Hunter Art

2012-01-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

The Brain Series:
A series illustrating how various parts of ourbrain impact our behavior and vice versa

This post will be updated with new work soon. Stay tuned or chose to be notified via email by completing this brief form: http://eepurl.com/OUkJ

Click on the blog links below the images to read more about the work.

All rights reserved (c) Michelle Hunter

Creative commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Brain Rhythm (c) 2011 Michelle Hunter http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-brain-painting-brain-rhythm-24x24.html

Zzzzzzz (Sleep) (c) 2011 Michelle Hunter
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-painting-nap-time.html

First Aid (c) 2011 Michelle Hunter
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-painting-first-aid.html

Don't You Remember? (c) 2010 Michelle Hunter
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/12/new-painting-dont-you-remember.html

Caffeine Headache (c) 2010 Michelle Hunter
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/10/caffeine-headache.html

Past, Present, Future or Dreaming (c) 2010 Michelle Hunter
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-painting-which-image-matches-your.html

Participating in CurateNYC at Rush Arts Gallery in Chelsea

2011-12-06T04:36:00.001-08:00

Hello there,

I'm pleased to share with you my experience with CurateNYC. My brain painting "Don't You Remember" was among the 150 winning artworks out of over 1,500+ submissions. The postcard of the painting is on display at Rush Arts Gallery (526 W. 26th street Suite 311) in Chelsea. View my submission profile here on the CurateNYC website.

Haven't heard of CurateNYC? Well it's a program supported by New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Full Spectrum Experience, Inc. run by Brian Tate and Danny Simmons.

Submissions were for NYC residents only and we were only allow to submit one piece of artwork. It was thanks to twitter that I learned about the opportunity...and impending deadline. So the on the last day of submissions, I completed by application and chose to include my painting on the brain and memory "Don't You Remember". About two weeks later, I received an email saying my piece was chosen for the group show.

The juried show was judged by:
Rashida Bumbray
Assistant Curator
The Kitchen,

Denise Carvalho
Art Critic, Independent Curator & Scholar
DeniseCarvalho.com,

Heng-Gil Han
Visual Arts Director & Curator
Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, New York
jcal.org

Shantrelle P. Lewis
Independent Curator & Educator
Director of Exhibitions & Public Programming
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute
facebook.com/pages/Shantology

amani olu
Independent Curator & Writer
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Humble Arts Foundation
mrandmrsolu.com

Ed Patuto
Executive Director
Issue Project Room
issueprojectroom.org

Jose Ruiz
Artist & Independent Curator /
Founder
Furthermore
joseruizart.com

Sarah Schmerler
Critic, Educator & Curator
sarahschmerler.com

Adriana Teresa
Publisher & Editor
Visura Magazine
Co-Founder
FotoVisura & Visura Media
visuramagazine.com

Read the write up on HuffingtonPost "Curate NYC Unveils 150 Winning Works of Art"

Michelle Hunter showing her piece to Full Spectrun Experience, Inc and Rush Arts Gallery Director Brian Tate

Photos by Noah Xifr (www.facebook.com/noahxarts)

Participation in Mobrit Society's Season One Finale [Video]

2011-11-22T15:42:00.001-08:00

Hello all,

In a prior post from April, I wrote about my "Brain Painting Wins Top Prize at Social Tapestry hosted by Mobrit".

Their monthly winners were then invited to show one piece of artwork for their Season One finale which took place Friday November 4th at Hype Lounge in NYC.

Instead of showing "Don't You Remember?" I chose to show "First Aid". Hosted by Drago, the event begun with artist introductions with each of us entering the spot light and talking for a couple of minutes about the work we chose to show. After all artists were introduced, we all went back in front of the crowd to answer any questions the audience may have had.

There was the voting component too! Nearing the end, guests were asked to text their favorite artist of the evening to a SMS number. Results were announced within the next day or two. I was tied for 2nd. Not bad and hey, it was a fun filled experience.

If you didn't make it, you should watch this 4minute art episode by fellow exhibiting artist and friend Marthalicia Matarrita . There's no audio (you had to be there) but a beautiful soundtrack. At the 2 minute mark, you can see clips of each of the artists taking our turn speaking in front of the crowd. Watch the video, it's well done in my opinion with a nice soundtrack.

Stay tuned for an in progress post on the 7th painting in my brain series addressing depression.

Regards (and keep in touch!),
Michelle
info@hunterart.com
http://www.facebook.com/hunterart
http://www.twitter.com/artcoholic

New Brain Painting: Brain Rhythm | 24"x24" | Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

2011-10-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

It's DONE!!! Finally!!!!

I'm very happy to introduce you to the 6th painting in my Brain Series.


(c) Michelle Hunter 2011 Brain Rhythm 24"x24" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

This painting came a long way. Things were smooth sailing until I hit the part with the grill. Did not anticipate having to make soooooooo many circles and how long that process was going to take. Let me first take a couple of steps back.

In the Beginning....

The concept, in general, was to paint what parts of the brain are most active when it comes to music. While doing further research, I learned that different parts of the brain become active when doing different musical activities: listening, playing (instrument) and reading.

An object that brought those components together for me was the speaker. What's music without being able to hear it? Also sheet music is the way to capture the details of a piece so it's able to be recreated. A speaker and sheet music, along with the brain, were the pieces I wanted to put together in a way that felt right. Given how a speaker is made of layers, having the brain at the center surrounded by wavy sheet music underneath a grill/mesh became the composition.

Brain Rhythm [Detail]

The Brain and Music

The concept in general was to paint what parts of the brain are most active when it comes to music.There are areas both in the outer cortex and inner brain that are connected to our experience of music. For this painting, I focused on the outer area:

Prefrontal Cortex (yellow): When you are listening to music, ever have an experience where something didn't "sound right"? Perhaps you feel that a beat was missed.

After a few bars of music, you begin expecting a certain pattern to repeat correct? Thank your prefrontal cortex's ability to sense when something is off.

Motor Cortex (green): Here controls when you are tapping your foot and bopping your head. It's an especially important area of the brain if you are a musician as you need the ability to control time movements.

Sensory Cortex (purple): Which string to strum on a guitar, keys on a piano, maneuvering a violin etc requires an acute sense of touch.

Auditory Cortex (blue): This area of the brain becomes alive when we hear music. It holds information pertaining to pitch and tones.

Visual Cortex (pink): Involving sight when reading music and watching performers. If you are like me and are not a musician but catch yourself imagining yourself on stage, the visual cortex helps get your imagination flowing.

Tell me what you think...don't be shy :)

Michelle Hunter
info@hunterart.com
http://www.facebook.com/hunterart
Hunterart Line: 646-504-5034
Twitter: Artcoholic

Brain series (so far):
Painting 1: Past, Present, Future or Dreaming
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-painting-which-image-matches-your.html

Painting 2: Caffeine Headache
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/10/caffeine-headache.html

Painting 3: Don't You Remember?

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/12/new-painting-dont-you-remember.html

Painting 4: First Aid

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-painting-first-aid.html

Painting 5: Zzzzzzz (Sleep)

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-painting-nap-time.html

My Interview with C3Stories

2011-10-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there,

Recently, C3Stories began releasing 3 minute videos as part of its Story-on-Story project with resident artists, film makers, composers and other artists living in the New York City area. We are artists that are making the time to do what we are passionate about even if we have day jobs and other responsibilities. Is that something you can relate to?

