Busy and then some...

"Morning glories in glass study" oil on canvas, Hilary J England

I start back at the University to complete my teaching degree on an advanced cyber/traditional route next week, and I am really anticipating the experience.  I decided on completing the teaching degree, since it leaves me the most options for my possible future plans, which is to eventually live overseas.  This gives me the option of teaching if I choose to...and I feel you should always have a plan that leaves you the most options. 

I've paced my course of studies as to not be too overwhelming, so it's 24 credits for the year.  I could up that if I want, but for now, this feels like the best fit.  I'm a person who likes to feel the pool first, and ease my way in.  My days of cannonballing right in over my head are over...I've learned a bit since then, lol.

Lots of birthdays coming up this weekend/week, and all of the parties to boot.  April is a busy month in my house, but as soon as Nunni's birthday passes next week, I can breathe a sigh of relief, the birthdays for the household are finished!  It's kind of like a second Christmas, with all the presents I have to buy all within a couple of week stretch.

I have been designated to make the fancy cakes for two of the babies...a Spongebob cake, and a Princess cake.  While I do look forward to making them, since I love doing fun stuff like that...the concepts for these cakes have mushroomed, and now, laughingly, I am considering how we will transport these cake sculptures!  I will have to either go back to the "drawing board" or we'll have to get an engineer involved for the transport!

The weather is nice today, and I am considering a hike into the mountains for a quick plein air session.  I guess when I take Chorkie out, I will decide if the weather is really good enough for it today.

I leave you with the tiny, rapid, monochrome study above I did last summer....enjoy!

Intervals...

"For Jodi" by Hilary J. England, 12" x 16" oil on canvas

The above artwork is a commission I finished painting yesterday...a mother/daughter painting.  This was done by several reference photos, sketches, and one sitting.  It took about 3 and half hours to complete, as we were on a time crunch due to the nature of the commission (it was for a big occasion).

I watched the new remake of "Mildred Pierce" last night on HBO, at least the first parts of it.  I know it received rave reviews, and of course my intention while watching it was to compare it to the Joan Crawford version, and in my opinion, it did not have the same simplicity and charm, overall.  At least to this point...I mean, it is, after all, a miniseries (not to knock them).

First, I think the most troublesome situation/theme I saw arise in this version, and I don't recall this quite as obviously in the first movie is Mildred herself.  She is an extremely complex character, a walking contradiction.  She has all of these noble ideals, yet she desperately throws herself into the sack with literally any man, on the first opportunity she gets.  She actually vomits at the idea of taking a job as a "waitress in a hash house" because she feels it's beneath her, yet she has absolutely no revulsion at jumping into bed with some partner of her soon to be ex-husband's just for the slight off-chance he may "keep" her.  So, in Mildred's book, prostitution is good and noble, but waitressing is vile.  Not a good message here.  This irked me, as it makes her a somewhat unsympathetic character initially.

With that being said, I did feel there was some very good acting on Kate Winslet's part.  She is somewhat clunky and clumsy looking sometimes, but that makes her a "real person" and I appreciate that about her.  The scenes in which she is looking for a job as a single mother, and having no money to buy groceries, and all of the pain, shame, fear and loneliness that accompanies that predicament, were poignant and believable.  She also showed her vulnerability and disorientation as to raising two children alone.  The scene in which she asks her husband for a divorce was also a touching and honest scene...the pain of finality of the end of their relationship hits her...even though the separation is bitter, the loss of hope for their relationship, the reality that it's truly the end, confronts her.  It was well acted.  

Of course, the scene with the loss of her child was hard to watch, such an unimaginable horror to any parent, especially with the guilt of being "missing in action" due to an illicit, guilty pleasure, when the child was taken ill.  That being said, I will definitely tune into watch the other parts, not only because I already watched the first ones, but because I do anticipate seeing the rest of it.

Well, it's snowing again here...big, fat snowflakes.  It must be an April Fool's joke!!  Haha!  Now stop.  I have another two commissions I am working on, plus two paintings of "my own" so I am busy...my back is still a bit troublesome, but I press on through it.  I'm thinking of buying a new mattress...any suggestions?  A Tempurpedic maybe...

So, that's the scoop for today. 

Exciting News!

"Misbehaved" by Hilary J England, 18" x 20" oil on canvas

I am very honored over being chosen as an Artslant Showcase Winner for for Round #2 in their 2011 Competition.  When I opened their email notice, I felt like Charlie Bucket opening the Willy Wonka candy bar and seeing that instant flash of gold, and then came the rush...awesome!!!!

