Evolving Structure & Form

My first official solo exhibit in a gallery!!! “Evolving Structure & Form” is running the month of October, until the 31st, at Jefferson Arts Gallery in Monticello (just east of the town I call home, Tallahassee). The opening went well in general but unfortunately, because of this terrible virus, it had sparse attendance. Some artists and art lovers showed up along with family and friends, all of whom I was very happy to see.

I am pictured above in the center of this beautiful space with my cityscapes and still lifes around me. The title of the show, Evolving Structure & Form, describes the architecture or structures in these cityscapes and the form or still life images with the evolution they have gone through over the past 4 years that I have been painting in my new style. And I have a few cat paintings thrown in there for good measure!!!

Shown below are additional shots from the opening, taken by my friend and Tallahassee photographer, Bob O’Lary (who is shown, photographed by me, with one of my favorites: Morning Routine). Pictured are Katie Clark perusing the gallery and curator Susan Rissman proudly sitting with Oliver. Please visit the gallery if you can: Jefferson Arts Gallery, Wednesdays and Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm until the final day of the show on Halloween 2020 in beautiful Monticello, Florida. Stay safe and stay tuned. Coming up: the holidays in Havana, FL.

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An Honor: In the Conference Room

I am writing this post to announce an honor I received recently, but first of all, let me say today is the official opening of my new solo exhibit at Jefferson Arts Gallery. I will undoubtedly post much more about that later. But, chronologically speaking, before that I was asked to extend the showing of the above painting from the Tallahassee Proud exhibit in the City Hall, Tallahassee. This piece, “Goodies Eatery,” is a rendition of a favorite lunch spot for the downtown business people and was the subject of one of my paintings last year that I submitted to the COCA exhibit, Tallahassee Proud. This painting, along with two others, was accepted into the exhibit and then because of the virus the exhibit was extended. Finally, at the end of this show when it was time to retrieve the paintings, I was asked if I wanted to allow Goodies to remain at the City Hall, in the Conference Room. Being fairly new on the Tallahassee art scene, I felt this was quite an honor. This usually busy meeting place is the City Commissioners’ Main Conference Room where city employees and the public alike will be able to view my painting along with a select group of other artists’ works when this crazy virus settles down. Stay safe and please stay posted for photos of my solo exhibit!

“Evolving” Painting

Well blog readers, I haven’t written in a while since I have been preparing for an exhibit. It is not my first exhibit this year, but it is the first exhibit I am participating in that takes place in person and not online during the virus. It will be tricky to say the least.

The title of this post is “Evolving” Painting because the name of my exhibit to take place at Jefferson Arts Gallery in Monticello, FL is “Evolving Structure & Form.” I am choosing to show you folks how I developed the above painting, Brick House Eatery, from beginning to end, with the above being the final product. By the way, this restaurant is a small, local cafe in the town of Monticello. Below are photos showing this evolution, in various steps, from start to finish…even including the palettes! Take a look:

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I hope you folks that are local can attend my opening reception Saturday, October 3, 2020 from 12 noon to 4 pm at 575 West Washington St., Monticello. If not, stay tuned for more info on all that’s coming up in the near future, which includes: entering Agora Gallery, Chelsea, NY competition, painting large Christmas ornaments for the town tree for Havana Main Street, entering Photofest competition, and the ole’ standby painting pet portraits. Stay tuned and stay safe!

Time Well Spent in Art Studio

Well, the virus still drags on. I’ve been very productive, though. I am including photos in this blog of me in my studio. Above I am shown getting prepared for my upcoming exhibit by painting a cityscape of a favorite meeting place in Monticello, where the exhibit is being held. Also in the photo below I am in the studio shown with my hand-made greeting cards (which I have featured in other blogs) that I am selling at the exhibit as well in addition to needing some for the upcoming holiday season.  Not only am I being more productive in general, I have acquired some new supplies I am very happy with. First of all, my good artist friend, Susan, gave me an easel she no longer wanted which is just fabulous! I then bought some new brushes at Michael’s Arts & Crafts which has great sales.

And I want to share with you folks what’s coming up in the near future. As I said earlier, I am preparing for an exhibit from October 3rd to October 31st at Jefferson Arts Gallery in Monticello, FL. More on that to come. Then I am entering an art competition in New York City (yet again) only at a different gallery. And finally, there may be an AHA (Artists Helping Artists) exhibit at the History, Culture and Arts Center in Apalachicola, FL in the coming months. And maybe, just maybe, a holiday pop-up exhibit in Havana, FL.

I will be blogging regularly and keeping all you art lovers abreast of my goings-on. Thanks for your continued support and stay safe!

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MINI-SCAPES!

Here they are: MINI-SCAPES! These are the first three I did, from left to right: Square Mug Cafe, 621 Gallery and Tally Train Station. They are fashioned after larger paintings I did, which in fact, are quite a bit larger with the dimensions of approximately 24″ x 30″. They were inspired by the minis I created of cats, dogs and sea life; which are 2-1/2″x2-1/2″ square. These mini-scapes are a rectangular 2″x3″ in size and the term “mini-scape” was coined by my artist friend Ann, who came up with it when I simply wanted to call them mini cityscapes. I have done quite a few since the first three which are shown below.