View my interview below. Hear in my own words what I struggle with and what advice I have to offer to other artists out there that feel that they can't make the time to do what they love.

[Should play automatically]

StoryonStory_Michelle_Hunter from C3Stories on Vimeo.

It's a great project and I recommend you visit C3Stories website at http://www.c3stories.com/c3s-story-on-story. See what other artists are up to, in their own words.

Regards,

Michelle

http://www.facebook.com/hunterart

Connect with me on Facebook and LinkedIn

2011-09-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hello there!

Are you on either? Let's connect!

Recently I've created my Facebook Fan Page as well as a LinkedIn profile for my art.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hunterart
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterart

On my Facebook page, I just added a video discussing the progress on my next brain painting. Check it out!

Have feedback, share when me :-)

Have a good day!

Regards,
Michelle

Work in Progress Shots: Brain and Music, 24" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas

2011-08-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

It's been some time since the last painting update but I haven't been idle. Below I would like you to see progress pics of my upcoming painting on the Brain and Music.

The composition is a speaker where within it is the brain and sheet music.

Within the brain will be sections that are most active when either listening or playing music. Those sections will be highlighted with different colors and explained in the next blog post when the painting is completed.

Around the brain will be sheet music. The notes themselves are pretty random and aren't from any particular song. The sheet music is wavy which is meant to show the flow of music and help draw the viewer into the painting.

On top of all the elements within the speaker will be the mesh/grill. It'll cover the entire painting. Lots and lots and lots of little circles.

Because of all those circles, completing the painting has taken longer than expected. But I think it'll be pretty damn cool once it's done. Stay tuned!

Regards,
Michelle

Visiting the Brain on display at AMNH was so much fun!

2011-07-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Those of you in NY may be aware that the American Museum of Natural History is showing a special brain exhibit called "Brain: The Inside Story." It's running through August 2011 and I highly recommend it. I was fortunately enough to check it out and it was a ton of fun:

A fun visual representation of how sensitive different parts of our body are. The larger on this model, the more sensitive.

I'm in possession of a Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain model.

Doing a thorough check of this neuron that send our brains instructions to the rest of our body.

Best of all, a couple of more brain ideas regarding concepts and detailing came to mind. Pun intended. Stay tuned!

Regards,
Michelle
Follow @artcoholic

New Painting: Nap time!!

2011-05-19T03:06:00.000-07:00

Zzzzzzz (Sleep)

20" x 20"

Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

Now if you know anything about me, other than I'm an artist, you would know that I LOVE sleep. Sleep is awesome and one of the best things in the world. So doing a painting on the brain and sleep was particularily interesting to me.

The Concept
We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping,so this is a topic we all can relate to. Sleep not only feels good for its relaxing nature but it is crucial for brain development and dealing with what we encountered while awake.

Detail: Zzzzzzz (Sleep)
(c) Michelle Hunter 2011

Hippocampus (yellow) - Stores our short term memory. So when we sleep, that information is transfered into our cortex which holds long term memory.

Prefrontal cortex (front of the brain) - Ever been awake for too long? Brain feels heavy and screaming for sleep? If you pay it a little attention, that screaming may feel concentrated at the front of the brain. The prefrontal cortex is sensitive to sleep deprivation. It is also highly active while dreaming.

Thalamus (middle of green) - In order for our brain to proceed processing information taken in during the day, the brain needs to shut off outside stimuli. That happens thanks to thalamus. If someone doesn't respond to what you may say or do to them while they are asleep, they are busy processing...so stop bothering them.

Pineal gland (back middle of green area) - produces melatonin. When produced, we get sleepy. Light reduces the production of melatonin so if you're trying to fall asleep but a light is on or TV, good luck.

Hypothalamus (front middle of green) - is what naturally signals us for when it's time to sleep and when it's time to wake up.

Brainstem (bottom of green) - those wakey wakey signals from the hypothalamus travel through the brainstem to the rest of our body to get us moving (and in some cases, we may just move into another position to fall back asleep).

The Colors
Well I took a picture of my bed with the lights out so I can try to get a sense of how the pillows and sheets looked in the dark. I put some free weights on the pillow to see how impressions were made as if ones head was laying on the pillow. That resulted in most of the painting being blacks and blues.

Since the focus of the painting is the brain I decided to have the brain fairly 'bright' since it's still very active while all else is calm. The colors used, orange, green, yellow, red were a nice complement to the blacks and blues used for the rest of the painting.

No Face! WHY?
Well of course the painting isn't about the face; we all sleep so it doesn't matter who the is person that's in bed. No need to try to guess who it would be, who they may remind you of or try to critique their face. So, no face. Yet I wanted to show that it is human being in bed, so I show some shoulders and the neck which then fades to the pillow s/he/it is resting on. It then resumes at the brain.

======================================================================
Check out pictures of this painting while it was forming by visiting this blog post: http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2011/05/wip-brain-painting-no5-on-brain-and.html

======================================================================

ALL feedback is welcome, there are tons of ways to reach me. Also feel free to share this with others you feel would want to see it.

Thanks for reading!! Until next time....

~Michelle

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/

info@hunterart.com
Hunterart Line: 646-504-5034
Twitter: Artcoholic
GTalk: mkh9781 or uniqueh

====================================================================

Brain series (so far):

Painting 1: Past, Present, Future or Dreaming

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-painting-which-image-matches-your.html

Painting 2: Caffeine Headache

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/10/caffeine-headache.html

Painting 3: Don't You Remember?

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/12/new-painting-dont-you-remember.html

Painting 4: First Aid

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-painting-first-aid.html

WIP Brain Painting No.5 on the Brain and Sleep

2011-05-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hello!!

This post is to share with you in progress shots of the next painting in the Brain series focusing on the Brain and Sleep. I have plenty of research experience in this area as all of you. In case you didn't know, we spend about a third of our life sleeping and it's something we certainly cannot live without.

So what's happening in our Brain when we dose off? Well I'll get into that when I post the finished painting (which will be soon). Until then here are some shots of the piece in progress. ENJOY!

: WIP #1 (c) Michelle Hunter

: WIP #2 (c) Michelle Hunter

: WIP #3 (c) Michelle Hunter

: WIP #4 (c) Michelle Hunter

: WIP #5 (c) Michelle Hunter

: My palette

: WIP #6 (c) Michelle Hunter

: WIP #7 (c) Michelle Hunter

: WIP #8 (c) Michelle Hunter

: WIP #9 (c) Michelle Hunter

: WIP #10 (c) Michelle Hunter

~Michelle

Brain Painting Wins Top Prize at Social Tapestry hosted by Mobrit

2011-05-06T05:17:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I wanted to share some great news with you! Last Thursday I participated in the pretty cool Social Tapestry 1 night arts event hosted by Mobrit.

Including myself, there were 3 artists featuring 1 work of art. What I liked about the format was that each artist got on stage and had the time and audience attention to explain their work, where they are at as an artist, and answer any questions from the welcoming crowd.

