were consecutive… I’ve been posting pages on social media – it gives me a good start to the day to get working. Each day I try to use media and imagery with out planning and just react to it as it goes along.

Image of journal page Image of soaking tea bags
Three of my pages

I’m excited to have entered a painting, Tinicum Marsh” in the Da Vinci Art Alliance group exhibition. It will run from June 3 to the 22nd with a zoom opening on the 9th. It is open by appointment if anyone wants to stop by in person. After this last year it’s so good to be able to show work in the real world!

Image of Tinicum Marsh
Tinicum Marsh Ready to Wrap

I’ve also been busy making books and starting some paintings – continuing the theme of painting where I wish I could go. But now I can start going so that’s good!

And today I’ve gotten back to weaving on my found treasures – “found objects as Tapestry Looms”.

and now it’s November

November 1st, 2020

Still haven’t been much of anywhere—oh, a visit to the dentist and to get a flu shot, and one day “down the shore”, and one afternoon to Chanticleer, another to Lancaster to buy pumpkins—which the squirrels have eaten right off my porch… and one more evening to my friends deck, bringing my own wine to sit spaced out. That’s 6 events for September and October… we are probably more cautious than many but we‘re both susceptible to infections… We do live in an area where the vast majority of people wear masks and it’s easy to get food delivered etc., so, that’s good.

And I voted, by mail—very relieved when I got back the email acknowledging its receipt. Crazy Times!!!

So, what have I been doing? Still not painting but have been working on a series of 12 drawings/watercolors of images from Scotland.

Here are 4 of the 12 images.
Drawing of Scotland

I also worked on several books.
One, an accordion book with rusty dye as a base for sketching in my garden.

and another influenced by this whole lockdown, mask wearing, distancing, covid life.
Each page flips up to reveal the inside of dealing with 2020!
Image of Lockdown 2020 Book Image of Lockdown Book 2020d
When things get crazy, I make books…

And since my exhibition was canceled—at least it hasn’t happened, I decided to create an online ecommerce shop—of works on paper, not the images from the defunct exhibition. First it took a while to photograph images, improve my filing system and organize things in general. Then, there was new software to learn and to learn how to customize the site as I want. That part if pretty much finished. Now to hook up the financial/tax/shipping bit, but… in the middle of all this we had to have a soil stack replaced—the joys of an old house—but it means there are holes in the ceiling of my studio and in a wall in a powder room, paneling ripped out on the stair landing and total mess of one bathroom—and workmen (wearing masks) in and out… almost finished so now to get back to work.

What Summer?

September 11th, 2020

Well that was June, and this is Sept. Haven’t been anywhere—3 times to a friend’s—outside— brought our own wine—and 2 normal Dr’s visits—since March!!! Hard to paint but I have done some. Images of places where I wish I was. And one lockdown portrait!

Image of Mask
Vision of 2020

I did finish the long, dyed piece with hand twisted silk cordage – added some slow seed stitching.(10.5 x71 inches)
See detail on Fiber Page.

Image of Life/Twists and Turns
Life Takes Twists and Turns

When I first did the cordage twisting, I made some using tea bag paper and got the idea of using the paper as a support for designing stamps and printing. The result is a series of 12 works called, collectively, “Tea Bag Tales” More can be seen on my Works on Paper page. This one is titled, “Beach Dreams”.

Image of Tea Bag Tales
“Beach Dreams”

Then there is always a book needing to be done and this one uses tea bag paper – some dyed, some not – and with ink. Bound with cordage made of dandelion stems and a dandelion cordage bookmark. More images of this may be seen on My Books Page.

Image of Tea Bag Book
Tea Bag Book Spread with Book Mark

I had dried the dandelions this spring and finally got around to twisting them. Some I dyed with rusty tea, some were half dyed so the twist is half dyed and half natural. Some the twist loosened a bit up as they dried, and some I weighted as they dried to try and keep their twist, and some stayed tight as they dried on their own. I love the different personalities they have.

Image of dandelion cordage
Twisted Single Dandelion Stem

I’d only picked and dried a few stems, so I’ve used my stash and can’t wait till next spring to dry more. (I’ll probably still be here locked down…)

Each project leads to another and I feel I’m ready to begin painting in earnest (if the world doesn’t get worse and spiral me into a deeper funk.) I’ve been reading a lot and enjoying the many artist interviews appearing on social media. So wonderful to see what people are doing all over the world. As I’m locked up it really helps to see others in the same situation and how they are dealing with canceled exhibitions, workshops, and lack of travel. Don’t feel quite so isolated. A life line.