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I also wanted to share with you a shot from pre-coronavirus of my MINI-SCAPES on sale at Square Mug Cafe in Railroad Square Art Park, Tallahassee. I am happy to say before the flow of customers dropped off I sold two of the little works of art!

And finally I would like to show you my most recent mini-scape along with the large version of the painting. This painting is 24″x30″ and, as I said earlier, the tiny mini-scape version is 2″x3″. The painting is called “Destination Tally” and is a rendition of the Greyhound Bus Station on Tennessee Street. I certainly had fun with this one! Stay safe and I’ll post again soon.

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Happy Customer Behind That Mask!

Here is one of my best customers, and I’m glad to say happy customer, wearing the obligatory mask of the day receiving her custom dog portrait and hand-made matching greeting cards. She also requested a portrait of her new, appropriately named kitten, CoVee. A “kind of” Siamese that was a little tricky to paint. But she was happy and I was also pleased with the way it came out and here I am posing with it next to my car’s “Cat Artist” sign! If you’re interested in getting a portrait done of your pet in my style (I do any animal) just go to the contact function in the blog menu and I’ll get back to you right away. Shown below are more pictures that I thought you’d enjoy.

For those of you that were following my online exhibit in Greenpoint Gallery: no, I’d didn’t win. 😦 But I would like to thank all of you out there that voted for me. It was good to know I have the support and it was a good thing to be included in a show in New York regardless. Another is coming up that I’m thinking of entering, I’ll keep you posted. Stay safe!

For Sale! My Quarter Moon Postcards

Here they are folks! As I have blogged about before, I have created Quarter Moon Imports postcards from a painting I did of this great little shop on Lake Ella in Tallahassee, Florida. I encourage you locals to get out and check out this eclectic gift shop and hopefully buy some postcards and even some of my hand-made greeting cards. And for all of you readers and art lovers, I hope you enjoy the art. I am including a few photos of the postcards and the outside of the shop, too. I am happy to say this is the first time one of my paintings has been chosen to represent a business and am very proud!

News About Greenpoint Gallery Contest

Hey blog readers! Above is one of the paintings I submitted to Greenpoint Gallery’s national, online exhibit along with four other Tallahassee-themed works. For those of you who read my last post, this is a follow-up, and for those of you just finding out about me and Greenpoint, I am providing more information.

The online exhibit I am now participating in at Greenpoint Gallery in Brooklyn, New York is conducting a contest where you can vote and the winner gets $500 and a solo exhibit at the gallery when the virus is over. I now know you can vote as many times as you want! The votes cost one dollar each and the money goes to benefit the gallery in these difficult times.

So please vote for me, a Tallahassee artist hoping to exhibit in the “big city” once, twice, or many times! Here is the direct link below. Thanks in advance!

VOTE DIANE DYAL TO EXHIBIT IN GREENPOINT GALLERY

Please Vote and Support the Arts!

Well folks, I hope to (and maybe already have) hit the “big time.” I have just been accepted to an online exhibit at Greenpoint Gallery in New York and am very proud! This two-floor gallery in Brooklyn is in the trendy and very popular artist-colony area of Greenpoint, where the gallery gets its name. My Tallahassee-themed paintings were chosen along with the pieces of 81 other artists in this July exhibit. I am asking for all your support, please. I need you and your friends’ votes. There is a People’s Choice award of $500 and a solo exhibit in the gallery when the coronavirus is over. The votes cost one dollar each and the money goes to support the gallery in this time of crisis. The website is as follows http://www.thegreenpointgallery.com, but I am also including a direct link to the section where you can vote for me below. Thanks in advance!!!

VOTE DIANE DYAL GREENPOINT GALLERY

Peruse Creative Tallahassee Online Gallery

COCA (Council on Culture and Arts) has an ongoing program called “Art in Public Places” and I feel it is a very fine thing for the city I call my home: Tallahassee, Florida. The airport has a space which is included in this category, as well as City Hall, which has an art gallery where I just participated in an exhibit called “Tallahassee Proud” the beginning three months of this year (pre-coronavirus). Another show is scheduled to be held July 1st to September 14th. Now with the pandemic, I am sad to say COCA’s annual exhibit Creative Tallahassee is not going to be held at the City Hall Art Gallery as usual, but the show must (and does) go on! This year’s popular exhibit, which welcomes Big Bend artists working in all media, is going to be virtual and includes 93 artists with 254 works in which I am included. I am happy to say I have three pieces in the exhibit, mentioning it is listed alphabetically by artist. The three acrylic paintings are: “Walking Downtown No. 2,” “Clock on Park” and “Quarter Moon Dresses Up.” The following is the link for the online gallery for you to peruse and I ask you to pay particular attention to my paintings!

Creative Tallahassee Online Exhibit

Walking Downtown No. 2, Diane Dyal, Acrylic, 18″x24″, (c) 2020

Clock on Park, Diane Dyal, Acrylic, 24″x30″, (c) 2019

Quarter Moon Dresses Up, Diane Dyal, Acrylic, 22″x28″, (c) 2019