Other featured artists included Loana Amira and live abstract artist James Shields (http://www.creativeshields.com , @creativeshields). The musical guest was the incredibly talented Obed Jean Louis . Check out some of his music here: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kBMshOgDvc)

Audience members were allowed to vote via ballot what work of art, after all the artist presentations, would win Best in Show for the evening. As you can see by the picture in this post, I was the fortunate winner of the evening!!

Know of other art exhibiting opportunities around New York City? Please let me know! I would like to help spread the word, attend as a guest and/or exhibit my braaaaaaains :)

Best regards,
Michelle

New Painting: "First Aid"

2011-03-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

First Aid

20" x 20"

Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

Hello everyone....can I get you a drink? It's on me ;)

I'm pleased to share with you my latest painting titled "First Aid".

Want to see pictures of this painting from beginning to end? (7 new pictures added) Click here to view my previous blog post: http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2011/03/work-in-progress-shots-of-first-aid-20.html

While some titles for paintings don't come to me pretty easily, this one came into my head before I was done with painting the outline for the composition I scrapped.

Most of the time, getting a drink feels like putting on a band-aid on to help cover up whatever is going on. Whether you:

Had a long day and feel like you want to unwind,
Are dealing/coping with something personally,
Wanting to avoid something (emotionally or physically),
May feel out of place without a drink in your hand,
Want the courage to do something you wouldn't typically do while sober
Feel free to add to this list based on your own experience

What's a quicker fixer-upper than a drink?!

Having the setting for the painting within a bar seemed natural. I chose to use a shot glass instead of a regular glass because a shot gets straight to the point - nothing to sip or savor here.

The label on the bottle was a clear place to put a red cross.

As your liquor of choice is being poured into the glass, certain parts of the brain imprinted on the glass are becoming activated:

Cerebral cortex: This is the outermost part of the brain where you process thoughts and where consciousness resides. When alcohol is introduces, it is here where processing of information from the senses like your eyes, ears, touch, etc become inhibited. Here is also where you become unable to think clearly and start to think more slowly.

Cerebellum (round part at the base of the brain): Here controls out center of movement and balance. Alcohol leaves us off balance and/or staggering.

Hypothalamus and pituitary: This region coordinates automatic brain functions and hormone release. As you drink, the nerve centers in the hypothalamus that control sexual arousal become pressed down and strained. So while your sexual urge may increase, your sexual performance declines. It's a little hard to see but there are clutters of gender symbols in the shadow of the glass.

Medulla (lower part of the brain stem): The impact of alcohol on this area of the brain results in sleepiness, perhaps you feel a chill and/or notice your breathing slowing. The medulla controls such automatic functions like breathing, consciousness and body temperature.

Source: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/alcoholism4.htm

Now my most difficult area for me of this painting was painting glass (the shot glass and bottle) especially since both are clear. That's what delayed me the most because I didn't want to mess it up. Through some help from Twitter, and me getting out of my head, it only took me a couple of days to finish the piece. I'm very proud of it.

So, with all that said, CHEERS!

Regards,
Michelle
====================================================================

Painting 3: Dont' You Remember?

http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/12/new-painting-dont-you-remember.html

Work In Progress Shots of "First Aid" 20" x 20" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

2011-03-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

OK I've been taking WAY TOO LONG to finish what will be the fourth installment of my BRAIN series. Excuses I care to share include laziness and mind driven fear of painting an image of glass (though skillfully I knew I could) which then lead to procrastination.

FINALLY, I've gotten out of my head and in front of my easel to bring you 6 progress shots of "First Aid". Click on the images to get a larger view.

Details/reasoning into the composition will be included in a blog post when the piece is finished. In the meantime, feel free to speculate and share your feedback....you know how to reach me.

Regards,
Michelle

See the finished painting here!!

New Painting: Moon Eye [tentative title]

2010-12-28T04:43:00.000-08:00

Moon Eye

12'' x 48''
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

Greetings to you!

I'm happy to share with you my latest completed painting which is yet to be officially named. It was started back in early/mid 2009 and was set aside for quite some time with a few other paintings that are unfinished.

Now, I love sharing the back story of my paintings with you, however for this one, I can't really remember what sparked the idea [click here for a little more insight into my memory]. At the time, I was working on pieces that were all different from one another so this is the only painting I've done in this style.

I Did It Because I Wanted To Do It

Though I don't remember what it was inspired by, I can tell you how it was done. I took a picture of myself with a fan covering half of my face. The fan was what I had used as part of my Geisha costume for Halloween back in 2007. I liked the picture but I wanted it to be different but using some bright colors as if it was a negative of a picture. With a little GIMP magic, I altered the original photo by introducing some blues and greens.

Full Moons

Doing that also created an option for what to do with my eye. I originally thought I would paint my eye as is but quickly realized that the negative of something black/dark brown is something very light. Then what came to mind was the moon. There are evenings of the full moon when it is incredibly bright in the dark night sky. So why know paint my eye as the moon!

I tucked my other eye away behind the shadow of the fan. With all that, here is a really cool painting (in my biased opinion :-))

If you want to, you are more than welcome to let me know your thoughts on it (info@hunterart.com)!

Until the next painting announcement, I wish you all the best and a Happy and Joyful New Year!!!

Best regards,

Michelle

Special shoutout to Mr. Chuck Lau for taking photos of my latest completed works! Check out his photography portfolio by visiting http://chucklau.smugmug.com/

New Painting: "Don't You Remember?"

2010-12-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

Don't You Remember?

39'' x 16''

Acrylic and Wire on Stretched Canvas

With this third painting in my Brain series, I explore memory.

How's your memory?

I know mine isn't as sharp as I would like it to be. Sometimes I remember something with little effort yet most of the time, it takes several links being connected for a memory to come back. There are times as well when I wouldn't recall something at all. I know at least that I have plenty of company when it comes to such things.

Trying to concentrate on the task at hand.

The composition for this painting came together fairly quickly. Minimal colors or distractions. Painting the brain as wire and including my hands were always in the original idea. Hanging the brain from a wire freed up my hands to work on connecting remaining wires.

Sometimes recalling one instance can lead to similar memories surfacing.

I've represented the brain using wire. Real wire is actually incorporated into the piece as well. The twisted wire is attached from the top of the canvas and ends at the top of the brain. I chose to represent the brain with wire because I feel that connections need to be made for a memory to surface. Showing that wires are linked or bonded together is done by painting 2 or more wires twisted together throughout the brain structure.

Friends give clues, I try to make the connection

You'll see that there are parts of the wire that are not connected. I chose to include my hands trying to connect those wires. This is how I'm representing the effort it takes for me to recall some things. Places, dates, people are some clues that help remind me of something that happened.

There is a reason the wires are disconnected at the bottom part of the brain: Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe, houses the part of the brain that controls memory called hippocampus. It happens to be located in the southern hemisphere of the brain. Therefore that seems like an appropriate area to have the wires disconnected. Of course my paintings are not trying to be anatomically accurate but it's interesting to learn more about how the brain works during the progression of this series.

As usual, here are some in progress shots:

Work in progress post: (wired brain) #3 in the Brain series

2010-11-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

While I continue to work towards completing at least one painting a month, I wanted to keep you posted on what I've been up to on a fairly regular basis.