I know they will be publishing the winners on their http://www.artslant.com/ website in the next couple of days, so I will keep my eyes open for that...but I am just really happy right now to have been chosen, and I will enjoy that today♥

I am working on several paintings right now, including one commission, so I am pretty busy.  The weather seems to be holding steady...hovering right above freezing, so my studio is quite frigid, but getting a little fire cooking helps, as does my heater.  Spring seems to have stalled here...

Art Expo NYC was an amazing event, and we had a wonderful time that day.  Me, Ant, Dad, Jilly and Trevor had a lovely lunch in Jilly and Trevor's new pad on the West Side, and then we went to the Expo.  It was very large, and there was all kinds of art there, something for everyone, as my Dad genially pointed out. 

We had to leave rather hastily, however, due to a phone call informing us that our poor bull dog Mac, who has been ailing this week, was having seizures, so off we went to bring him to Emergency.  He continues to be in guarded condition, and we hope the medications do work for him.

My back has almost completely healed, but I am dealing with one strange side-effect that cropped up last week and seems to be steadily worsening...tinnitus.  I began to do a little research, and indeed, NSAIDS, muscle relaxants and, more specifically, the Vicodin medicines, can have this side-effect.  Ototoxicity is rare, but I did read many cases of people getting ringing in the ears after taking these medicines, although no one could state whether it was permanent or not.  I certainly hope NOT.  I try to ignore this ringing and whistling (it seems mostly in my left ear thankfully not both), but when I think about it, it makes me feel like going stark raving mad! 

So, even though I was only taking one pain tablet and one muscle relaxer at night, as per Dr's orders, I have discontinued all medicines this week, in hopes that the detoxification of any residual medication will alleviate this extremely annoying condition. 

Well, time to get out to the studio.  I leave you with one of the winning entries of the Showcase, and wish you a happy day as well.

Lagging!

"Wall flower (morning glory against barn study)" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

I haven't blogged in over a week, and that always makes me feel a little bad.  I had been in one of those funky moods, that, although I was getting work done, I was not feeling balanced, and I was a bit down.  Every time I would look at the keyboard, my mind would go blank and I would just feel a bit squirmy.  So, I avoided it...yes, I do work hard to overcome procastination sometimes.

During that time, my back is improving a bit each day, I have cut the medicine back to one tablet only at bedtime, and I am starting to feel like myself again.  Also, I had two separate articles published in local news, which was nice, and I was asked to be EBSQ Art's Blogger of the week (ah the irony!) this week, so that was a very surprising honor!  You can read that article/interview here:

http://blog.ebsqart.com/2011/03/22/ebsq-blogger-of-the-week-hilary-j-england/

Also, I was contacted by a very old friend, literally.  When I was a young girl growing up in New York, I had  neighbors across the street named Joan and Dave, and my brother and I would play with their grandson.  I loved them both deeply, and Joan was the most fascinating woman to me.  She is a Brit, and she is elegant, intelligent and gentle, and treated me with such kindness and dignity, I loved and admired everything about her.  She is/was a writer and an editor, and her Victorian house was always filled with such interesting and unique objects, antiques, ancient books, and of course, her manuscripts.  Joan and Dave's home reminded me of a scene out of a C.S. Lewis novel, with all of the intrigues of Narnia waiting in one of their wardrobes...

Anyway, Joan is up there in age now, and I had not seen her in over a decade since we all moved in different directions and regions.  You can imagine my surprise to receive an email from her the other day, saying she had read about me in the newspaper, and how happy she was to see the article.  That email brought tears to my eyes as I remembered how sweet she was, and also to know that both her and Dave were, as she put it, "still around."  I was able to get her number, and now I look forward to visiting her and Dave this week.  What a blessing!

I do have quite a busy weekend...hopefully this annoying winter will finally go back to the North Pole where it belongs and we'll have no more snow.  I'm not a snow hater, I just don't like things out of order, and snow in Spring is a bit tiresome! 

Art Expo at Pier 94 this weekend in New York City.  I will be there on Sunday afternoon, floating around and taking the sights...if you're there, I look forward to meeting you!

