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

happy new years! painting-a-day

best wishes for the new years!

I'm starting up my painting-a-day blog again.
(or failing that "art-every-day").

here are the first two.

oriole (winter)
acrylic on panel
5x7
click image to see large
sold

portrait, january (loose strand)
acrylic on panel
9x12
click image to see large


happy new years!

for marian

for marian
mixed media on paper
click to see large

Here is a piece I created for marian parmenter, the co-founder of the SFMOMA artist gallery. Last night, there was a celebration for her, she'll be retiring and moving onto new adventures. The gallery artists were asked to create a piece for her, this is the piece I made. Marian was the first person to ever show my work, and the first person to offer me a show.
She has always been a tremendous support - every artist needs a person like that.

new prints

recent prints

untitled (woman/tangle)
sugarlift etching, drypoint
click to see large


untitled (woman/tangle)
sugarlift etching, drypoint
detail
click to see large

untitled (woman with beads)
linoleum block print
click to see large

new work - wash drawings

new work on paper
click to see large

dia de los muertos (the family)

just back from oaxaca, I was there during the day of the dead.
(as soon as I have my wits about me, I'll post some of the photos I took)
here is a just finished painting, heading off to an exhibit at Tew Galleries, in atlanta.



dia de los muertos (the family)
acrylic on panel
36"x 42"
click to see large


dia de los muertos (the family) - detail
acrylic on panel
36"x 42"
click to see large

fabric paintings

quilt painting #1
click to see large

quilt painting #1 - (detail)
click to see large

quilt painting #2
click to see large

quilt painting #2 - (detail)
click to see large

I've started doing improvisational fabric paintings (known in the vernacular as "quilts").


I like the juxtaposition of different pattern, color and shape, the slight wonkiness of it.


I also like the loose irregular edges, but I am puzzling over how to display these, other than just thumb-tacking them to the wall.

I'm also working on a number of mosaics -a lot of my work right now seems come from the concept of mosaic, that putting together found and collected objects.

girl with a pearl

girl with a pearl
acrylic on panel
click to see large

santa ana (lucky)

santa ana (lucky)
click to see large
3' x 4'
acrylic on canvas


santa ana (lucky) - detail
click to see large
santa ana (lucky) - detail
click to see large

untitled (the nest)

acrylic on panel
click to see large

my secret...
for the final part, the very finest details of the eyes, I made a brush out a single cat's whisker, which my cat graciously donated.

the gordian knot

4 x 6 feet

acrylic on canvas
(some process shots of earlier stages below)
click to see large