Here are a couple of in progress pics of my latest painting (title to be determined):

The third painting in my Brain series involves a brain that is both made from and hanging from wire. Through a good friends suggestion, real wire will be incorporated into the piece. It will at least be what the brain is hanging from. An idea for how it would be attached to the canvas was found while visiting artist studios in hoboken recently. It will be a cool addition to the piece (thanks Kathleen for the idea).

The hands in the painting are my own. I haven't decided what my sleeves will be. The sketch on canvas of my hands were done on casting a shadow over the canvas, so my right hand sketched the sillouhette of my left hand and my left hand managed to sketch my right hand. Adjusting the distance between my hand and the canvas was an easy way to get the hands the size i wanted them to be in the painting. At some point I'll take a picture of my hands in those positions so I can paint the detail when the time comes.

Explanation of why the brain is made of wire will be included in my post once the painting is completed (aiming for the end of this month). Stay turned and thank you for our interest in my work- I greatly appreciate it!

~Michelle

Brain series (so far):
Painting 1: Past, Present, Future or Dreaming
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-painting-which-image-matches-your.html

Painting 2: Caffeine Headache
http://hunterart.blogspot.com/2010/10/caffeine-headache.html

Caffeine Headache

2010-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Me: Hi...My name is Michelle
Audience: Hi Michelle
Me: Hi. I've been addicted to caffeine and didn't even realize it until I started getting these migraines....

And that folks is the inspiration for this latest painting called "Caffeine Headache."

Caffeine Headache

24'' x 24''

Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

Have you experienced these headaches? For me, I used to usually have one cup of coffee during the week at work. Thought nothing of it. Every now and then I would get migraines either late in the afternoon and/or on the weekends. Then they began to happen frequently enough over the course of several months where I became concerned and wanted to figure out what the cause was. So, I began to keep track of them and noticed they occurred when I didn't have coffee yet that day. Migraines suck and I was happy to finally figure out the cause so I can determine how to proceed. The solution, for me, was to cut back significantly on the coffee and why not create a painting too.

Here we have a cup on a table where the brain throbbing so much that it's cracking what confines it. The brain is also warm and starting to overheat. What is draining from the cup is up for discussion. Initially I intended it to be coffee. After sharing the work with a friend, they thought it was brain fluid. Interesting interpretation. So the fluid is what you make of it. If coffee, then I feel that my brain is wanting to get rid of what it doesn't need. If brain fluid...then I better stop whatever it is that I'm doing to myself!

As always, I love to hear your thoughts if you care to share them: mhunterart@gmail.com

Lastly, here are just a couple of in progress pics [please give it a moment to load]. Unfortunately, earlier shots of the painting were lost when I lost my camera. Enjoy!!

New Painting: Which image matches your state of mind?

2010-08-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

There are various states of mind which we could find ourselves at any moment of our life. Yet, which is the one we can control and act upon in our reality? The past, present, future or dreaming?

In my opinion, the past and future are useful states of mind only when referred to as needed, not lived in. Dreaming (day or night) is another form of escaping this moment of reality, avoiding what's real.

With that said, I present this new painting to you.

Present, Past, Future or Dreaming

20'' x 24''

Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

I chose rubix cubes because I feel it represents how our minds are nearly always in flux while there are moments when things may feel connected either just because or something was achieved. The rods connecting the four cubes reflect that.

Have you tried solving a rubix cube, think you solved it when you see one side was solved, but then you turn it around to find that another color was out of place? Another area to be resolved. That is represented here by the colors on the front of the cube matching. In these various states on mind, we are achieving something or getting something out of it (to escape, pulling references to help with a situation, remembering what it is that we want to look forward to). In a way we are rationalizing that train of thought and perhaps not recognizing that the nothing can be acted on in these other states, but at least the colors match from what I'm allowing myself to see.

Now what's the deal the the scrambled brains? Well I asked earlier in this post, which state of mind is the one we can control and act upon in our reality? I hope your answer was the present, this is where your brain, your mind, is in a state to be of most use or at its near full potential. Could it reach that in any other state of mind? The other images are then representing the mind in its non-actionable state. Whatever was sought after in the part, escaped from in dreaming or looking forward to in the future aren't useful if you are not either immersed, aware, or enjoying the present.

An example would be riding the train. What's going through your head? Thinking about where you are coming from, where you are going, what you are going to do when you get there, daydreaming, etc. What does any of all that though have to do with the present? Are you able to be present and just enjoy the ride?

~Michelle Hunter

Here are some in progress shots for you:

Some drawings from Central Park done on a beautiful NYC day

2010-08-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

This past Saturday, I finally attended an event hosted by the Central Park Sketching and Art Meetup Group. We met at Fredrick Douglas Avenue and 110th street where over 10 artists began doing some warm up sketches of whatever was around us as we waited for more people to arrive. Here is as far as I got with my warm up sketch of a nearby lamp post.

After about 10 minutes after I arrived, the group begins our venture to The Blockhouse.

At this spot we spent about an hour and a half and did two sketches in that time. After each sketching session, everyone lines up their sketch books so we can check out each other's work.

The next two drawings are those I did at the Blockhouse. For the first one, I focused on a hole in one of the walls which was probably used as a lookout point. I wanted to focus on that opening, getting a glimpse of what was behind the brick wall.

The second sketch was of the iron gated door which was the entrance to the structure. Many sketchers chose this spot for their first sketch. It was certainly an interesting spot so I wanted to take a crack at it as well. Instead of just drawing the door, I wanted to look more within the door. Therefore I spent more time on the brick wall beyond the door.

Honestly, I haven't been a big fan of sketching. I would rather paint. That provides more 'instant' gratification due to it being more freeing and comfortable. This experience was really nice though to be in group setting exploring new areas of the Park.

While drawing there's no time so for me, I get caught up in capturing what's in front of me and I'll work on it until I'm satisfied. It was such a beautiful Saturday in NY too that it was just a great experience to be among fellow artists capturing our perspective of what was around us.

Below is the last sketch done with the group at The Ravine near the northern end of the park. I didn't know there was a mini waterfall in the Park. It was so relaxing. I scoped out the area a bit before I settled on focusing on a branch in the water. I don't think I tried drawing moving water before (excluding waterfalls themselves). The end result came out pretty well I think. The other aspect of the scene was trying to capture the sunlight reflecting off of the branch and the water. Not easy at all but I tried.

This was really fun to do. I'm looking forward to the next time I can make to the meetup events.

Self Portrait: "Oh no! I think you've figured me out!!"

2010-05-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Well hello there. Now that I am finished with school, more frequent art updates will come. My right brain is grateful :)

Many of you may have seen this drawing already as it was my profile picture on Facebook for a while. Here's the story behind it.