In the meantime, I posted another little bit of warm weather for you, done against the beams of an old neighborhood barn.  Morning glories are one of my favorite (you'd understand that if you saw my backyard!!).  Enjoy!♥♥

New series offshoot

"Red barn at dusk study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

I've started to move in another direction with my series...I've included a wider range on the paintings, in terms of the view...they will not be so up close and direct, although they will still be a somewhat tightly bound composition.

I've started three new preliminary studies...I like working in threes (must be a compulsion).  One painting is the final phase of the teenage girls I was working with, and the other two I've branched out a bit, and I'm really excited to begin working on those studies and sketches.  I will also be working bigger with these paintings, with the smallest being 24" x 36", and a possible triptych in this series.

So, I am excited to begin this new phase in my series.  In the meantime, enjoy this little plein air painting from last summer.  It's a local barn, and I was working against the fading evening, but wow, was the sunset beautiful that night, with some storm clouds mixed into the evening sky,  giving it a really purple hue.  I am looking forward to the warm weather and the beach, and doing lots more plein air studies.  Enjoy~~

Some tidbits!!

"Lily pads in pond study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

Here is a study done last year at Hawk Mountain, in their botanical display area.  They have alot of examples of native plants, and a lovely little pond with an abundance of lilypads and flowers.  I am looking forward to painting at Hawk Mountain again in the coming warmer months.

Today was busy...some "kids" stuff in the morning, new car hunting this afternoon, plus started a new painting this afternoon, and now cooking up some food...all this through the moderate back pain...it's getting a little better, so I am DEFINITELY thankful.

I got some donations today through the mail, towards my campaign for the Florence Biennale, THANK YOU!  Every little bit helps, and again, you get some beautiful, original artwork and the satisfaction of knowing you helped further our cultural activities in the global arena.  If you want to donate, even as little as $5.00, I would be so appreciative, and would love to send you a little gift for your support♥  Here is the website:   http://www.florencebi.com/ 

So, that's it for right now--have a wonderful evening!!

Art Expo NYC 2011

"Sand dune study, New Jersey" by Hilary J. England, 8" x 10" oil on canvas 2010

Well, the weather is starting to get a little more bluster with the fresh breezes, and the faint earthy scent  of Spring is on the air, so I feel my spirits starting to lift with each sniff!  The crocuses have opened their splendid little petals, and Daylight savings is nearly upon us--Welcome Spring!! 

Art Expo NYC is rapidly approaching, and due to some scheduling conflicts, I will not be able to be there on Saturday, but I will be there for the last day of the Expo, on Sunday afternoon, from 2 pm until closing at 6 pm.  I look forward again to meeting some more wonderful people!

I had a visit with my Doctor, and I feel confident that with his management, I can get this back issue healed, and it is slowly starting to feel a little better, so I am not as down in the dumps about the constant pain, since it is starting to lessen.  That is enough to make me jump for joy, but I'll do that with caution LOL.

The newspaper interview went very well, and I was happy to meet such a lovely and interesting reporter.  It's always nice to meet new and interesting people, and we did have alot of common interests, off the record.  I'll post the link when her article is published.

So, I leave you with another little beach study from the Jersey shore last summer.  It's simply a sand dune oil study, but these little studies are an interesting little bit of history in themselves, because if you look very closely, you can see little grains of sand mixed into the paint, after getting pelted with sand during a wind gust.  So, I take little bits of the places I study with me!  Enjoy ♥

new painting in series!



"Misbehaved" by Hilary J England, 18" x 24" x 2" oil on hardwood panel, 2011


This is the newest painting, "Misbehaved"   It is painting no. 5 in my series studying American youth, and the effects of an evolving and shifting culture on these young adults, in particular, young women.  In this painting, I am exploring the subject of behaviors we now consider "taboo" versus the rebellious nature of youth, and the dichotomy of "now versus then" in that there is a constance in the "immortal" thinking of all youth of all culture, and in their defiance of current "norms" in their quest to find themselves.

This was done both conceptually, and par coer from several different studies, drawings, and also observations of the young people I have been studying.  **No animals or children were hurt in the commission of this painting, LOL.**

With that said, this painting is 18" x 24" oil on hardwood panel.  It was a challenge to portray the rickety, broken wooden panels, and pull out the midtones in a painting I wanted to be somewhat close to monotone in its warmth.  She is young, and blazing with passions and rebellion, yet there is a true core of love and promise.  So, here is my interpretation of that. 

