new work and news

eevy ivy over

acrylic on canvas
diptych - 72" x 48"
click to see large

I did the the bulk of the painting november 4th, glued to the radio, waiting for results.
eevy ivy over is the chant when you are jump roping, to start the swing.

eevy ivy over

acrylic on canvas (detail)
diptych - 72" x 48"
click to see large

at first thought

mixed media on paper
click to see large

back talk

mixed media on paper
click to see large

news and notes..

the christmas gift, my favorite among the children's books I have illustrated, has been reissued in paperback.
the christmas gift

One of my paintings, "the mustard seed" will be featured on a wine label :-)
(shhh..it hasn't been released yet).

eric kent wines has a very neat program, of featuring an artist's work on each label.

claire at eric kent wines

eric kent wines.com

vineeta - national portrait gallery competition

Vineeta
acrylic on panel
16"h x 20"l
click to see large

portrait painter
by gary amaro

pencil on moleskine sketchbook
click to see large

My entry into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Competition.

I'm not very happy with it - it was painted in a panic right up to the deadline.
I got back from being out of town, ran upstairs, and started painting like a maniac.
It was very hot, I was down to my skivvy's, balancing the painting on one knee.
If I ran out of a color, I would yell "bring me a black! and a thalo blue!" and gary would run to the studio side and grab paint jars, no time to put them on my palette, just stuck my brush in. Photographed it just before deadline....awful. Under florescent light, blue, glary, and out of focus. (this is a much better picture I took under sunlight). I didn't at all capture how beautiful Vineeta is, and I'm not sure that it's clear that she is laying on a rug on the floor. My fault for procrastinating. Oh well, next year.

I do really enjoy gary's drawing, a sort of a triple portrait. Look at all of those cords!

this american life - t shirt designs

this american life, one of my favorite radio programs, sponsored a T shirt design competition. here are my 3 entries, plus one I really wish I had submitted.
click to see large

night garden (in progress)

the night garden
acrylic on canvas

48" x 72" (diptych)

(click to see large)

exhibit opening

untitled (young girl with pink bow)
acrylic on panel
16 x 20
(click to see large)

In conjunction with the large exhibit downstairs,
I'll be having a mini show of small paintings in the new upstairs loft gallery at the SFMOMA artist's gallery.

There will be an opening (wine, music)
Wednesday, July 2^nd, 5:30 to 7:30pm

SFMOMA Artists Gallery
Building A, Fort Mason Center , SF CA

auction!

mi quinceañera
acrylic on canvas over panel
click to see large

This piece which was made for this year's SFMOMA Artist Sale is going to be auctioned off, silent auction style, which should be fun. The warehouse sale ends Sunday, May 11, 2008, at 4:00 p.m.
For more info on the warehouse sale, click here
SFMOMA Warehouse Sale

If you are interested in throwing in a bid, you can contact the gallery
at 1- 415.441.4777.

portrait

acrylic on canvas over panel
click to see large

new work -warehouse sale

tomorrow is the opening for the SFMOMA Artist Gallery Warehouse sale.

As usual, I go nuts, and usually work up to the very last minute creating work for it.
Here I am, early afternoon, still in my pajamas, putting the finishing touches on the painting which was used for the poster for this years event.

a little glimpse of the chaos and squalor of my studio after one week of this.....

seige -
click to see large

artery
click to see large

the midnight moon serenely smiles (blue jay)
click to see large

A collaboration between gary amaro and myself.
We started a tradition last year of collaborating on a piece for the sale...
if it sells, the funds go into a special travel fund.
Wish I had kept this piece, though - I really like it.

the midnight moon serenely smiles (blue jay) - detail
click to see large

psalm

(this one I am holding onto.)
click to see large

glow worm
click to see large

upcoming events and exhibits

art half off !
15th Annual Artists Warehouse Sale -
SFMOMA artists gallery
Fort Mason, San Francisco
Always lots of fun to go to.
(i did this years poster, t-shirt and announcement for this, check it out)

I'll have a bunch of works on paper and small paintings.

Opening Night Reception
Wednesday, May 07, 2008, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Special Sale Hours
Thursday, May 08 and Friday, May 09, 2008, noon - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 10, 2008, noon - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 11, 2008, noon - 4:00 p.m.

for more info.....
sfmoma artists warehouse sale

------------------------------


"sounds like art"
I'm exhibiting my bell tower sculptures and a shadow-box piece at an exhibit at "Downtown" titled sounds like art.
It's an exhibition of 11 artists on the theme of music and sound.
Downtown is a multi-use space in downtown Berkeley’s Arts District.

workshop

learn how to make your paintings more luminous,
by understanding the mechanics of how paint "works".