Oh no! I think you've figured me out!
Colored pencil on paper
8'' x 10''

The idea of doing another self portrait came about when The ArtHouse announced having a Self Portrait exhibition. The rules were pretty minimal: no larger than 8x10 with the frame and had to show some resemblance of a face. No biggie. I had recently bought a solved rubix cube for a painting idea and was brain storming of how I wanted this portrait to be. I wanted to do something different from the standard but something with meaning. At first I was thinking to use objects in my life that would shape the features of my face (for example a paint brush bending into the shape of my nose), but I scraped that idea-it just didn't feel right so I needed to think of something else. At my laptop looking for images for the painting, I was turning the cube from one side to the other, looking at it face on and at its angles, looking at the placement of my hands on the cube. Then when the side of the cube that was all white came up, the idea stuck me for the portrait.

I feel that I am in a part of my life where I am coming together. Disjointed pieces of me are being identified (by myself and others) and I'm working on putting them in a more productive and cohesive position. Having a better idea of what I want, planning for it and working to make it happen and working on being more real with people. Always easier said than done but I'm working on taking those steps to get to my goals. I've already achieved a few of the goals I set for myself this year while others are proving more difficult. Those obstacles are helping me discover new capabilities, a process that will be complete when I die.

So this portrait of myself, at this point of my life, is a perfect way of saying YO! I'm being figured out! Things are coming together! My friends have a better sense of me as I continue to open up. I'm being more accepting of myself. It's refreshing. I wonder what my next self portrait will be like :) We shall see. Enjoy.

New Painting. Allow me to introduce "My Cell to Unlock"

2010-01-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

"My Cell to Unlock"
20'' x 20''
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

Hello readers,

There are times (more frequently than not) where I either don't want to say what's really on my mind or feel that I should say something but I don't know what it is. I can't even to begin to express how frustrating that can be and each instance just leads to a dangerous self-destructive series of thoughts. So I've developed the bad habit of not speaking up. Now I can do my share to hold a conversation but when there's something I don't say the effect is me only listening to what's being said or just being an observer in a room-not having an active presence and not contributing to what's going on. And honestly, there are time when my mind is completely blank. Of course I won't/don't have something to say about anything and everything but I can ask questions, I can learn more about what's going on instead of shutting down. Doing so I feel will help me be in the moment, relate to friends on a deeper level and learn more from and about those around me.

Let me talk more about this painting.

When I started the painting (can be seen in the slideshow images-link below) the background was going to be gray. Once I finished the background it wasn't sitting right with me so I had to pick another color. I chose a deep blue to resemble the color of a blue Sapphire (sapphire is my birthstone-props to the September babies). I had recently read up on its meaning which is honesty and foresight so the color couldn't be more perfect for this painting.

I took a picture of my mouth for this piece. I thought about using reference photos for this but it's my issue I'm dealing with so of course my own mouth would be most appropriate. At first I thought that I would have the bars more up front where the teeth are, but holding back isn't something that's on the surface for me. This is deep within so the bars felt more appropriate at the back of the throat. The uvula (little dangily thing at the back of your throat) was a perfect spot for placing a key. I felt that painting the mouth in color would take away from the presence of the key in back so I painted it in black/white.

The key is placed behind the bars because you (the reader and anyone outside of me) can't free me from this. It's my cell to unlock. The freedom/ability to express lies within me however growing up, I put each of those jail bars in place. What comes out of me presently is filtered through the bars. I am more conscious of it now that thoughts that make me uncomfortable or thoughts where I end up over thinking, lie to waste behind the bars. No one benefits from this. You may imagine that reversing this bad habit will be hard and it will, but these bars are becoming more and more uncomfortable with each breath.

Therefore beginning immediately, I am taking steps to feel more comfortable expressing emotion from anger, contentment, sadness, frustrating, etc. Now that doesn't mean blurting out anything that comes to mind. There are steps to communicating effectively. It isn't just what I want to say but also how the other person will interpret and react to what's said and checking in that the person interpreted correctly what I wanted to express. There must certainly be thought on my part before saying what I want in a clear and constructive way. I can't control your emotions just as you can't control mine, but I should take into consideration how you may react.

With all that said, I'm very fortunate to have my close friends to help me dismantle these bars (thank you...you know who you are). I look forward to my release.

~Michelle

[To view a slideshow of the painting in progress, click here: http://www.rockyou.com/show_my_gallery.php?source=ppsl&instanceid=156018288]

New painting: "Embracing Essential Weaknesses: From dead to alive"

2009-12-20T16:04:00.000-08:00

"Embracing Essential Weaknesses: From dead to alive"
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
20'' x 20''

Miss me :) The school semester is over so I have more painting time (can't wait to graduate...get my precious painting time back!).

With recent events in my life, a whole lot of realizations and self-discovery started to come about. If you're human, you have cried (if you haven't, you've got issues). While there are tears of joy that exist, when we cry it may make us feel so overwhelmed, sad, lonely, disappointed, depressed, hopeless, helpless, miserable and on and on. But how do you feel afterwards? Worse or better? Think about it.

I'm learning to embrace my tears. I already consider myself a highly emotional person; even a sad commercial can have me reaching for the tissues. But I've kept those moments to myself...robbed myself of growth. Growth doesn't happen when I hide away, I only punish myself when I do so. Unfortunately, I've become used to that feeling. Yet, with my wonderful close friends and having recently joined a group of amazing ladies, my discussions with them are enabling me to learn how to tune into myself, to except my feelings and not feel ashamed or uncomfortable expressing them. The growth comes when I take the time to evaluate what really triggered whatever emotional reaction I have, review my options and make a next move. Growth comes from continuing to grow, even when that means changing what you've felt secure in.

With all that said, I present my latest painting. The background is meant to resemble concrete. I chose concrete because it reminds me of finality. It goes from one form where it can be molded into anything and into another form that it set - it cannot be adjusted and can only change if it's cracked or destroyed. Reminds me of how I feel about myself, grown into this emotional form that feels trapped when tears dare to crack the secure surface I've established for myself. Though the tear is overwhelming, I now recognize the opportunity of inner growth. I'm not rushing to get rid or hide the tear but want to acknowledge and respect it. This little plant growing from beneath the surface is a metaphor for so many opportunities of expression in my life that I've feared, this fear bonded the concrete. With the crack in the surface I'm allowing myself to see what would be revealed if I allowed this plant continue. As I saw as a friends status on Facebook "When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time." — Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak)" it is oh so true. I've experienced what I stand to lose by not nourishing this little plant. I look forward now to its growth, in embracing myself and I imagine my artwork will evolve as well.

As always, I look forward to your thoughts.

~Michelle

Change of pace for a little bit

2009-09-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Though I have a few new paintings to post, I'll make an editorial change to the blog. If you've been reading the blog for a while, you'll notice that I usually post something when I've done a new painting. I'll of course continue to do that but want to pay respect to the prior works that you may or may not be familiar with.

My strategy for doing that is doing a write up of works done in the past. When I go to museums or galleries and see works of art, I always come across work where I wonder what the artist was thinking. So I want to share what I was thinking/feeling about these works. Some pieces were done as far back as my high school days so I may not even remember what I was thinking in the moments of its creation so what I would write is my current interpretation of the piece.

As you read these upcoming posts, share your interpretation of these pieces as well! Stay tuned.

Regards,
Michelle

Latest painting (which is yet to be named)

2009-07-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Thank you for clicking through. Below is my latest painting inspired by a turtle lamp my boyfriend gave me for Christmas.