Details and other mundane things

"Darlene with basket (outdoor gestural oil study)" by Hilary J. England, 8" x 10" oil on canvas

Red Dot NYC went really well.  I met a whole group of interesting people from NYC, and different parts of the country and world.  I also became acquainted with several other artists, and that was a really nice event.  I look forward to exhibiting with them again in the near future.  It would have been a stellar day if I wasn't nearly crippled from the recent back injury I seem to have incurred.  I was hospitalized on Friday, the day before, and this really made me extremely depressed.  No medicines seem to be working, and I am just madder than a hornet now...

I have been working in extreme pain, and this adds an element of frustration, anger and sadness to everything I look at, or even conceive in my mind.  I keep hoping the pain will lessen, and it has been, in very small increments.  I don't want to take any narcotic pain medicine, because it makes me incoherent, and contrary to popular culture, I DON'T want to be "high" and out of it, I hate that when I'm on the go.  I want to be clear and energetic, and in control of my wits.  So, I have been just suffering through this for the last several days.  Trust me, when you are in severe pain, and day can seem as long as a week...

I have so many things to do, and time doesn't move over for your calamities.  I have a newspaper interview coming up on Thursday, and I have a list as long as my arm of things that need to be done in the next few days, and I don't care if I have to drag myself around on a gurney, I don't have the time to be "ill."

I will be doing Art Expo in New York City in a few weeks, that should be a really good exhibition, and I am also prepping for some other shows coming up...I am thankful for the warmer weather, since that makes working conditions not so hard, and with the right chair, and some Chopin, I can almost forget the pain...

I will be at the Art Student's League on Wednesday, this time in session with Leonid Gervits.  I am looking forward to being there, and hope that my current condition won't preclude me from that...I guess I'll have to keep doing the stretches and the stay soaking in the hot tub!!!

Here is a little gestural nude I did a while back...enjoy♥♥

The pendulum slowly swings...

"Ellen (outdoor gestural study)" by Hilary J England, 8" x 10" oil on canvas




I was out and about yesterday, enjoying the first hints of Spring, when, lo and behold, I could not believe my eyes, but there on the side of the road, in all of his beauty, was a large male pileated woodpecker!  I was so stunned at his brazen location on the side of the rural road, I stopped the car, threw it into reverse, and crept backwards to see if he was real, and not some decoration someone put on their property.  Indeed, he was no phantom, and I scrambled excitedly to get my camera, opened the sunroof, stuck my body carefully through the window and...HE WAS GONE.  Ugh.  I guess I'd make a lousy reporter.

At any rate, I am still happy to have seen him, since I know they are around, but in all my local travels, I've never seen one...just like I've never seen a bald eagle yet.  So, this definitely made my day.

On an annoying note, somewhere through all the contortions yesterday, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder blade, and I feel as stiff as a mummy today, which is driving me nuts since I have lots of stuff to get done, and not being able to move very well is not helpful to anything.  I took another bit of ibuprofen, and hope that will do the trick.

Tomorrow I drop off my work in NYC for Red Dot this week.  Thursday is the kickoff, with an opening reception from 6-9 pm, a cocktail party at the Strand Hotel on Friday night, and then the close of the exhibition on Sunday evening at 6 pm.  It should be an interesting and fun weekend.

I left you with another small plein air nude, done with another local model.  I keep focusing on warm, warm, warm!

Red Dot NYC coming....

Red Dot New York City will be upon us soon, and I very much anticipating having a good weekend.  I will have five paintings in that show:  three from my young adult series, and two small paintings from my beach series.  It's going to be a fantastic show, of that I'm sure!

It will run from Thursday March 3rd, 11 am to 6 pm, with the Opening Reception from 6-9 pm, then it will run all weekend from 11 am to 8 pm, except Sunday, when it will run 11 am - 6 pm.  I hope to see some friends there--it will be a good time for sure!

Anyway, the campaign website has been having a few bugs, which is annoying, but hoping to get them ironed out as well.

In the meantime, enjoy the little study I did above last summer with a small group of plein air painters with one lovely model.  We would do that on a weekly basis, with a different model each time, and I have some really nice little rapid gesture studies I did in the "wilderness."  I kind of like the idea of nudity in the wilderness...must be the primeval part of me LOL

New oil study and new Snow!