In a relaxed, supportive environment, we will explore some of the ways acrylics can be used.

There will be demos, one on one help, creativity exercises, and the time to finish one small painting.

Saturday April 19 & Sunday April 20 11:00am - 5:00pm

Workshop is $190 if registered before April 5th
$200 after April 5th
+ $25 materials fee

for more info
painting workshop

A deposit of $100 holds a place in the class, and is refundable up to 10 days before the workshop.
(If a participant needs to cancel after that time, the deposit can be applied to future workshops). Workshops limited to 5 people.

www.clairebcotts.com

claire@clairebcotts.com

new work - poppy circle series

totter

mixed media
india ink, walnut ink and paint on old text.

tumble and roll

mixed media
india ink, walnut ink and paint on old text.

the wasp's nest

mixed media
india ink, walnut ink and paint on old text.

expunge

mixed media
india ink, walnut ink and paint on old text.

eggs, floating (1)

mixed media
india ink, walnut ink and paint on old text.

eggs, floating (2)

mixed media
india ink, walnut ink and paint on old text.

la quinceañera

For a poster for the SFMOMA artists gallery's upcoming 15th annual warehouse sale.
It's a yearly event - art half off (imagine an art piranha feed, it's pretty exciting)
I'm also doing the T-shirt and card

click on any image to see large
acrylic on panel

from wikipedia..

The Quinceañera or Quince Años (sometimes represented XV Años, meaning "fifteen years") is, in some Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas, a young woman's celebration of her fifteenth birthday, which is commemorated in a unique and different way from her other birthdays.

Besides referring to the actual festivities, the word is also used to refer to the young woman whose 15th birthday is being celebrated (analogous to the word cumpleañera for "birthday girl").

illustration friday - blanket

click to see large

first posting to illustration friday
(sorry for the double post on I.F., just now figuring this out).

This weeks theme....
blanket.

This is a illustration I did for
"the remembering stone"
farrar, straus, giroux.

Always loved this image, the delight
of the slow descent of the blanket, and the little momentary
cave it makes.


www.illustrationfriday.com

start spreading the news......

I want(ed) to be a part of it!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK...eeeer.

Ok, none of my pieces were picked for the new yorker competition.
But....gary got TWO pieces selected, including one we collaborated on.

Not only that, but our piece is one of eight picked to actually be in this week's print edition of the New Yorker.
whoo hoo!

gary's piece
blowing bubbles - the new yorker

(very exciting, there is also an interview with art director francoise mouly, she mentions gary's bubble piece at about 8.18 minutes in.)
interview

here is the piece we did together
the springfieldian- the new yorker

(here is the original idea)






you can see all the winners here
new yorker online

cover competition - part 2

sadly, I didn't win.
(peter arno, the great new yorker artist and cartoonist,
originated the phrase "back to the old drawing board! so off I go. :-)
here are a few more of my entries.

to see all of mine, go here....
claire's entries








here are some more links that show gary's and my pieces on the web....


www.linesandcolors.com

blogjunkies.com

boingboing.net

tilley contest

to see all entries, go here
new yorker cover contest

new yorker eustace tilley cover competition

here's one of the pieces I submitted.


the new yorker is having a competition: to create a cover with the iconic dandy and man about town, Eustace Tilley, who has just turned 83.
It's become a tradition to have a Tilley cover every February


you can see some past covers here
new yorker.com - Tilley covers


this year's entries

It was so much fun to do, and many of the entries were incredibly clever and well done.

The prize is to have a "virtual" cover shown on the new yorker.com website.
I've always thought that would be a great thing, to be on the cover of the new yorker, so I guess this is "virtually" as good.

I also collaborated with gary on the one (I came up with the concept - and here is his take on it)
the springfieldian,

winter jay

acrylic on panel
5 x 7
click image to see large

mary blair

if you live in the bay area,
make a trek over to the cartoon art museum.
There's a great exhibit of work by mary blair.
(also a great edward gorey show)

cartoon art museum
the exhibit is up until mid march

here are some wonderful images of her work, from the
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive.

Little Verses Part One

Little Verses Part Two

Baby's House

New Golden Song Book Part One

New Golden Song Book Part Two