Untitled
20'' x 20''
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

A title for it hasn't come to me yet but I'll update this post whenever it does. The turtle lamp has a painted glass shell that illuminates when turned on. A real beauty. For this painting I wanted to create the shape of a turtle without using the outline of one. This painting took some time to complete as I was continuing to figure out how I wanted it to evolve. The end result wasn't as clear as with some other paintings I've done. During its evolution, I added blue lines flowing through the turtle's body. I interpret them as making up the turtle's life steam or internal wiring, an essential part of its being. That brings up (for me) images of newly hatched turtles making their way to the nearest source of water as fast as they can. Water encourages it to move since it would die if it stayed still.

Not to relate the water in the turtle to the blood within us but I like to think that we all have something external that brings life to us, something on the outside that sets off a spark within us. For me that is art (painting or drawing). I don't feel complete when I haven't done something artistic in sometime (have been there and it ends up draining other parts of my life). Perhaps you have discovered what creates that spark within you?

If you chose to share your thoughts with me, feel free to send me an email at mhunterart@gmail.com or leave a comment on this post. Enjoy your day.

~Michelle

2009-03-03T08:17:00.001-08:00

has a new painting idea. If only if I has the time to start all the other ideas I have. I need a clone.

Peek-a-boo Pisces!

2008-10-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

HI all,

It has been a very busy few weeks for me. A few updates for you:

- Cosi: As you may know, I had 11 paintings up at their 44th and 3rd avenue location from July 15-October 15. They were interested in showing more of my work so I swapped out 8 paintings and put in 9 brand, spanking new ones. The new ones are from my Zodiac series.

This blog post is dedicated to PISCES.

- 3 more paintings to go to finished the Zodiac series! I'll unveil the rest of the 9 that are complete one-by-one on my blog. The rest of the series should be done by the end of the year since schoolwork is starting to kick into gear :(

- Also I have to start and finish five 3''x3'' canvas' soon for a big group show in Atlanta. The theme of the show is Memories and Moments. For my submission, my theme will be Birthdays. I'll post pics of the set when they are complete.

Now ladies and gents, for one of the newest Hunter creations...here's Pisces...from beginning to end. Enjoy and as always, I would love to hear your thoughts! Take care!

See below how it evolved from a blank canvas:

(If you can't view the graphic below, you can click here:
http://apps.rockyou.com/rockyou.swf?instanceid=124996179&ver=102906)

Hello Gemini!

2008-10-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

I'm pleased to announce the completion of the fourth painting in my Zodiac series:

May 22 - June 21
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
20'' x 20''

In choosing what kind of object I would place the constellation in, I had to think of something interesting that had two points of interest. Fortuntely, a watch came to mind where I could use the hour and minute hand as support for each part of the Gemini constellation.

As the painting progressed I wasn't sure where I was going to place the hands of the clock to make sure the constellation was placed properly. Using the dates for Gemini helped a lot. You'll notice that one hand of the clock is between 5 and 6 while the other hand is between 6 and 7. The dates for Gemini is May 22 to June 21.

Here I want to stress that the objects I'm choosing for this series has next to nothing to do with the characteristics of the sign. If it seems to fix, great, if not, I want to at least create something interesting. There are two components to the painting that I am incorporating from my research on each of the signs: 1) is the constellation 2) is the colors associated with the sign. For Gemini for example, its colors are yellow and light blue. The my Virgo painting it was blue, Cancer-silver, Aries-deep red.

With all of my paintings, it always interesting to see it evolve before my eyes. Going forward, I'll try to share that experience with you. At least for the rest of the Zodiac series, I'll post 'in progress' shots so you can also see each work evolve from a sketch to a finished painting.

Thanks for reading and keep checking here (or wait for my email) when the next painting is done.

Regards,
Michelle

Great response so far!

2008-09-29T20:54:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!

Just want to say thanks to those that have expressed interest so far in receiving one of my original paintings. Over 100 people from across the country have entered which is very exciting! Thanks to each of you :)

If you want to learn more, here is the link with more info: http://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/38392

I'm giving away a painting!!!

2008-09-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hey you!

Interested in winning one of my original paintings?? The 5 second entry form is available through this link: I Want a Michelle Hunter Original!! (http://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/38392)

Of the 11 paintings on display at Cosi's (44th and 3rd avenue), I'm raffling one for FREE. Now who doesn't love that!

In case for some reason you haven't had a chance to visit the store, visit the two "On view at Cosi" galleries at http://artid.com/hunterart to view the 11 paintings available for this raffle. Note, these 11 paintings are also available for sale. In case you are the winning entrant and the painting you selected is no longer available, I will collaborate with you to create a custom version.

Deadline for entry is Sunday October 12th 2008. Entries will be drawn Monday October 13th 2008.

Each entry will receive a unique referral code. Free shipping is offered (will ship only to US addresses). One entry per email address please.

Want to increase your chances of winning?? Forward this link to your friends and family. When they enter your unique referral code in the form, your name will be added into the drawing AGAIN. [Example: If you enter and 4 of your friends enter your referral code, your name will be in the drawing FIVE (5) times!]

Good luck!!

Best Regards,
Michelle

ENTER TO WIN AN ORIGINAL MICHELLE HUNTER PAINTING OF YOUR CHOICE

Name (First Last)
*

Email
*

Phone

How would you prefer to be contacted?EmailPhoneEither

Which painting are you interested in winning? Select One
*

How did you hear about this?

If you were referred by someone, please enter their referral code (alphanumeric)

Do you already receive emails from Michelle directly?YesNo

If not, would you be interested in receiving email updates from Michelle?

(Frequency is at most once a week and your information will not be released to any 3rd parties)
*YesNo

Please enter the characters you see in this picture:

Characters
This helps prevent automated form submissions. If you are not sure what the characters are, make your best guess. You will have another try in the next screen.

Can't see the image?
Click here for an audible version in english.

Need assistance with this form?

Artists Review Artists Blog I Came Across

2008-08-21T20:58:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

Through my ongoing search of getting critiques of some of my work, I came across this cool website run by J.T. Kirkland called "Thinking About Art". Here is the link to the blog: http://thinkingaboutart.blogs.com/art/

What's neat about the concept J.T. has is that practicing artists are reviewing the work of other practicing artists. What better way to get a peek into another artists' mind.

I submitted my "In One Ear and..." painting for review. In turn I received an image of a painting I was to review. I haven't formally reviewed art since I took an art history class in college. It took some time to get my thoughts together because I knew nothing about the meaning behind the piece or the artist.

Once my painting has been reviewed by this same artist, both reviews will be posted on J.T's blog. I'll let you know when it's up.

Zodiac Series: Aries, Cancer, Virgo

2008-08-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers,

I want to share with you a few completed pieces from a Zodiac series I'm working on. Since it is based on the Zodiac there will be 12 paintings in all in this series. Below are 3 that are completed so far.

I'll write more about these and the other individual paintings in another post. For now, I'll share why I'm working with the constellations instead of the usual symbols we usually see. It stems back to a piece I saw at PS1 a year or 2 ago. It was huge (I didn't take down the name of the artist or title of the piece). It looked like outerspace but not of a specific planet of galaxy but a whole lot of stars. I was inspired to do something similar and I wanted to do a series of them so Zodiac constellations came to mind. Viewers may be less familiar with that the constellation of their sign is so here is an opportunity for us to see how the symbols we are familiar with came about. As for the setting I've placed these constellations, I wanted to combine their place in the sky with our everyday lives-coffee or tea, looking in the mirror, soda cans, etc.