"Gray day on driftwood bay" oil on canvas 8" x 10" by Hilary J England

We have new snow!!  Enough said about that :-o   

Things are moving along well for my campaign regarding the Florence Biennale.  I have some nice pledges coming in, and the press has picked up my story, so I hope that the general public has some Art lovers out there that will want to kick in and help, even if it's only a few dollars.  Hey, little bits add up to big things!

I have been working away on my newest pieces, and doing some little still life paintings at night.  I made a promise to myself to keep "limber" by producing one rapid little painting a day, on top of the usual studio time I put in.  When I am working on big pieces, it's easy to get absorbed into them.  These little paintings or oil studies, just flow quickly--it's like a lightning rod between mind and brush...they clear the cobwebs out and keep the painting flowing smoothly.  It's not about producing a masterpiece with the little paintings...think of them as your notes before your final report.  Even if it is good, it's not the final piece, and never will be.  That's what these little paintings are about.  Practice and preparation!

Red Dot NYC is nearly upon me!  The show goes off on March 3rd and runs that weekend through to March 6th.  It's at 82 Mercer Street in New York City, and I'm told it's a really amazing exhibition.  I am looking forward to it.  I have printed up some materials to be distributed during it, but I don't know if the printer will have them in time...oh well.  At least the stuff isn't dated and can be used in the next show...

Anyway, enjoy the little study above.  It's from when we were in Maine, and it's called "Gray day on driftwood bay."  Say that ten times fast!!!

And remember friends, I still need your help, so please support an Artist!!   http://www.florencebi.com/

Scent of Spring, and I don't mean a fabric softener!

"Spring tulips in orchard study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"

I once read a humorous quote that asked the question, "Maybe this world is another planet's hell"  and I mused over that for a moment, and sometimes, when watching the news or some other calamity, you might actually get a moment's twinge that it may be possible, but when you go out on a warm, damp, grey morning like today, and smell the impending Spring on the air, and all is quiet and good in the world, you can only smile and think, "This world is beautiful."  So, out the door with such a silly theory!

Yesterday was a hellish sort of a day for me, and with that being said, I'm just glad it's over.  I slept like a baby, and woke up feeling a 100% better...so good, I laid there and just felt comfortable, not wanting to move, just gazing at the weak sunlight that flickered through the room, and felt relief...

I have a busy day today, and tomorrow, but I will find moments to step back and just enjoy the beauty that is around me.  Sometimes, even when I'm painting, I lose sight of that, and everything becomes a task, a chore, an annoyance, but if I step back a moment, take a breather, close my eyes and clear my mind, it becomes clear and peaceful again, and I can smell the scent of Spring, and I can be happy for that moment.

So, that's what I'll do.  If it works, keep at it!

P.S. Enjoy the landscape from Spring...I'll keep posting the warmer weather studies♥

Scent of Spring

"Green butterfly and fireflowers" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"

I sense a scent of Spring!  So, another study from warmer days!

Things are moving along today...although I had another "no show" employee.  It's hard to find good help nowadays...even when you pay generously.  I guess there are alot of secretly independently wealthy individuals out there!

I have to run quite a few errands today, so the painting will have to wait until I return.  It's supposed to be "warm" today, so that makes me energized and looking forward to the afternoon...

Paging Spring!

"Butterfly and sunflower" by Hilary J England oil on canvas 8" x 11"

Paging Spring!  We need you on the floor STAT!  This frozen weather has grown beyond tiresome, and it also seems that it sucks the life out of everyone, especially the most frail.  I have yet another funeral to attend this week...my Uncle, who passed away on Saturday night.  I am finished with the sad procession of trips to the cemetery.  I am desperate to see the little green sprouts of renewed life coming up from the dark, damp soil...

I have Red Dot NYC coming up the first weekend in March, and a few other shows to prep for, so back into the frigid weather which is my studio.  I am armed with some kerosene and an extra bundle of wood, so hopefully I can get warm enough to work comfortably.  I usually forget the cold until it hits my toes, and once they get numb, I can't ignore it anymore...Feet are terribly important!

So, I hope you enjoy the quick oil sketch above...it's all about the warm weather!

Think Spring!!

"Butterfly and lilac study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"

We're supposed to have some warmer weather coming our way, and that is a great relief!  I'm getting tired of hauling my paints in from my studio so they don't get all funky.  Plus, I have been working on some sculpture in clay, and that needs to remain indoors as well, so it's getting pretty cramped in my little office...