What are the next signs to be done? There is really no order to what sign will be finished next but do I have an idea for Gemini and a composition for a sign I've yet to decide on. Stay tuned and please tell me what you think. Look forward to hearing from you!

Remember, I'm currently showing work at Cosi's on 44th street and 3rd Avenue in New York. Swing on by, bring/tell a friend and check it out!

March 21 to April 20
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
20'' x 20''

June 22 to July 22
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
20'' x 20''

August 23, 24 to September 22, 23
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
20'' x 20''

Ok, by a show of hands, who else feels overwhelmed?

2008-07-28T20:57:00.001-07:00

Whew, it has been a busy summer but gratefully it has been productive. This summer I wanted to make strides when it came to my artwork and I certainly did. Doing 11 paintings in a month is no easy feat but I knocked that out of the park. A plus to that is I like each one I did. Sure I could have spent some more time on a couple of them, but I'm proud of each one of them!

Also I've participated in 3 exhibits (so far :-)) and I want to do more. I've been checking craigslist regularly since that's where I've found these 3 cool opportunities. However, these legitimate "Call for Artist" entries are becoming few and far between. Do you have any suggestions of other websites I should browse around for exhibit opportunities?

At the end of August, I'm going to swap out a painting that has been in Brooklyn for 2 months now. I'm working on a new piece similar to one that is currently displayed at Cosi's. I'm concurrently working on the Zodiac series. All 12 paintings for this probably won't be done by the time school starts at the end of August. During the semester I plan to go back to oils and my Four Questions series which has gained some interest so I want to at least finish the 2 that are half way done.

As always, I'll keep you posted. Thanks for reading and I'm available if you have questions or feedback.

Thanks to those who made it to the Cosi reception

2008-07-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Below you will find some of the pics taken at the Cosi exhibit reception. Thanks to ALL of you that attended. It was a great experience and I'm grateful that I was able to share it with you!

In case you haven't had a chance to check it out, I encourage you to do so (Cosi's on 44th Street and 3rd Avenue, NYC).

Another series of work is in progress and I'll keep you posted as each painting is completed. Thanks for your support!

Michelle

Art Show at Cosi's Monday July 21st

2008-07-14T19:50:00.001-07:00

Hi there,

After a fair amount of frustration, back and forth with persons at the store I was working with, several changed dates, and a lot of apologies to me from Cosi's, I'm finally pleased to say that the Cosi art showing is ON! I didn't want to send another email about it until the work actually went up...and on 7/14, it did.

Since Monday's doesn't seem too crazy at the store after 5, I would like you to join me there (44th and 3rd ave) next Monday from 5:30-8 (the store closes at 8). To read more about the showing and to RSVP click here:

http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/HNPLOJCFHUFNIYPVAQFW/artatcosi

Thanks to each of you for your concern and continued support. Hope to see you then!

Regards,
Michelle

The painting "Going or Coming" has been SOLD

2008-07-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

No more needs to be said other than if you see a piece of mine that is of interest, name your piece now before my rates go up!

Cosi show has stalled

2008-07-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

To my absolute surprise, I find out, the day the work is to go up, that the general manager of the Cosi's I was making arrangements with did not tell any of the other key players of the store what was about to go down. This incredible oversight on his part may lead to there being no show. It's still up in the air so I'll find out some time on Tuesday whether it's a go/no go. The final say will come from the district manager who had no idea what was going on. Paperwork has to be signed and he has to approve the work that would be hung (not the manager I was dealing with). That's all fine and dandy with me but I thought that those details were being taken cared of-obviously not. So we'll see. I hope it happens cause I've got some kick-booty work for the world (around Grand Central) to see. Wish me the best!!

Seen on Craigslist: Call For Artists: The Canvas Project

2008-06-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

This seems like an interesting opportunity. Everyone is welcome to participate. Fee is $16. They will send you 5, 3x3 canvas' for you to paint memories and moments.

Below is the text from their craigslist ad and here is the link to their website if you are interested in participating. I've already signed up.

important dates

07/15/08 :sign up by
09/15/08 :postmark deadline
10/05/08 :show date

Call For Artists: The Canvas Project

(http://www.arthousecoop.com/canvasproject)

Reply to: comm-727669392@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-06-21, 1:53PM EDT

We’re sending five 3x3 inch canvases to up to 500 participants from around the country. Artists cover the canvases using any medium they want based on the theme of “Memories and moments.” Anyone can participate–from the seasoned artist to the person who has never even drawn a stick figure. Show will be held at Art House Gallery in Atlanta, Ga.

I'm taking over Cosi's

2008-06-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Hey New Yorkers, are you familiar with the restaurant chain Cosi's? If not, they make unique sandwiches on oh so delicious bread-yum yum!! Well they have several locations in Manhattan and the manager of several of these stores put a post on craigslist looking for artists to liven up the space for 2 months at a time. Several emails and a meeting later, I'm booked! This Cosi's store is located on 44th and 3rd avenue. But what a challenge it is-let me tell ya. Yet, that's all the more reason why I want to go for it. Filling up a high traffic store with only my work is certainly not an opportunity to be missed. Now that I've been given the go ahead, now I need to create 11 (that's right ELEVEN) masterpieces in 4 weeks. I can probably do fewer larger paintings, but I have to worry about how to transport them from my place to the store and lugging around a couple of 4 feet x 4 feet pieces on the subway doesn't seem that safe so I would rather break that down to several smaller pieces. Luckily I have ideas for most of them.

To make this happen, I have to put aside my lovely oils (sigh, I miss using them already) and switch to acrylics for this task. So far so good with the water based paints. I'll of course keep you posted.

You are invited to...

2008-05-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Two showings in Brooklyn! A nice start to the summer as the semester ends!

Here are thumbnails of what will be on display.

Sunday, May 25th at 9pm ~open bar~
Southside Speakeasy
245 South 1st ST and Roebling in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

The "Four Question" painting will be on display here starting Sunday May 25. This is a new type of exhibit setting for me so it will be an interesting experience and I hope you can join me. There are various artists participating and each artist will be showing 1 piece. So if you are in town for Memorial Day Weekend (and remember, there's no work Monday), join me here for a drink and a chance to see this piece in person! The show lasts for 4 weeks.

Wednesday, June 4th (8-10pm mingling, live music from 10pm-12am)
Cornichon Wine Bar & Cafe [http://www.cafecornichon.com]
251 Grand St. Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Here the painting I have had on my wall for a while will be on the wall of Cornichon Wine Bar for 4 weeks. Title is "Coming or Going" and I would like you to come and join me and the other participating artists in this opening. Show your support afterwork with a nice glass of wine and chance to talk to me and the other artists for the first half of the evening. In their outdoor patio, the evening continues with live music. Hope you can be there with me for this experience!

If you are interested in option 2, an evite is being prepared so I can forward that to you.

Again, hope to see you there! Feel free to forward this to others you think will be interested in coming. If you have any questions, you know how to reach me.

Thanks all!!
Michelle

Brief update

2008-05-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I know it has been a while since I posted a new painting. Two are in the works and I have an idea for a new series (which I will do concurrently with Four Questions) that I want to try out. Over the last month I've been dealing with finals and papers for the end of this semester at school so I had to finally pick up the books and put down the brush. I look forward to painting more frequently after the 21st so stay tuned.

An additional update is that I will be showing a painting in a bar in Brooklyn and another painting in a wine bar in Brooklyn in the coming weeks. I'll post details soon. Both group exhibits will be up for a month so even if you can't make it to the opening, you can swing by when you get the chance.

Well that's the update. More to come.

Michelle

Ailey Dancer Painting

2008-03-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I'm pleased to present my latest creation: Ailey Dancer Sims. This is based on the promotional photo Alvin Ailey Dance Company used for their 2007 performances at New York's City Center. The featured dancer is Linda Celeste Sims and the painting is based on the photograph done by Andrew Eccles.

Ailey Dancer Sims
11'' x 14''
Oil on Gessobord

For those that didn't know, I took dance when I was younger (ballet) which sparked my appreciation for nearly all forms of dance performance (notice I didn't just say "all"). For the past 7 years I've seen Ailey at City Center and I certainly plan to continue to go every year that I can.

As for the painting, in case you haven't picked up on it already, faces aren't my thing. I can draw them but I can't paint them (sorry Linda). I tried to capture her expression but couldn't quiet do it (tips welcome). It's something I hope to improve on in the coming paintings. That's right, more dancer paintings to come but there are more ? paintings in the works to; they just take much longer to do.

Everything for Ailey Dancer Sims was done by hand, absolutely no tracing involved. I admit I am very pleased with it. I did my last Ailey painting about 3 years ago so I've got some catching up to do.

Thoughts, feedback are always welcome...don't be shy.

This new piece will be on my website shortly. In the meantime, here are some "before" pics of the painting taking shape.

Regards,
Michelle

Before shot #1

Before shot #2

Website updates complete

2008-02-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

After a few weeks of cropping pictures and adding links, I'm glad to say that the updates to my website are complete. Check it out at http://www.hunterart.com

There is a guestbook on the site if you would like to leave your mark. If you would prefer to browse around anonymously-well I can respect that too. Of course as always, if you have any questions about any of the pieces up there simply send me an email either through this blog or at mhunterart@gmail.com.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Regards,
Michelle

Four Questions: No2 Completed

2008-02-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

I am pleased to announce the completion of the second painting in the series titled "Four Questions."

16'' x 20''
Oil on Canvas Board

Life is a series of continuous questions which must be answered and can rarely be ignored. Somehow I want to paint those experiences.

The four questions used for this painting were provided by someone I went to high school with. Her questions were:

- Career or marriage?
- Eating ice cream or working out?
- Save up money or splurge on a vacation?
- Saving money or buying shoes?

What do you think about the piece? Let me know by either commenting on the blog or sending me an email at mhunterart@gmail.com.

I'm now looking for ideas for the next piece in the series. If you would like to help me with that, I ask that you reply back with 4 questions you would like me to illustrate. In addition, I want you to recommend 4 colors you would like me to use.

As I await responses, I'm going to continue with my Dancer series. This series is meant to pay tribute to dance companies I have seen perform and have become an admirer of.

Thanks for your continued support and look forward to your feedback.

Below you can also see a few "in progress" pictures I took of this painting so you can have a sense of how it took shape.

Skipping ahead

2007-10-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

Hi again,

I've put painting number 2 on hold to work on number 3. Number 3 will probably resume after 2 is completed. Here's a snapshot of it so you can see how it's coming along.

The four mini paintings are about:

- get married or focus on career

- fitness of eat ice cream

- save up or go on a nice vacation

- save up (again) or buy shoes

So what am I working on now

2007-06-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting again.

I'm now working on painting number 2 in the "Four Questions" series. The questions for this painting come from my good friend George. His questions are as follows:

Question #1 -- Do I write, or do I teach?

Question #2 -- something that's very simple. Glasses or contacts?

Question #3 -- (thinking deeper) -- One of my biggest debates on a daily basis is to whether to speak my mind, or to keep my mouth shut.

Question #4 -- What is the true value of my friendships?

What colors will be used for this one? Blue, Silver, Dark Purple, Gold, Seaform
A very, very interesting combination of colors. It took me a couple of tries to figure out how to lay it out and I'm pleased with the what the plan will be. Will keep you posted and will post pics of its progress.

First painting in "?" series

2007-04-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

20'' x 24''
Oil on Canvas Board

Greetings everyone,

I'm please to annouce the completion of the first painting in the series titled "Life is like a pandora's box of pesky question marks."

(click on the image above for an extreme closeup)

Life is a series of continuous questions which must be answered and can rarely be ignored. Somehow I want to paint those experiences. I've started the series by illustrating what my questions are:

- Stop painting? (yes I think about pretty frequently)
- Seek career advancement or settle where I am?
- Cut my hair?
- Take a nap or find the energy to do what I have to do?

There never seems to be enough time in the day to paint or draw. That's really due to a lack of time management but hey, I have a full-time job and try to have a life outside of work. Because of those time consuming elements of my life, it's hard to complete a painting. There are a couple pieces that I've started over the past couple years but either get bored with them or lose momentum and they get hidden away. So I do think about satisfiying the artist side by going to more galleries/museums and putting the paints away. I show that by painting a broken glass with a liquid spilled around and a brush broken in half (the latter to illustrate frustration).

I've been at my current company for nearly 4 years. Not bad for a first run out of college, but I need a change of scenary. Therefore I've made the decision of applying to grad school for next Spring '08 and looking for a new job (if you happen to know of any positions in market research, let me know!!) I can certainly stay at the company for a couple more years, but that would stunt my growth. There's a dark chair facing the right which symbolizes staying where I am. Then there's a yellow chair facing the viewer and a winding staircase. Those stand for making a move forward and upward.

As for the hair, it can be distracting at times. Sure I get compliments but it'll be interesting to see it short. Yet, I'm afraid I won't like it and that it would take forever and a day to grow back (if it will). So for now, I'm not going to take the risk.

Oh, it's so hard to resist taking a nap. I can probably take a nap any time of the day or night and probably any place. Perhaps it's due to an iron deficiency but I love sleeping. I also get tired after having a big or medium meal. So when it comes to doing projects for myself, ie painting or looking online for a job, it's hard to stay awake enough to make progress. It can be done, obviously, but it's always a battle, hence part of the painting of the slept-in bed with a calendar overlay. We can't get days back, just have to make the most of the days we have left.

The colors used were just what I felt like using. Since the question marks are yellow, I wanted to include that color in other areas of the painting (piece of glass, a pillow, a pair of scissors, a chair). Doing this helped the color be a little less dominating all concentrated in the middle.

I'm now looking for ideas for the next piece in the series. If you would like to help me with that, I ask that you reply back with 4 questions you would like me to illustrate. In addition, I want you to recommend 4 colors you would like me to use.

Thanks for your continued support and look forward to your feedback.