Working on several new projects, and of course, my fundraiser.  I have gotten some private pledges, and am working to bring everything to the public...i.e.:  Publicity.  The dirty word...Anyway, one step at a time.  I never did like getting ahead of myself, although that seems to happen on a routine basis! 

In the meantime, enjoy my study from last year of the monarch butterfly.  That always brings memories of warmth and sunshine!

Getting in gear!



"Sand dollars and sand swirls study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"



I am getting geared up to go live with my http://www.indiegogo.com/ campaign to fundraise for the Florence Biennale.  It was hard work, and there is still alot of hard work that needs to be done, but I am up to it. 

First and foremost, was making a video under a deadline.  Making a video was like trying to take a crash course in Chinese...certainly was not an easy thing to do!  Shooting the footage was easy enough, but when I got it into Photoshop to edit it--what a nightmare!  I had never used the Photoshop Premier Elements before (their video editing software), and it is NOT user friendly for a novice.  I was literally ready to rip my hair out of my head by the end of the sixth hour!

As time wore on, and other tasks started to press on me, I had no choice but to abandon the Photoshop in search for a more basic program that didn't require a Master's to operate.  I settled on good ole Window's media player, but, to add to my frustration, the video footage I shot was in Quicktime, and was incompatible with the Window's program.  At this point, I put up my white flag, and scrapped the whole thing...I had to make this deadline, and had to do it with some degree of sanity and at least a cohesive video.

I decided to go with a good old, albeit it somewhat simple way of communicating the video....slideshow format of the work, interspersed with on scene photography, background tracks, and viola:  the video was done in about an hour and a half.  Whew! 

So, when Indiegogo goes live, I will post the link!  I am excited to work on this project, and look forward to the positive end result of it...

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my study of sand dollars...I've got the beach studies out to keep up the warm vibes!  Maybe Spring will come early after all.

Winter weary



"Conch shell study with blue" by Hilary J. England, 8" x 11" oil on canvas




I guess everyone is winter weary at this point.  More snow coming tonight, along with some ice...I did manage to get most of my traveling about done, so at worst, it's just messy out.

I have been working on several large projects, under a deadline, so I have been quite consumed...but, here is another shell study to keep the thoughts flowing toward balmy weather and the beach!

Astounding!! Florence Biennale 2011

"Single spiral seashell study" by Hilary J England, 8" x 11" oil on canvas panel

I received a packet today inviting me to participate in the prestigious Florence Biennale 2011.  This morning, I received a large envelope in the mail from the Scientific Committee of the Florence Biennale inviting me to participate in the 2011event. Very exciting indeed!!!!

Initial inquiries led me to understand that I had been selected from my website. There is a committee of some 30 members world wide who look for artists to invite. These members have credentials that allow them to choose artists with a degree of ability and attainment in their chosen field of the arts.

After the initial listing of your name for consideration by the worldwide committee member, your work is submitted to the Internal Scientific Committee before final acceptance. This is done before you receive the invitation. So should you receive an invitation, then it is important to remember that you have already passed this process...pretty cool
Also, once you are invited, you are always included for life......again, pretty cool.

The Florence Biennale is the largest democratic artist supported Biennale in the world with over 840 artists from 180 countries. It hangs 2500 artworks for a period of 10 days mainly in the one center. It is part of the United Nations initiative "Dialogue between Nations" and is expressly for the bringing together of artists to unite in peace and share with each other. It is not an Art Fair as the work is not for sale; It is not a commercial venture for artists, but a juried art competition with awards. It is an excellent opportunity to promote your work, meet other artists and learn from them. This Biennale is more about providing a venue for artists to learn what is happening word wide in the arts from each other and gain an understanding of each other and build networks in a democratic way.

Many really great artists have participated in this event, including internationally acclaimed artists like Marina Ambramovic, Shu Yong, Gilbert & George and David Hockney, to mention a few.
Another plus about Florence is it is the seat of the Renaissance, the home of Leonardo and Michelangelo, the Uffizi and the visual arts, while Venice is the home of theater, festivals, masked balls and performance art-- as a visual artist, Florence is truly the place to be!

So, after initially being bowled over by this great honor, then the wheels of logic began to spin--and the mechanics of participating in this great event, but, one step at a time...more to come on that subject!

In the meantime, I will just post another little tidbit to keep the happy and warm thoughts going:
"Single spiral seashell study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"

Hugs!♥

iPad hard case original Contemporary artwork from Zazzle.com

iPad hard case original Contemporary artwork from Zazzle.com